Retired Ambassador and Current Professor of International Affairs - Delivers a Dynamic and Fun Lecture about the nature of the U.S. ambassadorships - at PIttsburgh's Squirrel Hill fancy and beautiful - temple - Beth Shalom.

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       On Sunday morning - Feb. 8 - 2015 - Professor Dennis Jett - who served for twenty-eight years as a career diplomat for the U.S. - state department delivered an exciting, one hour lecture. He served as an ambassador to Peru and Mozambique as well as holding a position of a Deputy Chief of Mission in Malawi, Iberia, Argentina and Israel while currently - he teaches at the Department of International Affairs at Pennsylvania State University.
      Mr. Jett outlined with a lot of humor and self-deprecating wit - all the perks and hardships connected with professionally serving the U.S. interests - abroad. With the excellent enumeration of bet. $160 and $180 thousand dollars per year - come a lot of expected and unexpected - hardships -notwithstanding the sexy and prestigious sounding position of an ambassador. 

      The main challenge to this glamorous post would take a form of a General Inspection report generated regularly - which can harshly evaluate the ambassadors - depending on the political motive of the "evaluators." Some ambassadors - quickly resign their posts - upon receiving a poor report - deserved or not. 
     The audience at Pittsburgh's - Squirrel Hill - Beth Shalom temple - asked a lot of interesting questions - skillfully handled by Mr. Jett.

Squirrel Hill has a new, low cost (sliding scale) - medical and dental clinic.

                          Copyright@L.Hadley 2015

      When I am in Chicago and need some dental work done - my dentist there - is one of the few ones who lets me pay my bill - "spread out" into monthly installments.
     Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill - has a clinic called "Squirrel Hill Health Center" - located at 4516 Browns Hill Road - Pittsburgh - 15217 - which operates on a "sliding scale" principle. The idea is not new - since one of the most excellent hospitals in the country - Chicago's - Cook County Hospital - has been doing that for the last hundred years. It makes a lot of sense to charge the patients for the services - according to their earnings. This concept makes the dental care - available to more people who might - otherwise - ignore to take care of their dental or medical problems while they are still manageable. When - stubbornly neglected - abscessed teeth - start "acting up" - they - not only seriously threaten the health of the "owner" of such teeth but frequently - those foolish oversights lead to tons of expensive, hospital procedures for which the taxpayers end up "paying through the nose".
    I started the badly needed treatments of my teeth (before "things get out of control" - mind you) - with the dental staff at Squirrel Hill Health Center - so to wit - I am almost half way done. So far - so good - in every possible way.
   Stay tuned totally breathlessly - for my updates on the "continuation" and "conclusion" as well as more details regarding the various - up to date - treatments.
   

Jonathan Ornstein - An Executive Director of Krakow - Poland - Jewish Community Center - Gives a Dynamic Presentation.

                         Copyright@L.Hadley and Associates - 2025

    Last Tuesday Nov. 4 - 2014 - instead of our customary "Jews in the News" session at Pittsburgh's - JCC - Mr. Jonathan Ornstein - a good looking, dark haired, early middle aged, well-spoken director of a Krakow - Poland - small Jewish Community Center - delivered a well thought-out, thought-provoking presentation to an assorted crowd which packed a Pittsburgh's JCC - community room.
    The wildly mixed audience mostly consisted of a long-time immigrant one - from Europe - especially from Poland and Eastern Europe. The Jews from those countries - having established reasonably good, new lives for themselves in the United States - are always "dying" to hear what attracts the American Jews like Mr. Ornstein - an ex-New Yorker to Poland which is well known for her numerous, anti-Semitic - episodes - throughout history. 

     It needs to be noted - however - that many Poles risked their lives - as well - to help their Jewish neighbors - during the Nazi - Weimar Republic' - 'reign of terror - during the Second World War.
    Mr. Ornstein gave the audience an interesting, brief account of how he found himself first serving in Israeli army - IDF - where he met and followed to Poland - a Polish lady - a Gentile volunteer with whom he travelled to Poland where he learned an excellent Polish (which is normally hard to master for a Westerner in a relatively short time). Even though their relationship "fizzled out" - nevertheless - Mr. Ornstein secured a position of an executive director of a Jewish Community Center in Krakow - a beautiful, historical Polish town - after his stint as a lecturer of Israeli Culture at the oldest Polish University named after the past ruling Polish royalty - the Jagiellons - located in Krakow which used to be a capitol of Poland thus the name - Jagiellonian University - bears the last name of the Polish royal dynasty - the Jagiellons. 
    The seed money for the Polish - JCC - was secured by Prince Charles; no wonder that the Jews in Great Britain - achieve even more distinctions than the ones in the U.S.

    In a nutshell - Mr. Ornstein's message - skillfully conveyed - makes a lot of sense. We need to support the new generation of Poles showing an interest in Jewish culture. The audience at the Pittsburgh's JCC asked a lot of questions about the present conditions of a few Jews still left in Poland. According to Mr. Ornstein - for now - the new, young generation of Poles - shows a big interest in Jewish culture - "but what the future will bring - nobody knows" - according to Mr. Ornstein. 

      The audiences' comments and questions were addressed by Mr. Ornstein in a straight-forward, informative manner. He needs to lecture in Chicago where the local Jewish community is a lot "weightier" - than the group in Pittsburgh.

Claudia Sanchez - a Dark Haired Argentinian Beauty - Easily Performs Terrific Latin and Popular Hits - on a Grand Piano.

                         Copyright@L.Hadley @Associates 2019


     Everybody who loves to listen to good piano pieces - take notice!
     Pittsburgh's loft shaped - Oxford Atrium Center - behind the downtown Fifth Avenue Macy's - hosts a terrific lady pianist with an international track record - every Thursday from 11:30 am till 1:00 pm.
      Her selections are varied with each one sounding good. I got totally "hooked" on the sounds of various good tunes - some ex-hits - some classics.
      If you want to know more - click on the website: www.PassionatePianist.com.
     However - if you are seriously interested in booking Claudia Sanchez for your event you can send her an e-mail
Claudia@PassionatePianist.com
    Please - do it only if you have an access to a grand piano for the evening - otherwise - you can go to Oxford Atrium on a Thursday late morning from 11:30 am till 1:00 pm - if you want to listen to some beautiful piano music.

          See you Thursday and the Oxford Atrium!

Pittsburgh, Pa - showcases - totally she-she-poo-poo, extremely fashionable, artsy and stylish area - Shadyside.

        It's almost a long Labor Day weekend - holiday signaling the end of summer. Shadyside hosts an art fest with the artists from all over the country and some from abroad - presenting a lot of varied arts objects and trinkets. Williams-Sonoma - the upscale gourmet store - (5514 Walnut St - Pittsburgh, PA 15232) - subsequently - closed - so we shall miss their cooking techniques classes.
     This Sunday August 24 - 2014 - a locals lady chef/cooking instructor/public speaker - demonstrated a deep fried in olive oil artichoke dish while explaining the origins and various ways of preparing the artichoke.

     Cynthia Goch  - a dark haired, Italian looking beauty - keeps her sessions in a humorous and interactive mode. For more details you can click on her website
www.GochYaCooking.com to make arrangements for her presentations.

     Long story short - in a nutshell - Cynthia's demo was tons of fun - so I strongly encourage you to check out Cynthia's website - ascertained - above - about their vast variety of cooking events.

    

    Important note: Since Williams Sonoma chain at this address - closed - the new, exciting venue is scheduled to open in the 4th quarter of 2024 - at the address given above - in Pittsburgh's - classy area - Shadyside - it will be their 8th franchise in Pennsylvania - they have close to 3 thousands of them - around the world. The name of the new venue - Paris Baguette Cafe.

    Copyright@L. Hadley and Associates 2024     

Mildred Sidorow - an acrylic media artist - keeps young with her work and going strong - she is ninety five years young.

                Copyright@L.Hadley 2017

    It's a beautiful summer night on a Sat. June 28 - 2014. Christine Frechard Gallery in Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill - 5871 Forbes Ave - 
   www.christinefrechardgallery.com - hosts an opening reception - a start of the exposition - a display - of the sunny hued - various shaped and sized paintings by a ninety five year old artist - Mildred Sidorow. The showings starts today - Sat. June 28 - 2014 and will last for a month.
   Since the artist talks animatedly to the visitors and appears much younger than ninety five - I ask her daughter a middle aged, dark haired New Yorker about her mother's creative output. She informs me that due to her mother's advanced age - she has some problems with her eyesight but nevertheless Mildred works every day a few hours and she "lives for her art" according to her daughter. The bright, sunny canvases radiate a good mood and an uplifting spirit.
    Simone - the artist's daughter informs me that because of her mother's advanced age - she prefers to work with smaller size canvasses and acrylic seems a better medium than watercolors which she did at the beginning of her career.

     Come to check out the exposition,

     I will see you there.

Squirrel Hill - 15217 - Pittsburgh, Pa. has a charming tea shop on the corner of Forbes and Shady - Pittsburgh's - Squirrel Hill - international and cosmopolitan - conclave.

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      Important note - the tea store is currently called "Blue Money Tea Company". If you like a "fancy-schmantzy" teas and tea accessories - connected to tea stuff - that's the place for you.
      You need to stop by the shop at 5872 Forbes Ave which is close to the main intersection of Forbes and Shady in Squirrel Hill - 15217 or click on their website - bluemonekytea.com or you can call them at 412-422-1606.
     See you there for tea!