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A Word About Squirrel Hill

Post 1

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

Yesterday morning, according to Bari Weiss of the New York Times, the Torah portion Jews were reading everywhere was about the visitation of Sarah and Abraham by three angels in disguise. Sarah and Abraham offered the strangers hospitality: the strangers announced a miraculous birth. Another birth was being celebrated at a bris in the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, when a gunman came in and opened fire.

Pittsburgh is in shock. Support is pouring in for the neighbours in the section of the city where a third of the Jews in the area live. Fred Rogers lived there, too. So does the current mayor. It's a wonderful neighbourhood: I used to visit it often as a university student and have happy memories.

The Jewish community in Pittsburgh is as friendly and open a group as any in the ethnically diverse city. They taught me Yiddish. Members of that community shared their knowledge and friendship. My Yiddish professor - who was a member of the faculty in our German department - even suggested that I take up Jewish Studies. I find that broad-minded, since I'm not even Jewish. She helped me to develop a lifelong academic interest in Judaica.

We used to get bread from the Russian bakery, and deli meals at Izzy Cohen's, and go to the cinema on Murray Avenue. The only words of criticism I ever heard came from Jews. My Hebrew professor, who was an Israeli from Petah Tikvah, was put off by the poor level of Hebrew spoken on Murray Avenue.

'That woman asked for 'hollies' in the bakery,' he complained huffily. 'And they gave her a challah!'

One Christmas in the early 70s, a writer friend and mentor was asked for a ride after the English department's Christmas party.

'Oh, Lois, you're Jewish, too, you can give me a ride home to Squirrel Hill.'

Lois lived practically next door to the Cathedral of Learning, and replied saucily, 'I don't have to live in the ghetto!'

Better times.

We're all heartbroken about what happened yesterday. There is mourning going on, and the city will rally around. But they won't let hate in. I thought you might like to know a little bit about this place besides the headlines.

May there be peace.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDJU6CJuQvY

smiley - dragon


A Word About Squirrel Hill

Post 2

Chris Morris

Thank you for posting that, Dmitri. It's always a good thing to personalise these horrors as a way of showing them to be something other than just another statistic.


A Word About Squirrel Hill

Post 3

SashaQ - happysad

Well said Chris - thank you Dmitri


A Word About Squirrel Hill

Post 4

Willem

What horror! I do so wish for peace in the world soon! I'm very concerned about the way things seem to be going in America right now ...


A Word About Squirrel Hill

Post 5

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

It's rough all around. Thank you all. smiley - hug


A Word About Squirrel Hill

Post 6

Prof Animal Chaos.C.E.O..err! C.E.Idiot of H2G2 Fools Guild (Official).... A recipient of S.F.L and S.S.J.A.D.D...plus...S.N.A.F.U.

as an atheist, I still have the highest respect for any believers of any non violent religions.

How "mankind" can attack, inflict injury or death on any kind defenceless living person/s> for any reason/s.
Then those perpetrators cannot be called in any shape or form, a human beingsmiley - sadfaceNOR a animalsmiley - sadface


A Word About Squirrel Hill

Post 7

Pierre de la Mer ~ sometimes slightly worried but never panicking ~

Sadness abounds but hope dies last smiley - peacesign

smiley - pirate


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