Jewish News April 25, 2016 by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater

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Southeastern Virginia | Vol. 54 No. 16 | 17 Nissan 5776 | April 25, 2016

Yom H ashoah

Congressman Randy Forbes on Israel

17 Janet Green’s journey

Wednesday, May 4 —page 14

32 Matti Friedman Wednesday, May 11

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Friedman is wrong about AIPAC by Arthur Ruberg, rabbi emeritus, Congregation Beth El

amuel Freedman is a respected author and astute observer of the American Jewish scene. His recent article in the Forward, however, comparing AIPAC to the notorious National Rifle Organization, falls victim to the mistaken, if now in vogue view, that AIPAC has gone from a bi-partisan advocacy group to a tool of the conservative Right in America and the Netanyahu government in Israel. As a longtime member of AIPAC who is far from being a supporter of the American or Israeli political Right, I reject and resent Freedman’s simplistic characterization. The annual AIPAC conference, held last month in Washington, brought together a diverse and impressive throng of 18,000 delegates. The AIPAC of 2016 includes whites and African-Americans, Jews, Christians (not all Evangelicals) and Muslims. There are LGBTs. There are Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals. They range in age from baby-boomers like me to college students numbering in the thousands. We are brought together by one common cause— our love for the modern State of Israel and our willingness to work on behalf of the long-standing close relationship between the United States and Israel. What led to Freedman’s article was the address at the Conference by presidential

candidate Donald Trump. All candidates of both parties were invited to speak to the Conference in person. Not surprisingly, the address that brought the most attention and controversy was Trump’s. It is true as was widely reported, that there were some who applauded and even cheered enthusiastically during Trump’s anti-Obama diatribe. Freedman cites that some delegates protested the Trump appearance by absenting themselves from the main hall and others by walking out. What he failed to say was that for every delegate who cheered, there were probably three or four who sat in silence and were bothered and embarrassed by the “red meat” attack on a president of the United States—so much so, that the new president of the organization publicly rebuked and apologized for the behavior and lack of respect shown by some of the delegates. What Freedman also failed to point out was that the largest ovations were for the speeches of Secretary Hillary Clinton (certainly no favorite of the conservatives) and Governor John Kasich (the most moderate of the Republican candidates). In fact, I would argue that the AIPAC delegates were most inspired by those appearances and videos which featured Republican and Democratic Senators and Representatives who stood side-by-side to express their admiration for the achievements of the Israeli people. I know that some have called that pandering. Call

Contents First Person. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Briefs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Torah Thought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Hal Sacks Jewish News Archives . . . . . . . . 6 Congressman Randy Forbes on Israel. . . . 7 Election 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 JDC aids Ecuador. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Election 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Yom Hashoah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Special Section on Women. . . . . . . . . . . . 15 YAD Men’s business lunch. . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Passover at Strelitz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

it what you will, when politicians who espouse very different ideologies come together in support of Israel, I find it both remarkable and uplifting. It is true, as Freedman notes, that AIPAC publicly opposed and lobbied against President Obama’s efforts to forge the Iran nuclear agreement last spring. The reality is that many, on both sides of the Congressional aisle, had and have concerns about that agreement and the impact it will have on both American and Israeli security. I remember how in my early years of involvement with AIPAC, we worked (unsuccessfully here, too) to block the proposal of a Conservative Republican president (Ronald Reagan) to sell AWACS planes to Saudi Arabia. We believed that sale would serve neither America nor Israel well. A closer analysis of AIPAC today than what I believe is Freedman’s, which considers it to be “in the pocket” of the American and Israeli Right, will conclude that bi-partisanship at AIPAC is far from dead. Truth to tell, at this time of wide rifts in the American and Israeli society, keeping the commitment to bi-partisanship isn’t easy and takes a lot of work. But a healthy United States-Israel relationship demands it. It is precisely the broad make-up of AIPAC’s membership that allows it to work effectively on American-Israeli cooperation.

Quotable Children’s Cultural Arts Series at JCC . . Book Reviews. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Passover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Postcards from Argentina. . . . . . . . . . . . . What’s Happening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mazel Tov. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Streit’s Matzo on the silver screen. . . . . . Special Section: Women

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Briefs Google gives $700K to Israeli disabilities technology initiative Google will grant $700,000 to an Israelbased initiative aimed at producing technology to help people with disabilities. The search engine giant’s grant to Tikkun Olam Makers, or TOM, was announced as part of the Google Impact Challenge: Disabilities campaign. Google’s funding will “underwrite TOM’s plans to support a global movement of innovators creating extremely affordable solutions to neglected needs of people with disabilities, with the goal of improving the lives of 250,000,000 within a decade,” according to a statement from The Reut Group, the Tel Aviv-based nonprofit think tank that started the initiative. Tikkun Olam Makers holds three-day innovation marathons in which engineers and technologists come together to invent products for people with disabilities—like a bionic hand and a walker that helps disabled people climb stairs. It claims to have created 120 product prototypes since 2014. (JTA) UNESCO resolution ignores Jewish ties to Temple Mount, Western Wall A UNESCO resolution does not recognize a Jewish connection to the Western Wall and the Temple Mount and calls Israel an “occupying power.” The resolution was adopted by the executive board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization resolution at a meeting in Paris. Six months after the organization decided not to classify the Western Wall as a solely Muslim site, the measure refers to the Western Wall as Al-Buraq Plaza and to the Temple Mount as the Al-Aksa Mosque/ Al-Haram Al Sharif. The resolution, which condemns Israeli actions in eastern Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza Strip, accuses Israel of being an “occupying power,” of “planting Jewish fake graves in other spaces of the Muslim cemeteries” and of “the continued conversion of many Islamic and Byzantine remains into the so-called Jewish ritual baths or into Jewish prayer places,” according to Israeli newspaper reports.

It also criticizes Israel for its decision to build an egalitarian prayer area in the Western Wall Plaza and for “illegal measures against the freedom of worship” at the “Muslim holy site of worship.” The resolutions refers to the cities of Hebron and Bethlehem as solely Muslim, and raps Israeli control over the Tomb of the Patriarchs and Rachel’s Tomb, both in Hebron. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the resolution. “This is yet another absurd U.N. decision,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “UNESCO ignores the unique historic connection of Judaism to the Temple Mount, where two temples stood for a thousand years and to which every Jew in the world has prayed for thousands of years. The U.N. is rewriting a basic part of human history and has once again proven that there is no low to which it will not stoop.” (JTA)

NY mosque hosts seder for Jews, Muslims Some 100 Jews and Muslims participated in a Passover celebration at a Manhattan mosque. Coordinated by the NYC Muslim-Jewish Solidarity Committee, the gathering took place April 14 at the Islamic Society of Mid Manhattan in New York, WNBC-TV reported. “I don’t believe anything quite like this has happened in New York before,” said Rabbi Allison Tick Brill of Temple Emanu-El, a large Reform congregation in Manhattan. “It is particularly powerful to celebrate Passover here at this mosque because unfortunately, Muslim Americans are made to feel strangers in their own country,” Tick Brill said at the event, according to WNBC. “Isn’t it beautiful to have our Jewish brothers and sisters in the mosque?” Imam Ahmed Dewidar said. “I think we should be proud of our community here in New York.” At the pre-Passover seder, participants read from a custom-made haggadah, which consisted of both traditional Passover texts and modern additions such as Bob Marley’s reggae classic “One Love.” Michelle Koch, of the NYC MuslimJewish Solidarity Committee, told WNBC, “There’s so much hatred and prejudice going on in the world, because people are afraid of each other and are ignorant of each other.

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So I think as a committee, you bring people together. You teach people about each other.” Nabil Ezzarhouni, also of the NYC Muslim-Jewish Solidarity Committee, said that at the seder, “There was a happiness that could not be translated into words.” “It’s not just about Jews and Muslims, it’s about the whole society,” he said. “We want to set a standard, and we want to give an example.” (JTA)

college debaters asked to defend Palestinian stabbing attacks The Anti-Defamation League said it was “outrageous” that a debate topic at a college debating competition in Atlanta required participants to justify Palestinian stabbing attacks against Israelis. On April 10, at the U.S. Universities Debating Championship at Morehouse College in Atlanta, one of the topics was “This House Believes that Palestinian Violence Against Israeli Civilians Is Justified.” The question’s wording required half of all participants to argue that perspective. “It is outrageous and deeply offensive that students participating in the debating championship, some of whom were Jewish, were essentially forced to choose between losing points in the national championship or advocating for violence against Israeli civilians,” Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO of the New York-based group, said in a news release. “It is hard to imagine that the organizers would ever have asked students to defend al-Qaida’s attacks against the U.S. on 9/11, and this shouldn’t be any different,” he said. ADL called on organizers of the United States Universities Debate Association, which organized the event, to publicly apologize for the incident. According to Tablet, students reported that the motion did not immediately arouse controversy. Jordan Trafton, a student from Claremont McKenna College, who judged at the tournament, told Tablet, “I look around and nobody is doing anything, and I’m so shocked. This is Morehouse, a historically black college where everyone is up in arms about social justice.” The Claremont McKenna team coach asked organizers to cancel the round, but organizers refused, and four judges walked out in protest, Tablet reported.

While debate competitions are known for controversial topics, according to Tablet, “this appears to be the first time that a major tournament has explicitly addressed justifying violence against a specific civilian population.” (JTA)

Netanyahu vows to keep Golan Heights forever Israel will never give up the Golan Heights, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the weekly Cabinet meeting on Sunday, April 17, a day after the Israeli leader said he delivered the same message to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. The meeting was held for the first time on the land captured from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War. “I chose to hold this festive Cabinet meeting on the Golan Heights in order to deliver a clear message: The Golan Heights will forever remain in Israel’s hands. Israel will never come down from the Golan Heights,” Netanyahu said. Israel annexed the Golan Heights in 1981. The international community has never recognized the annexation. Syrian President Bashar Assad reportedly has said that one principle upon which peace talks to end his country’s years-long civil war must be based is that the entire Golan Heights be considered Syrian and the part annexed by Israel be considered occupied territory. Netanyahu told the government ministers at the Cabinet meeting that in speaking with Kerry the previous evening, he told the secretary of state that Israel “will not oppose a diplomatic settlement in Syria on condition that it not come at the expense of the security of the State of Israel,” specifically that Iran, Hezbollah and the Islamic State will be removed from Syrian soil. Netanyahu called the Golan “an integral part of the State of Israel in the new era.” He later said: “The time has come for the international community to recognize reality, especially two basic facts. One, whatever is beyond the border, the boundary itself will not change. Two, after 50 years, the time has come for the international community to finally recognize that the Golan Heights will remain under Israel’s sovereignty permanently.” (JTA)

Torah Thought

Passover’s mighty spirit of renewal

he Biblical account of the celebrated Exodus from Egypt became the leitmotif of Rabbinic theology, perceiving in the Israelites’ redemption from a House of Bondage God’s greatness, guidance and goodness. Thus the Shalosh Regalim, the three Pilgrim Festivals of Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot revolving around the common theme of the Exodus, point at the divine gifts of both freedom and responsibility as essential requirements for fulfilling both the Jewish and human potential. The awesome and complex journey —physically, spiritually and psychologically—from servitude to an oppressor to service of the Most High, became a model of liberation for the entire human family, culminating in the Messianic vision of a world transformed. We have chosen to convert the bitter herbs of our exile into the sweet charoset of homecoming for all. It is the symbolic hovering presence at the Seder table of the prophet Elijah for whom we open the door and set aside a special cup of wine, which provides for the eternal hope of universal shalom. It is the peace we have kept alive as a flickering light in the darkness of a trying history. Passover’s promise by a compassionate and passionate heritage is ultimately rooted in its revolutionary view of the infinite worth of each of the Creator’s children, recalling that God silenced the heavenly angels when jubilant at the drowning of Pharaoh’s troops. When we preserve our adversary’s humanity, difficult as it is, we maintain our own essential human stature, even as we are commanded to rise up against evil. Passover’s mighty spirit of renewal of a people, as well as of

an individual, also applies to the natural order of the springtime’s return with the beauty of the Earth’s budding and recovery that we are pledged to forever secure. How revealing of our people’s healthy spirit and the Rabbinic balanced mindset that the Festival of Freedom is designated for reading the sensual Song of Songs. Today’s troubled Middle East, home of humanity’s inspiring Exodus, is in dire need of replacing degradation with dignity, unremitting terrorism with humane teachings, ever mindful of the unabated Syrian tragedy. The State of Israel, while the target of brutal Palestinian terrorism, remains an enlightened Western island of progressive values; retaining its democratic essence in a wide sea of barbarism and backwardness begrudging the survival of the world’s only Jewish state. At this awesome season, so curiously close to Passover’s twin themes of bitter enslavement and sweet redemption, we are poised between Yom Hashoah’s monumental burden of sorrow, and Yom Ha’ Atzmaout’s uplifting joy, between the Holocaust’s helplessness and Hatikvah’s hopefulness. The rabbis attached an ethical dimension to biblically defiling body conditions. Thus, with linguistic aid, skin ailments turn into a violation of one human being against another. To diminish one’s reputation became tantamount to no less than shedding one’s blood, given that a good name, Shem Tov, was deemed to be a person’s crowning glory. The sinfully genocidal Nazi ideology insisted on dehumanizing as a means for a person’s and our people’s total destruction in spirit and body. Yom Ha’ Atzmaout restores the Jewish people’s human dignity and proud standing in the comity of nations, affirming the divinity within all God’s children, which we first shared with the world. Our covenantal call, “You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy,” is our guiding light. —Rabbi Israel Zoberman, Congregation Beth Chaverim

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from the hal Sacks Jewish News Archives

Bill’s will said a lot about him.

April 21, 2006 Community members planned to travel by bus

What does your will say about you? Norfolk businessman Bill Goldback valued good health and good music.

Before he died in 2007, Bill arranged for a bequest to the Hampton Roads Community Foundation to provide grants for arts and medicine in Hampton Roads. Goldback grants have helped the Virginia Symphony and The Free Foundation, which provides wheelchairs for lowincome citizens. Thanks to Bill’s generosity he will forever bring music and health to his home region. Connect your passions to the future by ordering a free bequest guide. Learn how easy it is to leave a gift for charity. Call 757-622-7951 or visit leaveabequest.org.

from the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus to Washington, DC to participate in the March for Darfur.

April 12, 1996 Bernard Jaffe was to be honored at a “Roast and Toast” benefit dinner. Sponsored by the Jewish Community Center of Tidewater, the event was to benefit the JCCT’s children and family scholarships.

April 25, 1986 Sayde Winthrop, the “youngest” active member of the Golden Age Club turned 97. A celebration was held in her honor at the Senior Lunch program. When asked what she attributed her long life to, she said, “The Golden Age Club! It gives my life purpose. I look forward to good friends, a good lunch, and a good game of poker!”

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April 2, 1976

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B’nai B’rith Youth Organization planned to hold their annual Virginia Council Spring Convention at the Tidewater Jewish Community Center with the theme, “Spirit of ’76.” Convention coordinators were Ellen Rostov and Mike Myers.

April 1, 1966 Before a crowd of 550, Miss Nancy Nusbaum of Iota Gamma Phi, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. Joseph Nusbaum, was crowned Queen of the annual Purim Coronation Ball. Terry Bigio, 1965 Queen, crowned the new queen.

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April 1, 1956 The JCC Day Camp program was off to a flying start with the mailing of brochures. Fees for Center members were $75 for the entire six-week season.

To browse or search the Jewish News Archives, go to jewishnewsva.org and click on archives.

A conversation with Congressman Randy Forbes

ongressman Randy Forbes has been the U.S. Representative for Virginia’s 4th congressional district since 2001. A member of the Republican Party, Forbes is chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee. He also is assigned to the Committee on Education and the Workforce and to the Committee on the Judiciary. A native of Chesapeake, Forbes was valedictorian of his class at RandolphMacon College in 1974 and earned his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1977. From 1989 to 1997, he served in the Virginia House of Delegates and in the Virginia State Senate from 1997 until 2001. During a recent visit to the Reba and Sam Sandler Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community, Congressman Forbes took some time to speak with Jewish News. Jewish News: You have demonstrated strong support of Israel. Do you think the Congressional support of Israel is solid and bipartisan? Congressman Randy Forbes: I do. The short answer is “Yes.” The problem with Congress is that it shifts every two years, where that support is not always there. I believe it is strong now. The support is basically bi-partisan, though it has not been as strong with this Administration. Still, from a Congressional point of view, the support is very strong and from a military to military point of view…the places where it counts, intelligence sharing—all of that is

Meet Congressman Randy Forbes Tuesday, May 3, 5:30-7:30 pm Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus For more information or to RSVP, contact Nicole Farrar, CRC program associate, at NFarrar@ujft.org or 965‑6107. RSVP requested by April 29. Presented by the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Kempsville Conservative Synagogue.

working very close today with Israel. JN: Will you support the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) that Israel is proposing? RF: Yes, I would support the one that the Israeli government is presenting. The United States had an MOU of $30 billion support over 10 years, which is about to expire. The USA is proposing $40 Congressman Randy Forbes billion over the next 10 years. The Israeli government wants $50 billion over 10 JN: What would you like Jewish News years. The most dangerous thing about the readers to know about your support of Administration’s proposed MOU is that it has a Israel and what can the Jewish commuprovision that it can’t be adjusted and increased nity can do to support the U.S./Israel alliance? up…even if the next Congress wants to do so. The reason it needs to be higher is that RF: I see far too many people who consistently the world has become more dangerous— say, “What can they do?” not “What can I do?” especially with the release of more than $100 We are all only one person, and though we can’t billion to Iran, which is huge. The MOU is do everything, we can do something. In our support of Israel, I believe we need very important for us to support. Remember, every $1 we give to Israel is to have three things: • The right vision or strategy of what that not just for Israel, it is working for us, too. The advantage we get out of every dollar is well support should look like • A commitment to that support and worth the investment. Israel has been the best vision friend we’ve had in the Middle East. • Persistence to get into positions to be JN: Why did you not support the able to implement that vision and degree of Administration’s position on Iran and commitment. Some people have the total wrong vision; what is your position on renewing the some have right vision, but no commitment; Iran Sanctions Act? RF: It is a terrible deal that doesn’t stop their some have the right vision and commitment, nuclear program. It baffles me how we can but aren’t in the right position to do it. The enter into an agreement to remove sanctions wonderful thing about where I am in my with a country that says they want to destroy life is that chairing the subcommittee that I the United States and Israel. They actually chair, which is responsible for all of the major launch missiles that have ‘Death to Israel’ platforms of the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Air Force (and I hopefully will be the written on them. I think we will look back on the deal and next chairman of the House Armed Services think it was the worst deal the United States Committee), is that I believe it puts me into a position where I not only have the right has ever made. We should stop the release of assets and strategy, I have proven through the years that keep economic sanctions. Though it might be I have the right commitment and will be in a too difficult to get them back in place at this position to implement it. I have visited Israel more times than I can point. There’s basically no policing Iran. It is bordering on insanity to think that count. It is a wonderful experience and such we’ve taken away our right to spontaneous a rich part of our history and faith. I have been able to sit multiple times with inspections and then send money to people Prime Ministers Netanyahu and Ariel Sharon. who declare their hostility to us. Those kinds of meetings and trips make it possible to understand that this is not a video game. I have made it a practice that no matter where I am around the world, I always try to make the plane land in Israel. Just the fact that

we are being there is hugely important, because people watch it and that sends a message to the world that we are standing with Israel. We can’t lose this chairmanship. The chairmanship (House Armed Services Committee) is not only huge for this area, it is huge for our relationship with Israel and the things that we are able to do on the Armed Services Committee. As far as what people can do to show support, it is hugely important for people to take time to come to Congress to meet with people. You can’t just wait until an issue pops up. I appreciate that people leave their jobs and travel to Washington to talk to about how important our relationship with Israel is. We can’t assume that the relationship will always be there and have the U.S. support. JN: In a recent interview on NPR, Congressman Scott Rigell described the situation in Washington, DC as “becoming unhinged.” How do you feel about the political climate? RF: It’s not just Washington, it’s the current culture. Across America, wherever I go, people are worried that the world is slipping through their fingers—that no one is listening. When people feel that way, they get louder, then they get shrill, then uncivil. The presidential debates, for example, have lost civility. We can’t call each other names and then expect to get along. The world needs us to come together and compromise, without giving up on issues. The Virginia delegation, for example, gets together regularly for lunch. We are looking for intersections on issues to move people forward. We are a bi-partisan committee. We build relationships without compromising principals. We find intersections, so it’s not all about politics.

jewishnewsva.org | April 25, 2016 | Jewish News | 7

Election 2016 When John Kasich linked Jesus’ blood to Passover at a Hasidic matzah bakery by Uriel Heilman

New York (JTA)—If Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s visit to Hasidic Brooklyn this month had yielded only one amusing moment, Dayenu— it would have been enough. But, thank God, there were many in the Republican presidential candidate’s visit to a Jewish bookstore, shmura matzah bakery and Hasidic school in Borough Park on Tuesday, April 12. “It’s a wonderful, wonderful holiday for our friends in the Jewish community—the Passover,” Kasich told reporters after emerging from the matzah bakery, a box of the fresh-baked stuff in hand. Yes, Jews are known to love The Passover, almost as much they love The Pre-Election Drop-By from vote-seeking politicians. Flanked by Hasidic publicist Ezra Friedlander, Kasich then launched into a brief appraisal of the links between Passover and, um, the blood of Jesus Christ…. “The great link between the blood that was put above the lampposts”—er, you mean doorposts, governor—“the blood of the lamb, because Jesus Christ is known as the lamb of God. It’s his blood, we believe.” Kasich’s only saving grace was that his remarks kept getting interrupted by the subway rumbling on the elevated tracks overhead. Talking about Christ’s blood during a visit to Borough Park? Oy vey. Please, somebody, prep this guy. Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn want to hear about food stamps, affordable housing, Medicaid. Ix-nay on the Jesus-nay. “He’s very knowledgeable and he takes his religion very seriously,” Friedlander later told JTA in an interview. “In context, I thought it was appropriate.”

Friedlander is a registered Democrat who planned to vote for Hillary Clinton in the primary election. Kasich also made the cardinal error of shaking his box of shmura matzah as he spoke to punctuate his remarks—a cringe-worthy move for Jewish shmura matzah consumers. If the high-priced, delicate matzahs inside are broken, they become unsuitable for ritual use. Before visiting the matzah bakery, Kasich ran into a group of young Hasidic men at a Jewish bookstore in Borough Park. “What do you guys do?” the governor asked. “Study,” they said. “And what are you studying?” Kasich asked. “Talmud,” the men responded. “OK, but what are you learning right now?” “Um.…” Long pause. “And what is your lesson?” Kasich pressed. “Hilchos Shabbos. The laws of the Sabbath,” they finally responded. “Yeah.…” Kasich said. Awkward pause. “You know who I like?” Kasich finally said. “Joseph. You guys like Joseph? You study Joseph? What do you think about Joseph? Did you hear the most important thing Joseph said to his brothers?” Silence. “My brothers, you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good,” said Kasich, an Anglican who was born Roman Catholic. Toward the end of his visit, Kasich told his interlocutors, “Pray for me, would you?” Having won just one state so far in the Republican primary contest, Kasich could use all the help he can get.

Obama to host late Passover seder this year WASHINGTON (JTA)—President Barack Obama will host a Passover seder this year, but not on either of the nights it is required according to Jewish custom. A spokeswoman told JTA that Obama will host the seder following his return from travel overseas. Obama will be in Saudi Arabia on the first and

second nights of Passover, Friday and Saturday, attending a regional cooperation summit. Obama joined a seder organized by campaign staffers in Pennsylvania during the hard-fought 2008 primary season, when he first ran for president. Since then, he has made it a custom to hold one in the White House, and include among his guests Jewish staffers and backers.

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Larry David back on SNL as Bernie Sanders with Julia Louis-Dreyfus

arry David was back on “Saturday Night Live” playing Bernie Sanders, this time answering an audience question from former Seinfeld co-star Julie Louis-Dreyfus in character as Elaine Benes. The skit, which again featured Kate McKinnon portraying Hillary Clinton, had the two Democratic presidential candidates in a mock debate from Brooklyn, N. Y. Benes, chosen as a long-time New Yorker to ask the candidates a question, wonders how Sanders plans to break up the big banks. Sanders gives a vague, Seinfeld-esque reply. (David was a creator and executive producer of the ‘90s megahit.) “Once I’m elected president, I’ll have a nice shvitz in the White House gym, then I’ll go to the big banks, I’ll sit them down, and yada yada yada, they’ll be broken up,”

he says, using a Seinfeld euphemism for being vague about details. “You can’t yada yada at a debate,” Benes objects. “Also, you yada yadaed over the best part.” “No, I mentioned the shvitz,” Sanders replies. Later, making a reference to Seinfeld, Benes asks Sanders about his plan to tax the super-rich at a higher rate, and muses how the creator of hugely successful sitcom would “lose a lot of money. You see what I’m saying?” “Yeah,” David as Sanders replies, pointing at his opponent. “You should vote for her.” David has played Sanders several times in guest appearances on SNL. (JTA)

Bernie Sanders campaign suspends head of Jewish outreach for Israel criticism WASHINGTON (JTA)—Bernie Sanders’ campaign suspended its new Jewish outreach director over the tone of her past criticism of Israel. “She has been suspended while we investigate the matter further,” Michael Briggs, a campaign spokesman, said April 14, referring to Simone Zimmerman. Zimmerman, a former J Street student activist, was recently hired by the Sanders campaign. She wrote last year on Facebook, “Bibi Netanyahu is an arrogant, deceptive, cynical, manipulative asshole,” according to the Washington-based Free Beacon. She continued: “F— you, Bibi, for daring to insist that you legitimately represent even a fraction of the Jews in this world, for your consistent fear-mongering, for pushing Israel in word and deed, farther and farther away from the international community, and most importantly, for trying to derail a potentially historic diplomatic deal with Iran and thus trying to distract the world from the fact that you sanctioned the murder of over 2,000 people this summer.” She edited the post on March 3, 2015, changing “asshole” to “politician” and the second expletive to “shame on you.” “I am not a ‘right wing extremist’ in the

words of ‘Jewish Friends of Bernie,’ and I believe Bernie Sanders needs to fire Simone Zimmerman,” former Anti-Defamation League chief Abe Foxman told Jewish Insider on April 14. “No amount of word changes can cure her ugly characterization of the Prime Minister of Israel and the Israeli army and people defending themselves.” Jews for Bernie, a group that supports the Jewish senator from Vermont’s Democratic presidential campaign, took to Twitter to contest “smears emanating from the far right” that Zimmerman supports BDS. The tweet also erroneously asserted that JTA, which first reported on Zimmerman’s appointment, had “given airtime” to the BDS allegations. On April 13, Zimmerman refuted a tweet by David Greenfield, a New York City Council member, accusing her of being “pro-BDS.” In an op-ed for JTA in 2013, Zimmerman wrote that she had “campaigned actively against divestment efforts” on her campus, the University of California, Berkeley. In the same op-ed, however, she defended the right of pro-BDS students to be heard at campus Hillels.

JDC mobilizes Ecuador , Japan relief efforts NEW YORK (JTA) —The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee is organizing relief efforts in response to a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Ecuador that has killed at least 272 people and injured more than 2,500. The New York-based JDC said that it has begun assessing needs and coordinating relief efforts with the Ecuador Jewish community and Heart to Heart International focusing on medical care, medical supply provision, and water

purification efforts. In addition to the group’s response in Ecuador, a $25,000 JDC grant for emergency supplies including food and non-food items was made to JDC’s longstanding partner, the Japanese humanitarian agency JEN, to aid people impacted by the recent earthquakes in the Kumamoto province. “As devastating images from Ecuador surface, JDC extends its deepest condolences and

joins our partners to deploy a speedy response that ensures relief to survivors at their greatest time of need,” JDC CEO Alan Gill said in a statement. “Our response in Ecuador, and in Japan, are proud expressions of the Jewish value of tikkun olam, repairing the world, and are fortuitous as we lead up to the Passover holiday when we celebrate our redemption from great odds. May all those impacted by these crises experience the same solace and strength that

can be found in family and community.” JDC’s disaster relief programs are funded by special appeals of the Jewish Federations of North America and tens of thousands of individual donors to JDC. The organization coordinates its relief activities with the U.S. Department of State, USAID, Interaction and the United Nations. Donations for these efforts can be made at www.jdc.org/ecuador.

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in the other Eastern states. Also going to the polls on April 26 are Rhode Island and WASHINGTON ( JTA)—Hillary Clinton Delaware. But Jewish voters are known to turn and Donald Trump have reason to allow their New York state of mind to coast for out to vote, and the upcoming states share other demographics that helped Clinton another week or so. The next set of contests, on April 26, in New York, including major urban areas echoes the demographics and polling that and large African-American and Hispanic spurred them to victory in New York state populations. Aggregates of polling in the three larger states on the RealClearPolitics on Tuesday, April 19. And large Jewish communities in website show Clinton substantially leading Sanders in all three. Pennsylvania, Maryland A total of 462 deleand Connecticut could gates are up for grabs in play the same role in the Democratic contests Clinton’s path to inevion April 26. tability that they likely The victory in what is played in New York, bolpercent of now Clinton’s home state stering her bid to secure New York state’s pushed her number of the Democratic nomipopulation pledged convention delnation and sideline the is reckoned egates to 1,436, and she insurgent campaign of to be Jewish also has the support of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. 469 superdelegates. The The former secretary of state grabbed a daunting lead over total of 1,905 has Clinton nearing the Sanders with an easy victory in the New 2,383 delegates needed to win the nominaYork City area, where much of the state’s tion. Sanders has 1,192 pledged delegates and 31 superdelegates. Jewish population lives. Trump can look forward to similar Sanders, the only Jewish candidate to have won nominating contests for a major favorables in the upcoming Eastern states, party, may have hurt himself among Jewish which have same-day Republican convoters when he clashed with Clinton on tests collectively worth 172 delegates. The Israel during a debate in Brooklyn. He RealClearPolitics aggregates show Trump challenged Clinton to show more even- leading in all the states, and he has done handedness to the Palestinians and to well in the Northeast and among blue criticize the government of Israeli Prime collar Republican voters. Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Also likely not helping: His hiring have winner-take-all or winner-take-most then firing of Simone Zimmerman as his contests, which is good news for the real Jewish outreach director within a week. estate billionaire, who is the front-runner, Zimmerman was suspended after JTA and his hopes of winning the necessary broke the news of her hiring and reported majority of delegates—1,237—to avoid a on her agitation against Israel’s occupa- contested convention. His victory in New York brings him to 844 tion of the West Bank, and after others reported on Facebook posts in which she delegates, followed by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz at used obscenities to disparage Israeli Prime 543 and 147 for Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Cruz and Kasich are focusing their Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In Pennsylvania, Connecticut and campaigning on Pennsylvania, where conMaryland, Jews don’t make up as much servative evangelical whites in the state’s of the population as they do in New York. center are seen as Cruz’s natural hunting About 10 percent of New York state’s pop- ground, and where Kasich will tout his ulation is reckoned to be Jewish, while governorship in neighboring Ohio and his the number hovers around 3–4 percent birth in Pennsylvania. by Ron Kampeas

Election 2016 What we know, and don’t know, about how Jews voted in New York by Uriel Heilman

NEW YORK (JTA)—For a people obsessed with numbers, the Jews have relatively scant concrete data about how, exactly, the Jews voted in the Tuesday, April 19 presidential primaries in New York. But we do know enough to make some educated guesses. Here’s what we know: Approximately 12 percent of all primary voters on Tuesday, April 19 were Jewish, according to exit polls. (Overall, Jews comprise about 10 percent of New Yorkers and 16 percent of New York’s registered voters.) Most New York Jews are registered Democrats, both because of their political leanings (about 55 percent of New York Jews say they are Democrats or Democraticleaning) and because in this heavily liberal state with a closed primary system, the Democratic primary tends to be the only competitive race. While the exit polls did not provide any breakdown of the Jewish vote, we can make some assumptions by looking at how the vote went in neighborhoods with large numbers of Jews. In Borough Park, Brooklyn, one of the most Jewish precincts in the country, Hillary Clinton’s margin of victory, 61.3 percent to Bernie Sanders’ 38.7 percent, was slightly narrower than her citywide victory of 63.4-36.6 percent. Borough Park had 3,930 Democratic votes cast. In the heavily Chabad-Lubavitch Brooklyn neighborhood of Crown Heights South, Clinton won 63.8 percent of the vote to Sanders’ 36.2 percent, out of 5,374 total Democratic voters. In the heavily Satmar neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Clinton beat Sanders 61-39 percent out of 1,077 Democratic votes. Clinton did much better on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and Upper West Side, where plenty of Jews live and where she took about 80 percent and 71 percent of the vote, respectively. But it’s hard to surmise anything about the Jewish vote in those neighborhoods because the Jews are mixed in with non-Jews. On the Republican side, Ted Cruz seems to have swept the haredi Orthodox vote. In Borough Park, the Texas senator won

with 56.6 percent compared to 37.7 percent for Donald Trump and 5.7 percent for Ohio Gov. John Kasich out of 1,642 total Republican votes cast. In Crown Heights South, Cruz finished with 45.2 percent, Trump with 40.7 percent and Kasich with 14.1 percent—but only out of a minuscule total of 177 votes. In Williamsburg, only 94 Republican votes were cast: 53.2 percent for Cruz, 38.3 percent for Trump and 8.5 percent (that’s 8 votes) for Kasich. However, Orthodox support for Cruz was not sufficient to win him a delegate in the 10th Congressional District, which encompasses parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan’s West Side and is considered the most Jewish district in the country. Overall, Trump won that district with 44.8 percent of the vote to 34.5 percent for Kasich and 20.6 percent for Cruz—enough for Kasich to steal one of the district’s three delegates from Trump. The Kasich campaign is also trumpeting his victory in the 12th Congressional District, which includes the Upper East Side and parts of Queens, as evidence that Kasich won the Jewish vote because that district is the second-most Jewish in the country. But while the 12th district has many Jews, the proportion of Jews to non-Jews there makes it impossible to drawn any conclusions about how the Jews voted. Here’s the little we know for certain: Among Orthodox Jews, Clinton and Sanders did about as well as they did among New Yorkers generally, while Cruz was the clear favorite of Republicans. But less than one-third of New York’s Jewish voters are Orthodox, so that doesn’t really tell us how the Jews voted generally. The only way to get that data is to do a real survey of a large number of Jewish voters in New York. So far, we haven’t had one in the 2016 campaign. Now that the New York primary is history, we’re unlikely to see one. That’s because, with New York a safe bet to go Democratic in November, Tuesday, April 19’s vote is the only election that really matters in the ’16 presidential campaign. The circus may go on in other states across the country, but in New York the party’s over. Thank God for that.

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Election 2016 Ben & Jerry’s ice cream tycoons arrested at Washington rally (JTA)—The co-founders of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream were arrested Monday, April 18 during a protest outside the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield were protesting against corporate political spending at a rally that is part of the “Democracy Spring” demonstrations that have been taking place in Washington organized by Democracy Awakening. They were charged with “unlawful demonstration activity” and later released, according to The Associated Press. Over 1,200 people have been arrested during the protests, according to reports. Ben & Jerry’s proudly tweeted the news. Our co-founders got arrested today on the US Capitol steps. Story #DemocracyAwakens. —Ben & Jerry’s (@benandjerrys) April 19, 2016 In a statement posted on the company’s website, the company explained “Why Ben & Jerry Just Got Arrested.” “It all comes down to a simple idea that we believe in whole-heartedly: if you care about something, you have to be willing to risk it all—your reputation, your values,

your business—for the greater good,” the statement said. “We all have a role to play in the fight for justice. Join us this year as we spread the word and take action. Democracy belongs in the hands of all Americans, not in the pockets of a few billionaires. And no citizen who wants to vote should ever be kept from the polls. Democracy Awakening inspired hope and created excitement that all participants will carry back home with them to their own communities,” the statement concluded. Later that day, Cohen and Greenfield scooped ice cream to students on the campus of George Washington University and spoke to the students about campaign finance overhaul, The New York Times reported. “Money in politics is really the root cause of most of the evils that confront us,” Cohen said, according to the Times. “We literally have the best Congress that money can buy.” Ben & Jerry’s is based in Vermont and both men are supporters of Bernie Sanders, the state’s Independent senator, and his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for president.

Hillary Clinton links her policies to ‘ancient lessons’ of Passover before NY primary NEW YORK (JTA)—The day before the New York presidential primaries, Hillary Clinton distributed an essay linking her policies to the “ancient lessons” of Passover. In the essay sent to Jewish and other media in English, Yiddish and Hebrew, Clinton highlighted her record on religious freedom, state benefits, Israel and global justice—and pledged to continue that work as president. “I didn’t grow up celebrating Pesach. But over the years, I’ve attended seders where I was inspired by the remarkable story told in the haggadah—a tale of a people who, sustained by fortitude and faith, escaped slavery and reached their freedom,” Clinton said. “As Jewish people around the world prepare for this festival, I

wanted to offer a few of my own thoughts on ancient lessons that still hold wisdom for today’s world.” Passover, or Pesachthe celebration of the Jews release from bondage in Egypt, as told in the biblical Book of Exodus— started Friday, April 22. Clinton noted in the essay, written with help from her staff, that in Exodus, pharaoh denied the Israelites religious freedom. Today, she noted, anti-Semitism is on the rise in Europe. She recalled her work on behalf of Jews as New York’s senator and on behalf of oppressed religious minorities around the world as secretary of state. “If I’m fortunate enough to be elected President, I would ensure that America

Election 2016 continues to call out and stand up to anti-Semitism,” she said. Comparing the Israelites’ covenant with God to the American social contract, she opposed Republican proposals to cut or reform entitlements, saying, “We must fight any effort to weaken or privatize Medicare and Social Security, and we must finally expand benefits for widows. We must improve housing for low-income families.” Forty-three percent of Hasidic Orthodox Jews in New York are poor, according to a landmark 2012 UJAFederation of New York survey. Affordable housing is an important issue for the fast-growing community, in which large families are common. At least 15 percent of Jewish households in the federation survey received some form of public assistance; up to 11 percent received food stamps. Turning to Israel, Clinton said the “most important” lesson of Exodus is that

God brought the Jews to their homeland so “that they would never again be subjugated.” “I’ve proudly stood with the State of Israel for my entire career, making sure it always has the resources it needs to maintain its qualitative military edge,” she said, noting that she helped ensure funding for the Iron Dome missile defense system and negotiate a cease-fire to the 2014 Gaza war. In a jab at Republican presidential front-runner, Donald Trump, Clinton added, “Yet others in this race suggest we must remain ‘neutral’ in order to negotiate. But Israel’s safety is simply non-negotiable.” Finally, Clinton said, the Passover seder reminds participants to remember the hardships of slavery. Citing more than 20 million people trafficked or sold into slavery every year, she said, “This Pesach, let’s continue fighting all forms of oppression, inequality and injustice.”

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jewishnewsva.org | April 25, 2016 | Jewish News | 13

Community remembers those lost and honors those making a difference at Holocaust Remembrance event Wednesday, May 4, 6:45 pm, Temple Israel by Laine M. Rutherford

hoosing the most powerful and meaningful moment of Tidewater’s annual commemoration of Yom Hashoah, the Holocaust Day of Remembrance, is difficult. This year, there will be an abundance of these moments. Each part of the event will be rich with meaning. Whether it’s the guest speaker who is returning to speak to the community by popular demand, or the poignant candle lighting ceremony remembering those senselessly killed and honoring those who fought to save lives; the prayers, or the hope for the future during a presentation of student and teacher awards, the evening is emotional and relevant. The Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, a volunteer-run group of community members dedicated to Holocaust education, plans and presents the event. For this year’s special guest, the Yom Hashoah committee chose to bring back Jeannie Opdyke Smith, one of the keynote presenters at the Commission’s 12th Annual Educators’ Conference last July. Smith is part of a new generation of Holocaust speakers who share the life stories from their parents’ first hand experiences. Smith is the daughter of the late Irene Gut Opdyke who received international recognition for her life-saving

actions during the Holocaust while working for a high-ranking German official. “When the participants of the Educator’s Conference heard Jeannie portray the incredible story of her mother’s bravery in saving the lives of Jews in WWII, it was clear that the whole community needed to hear Irene Gut Opdyke’s story as well,” says Joan London Baer, a co-chair of the conference. “Jeannie’s dedication and devotion to telling the story proves that ‘one person can make a difference.’ Her presentation will touch your heart and impact your life,” says Baer. Vivian Margulies, Baer’s conference co-chair, describes Smith’s performance as unforgettable. “When Jeannie tells her mother’s story, you can hear a pin drop. The story grabs your attention right away and her presentation keeps you mesmerized,” says Margulies. Smith is a member and speaker for the Oregon and Washington Holocaust Speakers Bureau, a regular speaker for the Anti-Defamation League’s Bearing Witness Program, and a national speaker for the Jewish Federation of North America.

2016 Elie Wiesel Writing and Visual Arts Competitions At a Glance • • • • • •

1713 total number of student entries 1129 Junior entries (middle school) 584 Senior entries (high school) 26 middle schools 22 high schools Out of area and out of state entries came from: Northern Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, New Jersey and New York • Most Senior entries received to date • Most Art entries received to date • Most out-of-state submissions from entire classes, not just individual students

14 | Jewish News | April 25, 2016 | jewishnewsva.org

“What I love about my mom’s story (forget that she’s my mom)—is you have people like Schindler who had an amazing story, but he had a factory and he had influence. “Here, you’re talking about a girl out of high school who didn’t even have her parents or her home or anything. It takes all of our excuses away,” Smith says. “It takes mine away.” Irene Gut Opdyke was named by the Israeli Holocaust Commission as one of the Righteous Among the Nations. She was presented with the Israel Medal of Honor, Israel’s highest tribute, as well as a special commendation from the Vatican, and her story is part of a permanent exhibit in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Following her death in 2003, Opdyke’s honors continued. Posthumously, she was presented with the Commanders Cross—the Polish Medal of Honor—and the Courage to Care Award by the AntiDefamation League. Opdyke’s 1999 book, In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer relays the detailed account of her life during WWII. Her life story was told on Broadway in the nationally acclaimed play, Irena’s Vow, staring Tovah Feldshuh. Opdyke’s story, and her decisions to risk her life to save others, were the basis for some of the questions students were asked to consider when preparing the literature and art pieces they submitted for the Holocaust Commission’s Annual Elie Wiesel Writing and Visual Arts Competitions. A record number of entries were received this year. Student winners and outstanding educators will be honored at Yom Hashoah; winning artwork and judges’ choices will be displayed before and after the event.

Jeannie Opdyke Smith

“The number of entries is always exciting to see,” says Gail Flax, one of the competition committee co-chairs. “The quality of their works affirms the purpose of the competition and honors the survivors and their stories.” Phyllis Sperling, co-chair of the arts competition, says the quality of the artwork submitted was outstanding. “This year’s Elie Wiesel Visual Arts and Multimedia Competition showcased a large number of high quality artistic entries. We were impressed not only by their creativity but the insightful messages the students conveyed through their poignant artists’ statements,” says Sperling. Deb Segaloff, writing co-chair, who oversees the fairness of the judging— ensuring there’s no bias by eliminating any identification of names or schools—could see the entries this year had great depth. “Every entry, whether essay or poem, manifested that each student thought about ‘a hero’ who inspired them personally to wrestle with the idea of being an upstander even in the most oppressive times,” says Segaloff. Yom Hashoah is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www. HolocaustCommission.org, email info@holocaustcommission.org, or call 757-965-6100.

me n

Supplement to Jewish News April 25, 2016

Women Published 22 times a year by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.

Dear Readers,

n this special section devoted to women, we offer articles that reflect the many

varied and interesting ways women choose to lead their lives…here in Tidewater, throughout the nation and in Israel. Last year I heard Janet Green speak about her Jewish journey and her high energy ride through politics. I’ve no doubt you’ll find her path as interesting as I did, particularly during this rather turbulent election season. Her piece is on page 17. Lisa Bertini, an attorney and mother of two college-age daughters, now finds herself employing her honed mothering skills and patience on her parents. Her essay, “Blueberry muffins and tea,” can be found on page 21. Dee Dee Becker shares a heart-breaking article about a friend whose beautiful 19-year-old daughter lost her life to meningitis. This mom is dedicated to making certain other moms don’t experience the same tragic outcome she did through her efforts with the Emily Stillman Foundation, which she founded in memory of her daughter. The article is on page 24.

Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 200 Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462-4370 voice 757.965.6100 • fax 757.965.6102 email news@ujft.org Terri Denison, Editor Germaine Clair, Art Director Hal Sacks, Book Review Editor Sandy Goldberg, Account Executive Mark Hecht, Account Executive Marilyn Cerase, Subscription Manager Reba Karp, Editor Emeritus Sherri Wisoff, Proofreader Jay Klebanoff, President Alvin Wall, Treasurer Stephanie Calliott, Secretary Harry Graber, Executive Vice-President www.jewishVA.org The appearance of advertising in the Jewish News does not constitute a kashrut, political, product or service endorsement. The articles and letters appearing herein are not necessarily the opinion of this newspaper. © 2016 Jewish News. All rights reserved. Subscription: $18 year For subscription or change of address, call 757-965-6128 or email mcerase@ujft.org.

Of course, there’s more. With Mother’s Day around the corner, it’s time to honor our moms…those wonder women who somehow manage to perform a little bit of every profession, often while also managing their own careers and volunteer activities. After all, what mom doesn’t sometimes act as an attorney, physi-

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Women First Person

Janet Green and her Jewish journey Janet V. Green told her Jewish journey at a Friday night service at Ohef Sholom Temple last year. She agreed to share her remarks with Jewish News.

am honored to have been asked to speak with you tonight. I am particularly pleased that the person who introduced and “brought” me to Norfolk is here with me, my wonderful husband and Chief Judge for the Norfolk Juvenile and Domestic Courts, Bill Williams. Bill and I are relatively new members of Ohef Sholom, but we are quite familiar with the temple, as we have been neighbors, literally living next door on Colonial since 2002. I have been asked to speak on my professional and volunteer commitment to improving the lives of others, a core Jewish value. Everyone likes to talk about themselves, yet, I am particularly moved to speak about my Jewish background as tonight I will say the Kaddish for my Mom whose yarzheit was Monday—and she would be bursting with pride. She was always bursting with pride over almost everything her five kids did, yet when it centered on Judaism, she and my Dad truly kvelled! I am 50-several-years-old, and since I was given 15 minutes to speak, I better get started. I was born the third of three girls to a great Jewish family in New York (both parents from Brooklyn). Our family moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan and shortly thereafter my two brothers were born. I was a typical kid in our small Conservative Shul; girls didn’t play a big role back in the 1960’s, and while I was a Bat Mitzvah and went through Confirmation, I felt my parents and grandparents worked hard to assimilate and not “flaunt” our Judaism outside of synagogue. For instance, I intensely disliked that the High Holidays always seemed to fall during the beginning of school and as a practicing Jew, I had to take days off for the New Year and Yom Kippur. I always felt that was announcing my Judaism to my classmates and that was a very uncomfortable feeling for me. So, it

was only natural I thought, to lose touch with what little personal connection and relationship I had to Judaism. I attended Michigan State University, a place that seemingly had even a smaller Jewish population (because I never sought it out), and obtained my degree in social work. After working for a Michigan Congressman after graduation, I moved to Washington, DC where I met not only lots of Jews, I met lots of Jews in very prominent positions who were very open and proud of their Jewish heritage. I found a roommate on a bulletin board (remember, these were the days before the Internet) who was from Beachwood, Ohio and was so “outwardly” Jewish, I was in awe. She remains one of my dearest friends. And, while this new “open” Jewishness was so unique and wonderful, I really didn’t feel a PART of it. I was watching from the sidelines, I wasn’t playing in the game, yet. I then moved to Connecticut as campaign manager for a Congressman and was feeling out of sorts around Passover—my favorite holiday and my first when I couldn’t go home. My parents suggested I go to the local synagogue, and so I went to the large shul on the fancy side of town—and felt extremely uncomfortable and vowed to meet Jews somewhere else, but probably not in Danbury, Connecticut! Yet, the very next week, an adorable, cute man wearing a yarmulke walked into our campaign headquarters. That young man was Rabbi Jack Moline, starting his career in Connecticut, before moving to Alexandria, Va. where he served for 30 years as the head rabbi at the conservative shul, Agudas Achim. You also may have heard of Rabbi Jack, when in 2008, he was named by Newsweek magazine as one of the top pulpit rabbis in America (#3 in a list of

25), and in 2010 and 2011 as one of the 50 most influential rabbis in America. (He also is a former director of the National Jewish Democratic Council and now is executive director of Interfaith Alliance.) God works in mysterious and wonderful ways! Anyway, for different reaJanet Green and Hillary Clinton in 2012. sons, Rabbi Jack and I were both a little out of water in Danbury, hearing Hebrew with a Southern accent is Conn., and became fast friends and it truly not something I will ever forget! After President Bill Clinton was elected, was Rabbi Jack who taught me that I could combine my love for helping people I was proud to be named Special Assistant with a renewed sense of my to the President and Director of WH Operations, tasked with having the White Judaism. Rabbi Jack taught me— House open at 12 noon on Inauguration and showed me—the core Day. Now, this wasn’t just the offices, this is teaching of Judaism is the White House residence, Secret Service, that we strive to be a and Executive Office Buildings—the entire people who perform White House compound, which comprises acts of chesed, loving 18 acres. So, while President Clinton may acts of kindness and have been the first Democrat to occupy the Tikun Olam, healing White House in 16 years, he wasn’t the first or repairing the world. Democrat to have an office in the WH… Rabbi Jack taught me— it was a Jewish girl born in NY…or better and inspired me—to said, a proud Jewish woman…me! I had a see that the world is small office in the WH to arrange the entire sustained by three pil- transition before Inauguration Day. It truly was a nightmare (but that is a lars: Torah study, prayer, and loving acts of kind- different story)! Remember, all these people ness. So love, in Judaism, is wanted to immediately start working in not abstract. It is primarily not their offices (if they could find them) immeabout feelings, but rather takes diately after the Inauguration—names that shape and form by the actions we weave you know—George Stephanopolous, DeeDee Myers, Rahm Emanuel—had to go into the fabric of our lives. Jack urged me to do more and more through my suggested policies just to get and I got to know his wife, Ann and young into the WH compound and through secufamily. So imagine my pleasure when rity. You can imagine that they all wanted shortly after I moved back to DC in 1984, to bring their family and show them their Jack and Ann moved to Alexandria. We offices. I, of course, invited my proud parents to be at the Inauguration and then continue our close friendship to this day. I rose up the ranks of the Democratic they came to the White House to see my Party, moving around a lot and always now, beautiful West Wing office. They seeking out synagogues and even more were again kvelling, and when Robert spiritual guidance. One of my most inter- Rubin (fresh from Goldman Sachs where esting experiences was in 1992, living in his salary was a widely reported to be $26 Little Rock, Arkansas while working on million the past year) and newly named the Clinton campaign. During the High head of Economic Policy and then Treasury continued on page 18 Holidays, I went to the orthodox shul....

I rose up

the ranks of the

Democratic Party,

always seeking out

synagogues and even more spiritual guidance.

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Women continued from page 17

Secretary hugged me and thanked me profusely in front of my parents for helping to get his operations in order, I think my Mom almost busted her blouse with pride! I have a great photo album that showcases much of my time in Washington and again, my wonderful Mom was struck by the order which I put pictures in that album. After the picture of me at the President’ Desk on Air Force One—our favorite picture, mostly because we both thought I looked thin—are pictures from my first Presidential Motorcade. I was in a lot of motorcades during my years working on campaigns, but my very first Presidential Motorcade was to the Dedication Ceremonies for the US Holocaust Memorial Museum on April 22, 1993. How proud I was that day to be a Jew! The next pictures I have are from the ceremony for the signing of the Israeli Palestinian Peace Agreement in September 1993. You all remember that famous picture with President Clinton with his arms

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outstretched with Yitzhak Rabin on one side and Yasir Arafat on the other. Amazing. Again, I was so proud to be a Jew and honored to be there that momentous day! After we had the Clintons and staff settled into the White House, President Clinton asked me to help work on his signature initiative, AmeriCorps and begin the Corporation for National Service. I jumped at the chance as that meant I got to work even more closely with the new head of AmeriCorps, Eli Segal. Also, working in our offices was Jack Lew, President Obama’s Treasury Secretary and a practicing Orthodox Jew. How incredible that people I was working with expected you to take time off for the Jewish holidays, eat Jewish food during the holidays and celebrated all things Jewish! After AmeriCorps was up and running, President Clinton asked me to be Deputy CEO and begin to set up the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, working for Debra DeLee, you guessed it, another prominent Jew who has served for the past almost 20 years as CEO of Americans for Peace Now, working towards peace in Israel. And, after the successful convention and re-election, I was asked to serve as executive director and CEO of the Democratic National Committee, where the chairman was Steven Grossman, another proud Jew. I was pretty sure at the time, and sure today that one of the reasons Steve hired me was because I was Jewish! I had truly come full circle. All of these mentors were and are so inspirational to me and helped me truly not only to celebrate Judaism, but realize we as Jews do have a bigger responsibility for embracing our proud heritage. In 1999, three things happened that again changed my life. Mrs. Clinton announced her candidacy for the Senate for New York and asked me to work on her campaign. She is a close friend and confidant to this day. My dear mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and I realized she was right—I had a very unbalanced work/family life. I leaned heavily on Rabbi Jack and Hashem during those trying times and they greatly comforted me. The third thing that happened is that I met Bill Williams at a big Jewish

wedding in Washington, DC—and Bill embraced all things Jewish. In fact, the first Jewish holiday we spent together was Yom Kippur—I kept promising him that all the other holidays have great big happy feasts, and this was the only holiday we fasted. Together with Rabbi Jack Moline and Rabbi Arthur Ruberg from Congregation Beth El, Bill studied hard and fully converted to Judaism complete with a bris, mikva and Bet Din and years later became a Bar Mitzvah at Beth El! Bill and I were married right after Sept. 11 by Rabbi Jack Moline in a big Jewish wedding in Washington, DC (beautifully organized, of course, by my mom and my Jewish roommate I spoke about earlier) and then I moved to Norfolk as CEO of Operation Smile. In 2002, I took the job as executive director of Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg. Habitat is a very “Christian” organization, welcoming people from all religions to work with them, yet I was the first-known Jewish executive director—only to be followed later that year by Ellen Widoff, the ED for South Hampton Roads and a fellow member of Congregation Beth El. I am still with Habitat—everyone knows Habitat— yet they think we give homes away to poor people—and we don’t. We sell homes built by volunteers to qualified, gainfully employed, good credit low-income families who pay a no-interest zero percent mortgage for 20-30 years. So, that brings me basically to today and tonight. And again, I am so honored to be here with you as a proud new member of Ohef Sholom. I always remember Rabbi Moline telling me that the Torah begins with the letter bet and concludes with the letter lamed. These two letters, when reversed, spell the word lev, which means “heart.” While the Torah may have 5,845 verses and thousands of words, I always try to remember that its core message is contained in one word: Heart. May we maintain our hearts by continuing to care for others. Just this week I read in As The Temple Turns/The Temple Post about Ohef Sholom’s great Mitzvah Day and the myriad of activities performed by our congregants. Bless you and Mazel Tov!

CELEBRATE

Women Randi Zuckerberg links Jewish values and business advice in talk to philanthropists SAN DIEGO (JTA)—In a talk to hundreds of philanthropists and foundation representatives, former Facebook spokesperson and marketing director Randi Zuckerberg credited Shabbat and other Jewish concepts for some of her main pieces of business advice. Zuckerberg told the crowd that she was bemused by those who viewed her emphasis on life balance as an innovative idea. “People were like ‘Wow, new concept.’ No, Shabbat,” Zuckerberg said in her talk at the closing plenary of this year’s annual Jewish Funders Network conference, which was held at a hotel in the hilly seaside La Jolla section of San Diego. Zuckerberg, who has launched her own consultancy and produced digital media content since leaving Facebook in 2011, stressed the need for businesses and organizations to be open to sudden and dramatic changes. At the same time, she added, too often in the high-tech world people are only thinking about what comes next and not where they are coming from. “Something that is so beautiful to me about my own Jewish journey,” Zuckerberg said, “is that in studying with [the Wexner Foundation adult education program], in studying the Torah, in studying in history, it’s really taught me that in life, to know where you are going, you need to know where you came from.” Zuckerberg plugged her new reality show, Quit Your Day Job, which she called “Shark Tank for women.” She also played up her unrealized dream of becoming a cantor and spoke proudly of her much-publicized singing of the late Naomi Shemer’s Yeushalayim Shel Zahav to former Israel President Shimon Peres at a Shabbat dinner at the Davos World Economic Summit in 2014. Recalling the attention—positive and negative—inspired by the incident, Zuckerberg said she realized that “young leaders don’t get the benefit of separating your personal and professional life anymore.” The audience applauded strongly when she added: “So in that one moment I made Judaism a huge part of my personal identity.” Zuckerberg, the sister of Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, acknowledged being disturbed by the negative

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jewishnewsva.org | April 25, 2016 | Women | Jewish News | 19

Women

Meet Sarah Aroeste, the Jewish mom revitalizing Ladino music by Joanna Valente

(Kveller via JTA) — Sarah Aroeste is one of those people who seem utterly fascinating. She’s a mom and Ladino musician who recently released her fourth album Ora de Despertar, or Time to Wake Up. In her music, she explores her connection between her Sephardic roots in Greece and her passion for Ladino musical traditions. (Ladino is the Judeo-Spanish language written and spoken by Jews of Spanish origin, which means it’s a blend of medieval Spanish and words from Hebrew, Arabic and Portuguese.) Recently, she became a second-time mom to her second daughter—so she’s been pretty busy balancing motherhood and being a professional musician. Her album, released last month, is a kid-friendly collection focusing on the times of day, food, body parts, numbers, nature and more.

Aroeste spoke about being a new mom for the second time, what inspires her to make music, her favorite holiday and her least favorite Hebrew word: JTA: You recently became a second-time mom. How do you find time to make music and parent? What’s your secret? Luckily, life with my kids makes good fodder for my music. Whether I stare in awe of them by their simple joys, or seek a rock to hide under when they tantrum, I write songs about it! That cuts my work-time in half, as I don’t have to look very far for inspiration these days. JTA: What are you working on right now? I’m just now releasing my 4th record, an all-original Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) children’s album. A lot of people think that Ladino is extinct, or at least on its way to a slow death. I

20 | Jewish News | Women | April 25, 2016 | jewishnewsva.org

want to make sure that people know this isn’t the case. Ladino culture is such an important part of Jewish history and I want to ensure that my daughters are proud of the rich tradition from which they come. The project (which also includes an animated video series, songbook and more) is called Ora de Despertar, or Time to Wake Up. For children, it’s the title track of the album and is just a fun, catchy song about the rituals of waking up in the morning. But for adults it’s a wake-up call — we have to start teaching our kids our culture or indeed it will get lost. JTA: What TV show have you binge watched? I wish I could say something trendy and current, but I live in rural middle-of-nowhere and have no broadband. Amazon and Netflix are foreign to us in the boondocks. But the last show

Sarah Aroeste

I binged on was Breaking Bad—my husband is from New Mexico, and before I married him, I wanted to understand his obsession with his state (the drugs notwithstanding). JTA: Biggest pet peeve: In correspondences when people clearly can see my name spelled out in a heading and they still leave off the “h” at the end of my name when they address me. Especially when it’s a relative. JTA: If you were a Jewish holiday, which one would you be? I’m a sucker for tashlikh, so I’d have to say continued on page 21

Women First Person

Blueberry muffins and tea

Marino and Sylva Bertini in Virginia Beach, last month. by Lisa Bertini

y parents visited us for two weeks. I see them at least every two months, but I always drive to New Jersey. This time it was their adventure to take the train to Richmond and see some sites, as many grandchildren as possible, and of course, me and my sister who live here. We were appropriately anxious about the trip, as they haven’t aged well. My dad had a stroke and heart valve replacement as well as brain surgery. He has also had lots of joints replaced by the best son-in-law ever. But he has slowed down. My mom had a bad fall two years ago and broke

continued from page 20

Rosh Hashanah. It’s the perfect antidote after your family has driven you crazy the night before, you get the chance to apologize right after. No really, I truly love watching my regrets and apologies float away, there’s something so spiritual and cathartic about it that I look forward to each year. JTA: What’s your weirdest family tradition?

her back suffering infection and further surgeries and a stroke during one of them. I feel like we lost an entire piece of her— making that which remains, even more precious. When they got off the train, they looked old, tired, lost and fragile. I was heartbroken and went into my default overprotective mother bear mode. I remained in that mode the entire visit. I had to tone it down as my dad has his complete faculties and found it obnoxious. His response was to act like a rebellious toddler and do the opposite of all my helpful recommendations. “Don’t drive dad” led to him taking down the entire fence in our front yard while heading out to brunch. “Let’s not go up and down the stairs” (steep, wooden, unforgiving), led to an immediate need to go find whatever he could think of upstairs. “Dad why are you eating peanuts? You just had three slices of pizza” led to “I had four slices actually.” His mom, bless her soul, must’ve been a patient woman! My mom, on the other hand, just wanted to be as close to me physically as

possible. She is now under 5 feet and still one of the loveliest ladies I know. She is elegant and sweet and her Italian laced accent is musical. But she has lost her shortterm memory, so her face often looks panicked or resigned as she searches for words, thoughts, memories. It is heartbreaking. She asks daily when the girls, both in college now, will be home from school. That makes me tear up every time, as I already miss them so. She asks where my crazy black dog is hiding and I remind her we put her down last summer. She, once the most fabulous Italian cook, reminds me we need to make lasagna, but then drifts off as I pull ingredients and end up baking alone while she stares at the same old photos on the fridge she looked at the hour before. Part of me is soft, but a part is hard. I hate this and I’m angered by it. I sharply remind her that we just put in the chicken to roast and she can’t take it out yet. I lose patience as she rummages through her purse looking for nothing again and again. I sigh heavily as she asks tenderly when I have to go back to Georgetown (I graduated in 1987), because she will miss me so much. I want to scream, “I miss you mom. When are you coming back?” Instead, I watch my dad as he is lost in the CNN

news blaring at deafening volume about some hideous new tragedy. I have become unhinged in longing for my parents. The ones I knew three years ago. Now I cook the meals and do the laundry and remind them to brush their teeth. To please not let the dog out and not race up the stairs and have only one cookie. What has happened? How did this get so twisted? On the day before they would board the train home again, my mom and I made blueberry muffins. I would be sweet, kind, loving and patient if it killed me. We worked together side by side. I gave this once culinary queen the small tasks of stirring or cleaning bowls that she could handle successfully. I made us tea as the muffins baked and filled the house, my home, with the scent of comfort. As she sat down sipping her tea, and the hot vapor rose to soothe her languid gaze, she spoke in Italian. She does that now since the stroke. It is the language of her war-torn childhood. I handed her a muffin, hot from the oven. She looked up with the joyful surprise of a child and my mother said in her mother tongue, “ Oh how lovely. When did you have the time to make these Lisa? You are so wonderful. I’m so happy to be here with you.” And the world was right again.

Naming my daughters hard-to-pronounce Hebrew names. Our extended families can’t understand why we did it.

JTA: What’s the last thing you do at night? I’ve got a 4-month old baby—I’m likely feeding her!

JTA: Least favorite Jewish phrase: I can’t stand the word nudnik (annoying person). But I guess that’s the point?

JTA: What personal object could you not live without? (Besides your phone!) I’m one of the last people I know who still wears a watch. I feel lost without it. And it’s an old chunky Swatch watch to boot. I’m obsessed.

Joanna Valente, Kveller’s editorial assistant, is the author of Sirs & Madams and The Gods Are Dead. Her full-length collection Marys of the Sea is forthcoming from ELJ Publications in 2016. Kveller is a thriving community of women and parents who convene online to share, celebrate and commiserate their experiences of raising kids through a Jewish lens. Visit Kveller. com.

JTA: Favorite podcast: Anything on NPR. I’m a junkie.

When

they got off

the train, I went into my default overprotective mother bear mode.

jewishnewsva.org | April 25, 2016 | Women | Jewish News | 21

Women

Las Vegas’ Jewish mayor talks about her city, how husband would love to run against Trump by Ron Kampeas

LAS VEGAS (JTA)—You haven’t heard a lot about Carolyn Goodman, which may be just how she wants it. Goodman, 76, was elected mayor of this city in 2011, succeeding her husband, Oscar Goodman, who had served three terms and was barred by term limits from running for a fourth. She was reelected last year. Whereas Oscar is “flamboyant,” as Goodman puts it in an interview in her office overlooking the strip, she is more self-effacing. She is prone to be gracious in victory, once praising her opponent following a tough municipal election as having “good intentions” for Las Vegas. Oscar, a former mob lawyer who played a version of himself in Goodfellas, had once called the same challenger a “piece of crap.” She’s also disarmingly candid, confessing that she was “born a brunette” and recounting with pride the adoption of her four children, whose photos surround her. “The second one’s an attorney, very much like his father, very aggressive,” Goodman says. Goodman shared her thoughts on the growth of the city’s Jewish community, the November election and how her husband would love to give Republican front-runner Donald Trump a run for his money. Her seventh-story office, in a gleaming building towering over neighboring bail bondsmen shops, is a tribute to Oscar. There’s a huge pencil drawing in the foyer depicting moments in his mayoralty, with the centerpiece a portrait of Oscar and Carolyn Goodman smooching. “Fifty-four years come June,” she said of her marriage. “It should have been 55, but my parents really didn’t like him.” Did they come around? “Yes, of course, one always comes around to Oscar,” Goodman says. They met when she was at Bryn Mawr and he was at Haverford, when the suburban Philadelphia colleges were both

strictly single-sex. He went on to study law at the University of Pennsylvania (as did two of their children) and was hired while still studying for the bar by then Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney Arlen Specter—later a U.S. senator—for a dollar an hour. That’s how they came to Las Vegas in 1964. “There was a wealthy Jewish widow by the name of Lulubell Rossman, who was murdered and the money that she kept under her mattress was brought out here to Las Vegas,” Goodman says. The alleged killers were apprehended and returned to Philadelphia by two sheriffs. Specter, she recalls, told Oscar to take them out to dinner. “At 2 in the morning, he woke me up and he said, ‘How would you like to move to the land of milk and honey?’” Goodman related. “And I said, ‘For heaven’s sake, we’re just newlyweds, I don’t want to move to Israel yet.’” (Later she said if it weren’t for her family, who all live in Las Vegas, and her job, she would consider aliyah.) “So I said to him, ‘Whatever you want to do, let’s go look.’” They visited in May 1964 and moved in August that year. Goodman was involved in the local Jewish federation from the get-go, heading the women’s divisions for several years while her husband made a name for himself defending the gangster Meyer Lansky and others with sobriquets like Fat Herbie, Lefty and Tony the Ant. “When we came here in ‘64, there was only one [Reform] temple and there was an Orthodox temple operating out of a little house on Maryland Parkway,” Goodman says. “And now I can’t even begin to tell you.” (Todd Polikoff, the current federation director, estimates there are about 60,000 Jews in Las Vegas, along with 28 congregations—only 15 have buildings— and four Jewish schools.) What was attractive about Vegas? In Manhattan, where Goodman grew up, residents never met their congressman

22 | Jewish News | Women | April 25, 2016 | jewishnewsva.org

and had to wait for someone to die to get season tickets to Carnegie Hall. Las Vegas was wide open. “To go ahead and do something, not to be recognized, but to be part of things growing and developing – we both had that urge,” she says. After 17 years jointly in office, is there a Goodman legacy in Las Vegas? Goodman doesn’t like the word, at least not applied to her. “To me, everything that both of us did, but more specifically—as I say, I can only speak for me—I wasn’t looking to get any recognition,” she says. “If there’s a legacy here at all, I think that Oscar brought the town back, the core of the city of Las Vegas back, from crime-infested, boarded up, really scummy core of the city, back to vitality and began the whole initiative to see everything you see behind me take place.” She sweeps her hand toward the picture window behind her. Asked about the presidential election, Goodman—like her husband, an Independent—politely offers: “You want somebody who has the qualities and dignity of a presidential leader.” I take that as a cue to ask if she’s ever met Donald Trump, whose Las Vegas tower is visible in the distance. Goodman recalls an appeal her husband once made for Trump’s help in developing a rail yard the city had obtained from Union Pacific. Trump was interested, but soon they began arguing. Oscar,

whose mother was an artist, favored an eclectic architectural approach. Trump envisioned something more uniform. “I had such a headache when I left,” Goodman says. “You obviously have not met Oscar. He’s [like] Donald Trump, but so kind and good. And a religious, very religious man. I don’t know if Donald is or not. “But two egos—like, humongous egos—and each one, every statement out of one man, the other one had to come back. I’m sitting there doing this between the two of them”—she swivels her head like she’s watching a tennis match— “and I’m thinking, oh my God. What a headache I’ve got from this.” Her husband was vindicated, she says, again gesturing to the city vista and a reward for architectural excellence from the U.S. Conference of Mayors, one of many plaques crowding her desk. I press Goodman on her impression of Trump. “He is who he is, when you see him, that’s what I saw, too,” she says. “He really does know how to hit everybody’s nerve center. I think Oscar, if he had a choice in life, he would love to be running against him right now.” At 76 he’s too old, Goodman says of her husband. “He would have a good time,” she says, “except, as I say, Oscar is really a very good Jew and very religious and very loyal to it.”

How

would you

like to move to the land

of milk and honey?

Women

To the Woman Who Told Me My Kids Don’t Belong in Synagogue by Rochelle Kipnis

(Kveller via JTA)—Last Shabbat, I was in synagogue with my three children. My girls are seven and four, my baby boy is one. Several women suggested that I should bring my children to the playroom area designated for kids. One of the fellow mothers casually mentioned that she just dropped off her kids upstairs and I should go check it out and drop my kids off. Then, an older woman sat down in the row behind us and began saying “shhh” every time my daughter hummed to the prayers or tried to sing the words with me. The shhh got louder when my daughter asked me if she would get to kiss the Torah that was being taken out of the ark. I decided to turn around and ask the woman why she kept shushing at my children, who were doing their best to feel part of the service and who, for the record, really weren’t being loud. This woman said, “Shul really isn’t a place for children. They belong in the playroom; they don’t know how to pray properly.” I told her I am not sure if there is a “proper” way for anyone to pray. We all do our best and follow along at our own paces, right? My seven-year-old was reading the English words in the siddur (prayer book) while following along in Hebrew with some prayers that she knew. My four-yearold was swaying to the familiar songs and trying to see the Torah with the hopes of getting to touch and kiss it when the rabbi carries it around the sanctuary. My one-year-old was quietly resting on my shoulder and occasionally clapping if he heard anyone else clapping to a tune. My children aren’t perfect, and I have seen children next to their parents playing with a small puzzle or toy cars. But just hearing them whisper “Amen” at the end of

a prayer, I’m assured these kids are learning. They are learning what community togetherness feels like. They are learning what it feels like to be Jewish. Don’t get me wrong: I appreciate that there are playrooms in separate areas where some parents opt to drop off their children so they can have quiet time to pray. But I bring my children to services so we can experience group prayer together as a family. I want my children to grow up remembering the songs they heard in synagogue while sitting on my lap. I want them to experience being part of their Jewish community, and not just from the sidelines. Children should be able to feel the sanctuary is a place of welcome and worship. No, synagogue isn’t just for grown-ups. I bring my kids to synagogue to teach them. I am teaching them how we pray, the tunes of the songs we sing and what it feels like to be together with fellow Jews on Shabbat. My children love when they see the Torah. My one-year-old claps when he hears the songs. My seven- and four-yearold are making memories of being in the sanctuary together with their family. If parents want to bring their children to the playroom, that’s fine, but I’ll keep bringing my kids to the sanctuary with me so they grow to love prayer, learn leadership alongside adults and make memories as Jewish people. And one day they can pass these traditions onto the next generation, too.

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Rochelle Kipnis is a former news reporter and board-certified behavior analyst who has helped hundreds of children with autism. She lives in suburban New Jersey with her husband and three children.) Kveller is a thriving community of women and parents who convene online to share, celebrate and commiserate their experiences of raising kids through a Jewish lens. Visit Kveller.com.

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jewishnewsva.org | April 25, 2016 | Women | Jewish News | 23

Women Recognizing the signs and symptoms of bacterial meningitis could save your life. Early symptoms often present similar to influenza (flu), and are sometimes misdiagnosed.

First Person

Meningitis is preventable with a vaccine

Bacterial Meningitis: Signs and Symptoms

by Dee Dee Becker

(Source: http://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/bacterial.html)

Meningitis infection may show up in a person by a sudden onset of fever, headache, and stiff neck. It will often have other symptoms, such as • Nausea • Vomiting • Increased sensitivity to light (photophobia) • Altered mental status (confusion) The symptoms of bacterial meningitis can appear quickly or over several days. Typically, they develop within three to seven days after exposure. Babies younger than one-month old

Disclaimer: The contents of this article are not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult your physician for personalized medical advice.

little fact about me: I am the oldest of six girls, affectionately self-coined The Sixters. From top to bottom, we stretch an entire 18 years. Chai. To life. Poignant, considering the story you are about to read. Deborah is my bookend sixter, the youngest of all of us. As an infant, she unwittingly sparked my fire on the topic of bacterial meningitis. Oh, how I am so glad she does not remember this. However, it wasn’t until close friends, Alicia and

are at a higher risk for severe infections, like meningitis, than older children. In newborns and infants, the classic meningitis symptoms of fever, headache, and neck stiffness may be absent or difficult to notice. The infant may appear to be slow or inactive (lack of alertness), irritable, vomiting or feeding poorly. In young infants, doctors may look for a bulging fontanelle (soft spot on infant’s head) or abnormal reflexes, which can also be signs of meningitis. If you think your infant has any of these symptoms, call the doctor or clinic right away. Later symptoms of bacterial meningitis can be very severe (such as, seizures, coma). For this reason, anyone who thinks they may have meningitis should see a doctor as soon as possible. Emily Stillman, of blessed memory.

24 | Jewish News | Women | April 25, 2016 | jewishnewsva.org

Michael Stillman lost their daughter to this dreaded disease three years ago that I became ready to take pen in hand to help educate and advocate—to make a difference in some small way. Bacterial meningitis is a serious and sometimes fatal infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. Side effects can be devastating—deafness, blindness, paralysis and loss of limbs to name a few. Rewind to 1982. I was barely 18 years old and only two weeks into my freshman year away at college when I received the call that my youngest sister had made her grand entrance into the world. I made my way home from school to breathe her in and nibble on her little nose and toes like a proud big Sis. Deborah was perfect— and off I went back to college. Six months later, another call. Deborah was in a coma at Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. I listened. I cried. And firmly understood that her life was very much at stake. An interminable month of watching and waiting passed, and finally Deborah came home with no longterm side effects. We counted ourselves amongst the lucky… and life went on, albeit with profound new perspective. Fast forward to 2013 to my Michigan friends, the Stillmans. “Emily was at Kalamazoo College

and phoned home from her dorm room,” says Alicia. “Mom, I have a headache…I was up late studying…I’m achy, too,” she recalls Emily saying. “I thought she had the flu, or was overtired from all the studying. I told her to take some ibuprofen, get some sleep and I would check in with her the next day.” By early morning, Alicia received a phone call that Emily had been taken to the hospital. Her headache had spiraled drastically for the worse. “The nurses said they were testing her for meningitis,” says Alicia, “but I kept telling them Emily was vaccinated for that. I was concerned it had to be something else they were overlooking. When the staff asked if we’d like to speak with the hospital clergy, it hit Michael and me that Emily was gravely ill.” Thirty-six hours later, on February 2, 2013, with her family by her side, Emily lost her life to bacterial meningitis at age 19. Yes, it happens that fast. “I didn’t understand,” says Alicia. “I had all three of my children vaccinated with everything available at all the age appropriate times, including the meningitis vaccine. It made no sense to me that she contracted this disease. So I kissed Emily goodbye and made a bedside promise: to find out what happened and do everything within my power to help prevent it from happening again.” Alicia began her search for answers as to how Emily contracted bacterial meningitis, even though it was a disease she had been vaccinated against. In short, Emily had contracted meningitis serogroup B (MenB)—a strain that is not included in the conjugate vaccine routinely used here in the U.S., which only protects against strains A, C, Y and W135. MenB is the same strain of meningitis that caused the widely publicized outbreaks at Princeton and University of California Santa Barbara in 2014.

Women Today, two MenB vaccines are available in the United States. Trumenba was licensed in October 2014, and Bexsero in January 2015. The number of doses required and strengths vary. While it is no longer necessary to go abroad to get this protection, you may still need to jump through insurance hoops to access it. Let me define what I mean by hoops: Keep in mind that the MenB vaccines are different from the The Stillman Family: Alicia Stillman, Emily Stillman, Michael Stillman, Karly Stillman and Zachary Stillman. meningitis conjugate vacAdding insult to tragedy, Alicia learned cine children generally receive at a young that a MenB vaccine did exist—but it was age. Therefore, when you call to set up your only available in Canada and Europe at child’s next doctor’s appointment, you can that time. “I was shattered to learn that request the MenB vaccine if it is not yet Emily died from a vaccine preventable mentioned as an option. And since it is still disease. Had I known about the existence relatively new, paperwork between your of this vaccine, I would have carted my insurance company and your doctor’s office children across the border to Canada and will likely need to be processed prior to your visit to ensure that your child receives it at had them vaccinated.” To channel her grief and honor her his/her visit. In addition, since it is a drug promise to Emily, Alicia founded The that is not routinely stocked in physician Emily Stillman Foundation. She started Get offices, you will also likely need to obtain Vaccinated programs to help people access the prescription from your child’s doctor MenB vaccinations before they were avail- in advance and deliver it to your pharmacy. able in the U.S. “We chartered buses,” says Your pharmacy will, in turn, need to order Alicia, “and escorted families across the it which may take a few days. Then you will Detroit/Windsor boarder to obtain these pick up the vaccine from your pharmacy and vaccines. Meningococcal disease is a vac- take it with you to your child’s appointment. cine preventable disease, but you do need to And be sure to check with your insurance company beforehand to determine your receive the vaccines in order to prevent it.” copay so there are no surprises. What you need to know about getting your child vaccinated for Meningitis ersonally, I believe Alicia’s sheer deterSerogroup B (MenB) mination and staunch advocacy are, in Parents, always consult with your physi- part, why the MenB vaccinations are now cian and determine what is right for you, available here in the U.S. From founding but consider the following information. The Emily Stillman Foundation and develCertain populations such as infants and oping the Get Vaccinated clinics, to the children are at higher risk for this disease. national media exposure they garnered, College students also fall in a higher risk as well as support from their local policategory because of close living quar- ticians, the Stillmans made Emily’s life a ters where bacteria easily multiply. Their blessing for others. In fact, her life—and immune systems are also further stressed now in death—is the ultimate mitzvah: by lack of sleep. The disease can be passed In Emily’s case, her meningitis did not through saliva, for example by sharing spread to the bloodstream, so she was utensils, drinks, cigarettes or through able to donate six of her organs to five kissing.

recipients, along with tissue and bones to countless others. “Emily loved singing, dancing and especially acting,” says Alicia. “She loved puzzles, games, movies, and reality television. Emily had a charismatic presence, a beautiful smile and a wonderful sense of humor that drew people in from the moment they met her. I miss her every day

with every fiber of my being.” The Emily Stillman Foundation’s mission is twofold: to raise awareness for meningococcal disease and organ donation. To learn more about Emily, meningitis, organ donation and The Emily Stillman Foundation, visit www. ForeverEmily.org.

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it’s a wrap A little politics, a little Talmud at recent YAD Men’s business lunch

he first half hour, it was all about ultra-fast Internet and light rail. The second half hour, the discussion shifted to business ethics, fair competition, and the Jewish perspective on both. That’s what young professionals found Tuesday, April 5 at a YAD men’s business lunch in Virginia Beach, hosted by David Calliott at his office, Davenport & Company. Eighteen Jewish men in their 20s, 30s and 40s gathered around a conference table to hear Virginia Beach City Councilman Ben Davenport discuss the city’s quest for ultra-fast broadband Internet, the kind universities and research institutions need to remain competitive on the global stage. Then, Boruch Danzinger from the Norfolk Kollel led a discussion on Jewish business ethics. Danzinger posed questions, asked how the group would respond and then gave the argument from the Talmud. For example:

A fellow doctor refers a patient to you for a second opinion of his diagnosis. After confirming the diagnosis, the patient expresses interest in your treating him rather than his original doctor. Do you accept him as a Virginia Beach City Councilman Ben Davenport speaks on April 5 at a YAD men’s business lunch. Davenport talked about the city’s quest for ultra high-speed internet patient? and his position on light rail. Throughout the lunch, everyone also networked and a member of the community and executive swapped business cards. The lunch is vice president of hotel operations for Gold the third event of its kind this year that Key I PHR, on the status of The Main (hotel engages young Jewish men in a busi- under construction in Downtown Norfolk) and renovations to The Cavalier Hotel at the ness-type setting. At the first lunch, a representative from Oceanfront. More business lunches are on the way. ESG, which manages the future Virginia For information, contact Leah Abrams, Beach arena, gave an update on the project. Then, the group heard from Brad Weissman, YAD director, at 965-6127.

Community experienced West Africa at the JCC

ore than 100 people listened to the sounds of African drums during a performance of music, storytelling, and education at the Simon Family JCC earlier this month. The storytellers, Corey and LaQuita Marie Staten (the duo known as Atumpan), filled the room with high energy as the children and adults participated in this interactive performance of Tales of the Griot. Not surprisingly, the children were excited to play with the instruments and make some noise. This was the final program in the Children’s Cultural Arts Series for this season. The presentation was a partnership with the Simon Family JCC and Young Audiences of Virginia. This series is successful because of the support of the community, sponsors, Patrons of the Arts, and partnerships with local arts organizations.

Passover at Strelitz

Ella Trompeter and Yonni Moallem show off their Seder plates.

he Strelitz preschool students enjoyed sharing the Strelitz Model Family Seder with their parents. To get ready, they sang Passover songs, read Passover stories, acted out the narrative, and tasted the holiday foods. Each year, the students make Passover art treasures to display at their own family’s Seders. Former Strelitz parents report using them for many years.

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Book Reviews Vivid portrayal about a war with no glory Pumpkinflowers: A Soldier’s Story Matti Friedman Algonquin Chapel Hill, 2006 243 pages, $25.95 ISBN 978-1-61620-458-7

Hal Sacks

he least knowledgeable military planner understands the advantage of holding “the high ground.” Using this rationale, young men (and now women) have for generations found themselves bleeding and dying in war after war to capture and hold an unheard of hill or mountain—whether it be “Old Baldy,” “Hill 881 North,” or the eponymous “Pumpkin.” Matti Friedman’s intriguing war memoir positions the Israeli military in the south of Lebanon following the invasion of 1982, believed by some to have been a vast strategic blunder and by others to have simply been a period of clumsy military stumbling. The “Flowers” part of the title refers to wounded Israeli soldiers. The events Friedman specifically describes take place roughly between 1994 and the turn of the 21st century when Israel, ostensibly on guard to protect the northern communities, unilaterally withdrew from southern Lebanon, effectively abandoning the field to Hezbollah.

For Israelis whose military service landed them on that sparsely fortified hill, code-named “Pumpkin,” whose grim duties left them with intense personal memories, but barely any collective memory at all (as was the case with our troops in Korea), there is no glory; there is no fame. These soldiers are not the tank units of the Yom Kippur War, nor the rescuers at Entebbe. But they suffered as did the nation. In 1997, mainly due to the mid-air collision of two helicopters in the north loaded with troops, more than 100 Israeli soldiers were killed. That number, based on relative population size, was greater than all the troops lost by the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan in more than a decade of fighting. It temporarily sucked the will to fight out of the Israeli people and consequently ended any opportunity to put an end to Hezbollah as a political being. Friedman takes us through this practically unknown Israeli war story in a terse, direct fashion that vividly portrays the Israeli combat soldiers struggling to do their duty in a malevolent little war that never quite achieves the moral high ground being sought. Pumpkinflowers ranks with the best war diaries to have come out of the ill executed wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the best Israeli accounting I have read since A Psalm in Jenin by Brett Goldberg.

Matti Friedman will appear at the Simon Family JCC on Wednesday, May 11 at 7:30 pm as part of the Israel Today series sponsored by the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Community Partners. A former correspondent for the Associated Press, his reporting has taken him from Israel to Morocco, Lebanon, the Caucasus, and Washington, D.C. See page 32.

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A cookbook approaches Passover with imagination Celebrate Elizabeth Kurtz To benefit Emunah of America Feldheim Format 35 pages, $34.99

our-pound recipe books, however gorgeously illustrated, are not usually my favorite. However, this one caught your reviewer’s eye, first, because the proceeds were going to support Emunah (for those not familiar, Emunah of America is an ORT-like organization of about 100,000 Orthodox women principally concerned with education in Israel) and second, because it is not strictly a Passover cookbook. For example: If you are interested in baking challah, there are seven distinct challah recipes including OnionPoppyseed Challah and Pumpkin Challah. Author Elizabeth Kurtz treats the reader to 20 poultry recipes, with such interesting variations as chicken with sweet and sour sauce coated with crunchy pretzels, fried onions, and cornflake crumbs. Celebrate, has 120 recipes separately indexed and suitable for Passover either “as is” or with minor guidance for the cook to make the Passover-required ingredient changes. After all, even if Seder menus are traditionally conceived, what are we going to eat for the rest of the week? Millennials not enthusiastic about gefilte fish? Xers off chopped liver? Seder menus getting a little tired, or just tiresome? How does Fresh Tuna, Jicama and Rosemary Salad sound? Are Salmon

Ceviche, Sun-dried Tomato Dip, or New Eggplant Babbaganoush more appealing? Celebrate suggests Roasted Tomato Soup with Crispy Kale; Albondiga Soup; or Strawberry Mango Soup with Fruit Salsa. Celebrate suggests Cornish Hens with Smothered Onions and Balsamic Glaze; Pan Seared Duck Breast with FigShallot Marmalade; or Pesto Flounder Pinwheels. Celebrate suggests Coca-Cola Braised Short Ribs; Moroccan L amb Stew; Paprika Roasted Cauliflower; or Red and White Quinoa with Grapes and Pomegranate Seeds. The book, full of mouth-watering photos of food, more importantly includes a pantry section suggesting Passover basics such as toasting nuts, various sauces (honey-mustard, peanut dipping sauce, caramel sauce) and tips for Passover essentials. Author Kurtz, creator of the highly acclaimed website gourmetkoshercooking.com, also includes some great ideas for making meals ahead, freezing, and re-warming. Not really a cookbook for the kitchen ingénue, the more experienced cook will appreciate the updated recipes. As a child, Passover became a drag after a few days. How many hardboiled egg and potato dishes could one eat? Celebrate awakens our senses to some new smells, textures and tastes. Have a happy and kosher Pesach! See recipe on page 29. —Hal Sacks is a retired Jewish communal worker who has reviewed books for Jewish News for more than 30 years.

Passover Passover continues until the end of the week, so there’s still time to try some new holiday recipes. Here are a couple of interesting ones, along with a Passover memory from Edgar M. Bronfman, of blessed memory.

Chocolate Angel Pie Makes 10 servings Meringue Crust: 4 egg whites, at room temperature 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon potato starch 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar 3 ⁄4 teaspoon Passover vanilla extract Filling: 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped 4 egg yolks ½ cup sugar 2 tablespoons water 1 ⁄8 teaspoon salt 2 cups pareve whipping cream, whipped until soft peaks form, divided Generous amount of chocolate and pareve white chocolate shavings, for garnish Preheat oven to 450°F. Grease a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. To prepare the meringue crust: With an electric mixer, beat egg whites in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and potato starch, constantly beating. Stir in vinegar and vanilla; beat until stiff peaks form and meringue is thick and glossy. Spoon meringue into prepared pie pan; press against sides to form a crust. Place in oven and turn off heat. Leave meringue in oven for 3 hours; remove pan to cool. The meringue can be stored up to 2 days, covered, in a dry place. To prepare the filling: Melt chocolate in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Cool to lukewarm. Using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks, sugar, water, and salt until frothy. Stir into pan of melted chocolate. Cook mixture over low heat, whisking constantly until thick, about 4 minutes. Cool completely. Fold chocolate mixture into half of the prepared whipped cream. Pour into cooled shell; chill in refrigerator until mousse is set. Top with remaining half of whipped cream; garnish with chocolate and white chocolate shavings. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Quoted with permission from (http://amzn.to/1RzAFIZ) by Elizabeth Kurtz. See book review on page 28.

Making Grandma’s charoset (or how I learned to love Passover) by Edgar M. Bronfman

(JTA)—When I walked into the house through the back door one day as a young man, I was shocked to see my mother in the kitchen. To put it mildly, this was not one of her favorite places. When I asked her why she was there, a look of panic crossed her face. “Now that Grandma’s gone,” she explained, “I have to make the charoset.” Sensing her culinary discomfort, I volunteered to take over. With a look of vast relief, she fled the scene. Guided by the memory of my grandmother’s charoset—the sweet, chunky, fruity mixture that symbolizes the mortar used by the Hebrew slaves to build Egypt’s real estate—I chopped up apples and walnuts and added raisins. I mixed them together, then added a couple of spoonfuls of honey and a generous splash of port wine. During the seder, my charoset received wild compliments all around. “Who made this?” my father asked, clearly pleased. Without hesitation, my mother told him I had done so. When asked for my secret, I proudly answered, “Good port.” I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest that my hands‑on involvement, combined with the warm, welcoming embrace of my efforts, contributes to my love of Passover, the holiday most deeply embedded in the Jewish consciousness. Though its earliest origins may be as a spring festival, and to be sure, many elements of the spring agricultural celebration remain, those elements gradually evolved into the eight- day holiday we celebrate today during the month of April. In celebrating Passover, we fulfill the injunction “Remember this day, on which

you went free from Egypt, the house of bondage, how the Lord freed you from it with a mighty hand.” (Exodus 13:3) The theme of a journey from subjugation to freedom is at the heart of the Passover story, and there is a strong emphasis on repeating the liberation story every year and to each generation. This stern direction to remember our own story of liberation and keep it alive across generations lifts it into universal resonance. The Exodus from Egypt is not to be seen as a one- time historical occurrence with a beginning and an end: oppression, struggle, victory. It is not only those slaves, but all slaves, that concern us; not only that struggle, but all struggles. Each generation must learn anew how to overcome the wrongs of the world; the job will never be done. Children will not be born into a perfect world created for them by their parents. They can only continue to hold the torch, and their parents’ role is to teach them how to carry on the fight for justice. That is why the Passover ritual is central to Judaism. It is so crucial that whoever does not keep it, the Bible tells us, will be cast out and will no longer be considered a part of Israel. In other words, this is the premise of Judaism: If you are to be a part of the people, you must struggle to maintain or realize freedom all your life. —Philanthropist Edgar M. Bronfman, formerly CEO of the Seagram Company Ltd., was the foundation chairman of the international board of governors of Hillel and also president of the World Jewish Congress. From the author’s posthumously published book Why Be Jewish: A Testament. Copyright (c) 2016 by WBJ Publications, LLC. Reprinted by permission of Twelve/Hachette Book Group, New York, NY. All rights reserved.)

jewishnewsva.org | April 25, 2016 | Jewish News | 29

Passover Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie for a healthy twist on Passover

ewish cooks everywhere are cooking and thinking about what they’re serving throughout Passover. Many would love to serve healthier food options, but how is it possible when committed to preserving beloved traditions—many of which are preserved at the holiday table? “On a mission to find a holiday menu that inspired me and was healthy for my family, I only found recipes that made me feel like I was a Bubbe or Savta, and were not reflective of my or my daughter’s generation,” says Kenden Alfond. “I wondered if poor health and weight gain was the “price to pay” for engagement in Jewish life. I never found the menu of my dreams—so I created my own instead. The Jewish Food Hero Cookbook: 50 Simple PlantB ased Recipes for Your Holiday Meals is organized around the 10 major Jewish holidays, and designed to inspire women to honor traditions and add healthy food to the holiday table,” she says. “Passover is an invitation for food simplicity. It allows your body to experience true “freedom” during a special seven-day period. Keeping things simple allows you to focus on how you feel and the experiences you’re creating instead of worrying about a particular advanced cooking technique or dreading feeling stuffed after the meal,” notes Alfond. This version of shepherd’s pie celebrates vegetables in a light, springy version of a family favorite. It’s about fresh ingredients that result in feeling nourished.

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 350 F

Serves 8 TOOLS Extra large pot Large skillet Small bowl Colander Potato masher Glass baking dish (9 x 13 inch) Large spoon Medium pot and steamer basket INGREDIENTS Mashed potatoes topping 3 pounds red skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks 1 cup almond milk Pepper to taste 1 teaspoon sea salt Pie filling 2 cups diced onion (from about 2 medium onions) 3 cups sliced mushrooms (from about ½ pound whole mushrooms) 3 cups vegetable broth (not low sodium) 1 teaspoon fresh sage, minced 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced 2 cups, peeled and sliced carrots (from about 2 carrots) 2 cups cauliflower florets (from about 1 small head) 3 tablespoons potato starch 1 teaspoon sea salt Pepper to taste Topping: Steamed carrots, yellow summer squash, and zucchini (cut into rounds)* *If you eat kitniyot during Passover, you can also use peas and thin string beans here.

30 | Jewish News | April 25, 2016 | jewishnewsva.org

Boil the potatoes: Place the prepared potatoes in a extra large soup pot, and cover with at least 1 inch of cold water. Boil, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Meanwhile, sauté the vegetables: In a large skillet, sauté the onion and mushrooms in ¼ cup vegetable broth or water for 10 minutes, adding more broth if needed. Add the sage, thyme, and carrots, and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the vegetable broth to the vegetables in the skillet, reserving ¼ cup to mix with potato starch. Create the potato starch slurry and finish cooking the vegetable mixture: In a small bowl, combine the potato starch with the ¼ cup reserved vegetable broth. Mix well. Add the potato starch mixture, sea salt, and pepper to the vegetables. Stir until thickened. Mash the potatoes: Drain the cooked potatoes and mash them, adding the almond milk, pepper, and sea salt. Assemble the dish and bake: Pour the cooked vegetables into a lightly oiled 9 x 13 inch glass casserole dish. Top with the mashed potatoes and smooth the surface with a spoon. Bake for 30 minutes. Prepare the garnish: While the casserole is cooking, chop the vegetables for the garnish, paying attention to maintaining a uniform and delicate shape. Steam the vegetables for the garnish just enough so they retain color and a bit of crunch. Arrange the garnish and serve: Arrange the warm vegetables on top of the casserole in a design that inspires you. Keep warm in oven until ready to serve. Serve family style on the table. Recipe reprinted with permission of Jewish Food Hero. Copyright © 2016 Jewish Food Hero. Kenden Alfond is the founder of Jewish Food Hero which nourishes the minds, bodies, and spirits of Jewish women around the globe. She offers vegan recipes that are a modern twist on traditional Jewish meals and resources to support an intuitive turning toward greater health.

postcards from Argentina

Postcard from an ORT school in Argentina Sixteen members of the Tidewater Jewish community traveled on a mission to the Jewish community of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Sponsored by the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, the mission allowed local donors to “follow their campaign dollars” to one of the many overseas communities served by Tidewater’s Annual Campaign. This is the fourth in a series of “Postcards” from the mission, highlighting some of the most impactful experiences. by Amy Zelenka, Missions director

he mission participants knew right away that this was going to be a very special visit. From the moment they stepped through the front doors of the ORT school, set on a tree-lined street in Buenos Aires, the group was impressed and amazed at every turn. School Principal Alejandro Ferrari met and led the group down a series of immaculate hallways, into a light, bright, modern classroom. After introducing a number of his department heads, Ferrari (true to his name) wished us all a good visit and sped out of the room—clearly enthusiastic to get back to the work of running his wonderful school. During a briefing with the department heads, the group learned about some of the school’s history, its size and student-body make-up, tuition rates, and the waiting list of students clamoring for a chance to attend. The Almagro campus (where we visited) is one of two ORT high schools in Buenos Aires (the other being ORT Belgrano—a smaller campus). Their combined enrollment is 8,500 students (ages 12 through 18). In a day and age when Jewish day schools in the United States are largely struggling with their enrollments, it was interesting to learn that 80% of Argentina’s Jewish teens attend ORT schools. More than 350 students are currently waiting for a spot to open up on one of these campuses. With various distinctive career tracks, Almagro views itself as a school of opportunities. Its formula for learning is a common core curriculum with the addition of a specialty area. Among the specialties that students can elect are: business administration, chemistry, computer science, construction, electronics, ICT (information and communications technology), industrial design, mass media production, and musical production. It is clear that the school is preparing its students for 21st century careers.

Mission participants toured the school, stopping in several classrooms, where they had the incredible opportunity to meet with students and faculty and to see the kinds of hands-on learning activities, which really made for a stand-out experience. The first stop was in the school’s wellequipped sound engineering and recording studio. Here the group learned about the school’s Musical Production Track. They watched (and listened) as students recorded sound tracks to synch with a movie that other students had produced. Voice-overs and sound effects were used to great effect. Mission participant Don London, a vice president of operations for several radio stations in Hampton Roads, was particularly affected by the students at the school. “I was incredibly impressed with the ORT School in Buenos Aries. The students were so passionate and had all the social skills necessary to make it in today’s competitive business world. The equipment and software in the school’s recording studio was much the same as what we use at The Point, Z-104, 95-7, R & B and 2WD.” The group made its way through the wide halls of the school, catching glimpses of students in their classrooms; passing through a science fair in a large auditorium space; and taking note of art projects and information posters adorning the bulletin boards along the way. The next stop was an open classroom of students. Half of the class was developing cell phone applications, and the other half was developing computer “games.” This was the school’s “Informatics Track.” Mission participants were thrilled to watch the young techies at work. Students explained their projects and answered questions. The discussions gradually moved to more personal questions about how the kids enjoyed school (they loved it and were thrilled to be at ORT!); what did they want to do when they got out? (Go to college—in Argentina,

The Tidewater group at the ORT School in Buenos Aires.

in the States, in Israel, in Europe); what did they want to do when they got out of college (Work for Google, work for Citroen, start a business). Closer inspection of the projects revealed that not only were the students using skills they’d learned in class, the products they were developing were for use by children and adults with physical and learning disabilities. In a very “Jewish way,” these ORT students were learning to develop high-tech apps and computer programs in the spirit of Tikkun Olam. The final stop on the group’s tour was its new Integrated Design Lab, where young engineers and budding architects were busy with the design of a multi-story complex. Mission participant and professional builder, Eric Joffe, was impressed that the students “not only produced the blueprints, but also made a 3-D model of the building. This class—one of several different tracks that the students could choose from—really resonated with me.” It was interesting to note that the students, in their designs, were sensitive to the ecological impact of their buildings, as well as making sure that they were wheelchair friendly. These young adults will be well prepared as they enter college in the areas of design, engineering and architecture. After fond farewells to the hosts and

ORT Radio.

students, the group departed the ORT school full of energy—the kind that only terrific kids doing terrific things can impart. They left secure in the belief that these kids—the future of the Argentine Jewish community —the sons and daughters of family business owners, teachers, middle managers and various professionals—would become the engineers and architects, developers and entrepreneurs of tomorrow. This next generation might very well be the one to lead the community and the country into a successful future. Now, if only the politicians could get out of the way and let it happen! A final postcard will follow in a forthcoming issue of the Jewish News, which will wrap-up the mission. Stay tuned.

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what’s happening Israel Today speaker offers insider’s view of a “malfunctioning” international press—and how to determine truth Wednesday, May 11, 7:30 pm, Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus by Laine Mednick Rutherford

he Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and community partners wrap up the 2015–2016 Israel Today series with another distinct, compelling and of-the-moment speaker. Award-winning author and former Associated Press reporter Matti Friedman will speak at a free community presentation moderated by Kim Simon Fink. Friedman will discuss his unique perspective of the international press coverage coming out of Israel and explain why he “outed” the media industry for its uneven and often distorted reporting. The Canadian-Israeli says the news from and concerning Israel that the world sees and reads often comes with a storyline that doesn’t mirror reality. Friedman isn’t just an observer; from 2006 through 2011, he was a correspondent with the AP’s Jerusalem bureau. He has been published in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, and writes regularly for Tablet Magazine—in which his 2014 article about the malfunctioning media earned him the title, whistleblower. Born in Toronto, Friedman moved to Israel as a teenager and spent three years in an infantry unit followed by 15 years in the reserves. His reporting has taken him from Israel to Lebanon, Morocco, Cairo, Moscow, Washington, D.C., and the Caucasus. Friedman published his first book in 2012, The Aleppo Codex, which won the Sami Rohr Prize and the American Library Association’s Sophie Brody Medal. His newest book, Pumpkinfowers: A Soldier’s Story, will be released on May 3, and is already receiving glowing reviews, including a starred review from Publishers Weekly and the Jewish News’ Hal Sacks (see p. 28). Copies will be available for purchase on May 11 at Israel Today; Friedman will sign books after the event. The Jewish News recently spoke with Friedman from his home in Israel.

JN: What will be the main points of your discussion when you speak to the Tidewater Jewish community? I’ll be discussing the perception gap between what people think is going on here and what is really going on here. Part of that is explaining why that gap exists: why and how the media here has malfunctioned, and why it’s telling a story that is so distant from the actual truth. Why the significance of this place has been so inflated, and why the content of this story is so warped. Explaining and pointing out not just why this story is wrong, but pointing out what the right story is. When I discuss Israel, when I discuss the subject of my new book—which is about a military outpost in Lebanon in the 1990s—the main point I’m trying to make is that you can’t understand Israel unless you understand what is going on in the Middle East, and how Israel is connected to the Middle Eastern story. Why is it important that the community hear what you have to say? To understand the picture that what you see when you turn on the TV or that is described when you open a newspaper—you really have to understand what the press is and how it works. I like to help people understand what they’re seeing, understand the information that they’re consuming, and understand why it’s problematic, because people are reaching mistaken conclusions based on bad information. There is no conspiracy. It’s not a group of malevolent people who are out to be evil. But it is an industry that’s malfunctioned, one which I think any consumer of news—which is basically everyone—needs to understand. The stories that I wrote for the AP very much matched the information that I was getting from higher up. It wasn’t like I could write whatever I wanted to write, or describe reality exactly as I saw it. I conformed to the very particular narrative that the foreign press is telling from this place, and not just the AP. I learned a lot, but I couldn’t do it after five and a half years—the reality that I could see with my very own eyes was different from the story that we were writing. I didn’t see any real point of churning out the story. I was wasting

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too much time fighting about the coverage of the Bureau, and wasting energy that could have been spent writing accurate stories about Israel. Has anything changed since you were with the AP? I left the AP in December 2011. No. Basically nothing has changed. The press corps—which is itself part of the western zeitgeist—it’s very difficult to budge it, very difficult to change common wisdom. It’s kind of like an aircraft carrier—a bit of naval metaphor for people from Virginia Beach. It just doesn’t turn very easily. I’m kind of like a guy in a rowboat whacking the side of the aircraft carrier, but the aircraft carrier is not impressed. I think my critique [in Tablet, 2014] has been widely read in the media world because I’ve received a lot of responses—both positive and negative. I know there are people on the inside who to some extent agree with what I wrote, but it’s very difficult to change things. The same story has been told for so long — the story about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. That the Israelis are strong and the Palestinians are weak, and the problem with the occupation, and that there could be a two state solution if Israel wanted such a solution. That story is so engrained in people’s minds and it’s so resonant for so many people, that it’s very difficult to change. It will take dramatic intervention by people very high up in the industry to bring coverage in line with reality. If you really look at the Middle East and can understand the depth of the catastrophe that’s happened over the past five years, you’ll see that Israel’s situation is a bit more complicated than the traditional news story from here would suggest, and that Israel’s predicament is actually very different than the way it’s described. It’s my hope that understanding the reality would force a shift in the story. Final thoughts? The positions on this country are often reduced to a caricature. You’re anti-Israel or you’re pro-Israel. Things are kind of binary in discussions about this place, which is unfortunate. I’m hoping that this book [Pumpkinflowers]

Matti Freidman (photo: Sebastian Scheiner).

and the essays I wrote about the media are more complicated than a pro-Israel position. I’m an Israeli and I love this country and I feel very deeply connected to it, and I feel very strongly about it. But it’s complicated. Understanding that there’s a problem with the way this story’s being told is not a conservative position, it’s not even an ideological position. You don’t have to be right-wing to be upset. I think it’s just something people need to think about. People need to be critical consumers of information that’s reaching them, not just about Israel, but about everything. The term “media bias” limits conversation, so I talk about the “perception gap” or the “media malfunction.” It allows the discussion to be a bit more intelligent for both the people who reject the idea that the media is biased and also for people for whom it’s obvious that the media is biased. Call 757-965-6107 or visit www.JewishVA.org/ CRCIsraelToday for more information and to RSVP for this free and open to the community Israel Today event in partnership with all synagogues, Jewish agencies and organizations, generous donors, and the Simon Family JCC as a part of their annual Celebrate Israel series.

what’s happening Ghent Your Game On: Ohef Sholom Temple’s fun raising event

The Urban League of Hampton Roads to present Joel Rubin with Vivian C. Mason Award

Saturday, April 30, 11 pm O’Connor Brewing Co., 211 West 24th Street, Norfolk

Thursday, May 5, 5:30 pm, Norfolk Waterside Marriott

hef Sholom Temple’s (OST) fundraising event, Ghent Your Game On (GYGO), is “our attempt to meet our community where they are,” says Karen Fine, committee chair. “We wanted,” she says, “to engage our Temple community with our Ghent community on a deeper, more cooperative level.” And, to have fun. The O’Connor Brewing Company, located in the “industrial section” of Norfolk’s Ghent is the perfect place to “meet our neighbors where they hang out,” says Fine. The evening promises plenty of time for socializing with new and old friends over an assortment of locally brewed craft beers, while dancing, eating and playing a wide-variety of games for fun and for prizes. Eclectic culinary tapas will be offered from local food trucks such as Bros Fish Tacos, Mac & Whoopee, Bodacious Pizza, and Glazed donuts and gelato. Live music will be by local favorite, Cheap Thrills. Get your “Game On” playing games such as Super Smash Bros, corn hole, Jumbo Jenga, foosball, Heads or Tails. GYGO will also feature a 50/50 raffle. Tickets are available now and at the event; the winner takes home a cash prize. Professional auctioneer, Gail Wolpin, will lead a live auction with unique experiential packages including a “Summer Supper for 12” catered by James Beard Nominee Chef Sydney Meers of Stove the Restaurant at Okay Spark Gallery, and a “Fun & Learning on the River,” a catered lunch or brunch package for 20 guests aboard the Elizabeth River Project’s Flagship Dominion

Karen Fine, chair, Ghent Your Game On, at Connor Brewing Company.

Virginia Power Learning Barge. The money raised will go to OST programs that indirectly impact the greater community. “We do a tremendous amount of community outreach through our Temple programs,” says Fine. As examples, she mentions Ohef Sholom’s monthly Soup Kitchen, its annual hosting of Norfolk Emergency Shelter Team (NEST), which provides a place to stay for the homeless, Casseroles ForKids, and Chesterfield Academy Backpacks. OST “connected” this year with both the Ghent Business Association and Hampton Roads Business OutReach by becoming members. “We want our neighbors and community partners to see that we are not simply here for our temple community and members, but also for our greater community,” says Fine. For tickets and other information, call 757-625-4295 or go to www.ohefsholom.org and clink on GAME ON Quicklink.

Shabbat Service with Tidewater Chavurah

Friday, May 13, 7 pm

abbi Ellen Jaffe-Gill will lead a Tidewater Chavurah Shabbat service at the home of Hal and Elaine in the Great Neck Meadows area of Virginia Beach. An Oneg will follow the service. A congregation without walls, events are held in members’ homes or other locations. Friday Shabbat services are usually held on the second Friday of the month. Everyone is invited. For event information and location address, email dlqt@cox.net or carita@verizon.net or call 468-2675 or 499-3660. www.tidewaterchavurah.org.

resented annually by The Urban League of Hampton Roads, The Vivian C. Mason Award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions through long-term service to the Hampton Roads community by demonstrating the highest value of citizenship in promoting inter-racial understanding and Joel Rubin. cooperation. “Joel Rubin’s work in broadcast and public and media relations and the invaluable insight he has provided to our community on the political, social, and business issues which affect our daily

lives, we believe make him a perfect fit for this recognition,” according to a statement from The Urban League. Rubin and recipients of other Urban League of Hampton Roads, Inc. awards will be recognized at The 26th Annual Whitney M. Young, Jr. Awards Dinner. The event will feature live entertainment, a silent auction, a seated dinner and remarks by the Honorable Maurice Jones, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade. For ticket information, including cost, go to www.ulhr.org.

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SAVE THE DATE

Calendar

Monday, July 25, 2016 THE ANNUAL JANET GORDON

Mah Jongg Tournament & Luncheon

Your check is your reservation! Couvert $60.00 per player Mail checks to Claire Roth 6401 Auburn Drive • Virginia Beach, VA 23464

April 30, Saturday Ghent Your Game On! An evening of live music by Cheap Thrills with craft beers, wine tastings, food, games, fun, prizes and a live auction. Presented by Ohef Sholom Temple. 7–11 pm at O’Connor Brewing Co. , 211 W. 24th St., Norfolk. Tickets $55 in advance, $75 at the door. Go to www.ohefsholom.org for tickets and additional information. See page 33. MAY 1, SUNDAY Brith Sholom will hold a board meeting at 10 am. General meeting at 11 am. Brunch follows, which is wonderful. At Beth Sholom Village. May 4, Wednesday Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day Community Event. 6:45 pm. Temple Israel, 7255 Granby St., Norfolk. Free and open to the public. Guest speaker is Jeannie Opdyke Smith, who shares the story of her late mother, Polish rescuer Irene Gut Opdyke. The evening includes a candle lighting ceremony. Student winners of the annual Elie Wiesel Writing and Visual Arts competitions and teachers receiving Holocaust Commission Educators’ Awards will be honored. 757-965-6100 or HolocaustComission.org. See page 31. May 5, Thursday Reading of the Names for Yom Hashoah. 10 am–4 pm at the Simon Family JCC. May 10, Tuesday Parents meeting for all youth ages 5–18 interested in being on the Simon Family JCC’s Swordfish Summer Swim Team. 5:30 pm. Monday through Friday practices, season runs June 1–July 28. Call 321-2308. May 11, Wednesday Matti Friedman, journalist and author, at the CRC and community partner’s 5th Annual Israel Today. Exposing imbalance in the media coverage of Israel, Friedman felt compelled to “out” the media for its uneven and potentially dangerous coverage of Israel, particularly during 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict. For more information or to RSVP (required) for this free and open to the community event at the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus at 7:30pm, visit www.JewishVa.org/CRCIsraelToday or call 965-6107. See page 32.

For additional information, call Claire Roth at 420-2512

MAY 18, WEDNESDAY J.C.C. Seniors Club board meeting at 10:30 am, Lunch at 12 noon. General Meeting follows. The entertainer will be an Elvis Presley impersonator, Walter DeGraff. He could be his double.

Danny Kline President

May 22, Sunday What We Carry premier. Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater is adding three new stories to its What We Carry program. The presentation will take place at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts. 2 pm. HolocaustCommission.org.

Andy Kline CEO

Pool Party at the Simon Family JCC. 1 to 4 pm. The JCC is opening the water park for one day to celebrate summer memberships, a newly resurfaced pool, and Camp JCC’s last chance registrations. Come for music, bounce houses, pool time, and lots of family fun. Don’t forget swimsuits and sunscreen! Call 757 321-2338. May 26, Thursday JCC, YAD & Chabad’s Lag B’omer Bash. 5:30 pm. Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus (outside). Celebrate LAG B’OMER JCC, YAD and Chabad style. Delicious BBQ dinner, beer, rockin’ music, fire juggling, a magical drum circle, and a BONFIRE. Family: $15 Adult: $5. June 5, Sunday Annual Israel Fest at Simon Family JCC. A Celebrate Israel Series event sponsored by Charles Barker Automotive. 11 am–4 pm. Interested vendors contact Naty Horev at nhorev@simonfamilyjcc.org or 321-2304.

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June 9, Thursday The Simon Family Jewish Community Center’s 6th Annual Presidents’ Cup Golf Tournament. 1 pm Shotgun Start. Hero Ridge Golf Club, 2973 Heron Ridge Drive in Virginia Beach. Registration: $180 per player, $720 per foursome (deadline is Friday, May 27). Proceeds to benefit children’s programming at the Simon Family JCC. For sponsorship opportunities and to register, call Corrie Lentz: 757-321-2337 Send submissions for calendar to news@ujft.org. Be sure to note “calendar” in the subject. Include date, event name, sponsor, address, time, cost and phone.

mazel tov to Judge Marc Jacobson to receive honorary doctorate from Old Dominion University at graduation ceremony

Saturday, May 7

ld Dominion University will present Judge Marc Jacobson with an honorary doctorate at its graduation ceremony next month. Jacobson served as a judge in the Commonwealth of Virginia for 14 years after practicing law for 32 years. He sat on the Norfolk General District Court from 1990 to 1995 and on the Norfolk Circuit Court from 1995 to 2004, serving as chief judge of the Circuit Court from 2001 to 2003. He remains active as a substitute judge and arbitrator throughout eastern Virginia. Jacobson is a past president of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Temple Israel of Norfolk and the Arnold Gamsey Lodge of B’nai B’rith. He was appointed a lifetime trustee of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation. Jacobson has received the Brotherhood Award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews. He served as rector of the Board of Visitors of Old Dominion from 2006 to 2008 and a member of the board from 2004 to 2014. Jacobson and his wife, Connie, established the annual Raoul Wallenberg Humanitarian Lecture as part of the Old Dominion University President’s Lecture Series, as well as a full scholarship for the women’s basketball team. The Athletic Academic Center, the Welcome Center at the Ted Constant Convocation Center and the president’s house at the university all bear their name. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Virginia Symphony and

Marc Jacobson.

Achievement Keano Rich, along with his Symposium teammates, Evan Allan and Ryan Nguyen—all freshmen at the Mathematics and Science Academy at Ocean Lakes High School— Keano Rich. for winning first place in the Senior Division of Behavioral and Social Science category of the 65th Annual Tidewater Science & Engineering Fair held at ODU on March 12. The boys designed an original video game and created “A Study of the Positive Effect of Video Games on Emotion and Mood.” Keano Rich, a former HAT student and member of Ohef Sholom Temple, is the son of Sherri Wisoff and Gerry Rich and stepson of William Boykin.

Engagement Rabbi Aron and Rychel Margolin on the engagement of their son, Levi Margolin to Aidel Gestetner. Levi is director of marketing for Birthright Israel: MAYANOT. Aidel is a licensed tour guide in Israel. They both currently live in Jerusalem, will get married in June and then will reside in Jerusalem.

Aidel Gestetner and Levi Margolin.

the Chrysler Museum of Art. He and his wife have established an annual lectureship at the Institute of Humanities at the University of Michigan, and he serves on the Board of Visitors of the institute. The Jacobsons also are sponsoring the Battleship Engineering Tour on the Battleship Wisconsin. Jacobson received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a law degree from the University of Virginia. After enlisting with the U.S. Army Reserves, he received a commission in the Army to the Judge Advocate General Corps. The Jacobsons have two children, Steven Jacobson and Susan Jacobson Coburn.

Mazel Tov submissions should be emailed to news@ujft.org with Mazel Tov in the subject line. Achievements, B’nai Mitzvot, births, engagements and weddings are appropriate simchas to announce. Photos must be at least 300k. Include a daytime phone for questions. There is no fee.

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obituaries E. Allan Fine Boca Raton, Fla.—E. Allan Fine, 88, passed away on Tuesday, April 12, 2016. Born in Baltimore, Md., he was the son of the late Jeanette Hecker Fine and Hyman Fine. He worked in the family business (Atlantic Produce) for many years and later was in the insurance business. He was a long-standing member of Temple Israel. Allan was a U.S. Army veteran, having served during the Korean Conflict. He graduated from Forest Park High School in Baltimore, Md. and later was a proud and supportive graduate of Duke University where he played on the first lacrosse team of the University. He was a loyal Duke fan and a lifelong sports enthusiast. He also received his Masters Degree in Chicago. Survivors include his beloved wife of 62 years, Celeste Friedman Fine; two daughters, Elizabeth Fine Scott (Alan), and grandchildren, Matthew (Staci) Scott, Jennifer Ashley Scott, and great grandsons,

Lucas and Andrew Scott of California, and Joan Fine Goldman (Jonathan), and granddaughters, Emma Goldman, Leah (Peder) Aursand and Sophia Goldman of Maryland and Norway; also nephews, Tom Denniberg, and Garry, Jay, and Mark Friedman. He was preceded in death by his son, E. Charles Fine. Funeral services were conducted in the Norfolk Chapel of H. D. Oliver Funeral Apts. with Rabbi Michael Panitz officiating. Burial followed in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Memorial contributions to the American Heart Association or the American Cancer Society. Online condolences may be offered to the family through hdoliver.com. Rose Frances Levinson Glasser Virginia Beach—Rose Frances Levinson Glasser, 101, died on April 20, 2016. Blessed with a century of life, Rose Frances didn’t waste a moment. Her natural curiosity combined with her drive,

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led her to be a voracious reader, a world traveler, a good business woman, and a revered community leader. But she was so much more than even those high accolades. First and foremost, Rose Frances was devoted to her family; loving and inclusive, very interested in those things that mattered most to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. All would say their mother, grandmother, and great grandmother affectionately known as “Mema,” was one they would consult when sound advice and life wisdom was needed. Rose Frances was also very close with and devoted to her sister, Bernice L. Kaplan and her brother Seymour “Buddy” Levinson, of blessed memory, and the extended Glasser family. The devoted first-born child of Julius and Lena Levinson, as a very young girl, she worked as a seamstress in her parents’ clothing store, Howard Clothes,

on Granby Street, in downtown Norfolk. Trained by the professional tailor there, Rose Frances became an accomplished seamstress and knitter. Who knows how many hats, scarves, and sweaters and blankets she knitted in her lifetime and then gifted to various family members and friends, young and old? Hard work and determination would define the rest of her life. Being the matriarch of a large family, by reason of her kindness, wisdom and sheer length of years, was an obligation she embraced and her days were filled with being certain she took care of all in her family. Her curiosity and intellect enabled her to also be a family historian and, thankfully, because of her interest, and her tenacity in memorializing the details of the Levinson, Barr and Glasser families, the generations that succeed her have the opportunity to know their ancestors, not simply by name and dates of their lives, but by the personal notes of an

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obituaries accomplished and devoted historian. She was a planner; once she envisioned a plan, she saw to it that she executed on it. Anyone who had the chance to hear her speak, at the various boards and committees on which she served (because community involvement and improvement were important to her), quickly observed her talent with words. When Rose Frances would speak, people would listen. She could be feisty when the circumstances required it and everyone knew where Rose Frances stood – always on the side of her family. Rose Frances graduated from Maury High School (Class of 1932) and Ohio State University (Class of 1936) with a degree in social work and took graduate courses at ODU. Her first full time job after college was working for the City of Norfolk assisting families in need during the Great Depression. She dated and then married Bernard Glasser, a young Norfolk lawyer, whom she had met briefly a number of years earlier at a fraternity house party at University of Virginia. Their union was a rock solid marriage and each of their children, Stuart, Richard, Jane Susan, and Michael, along with their spouses, Sarah, Martha, Joe and Lori, as well as eight grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren, became integral parts of Rose Frances’s life and family. Rose Frances always praised Bernard and gave credit to him for the family’s many successes, but it was apparent to all that they were equal partners in their joint achievements. After Bernard’s death in 1983, Rose Frances spent three consecutive winters in Israel volunteering on various projects including knitting clothing for the Ethiopian immigrants, working at the Israeli Ministry of Justice and at Israeli libraries binding books. In 1986, she met Mark Schneider, of blessed memory, a Richmond widower, and they shared the next 17 years enriching each other’s lives. By leading an exemplary life, Rose Frances was a wonderful role model for her family to hold the family together and to give back to our community. Burial was private. The family thanks the staff at Beth Sholom. Memorial donations to a charity of choice.

Robert E. Rosenfeld Portsmouth— Rober t Edward Rosenfeld, 96, of the 4200 block of Cedar Lane passed away on Monday, April 11, 2016. Born on October 3, 1919 to the late Isadore and Bessie Rosenfeld, he was a proud U.S. Air Force veteran, who owned I. H. Rosenfeld & Son Furniture Store in Portsmouth. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Thelma Stein Rosenfeld. He is survived by his two daughters, Gayle Bennett and Susan Welsby and her husband Jack; a son, Irvin Rosenfeld and wife Debbie; three grandchildren, Gary, Bobby and Sherri; and six great grandchildren. A graveside service was held in Gomley Chesed Cemetery by Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz. Sturtevant Funeral Home, Portsmouth Blvd. Chapel. Memorial donations to the Disabled

American’s Veterans (D.A.V.) or to a charity of one’s choice. Condolences may be made to the family online at www.SturtevantFuneralHome. com. Rabbi Arthur Zanville Steinberg Portsmouth—Rabbi Arthur Zanville Steinberg, 78, died Sunday, April 10, 2016. He served as the rabbi of Temple Sinai in Portsmouth for 32 years. Rabbi Steinberg was a native of Baltimore and graduated from the University of Maryland in 1959. He was ordained in

June 1966 at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati. He served for six years as a U.S. Navy Chaplain. In June 2012, Rabbi Steinberg became Rabbi Emeritus at Ohef Sholom Temple in Norfolk. A lifelong activist, he served his community through his involvement with the Portsmouth Community Services Board, the National Conference of Christians and Jews, the Hampton Roads Board of Rabbis, Child and Family Service Agency, The Children’s Care Fund, Tidewater Pastoral Counseling Services, the Generic Theatre of Norfolk, and as the Jewish Chaplain and Hillel advisor at Old Dominion University.

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Employment Oppor tunity Chief Operating Officer (COO)

The United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Simon Family JCC seek a Chief Operating Officer (COO). This is a unique role to lead newly designed operations, as well as programing and marketing sides of organization. If you have superior leadership skills and have a demonstrated background of success in creating efficiencies and leadership across a broad spectrum of organizational areas then your job satisfaction will go through the roof in this role. The qualified candidate for the position of Chief Operating Officer must have: • Successful experience managing company operations via team of managers. • Experience working with and understanding needs of customers or members. • Experience as business manager over range of departments and services. • Leadership experience in a nonprofit or for profit organization qualifies. • Desire to make a difference. EDUCATION/QUALIFICATIONS: Master’s Degree in non profit management, social work, business administration or related field required. Eight (8) years of strong operational experience; with at least five (5) years in a senior management role. Experience must represent related progressive management of program professionals, administrative, and clerical support staff. Strong knowledge of Jewish history, culture, and practice preferred. Complete job description at: www.simonfamilyjcc.org or www.jewishva.org

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obituaries He is also remembered for his service to the Churchland Interfaith Council, the Portsmouth Ministerial Association, the Portsmouth Torch Club, the American Red Cross, the Portsmouth Police Chaplain’s Bureau, the International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM), and the Central Conference of American Rabbis. He taught classes at area churches and local schools including Old Dominion University and Tidewater Community College. Some people may remember him as “Zanville the Pretty Good,” a magician known for lending his talents and humor to audiences young and old. For 11 years, he was a part-time classical music announcer on WHRO-FM. Rabbi Steinberg is preceded in death by his parents Bernard and Louise Steinberg, and his brother, Steven, of Baltimore. He is survived by his wife, Kathryn Wolf, son Jonathan Steinberg and wife Lesley, and daughters Gretchen Hudome and husband Rob, Jennifer Steinberg and wife Beth Anne Moon, Jill Bari Steinberg and husband Tom Gallagher, and Emily Chesla and husband Mark. He is also survived by seven grandchildren: Harry and Allison Hudome; Caroline and Charles Steinberg; Marisol and Jacob Chesla; Zachary Gallagher; his honorary son, Burgess Hodges; and many, many extended family members. Rabbi Steinberg had a way with people and with words, making a lasting impression on those he met, who, in turn, made a lasting impression on him. The family requests that donations be made to Oasis Social Ministry, Ohef Sholom Temple Religious School, or Chevra T’helim Jewish Museum & Cultural Center. A family graveside service was held in Olive Branch Cemetery. A memorial service took place at Ohef Sholom Temple in Norfolk, officiated by Rabbi Rosalin Mandelberg. Sturtevant Funeral Home, Portsmouth Blvd. Chapel.

David Gest, Liza Minnelli’s ex-husband David Gest, a Jewish reality television star in Britain and the ex-husband of actress Liza Minnelli, was found dead in a five-star London hotel. Police and paramedics were called to the luxury Four Seasons Hotel early on April 12

to find the 62-year-old Gest’s body, The Sun, a British tabloid, reported. Gest, a former contestant on Britain’s Celebrity Big Brother, married Minnelli in 2002, but they separated after a year. The couple officially divorced in 2007. A Los Angeles native who became a music producer, Gest had been due to tour the United Kingdom in a musical show called David Gest Is Not Dead, But Alive with Soul starting in York on July 1. He also was known for being a close friend of the late pop superstar Michael Jackson. According to The Sun, his company, David Gest Limited, accumulated a $500,000 debt after he became addicted to gambling in his final months. (JTA)

Doris Roberts, 4-time Emmy winner from Everybody Loves Raymond Doris Roberts, who won four Emmy Awards as the meddling mother Marie Barone on the popular sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, has died. Roberts, who was of Russian Jewish descent, died overnight Monday, April 18 in her sleep, her spokeswoman told The Associated Press. The cause of death was not immediately known. She was 90. Roberts “will be remembered for lighting up every room she walked into with an unparalleled combination of energy, humor, warmth and even a little bit of grit,” CBS, which broadcast Raymond from 1996 to 2005, said in a statement. She won the Emmys and for best supporting actress and was nominated seven times portraying Marie, matriarch of a dysfunctional Italian family. Roberts won another Emmy for a guest appearance on St. Elsewhere playing a homeless woman. In 2003, she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Roberts had a recurring role on the television detective drama Remington Steele and also appeared in several Broadway shows beginning in the 1950s. A St. Louis native who grew up in New York, Roberts was raised by her mother, Ann Meltzer, with the help of her family, after Meltzer was deserted by her husband. Roberts took the last name of her stepfather, Chester Roberts.

ARTS & CULTURE

The Streit’s Matzo story comes to the silver screen by Curt Schleier

(JTA)—Streit’s: Matzo and the American Dream is far more than a Jewish Horatio Alger story. It is that, of course—the film documents the story of an immigrant baker who came to the United States and started what ultimately became the largest (and now only) privately owned matzah company in the country. But it’s also an inspirational story of a family that didn’t just want to take the money and run. In a way, too, it’s about a modern Diaspora—in this case, gentrification, in which a neighborhood that once was home to Jewish immigrants now hosts a millennial hipster culture of bars and high-priced condos. The film’s director, Michael Levine, has familial roots on the Lower East Side. He knew the iconic Streit’s factory at 150 Rivington St. from the neighborhood. He was certain there was a story to be told there—though when he got permission to film in 2015, he had no idea how pivotal a year it would be. Levine set out to make a documentary on a retro place where matzahs were “baked with pride on the Lower East Side.” Instead he documented the demise of manufacturing in Manhattan along with the displacement of the neighborhood’s workers and Jewish roots. Aron Streit first opened a bakery on the Lower East Side in 1915. A decade later he and his sons, Jack and Irving, started Streit’s Matzo Co., which became the basis of a kosher empire that eventually expanded to four contiguous tenement buildings in the neighborhood and an operation in New Jersey. While Streit’s increased its product line elsewhere—making everything from soups to pancake mix—out of loyalty and a sense of history, the company kept its matzah factory on the Lower East Side. Alan Adler runs the company with

two cousins—Aron Yagoda, like Adler, a fourth-generation Streit, and Aaron Gross, fifth generation, who has been with Streit’s for two decades. Adler says that the family resisted pressures to move for as long as it could. “Nobody would agree to sell,” he says. “Every time we had a meeting with all the family”—there were now 11 shareholders —“we asked, ‘do you want to sell, do you want to build a new factory?’ and they all said, ‘no.’” But doing business on Rivington Street became increasingly difficult. The equipment was old and frequently broke down; parts had to be hand-fashioned because replacements were no longer made. Also, new ovens wouldn’t fit in the old buildings. Meanwhile, competitors from Israel and the U.S. with more modern facilities were charging less and grabbing a larger share of the matzah market. Matzo and the American Dream documents all of this, from the factory’s labor-intensive packing operations that substantially increase costs to the pressures of manufacturing in a neighborhood with streets made for horse and buggies, not 18-wheelers making pickups and deliveries. If the film has a star, it’s Anthony Zapata, who began working at Streit’s in 1983, when Jack Streit saw him pass by on Rivington Street and yelled to the 19-yearold, “Hey, Italian kid, you want a job?” In the film, Zapata, who is actually Puerto Rican, serves like a matzah gondolier, guiding the viewer around the factory and offering bits of working-class wisdom. He explains how different his life would have been had he not encountered the senior Streit. He talks with pride about the company and his fellow workers, how they earned decent wages and sent their kids to college, often with Streit family assistance. But Zapata’s tone was fatalistic. Even before the factory’s closing was announced,

he knew the end was near. “How’s a guy like me gonna get a job?” the now 50-something laments. The Rivington Street facility was sold for $30.5 million in January 2015 and closed last year. The building is scheduled to be demolished next week; a seven-story condo with ground-floor retail will rise in its place. “It became harder and harder to make a profit,” Adler explains. “It was a hard decision, but ultimately even the people who had an emotional connection to our roots realized we had to move.” Matzah for this Passover was made mostly in a temporary location, while a new plant is being built in Rockland County, approximately 30 miles from Manhattan. It

will be ready for production for Passover next year. And while Streit’s Lower East Side employees were offered jobs, most workers did not have cars and couldn’t make the transition. “I don’t know where Anthony is. We lost contact,” Adler said. “If you hear from him, tell him we have a job for him.” Streit’s: Matzo and the American Dream opened in New York and Los Angeles on April 20.

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The Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater Invites you to the premiere of three new short documentaries

Stories of survival and courage featuring:

Dame Mary Barraco Alfred Dreyfus Bill Jucksch

Sunday, May 22 2:00pm Sandler Center for the Performing Arts 201 Market Street, Virginia Beach, VA 23462

No tickets required, but RSVPs are appreciated. Free and open to the public. To RSVP, email info@holocaustcommission.org or call 757-965-6100.

“Evil does not need your help; just your indifference.”

the holocaust

commission

— Hanns Loewenbach, Holocaust Survivor, 1915-2012 Due to subject matter, parental discretion is advised.

To find out more about What We Carry, please visit www.HolocaustCommission.org.

40 | Jewish News | April 25, 2016 | jewishnewsva.org