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…
It’s nearly impossible for me to pick just one memory from my experience at Beth El. I went to preschool at Beth El, went through Religious School and had my Bat Mitzvah here, was an active member of Kadima and USY, and now work with our Hebrew school and Kadima. Looking back, what stands out…
Rabbis Alex and Amy Greenbaum have been our spiritual leaders since Rabbi Alex’s installation in 2002. In anticipation of our Tribute Event honoring the Rabbis’ 15 year anniversary at Beth El, I asked Rabbi Alex and Rabbi Amy to share some of their first impressions from back in 2002. Rabbi Alex: One of my favorite memories…
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…
December 1, 2020
Sponges. We all use them, from cleaning pots and pans to other household chores. But did you know that many sponges contain plastic? They are also a repository for germs and pretty hard to recycle. One way to make environmental changes in kitchen habits is to replace sponges with Swedish dishcloths. They are made from…
October 19, 2020
I grew up having paper towels handy for many uses, especially in the kitchen. Wash your hands; dry with a paper towel. Spill on the floor; wipe with a paper towel. Rinse fruits and vegetables; spread to dry on a paper towel. You get the idea. Once we started composting, we would add the used…
