We were new members at Beth El, and we went to the family picnic early September. The first people we met were Ralph and Sheila Schmeltz. Ralph was President at the time, and we were introduced to all their four children. Two of them—Lowell and Dina—were the same age as our two kids Allison and…
In the spring of 1997, Rob, Sarah, who was then 3-1/2 years old, and I moved from Phoenix to the South Hills. Shortly after we arrived, I learned of a Scholastic Book Fair being held at Beth El, and wanting to find books for Sarah, we found our way there late afternoon. That was when…
This week’s 100 Reasons blog features Beth El members Robyn Harris and Bruce Waldo. Robyn: I grew up at Beth El. Bruce and I met in California. Bruce: We met in LA, and when we were dating we would come back here to visit her folks, and I loved it. I grew up in a…
This week we sent another $1,014 to Uganda, raised by Beth El. I asked Rabbi Sizomu whether our publicity has led to help from other groups. His answer was very promising! Thank you so much Cliff, I have seen a deposit of $1014. We will continue to distribute food. Yes, we got $20,000 last week…
Ty: One of my favorite things about Beth El is getting to go to services and being welcome. Sophia: One of my favorite things that I’ve gotten to do at Beth El for the past couple of years is I got to participate in Steam Team, which is helping Martin out with his Bar Mitzvah…
Celebration Fifteen years ago as a new century began, our community was in turmoil and we did not have a rabbi to guide us. Working together we strove to stay positive. So many of our members put in countless hours to keep Beth El spiritually, socially and financially strong, as we searched for a new…
Since late June, Beth El and the South Hills Jewish community have stepped up for our friends in Africa who are suffering from famine. The work done by our community has been publicized across the country, and on three continents! I hope that you read the article last week in the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, or…
I was born into Beth El. My parents were born into Beth El. My grandparents and great grandparents were here, part of the original group of founders. One set of my parents’ families was from Beechview and one from Brookline. I came up through the religious school and had my Bar Mitzvah under Rabbi Steindel.…
Milt Wolf: Back around 1978 I used to go to minyan downtown or in Squirrel Hill, and Sam Balk told me that Beth El was just starting their minyans up again. So that’s when I started going to the minyan at Beth El. I was not a member yet. Now I’m a dual member at…
We are brand new members as of September 2016. We were not members anywhere before. We’ve been in Pittsburgh for 7 years. My father passed 2 and a half years ago in France, where I am from originally, and about a year and half after his passing, I had a lot of questions. Alan and…
October 20, 2021
Americans are fashion conscious. Particularly, they like to buy new clothes. There is even a term, “retail therapy,” that is often associated with purchasing items of clothing to elevate one’s mood. Cheap clothing at mainstream retailers lets people change wardrobes and styles as frequently as their wallets allow. While these habits can help support the…
June 19, 2021
Junk mail. Its very name implies something that we don’t want or need. I know at our house, it tends to make up the majority of the mail we get any given day. What can you do with it all? Some people recycle it, either at home or bring it to the closest Abitibi bin,…
February 12, 2021
Try to imagine a day where you go without using plastic—it’s impossible. From yogurt containers to shampoo bottles to takeout containers, plastic is a part of our daily lives. Just a few years ago, this didn’t bother many people because recycling plastic was easier and more commonplace. South Hills townships used to recycle all plastics…
