Zubik tribute to benefit Sderot center

September 1, 2011, 3:14 pm 0 Edit

The Jewish National Fund in Pittsburgh will hold its annual Tree of Life Dinner Wednesday, Sept. 7, 6 p.m., at the Omni William Penn Hotel, Downtown.
This year’s dinner will honor Bishop David A. Zubik of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. Proceeds from the dinner will benefit the new Sderot Indoor Recreational Center in Israel, in Zubik’s name.
Sderot is the city in southern Israel that has come under repeated rocket attacks from across the border in Gaza. When a rocket is fired, Sderot residents have little more than 15 seconds to take cover.
In response to the attacks, JNF has constructed what it says is the largest indoor playground in Israel, in Sderot. The all-inclusive Indoor Recreational Center, which opened March 10, 2009, provides Sderot’s youth with a place to have fun and take classes in a secure area.
The $5 million state-of-the-art indoor playground, which approximately 20,000 people a year use, is located in a secure industrial zone in an old textile warehouse. Among its features are:
• Recreational and exercise facilities for children ages 16 and under;
• Jungle gym equipment;
• A soccer field and volleyball court;
• A rock climbing wall;
• A snack area and gift shop;
• A movie and television area; and
• A disco, swing sets and merry-go-round.
In addition to Zubik, JNF Chief Executive Officer Russell F. Robinson will be the keynote speaker for the dinner.
A Sewickley native, Zubik has been an ordained priest since 1975 and a consecrated bishop since 1997. Pope Benedict XVI named him the 12th bishop of the Pittsburgh diocese in 2007.
Last November, Zubik made his first trip to Israel, traveling with Rabbi Aaron B. Bisno and 28 interfaith lay leaders on a mission that also took them to Rome.
Contact JNF at (412) 521-3200 for more information.