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INSIDE
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Southeastern Virginia | Vol. 55 No. 14 | 7 Nissan 5777 | April 3, 2017
Yom Hashoah Sunday, April 23
28 Society of Professionals Pour wine and network
Features Jay Grymes, author of Violins of Hope —page 27 31 Jewish sports history photography at Leon Family Art Gallery
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Upfront
Jewish news jewishnewsva.org Published 22 times a year by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.
Jewish groups, including those targeted, welcome arrest of bomb threat suspect
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O
rganizations targeted by recent bomb threats and other U.S. Jewish groups welcomed news of the arrest of a suspect—an Israeli with American citizenship who reportedly is Jewish. The Anti-Defamation League, whose headquarters in New York and at least three satellite offices across the country received called-in threats, said in a statement issued Thursday, March 23—the day the 19-year-old suspect was arrested in Israel—that it was “relieved” that an arrest has been made in the majority of the bomb threats. CEO Jonathan Greenblatt expressed gratitude to the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and state and local law officials for making the investigation “the highest priority.” “While the details of this crime remain unclear, the impact of this individual’s actions is crystal clear: These were acts of anti-Semitism,” he said. “These threats targeting Jewish institutions were calculated to sow fear and anxiety, and put the entire Jewish community on high alert.” Greenblatt added that “anti-Semitism in the U.S. remains a very serious concern. No arrests have been made in three cemetery desecrations or a series of other anti-Semitic incidents involving swastika graffiti and hate fliers. JCCs and other institutions should not relax security measures or become less vigilant.” The suspect, who lives in southern
Israel, also is accused of a series of threats made in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, as well as in Israel, in the past six months. He reportedly used advanced technology and voice-altering equipment to call in the threats. He is believed to have mental stability issues. “We are troubled to learn that the individual suspected of making these threats against Jewish Community Centers, which play a central role in the Jewish community, as well as serve as inclusive and welcoming places for all—is reportedly Jewish,” said Doron Krakow, president of JCC Association of North America. More than 100 of the threats made since the beginning of the year have been to JCCs across the country and in Canada. Krakow praised the “remarkable support” that the JCCs have received from “communities and community leaders across North America, including civic, political and faith community leaders.” He added that “JCCs have had the opportunity to review and assess our security protocols and procedures, and we are confident that JCCs are safer today than ever before.” The Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect, an independent U.S. national organization that fights prejudice, said in a statement that it had received several of what it called anti-Semitic messages since the announcement of the arrest. “(W)e will not tolerate using today’s arrests as a pretext for more anti-Semitism
Contents
About the cover: Image from Violins of Hope.
Upfront. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Yom Hashoah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Book Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Torah Thought. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Society of Professionals’ Pour event . . . . . . . 28
Jewish News Archives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Persian night at Beth El. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
AIPAC tries for bipartisanship. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Jessica Fechtor for Beyond the Book Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Niki Haley at AIPAC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Mixed responses on David Friedman. . . . . . 10 Virginia Tech hit with anti-Semitic leaflets. 12 Twitter has most anti-semitic content. . . . . . 12 Preserve anti-Semitism monitor urge Jewish groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Passover special section. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
What’s Happening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Mazel Tov. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Who Knew?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Special Section—Passover
or other hate,” said Steven Goldstein, the center’s executive director. “To point to the religion of one depraved individual, and use that as a pretext for hate against an entire religion, is immoral and unacceptable, and those who engage in such arguments should be ashamed of their own prejudice.” Jerry Silverman, president of The Jewish Federations of North America, said it was “heartbreaking” to read reports that the prime suspect is Jewish. He praised law enforcement officials in the United States and Israel for their commitment of time and resources to the investigation—as well as the Secure Community Network, which coordinates security across Jewish organizations in North America—for making and keeping the connections between Jewish groups and law enforcement. “As a community and a society, we must remain vigilant in our effort to counter anti-Semitism and other hate crimes as they appear,” Silverman said. The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington said in a statement that “We recognize that this one arrest does not necessarily mean the end to the bomb threats, or that all the perpetrators are now in custody. We are confident that law enforcement will continue to seek perpetrators of other acts of anti-Semitism and racism, and must continue our own vigilance.” (JTA)
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Briefs U.S. Holocaust Museum to award Angela Merkel with top honor named for Elie Wiesel The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum will bestow its highest honor, the Elie Wiesel Award, on German Chancellor Angela Merkel for her work advancing Holocaust awareness. “Chancellor Merkel has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to making the preservation of Holocaust memory a priority for Germany,” said Tom Bernstein, who chairs the council governing the museum, said. “The Museum has partnered with the German government and institutions on many initiatives, and those partnerships have only grown deeper and more fruitful under Chancellor Merkel.” Merkel was instrumental in 2011 in overcoming the reluctance among the 11 nations that run the International Tracing Service, the Germany-based documentation center of Nazi atrocities, to opening up its archives. She will receive the award April 24 during the museum’s National Tribute Dinner, which takes place on Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, in Washington, D.C. Merkel will accept the honor by video from Germany. The honor was named for Wiesel, the Holocaust memoirist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who helped found the museum. (JTA) Haim Saban decries Trump’s travel ban Haim Saban, speaking at the unveiling of his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, related his immigrant story and decried the Trump administration’s immigration policies. The Israeli-American entertainment mogul, 62, posed for photos March 22 at the newly imprinted star, which was unveiled on the eve of the latest incarnation of his Power Rangers franchise. “From playing bass guitar in a covers band in Israel…to my various partnerships with media companies, investment companies, governments etc. all over the world, I’ve been extremely lucky,” Saban said at the ceremony, according to AFP, the French news service. “None of it is—was—ever taken for granted. Au 4 | Jewish News | April 3, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org
contraire, I count my blessings every day for a great America.” Saban told AFP that Trump’s temporary ban on refugees and travelers from six Muslim-majority countries left him “heartbroken.” “It’s a very saddening thing, it’s not who we are as Americans,” said Saban, who was a major fundraiser for Hillary Clinton in her bid for the presidency. The Los Angeles Daily News reported that Saban jabbed at Trump’s slogan, “Make America Great Again.” “Take it from this immigrant from Israel, a proud Israeli-American, born in Egypt, a Muslim country: America is great. Not perfect, but great,” Saban said. “And we shouldn’t allow any rhetoric to make us think otherwise because America is great—period.” Saban launched his fortune in the 1990s when he adapted a Japanese TV show for westerners, turning it into the Power Rangers. He has been a major backer of pro-Israel causes. (JTA)
Jewish teen network donates more than $1 million Jewish teens in a program for budding philanthropists donated more than $1 million during the 2015–16 school year, with nearly two-thirds going to Jewish organizations. The donations, which were given to 300 recipients, came from about 1,700 teens organized in 50 groups known as “teen foundations.” The total was some $100,000 higher than in 2013-14, according to the Jewish Teen Funders Network, which supports giving among teens in the United States and around the world. Two years earlier, according to the network, teens gave about $950,000 in total. According to a report published this month by the network, a program of the Jewish Funders Network, $675,000 went to Jewish groups, about 65 percent of the total—compared to $551,000 in 2013–14. Sixty percent of the donations went to local groups, 22 percent to groups in Israel, 13 percent to international groups and 5 percent to national groups. The plurality of donations focused on social justice and education. “That’s a reflection that teens are
continuing to develop their identities,” said Briana Holtzman, the network’s director, referring to the increase in giving to Jewish groups. “They can give to the Jewish community and they can serve those outside of the Jewish community. There’s a real focus on the conversation, on challenging our teens to grapple with who they are.” The various teen funders projects take place at schools, camps, Jewish federations and community foundations. (Locally, Tidewater Jewish Foundation recently launched a B’nai Tzedek Teen Philanthropy Program.) Participants usually sign up for a year or more of workshops in Judaics and philanthropy, site visits to nonprofits in North America and Israel and meetings in which teens discuss ways to pool and divide their gifts. (JTA)
Zionist motorcyclists to ride from London to Jerusalem Ahead of the 20th Maccabiah Games in Israel, 20 motorcyclists from Europe will ride from London to Jerusalem to express solidarity with the Jewish state. The inaugural Ride for Solidarity initiative is scheduled to depart on June 13 and reach Israel in time for the opening of the Maccabiah, which is often labeled the “Jewish Olympics,” on July 4. In Israel, the riders plan to travel from the Golan Heights in its very north to Eilat in the south while carrying the Maccabiah torch, delivering it in time for the opening ceremony in Jerusalem as per an agreement with the event organizers at Maccabi World Union, Jozsef Horvath, a Hungarian member of Maccabi and a co-organizer of the bike ride, told JTA. The itinerary includes stops in France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece, according to Maximillian Marco Katz, a biking enthusiast from Bucharest and an activist against anti-Semitism in Romania who initiated the solidarity ride. “Europe has become a target for Islamic terrorism just as Israel has been for decades already,” Katz said. “Our riders’ mission is to show, in light of this, greater support within Europe for Israel. This is our way of bringing the message from Europe.”
Katz also said the group comprises some non-Jewish members. “We’re all Zionists,” he said. In Frankfurt, Germany, the mayor will welcome the riders. They will also commemorate Holocaust victims at the former Dachau concentration camp, and hold a ceremony at Nuremberg, the city where Nazi war criminals were tried. In Munich, the riders will hold another ceremony on the 25th anniversary of the murder there of 11 Israelis by Palestinian terrorists during the 1972 Olympic Games. The 2017 Maccabiah, an event that takes place every four years, is expected to be the largest ever with 10,000 participants from dozens of countries. (JTA)
Mexico City mayor lays foundation stone of $5 million Jewish center The mayor of Mexico City laid the foundation stone of a Jewish community center slated to cost nearly $5.3 million. Miguel Angel Mancera hailed the Jewish community’s decision to invest in the city as seen by its decision to build the Kehila Ashkenazi in the Cuauhtemoc borough. The official considers the initiative a sign of trust in the country’s growth. “The Jewish community is showing a substantial, permanent impulse, honoring ancestral values of their people, but living with this dialectic of Mexico, showing affection to the city and to all who live here,” he said. Mancera pointed out that the city’s constitution mentions the fight against anti-Semitism. In turn, the president of the Central Committee of the Jewish Community of Mexico, the country’s Jewish umbrella organization, cited the governmental support provided to carry out local projects. Last month, the Argentine Jewish watchdog Observatorio Web reported that the support expressed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in January for President Donald Trump wanting to build a wall separating the United States and Mexico triggered an “alarming” wave of anti-Semitism online. Mexico is home to some 50,000 Jews, Latin America’s third largest Jewish community after Argentina and Brazil. (JTA)
SPRING INTO ACTION
Torah Thought
Oh the Times, They Were a Changin’… How the rabbis invented our seder
P
assover in the time of Deuteronomy: What a spectacle! We all got up and made pilgrimage to Jerusalem, pitching our tents on the surrounding hills. The priest helped us accomplish our lamb sacrifice, which we enjoyed in the evening cool of Nisan. It was a peak experience, away from home and its leveling routines. Alas, all that came to an end in the year 70. The Roman destruction of the Jerusalem Temple was not simply the destruction of a synagogue. That would already be tragic, but this was worse. The Temple was unique. It was the only place in the world where Jewish sacrificial worship could be accomplished. The entire practice of Judaism was based on this central institution. The Judaism that we practice is based on the work of the rabbis. And the Rabbinic movement was successful because it gave the Jews a program to help them survive as Jews in a world without the Temple. Try to imagine when the now-familiar seder was new. The rabbis remembered a time when the Paschal lamb was the main mitzvah and also the main course of the holiday celebration. But they substituted matzah, and to some degree, bitter herbs, as the central symbols of the ritual. The ceremonial “afikoman” is a piece of matzah eaten last, to guarantee that the taste of matzah would be what lingered. This was a change from the older tradition, “no afikoman after
the pesach-meat.” If we look closely, we also see how the rabbis adapted the customs of a GrecoRoman banquet to the observance of Passover. A proper banquet began with a ritual hand-washing, allowing the diners to partake of the hors d’ouevres. That’s what we do: a washing, without the blessing over washing, because we are about to eat “karpas” (hors d’oeuvres) rather than matzah. Then, the various appetizers, until finally we are ready for the main course. Then, a second hand washing and the meal. In a “symposium”—style banquet, we also had ritualized toasts with multiple cups of wine, and a philosophical topic for discussion. The Rabbinic adaptation of the symposium was the structuring of the seder around four cups of wine and the definition of the topic—the meaning of freedom in our age. That explains the “maggid,” with its meditation on celebrating Passover even when the Romans were running things with a heavy hand. Greco-Roman—but only up to a point. The rabbis were Jews, and while they were willing to appropriate customs from the outside world, they insisted on Judaizing those imports. So no post-meal torchlight processions from one home to another, perhaps ending in an orgy (the Greek meaning of “afikoman”)! A Jew has meaningful interactions with the non-Jewish world, but unless there are limits, we lose our special and precious identity. So, our Passover, which is descended from the Bible through the intermediate step of the Rabbinic Passover, reflects the balance of Tradition and Change which is always the hallmark of authentic Judaism. Wishing all our readers a Happy and Kosher Passover! —Rabbi Michael Panitz, Temple Israel
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Convention held in Houston, Texas, Virginia Council BBYO received an International Programming Award for the Lost Boys of the Sundan program held last fall.
April 11, 1997 14th, 17th and 19th years. Passover occurs latest in the 8th year of the cycle because there are four leap years in the 10-year period preceding the 8th year.”
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WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:
from the hal Sacks Jewish News Archives
Tidewater Advocates of Jewish Education announces the establishment of a Judaic Studies Program and a Jewish Institute of Educators, which will begin this summer. Each of these programs is made possible through the support of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation. Annable Sacks, TAJE chair says, “The realization of these projects is a major step in the professionalization of area Jewish educators, while also providing unique opportunities for adult education for the community at large.”
TWO DATES TO CHOOSE FROM
TUE, APRIL 18TH
April 1, 1967
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Rabbi Bernard Glassman of Gomley Chesed Synagogue, will be presented. Featured in
there will be a special color program in honor of Jewish Music Month. An original script, The Music of Our People, written and narrated by the program will be Rev. Paul Grob, the Hazzan of Gomley Chesed, Rev. Richard Smith,
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S.S. Mecca arrive Athens March 6 with 1,113 Jews from Egypt, including 339 children
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April 1, 1947 Passover 1947 will see Jewish survivors throughout Europe provided with more than 8,000,000 pounds of matzah, hatzoth meal, macaroons and other Holy Day foods by the Joint Distribution Committee.
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Nation
“ THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE, THIS IS WHERE WE WANT TO GIVE BACK.”
Three times AIPAC speakers weren’t so bipartisan this year Ron Kampeas
WASHINGTON ( JTA)—“Many voices, one mission.” If AIPAC’s 2017 annual policy conference slogan, popping up on the conference app on activists’ smartphones, isn’t clear enough, the morning pick-me-up video it runs before conference business begins is pretty straightforward. In the video, activists are gravitating through sunny streets toward the convention center, and titles float above them: Democrat, Republican, Independent, country music, classic rock, straight up coffee, triple-shot latte—but they’re all pro-Israel. “Elements on each side of the aisle are trying to fracture our movement,” AIPAC’S president, Lillian Pinkus, said at the outset of the conference Sunday, March 26. “We will not allow, frankly cannot allow, the same divisiveness.” Not everyone got the memo. A “ding, dong, Obama’s gone” flavor has pervaded some speeches—and not just by Republicans. Top Israeli officials have rejoiced in the change at the White House, and AIPAC activists have responded occasionally with enthusiasm. Here are three awkward moments at the AIPAC conference when a call for bipartisanship dissipated into cheers for Trump. Israel’s ambassador wants you to know things are finally good. Ron Dermer spoke to the opening plenary soon after Pinkus’ impassioned plea to please omit partisanship. Dermer paid lip service to bipartisanship—he name-checked multiple Republicans scheduled to address the conference, and the single Democrat he named was New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez, whom he called a “true friend” of Israel. Menendez, however, is something of an outlier among Democrats: He was one of only four Senate Democrats who sought to block the 2015 Iran nuclear
Michael Glasser
deal reviled by Dermer. More recently he was one of only two Democrats who voted to confirm David Friedman as ambassador to Israel. Friedman, a longtime lawyer to Trump, had offended much of the Democratic caucus—and left-leaning Jewish groups—with broadsides against liberal Jews. Dermer went on to praise Nikki Haley, the new ambassador to the United Nations, which was natural enough—in her short time on the job she has been an outspoken defender of Israel. But he really wanted the crowd to know that things had changed. “We’ll hear from a woman who has finally brought some moral clarity to the United Nations,” Dermer said. “Armed with that moral clarity we can finally get serious about the U.N.’s anti-Israel bias.” And he wasn’t shy about praising Trump at his predecessor’s expense. “Perhaps for the first time in many decades there is no daylight between our two governments,” Dermer said. An Israeli Embassy tweet sent out as he was speaking said “years” rather than “decades”—perhaps wary that Dermer was referring as well to Obama’s predecessor pro-Israel favorite, GeorgeW. Bush. Mike Pence is among friends. Sunday evening’s session, in the cavernous Verizon Center, was launched with another encomium to bipartisanship, this time by Howard Kohr, AIPAC’s executive director. “We’re here because we are the bipartisan voice needed in America to help keep Israel safe in a dangerous world,” Kohr said. Pence’s speech, wrapping up the session, was a fierce paean to all things Trump, however, and he presumed that folks in the room agreed with his sympathies for the boss. “Thanks to the support of so many in this room, President Trump won a historic victory,” he said. “All of you helped elect a president I know will make continued on page 8
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America great again.” Trump’s campaign slogan earned bterkeltaub@friedenwealth.com clyon@jhnetwork.com applause, although many in the hall 154-20151118-262780 154-20151118-262780 Chris Lyon Jody Balaban Ron Spindel 154-20151118-262780 refrained. clyon@jhnetwork.com jbalaban@jhnetwork.com rspindel@jhnetwork.com Benjamin Netanyahu likes a tight budget, except when it comes to Israel aid. A Member of The Frieden Agency Monday morning’s session included a briefing by three top AIPAC staffers about the next day’s agenda for activist lobbyA Member of The Frieden Agency ists. The staffers spoke of a three-item agenda: lobbying for new Iran sanctions, 154-20151118-262780 for an anti-boycott Israel bill—and not 154-20151118-262780 154-20151118-262780 just for assistance to Israel, but for foreign 154-20151118-262780 aid in general. 154-20151118-262780 154-20151118-262780 “We will ask members to support a robust overall foreign aid budget,” said Brad Gordon, the director of policy and government affairs at AIPAC. Foreign 757-340-5600 aid is “a cost-effective method to ensure 397 Little Neck Road Virginia Beach America’s leadership around the world.” www.spindelagency.com That’s a critical message for AIPAC, as Trump has proposed slashing the foreign assistance budget by nearly a third while leaving in place defense assistance for Israel—rising to $3.8 billion next year
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Nation
Chris Lyon
best wishes for a
passover
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from its current $3.1 billion. AIPAC has always made Israel and broader foreign assistance inseparable, in part because a robust U.S. presence abroad helps its ally, Israel, establish relationships with countries that might otherwise be wary. But that message has also become sensitive in recent years as Republicans have distanced themselves from an embrace of foreign assistance—while carving out a place for Israel. Now, as Trump embodies that isolationist trend, the rubber is meeting the road. So when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke just minutes later via video link from Israel, there may have been some wincing in the dark convention hall. Netanyahu praised Trump’s commitment to Israel. “You see it in the budget request submitted by President Trump,” he said. “It leaves assistance for Israel fully funded, even as the fiscal belt is tightened, and we appreciate that.”
WASHINGTON (JTA)—A bipartisan slate of U.S. lawmakers introduced a bill that would extend fines on companies that comply with the Arab League boycott of Israel to those complying with a U.N.designated boycotts of settlements. The Israel Anti-Boycott act initiated Thursday, March 23 in the House of Representatives and the Senate was prompted in part by the call last year of the U.N. Human Rights Council for the creation of a database of companies that deal with Israel entities in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem. On March 23, the council approved a resolution calling on countries to cut ties to settlements. Sens. Ben Cardin, D-Md., and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, introduced the compliance bill in the Senate. In the House of Representatives, Reps. Peter Roskam, R-Ill., and Juan Vargas, D-Calif., introduced the measure.
“The United States should bring its foreign policy and its economic institutions, its relationships, and its leverage to bear to combat boycott, divestment, and sanctions actions against Israel,” Cardin, the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said. “We should not stand idle when foreign countries or international governmental organizations use BDS tactics to isolate one of our key allies.” The bill attaches fines passed in a 1979 law targeting the Arab League boycott of Israel, then in full force. The boycott has since abated in influence, in part because it was criminalized by the United States. Liberal pro-Israel groups have objected in recent years to similar legislation, arguing that boycotting settlements—an action that some liberal Zionists support —should not be wrapped into broader boycotts of Israel, which most of the Jewish community rejects.
Nation
Nikki Haley: Trump will not allow UN resolutions condemning Israel Ron Kampeas
WASHINGTON ( JTA)—The Trump administration will not allow a repeat of last year’s United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israel for its settlements, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley told AIPAC. “Never again do what we saw with resolution 2334 and make anyone question our support” for Israel, Haley said at the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference, where she earned the warmest reception of any speaker with an extended standing ovation. The Obama administration allowed through the anti-settlements resolutions in December as one of its last acts, triggering bitter recriminations from Israel’s government. Haley described her determination to help steer the course of the United Nations and its agencies from anti-Israel bias, noting her intervention keeping Salam Fayyad, the former Palestinian prime minister, from becoming the body’s envoy to Libya, and in getting U.N. SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres to withdraw a U.N. affiliate’s report likening Israel to an apartheid state. Haley was one of a number of speakers at AIPAC who drew a sharp contrast at the conference between President Donald Trump’s administration and his predecessor, Barack Obama. “We had just done something that showed the United States at its weakest ever,” she said of the resolution. AIPAC has striven to promote bipartisanship as a theme this conference, seeking to heal wounds with Democrats opened over divisions with Obama over settlements and the Iran nuclear deal. But Republican speakers have not been able to resist digs at Obama. “What I wanted to make sure of was that the United States was leading again,” Haley said. “I wear high heels. It’s not for a fashion statement, it’s because if I see something wrong I will kick it every single time.”
Paul Ryan, the U.S. House of Representatives speaker, also spoke, saying Obama had “damaged trust” with Israel. “President Donald Trump’s commitment to Israel is sacrosanct,” he said. Ryan described the Iran nuclear deal, which swapped sanctions relief for Iran’s rollback of its nuclear program, as an “unmitigated disaster.” But like Vice President Mike Pence, he stopped short of proposing dismantling the deal, as Republicans consistently had during last year’s campaign. Instead, Ryan endorsed AIPAC-backed bipartisan legislation that would increase non-nuclear-related sanctions on Iran for testing nuclear missiles and backing terrorism and other disruptive activity. The top two foreign operations officials in the House struck a bipartisan note, appearing together to back AIPAC’s bid to stop Trump’s proposed cuts to foreign assistance. Reps. Kay Granger, R-Texas, a moderate Republican who is the chairwoman of the foreign operations subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, and Rep. Nita Lowey, the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee and on the committee, have worked together on foreign assistance for years. Without naming Trump, they said his proposal to slash foreign assistance funding by almost a third—even while preserving present levels of assistance for Israel—would harm U.S. interests. “Foreign assistance supports a crucial role in national security,” Granger said, “and makes up just a small portion of the national budget, less than 1 percent.” Added Lowey: “The United States gets a major payoff.” AIPAC says the broader foreign assistance package advances U.S. leadership, better enabling Israel’s ally to defend it in international forums and to open doors for Israel in countries that might otherwise be wary of ties.
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Jewish groups offer mixed responses to David Friedman’s confirmation as Israel envoy
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ewish groups offered varied reactions, including disappointment, tepid congratulations and enthusiasm, to the confirmation of David Friedman as U.S. ambassador to Israel. On Thursday, March 23, the U.S Senate confirmed Friedman, a longtime lawyer of President Donald Trump who outraged some Jewish groups with his broadsides against liberal Jews, in a 52-46 vote that hewed mostly to party lines. A range of liberal Jewish groups, including J Street and the Reform movement, had opposed the nomination of Friedman, who is philanthropically invested in the settlement movement and has expressed doubts about the two-state solution. The Trump confidante once called the Anti-Defamation League “morons” for its concerns about intimations of anti-Semitism in Trump’s rhetoric, and assailed J Street, the liberal
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Middle East policy group, as “worse than kapos,” the Jewish Nazi collaborators. Rabbi Rick Jacobs, the president of the Union for Reform Judaism, did not congratulate Friedman, but rather said the Reform movement will “hold Ambassador Friedman to the testimony he offered during his confirmation hearing in which he affirmed that the two-state solution remains the best possibility for peace. “We also appreciate that Mr. Friedman expressed regret for past inflammatory comments and hope that he will carry out his new responsibilities with appreciation for the diversity of voices and views in the pro-Israel community,” Jacobs said. J Street expressed its disappointment at Friedman’s confirmation: “The important position of U.S. Ambassador to Israel has previously been filled by well-respected public servants capable of garnering
unanimous, bipartisan support. It is truly sad that it will now be taken up by such a divisive and aggressive figure, whose life has been dedicated to advancing a dangerous ideological agenda in Israel and the West Bank.” J Street also said it was “heartened by the unprecedented level of opposition” to Friedman in the Senate. The Anti-Defamation League congratulated Friedman and expressed hope that he “would account for and respect the diversity of pro-Israel views throughout the Jewish community and broader American public. “As he assumes his new post, ADL is prepared to engage with him to support our shared interests, including strengthening the long-standing U.S.-Israel alliance, stabilizing the region to ensure security for Israel and its neighbors, and pursuing efforts toward a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including through the two-state solution,” ADL National Director Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations issued a short congratulatory statement. “The Conference of Presidents has enjoyed a vitally important and mutually beneficial close working relationship with each U.S. ambassador to Israel since the founding of the Conference more than 60 years ago. We are sure that it will continue and be enhanced during Amb. Friedman’s tenure, and look forward to working closely with him as he takes up his duties in Israel,” said Stephen Greenberg and Malcolm Hoenlein, the group’s chairman and executive vice chairman. The Zionist Organization of America, an ardent supporter of Friedman, lauded his confirmation in a statement: “Amb. Friedman’s parents Rabbi and Ms. Morris Friedman and Hashem by their side are welling up with pride and joy,” said ZOA President Morton Klein. “This is a great day for America, Israel, the Jewish people and Amb. David Friedman. He will be the most pro-Israel pro-America Ambassador to Israel in history.” (JTA)
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anti-Semitism Over 100 leaflets with hand-drawn swastikas left at Virginia Tech Chabad
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ore than 100 leaflets with handdrawn swastikas were found dropped on the front yard of the Chabad Jewish student center at Virginia Tech. The leaflets were discovered at the student center located across the street from the Blacksburg university on Saturday, March 18 by the Chabad’s center co-director, Rabbi Zvi Yaakov Zwiebel. The incident occurred a day after the Jewish student center announced that Chabad was hosting the renowned Holocaust survivor Rabbi Nissen Mangel for a lecture at Virginia Tech this month. Zwiebel told local media he believes the two are related. The lecture program is to honor Professor Liviu Librescu, a Holocaust survivor who was among the 32 people killed in the 2007 shootings on campus. Librescu blocked the door of his classroom so students could escape through the windows. In a statement issued after the incident, Zwiebel called the appearance of the leaflets a “disgusting act of hate.” The rabbi said he filed an incident report with the Blacksburg Police Department, which he said was “extremely helpful and professional in their response.”
Sue Kurtz, executive director of Hillel at Virginia Tech, said in a statement, “The Malcolm Rosenberg Hillel Center at Virginia Tech is deeply concerned about anti-Semitic leaflets with swastikas found on the front yard of the Chabad house next to campus. This type of hateful vandalism has no place in our community. “Hillel appreciates the University’s swift public condemnation of this incident. We commend their commitment to investigate with the Blacksburg police and hold those responsible to account and for their affirmation of our shared values of inclusion and respect by our Hillel and broader campus community.” “This incident is all the more surprising seeing as it is the first such act since Chabad on Campus at Virginia Tech was opened more than eight years ago,” Zwiebel said. “We appreciate Virginia Tech President Timothy Sands, who quickly tweeted his support for the Jewish community, and we are in touch with the administration as they proactively respond to this incident.” Sands said in his tweet, “The propagators of hate may be among us, but they are not welcome in our community.” (JTA)
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Twitter has most anti-Semitic content among social networks, survey finds
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witter emerged as the social network with the most anti-Semitic content in a comprehensive analysis. The study of the prevalence of hatred toward Jews on such platforms, commissioned by the World Jewish Congress and published last month, was conducted throughout 2016. Nearly two-thirds of the 382,000 posts deemed anti-Semitic in the study appeared on Twitter, followed by 11 percent posted on Facebook, 6 percent on Instagram and 2 percent on YouTube. The posts were in various languages, according to the survey performed by the Israeli monitoring firm Vigo.
The study applied the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism in determining what content to include in the report, the World Jewish Congress wrote in a statement about the report. “We knew that anti-Semitism online was on the rise, but the numbers revealed in this report give us concrete data as to how alarming the situation really is,” said the group’s CEO, Robert Singer. “We hope this serves as a wake-up call to all internet forums to maintain moral standards, rid themselves of offensive content, and make the digital world a safer place for all.” (JTA)
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anti-Semitism Swastikas, racist graffiti discovered at Phoenix high school
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raffiti including swastikas and the words “white power” were discovered on the auditorium of a Phoenix high school. The police bias crime unit is investigating the vandalism on the outside walls of the auditorium at Pinnacle High, the Arizona Jewish News reported. “No place for hate in Phoenix,” the city’s mayor, Greg Stanton, tweeted after first tweeting that “Chief Williams briefed me on racist & anti-Semitic graffiti at Pinnacle High. Police will need the public’s help to catch the offenders.” The Jewish Federation of Greater
Now is the time to choose your outfit for the family Passover Seder
Phoenix called the discovery “terrible and upsetting.” “This is a terrible and upsetting act and why Federation remains vigilant in the face of persecution and dedicated to building strong, vibrant Jewish communities,” read the statement signed by Marty Haberer, executive director. “Our Jewish community is strong and will always speak out against anti-Semitism and hate of any kind. We know the majority of the non-Jewish community feels the same way and that this act in no way represents our larger community.” (JTA)
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anti-Semitism Jewish groups urge Congress to preserve anti-Semitism monitor
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ewish defense groups urged Congress to preserve the State Department’s anti-Semitism monitor. Representatives of the AntiDefamation League, the American Jewish Committee, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Secure Community Network testified Wednesday, March 22 before the human rights subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., the subcommittee chairman, convened the hearing to examine connections between increases in anti-Semitism in Europe and in the United States. The witnesses spoke to the topic, but also made the case for preserving the special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism. A report has said that President Donald Trump’s administration
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was planning to scrap the position. No successor has been named for the the most recent anti-Semitism monitor, Ira Forman, who attended the hearing. The position is mandated by a 2004 law that Smith helped author, and the New Jersey lawmaker has joined Democrats in opposing any bid to scrap it. An array of Jewish groups and lawmakers have also urged the Trump administration to keep the post in place. Naming a replacement for Forman “will ensure that the U.S. maintains a specialized focus on anti-Semitism,” said Stacy Burdett, the director of ADL’s Washington office. Mark Weitzman, the director of government affairs for the Wiesenthal Center, said the position should be elevated to the ambassador level. Speakers suggested—sometimes gently, sometimes less so—that Trump’s team needed to exhibit more sensitivity to the issue of anti-Semitism. Weitzman cited the White House’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day statement, which omitted any mention of Jews. He noted that anti-Semites seized on the statement as a means of denying Jewish suffering in the Holocaust. “Even a mistake in the context of this background can be used by people with bad intentions,” he said. Burdett said that “political leaders have the most immediate and significant opportunity to set the tone of a national response to an anti-Semitic incident, an anti-Semitic party or an anti-Semitic parliamentarian.” Rabbi Andrew Baker, the director of international Jewish affairs for the AJC, focused on manifestations of anti-Semitism on the left and right in Europe. Paul Goldenberg, the director of SCN, the security arm of the Jewish Federations of North America, said that extremist groups in the United States and Europe are “increasingly the context for each other” by echoing one another in the themes they embrace. (JTA)
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Supplement to Jewish News April 3, 2017
Passover Dear Readers,
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here’s never been a contest for me… Passover has always been my all time
favorite holiday. Among the numerous reasons, one for sure, is the food. While some dread the eight-day diet of matzo, gefilte fish, and matzo ball soup, I look forward to it. Apparently, I’m not alone. Or at least there’s a market for people like me. Just published, Matzo, 35 Recipes for Passover and All Year Long, by Michele Streit Heilbrun (co-owner of Streit’s, the more than 90-year-old Kosher food company), is a colorful book shaped like a piece of— yes, you guessed it—matzo. In addition to creative dishes such as matzo nachos and tiramisu, the standards are included, too, such as classic chicken soup and L.E.O. Matzo Brei. With easy-to-follow recipes, beautiful photographs, and fun memories of Streit’s interspersed, this is a cookbook I’ll use all year. But for those who don’t want a book, kosher.com offers a wealth of recipes, videos, and ideas for Passover and year round. Recipes are from renowned Kosher chefs such as Susie Fishbein, Jamie Geller, and Naomi Nachman. The site is massive. “Our Passover-specific videos and articles help and inspire users on topics of all kinds: innovative Seder table settings, Passover Prep 101, step-by-step guides to making recipes, ways to use up chometz, and even things to do with your kids during the bread-free holiday,” says Leah Gottheim, vice president of Kosher.com. I hope these new resources are able to assist you in preparing for the holiday as much as I’m counting on them helping me! Happy Passover! Terri Denison, Editor
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Passover begins on the evening of April 10 Three popular humorists write a Haggadah for the “when do we eat?” crowd
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Andrew Silow-Carroll
f making many Passover Haggadahs there is no end. If the Maxwell House version doesn’t cut it for you, there are Haggadahs for vegans, for children, for chocolate lovers, and even for Christians. There’s the Santa Cruz Haggadah for hippies and the New American Haggadah for hipsters. There are annotated Haggadahs for those who want to extend the seder into the wee hours, and the 30 Minute Seder Haggadah for those who want to eat, pray, and bolt. Now three well-known American humorists have written a Haggadah for an overlooked crowd: the wise guys, cutups and punsters who frankly have a hard time taking the whole thing seriously. For This We Left Egypt? A Passover Haggadah for Jews and Those Who Love Them (Flatiron Books) is a collaboration of Dave Barry, whose syndicated Miami Herald humor column ran for more than 20 years; Alan Zweibel, an original Saturday Night Live writer and co-creator of It’s Garry Shandling’s Show; and Adam Mansbach, the novelist who had a sleeper hit with his faux children’s book, Go the F*** to Sleep. For This We Left Egypt? (henceforth known as FTWLE) is the sort of book that includes Jerry Lewis as one of the Ten Plagues, that wonders why slaves escaping Egypt would run directly toward a body
Dave Barry
Alan Zweibel
of water, and that suggests Jews are told to eat the bitter herbs known as maror “to remind ourselves that we never, ever again as a people, want to be in a position where we have to eat freaking maror.” For all the jokes, however (and it is pretty much all jokes), the book follows the basic steps of an actual seder and includes some prayers in their original Hebrew. It’s even printed from right to left. If you were to discard the jokes, you’d be left with a fairly faithful framework of an actual Haggadah, albeit six pages long. At a panel discussion last month at the New York Public Library featuring the three authors, Barry said they hoped that some readers would actually use their parody haggadah at a seder. In the first place, it would mean selling more books. And in the second place—well, he didn’t mention a second place. Barry had previously collaborated with Zweibel on the 2012 novel Lunatics. Mansbach and Zweibel wrote the 2015 kids’ book Benjamin Franklin: Huge Pain in My…. The three met up a few years ago at the Miami Book Fair and, at Mansbach’s suggestion, started an email chain that ended up as FTWLE. Zweibel, who grew up as a member of Congregation Sons of Israel in Woodmere, New York, had previously assured himself a place in Jewish Humor Heaven when he suggested to fellow SNL writers Al Franken and Tom Davis
Adam Mansbach
the idea for the Royal Deluxe II commercial parody. In that 1977 skit, a rabbi tests a smooth-riding luxury car by circumcising a baby in the back seat. Mansbach described his own 2009 novel The End of the Jews as a book about the “complexities of a Jewish identity—the fact that you can feel culturally Jewish without being religious, or understand yourself ethnically as Jewish, but not be down with the dominant politics of Jewish life, and so on.” Which might seem to leave Barry, the son of a Presbyterian minister, as the odd man out in this trio, except that he and his Jewish wife belong to a Reform temple in Miami and he served as sandek—honorary baby holder—at his grandson’s brit milah. Barry recalled the family seders where his father-in-law and family patriarch, a Cuban Jewish immigrant named Harry Kaufman, liked to recite the complete Haggadah in at least three languages. The other guests tried to trick Harry into “skipping huge chunks of it and then pretend he fell asleep.” Looking back on those marathons, Barry said, “No wonder this religion is in trouble.” In fact, the target audience for FTWLE are those who approach the annual seder as a bit of an ordeal—an endurance test of biblical storytelling standing between them and their meal. A 2013 Pew survey of American Jews found that attending a seder is the most commonly observed Jewish practice, but it didn’t seem to ask if anyone is actually enjoying the proceedings.
In recent years, there’s been a slew of Haggadahs meant to enliven the typical seder, with discussion questions for the adults and games to distract—I mean engage—the kids. Those efforts come in for ribbing in the FTWLE as well. Following the section on the Four Sons, one of a series of “discussion questions” asks, “Vito ‘The G-dfather’ Corleone had four children: Sonny, Fredo, Michael, and Connie. At Corleone family Seders, who do you think asked each of the four questions, and why?” (Yes, FTWLE follows traditional Jewish practice by spelling the Almighty’s name as “G-d,” as in “Then G-d spoke from inside the cloud. At least he said he was G-d; there was no way to tell for sure because of the cloud.”) (And weirdly enough, it doesn’t have a parody of the Four Questions. Why is this Haggadah parody different from all other Haggadah parodies—of which there are examples, according to Yiddish scholar Eddy Portnoy, as far back as the 13th century?) I’m a product of the “seders don’t have to be boring” generation, and at our table keep a stack of modern commentaries and supplements on hand to keep the evening lively. This year I’ll add FTWLE for the times when things begin to flag. And I’ll toss out questions from it like this one: “How come the Angel of Death needed lamb’s blood to know which houses the Israelites lived in? You’d think that would be the kind of thing the Angel of Death would just know, right?” For a parody Haggadah, that’s a seriously good question. (JTA)
jewishnewsva.org | April 3, 2017 | Passover | Jewish News | 17
Passover This is what our interfaith seder is like to think about what matters,” Larry says. “See? Marrying outside my faith is making me a better Jew.” Fast forward to Passover 2014. Walking by a local church the morning of Passover, I noticed a passage carved into the steeple: “ How wonderful it is How pleasant for God’s people To live together in harmony Psalm 133”
Jennifer Reinharz
(Kveller via JTA)—Born into a Catholic family with a Jewish surname, I should have expected I would one day find myself leading a Passover seder. To date, my husband Larry and I have hosted nine seders, eight of which I’ve had the honor to lead. This role was bestowed upon me after my Jewish husband concluded that in light of my organized, creative, teacher-like nature, I was the right person for the job. The tradeoff was food prep, which he happily agreed to tackle. Not one who enjoys cooking, I acquiesced. Besides, the man makes a mean brisket. I love a good Passover seder. But I didn’t always feel that way. In the beginning, I found it a tough ceremony to swallow. I felt like the token Christian, the stranger in the wrong outfit eating the matzah out of order. The structure of the service confused me, and the intensity associated with staying on task gave me the perfect excuse to keep quiet. I felt excluded by the deluge of Hebrew spoken by those in the know and, in general, lost—drowned in a Red Sea of rigidity, pomp, and circumstance. For
years I couldn’t wait to suck down that fourth cup of wine and hightail it home. But, I married a Jewish man, and we were raising our kids Jewish. Determined to do right by my Catholic self and our Jewish family, I set out on a mission to create an interfaith-friendly seder. First, I compiled a Haggadah full of catchy ditties, kid-friendly verses, and hands-on plagues. I switched up the order of the service, made the blessings accessible in English and Hebrew, added passages about civil rights and the human condition, highlighted springtime symbolism, and offered readings that would appeal to different belief systems. Interfaith marriage is about building bridges. Larry was open to the idea and respected my effort to design a Haggadah that made sense for me, but also maintained traditions he felt strengthened the Jewish identity of our sons — and encouraged new and experienced guests to discuss important Passover themes like freedom, rebirth, and “tikkun olam,” healing the world. It took a few years to earn our seder hosting chops, but we eventually found a balance. “Your Haggadah puts me in a position
18 | Jewish News | Passover | April 3, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org
I thought about our seder guests. That evening, 16 people—Jews, Catholics, Muslims, a son of Methodist missionaries, family, old friends, and new faces—would gather around our table like a bona fide interfaith, intergenerational jamboree. As suspected, it turned out to be just that. We waited to kick off the festivities so my Muslim neighbor could run home to say her afternoon prayers. My father, a good ol’ boy and the son of Methodist missionaries who has a mezuzah affixed to his doorpost out of respect for our Jewish ancestors, joined us for his first seder and my first holiday with him since I was a baby. Adults and young people alike wore sunglasses to symbolize darkness, the ninth plague, and enjoyed an enthusiastic food fight of marshmallow hail. Twentysomethings and teenagers were just as jazzed as the under-10 population to hunt for the afikomen. The widow and sister of a dear friend, a devout Irish Catholic who always attended our seders, but passed away a few years ago, recited the concluding poem together, a job historically reserved for him. And when the seder ended, that sister—a retired high school special education teacher, mother of four, grandmother
who attends daily Mass and a Passover newcomer—stood up and addressed the group. She shared: “We are a society of self-absorbed immediacy. It seems that all anyone cares about today are the latest trends, the hottest stars and themselves. It is important to pass on traditions, talk about ancestry, tell stories and make connections to the past. Doing this creates a necessary foundation for our children. For me, the seder represents hope and a renewed determination to keep ALL the traditions we have alive and fun.” Then she took home our Haggadah to use as a teaching aid in her Catechism class. Last Passover, this friend’s theory became practice when my son, then nine, asked to do more. He read the story of Exodus and recited the 10 plagues along with a couple of blessings in Hebrew. And on the second night, when we held an intimate seder with family, he wowed the crowd by taking the lead. I was not raised Jewish. I did not convert to Judaism. But watching my son embrace his Jewish identity made this interfaith mama proud. Larry and I will soon welcome the usual crew to our pleasant Passover. Should Elijah slip through the open door, I hope he’ll stay for a sip or two of wine. There are 16 people who value tradition, freedom, inclusivity, harmony, and humanity he’s going to want to meet.
Should Elijah slip through the open door, I hope he’ll stay for a sip or two of wine.
Jennifer Reinharz writes for children and blogs for grown-ups. A BlogHer 2015 Voice of the Year and author of the blog Red said what?, Reinharz’s writing has also appeared online at InterFaithFamily, Scary Mommy, Mamalode and Brain Child, as well as other publications.
Passover
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HIAS creates Haggadah supplement focusing on refugees
hias haggadah supplement 2017 • 5777
introduction
before the seder begins Leader reads aloud: Throughout our history, violence and persecution have driven the Jewish people to wander in search of a safe place to call home. We are a refugee people. At the Passover Seder, we gather to retell the story of our original wandering and the freedom we found. But we do not just retell the story. We are commanded to imagine ourselves as though we, personally, went forth from Egypt – to imagine the experience of being victimized because of who we are, of being enslaved, and of being freed. As we step into this historical experience, we cannot help but draw to mind the 65 million displaced people and refugees around the world today fleeing violence and persecution, searching for protection. Like our ancestors, today’s refugees experience displacement, uncertainty, lack of resources, and the complete disruption of their lives. Over the past year, we have read almost daily about humanitarian crises, watched xenophobic hate crimes increase, and been overwhelmed by the sheer number of people being persecuted. In the United States, in particular, we have experienced a devastating closing of doors to refugees. We now have the opportunity this evening to move beyond the headlines and the statistics to focus on the individual experiences behind the numbers and policies. These are the experiences of refugees around the world who, like the ancient Israelites, are finding liberation amidst brokenness and rebuilding their lives. Tonight, as we embrace the experience of our ancestors, we also lift up the experiences of the world’s refugees who still wander in search of safety and freedom.
his Passover, as court battles unfold across the country over President Donald Trump’s executive order banning refugees, the story of Jews fleeing slavery and searching for safety is more relevant than ever. HIAS created a supplement to the traditional Passover Haggadah that reflects on the experiences of refugees around the world today who, like the ancient Israelites, are seeking to rebuild their lives. This Haggadah supplement incorporates the stories of some of the thousands of refugees that HIAS has helped resettle across the United States. It also contains readings, interactive activities, and a guide to help people advocate for refugees. It is available online at www.hias.org/passover2017. For HIAS and those seeking to find ways to support and welcome refugees, Passover presents an ideal opportunity to remember the lessons of Jewish history—and apply them anew. 1
Have a
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Tonight... Treat Your Family to Dinner AT a Movie! Chag Pesach Sameach May your cup overflow with happiness and prosperity May your Seder bring inspiration and renewal May we all rediscover comfort and hope through our celebration of Passover
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jewishnewsva.org | April 3, 2017 | Passover | Jewish News | 19
Passover The last Passover countdown checklist you will ever need Andrew Silow-Carroll
(JTA)—The 30-day period between Purim and Passover is often fraught, especially for Jews—especially if, against all sound advice, they insist on hosting a Passover seder. To ease the challenging process of planning and preparing the festive meal, we offer this handy Passover countdown checklist (Never mind that there’s not 30 days left. Hurry!): 30 days out (the day after Purim): Begin going over your invite list for the seder. Parents, siblings and their kids, check. Widowed Aunt Fay? Of course. But Cousin Eric? A nice guy, but how did he vote? 27 days out: Think about clearing out cabinets to make way for Passover food. 24 days out: Continue thinking about clearing out cabinets to make way for Passover food. 23 days out: Throw out Passover food still crowding the cabinet from last year: the bottle of off-brand ketchup still three-quarters filled, one jar kosher le Pesach duck sauce, one carton gluten-free “panko” matzah crumbs, two boxes of Streit’s matzah you bought last year on the second-to-last day of Passover worrying that you’d “run out.” 22 days out: Clear out last of cabinets to make room for Passover food. 21 days out: Announce to family that no more non-Passover food will be purchased between now and the holiday. Start planning pre-Passover meals based on what you have on hand: freezer-burned hamburger meat, bags of stale macaroni, whatever that thing is in the Tupperware. 20 days out: First Passover shopping trip: condiments, tea bags, tomato sauce, tuna fish, shelf liner, grape juice, off-brand
ketchup, kosher le Pesach duck sauce, one carton gluten-free “panko” matzah crumbs, potato vodka. Total bill: $347.71.
10 days out: Finalize guest list. Finalize menu. Longingly peruse ads in Jewish newspaper for weeklong Passover cruises.
18 days out: Begin planning menu: Search online for new Passover recipes. Brisket with horseradish gremolata? Skillet roast chicken with fennel, parsnips and scallions? Braised lamb shanks with dates, tangerines and baby onions? Check the number of steps and ingredients for each recipe, gasp, then agree to make the same three things you’ve been making for the past 19 years.
7 days out: Last shopping before Passover: beef, chicken, fish, produce, milk, cheese, parsley, shank bone, eggs, chocolate-covered matzah, potato vodka. Total bill: You don’t wanna know.
17 days out: Cousin Eric calls asking if he can bring a date — someone he met at a “political rally.” For a “very famous politician.” Uh-oh. 16 days out: Second Passover shopping trip: macaroons, Passover cake mix, soda, jars of gefilte fish, paper plates and disposable utensils, matzah meal, wine, almonds and walnuts, jarred horseradish, cottonseed oil, mayonnaise, potato vodka. Total bill: $740.
3 days out: Ask spouse to bring up table leaf from the basement. Begin vacuuming and cleansing all surfaces with the care normally given to sterilizing microbiological laboratories. Longingly peruse ads in Travel + Leisure magazine showing non-Jewish couples on Caribbean vacations.
5 minutes later: Return to grocery store for your free five pounds of matzah, per coupon. Reduce grocery bill by $20.97.
2 days out: Ask spouse to bring up table leaf from basement, goddammit. Set table.
14 days out: Ask spouse to bring up kosher dishes, seder plate and Haggadahs from the basement. 13 days out: Ask spouse to please bring up kosher dishes, seder plate and Haggadahs from the basement. 12 days out: Ask spouse to please bring up kosher dishes, seder plate and Haggadahs from the basement—goddammit.
20 | Jewish News | Passover | April 3, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org
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his is not a joke: A seder plate owned by the late Joan Rivers
will be auctioned off after Passover this year. The Jewish comedy legend’s seder plate, made in the 1980s by Spode Judaica in the United Kingdom, will
5 days out: Clean and kasher sink, counters, stove, oven and refrigerator. Begin cooking seder side dishes. 5 days out: Inform family that Passover rules already apply in kitchen: no bread, pasta, beer or everyday tableware or cutlery. When they ask what they are supposed to eat, reply “improvise.”
10 minutes later: Return again to grocery store to buy one pound of gluten-free shmurah matzah for Aunt Fay. Increase grocery bill by $67.26.
Buy Joan Rivers’ seder plate— for only $5,000
1 day out: Cousin Eric calls. It’s off with his plus-one—he can’t date a “RINO” who thinks Rachel Maddow “sometimes makes some good points.” Panic.
be auctioned April 24 at J. Greenstein & Co. in Cedarhurst, New York. “If it didn’t belong to Joan Rivers, a used one like this would probably be worth about 100 bucks,” auction house owner Jonathan Greenstein said in a news release. “But this one is worth about $5,000 because it belonged to her.” Greenstein & Co. will also auction off a passport that belonged to Zeev Jabotinsky, the Russian author and founder of the Revisionist Zionist movement. As The New York Times notes, J. Greenstein & Co. has previously auctioned off a menorah owned by
Seder day: Welcome parents, siblings, their kids, Aunt Fay and Cousin Eric. Ask your youngest to recite the Four Questions, which he does perfectly, which is less impressive than it might seem when you remember that he’s 23. Read Haggadah. Eat festive meal. Welcome Elijah. Ignore Cousin Eric. 1 day after: Vow never to do this again.
Sammy Davis Jr., a piano owned by Shlomo Carlebach and a Judaica collection owned by Alan Dershowitz. Rivers, born Joan Molinsky in Brooklyn, died at 81 in September 2014 following complications from throat surgery. (JTA)
2 days after: Agree to do this again next year.
Passover Seder slated for seniors at Simon Family JCC Wednesday, April 5, pm
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Academics • Adventure • Sports • Drama, Music, Art • Engineering and Robotics • Crafts Adventures abound this summer for children and teens across Tidewater. • Camps for every interest
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at the Academy • Skilled camp directors and caring counselors
he annual mini seder for seniors will be led this year by Cantor Elihu Flax and Rabbi Michael Panitz. Complete with a chicken lunch, matzah ball soup, geflite fish, and other Passover goodies, this luncheon will also feature the music of Cantor Flax on piano. Open to all with advanced ticket purchase, the event is made possible by the generous support of the Joseph Fleichman Memorial Fund. For more information and to reserve a seat, visit or call the JCC front desk at 757-321-2338.
Be a part of Beth Sholom Village Family
As we celebrate Passover 2017 First & Second Seders led by Cantor Elihu Flax Monday, April 10 & Tuesday, April 11 6:30 - 8:30 pm Pincus Paul Social Hall
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Adventures abound this summer for children and teens across Tidewater. • Camps for every interest, grades K–9 • Bus transportation included • Daily swim in our indoor pool • Extended care available • Skilled camp directors and caring counselors
Family Style Dining First night: Brisket & Israeli Chicken Second Night: Roasted Turkey & Stuffed Flounder Afikomen and Prizes Reservations Required by April 5, 2017* No Charge for Residents of BSV Cost per adult $30; per child 6 and above $15 * Payments will not be accepted at time of event. Pre-payment only. Credit cards accepted over the phone. To reserve a seat, please email kamuial@bethsholomvillage.com or call 757-420-2512.
Visit www.norfolkacademy.org/summer for a complete camp catalog and registration! 1585 Wesleyan Drive | Norfolk, Virginia 23502 | 757-461-1787
For additional information, call Kari Amuial, Mon-Fri, 8 am - 4 pm at 757-420-2512
Where students grades 1-12 grow into responsible and responsive citizen-scholars. jewishnewsva.org | April 3, 2017 | Passover | Jewish News | 21
Passover
A time to celebrate family, friends, and freedom
Passover Ten easy tips to avoid a boring seder Rebecca Rosenthal
(Kveller via JTA)—If your Passover seder is anything like mine, it can resemble the world’s most difficult classroom: different ages, ranging from three to 93, and varying levels of interest. Some want to read and discuss every word in the Haggadah, some just want to get to the food—and everything in between. Designing a seder that can work for everyone can feel like a challenge for even the most seasoned educator, let alone a busy parent. But there is magic in the seder. Having loved ones around a table together can feel like a luxury in this day and age, so here are some tips for making the most of the festive meal. I hope these ideas will inspire you to be creative in a way that feels authentic to your seder. The seder’s purpose is to get people to ask questions, so the more you break the mold of the way you have always done it, the more likely you and your guests will be able to access the true meaning of the holiday. Here are 10 tips to perk up your seder this year.
theme, there are fun ways you can incorporate food into the heart of the seder. One friend of ours attaches the parsley to mini fishing rods and uses them to dip the parsley in the salt water. Another friend chops up lots of fruits and nuts (and even some chocolate) and allows the guests to make their own charoset, as long as it resembles the mortar. When it comes time to remember the plague of hail, I have heard of families throwing mini marshmallows at one another. Finally, there is a Persian custom of lightly (or not so lightly) slapping your neighbor with scallions during the song “Dayenu” as a reminder of slavery.
Try
to find a
balance between
3. Use the table. Put something interesting on the table, either in the middle or at each individual plate. We have used different kinds of frogs, puppets, and masks. Perhaps it will inspire a guest to ask a question about Passover, the story or the traditions of your family. At the very least it will entertain those at the table when they need a break.
preparing for the
seder and obsessing about every detail.
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1. Put out some food earlier. Food is always important in Jewish events and never more so than in the seder. It can feel like a long time until you get to dinner, but after karpas (the green vegetable that comes right at the beginning), you can serve appetizers. Veggies and dip or fruit are good healthy options, but my family also puts out candy, which keeps the kids busy for a little while. If you want to be thematic, there is fair-trade, slavery-free chocolate that is kosher for Passover.
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2. Play with your food. Along the same
22 | Jewish News | Passover | April 3, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org
4. Don’t be a slave to the Haggadah. The Haggadah is meant as a guide, and you don’t have to read every word to fulfill your obligation to tell the story. Get many different Haggadahs and look for readings and retellings that speak to you and share those at the seder. Or get the kids to write a play about the Passover story and perform it. Or ask your guests to bring something that represents freedom and tell the story of why. As long as your guests are engaged in the story of slavery to freedom, you have done your job. 5. Move around. This is the story of a wandering people. If you have the space, then wander! Do one piece of the seder in the living room, one in the dining
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room, or even go outside if the weather is nice. Turn a few bed sheets into the sea and walk through it on your way to the Promised Land. Give your guests a chance to be in the story, not just talk about it. 6. Assign homework. People always do better if they are prepared, so ask your guests to participate in the seder. Send a question in advance, ask them to bring something or even make decorations for the seder table. Guests, bring a reading or an object that speaks to you. I guarantee your host will appreciate not having to carry the weight of the entire evening. 7. Give everyone a job. Before the seder, make a list of everything that has to be done during the evening, from pouring the wine to serving the soup to clearing the table. Then, assign away. You guests will be happy to help, and you will be happier if you come out of the seder not feeling enslaved. 8. Sing (or watch videos). There are tons of songs for kids and adults alike for Passover. Google around to find tunes or songs that you like and teach them at your seder. Providing song sheets helps everyone sing along. And if singing is not your thing, a quick search on YouTube for Passover song parodies turns up videos that would be fun to watch before or
during the seder. 9. Make something. When I was about 10 years old, I spent hours creating a chart that outlined the order of the seder. I made a small arrow that could be used to show where we were in the progression of the evening, and since then it has been used every year. My mother still brings out Elijah’s cups that my sisters and I made in Hebrew school, and my kids proudly show off their seder plates, kiddush cups, and matzah covers. If your kids don’t make them in school or Hebrew school, these are easy crafts to make at home. 10. Let loose. The point of the seder is to engage people in the questions, both ancient and contemporary, of slavery and freedom. The way you do that is up to you. Try to find a balance between preparing for the seder and obsessing about every detail. And if your kids run screaming circles around the table while everyone else is trying to talk, as mine have done on more than one occasion, those are memories, too. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Rabbi Rebecca Rosenthal is the director of youth and family education at Central Synagogue in New York City. Rosenthal and her husband live in the city with their three children.
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jewishnewsva.org | April 3, 2017 | Passover | Jewish News | 23
Passover Seven new kids’ books for Passover, from seder guides to stories Penny Schwartz
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24 | Jewish News | Passover | April 3, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org
( JTA)—From the wizardry of Harry Potter that echoes with Passover’s themes to a cartoon frog who wisecracks his way through the seder, this year’s new crop of Passover books for kids offers something for all ages and interests. The selection of fresh reads, including two family-friendly Haggadahs, also includes an unusual Jewish immigrant tale set in rural Argentina and a heartwarming, intergenerational story about an aging grandfather and his devoted granddaughter. Choose one—or several—to educate and engage the young readers in your family for this Passover, the eight-day festival of freedom that begins with the first seder on the evening of April 10.
The (unofficial) Hogwarts Haggadah Moshe Rosenberg; designed by Aviva Shur All ages; $27.95 ans of Harry Potter will be in Hogwarts heaven this Passover. Moshe Rosenberg’s Haggadah draws on the parallels between the wizardry of the best-selling Harry Potter books and the seder guide. “From the concepts of slavery and freedom, to the focus on education, to the
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number four, Harry Potter and Passover share almost everything,” Rosenberg writes in the introduction. This is the second Jewish Harry Potterthemed book by Rosenberg, a rabbi and Judaic studies educator in New York. (The first was Morality for Muggles: Ethics in the Bible and the World of Harry Potter.) Traditionalists, take note: Rosenberg assures readers that every word of traditional Haggadah text, in Hebrew and in English translation, is included. Interspersed throughout is commentary, via the lens of J.K. Rowling’s characters, that takes on questions of freedom, evil, and the Four Children. There’s even a Harry Potter-themed version of the popular seder song Had Gadya, (One Small Goat).
The Family (and Frog!) Haggadah Rabbi Ron Isaacs and Karen Rostoker-Gruber; illustrations by Jackie Urbanovic Behrman House; all ages; $7.95 wisecracking frog takes center stage in this kid-friendly Haggadah that is a complete guide to a fun-filled, informative, abbreviated seder that’s designed to be 30 minutes to an hour. The lively Haggadah, filled with photographs and illustrations, begins with a seder checklist and candle-lighting prayers and guides families through the mainstays
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of the seder, from the Passover story, to the Ten Plagues to welcoming Elijah the Prophet. Songs go from the traditional favorite Dayenu to Take Me Out to the Seder. An entertaining cartoon frog appears throughout with jokes and funny comments (“Hold on! I brought my hopmonica!”) that are sure to bring giggles and keep kids engaged.
Passover Scavenger Hunt Shanna Silva, illustrated by Miki Sakamoto Kar-Ben; ages 4–9; $17.99 hardcover, $7.99 paperback very year at the seder, Rachel’s Uncle Harry hides the afikomen. The kids have fun hunting for the special piece of matzah and get a prize for finding it. But there’s one problem: Uncle Harry always makes it too easy! In Shanna Silva’s lively story, Rachel takes over the job. She grabs her markers, scissors, and a big piece of cardboard and creates a clever scavenger hunt with six rhyming clues to stump her cousins. Each clue reveals something related to the seder, from the charoset to the shank bone. In the end, the kids are left with a puzzle to solve that will lead them to Rachel’s perfect afikomen hiding place. Miki Sakamoto’s illustrations are bright and colorful and capture the fun as kids move picture frames, race around the house and crawl around closets looking for clues.
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The Mosaica Haggadah: Inspired by Bright Kids Rabbi Sender and Chamie Haber Mosaica Press, 2017 Why is this Haggadah different from all other Haggadahs? Join Rabbi Sender and Chamie Haber of B’nai Israel and their charming family at their Pesach Seder—and
(Longer than our people were in the desert)
experience this special night with this most special educational Haggadah. Based on more than a decade of teaching the Haggdah to students aged 8-13, unique features include: • Real questions and insightful of dozens of bright and engaging students. • Fascinating and meaningful short explanations. • Yocheved Nadell’s delightful contemporary illustrations based on the Haber family. • Laminated pages for easy use at the Seder table for many years. Handing down the story each year at the Pesach Seder transcends generations. The Mosaica Haggadah will make sure each Passover is entertaining, interesting and unforgettable. Available on mosaicapress.com or by contacting Rabbi Haber at rsh@bnaiisrael.org.
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Passover continued from page 25
(The Best Hanukkah Ever, Journeys With Elijah) comes an unlikely Passover story set in the Argentine countryside in the late 1800s. Jacob is a young Jewish boy whose Russian family immigrated to Argentina, but he doesn’t quite fit in. He makes a new friend, Benito, who helps him learn to ride horseback. Jacob works up the courage to invite his non-Jewish pal to his family’s seder, but Benito says he has farm chores to do. Still, Benito ends up coming after all, at just the right moment: when Jacob opens the door to welcome Elijah, just as a flock of chickens arrive, too. Benito helps round up the chickens and joins the seder. As the family welcomes its new friend, they learn from each other about the meaning of freedom—and Jacob’s mother and Benito also surprise him with a lasso and clothing he needs for an upcoming rodeo. Artist Gina Capaldi puts readers right in the action; kids will feel as if they are riding along on horseback with Jacob and
Benito, and they’ll feel part of the family’s seder. An author’s note explains that in the 1880s, Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe arrived in Argentina. Goldin also poses a timely discussion question that asks families to imagine what it would be like to move to a new country.
How It’s Made: Matzah Allison Ofanansky, photographs by Aliyahu Alpern Apples & Honey Press; ages 5–8; $15.95 ids get an up-close look at how matzah is made in this fascinating new book overflowing with stunning color photographs that bring to life small-batch, handmade matzah-making to factories that bake 35,000 pieces of matzah every day. Kids see the spiked rolling tool used to make the tiny holes in the matzah and get a peek inside the very hot ovens required for baking. Captions and explanatory text are informative but simple, making the photographs the stars of a wonderful book that will appeal both to kids and grownups. There are several Do It Yourself recipes and craft projects, including baking matzah, making a matzah cover, and growing the greens for karpas, the symbolic vegetable eaten during the seder.
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Sammy Spider’s Passover Shapes Sylvia A. Rouss; illustrated by Katherine Janus Kahn Kar-Ben; ages 1–4; $5.99 board book The ever-popular Sammy Spider—now in his 24th year—is back! Passover Shapes is the second Sammy Spider board book that is geared for toddlers. In this brightly illustrated tale, the young spider celebrates the holiday with his human friend, Josh Shapiro. Little ones will learn about Passover as well as basic shapes.
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Yom Hashoah
Book Review
Researched and emotional Violins of Hope (Violins of the Holocaust-Instruments of Hope and Liberation in Mankind’s Darkest Hour) James A. Grymes Harper Perennial, 2014 319 page, $15.99
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uthor James A. Grymes is a noted Rabbi Zoberman professor of musicology at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte who grew up in Virginia Beach. His latest book, Violins of Hope, is a unique contribution to Holocaust literature. It is dedicated to those whose violins made a difference at a time of monumental challenge, when Nazism sought to silence the free flow of humanity’s transforming music and the arts. The meticulously researched account by the academic author is far from dry. The reader will even shed tears—beginning with the Weinstein family in Tel Aviv, Israel, whose second generation continues to repair violins, along with broken hearts. The violins serve as eloquent, though bruised witnesses not only to the Holocaust’s vast tragedy, but also to the power of music to save lives and even move ardent Nazis. Moshe and Golda Weinstein, who moved to then Palestine from Lithuania as professional musicians in 1938, lost their entire families in the Holocaust. The crying absence of the many slaughtered relatives was deeply felt at holiday time, when Moshe, Golda and their children Amnon and Esther sat at a table along with “four hundred ghosts.” Upon Moshe’s passing in 1986, his son Amnon took over the business and later grandson Avshalom was trained to become a luthier as well. Amnon repressed the Holocaust for years following his traumatic exposure early on to the nightly cries of the refugees who were housed in his home. He changed course when approached by a survivor who played his violin in Auschwitz, but had not touched it since. The man, who finally decided to give it to his grandson, wanted Amnon to restore the damaged instrument. Upon opening the violin, Amnon shockingly
found human ashes that had blown into it from Auschwitz’s crematorium. Still it was only in the 1990s that he felt the need to find and restore those special Holocaust violins. A well-received 1999 presentation by Amnon in Drezden, Germany, before the Association of German Violinists and Bowmakers, would spur him on in his sacred world-wide project of collecting and restoring Holocaust related violins. The unidentified ones are most dear to him, representing the many unknown victims. The simply built violins are priceless to Amnon, testimony to the ordinary Jews who lovingly sustained their culture. “Amnon has never known the names of any of his uncles, aunts, and cousins who died in the Holocaust. Since they were buried in mass graves, there are no graveyards to help him piece together his genealogy…his only way of connecting with his family is through the craft his father taught him: repairing violins… each violin is a tombstone for a relative he never knew.” The author was motivated to write this book following a week’s visit with Amnon and his wife Assi in Tel Aviv in February 2011. Assi, a journalist, is the daughter of one of the heroic Bielski brothers, the fighting partisans immortalized in the book and film, Defiance. There is a theory that the violin, featured prominently in Jewish cultural life and Klezmer music, was created by Jews expelled from Spain in 1492 who ended in Italy. Some Jewish violinists such as Jascha Heifetz, Yehudi Menuhin, and Isaac Stern, acquired universal acclaim. Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, and Shlomo Mintz are acknowledged virtuosos. Following the Holocaust’s heavy losses some anguished musicians destroyed their German-made violins, with others practically giving them away to Moshe Weinstein. At the declaration of the founding of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948, the Palestine Orchastra, founded by Jewish violinist Bronislaw Huberman, played the national anthem, Hatikvah (The Hope) of a reborn people. Indeed “Wherever there were violins, there was hope.” —Dr. Israel Zoberman is the founding rabbi of Congregation Beth Chaverim.
Yom Hashoah, 2017 Holocaust Day of Remembrance Sunday, April 23, 6:45 pm, Ohef Sholom Temple
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irginia Beach native and author Dr. Jay Grymes is this year’s featured speaker at the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s annual Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day program. Celebrating the power of the human spirit and the enduring faith of those who witnessed and survived the Holocaust, the Commission will honor and recognize student winners of its annual Elie Wiesel Student Writing and Visual Arts competitions, as well as the recipients of the Commission’s Educator Awards. Some of the competition’s artwork will be displayed and the winning students’ essays will be available to read. A candle lighting ceremony will conclude the program. Grymes is author of the acclaimed Violins of Hope: Instruments of Hope and Liberation in Mankind’s Darkest Hour. A testimony to the eloquence of man’s ability to transcend circumstances with the power of music, Violins of Hope won the 2014 National Jewish Book Award in the Holocaust category. Composer John Williams describes Grymes’ book as “a work of research and scholarship that forms one of the most moving chronicles in the history of music.” Grymes will share remarkable stories of
Dr. Jay Grymes
violins played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust. He will also talk about Amnon Weinstein, an Israeli violinmaker who has devoted more than 20 years to restoring these instruments—which have been played by great musicians around the world—as a tribute to those lost in the Holocaust. Grymes’ interest in Holocaust history extends beyond his current work. He is a leading authority on the Hungarian musician, Ernst von Dohnanyi (1877–1960), a forgotten hero of the Holocaust resistance who was later falsely accused of Nazi war crimes. Grymes is the author of Ernst von Dohnanyi: A Bio-Bibliography and the editor of Ernst von Dohnanyi: A Song of Life. A graduate of Salem High School, Grymes is a professor of musicology and chair of the Department of Music at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Ohef Sholom Temple is located at 530 Raleigh Avenue in Norfolk. For more information, visit www. HolocaustCommission.org, email info@holocaustcommission.org, or call 757-965-6100.
Reading of the Names Monday, April 24, 10 am–4pm Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus
Beth El Men’s Club will honor Yom Hashoah by sponsoring the reading of the names of those who perished during the Holocaust.
jewishnewsva.org | April 3, 2017 | Jewish News | 27
It’s a wrap The Society of Professionals’ POUR-tastic wine event Erin Dougherty and Jasmine Amitay
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eginning with a pop and a fizz, the Society of Professional’s Pour wine event gathered local Jewish professionals and friends at the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront on Sunday, March 5. Overlooking the ocean, participants were led through progressive Kosher food and wine pairings by Certified Sommelier Crystal Cameron-Schaad of Crystal Palate. The 100 attendees were dazzled by the pairings, ranging from a crisp Prosecco to a heavy Bordeaux. Each pairing was created by the collaboration of Crystal Cameron and Chesapeake Bay Catering, who prepared the food at the Sandler Family Campus under the supervision of Rabbi Aaron Margolin. Welcomed by Greg Zittrain, co-chair of the Society of Professionals committee, the physicians, lawyers, real estate professionals, and others mingled and discussed topics of Jewish concerns, as well as the upcoming UJFT Professional Directory, which will be available this summer. “Networking within our Jewish communities is key for healthy, thriving professionals,” says Cheni Alofer, jeweler and owner of Segal & Co Fine Jewelers. “This was a remarkable, fun event, and a wonderful opportunity to engage with different experts in our circles and catch up with old friends.”
Rabbi Jeff Arnowitz and Patricia and Avraham Ashkenazi. Scott and Betty Ann Levin, Jenny and Matthew Sachs, and Greg Zittrain.
Marian Ticatch, Stephanie Guld, and Jody Wagner.
Susan Alper and Steve Harwood with Dr. David and Honey Maizel.
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Cara Blume embracing the swirl, sip, and savor theme of the event.
28 | Jewish News | April 3, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org
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It’s a wrap Beyond the Book Festival’s guest author connected with audience
Jessica Fechtor.
P
oised and charming and offering insightful discussions, Jessica Fechtor, a guest author and speaker for the Beyond the Book Festival, established immediate rapport with her audience while reading from her book, Stir: My Broken Brain and the Meals That Brought Me Home.
Fechtor shared her journey of recovery from a ruptured brain aneurysm at the age of 28, in which she reclaimed her life through the restorative power of food and cooking. Laughter filled the room when she apologized about offering such a story over lunch, but by then she had become family. Ashley Zittrain, a JFS board member, says, “Everything about my time with Jessica Fechtor felt very organic, from the short time I spent with her on the ride to and from her hotel, to hearing her eloquently read passages from her book, and particularly when she made a statement about how during her recovery she felt robbed of her generosity. That was an “Ah Ha” moment for me. It put into perspective why, when I’m unable or incapable of doing for others, I feel frustrated
Jessica Fechtor signs her book for Kathy Kantor.
and anxious. I truly feel that the acts of Tzedakah and Tikkun Olam fuel the soul and I was thrilled to hear Jessica help put this feeling into perspective for me.” More than 100 people attended this Beyond the Book Festival event,
an extension of the Lee and Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival. It was presented by Simon Family JCC in partnership with Jewish Family Service of Tidewater. *of blessed memory
TJF’S B’nai Tzedek Teen Philanthropy Program
Join us and Make a Difference Today! Contact Scott Kaplan at 757-965-6109 or skaplan@ujft.org for more info!
philanthropy noun • phi·lan·thro·py • [fi-lan-thruh-pee] 1. The effort or inclination to increase the well-being of humankind, as by charitable aid or donations. 2. Love of human kind, in general. 30 | Jewish News | April 3, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org
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Create your OWN FUND, make your OWN CHOICES, and GROW as a Jewish philanthropist!
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what’s happening Photos of Jewish sports history at Leon Family Art Gallery Through Wednesday, April 26, Sandler Family Campus Sherri Wisoff
A
Jewish Sports Photography exhibit from the collection of Beit Hatfutsot, The Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv, and the Bernard H. and Miriam Oster Visual Documentation Center, is now on display in the Leon Family Art Gallery. This unique photo exhibit of Jewish sports events and Jewish sports teams from the 1920s through the 1980s, represents only a fraction of the museum’s vast collection of more than 400,000 black and white images depicting Jewish history, heritage, and communal life. The exhibit offers snapshots of the Jewish athletic associations across the globe that joined to form the Maccabi World Union in 1921 as an integral part of
the World Zionist movement. The goals of the Maccabi World Union were lofty; they sought to inspire the whole of the Jewish people. Maccabi’s official goal was “the physical and moral rejuvenation of Jews for the sake of restoration and existence of the Jewish land and people.” This exhibit is part of an initiative by Beit Hatfutsot to offer Jewish institutions and organizations ready-made curated photo displays to reinforce and build worldwide connections celebrating 4,000 years of Jewish life, culture, and history. More than a museum, Beit Hatfutsot is dedicated to telling the entire story of the Jewish people, on site in Israel, online, and around the world, through exhibits, innovative technology, and creative programming. The Bernard H. and Miriam
Hatikvas Jewish baseball team, New York, 1950s.
Oster Visual Documentation Center is also systematically collecting photographs and films documenting Jewish life, heritage, and history throughout the centuries.
their collections. The call is open to contribute historical photographs and films to ensure that memorabilia is available to the public for generations to come. For more information, visit dbs.bh.org.il.
Beit Hatfutsot would appreciate any assistance in acquiring additional materials for
jewishnewsva.org | April 3, 2017 | Jewish News | 31
SAVE THE DATE Sunday, October 29, 2017
what’s happening
New Month, New Day, New Name!
THE
Rachel Abraham m,
JANET GORDON ANNUAL
Mah Jongg Day & Luncheon
Details coming ould like you to Save Th hesoon! Datte! ana Pa Patish and the
ah Jongg Commiittee
Alyssa Muhlendorf to receive 2017 Henry B. Kaufmann Award
Year of the Rooster! Co-Chairs Rachel Abraham, Dana Patish and the Mah Jongg Committee would like you to Save the Date!
Look for updates at
Rachel Abraham m,
ana Pa Patish and the
ah Jongg Commiittee
bethsholomvillage.com ould like you to Save he Datte!News &ThJewish
For additional information or to reserve a seat, call Claire Roth at 757-961-3024
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Jewish News
Attention: Human Resources 5000 Corporate Woods Drive Virginia Beach, 23462
32 | Jewish News | April 3, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org
Sunday, April 23, Ohef Sholom Temple Brunch: 10:30 am—Award presentation: 11 am
F
or more than 35 years, Ohef Sholom Temple Men’s Club has bestowed the Henry B. Kaufmann Award upon a congregant who has demonstrated outstanding service to the temple and the community. The award is named for Henry B. Kaufmann, an accountant by trade, who was extremely active in synagogue and community life. In 1980, the Men’s Club established this memorial in his honor. This year, the Men’s Club’s award recipient is Alyssa Muhlendorf. Born in Michigan, Muhlendorf moved extensively throughout her childhood. In 1999, she received a bachelor’s degree in politics and government. In 2001, she received a master’s degree in international relations and in 2010, another master’s, this time in social work. Muhlendorf has worked for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee of International Relations Subcommittee on Africa and for an international human rights organization. Upon moving to Norfolk she shifted careers from politics to social work and was employed at Jewish Family Service. She attributes her work at JFS, and her positive experiences with Rabbi Roz Mandelberg, in making the decision to convert to Judaism. Muhlendorf is marred to Jonathan Muhlendodorf who owns a wealth management firm. His parents, Diane and Ken Muhlendorf, are longtime members of Ohef Sholom. Jonathan and Alyssa Muhlendorf are the proud parents of two young children, Nyla and Elijah, who both attend Hebrew Academy of Tidewater. Crediting her volunteer spirit to her role models, her parents, Muhlendorf says that, “In addition to working hard as employees, they always had a volunteer passion project that improved the local community. My goals are always to connect people, and bring meaning, while striving for excellence.” Muhlendorf has chaired, or co-chaired, numerous temple committees, including
Interfaith and Outreach, Young Adult Community, Caring, Nominating, Membership, and Development. In 2009, she was elected to OST’s board of directors. As for community involvement, Muhlendorf introduced the Mothers Circle to the Tidewater Jewish community. The program is designed for mothers who are not Jewish, but have a Jewish partner, or who have chosen Judaism as an adult. It empowers mothers who seek to increase their understanding of Jewish values and traditions. As a result of this course, many participants increased their activities with the Jewish community by enrolling their children in Jewish schools and leading their families to affiliate with synagogues. An environmentalist at heart, Muhlendorf cites Genesis to explain that Jews are mandated to be good stewards of the Earth. With that in mind, she became OST’s leader of environmental action programs by forming the Eco-Judaism Subcommittee. Some of the work the subcommittee has done includes signing up more than 75 households as Bay Saver Homes, hosting an informational event at the Brock Environmental Center (the first Jewish organization to do so), and working toward having Ohef Sholom achieve national certifications in environmental stewardship. Other community activities include serving on United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Israel & Overseas Committee, as a past board member of the Simon Family JCC, member of the JCC child and family committee, parent volunteer at Hebrew Academy, and volunteer at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Alyssa Muhlendorf is the personification of the spirit of the Kaufmann Award. Admission is $10 per person. Reserve a space by calling the Temple office at 625-4295.
what’s happening Israel Fest 2017
Israel Today
Taste, explore, experience and discover Israel
Puzzle Israel A culinary adventure with Puzzle Israel
Sunday, April 30, 11 am–4 pm, Simon Family JCC
Sunday, April 30, 11 am–4 pm Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus Tuesday, May 2, 7:30 pm Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus
Israel Fest M
ore than 1,600 people attended last year’s Simon Family JCC’s annual Israel Fest to experience a little piece of Israel without traveling more than 5,000 miles. Local temples and synagogues, volunteers, vendors, and generous community donors are working to make 2017’s Yom Ha’Atzmaut—Israel Independence Day— the JCC’s best Israel celebration ever. Israel Fest is a day to celebrate all things Israeli, with opportunities to learn more about Israel through art, food, entertainment, education, and culture. Among the many offerings of the festival, local and Israeli crafts will be for sale, Israeli DJ music will set the mood, and children will be able to enjoy arts and crafts, inflatable bouncy rides, a petting zoo, and even ride a camel. An assortment of Israeli beer will be available, along with educational booths with travel and cultural information about Israel. The outdoor food tent will be filled with tantalizing offerings from Israeli chefs Guy Marom and Nir Margalith, who will prepare fresh, authentic Israeli cuisine, as well as
delicious food, treats, and drinks from local synagogues and temples. The Elite Fleet, a radio-controlled boat club, will demonstrate and share their unique scaled boat models from submarines to navy destroyers. The JCC’s pool will offer the perfect to place to take them for a spin. The Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) in partnership with the Simon Family JCC, will create an obstacle course on the campus grounds, playfully testing participants’ physical readiness for military IDF service. And, in the fitness center, Krav Maga (Israeli karate) classes will be available. This uplifting family fun day is an opportunity to celebrate and discover Israel… without boarding a flight. Presented by Charles Barker Automotive, Wall, Einhorn & Chernitzer, P.C. and Wealth Quest Financial Services. The festival is free and open to the public, but food and some activities require tickets that can be purchased at the event. For more information, visit www.simonfamilyjcc.org/israelfest.
Sherri Wisoff
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uzzle Israel’s mission to taste, explore, experience, and discover Israel defines the creative life work of Israeli chefs and entrepreneurs, Guy Marom and Nir Margalith. The eighth and final guests of this season’s Israel Today series, this dynamic pair will share their passion for Middle Eastern cuisine at Israel Fest, as well as offer a fun, hands-on cooking adventure a few nights later. Marom and Margalith combined their love of cooking, nature, and travel and formed their travel company, Puzzle Israel Tour Company, which also includes their catering enterprise. Upon arrival in Tidewater, Marom and Margalith will cook through the night to prepare three authentic Israeli main dishes and three side dishes that will be offered alongside the food of local synagogues and temples at Israel Fest. At their hands-on cooking demonstration, Marom and Margalith will represent their unique catering company, Puzzle
Israel, sharing cooking skills and entertaining stories that will charm any food lover. The creative entrepreneurs have become more than professional chefs in their fervent desire to share the “Real Israel”—they have become ambassadors of their homeland. Israel Fest Sunday, April 30, 11 am–4 pm Free and open to the public For more information about Israel Fest, visit simonfamilyjcc.org/israelfest or call 321-2341. A Culinary Adventure with Puzzle Israel Tuesday, May 2, 7:30 pm Individual ticket: $41 or $36 JCC member; Couple ticket: $72 or $60 JCC members. To purchase tickets or more information about the Israel Today series, visit Jewishva. org/IsraelToday or call 757-321-2304. Presented by the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Simon Family JCC and community partners.
jewishnewsva.org | April 3, 2017 | Jewish News | 33
what’s happening
Calendar
Second Friday Shabbat Service with Tidewater Chavurah Friday, April 14, 7 pm
R
abbi Ellen Jaffe-Gill will lead Tidewater Chavurah’s second Friday of the month Shabbat service at the home of Hal and Elaine in the Great Neck Meadows area, Virginia Beach. A “congregation without walls,” events are held in members’ homes or at other locations. The Oneg with feature Passover suitable treats. Everyone is invited. For event information and location address, email carita@verizon.net or dlqt@cox.net or call 499-3660 or 468-2675. Check out www.tidewaterchavurah.org or Tidewater Chavurah Face book page for upcoming events.
Swordfish Youth Summer Swim Team Monday–Friday, May 30–July 31 Boys and girls, ages 5–18 Registration Deadline: May 26
T
he Simon Family JCC’s Athletic Leagues are gearing up for a season of good sportsmanship and teamwork. Open to all boys and girls, ages 5–18, the recreational competitive swim team offers certified, experienced coaching for swimmers wishing to improve technique, get fit, and make friends. The Swordfish Youth Summer Team offers a choice of morning or afternoon swim practice with no meets or team practice on the weekends. Meets against other teams are scheduled for the middle of the summer and conclude with a team championship on July 31. Prior competitive swimming experience is not necessary, but swimmers must qualify to join the team with ages 5-8 swimming 25 meters and ages 9-18
swimming 50 meters. The outdoor waterpark and indoor pools at the JCC offer special team practice areas and a great escape from the summer heat. The engaging and supportive team coaching strives to build confidence, improve skills, and promote a positive attitude toward competition for all participants. A one-time sibling discount of $25 is available at registration, plus each swimmer gets a custom team swim suit and swim cap boasting the team logo, a Swordfish. Call 757-321-2308 or visit: simonfamilyjcc. org/families/youth-athletic-leagues/ Parent meeting: May 10, 5:30 pm. Qualifying swim: May 30, 4 pm. $225 or $185 for JCC members.
learn #
W I T H I S R A E L
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SimonFamilyJCC.org 34 | Jewish News | April 3, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org
April 5, Wednesday Simon Family JCC’s Senior Seder will be led by Cantor Flax and Rabbi Panitz. This will be a mini Seder with traditional Passover foods. 12 pm. Tickets: $10. Advanced ticket purchase required. All welcome. Call JCC at 757-321-2338. April 19, Wednesday Brith Sholom 2017 bus trip to Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Revolutionary Museum. $25 per member. Contact LeeAnne Mallory at Brith.Sholom1@hrcoxmail.com or at 757-461-1150. April 23, Sunday Yom Hashoah. Jay Grymes, author of Violins of Hope, will speak. Ohef Sholom Temple. 6:45 pm. See page 27. April 30, Sunday Israel Fest. The Simon Family JCC’s Annual Israel Fest celebrates Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day. Since 2010, the Simon Family JCC has held a festival that honors all of the cultural, artistic, educational, and culinary gifts of Israel. It is an opportunity to learn more about Israel, dance, feast, play games, ride a camel, and shop. Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus. Free and open to the entire community. SimonFamilyJCC.org/IsraelFest for more information or call 757-321-2304. See page 33. Dinner Out for Brith Sholom. Meet at Captain Ray’s Chinese Buffet and Sushi 5957 E Virginia Beach Blvd. in Norfolk at 5:30 pm. Entertainment by Billy and Cindy Mitchell. $9 for members; $18 for guests. Tip, tax, and drinks included. Contact LeeAnne Mallory at Brith.Sholom1@hrcoxmail.com or at 757-461-1150. May 2, Tuesday Israel Today with Chefs Guy Marom and Nir Margalith. Celebrate Yom Ha’tzmaut through the taste and culture of Israel. Sharing their love for fresh, authentic Israeli food in a fun, hands-on, culinary adventure, Marom and Margalith will leave novice and experienced chef-participants with skills and stories to share from their own kitchens. Limited space. Visit www.JewishVa.org/IsraelToday or call 757-321-2304. See page 33. 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.
Camp JCC is a wonde rf ul place to wor k! SUMMER 2017
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Applications available at: www.campjccvb.org For more information, contact: Erika Eskanazi, Children and Camp Director (757) 321-2342 (757) 965-6117 Taffy Hunter, Human Resource Director Submit completed application to:
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Don't wait! Applications accepted TODAY!
mazel tov to
Virginia General Assembly honors Shames Col. Edward Shames, pictured here with his letter of commendation from the Virginia General Assembly, was so honored on International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Shames, a member of the legendary “Band of Brothers,” brought more of his men home than any other American commander in WWII. He was the first American soldier to enter the Dachau concentration camp days after liberation, and he ended the war in Hitler’s bombed out “Eagle’s Nest.”
Israel Fest
Achievement Melie Lewis, a doctoral candidate at the University of Oklahoma, who recently won the Hackathon Competition at the annual sports analysis conference conducted by the Sloan School of Business at MIT. Melie competed against 20 invited students. Melie is a graduate of William and Mary University and Old Dominion University and is the daughter of Grant and Roberta Lewis of Virginia Beach. Dr. David M. Pariser of Pariser Dermatology Specialists in Norfolk, who was awarded the Gold Medal from the American Academy of Dermatology at its annual meeting in Florida. A practicing dermatologist for more than 40 years, Pariser is the senior physician of Pariser Dermatology Specialists. A Norfolk native, he works at the first dermatology practice in Norfolk, which was founded in 1945 by his father Dr. Harry Pariser. The Gold Medal is the highest award available in the AAD and is presented in recognition of an individual’s exceptional service to the practice of dermatology.
4.30.17 SimonFamilyJCC.org
Dr. David M. Pariser
Keano Rich and Evan Allen, 10th graders at Ocean Lakes Math and Science Academy and members of Ohef Sholom Temple, who won first place in the Computer Science senior division for their project on neural networks at the regional Tidewater Science and Engineering Fair at Old Dominion University. At the Virginia State Science & Engineering Fair held at Virginia Military Institute, the duo also took second place for their project. Keano Rich, a former Hebrew Academy of Tidewater student, is the son of Gerald Rich, Sherri Wisoff and stepson of William Boykin. Evan Allen is the son of Lyuba and Marc Allen and stepson of Ihor Chernyavsky. Birth Morris Benjamin Panitz and Elana Havusha Panitz on the birth of their daughter, Ziva Liora, in Jerusalem on Feb, 1, 2017. The grandparents are Yosi and Suzie Havusha, of Los Angeles, and Rabbi Michael and Sheila Panitz of Norfolk.
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.
jewishnewsva.org | April 3, 2017 | Jewish News | 35
obituaries Judith H. Baker Virginia Beach—Judith H. Baker, 72, passed away peacefully on March 28, 2017 surrounded by her loving family. Judy was a loyal and devoted employee of Towne Bank Mortgage for many years. She was preceded in death by her husband Melvin Baker. Left to cherish Judy’s memory are her two sons Barry (Debi) and Marc Baker; grandsons Joshua and Noah Baker; her loving sister Roz Drucker; niece Robin Stromberg (Burle); nephew Stephen Drucker (Diane Walkout); and many great nieces and nephews. The funeral service was held at Woodlawn Funeral Home with Rabbi Israel Zoberman officiating. Burial followed at Forest Lawn Cemetery. Visit www.woodlawngroup.com to share a memory with the family. Memorial contributions to The American Cancer Society. Jerry Brittman Norfolk—Jerry Brittman, died March 22, 2017 in Norfolk. He was the son of Barney and Blanche Brittman. He was a member of Temple Israel and was a Master Mason with Norfolk Masonic Lodge #1. Funeral Services were held in Forest Lawn Cemetery by Cantor David Proser. Memorial donations may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice. H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts. Ann Verner (Burg) Virginia Beach—Anne Verner (Burg) passed away Sunday, March 19, 2017, peacefully with her family at her side.
A native of Montreal, Canada, she was pre-deceased by her parents Harry and Esther Leon, her sister Lya Joy Boles, and her two loving husbands, Harold Verner and Fred Burg. Anne was a graduate of Holy Name College and the Detroit Institute of Fashion and Interior Design. She resided in Virginia Beach since 1965. Anne was a trained lyric soprano who used her music both as a volunteer and in a paid setting in her youth. Mrs. Verner is survived by her best friend and loving daughter, Leslie Verner, her loving son Charles Verner, and her daughter Ellen Tenenbaum (Sigmund), as well as her step-children Fay Silverman (Charles Silverman) and E. Dianna Burg (Gay Bouchakian), and her grandchildren Jonathan Marani, Samuel Silverman (Nicole Silverman), and Paul “PJ” Silverman. Services were held with Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz officiating in H.D Oliver Funeral Apts. Contributions to Eastern Virginia Medical School or Virginia Beach General Hospital. Online condolences at www.hdoliver.com. Stuart Irwin Glazer Norfolk—Stuart Irwin Glazer, 82, passed away on March 18, 2017. He was the son of the late Marion and Meyer Glazer. He graduated from Maury High School and attended the University of Miami. He had been a member of Ohef Sholom Temple. Stuart showed great perseverance and courage throughout his life. He was a big fan of all sports and played golf as a hobby
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for many years. Fishing was another activity that he loved and excelled at during his younger years, catching more than 40 fish in one afternoon. Family was important to him— always looking forward to holiday dinner celebrations. Stuart is survived by sisters Brenda Lisner (Sheal), and Janet Hill and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Funeral services were private, handled by Altmeyer Funeral Home. Cantor Wally Schachet-Briskin officiated. Julius I. Marcus Portsmouth—Julius Marcus passed away reluctantly and fighting for every breath at Sentara Heart Hospital on Saturday March 25, begging for the chance to “get out of here and go home.” Born on January 11, 1928, he was the son of the late Meyer and Rebecca Marcus, one of six children. He was predeceased by his older brother, Adolph and sister, Sarah. Julius is survived by his wife of 62 years, Jeanne Mussman Marcus, and his two daughters, Margie Marcus of Bethesda, Md., and Leslie Marcus Auerbach; granddaughters Rebecca and Katie Auerbach, and his son-in-law, Andrew Auerbach. He is also survived by brother Dr. Lawrence Marcus of Gaithersburg Md., and Gloria Grabenstein and her husband Dan in Harrisburg, and sister Gladys Novey in Baltimore. Julius graduated from William Penn High School and served two years in the army before attending Bloomberg State
College, and graduated from Penn State in 1951, where he was president of his fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi. Playing basketball starting in high school was a hobby he continued throughout his adult life, playing in a pick up game at the community center well into a time when he was known on the team as “Pops.” He worked for several different companies before enrolling as an IRS agent where he found much satisfaction in a 30-year career. Julius was known to be very entertaining, with his collection of stories, puns, and jokes always on-hand. These characteristics became the earmark of his personality. His penchant to spin a tale would never disappoint. A funeral service was held at H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts, followed by burial in Gomley Chesed Cemetery. Online condolences may be offered at hdoliver.com. Harriet Semel Orleans Norfolk—Harriet Semel Orleans passed away at home on March 16, 2017. She was the daughter of Sarah Coplon Semel and was born on November 9, 1925. She was predeceased by her husband Howard Orleans, her daughter Dana Kishter, and her brother, Sidney Semel. Harriet is survived by her children Barry (Susan) and Roy (Lorna) of Virginia Beach, Nancy Singer of Bethesda, Md., and Kathy Blumenkopf (Bob) of Olney, Md.; and eight grandchildren who adored their Bubby: Gavin, Sarah, Andrew, April, Todd, Howie, Eric, and Keri; her brother Robert Semel (Jackie), her sister Rita Cohen (Ramon), and son-in-law, Neil Kishter (Emily). Graveside Funeral services were
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obituaries conducted by Dr. Rabbi Michael Panitz and held in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Donations to the charity of the donor’s choice. H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts. Online condolences may be offered to the family at hdoliver.com. Lev Shikhman Virginia Beach—Captian Lev Shikhman, Soviet Naval Engineer, Retired, weighed anchor Friday, March 24, 2017 to rendezvous with his beloved wife, Roza in God’s Heaven to complete one of the greatest love stories of life. Born May 31, 1924 in Russia, Lev was destined as a mathematical genius to become an engineer under the Soviet military buildup during WW II. As a Jewish Midshipman, he attended the Soviet Naval Academy at Leningrad (Saint Petersburg) Russia. Following graduation he received orders to Soviet Submarine School where he excelled as an engineer. Assigned to numerous submarines stationed over the vast territories of Russia, Lev met a beautiful professional Romanian Opera Singer, Roza, who would soon become his wife and lifetime companion. The hardships of Soviet Governmental assignments meant numerous moves coast to coast to meet the needs of the Naval Service. Roza bore the loneliness of Lev’s at sea assignments while having a son, Michael and continuing with her career as Lev rose to the command level of Naval Captain. With the disintegration of the Soviet Empire, Lev lost his military pension. His clear-headed admiration for the Americans caused him and Roza to move the family to Chicago, Ill., where he was hired as an engineer. The Shikhmans applied for U.S. citizenships and prospered well, in America. Due to Roza’s debilitating health issues, doctors recommended they move somewhere close to the Ocean, hence they became residents of Virginia Beach. Their love for the arts caused them to become interpreters for visitors who attended various theater events in Tidewater. Their growing circle of friends here loved every encounter with Lev and Roza. Sadly, Roza passed away recently and Lev pined for the love of his life, constantly. They both proclaimed their love for God and thanked him for their blessed life
together, especially for the peace and prosperity they found in America. Their love was the purest, brightest, and most beautifully passionate item ever witnessed. They leave Lev’s sister, Lena; niece Gala; son Michael and his wife, Ereena; and two grandsons, Arthur and Jerry Shikhman who all reside in New York. Memorial services were held at Temple Emanuel Synagogue. Altmeyer Funeral Home.
Ingeborg Syllm-Rapoport, who earned doctorate 80 years after Nazis’ denial Ingeborg Syllm-Rapoport, a German neonatologist who passed her doctoral defense exam nearly eight decades after she was denied the opportunity by the Nazis, has died at 104. She reportedly died Thursday, March 23 in Berlin. A funeral will be held in the German capital in May. Syllm-Rapoport, a former professor of pediatrics and head of the neonatology department at Berlin’s prominent Charite Hospital who retired in 1973, passed the exam on May 13, 2015, at the University of Hamburg. She completed her thesis on diphtheria in 1938, but was refused entrance to the oral exam by the Nazi authorities because her mother was Jewish. Syllm-Rapoport immigrated to the United States in 1938 and was required to study for two additional years to be certified as a doctor, despite graduating from a German medical school. She married in 1946 and the couple returned to Germany in 1952 after her husband was persecuted by anti-communist efforts during the McCarthy era. She is survived by four children, nine grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. (JTA)
Historian Elliott Horowitz, expert on Jewish violence Elliott Horowitz, the author of Reckless Rites: Purim and the Legacy of Jewish Violence—considered the most wide-ranging book on Jewish violence—has died. Horowitz, who taught early modern Jewish history at two Israeli universities, died suddenly on Saturday, March 18 of a
heart attack. He was 64. Reckless Rites is the first book to fully acknowledge and address the actual anti-Christian practices that became part of the playful, theatrical violence of the Jewish festival of Purim, according to the Princeton University Press. Horowitz, a cultural-social historian of early modern Europe, served as co-editor of the Jewish Quarterly Review, a peer-reviewed journal of the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, which he and co-editor David Myers are credited with revitalizing in the past decade. Horowitz was educated at Princeton and Yale universities before moving to Israel in 1982, where he taught early modern Jewish history at Ben-Gurion and Bar-Ilan universities. He also is known for his article on Coffee, Coffee Houses, and the Nocturnal Rituals of Early Modern Jewry. (JTA)
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who knew? Jewish countertenor, 23, wins prestigious Metropolitan Opera award NEW YORK (JTA)—A 23-year-old Jewish singer won a prominent competition held by the Metropolitan Opera. Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, a countertenor from Brooklyn, was one of six winners among the nine finalists who performed at the National Council Auditions Grand Finals at Lincoln Center. The prize is often seen as the most prestigious for opera singers in the United States. Nussbaum Cohen, the son of JTA contributor Debra Nussbaum Cohen, performed two arias, Handel’s Dove sei, amato bene? from Rodelinda and Jonathan Dove’s Dawn, still darkness from Flight. The New York Times’ classical music editor, Zachary Woolfe, said Nussbaum
Cohen, who studied history at Princeton University, was the only “complete artist” at the competition. “Expressive yet dignified, his phrasing confident and his ornamentation stylishly discreet, he brought tears to my eyes,” Woolfe wrote of Nussbaum Cohen’s rendition of the Handel aria. The National Council Auditions is run by the Metropolitan Opera “to discover promising young opera singers and assist in the development of their careers,” according to its website. Auditions are held across the U.S. and Canada, and winners and finalists each receive $15,000 and $5,000, respectively.
Bar Refaeli is pregnant with 2nd child
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JERUSALEM (JTA)—Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli is pregnant with her second child. “Something’s cooking,” she wrote in a post on Instagram alongside a photo of her taking a selfie of her bare midriff, which shows a small baby bump. Refaeli gave birth to a baby girl, Liv, last August. She married Israeli businessman
Adi Ezra in September 2015. Refaeli is considered Israel’s leading female model and was featured on the cover of the 2009 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. She is a former girlfriend of the Hollywood film star Leonardo DiCaprio and in 2012 was voted No. 1 on Maxim magazine’s Hot 100 list.
Britney Spears tickets go on sale in Israel hours after concert announced
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JERUSALEM ( JTA)—Tickets to see American pop singer Britney Spears are on sale in Israel. Tickets for the summer concert went on sale late Tuesday, March 29, just hours after the concert was confirmed. They start at nearly $100. The concert, set for July 3 at Yarkon Park in Tel Aviv, is part of Spears’ summer Asian tour. The tour is promoting her album, Glory, which was released last year. It is her first tour outside the U.S.
since 2011. Spears, 35, has sold more than 240 million albums, DVDs and singles since her debut in 1999. She has been the artist in residence at the Planet Hollywood Hotel in Las Vegas since late 2013, where she performs Britney: Piece of Me. Other big names scheduled to perform in Israel in the coming months include Gun N’ Roses, Aerosmith, Justin Bieber, Radiohead and Tears for Fears.
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