Havurah of the Desert

03/01/2026

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1215709444090777&id=100069551995113&mibextid=wwXIfr

Adam Sandler:
“I grew up proud to be Jewish, and on Purim we remember something powerful: they tried to destroy us, but we’re still here — celebrating, laughing, and living. Am Yisrael Chai! Happy Purim!”

Rob Schneider:
“Every generation faces its own Haman, but the faith and identity of the Jewish people never fade. Purim is proof that we survive and we overcome. Happy Purim!”

Gene Simmons:
“They tried to erase us from history… but history proves the opposite. The Jewish people live, create, build, and conquer fear with courage. Am Yisrael Chai!”

Steven Spielberg:
“Purim reminds us that even in the darkest moments, there is purpose and redemption. Our story didn’t end with Haman… it was only beginning. Happy Purim!”

Gal Gadot:
“I’m Israeli, I’m Jewish, and I’m proud. On Purim we celebrate that evil doesn’t have the final word. Life does. Am Yisrael Chai!”

Sarah Silverman:
“Purim is resilience, identity, and joy. They tried to silence us… and here we are making noise with groggers and pride. Happy Purim!”

Scarlett Johansson:
“Celebrating Purim means honoring the strength of the Jewish people. We survived, we persisted, and we continue to shine. Am Yisrael Chai!”

Pink:
“The story of Purim inspires me: when fear tried to rule, courage answered. And we’re still standing. Happy Purim!”

Barbra Streisand:
“The voice of the Jewish people will not be silenced. Purim reminds us that dignity and faith sustain us generation after generation. Am Yisrael Chai, today and always!”

✡️✨ Happy Purim — may joy and Jewish pride fill every home.

02/01/2026

Hollywood star Josh Gad is set to portray real-life figure Kurt Gerron, a Jewish filmmaker coerced by N***s to create propaganda, in a gripping new Holocaust drama from director Simon Curtis of Woman in Gold.
The true story centers on Gerron’s moral and artistic struggle under oppression, exploring the harrowing choices creatives faced under the Third Reich.
Gad’s casting signals a dramatic turn from his well-known comedic roles, tapping into deep emotional and historical material.
Curtis, known for sensitively handling historical narratives, aims to balance truth with cinematic impact in the film’s approach.
The project is already building industry buzz for its blend of talent and challenging subject matter, poised to be a standout when it enters production.

01/24/2026

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1466386842159844&set=a.394449312686941&type=3&mibextid=wwXIfr

When Audrey Glickman, a lifelong Pittsburgher and a survivor of the Tree of Life massacre, sat down to watch The Pitt Friday morning, she knew exactly what was coming. And still she found herself moved by it.

On Thursday’s episode of the HBO Max medical drama, which is set in Pittsburgh, a patient arrives at the emergency room with a burn. It’s the Fourth of July. Fireworks crackle outside. In her kitchen, the woman had been using a samovar — a traditional metal urn often used in Jewish homes to heat water — when the sudden noise startled her and she dropped it.

The scalding water spilled onto her leg.

When her doctor asks what happened, she offers an explanation that reaches further back than the holiday. “I was on my way inside,” she says. “October 27, 2018.”

She doesn’t need to say more.

The episode never recreates the Tree of Life synagogue shooting, the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history. There are no gunshots, no flashbacks, no swelling score. Instead, the trauma surfaces the way it often does in real life: indirectly, years later, triggered by noise, memory, or the body’s refusal to forget. The scene assumes the audience already carries the weight of that day. That restraint reflects how the show has handled Jewish moments.

In the new episode, the survivor, named Yana Kovalenko and portrayed by actress Irina Dubova, asks Dr. Robby where he goes to synagogue.

“Rodef Shalom,” he replies, naming an actual Reform shul in Pittsburgh.

Kovalenko says she is a Tree of Life member and was at the synagogue on the day of the attack.

“They’re rebuilding,” Dr. Robby says.

“Yes, something new,” she says, adding, “Remember, rebuild, renew,” echoing the same phrase Tree of Life uses on its website.

That exchange gains more meaning if you know that Tree of Life is, in fact, rebuilding on its original site — and that, for now, its congregation meets in Rodef Shalom’s building. That insistence on local specificity extends beyond the script. Wyle, who is Jewish and whose parents met while attending college in Pittsburgh, has said authenticity is key to the series, which was inspired by the city’s Allegheny General Hospital.

Glickman said friends texted her about the episode Friday morning, so she was prepared for the reference but was still affected by how it unfolded.

“It’s really delightful,” she told the Forward. Not because every detail was perfect — she laughed about the accents, and the samovar struck her as more inherited than typical — but because the episode captured something truer than procedural accuracy.

“They do a lot of calling out of Pittsburgh,” Glickman said. “They treat it the way other shows treat New York or San Francisco. It lends authenticity, and it’s kind of exciting.”

🔗 Tap the link in the first comment to read more.

📸 Courtesy of HBO Max

01/01/2026

https://fb.watch/EmBMTEooqe/?mibextid=wwXIfr&fs=e

12/15/2025

12/15/2025

Wishing you and yours a bright Hanukkah-

02/19/2024

Tickets for McCallum Theater for sale at face value.
Our organization purchased tickets via group sale but we "over-bought" and have 7 tickets left. Face value of $58.58 is a 10% discount off the regular price. You may purchase between 1-7 tickets here: https://www.havurahofthedesert.org/mccallum

08/28/2023

A beautiful couple having a joyous moment.

The love of my life and the best partner I could ask for. Happy anniversary, Dougie.

12/30/2020

In Memoriam

Pearl White

Aug 15, 1916 - Dec 29, 2020



With sadness we report that our dear friend, Pearl White, passed away quietly at 4:30 Tuesday afternoon. Pearl was 104.

Pearl was much beloved in our community for her charm, wit, intelligence, devotion to Judaism, and her sartorial style.
She will be deeply missed.



The funeral will take place in Chicago, and we will share more details as they become known.

09/18/2020

Happy 5781 to all from the Havurah of the Desert

03/13/2020

The Board of Directors of the Havurah of the Desert has decided that using caution during the current coronaviris crisis is the most prudent way to proceed in the near term.

Thus, we have made the difficult decision to cancel our March Havdalah and to postpone our Seder, which had been planned for April 9. It is our hope that we can reschedule the Seder for a date later in the spring.

We urge everyone to take common sense precautions such as washing your hands frequently and thoroughly, staying home if you are feeling unwell, and being careful to cough or sneeze into your elbow so as to not spread anything to anyone else.