COMMUNITY

Before COVID 19, Beth Ahabah’s youth groups were active. Monthly events were garnering increased participation, and BATTY, Beth Ahabah’s Teens and Temple Youth, was growing.

The pandemic had every opportunity to slow momentum down, but the new challenge of staying socially distant brought innovation and access to the BATTY program that has expanded reach and brought in more active members than ever.

When social distancing measures began in March, BATTY went virtual. Youth from over 50y households logged into weekly Zoom hangouts with each of our BATTY (Teen), BATTY Middle, and BATTY Jr. groups.

The Zoom Hangout activity varied each week. Between cooking, art, science, games and movies, there was something for everyone, but most agree that the optional hour of unstructured conversation after the activity was the most meaningful.

BATTY gave youth and teens the space to share and refl ect on what they were feeling in real time, and the bonds between our kids strengthened. The friendships and connections built during the weekly hangout have set the tone for BATTY moving forward and pushed the limits of what we thought was possible.

During the summer, BATTY launched their fi rst Teen Board in years. Rising tenth, eleventh and twelfth graders applied to be part of the leadership team that would drive the culture and direction of the program.

Based on the Reform Movement’s NFTY model, four board positions (President, Vice President of Communications and Membership, Social Action Chair and Religious and Cultural Chair) were fi lled by dedicated, active teens with over 49 years at Beth Ahabah collectively.

The BATTY Teen Board has had huge goals for the Teen program. Having institutional knowledge and understanding of Beth Ahabah’s campus, the Board reimagined our outdoor spaces to accommodate socially distant in-person events.

In September, BATTY hosted the Congregation’s fi rst movie night on the parking deck roof. Over 25 teens brought their own chairs, snacks, and masks to our showing of the new live-action “Mulan” – just hours after its digital premiere.

The parking deck was reinvented again in October and converted to a socially-distant outdoor studio where teens competed in BATTY’s fi rst annual Pumpkin Carving contest.

A nod to both Sukkot and Halloween, teens celebrated with music, great conversation, and artistic expression. Prizes were given for the most creative design, the fan favorite, and numerous other superlatives designed by the Board. Completely a teen-led program, the fi rst place prize winner earned a bag full of pumpkin guts to freely throw at the BATTY Board President.

As the weather gets colder, BATTY events will move to virtual platforms this winter, but the impact of seeing other youth in person at Beth Ahabah has been monumental.

The BATTY Board is looking at innovative ways to continue to come together safely, rain or shine, and is excited to launch their Spring program this December.

All Richmond-area teens are welcome at BATTY events. Visit our Community page at www.BethAhabah.org for more information.

For more information on Beth Ahabah, call (804) 358-6757 or visit www.bethahabah.org

BATTY teens compete in a Pumpkin Carving Contest on the parking deck in one event and for another, watch “Mulan” during a movie night on

the parking deck. Beth Ahabah Photos

These are just a few of the items desperately needed by Beth Sholom Woods

Food Pantry and the Weinstein JCC Elmer Toth Food Pantry. JCFR Photo

Food Pantry and Elmer Toth needs

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues with much uncertainty, there is a vital need for food and other items for many in our community.

The Beth Sholom Woods Food Pantry and Weinstein JCC Elmer Toth Food Pantry, a FeedMore agency, are in desperate need of a number of everyday items.

The following items are needed.

• Soup • Paper Products (Toilet Tissue, Paper Towels, Tissues, Napkins) • Cleaning products (Dish Soap, Wipes, Detergent) • Canned Fruit • Canned Tuna • Canned Salmon • Canned Chicken • Cereal • Co ee

If you would like to donate to Beth Sholom Woods Food Pantry, call (804) 741-4691 prior to dropping o . To donate to the Weinstein JCC Elmer Toth Food Pantry, call (804) 545-8611 prior to dropping o . For general information, contact Sara Rosenbaum at the JCFR at srosenbaum@jewishrichmond.org.

Thank you for helping those in need in our community.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

PLEASE VISIT US AT RIVER ROAD II OR IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME AT

BEECROFTANDBULL.COM

DRESSBETTERTHANYOUHAVETO.

5029 HUGUENOT R OAD • R ICHMOND, VA 23226 804.783.0633

Capt. Alex Keisch delivers welcome remarks. Federation CEO Daniel Sta enberg delivers keynote address. Dr. Limor Glazer Schwam relates a story about the Holocaust and lasting impact on her mother.

Photos by Rachel Loria

2020 Kristallnacht Remembrance Service - We come together

By Lenora “Cookie” Solodar

Co-president Emek Sholom Holocaust Memorial Cemetery

The annual Emek Sholom Holocaust Memorial Cemetery Kristallnacht Remembrance Ceremony, sponsored by the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, was held on Sunday Nov. 8.

This year a virtual presentation was added due to COVID-19 with over 120 attendees online and in-person. Once again American Legion Post 144 provided the color guard, ushers and a bugler.

Jay Ipson and his grandson, Ben, called the assembly to order with the blowing of the Shofars. Cantor Dara Sage Rosenblatt of Temple Beth-El chanted the El Malei Rachamim, praying that the souls of those lost be granted proper rest.

Capt. Alex Keisch, vice-president of the cemetery, organized and presided over the program and forcefully reminded all to resolve to NEVER AGAIN tolerate brutality, torture or inhumanity. Community member Dr. Limor Glazer Schwam delivered a powerful and heartwarming message imploring all to keep the stories of the Holocaust alive, to educate all people and to treat everyone as if they were family. In sharing the horror of her father’s and mother’s journey to America, she told us that seven pages of “Glazers” are listed among the dead at Auschwitz.

Her father, a toddler at the time and his family, were able to escape to Israel. Her mother, who is alive and well and living in Richmond, was a baby in Romania in 1938. She survived living in fear in hiding. Glazer-Schwams’s mother has held the terror she experienced as a child inside for her 81 years; even today she is fearful of those who would harm Jews. Rudy Rochman, a Jewish and Israel rights activist, spoke to the Zoom participants from Bulgaria. Rochman, only 27 years old, is followed extensively on social media for his Pro -Israel stances. In his remarks, he described his personal family history and its ties to the Holocaust. His message of never forgetting the Holocaust is one that he delivers to college campuses worldwide.

Our keynote speaker, Daniel “Danny” Sta enberg, CEO of the JCFR of Richmond, spoke to the in-person and virtual attendees of the Nazi’s desire to destroy Judaism—”to wipe it o the map.”

The Federation leader noted, “And yet here we are today, Jews and Gentiles, hand- in-hand. That is a testament to their failure.” Sta enberg also stressed that Jews are a people of a community; that we are all created in the image of G-d. He completed his remarks by reminding all, “We are all responsible for one another. We

A Color Guard at the observance.

don’t always have to agree, but we have to be there together. We will always stand together and honor the lives we lost on Kristallnacht and the six million more we lost in the years to come.”

The annual Esther J. Windmueller Never Again Award was presented to Anza Fierro, a sophomore at The Steward School.

Her winning essay titled, “Never Again,” was written as part of her Honors World Literature class. The second place winner was Callan Hartman, also from The Steward School.

Kristallnacht Remembrance concluded with Ben Kutner, copresident of Emek Sholom, leading the Kaddish prayer. Immediately following, each person was invited to place a stone for those whose names are on the memorial, the six million martyrs, and all others who have died because they were Jewish.