Jewish News April 6, 2015 by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater

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10 Leyla Sandler with JDC in India

30 Teen Wellness Sunday, April 19

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Virginia State Bar cancels Jerusalem seminar, cites ‘discriminatory’ border policies

he Virginia State Bar canceled its plans to hold a legal seminar in Jerusalem, citing “unacceptable discriminatory policies and practices pertaining to border security.” The Midyear Legal Seminar trip to Jerusalem had been scheduled for November, according to the state agency’s website. The agency is looking into other venues. In a letter sent Friday, March 27, Kevin Martingayle, president of the Virginia State Bar, wrote, “Upon review of U.S. State Department advisories and other research, and after consultation with our leaders, it has been determined that there is enough legitimate concern to warrant cancellation of the Israel trip and exploration of alternative locations.” Martingayle told the Washington Times that the trip was canceled due to concerns that “many of its members” would

not be let in to Israel. The concerns appear to stem from a change.org petition by the Concerned Members of the Virginia State Bar, which said, “It is without question that Israel employs discriminatory entry and exit policies for U.S. citizens, particularly against visiting Arab- and Muslim-Americans. The petition also said, “As members of the VSB, we have taken an oath to uphold our profession’s highest ideals. At the core of these ideals is the belief that no person or group should be subjected to differential treatment on the basis of their immutable characteristics. The location of this year’s Seminar, however, strikes at the heart of our profession’s ideals.” The petition was closed after the decision to cancel the trip. It had 39 signatures. David Bernstein, the George Mason

University Foundation professor at the George Mason University School of Law in Arlington, Va., wrote in the Washington Post, “If the Virginia State Bar is in effect boycotting Israel, I, and I suspect many others, will henceforth be boycotting the State Bar, in my case beyond what is necessary to assist my students, which is my professional obligation. I would hope that no Virginia attorneys who are supporters of Israel will attend whatever alternative venue the State Bar settles on.” Bernstein also pointed out that the American Bar Association has in recent years held two meetings in Israel, and that Virginia has a state agency called the Virginia Israel Advisory Board “that proactively serves as the bridge and facilitator between Israeli companies and the Commonwealth of Virginia.” (JTA)

Amnesty Int’l: Gaza rocket attacks by Palestinians are war crimes JERUSALEM (JTA)—Several rocket attacks launched at Israel from inside the Gaza Strip amount to war crimes, Amnesty International said. In a report released Wednesday, March 25, the human rights group also found that Palestinian rocket fire during the HamasIsrael conflict last summer killed more civilians inside the Gaza Strip than inside Israel due to the use of unguided projectiles that cannot be accurately aimed at specific targets. In many cases, the rockets landed inside Gaza rather than the intended targets in Israel. Using unguided weapons is prohibited

under international law and their use constitutes a war crime. “Palestinian armed groups, including the armed wing of Hamas, repeatedly launched unlawful attacks during the conflict killing and injuring civilians,” said Philip Luther, director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Amnesty International. “In launching these attacks, they displayed a flagrant disregard for international humanitarian law and for the consequences of their violations on civilians in both Israel and the Gaza Strip.” Six Israeli civilians were killed in the conflict last summer.

contents Up Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Briefs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Torah Thought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Michael Douglas on anti-Semitism . . . 6 Anti-Semitic incidents up in U.S. . . . . 7 Nuclear negotiations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 State on Virginia Bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Leyla Sandler in India . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Ofer Merin in Tidewater. . . . . . . . . . . 12 Celebrate Israel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Beth Sholom Village Story . . . . . . . . . 15 Temple Sinai named to Historic Register. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

“Palestinian armed groups must end all direct attacks on civilians and indiscriminate attacks,” Luther said. “They must also take all feasible precautions to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip from the effects of such attacks. This includes taking all possible measures to avoid locating fighters and arms within or near densely populated areas.” At least 1,585 Palestinian civilians, including more than 530 children, were killed in Gaza, according to Amnesty, and at least 16,245 homes were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by Israeli attacks during the conflict. Amnesty says some of these attacks also amounted to war crimes.

quotable Literacy at home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Israeli counselors at Camp JCC. . . . . 25 It’s a Wrap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Book Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 CRC Poster Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 What’s Happening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Who Knew?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Still Passover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

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briefs Western Wall cleaned for Passover Workers at the Western Wall removed the notes placed in the cracks by worshippers in advance of Passover. The notes were removed Wednesday, March 25 under the supervision of the rabbi of the Western Wall, Shmuel Rabinovich. They will be buried in the Mount of Olives cemetery in Jerusalem. The Western Wall Institute also receives tens of thousands of notes through its website and by fax to be placed in the wall, the office of the Rabbi of the Western Wall said. The notes are removed from the wall twice a year, before Rosh Hashanah and Passover, using wooden sticks dipped in the mikvah. (JTA) Fund established in memory of Sassoon children A fund to assist parents who cannot afford to pay day school tuition has been established in memory of the seven children who died in a Shabbat house fire in Brooklyn. The Sassoon Children Memorial Fund will be administered by the New Yorkbased Jewish Communal Fund. In addition, according to Yeshiva World News, a Torah scroll will be written by the Misaskim Organization in memory of the children and for the recovery of the children’s mother, Gayle, and sister, Tziporah, who are being treated for smoke inhalation and burns in separate New York hospitals. They escaped the fire, which broke out shortly after midnight Saturday, March 21 by jumping out second-floor windows. Misaskim, based in Brooklyn, provides assistance during crises, including supporting and assisting the bereaved and watching over the deceased. Several fraudulent fundraisers in memory of the children have appeared online, Yeshiva World News reported. Meanwhile, the children’s father, Gabriel Sassoon, was interviewed in Israel following the funeral and burial of his seven children, ages 5 to 16. “I saw today the greatness of the Jewish nation,” Sassoon told the Mabat news program. “I thought, ‘Who will come to the levaya [funeral]?’ But I saw so many

4 | Jewish News | April 6, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org

people and I was proud to be part of the Jewish nation.” “I had such nachas [happiness] from my children. They were really special children,” he said. “I have had difficulties previously in my life, but they never bothered me because I had my kids. The happiness that they brought me made my life easy, but now I don’t have them. I don’t know what I will do. We were privileged to have children like this.” (JTA)

Congress members request funding for U.S.-Israel energy and water development A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers requested $2 million in funding for a U.S.-Israel energy and water development program. Led by Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), 106 members of Congress joined in the request last month for the United StatesIsrael Energy Cooperation Program, which began in 2006. The funds would be added to the Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill. The program, which deals with energy security and independence, leverages small grants for private sector innovation. Ongoing projects include funding research and development in energy technologies and efficiency in the American and Israeli private sectors. Projects involve hydroelectric energy production, the lowering of energy consumption for water treatment, wind energy storage, reduction of fuel consumption and noise control. (JTA) Turkish synagogue to reopen after government-funded restoration The Great Synagogue of Edirne in Turkey will reopen following a five-year government-sponsored restoration. The synagogue was rebuilt with $2.5 million of government funds that have restored its formerly collapsed domes and vibrant polychrome interior, Reuters reported. The restoration has taken place despite the fact that Edirne, near Turkey’s western border with Greece and Bulgaria, has only one part-time Jewish resident. The resident, Rifat Mitrani, grew up

in Edirne and married his wife in the synagogue, but he now only lives in the city during the week to look after his two supermarkets. He returns to his family in Istanbul for Shabbat, according to Reuters. The synagogue, built in 1907, was closed in 1983. It was modeled originally after Vienna’s Leopoldstadter Tempel, which has since been destroyed, according to the Hurriyet Daily News. Last November, the governor of Edirne threatened to reopen the building only as a museum and not as a synagogue, but he subsequently apologized for his remarks and backed down from his threat. (JTA)

Clinton: U.S.-Israel relationship should return to ‘constructive footing’ Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the relationship between the United States and Israel should return to a “constructive footing.” Clinton, who is expected to announce her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the 2016 presidential election, made the comments in a telephone conversation with Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the Presidents Conference said in a statement issued Sunday, March 29. “Secretary Clinton thinks we need to all work together to return the special U.S.-Israel relationship to constructive footing, to get back to basic shared concerns and interests, including a two-state solution pursued through direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians,” Hoenlein said in the statement regarding the conversation. “We must ensure that Israel never becomes a partisan issue,” he also said, citing Clinton. Hoenlein initiated the conversation, according to the Presidents Conference. It was Clinton’s first comments on the U.S.-Israel relationship since Israeli national elections returned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to office. “Secretary Clinton’s views are of special importance and timeliness given recent issues in the U.S.-Israel relationship.

We note her call for direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, which, we believe, is the only possible route to a true peace,” Hoenlein said. The relationship between Israel and the United States hit a nadir in the wake of Netanyahu’s pre-election rhetoric about not reaching an agreement on a two-state solution during his tenure, and sounding the alarm over the large number of ArabIsraelis who went to the polls on Election Day, as well as ongoing disagreements with the Obama administration over a potential deal with Iran concerning its nuclear program reflected in Netanyahu’s controversial speech before Congress. (JTA)

Harvey Weinstein urges Jews to ‘kick ass’ in anti-Semitism fight Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein urged Jews in the fight against anti-Semitism to “stand up and kick these guys in the ass.” On Tuesday, March 24, the famously combative Weinstein made his remarks at a gala dinner given by the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, where he was presented with the organization’s Humanitarian Award. Jews, he told the audience, “better stand up and kick these guys in the ass,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. Weinstein, who has produced a litany of hit films, including the Holocaust action movie Inglorious Basterds and Pulp Fiction, reportedly urged “understanding of our Arab brothers and our Islamic brothers,” but also warned, “We can’t allow the bad guys to win. So as they say in The Godfather, ‘back to the mattresses,’ and back to the idea that we will not ever forget what happened to us.” At the National Tribute Dinner, fellow Hollywood mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg also reportedly announced that the Wiesenthal Center had raised another $50 million toward the construction of its long-delayed and controversial Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem. The project has been dogged by a host of problems, including two architects who have resigned as well as long-running protests that the museum is being partially built on top of the historic Muslim Mumilla Cemetery. (JTA)

Torah Thought

Passover and Appomatox

his year, Passover coincides with the 150th anniversary of the conclusion of the fighting in the American Civil War. The sesquicentennial ought to prompt us to reflect on our dual identity as American Jews, on the high cost of freedom, on the lessons to be learned from Judaism and the Jewish experience for today’s troubled world. The American Civil War was the moment in Jewish history when a particular nightmare from the European Jewish experience was exported to these shores. In 1806, testing the loyalty of French Jews to France, Napoleon demanded that they affirm that they would take up arms for France, even if it meant that they would be killing Jewish soldiers fighting for France’s enemies. The leaders of French Jewry made that promise… one hopes that in their hearts, they prayed that it would not come to pass. But it did come to pass in The United States, as Jews enlisted on both sides of the conflict. When I took my Temple Israel travel group to Gettysburg, on July 4, 2013, for the 150th anniversary of the conclusion of the battle of Gettysburg, our battlefield tour guide, Debra Novotny, gave us some wonderful vignettes of American Jewish history. We stopped at a monument to the 82nd Illinois regiment, conspicuous in its gallantry in the fighting north of the city on July 1. One company of that regiment was entirely composed of members of a single Chicago synagogue, who had enlisted en masse. Fascinated, I researched this topic further. The regimental colonel, Edward Salomon, continued to win positive evaluations throughout the war, ultimately achieving the rank of Brigadier General and earning the approbation of Ulysses S. Grant. As president, and as part of his sincere efforts to atone for his lapse of

1862, when he had expelled the Jews from the military department of the Tennessee (the official name of the district where General Grant was in charge of Union Army actions), Grant appointed Salomon the governor of Washington Territory—the first American Jew to reach so high a governmental office. Jews were also prominent in the Confederate army at Gettysburg. At Temple Israel’s “Second Shabbat” special service, this coming Saturday, April 11, I will tell a story that I learned from Ms. Novotny about Major Alexander Hart, of the 5th Louisiana, who is buried at the entrance to the Jewish section of Forest Lawn cemetery. These details highlight a broader trend: their service in the forces of both sides, but especially the Union armies, brought Jews into much closer association with their fellow Americans and accelerated the Americanization of our immigrant ancestors. Similar processes would later happen in World War I and especially in World War II, when 550,000 Jews were in uniform. Our service and sacrifices helped us to become full Americans, psychologically. Those experiences bequeathed to us the sense of being at home in our country—a feeling that few Jews have ever had throughout our long and lachrymose history. The Civil War proved the truth of Abraham Lincoln’s dictum that a state, half slave and half free, could not endure. The novel status of being Jewish in a free society has raised the question of assimilation, of cultural/social Jewish survival. That is the main question facing Jews in America today. It is a serious question, but at least it is not the question of physical survival that dogs Israelis, contemplating a nuclear-armed and apocalyptically crazed Iran, or the question agitating our fellow Western Jews, of when to leave an evermore anti-Semitic Europe. The Civil War was the start of the process of giving us the luxury to experiment with answers of how to sustain Jewishness, absent the pressure of persecution. When you read this, you will still be pleasantly full from your Passover seder (or sedarim). You will have just experienced the Feast of Freedom. It is one of the key

rituals for keeping Judaism vibrant in the Land of the Free. Here, too, a Civil War vignette can help us to remember the “mystic chords of memory” (Lincoln, again!) that unite the Jewish people: A Jewish Union soldier was walking through Richmond during Passover, 1865, just after Grant’s forces had captured the Confederate capital. He saw a Jewish boy sitting on a stoop, munching on a board of matzah. The soldier asked the boy for a bite. The boy ran inside, calling loudly to his mother: “Mama, there’s a damn-yankee-Jew outside!” The mother appeared, apologized for her son’s rude language, and invited the soldier to dine with the family the next day. They kept their appointment, and their shared Jewishness overcame the politics that had earlier set them so much at odds—a happy ending! Wishing you a happy conclusion of Passover! —Rabbi Michael Panitz, Temple Israel

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Global surges of anti-Semitism Op-Ed: My son’s encounter with anti-Jewish hatred by Michael Douglas

(JTA)—Last summer our family went to southern Europe on holiday. During our stay at a hotel, our son Dylan went to the swimming pool. A short time later he came running back to the room, upset. A man at the pool had started hurling insults at him. My first instinct was to ask, “Were you misbehaving?” “No,” Dylan told me through his tears. I stared at him. And suddenly I had an awful realization of what might have caused the man’s outrage: Dylan was wearing a Star of David. After calming him down, I went to the pool and asked the attendants to point out the man who had yelled at him. We talked. It was not a pleasant discussion. Afterward, I sat down with my son and said: “Dylan, you just had your first taste of anti-Semitism.” My father, Kirk Douglas, born Issur Danielovitch, is Jewish. My mother, Diana,

is not. I had no formal religious upbringing from either of them, and the two kids I have with Catherine Zeta-Jones are like me, growing up with one parent who is Jewish and one who is not. Several years ago Dylan, through his friends, developed a deep connection to Judaism, and when he started going to Hebrew school and studying for his bar mitzvah, I began to reconnect with the religion of my father. While some Jews believe that not having a Jewish mother makes me not Jewish, I have learned the hard way that those who hate do not make such fine distinctions. Dylan’s experience reminded me of my first encounter with anti-Semitism, in high school. A friend saw someone Jewish walk by, and with no provocation he confidently told me: “Michael, all Jews cheat in business.” “What are you talking about?” I said. “Michael, come on,” he replied. “Everyone knows that.”

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With little knowledge of what it meant acts are a crime against all French people to be a Jew, I found myself passionately that must be confronted, combated and defending the Jewish people. Now, half a stopped. He challenged his nation to tell century later, I have to defend my son. Anti- the world: Without its Jews, France would no longer be France. Semitism, I’ve seen, is like a disease Speaking up is the responsithat goes dormant, flaring up Antibility of our religious leaders, with the next political trigger. and Pope Francis has used In my opinion there are Semitism, his powerful voice to make three reasons anti-Semitism is appearing now with I’ve seen, is like his position and that of the Catholic Church clear, renewed vigilance. The first is that his- a disease that goes saying: “It’s a contradiction that a Christian is torically, it always grows dormant, flaring anti-Semitic. His roots are more virulent whenever Jewish. Let anti-Semitism and wherever the econoup with the be banished from the heart my is bad. In a time when and life of every man and income disparity is growing, next political every woman.” when hundreds of millions of In New York, Cardinal people live in abject poverty, trigger. Timothy M. Dolan is well-known some find Jews to be a convenient for building a bridge to the Jewish scapegoat rather than looking at the community. His words and actions and the real source of their problems. A second root cause of anti-Semitism pope’s are evidence of the reconciliation derives from an irrational and misplaced between two major religions, an inspiring hatred of Israel. Far too many people see example of how a past full of persecution Israel as an apartheid state and blame the and embedded hostility can be overcome. It’s also the responsibility of regular people of an entire religion for what, in truth, are internal national-policy deci- citizens to take action. In Oslo, members of sions. Does anyone really believe that the the Muslim community joined their fellow innocent victims in that kosher shop in Norwegians to form a ring of peace at a local Paris and at that bar mitzvah in Denmark synagogue. Such actions give me hope— had anything to do with Israeli-Palestinian they send a message that together, we can policies or the building of settlements stand up to hatred of the Jewish people. So that is our challenge in 2015, and 2,000 miles away? The third reason is simple demograph- all of us must take it up. Because if we ics. Europe is now home to 25 million to 30 confront anti-Semitism whenever we see million Muslims, twice the world’s entire it, if we combat it individually and as a Jewish population. Within any religious society, and use whatever platform we have community that large, there will always to denounce it, we can stop the spread of be an extremist fringe, people who are this madness. My son is strong. He is fortunate to live radicalized and driven with hatred, while rejecting what all religions need to preach in a country where anti-Semitism is rare. —respect, tolerance and love. We’re now But now, he too, has learned of the dangers seeing the amplified effects of that small, that he as a Jew must face. It’s a lesson radicalized element. With the Internet, its that I wish I didn’t have to teach him, a virus of hatred can now speed from nation lesson I hope he will never have to teach to nation, helping fuel Europe’s new epi- his children. Michael Douglas, award-winning actor/ demic of anti-Semitism.It is time for each producer and United Nations messenger of of us to speak up against this hate. Speaking up is the responsibility of our peace, received the 2015 Genesis Prize, which political leaders. French Prime Minister honors “exceptional people whose values and Manuel Valls has made it clear that achievements will inspire the next generation anti-Semitism violates the morals and spir- of Jews.” This article first appeared in the Los it of France and that violent anti-Semitic Angeles Times.

Global surges of anti-Semitism ADL: Anti-Semitic incidents in U.S. up by 21 percent NEW YORK (JTA)—Anti-Semitic incidents in the United States rose by 21 percent in 2014, according to the Anti-Defamation League’s annual audit of anti-Semitism. The organization counted 912 anti-Semitic incidents last year, up from 751 in 2013, with the period surrounding last summer’s Gaza war seeing a surge of incidents. The tally included 36 cases of assault or other violence, 363 incidents of vandalism, and 513 cases of harassment, threats and events. “2014 was a particularly violent year for Jews both overseas and in the United States,” Abraham Foxman, ADL’s national director, said in a statement. “Lethal anti-Semitism continues to pose a threat to American Jews and larger society as well.” The count includes a wide variety of incidents, ranging from the shooting spree last April at a pair of Jewish institutions in Kansas that left three people dead to swastika graffiti, vandalized menorahs,

personal spats involving anti-Semitic rants, offensive postings on social media and anti-Semitic letters to the editor. “Anti-Jewish sentiment is increasing globally because of the oppressive behavior of Jews in power and their crimes against humanity,” read one letter printed in the Riverdale Press in New York that was included in the ADL audit. In the annual tally, which is compiled using information provided by victims, law enforcement and community leaders, the states with the most anti-Semitic incidents correlated, as usual, with the states with the largest Jewish populations. New York led with 231 incidents, followed by California (184 incidents), New Jersey (107), Florida (70) and Pennsylvania (48). Massachusetts, which placed sixth, counted 47 incidents, one more than in 2013. “Every act of anti-Semitism is one too many,” Evan Bernstein, ADL’s New York regional director, said in a statement. “We

need to raise awareness of this troubling it crosses the line “from legitimate critiphenomenon, which is happening right cism to anti-Semitism by invoking classic here in our neighborhoods across the city anti-Jewish stereotypes or inappropriate Nazi imagery and/or analand state.” ogies.” Despite the year-overAmong the incidents year rise, the number of that fell into that cateU.S. anti-Semitic incigory was the defacing of dents in 2014 was still a Lowell, Mass., synaone of the lowest totals Anti-Semitic incidents gogue with the slogans recorded since the ADL reported in 2014 “Free Palestine” and “God began keeping records of Bless Gaza”; the scrawlthem in 1979, the organiing of “Jews=Killers” zation said. Certain kinds and “Jews are Killing of attacks, however, are on Innocent Children” near the rise—notably attacks the entrance to a Jewish by hackers on community summer camp in Malibu, and synagogue websites. During the war last summer between Calif.; and a conversation between a doctor Israel and Hamas in Gaza, anti-Semitic and a Jewish patient in Boca Raton, Fla., in incidents more than doubled compared which the doctor said that the Jews killed to the same period in 2013. The ADL Jesus and that current events were attributsaid it does not count criticism of Israel able to that crime. or Zionism as anti-Semitic except when

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After the nuclear negotiators go home, what happens next? by Uriel Heilman

( JTA)—Diplomats in Lausanne, Switzerland, have extended their deadline on a framework accord on Iran’s nuclear program. But even if an agreement is reached, it’s merely a way station toward a comprehensive deal that is due by June 30. If the six world powers—the United States, Britain, Russia, China, France and Germany—negotiating with Iran manage to reach a final deal, Iran’s Ayatollah

Khamenei still must grant his approval and President Obama will have to overcome opposition in Congress. The deal need not be subject to a congressional vote, but there are several ways Congress could scuttle it anyway. Opponents could assemble a veto-proof congressional majority for a bill that either negates the deal or makes implementation extremely difficult—like delaying the lifting of sanctions until Iran satisfies certain conditions, or automatically reinstating

them if Iran supports a terrorist act. While Congress alone has the authority to permanently suspend congressional sanctions against Iran, the president has the power to temporarily waive them. In practice, that means Obama can circumvent Congress indefinitely by continually suspending sanctions. Why is Israel so against a deal? The Israeli government believes a bad deal is worse than no deal. At best, the deal under consideration would leave Iran with the capability to produce a weapon—its so-called breakout time—in about a year. At worst, Tehran would continue secret work toward a bomb while capitalizing on the easing of sanctions to reinforce the Islamic regime and expand its power abroad. Despite his bluster, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel says he’s not against a deal, just this particular one. The Israelis believe that the harsher the sanctions are against Iran and the tougher Washington’s negotiating stance, the more concessions they’ll be able to get from Iran. What are Israel’s alternatives? The Israeli government will continue to push for sanctions against Iran with the hope that they hobble the Islamic regime, either toppling it or forcing it back to the negotiating table. Meanwhile, Israel likely will continue its clandestine efforts to disrupt the Iranian nuclear program, including tactics like Stuxnet, a software virus designed to destroy Iranian centrifuges. It’s not clear whether Israel has a viable military option. Aside from the diplomatic consequences of a military strike, the geography of Iran’s nuclear facilities—multiple sites, dispersed and underground—makes it highly unlikely that Israel would be able to wipe out Iran’s nuclear program as successfully as it did Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor in 1981. An Israeli attack on Iran also is likely to set off harsh responses from Tehran, its Hezbollah proxy in Lebanon and its allies elsewhere in the region. Reprisals might not be limited to Israel, and could include Israeli and Jewish targets abroad. What are America’s alternatives? While the United States has never officially taken the military option off the table, Obama is exceedingly unlikely ever to use it. Aside from the difficulty of mounting a successful attack on Iran’s nuclear installa-

8 | Jewish News | April 6, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org

tions, Obama is not likely to take such an extreme step given his cautious nature, the rapport the U.S. administration has built with the Iranians and the lack of international consensus for such a move. Obama may try again with the Iranians if a deal is not reached by the June 30 deadline. But if Congress strengthens sanctions first and the Iranians balk at returning to the negotiating table, the most likely outcome is that Obama goes back to Chicago without an agreement, leaving the problem for the next U.S. president to resolve. How is the rest of the Middle East reacting to a prospective Iran deal? There is great concern among the region’s Sunni Arab regimes (Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Persian Gulf nations) that Washington’s pursuit of a deal with Tehran is widening Shiite Iran’s regional influence and power. Since the 2003 Iraq War, Iranian allies have taken over in Iraq, Lebanon and now Yemen. While Sunni Arab governments regard the Sunni extremists of the Islamic State (ISIS) as a threat, they don’t want them replaced with Iranian proxies either. Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt long have relied on cozy relationships with Washington, but things have cooled in tandem with Washington’s negotiations with Tehran. The relationship between Obama and Netanyahu has devolved into bitterness and dysfunction; Cairo has been kept at arm’s length since the Egyptian military deposed the democratically elected Islamist president, Mohamed Morsi, and installed Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi in his place; and Saudi Arabia feels it doesn’t have the U.S. administration’s ear when it comes to Iran. So these countries have been taking matters into their own hands. Netanyahu has bypassed the White House in trying to marshal U.S. opposition to an Iran deal. In Yemen, Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes with support from Egypt and Gulf regimes to counter the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who overran the U.S.-backed Yemeni president and prompted U.S. officials in the country to flee. If these Sunni Arab regimes now believe they can’t rely on the U.S. to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, they’re likely to pursue nuclear weapons, too. So might Turkey, igniting a regional arms race.

Statement on Virginia State Bar decision to cancel seminar in Israel

by the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater

he Tidewater Jewish community joins with the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington in their statements of condemnation following the Virginia State Bar’s decision to cancel their Midyear Legal Seminar in Israel in November and their communication on this decision over the past few days. We are shocked and highly concerned by both the decision and the manner in which it was communicated. On March 27, the Virginia State Bar (VSB) e-mailed its members and canceled its planned trip to Israel scheduled for later this year citing Israel’s alleged “unacceptable discriminatory policies and practices pertaining to border security that affect travelers to the nation.” (see page 3.) The VSB statement that Israel’s “discriminatory” practices and inference that Israel’s visitor-entry procedures may be racially or religiously biased, offended many in the Commonwealth and around the globe. Not only was the reference factually incorrect and offensive, but it was highly inappropriate for the VSB to make a statement which could only be perceived as political. On March 29, the VSB emailed its membership a second time in an attempt to clarify the reason for its decision to cancel, stating, “We are merely recognizing the reality that our very large and diverse membership, consisting of well over 40,000 members, includes individuals who may encounter lengthy examination and possible rejection in attempting to navigate the immigration security procedures in Israel.” The clarification made things worse. The Sunday email again based the trip cancellation, in part, on the erroneous assumption that Israeli visitor-entry policies may discriminate against some VSB members on an impermissible or unfair basis. It is certainly true that Israel, as with every country, may deny admission into its country, people it determines to be security threats. As with all countries, Israel needs to take care that visitors to her country do not pose a security threat while traveling there. While Israel may turn away visitors it determines to be security threats, so do Great Britain, France, and Italy, all places where VSB members have travelled as part of VSB sponsored trips. The United States reserves for itself the

right to bar entry to individuals who our government determines to be security threats. Thus, the VSB has set two different standards in its treatment of travel to foreign countries. For other countries in the world, the VSB will sponsor trips with appropriate deference to the host country’s authority to determine who may enter. For Israel, though, the VSB will not sponsor a trip absent an assurance by the Israeli government, in advance, that VSB members will be exempt from Israel’s ordinary security procedures. The VSB is holding Israel to a separate standard. The VSB’s choice, willingly or unwillingly, to apply a separate and impossible standard to Israel effectively aligned its policies with those of the pernicious Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. BDS rejects Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish democratic state in the ancestral Jewish homeland. The movement singles out Israel for demonization, while consistently applying double standards that undermine Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorism and radical extremism. Neither the U.S. nor the Israeli government, nor any country, can guarantee the entry of any individual without review. That said, every year millions of people of all nationalities travel to Israel without any hindrance or delay. Israel’s entry and exit procedures, while certainly strict, are entirely necessary in light of the country’s onerous security predicament. And while the VSB cited the State Department website’s words of caution to those travelling to Israel and the concern some members expressed about being admitted into the country, the BDS movement frequently distorts complex security considerations in its effort to falsely depict Israel as dismissive of civil liberties. We feel certain that those consequences of the VSB’s decision to cancel its Israel trip were entirely unintended; and therefore, we ask that the VSB acknowledge its mistake and take swift action. First, we seek a written apology from the VSB for its statements that run counter to the historic relationship between the Commonwealth and Israel, reaffirmed recently through the unanimously approved State of Virginia House Joint Resolution 659, commending the State of Israel, declaring “…Israel is the greatest friend of the United States in the Middle

East” and citing the friendship between Israel and the Commonwealth of Virginia as a relationship “that strengthens each passing year.” This resolution reminds all Virginians of the commitment our legislature made to the State of Israel. Second, the VSB should retract in writing to its members its statement concerning alleged unacceptable “discriminatory policies and practices pertaining to border security that affect travelers to the nation.” In addition, it should emphasize that it has

no reason to believe that any VSB member would be denied admission to Israel for any improper reason, as was the case with prior VSB trips to other nations. Third, we call upon the VSB to work closely with the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater to conduct an educational program within the next twelve months targeted at informing VSB membership on the nefarious nature and dangers of the BDS movement.

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jewishnewsva.org | April 6, 2015 | Jewish News | 9

Healthy Bodies.

Healthy Lives. I

............................. ................................

A Teen Wellness Event

for parents & Teens (8th grade and up)

SUN. APRIL 19 · 1:00-3:45pm

Free & Open to the Community · At the Simon Family JCC 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23462 • 2 large group discussions & 3 teen only/parent only breakout sessions. • Teen topics: Self-esteem, stress management, body image and the media. • Parent topics: Positive communication, warning signs, family food culture. • Experts include: Dr. David S. Reitman, Medical Director, American University Student Health Center, specialists from The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt, & area professionals.

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Presented by The United Jewish FederaTion of Tidewater • The Simon Family JCC • BBYO Jewish Family Service of Tidewater • Ohef Sholom Temple Youth Group

10 | Jewish News | April 6, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org

Leyla Sandler impacts children in India by Terri Denison

t must be in her DNA. Leyla Sandler, LCSW, spends her life helping others, whether in her “day job” or when she has “time off.” Sandler’s “day job” is spent as an investigative social worker on child abuse cases in Washington, D.C. Her recent “time off” was spent with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee ( JDC) teaching children who live in abject poverty in India. “JDC does shortterm service trips for about two months in various parts Leyla Sandler with students. of the world,” says Sandler, a Norfolk native. The India trip is in conjunction with the Gabriel Project, Mumbai (GPM). It regularly sends “Jewish young adults, ages 18–35, on a comprehensive two month volunteer and learning program in Mumbai, India, through the JDC Entwine Global Jewish Service Corps (JSC) program,” according to its website. During the program, participants, such as Sandler, provide literacy and nutrition assistance for children living in the slums. “For some people, they saw the poverty. I see it everyday in D.C. There are poor people everywhere. The difference is that in the United States it might be a few blocks at a time, but in Mumbai, there are miles and miles of it.” Armed with lessons plans developed each evening, the JDC participants travel by train every morning to the slums where they divide into groups of two or three volunteers. Each group, Sandler says, goes to two or three makeshift classrooms each day to teach and help the children. Each

group is supposed to include a male for security (although that isn’t always the case), a translator and an instructor. A typical workweek of Monday through Friday is spent in the slums from 8 am until 2 pm. Making teaching even more challeng-

ing, because the classes are created by proximity, not by age or grade level, ages vary widely in each class. “It is not unusual to have a class with kids from three years old to 10 years old,” says Sandler. In creating the lesson plans, Sandler says they picked a theme for each week, with Friday culminating in a fun, educational activity. The GPM staff helps volunteers make the lesson plans, based on a set curriculum. Volunteers interact and play with the children and help teach English, science and math. “The kids loved having us there,” says Sandler. It is really empowering to them to have the attention.” Sandler says that in addition to having their children gain some education, mothers have two incentives for sending their kids to the classes. First, the parents have time to work, and second, the children get a free, nutritious lunch. As tough as the circumstances might be, Sandler says, she “loves international aid work.” With her family, during other JDC missions, she traveled to Haiti after the earthquake to assist with the disaster. And, after one JDC mission, she and her siblings donated the money for and built a school in Ethiopia. But, international aid work is not for everyone, Sandler says. “It’s hard. It takes years, if not generations to promote and enact change. Some volunteers get disappointed. “Issues are big and small everywhere,”

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she says. “For me, it’s great to be able to give, and not just in your own community.” Sandler says she participates in these programs because she feels that just “showing interest in a child, giving that extra hug, teaching something, making a difference for one day, might impact an entire life. “You never know the impact you can have on a child’s life,” she says. “To have the opportunity to potentially positively impact one person makes it all worth it.” For information on these and other JDC programs, go to www. jdc.org/get-involved/. The American Je wish Joint Distribution Committee ( JDC) is a recipient of funds from United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.

jewishnewsva.org | April 6, 2015 | Jewish News | 11

Save one life, save a world

Dr. Ofer Merin speaks to Tidewater community by Brad Lerner

srael has long been known as a lone democracy in a region torn apart by ethnic and religious conflict. But what might be less known is Israel’s unparalleled efforts of sending medical rescue delegations to disaster zones. Dr. Ofer Merin, leader of such humanitarian efforts for Israel, recently spoke to a large crowd at the Sandler Family Campus as a part of Israel Today, a series presented by the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and community partners. Merin spoke on the topic of Global Disaster Relief. Merin is the chief of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Field Hospital Unit and has led medical rescue teams to Haiti, Japan and the Philippines. By no means an underachiever, Merin’s “day job” is head of the trauma unit at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem. He is also the head of

Ofer Merin in Tidewater The goal of the Israel Today series is to help build relationships for Israel in the general community, as well as to educate within the Jewish community. While in Tidewater, Ofer Merin spoke to a variety of groups, including these listed below, which were not open to the public: • First Responders including police, fire, rescue, FEMA, from all cities in Tidewater, as well as state law enforcement • NJROTC leadership at Green Run High School • CBN News Interview • Children’s Hospital of The Kings Daughters, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and Eastern Virginia Medical School’s administration, doctors, nurses, staff and students

the hospital’s emergency preparedness for the hospital’s mass casualty program. Merin shared that Israel is unique in the size of its humanitarian assistance and its abilities to arrive very quickly to disaster areas. In Haiti, for example, within three days of the disaster, the Israeli team was operating in the field. After the tsunami in Japan, Merin said that Israel was the only country chosen to help because the Israeli experts did not require handholding or assistance to quickly get to work. A standard for the Field Hospital unit is that within six hours of arrival, medical personnel are treating patients. In the Philippines, Israel had the largest presence of all the medical teams who came to assist in the recovery efforts. It was great for the audience to be reminded about the courageousness of Israeli volunteers. The IDF Field Hospital staff and patients are, explained Merin, “ambassadors for Israel.” Merin made clear that Israel helps in these humanitarian crises without a political agenda or in search of fanfare. One of the most moving parts of Merin’s remarks was when he shared a personal story to illustrate his resolve. During the Holocaust, in a ghetto in Poland, all the Jews were rounded up and put on trains by the Nazis. One mother knew the final desti-

nation of the trains: Auschwitz. With one last look at her children, a son aged eight and a daughter aged six, this mother threw her children out of the train. The children ran to a small Polish village and there a young Christian lady hid these two children for the duration of the war. The war ended and the chil- Ofer Merin, Virginia State Delegate Joseph Lindsey and Miriam Seeherman. dren survived. A few years after the war, with the founding of the State of Israel, the children made their way to Israel. The boy eventually married and had three children. Merin is the second son of this boy who was saved by the kindness of the young Christian woman. Merin believes the story embodies a principle of his, a familiar saying in Judaism: “To save one person’s life is to save the whole world.” The IDF Field Hospital and the work of its volunteers resonates with people who might think a small country cannot make Naomi and Roy Estaris and Virginia State Delegate a difference. Ron Villanueva.

Top: Richard Fetter, Ralph Robbins, Greg Falls. Bottom: Eliza Cohen, Elizabeth Mitchell, Rachel Kidd and Kaycie Watkins.

12 | Jewish News | April 6, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org

Matt Sharpe, Jon Cassel, Bob Callahan and Ofer Merin.

Bernard is doing good works forever.

Local health professionals learn from the IDF

by Samantha Golden

ore than 30 healthcare professionals and members of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Maimonides Society met with Lt. Col. Dr. Ofer Merin to tackle complex moral dilemmas of disaster response and medical care on Sunday, March 15. The invitation-only reception, sponsored by UJFT’s Maimonides Society and Jewish Family Service of Tidewater’s “Spring into Healthy Living,” provided an intimate forum for medical professionals to delve into the topic, mingle with like-minded individuals and personally meet Merin. Steven Warsof, Maimonides Society co-chair, says, “Merin presented a humanitarian story that all Jews and supporters of Israel can take pride in. He related his experience as a first responder to international humanitarian crises.” Julius Miller, a Society co-chair, says, “I found the response very interesting. It is really amazing how [the IDF] gets things

done. To take politics out of it and ‘just do it’ is cool. It makes you proud!” Following the reception, guests joined Lt. Col. Dr. Merin and members of the Tidewater community for an exceptional Israel Today Series presentation hosted by UJFT’s Community Relations Council. The pre-reception’s success underscores the new growth and momentum for the Maimonides Society. A fellowship of Jewish healthcare professionals dedicated to educational, social and philanthropic activities, Maimonides Society programs help Jews in Tidewater connect with one another and realize the unique contributions that health professionals can make to support the Jewish community. To get involved, visit JewishVA.org/ MaimonidesSociety or contact Alex Pomerantz at apomerantz@ujft.org. Visit and ‘LIKE’ the Maimonides Society on Facebook. For more information about Jewish Family Service of Tidewater and “Spring Into Healthy Living,” visit jfshamptonroads.org/healthyliving and ‘LIKE’ Jewish Family Service of Tidewater on Facebook.

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jewishnewsva.org | April 6, 2015 | Jewish News | 13

JCC’s Celebrate Israel Series plans an action-packed April and May Gidi Grinstein: Monday, April 20, 7:30 pm, Simon Family JCC Jerusalem, an Imax movie, Thursday, April 23, 6 and 8 pm, Virginia Aquarium Israel Fest, Sunday, May 17, 11 am to 5 pm, Sandler Family Campus David Broza, Thursday, May 21, 7 pm, Sandler Center for the Performing Arts

by Leslie Shroyer

he Simon Family JCC’s Second Annual Celebrate Israel series, presented by

Charles Barker Automotive, will deliver four powerful and inspiring events in April and May.

Last year, the JCC began the series, which joins several programs to highlight

Israeli culture. “The Tidewater Jewish community has a history of supporting and celebrating Israel year-round,” says Scott Katz, JCC executive director. “We want to continually engage a greater and more diverse audience by packaging this together as a series each year.” Gidi Grinstein Gidi Grinstein, author of Flexigidity and director of Reut Institute, an Israeli think tank, was “snowed out” on Thursday, Feb 6, when he was originally scheduled to speak. This month, no snow is anticipated for the day he visits. His presentation is also a JCC Beyond the Book Festival event, and is presented with support from the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Grinstein will speak about his book, Flexigidity, as well as his involvement in the 21st Century Tikkun Olam project, a global engagement strategy for the State of Israel and the Jewish people spearheaded by the Reut Institute. The event is free and open to the public, with RSVP’s to Elevitt@ simonfamilyjcc.org.

Israel Fest The Simon Family JCC’s largest community party of the year features Israeli art, food, culture, crafts, rides and games for families and community members of all ages. A broad range of dishes will be available at the festival, with every area temple having an opportunity to fundraise by preparing and serving authentic Israeli and Jewish dishes. Bar Kochva Moshe will bring his Bar Kochva Israeli Art Expo featuring the works of 45 Israeli artists and more than 2,000 pieces of handcrafted fine art, Judaica, ceramics, sculpture, glass and jewelry. David Broza

Jerusalem, Imax movie Visit the Giant Screen Theater at the Virginia Aquarium for Jerusalem. The film immerses audiences into one of the world’s most beloved cities. This unique and stunning cinematic experience is presented by National Geographic and narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch. Jerusalem, presented in partnership with The Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, presented by Alma* & Howard Laderberg with program support from the Community Relations Council of the UJFT, will include a reception at 7 pm with light refreshments, catered by The Village Caterers. Tickets: $18 or $15 for JCC members. Available for purchase at The Simon Family JCC, 321-2338.

14 | Jewish News | April 6, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org

The grand finale of the Celebrate Israel series is Israeli singing star David Broza, who will perform live in concert at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts. With more than 25 albums, many of which have become multi-platinum, Broza has been a star in Israel since he was 21. He is famous throughout Israel and the Jewish world for his annual sunrise concerts at Masada on the shores of the Dead Sea which take place at midnight on Tu B’Av, Israel’s Valentine’s Day. Broza’s multi-cultural, multi-lingual and award-winning flamenco and modern, finger-picking guitar style has won him global attention. Tickets are $25, $40 and $55. To purchase, call 385-2787 or go to www. sandlercenter.org. * of blessed memory

The Simon Family JCC thanks our generous sponsors of the 2nd Annual Celebrate Israel Series. Presenting Sponsor Charles Barker Automotive Platinum Sponsors LoanCare, A ServiceLink Company The Families of Steven B. Sandler & Art and Annie Sandler Gold Sponsors Ann and Bobby Copeland Silver Sponsors Patricia and Avraham Ashkenazi ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. Bronze Sponsors Beth Sholom Village Harbor Group International Cindy and Ron Kramer Palms Associates SL Nusbaum Realty Co. Wall, Einhorn, and Chernitzer, P.C. Supporting Sponsors Community Relations Council of UJFT The Frieden Agency Jodi and Jay Klebanoff Terri and Lonny Sarfan

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Mary Catenaccio: Kosher Italian

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ary Catenaccio is a lively, mobile and very vocal 106-year-old resident at Beth Sholom Village. That information alone is a good enough story. However, as with many BSV residents, there is so much more to Mary. Russian Jewish immigrants, Mary’s parents moved to the United States for a better life, settling in Connecticut where they owned a farm and sold fruit, poultry and meat. Pregnant with Mary, her mother went to visit her sister in New York City. The trip took an unexpected turn with Mary being born on a kitchen table in China Town. While technically a New York native, Mary was raised in Connecticut, where, as a young child, she helped run the farm, milking cows, killing chickens and picking vegetables. As a young woman, still living at home, Mary travelled to visit her own older, married sister in New York City. During the visit in the “big city,” she was introduced to Samuel Catenaccio. The two fell in love and married. This marriage was not without complications since Catenaccio was not Jewish, and in fact was a devout Catholic from an Italian family. As was not uncommon in that era, Mary’s parents disowned her because of the marriage. Her parents went so far as to write an obituary for her. To them, Mary was dead. Mary was devastated by the loss of her relationship with her parents, but she was happily married. The only requirement for Samuel’s parents in marrying the Jewish woman was for her to learn to cook authentic Italian meals. She did, in fact, learn to be an outstanding

Mary and Frank.

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Italian cook. Out of respect for Mary, her husband insisted they keep a kosher home with two sets of dishes, one for meat and one for dairy. When Mary’s son, Frank was born, the family reached out to Mary’s parents. Mary’s in-laws encouraged Mary’s parents to come to New York as they were going to have a Bris, a Jewish ceremony that signifies the relationship between a Jewish boy and God. Samuel’s father decided that this was an important milestone and honoring this tradition was crucial, even though Frank would be raised Catholic. This invitation brought the two families together again. Frank’s grandfather coordinated the teaching of Hebrew by Mary’s father to Frank. To say the least, it was an odd situation, but one that managed to thrive. Sadly, Samuel died at an early age. At that time, Frank had joined the Marines and Mary became his dependent. She traveled everywhere with him and even moved to Japan for a short period. Once Frank married his wife Trudy, Mary lived with them for more than 30 years. It was not until Mary turned 100 that she moved into Beth Sholom Village. When asked if Mary had a difficult time with the transition, Frank replies, “No, we did.” Beth Sholom Village is a constituent agency of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.

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Does your home have a literacy-rich environment?

Temple Sinai in Newport News named to Virginia Historic Register

ome of the only established Reform Jewish congregation on the Peninsula, Temple Sinai has been added to the Virginia Historic Register. At a joint meeting of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources State Review Board and the Board of Historic Resources, the decision was made on Thursday, March 19 to place Temple Sinai on the Register for ethnic heritage and architectural significance. Completed in 1960 as a home for the then five-year-old congregation, Temple Sinai is the work of architect Edward Loewenstein of Greensboro, N.C. Loewenstein designed 1,600 buildings, 500 of which were residences. Temple Sinai is one of only 25 designed in a modernistic style. The building features a sloping roof, representing Noah’s Ark, and a sanctuary with a soaring open space meant to illustrate the link between man and God. Over the years, Temple Sinai has added

a number of other significant features including a Biblical Garden and Women of the Bible stained glass windows. Two of the Temple’s three Torah scrolls are also of historic significance. One dates from 18th century Morocco, the other was completed in Jerusalem in 1903. Temple members June and John Mellman prepared the extensive application, compiling pictures, maps and reports, as well as speaking to members of the early days of the congregation. Their research included a trip to Greensboro to speak to some of Loewenstein’s associates. Temple Sinai’s application will now be sent on to the National Park Service as a candidate for the National Register of Historic Places. Temple Sinai is located in Newport News at 11620 Warwick Blvd. The congregation celebrates its 60th anniversary in June.

by Janet Jenkins, HAT director of General Studies

eading and writing may be taught in classrooms, but the hub of literacy is at home. From infancy through preschool, it may be very natural to have a literacy-rich environment. Nightly bedtime stories, songs in the tub, practicing writing letters in pudding, the refrigerator leap frog that incessantly sings, “B says buh.” Yet as children get older, things that once fell into place naturally, may fall through the cracks due to busy activities and social schedules. That shared nightly story time becomes shorter and shorter, and practicing writing letters isn’t quite as fun in paragraph form as in pudding finger paint. Here are five tips to keep literacy alive at home. • Maintain family story time. Take turns selecting a book that is an appropriate level and partner read. Exchange a few reading nights for story telling night and create a magical journey together. Use a device to record the story and write it down when finished at a later time. Devote a time for a read-in: each family member reads independently for a selected amount of time. Watch a favorite show together with no sound and take turns reading the closed captions or make up dialogue. Write, direct and act in a family play. Put on a puppet show. Play Mad-Libs. • Write notes, charts and lists. Create a weekly chart on Sunday that outlines activities for the week with child-included dates and times. Literacy involves numbers, too. Children can be the “note taker” when making shopping lists. Paint a portion of a child’s door using chalkboard paint and write messages back and forth. Write letters of requests/persuasion to each other: Parent: request a clean room; Child: request a new game or book. Encourage journal writing. Write letters to relatives and friends and mail them. Write a good night note and put it on a family member’s pillow. • Design a reading nook. Involve children in every step. Create a room/space map to scale. Research designs. Decorate with favorite books, unique pens and pencils, journals, notebooks, paper, a beanbag

16 | Jewish News | April 6, 2015 | Home | jewishnewsva.org

Lorna Legum, HAT media specialist, reads to students during library time.

chair, a calendar. Remember to have a space for everything and keep it simple and clutter free. • Make the connection. Want to see a movie? Read the book. Want to get a video game? Read a book about it. Find a topic from a favorite show, read a book about it. If a child has a curious question, don’t be quick to give an answer. Instead, help them find the information. Want to learn to do something, watch a YouTube video and then, make a video for others explaining how to do it. • Just because it is fun. Make up songs about things around the house. Talk in different accents and voices. Invite friends over for Karaoke. Play games like HeadsUp or Apples to Apples. Recite lines from favorite movies or books. Make up a letter using a secret code. Checkout a variety of literacy games/apps. Gaming can be a part of the environment with the right choices. Hebrew Academy of Tidewater Konikoff Center of Learning and the Strelitz Early Childhood Center preschool is accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools and is recognized as such by the Virginia Board of Education. It is also a founding member of RAVSAK. Serving students from preschool through fifth grade, the school is also a recipient agency of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Tidewater Jewish Foundation and the United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula. To learn more about Hebrew Academy and the Strelitz Early Childhood Center preschool, contact Carin Simon, director of admissions, at 757-424-4327 or csimon@hebrewacademy.net.

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Supplement to Jewish News April 6, 2015

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

Dear Readers,

t last, it’s starting to look and feel like Spring! Following an unusually long, cold winter, Tidewater residents finally are able to get into the swing of refreshing their homes. After all, this is the time of year when homeowners traditionally start sprucing up their homes…inside and out. The cleaning begins in the closets and drawers and moves to the garages and then outside. While it might be some hard work, many are excited and even exhilarated by the process and the satisfaction of clean spaces and green things growing and blooming. Speaking of cleaning, have you checked the ingredients in your cleaning products? After reading our article on the subject, you might want to. Some homeowners find this season perfect for selling. Shikma Rubin, a loan officer at Tidewater Home Funding, offers some tips about purchasing investment properties on page 24. As always, there’s more, such as an article on saving dollars by using a programmable thermostat. We hope our article on Judaica at a European art fair is of interest to local collectors. Plus, of course, our advertisers are great sources for taking care of your home and all it needs, this and every season. One more item: That beautiful image on this section’s cover of a cozy backyard retreat belongs to Jewish News’ art director, Germaine Clair and her husband, Brooks Johnson. It’s always a treat to visit her garden. I can’t wait for this year’s invitation! Happy Home!

Terri Denison Editor

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Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 200 Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462-4370 voice 757.965.6100 • fax 757.965.6102 email news@ujft.org Terri Denison, Editor Germaine Clair, Art Director Hal Sacks, Book Review Editor Sandy Goldberg, Account Executive Mark Hecht, Account Executive Marilyn Cerase, Subscription Manager Reba Karp, Editor Emeritus Sherri Wisoff, Proofreader Miles Leon, President Stephanie Calliott, Secretary Harry Graber, Executive Vice-President www.jewishVA.org The appearance of advertising in the Jewish News does not constitute a kashrut, political, product or service endorsement. The articles and letters appearing herein are not necessarily the opinion of this newspaper. © 2015 Jewish News. All rights reserved. Subscription: $18 year For subscription or change of address, call 757-965-6128 or email mcerase@ujft.org.

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About the cover: Spring Garden. Photo © Brooks Johnson.

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Conserving money and energy with a programmable thermostat

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For maximum energy savings, consider a base temperature of no lower than 78° F in the summer and no more than 68° F in the winter.

ooking for ways to cut down on utility payments? One place to start is with a programmable thermostat. According to ENERGY STAR, it is possible to save about three percent for every degree that the thermostat is set above 75 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer and one percent by lowering the temperature by one degree for eight hours in the winter. Programming guidelines Programmable thermostats come with pre-arranged setting options that allow homeowners to program the temperature for when they wake up, during the day and evening, and at night while at sleep. Some models allow for setting up the program for seven days, while others accommodate weekends with five-plus-two setting arrangements. The key is for each family to figure out the optimal settings for their lifestyle and program those times and temperatures into the device. For maximum comfort and energy efficiency, ENERGY STAR and Virginia Beach contractor Eric Conner of Sonny’s Mechanical Service recommends a base temperature of no lower than 78° F in the summer and no more than 68° F in the winter. During the day when no one is

home, set the thermostat a little higher in the summer or lower in the winter to save energy. Return to a normal comfortable temperature for the evening; adjust the temperature again for while everyone sleeps. The program can also be set to hold a certain temperature when away for extended periods. For instance, the house doesn’t need to be comfortable when the family is gone on summer vacation, so set the thermostat to hold at a warmer temperature during that time. Resist overrides While temperature settings are programmed and set to change automatically, the settings can always be altered to accommodate special situations. However, savings will be lost if this feature is consistently used. The most money will be saved and the home kept heated or cooled evenly when the settings are allowed to remain in place for eight hours or more. Thermostat location The thermostat’s location affects its performance and efficiency. To operate properly, a thermostat must be on an interior wall away from direct sunlight, drafts, doorcontinued on page 20

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From to

Planning Perfection

Home

continued from page 19

ways, skylights and windows. Furniture blocks natural air movement, so don’t place pieces in front of or below the thermostat. More energy saving tips A programmable thermostat is just one of many energy-saving strategies that can make a difference in utility bills. To keep heating and cooling systems performing at peak efficiency, Conner says annual preventive maintenance is a must. The company also recommends these do-it-yourself tips to maximize savings all year round.

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In the Summer • Close shades during the day and invest in reflective window film to help keep the heat outside. • If temperatures are on the chilly side after the sun goes down, crack a few windows to let the cool air in. • Use a ceiling fan. It will allow the thermostat setting to be raised about 4° F without any reduction in comfort. • Get rid of air leaks. Grab a caulk gun and seal off anywhere that air might be escaping. Also replace weather stripping as needed. • Replace incandescent lights, which use more energy and generate a lot more heat than CFL or LED light bulbs. • Avoid using the oven and stovetop. Instead, fire up the grill or whip up a salad or sandwich. • Plant trees on the side of the house that

gets the most sun. The extra shade will protect from the sun’s rays. In the winter • Open curtains on south-facing windows during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat the home. • Use plastic sheeting to keep cold air from infiltrating through window frames. • Install insulating drapes or shades on windows that feel drafty. • Seal air leaks around pipes, switch plates, gaps around chimneys and recessed lights in insulated ceilings. • Keep the fireplace damper closed unless a fire is burning. • If a fireplace is never used, plug and seal the chimney flue. • If the fireplace is used, install tempered glass doors and a heat-air exchange system that blows warmed air back into the room. Check the seal on the fireplace flue damper and make it as snug as possible. The average household spends more than $2,200 a year on energy bills—nearly half of which goes to heating and cooling. Homeowners can save about $180 a year by properly setting their programmable thermostats to the ENERGY STAR-recommended temperatures and maintaining those settings. And that’s just the beginning. Scheduling professional preventive maintenance on heating and cooling equipment and implementing these strategies help make homes more energy-efficient.

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Are your Spring cleaning products safe? (StatePoint) Do you know what ingredients are in the cleaning products you buy? Probably not, as there are no federal governmental regulations requiring companies to disclose their contents. But harsh chemicals can take their toll on the indoor air quality of your home, are harmful to the environment and may irritate eyes and skin. So how can you learn more about the cleaning products you plan to purchase? Luckily, certain retailers are making it easier for consumers to make informed decisions. For example, in 2011 Whole Foods Market introduced the Eco-Scale Rating System, which are the first household cleaner standards offered by a retailer. This season, don’t just spring clean your home; take stock of your cleaners and clean up your entire act. By opting for green cleaning products, you can help make your home a safer, healthier place. Here’s how: •D o an audit: Take a look at the cleaning products you currently own. Just because a brand or product is well-known does not make it a healthy option. A quick Internet search can reveal the safety attributes of a product’s ingredients—so long as the manufacturer has chosen to disclose ingredients. Toss anything problematic and make a shopping list of what you need to replace. •F ull disclosure: Avoid cleaning products that don’t disclose what ingredients they use. Look for brands, such as 365 Everyday Value, that make it easy for you to know what ingredients are being used in the product you’re purchasing. •B e informed: Know what ingredients to avoid entirely. Harsh ingredients like formaldehyde and chlorine can still be found in cleaning products today. Don’t know where to start? Take a look at the

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list of more than 40 ingredients that aren’t allowed in Whole Foods Market’s cleaning products, including chlorine, formaldehyde, phosphates, phthalates and triclosan. •L ock-up: No matter the contents of your cleaners, it’s good practice to keep them stored in a safe place, such as a locked cabinet. Young children and pets should not be able to access your cleaning products supply. •D o it yourself: A quick and easy way to know exactly what’s in your cleaning products is to make them yourself. Luckily, only a few inexpensive ingredients are needed to make your own all-purpose cleaner. Simply mix one part water with one part vinegar, add a few drops of your favorite pure essential oil, and you have an all-purpose spray. Baking soda is another great cleaner that has a mild scrubbing power and helps combat odors. Don’t have the time to make your own cleaner? The Eco-Scale Rating system evaluates products for environmental impact, safety, efficacy, source, labeling and animal testing. Visit WholeFoodsMarket.com/ecoscale to learn more. If using conventional cleaning supplies, you may be exposing your family to harmful ingredients. By learning more about the products you use, you can green your spring cleaning, for a healthier home.

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Turn bathrooms into a relaxing oasis (StatePoint) Time spent in the bathroom can be precious, as it may be your only solo time. When prioritizing home upgrades, consider first transforming a ho-hum, conventional bathroom into an oasis of comfort, style and ultimate relaxation.

Relax Replace outdated fixtures with new top-quality options that offer greater functionality. Manufacturers such as Mansfield Plumbing, produce fixtures and fittings designed to work in tandem. Such “suites” of a toilet, sink and bathtub can improve

the look of a bathroom setting. In a toilet, there are certain features to seek. A SmartHeight toilet allows for easier access. For those who are environmentally conscious or looking for a pocketbook-friendly option, seek out a WaterSense rated toilet, signifying greater water conservation. When it comes to relaxation, the bathtub is king. Luckily, manufacturers are innovating features to go beyond whirlpools. New bathtub offerings include chromatherapy mood light systems, thermotherapy heated backrests and in-line heaters that keep water heated perfectly. Retreat Make your bathroom the perfect retreat from the rest of the house and the outside world with a few stylish accents that provide greater solitude. For example, privacy decorative glass windows and privacy acrylic block windows offered from Hy-Lite are design elements that don’t compromise natural light. Available in four designer frame colors, you can go beyond plain frosted glass with stylish windows that come either operable or fixed in place. Offered in varying shapes and sizes, it’s easy to match windows to other bathroom elements, such as tiles and countertops. Take your spa retreat a step further by piping music into your bathroom with humidity-resistant speakers unsusceptible to steamy showers and hot baths.

22 | Jewish News | April 6, 2015 | Home | jewishnewsva.org

Beauty On a limited budget you can give the bathroom an elegant long-term facelift by investing in millwork products that resist humidity so you don’t experience warping. From crown moulding to trim around showers and bathtubs to ceiling medallions, polyurethane is a more practical material than traditional wood for these design elements. It’s lightweight, easy to install, and most importantly, designed to resist the humidity of bathing. To get the look of a luxury hotel, the experts at Fypon, which produce thousands of pieces of polyurethane millwork, moulding and trim in a variety of architectural styles, recommend a few project ideas: • Install a set of pilasters on both sides of your shower stall and a door crosshead overhead to upgrade your bathroom’s look. • Surround mirrors and decorative accent windows with painted or stained polyurethane mouldings that complement the room. • Install chair rail moulding around the bathroom to add dimension. Paint above or below the moulding and use wallpaper, paneling or a different color paint in the other section. While many think of the bathroom as a place to take care of necessary business, you can easily give yours an upgrade that will transform it into a whole lot more.

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At European art fair, collectors increasingly seek Jewish objects by Menachem Wecker (JTA)

ollector interest in art objects with Jewish content and themes was on the rise at The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF), a major annual event with nearly 275 galleries selling everything from ancient sculpture to Rembrandt paintings to photography and modern art. The fair, often hailed as the “world’s premier fair for pre-21st century artworks,” held in the southern tip of the Netherlands, took place last month. “Ten years ago there was hardly anything at all, and now there are several stands and some stands with groupings in [Jewish] objects. Clearly that would not be the case if people wouldn’t be buying them,” says Eike Schmidt, the James Ford Bell curator of Decorative Arts and Sculpture at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Schmidt knows of several younger collectors in the field, which might help explain the growing interest in Jewish objects, and he has been surprised to learn of not only U.S. and Israeli collectors in the field, but also European ones. He wonders if rising anti-Semitism in Europe has been a factor. “People are confronted with an identity that they otherwise wouldn’t think about,” he says. “That might play a role.” Schmidt points to one particularly impressive example of Jewish art at the fair: what is being billed as a “travelling Chanukia” created around 1710 in Amsterdam by the non-Jewish artist Abraham Effemans. The golden Hanukkah lamp, which is about five inches tall, was on sale at the booth of Amsterdam-based John Endlich Antiquairs. Dick Endlich, co-director of the gallery, who was also selling a contemporary Hanukkah menorah, a Jewish spice box from 1710, and a yad, or Torah pointer, from 1806, says that ceremonial objects of this sort tend to attract buyers who relate personally to them. “Because they were all made for religious ceremonies, mostly the

Jewish people, or museums, are interested,” he says. Elsewhere at the fair, the Londonbased Stephen Ongpin Fine Art was selling a late 19th-century painting of Jaffa by artist Gustav Bauernfeind, one of the first European artists to spend time in Jerusalem, Damascus and Jaffa. The work was owned by a rabbi for 40 years, says Ongpin, who has had a couple of inquiries about the painting from Israeli collectors. And at the booth of Rome-based Alberto Di Castro, which has exhibited at TEFAF for 20 years, Judaica was on sale for the second year in a row. Last year, the entire lot sold out, Di Castro says, noting that the silver seder plates, Jewish book bindings and Elijah’s cup on view in his stall ranged in price from a few thousand Euros to 100,000 Euros each. The most unique Jewish object at the fair, however, might have been what Cohen and Cohen, of the U.K., describe as a rare “porcelain figure of a standing woman dressed in the formal clothes of the 16th-century Frankfurt Jewish community.” The figure was made in China around the year 1740 and was intended for export to either the Dutch or English market. Frankfurt Jews were required to wear certain identifiable attire, explains Will Motley, researcher for Cohen and Cohen. The piece, he adds, came with two accompanying figures: a man and a Turkish dancer. All three command high prices — the one at TEFAF has a tag around 200,000 Euros. Despite the object’s value, Chinese Judaica export pieces tend to “pass by” most Judaica collectors, according to Michael Cohen, the gallery’s director. “It’s not even on their radar. What I would love is for the Israel Museum in Jerusalem to buy the lady figure,” he says. “It would start to make people realize that there was a strong Jewish connection with the China trade.”

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Six things to know about investment properties by Shikma Rubin

nterested in an investment property this year? Before diving into the process, it is important to understand several important pieces of information. Here are six topics to consider about investment properties: 1. You can’t obtain a residential mortgage under an LLC When the housing market crashed in 2008 and 2009, most banks and lenders stopped financing mortgages under an LLC or limited liability company. That’s because during the crash, many people with LLCs walked away from their investment properties, which caused foreclosures. Although the real estate market has

improved since the crash, banks have not loosened regulations on LLCs. If you plan to secure financing for your investment property under an LLC, it will be financed as a commercial loan. 2. How much have you already financed? Many banks have limits on the number of financed properties you can have, including primary and second homes. That’s because banks care about properties that currently have a mortgage. With every mortgage you take on, the bank considers you a higher risk. 3. Down payment and rates To receive financing for an investment property, you must provide a 20% down

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24 | Jewish News | April 6, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org

payment. If you put down more than 20%, interest rates tend to be more favorable. 4. House flipping Before purchasing a property, do your research on how long the property has been titled. Most lenders will not accept a property titled less than 91 days. If you plan to buy a property so you can flip, the title may also impact the financing a buyer can receive. For example, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan has strict rules for financing a recently-flipped property. The FHA will only finance a property titled more than 90 days. You will also need a second appraisal to confirm additional value. 5. Let’s talk condos Condominiums have their own set of regulations because lenders view them as a higher risk. Why? As an owner, you rely on other unit owners to maintain their own places and pay condo association fees. If you plan to finance an investment condominium, you need to know if the condo project/building is considered warrantable (follows guidelines for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, VA, etc.). If a property is not warrantable, you will have a tougher time with financing. Examples that make a condo warrantable include: • 51% of all units in the entire development have owner occupants; • No more than 15% of the current unit owners are delinquent in payment of homeowners dues; and • No one individuals/entity may own 10% or more of the units in the condo development. Lenders will require the property manager to complete a condo questionnaire to determine if a condo is warrantable. 6. Renovation Loans “If you have the funds to remodel, you could receive a discount on the purchase and improve the property for less than if it was bought move-in-ready,” says

Emily Nied, a realtor with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Towne Realty. “Then, there is an opportunity to resell for a profit or hold the property and rent it out for Shikma Rubin a higher price.” If you do not have the cash-on-hand, but want to do the renovations on investment properties and second homes, you could purchase and finance renovation costs into a loan. You may also refinance and remodel an existing property. The loan program may cover up to 50% of the completed value of the home. It’s a great option if you want to buy an investment property that needs repairs and remodeling. Shikma Rubin is a loan officer at Tidewater Home Funding in Chesapeake, Va. (NMLS #1114873). Visit shikmarubin.com for weekly mortgage tips. She can be reached at 757-4904726 or srubin@tidewaterhomefunding.com.

Two Israeli counselors join Camp JCC staff this summer by Leslie Shroyer

wo Israeli Scouts (Tzofim) will play an integral part of all eight weeks of Camp JCC this summer. These teenage girls, Hagar Sella and Shay Lopatner, are eager to join campers and counselors in Tidewater and are already working hard to be part of the Camp JCC staff. As Israeli cultural specialists at Camp JCC, these girls will interact with campers of all ages and will play a large part of Jewish programming during camp, including the Friday Shabbat Celebration. In Israel, these girls have been through a rigorous interview and orientation program to be a representative of Tzofim to the United States for summer camp. Training included eight weekends during the year spent learning how to be emissaries for their country. The Delegates learned to create activities for campers to introduce them to Israeli culture, arts, geography,

history and more. The goal of the Delegate program is to forge a closer relationship between young Americans and Israelis, and encourage American children to plan visits and forge closer ties to Israel. Hagar Sella is 17 years old and is from Givatyim, a city near to Tel Aviv. A Scout since fourth grade, she and her family have traveled abroad to Sri Lanka, Hong Kong and Africa. “I believe that traveling in a lot of places and experiencing different cultures widens your horizons and make you think differently,” she says. Interested in biology at school, Sella also enjoys working out and dancing, and is thinking about becoming a sports consultant. “In about a year and a half I will join the IDF, Israel Defense Forces,” she says. “Serving in the army is extremely significant for me. I think it is a great privilege.” Until then, she is finishing school and looking forward to her summer at Camp JCC. Shay Lopatner, also 17, lives in

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Hagar Sella

for one or two weeks through August 14. A group of 20 performing scouts in the “Caravan” will also visit camp June 28 and 29 and need housing for the nights of June 27 and 28. Contact Alicia Kraus akraus@ simonfamilyjcc.org or 321-2323 if interested in hosting Delegates or members of the Caravan.

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Or-Yehuda near Tel Aviv and has also been a Scout since the fourth grade. Like Sella, she has spent recent years in the Scouts in a supervisory position for younger members. She has danced since she was six years old and is interested in ballet, modern dance and choreography. “I like to go out on Shay Lopatner hikes,” she says. “I like to see new views that I have never seen before…to visit cities, and see new cultures…I really want to know more about the American culture.” Want to house an Israeli Delegate or Scout this summer? The Simon Family JCC needs host families beginning June 12. Families would ideally house a counselor

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jewishnewsva.org | April 6, 2015 | Jewish News | 25

it’s a wrap YAD bowls a strike

he Young Adult Division’s Girls Night Out and Guys Night Out programs joined forces for a fun and friendly night of bowling competition on Saturday, March 21. For more than two hours, three teams of young adults went head to head to see who could make the most strikes and propel their team to the highest score. The competition also heated up as participants tried to attain the highest individual score. At the end of the night, it was clear that top score didn’t really matter, as everyone had a great time and would be looking

forward to future YAD events. The Young Adult Division of the UJFT offers varied programming for young Jewish people between the ages of 22 and 45 living in Tidewater. To learn more about

programs offered by YAD, check out its social media presence at fb.com/yad.ujft, or contact Amy Weinstein, YAD director, at aweinstein@ujft.org.

Beth El Confirmation class visits Lifenet Health by Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz

or part of their unit on Gemilut Hasadim (Acts of Loving Kindness), the students of Beth El’s Confirmation class learned about the mitzvah of organ donation and the ethical questions involved. As a culmination of their learning, the class and their parents visited Lifenet Health in Virginia Beach, one of the largest processers of donated organs and tissues in the nation. Students toured every part of the facility, including the sterile production rooms where bone, tendons and skin were being prepared to become grafts and transplants. The students were able to see how Lifenet embraces the basic Jewish ethics of organ donation, treating even the smallest donated tissue with the dignity of a whole person, always referring to it as “the donor” and making sure they are respected. Lifenet also provides support to families of organ donors for years after their loss, as well as to the recipients and their families. Jaden Baum, a student in the class, says, “Lifenet was truly an eye-opening

26 | Jewish News | April 6, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org

Members of Beth El’s Confirmation Class and their families touring Lifenet: Elena Baum, Jaden Baum, Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz, Jim Camic, Barbara Leibowitz, Ilene Lipton, Maya Lipton, Hannah Foleck, Frida Jiang, Olivia Kamer, Marcia Samuels and Leon Covitz.

experience. We got to see multiple aspects of organ and tissue donation, from processing to packaging. The stories we heard throughout our visit were truly inspiring and affected us all. Our trip to Lifenet explained a lot of the mystery and ethical

controversy surrounding organ donation.” At the end of the tour, the group heard from the mother of a donor about how her son continues to live in the gift of life that he gave. She encouraged everyone to become donors.

it’s a wrap Annual Book Fair transports students to a magical literary world

Jewish Poker Night at a Jewish Deli? by Danny Rubin

by Dee Dee Becker

ebrew Academy of Tidewater and the Strelitz preschool logged another successful event with this year’s 8th Annual Book Fair. Raising more than $6,000, the March affair was filled with great excitement, bringing students and families together over a love of reading. Capping off the weeklong event was a read-in day and Family Fun Night, where everyone enjoyed face painting, yummy desserts and lots of camaraderie. Spearheaded by Lorna Legum, librarian and media specialist, students look forward to the book fair with anticipation each spring. “We decorate the Multi-Purpose Room like a magical fantasy land,” says Legum, “and I surprise the kids by showing up in different costumes each day – my version of Disney World with a myriad of characters. They never know what to expect from me. This year’s ‘literary guests’ included Little Miss Muffet (Who Sat on Her Tuchas!), Clifford the Big Red Dog, Captain Underpants, Spider Man, Einstein, a clown, a princess and a sumo wrestler. Seeing the kids’ facial expressions and hearing their oooohs and ahhhhs when they first arrive always gives me the chills. There’s nothing like watching the world through the eyes of a child.” Lorna Legum and Nancy Zeitman, volunteer extraordinaire, worked tirelessly to turn this event into fond and lasting memories for all.

Clifford, the Big Red Dog, greets students at the Book Fair in Oscars red-carpet style.

Lorna Legum, librarian and media specialist, spends the day as Spider Man, one of her many costumes students have come to know and love.

To make a book donation in honor or memory of a loved one, contact Deb Moye, at dmoye@hebrewacademy.net or 757‑424‑4327. Hebrew Academy of Tidewater is a constituent agency of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.

oker and pastrami: a classic combination. On Thursday, Feb. 19, a group of young Jewish guys turned Route 58 Deli into a game room as they played Texas Hold’em poker and ate corned beef, turkey, pastrami and Reuben sandwiches. Sixteen guys occupied two large tables in the middle of the restaurant to eat, schmooze and play poker. Route 58 Deli owner Jeff Goldberg helped orchestrate the event. “Poker at Route 58 was a blast,” says Seth Weinberg, 30, who moved to Tidewater with his wife and twin daughters last May. “It’s great to meet other Jewish guys in town and play a little poker in the process.” The monthly poker night is an informal part of a larger effort to connect Jewish men in their 20s, 30s and 40s living in Tidewater. The group has played several times throughout the year, at various locations, including in the homes of YAD participants. In addition to these informal men’s poker nights, every other week the Young Adult Division (YAD) of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater sponsors pick-up basketball games at the Simon Family JCC. Other YAD Guy’s Night Out programs this year have included a corn-hole tournament and a basketball event that included food, a speaker and games. Over the course of the year, a Facebook group called “Jewish Guy Stuff in the 757” was created; this is the vehicle for arranging small group activities that are happening in addition to YAD’s already packed calendar. The Facebook group is open to Jewish men ages 22–45 who live in Tidewater and want to socialize with other like-minded guys. To join, request access. The group will continue to play poker, basketball and even golf as the weather warms. Contact Danny Rubin, YAD Men’s chair, to join (dannyh.rubin@gmail.com) or Benyamin Yaffe, YAD program associate, for more information about YAD (byaffe@ujft.org).

Students and parents enjoy shopping for books during Hebrew Academy of Tidewater’s and Strelitz preschool’s 8th Annual Book Fair. jewishnewsva.org | April 6, 2015 | Jewish News | 27

Book Review A national award-winning book Violins of Hope (Violins of the Holocaust— Instruments of Hope and Liberation in Mankind’s Darkest Hour) by James A. Grymes Harper Perennial, 2014 319 pages, $15.9

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28 | Jewish News | April 6, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org

uthor James A. Grymes, noted professor of musicology at the University of North Rabbi Zoberman Carolina-Charlotte, grew up in Virginia Beach and is a graduate of Salem High School. His latest book, Violins of Hope, is a unique contribution to Holocaust literature and the outcome of a significant labor of love. 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 in general. The National Jewish Book Council recently named the book an award winner in the Holocaust category. 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. Those 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. Both 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 his grandson Avshalom was also trained to become a luthier. 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 up the violin, Amnon shockingly found human ashes that blew into it from Auschwitz’s crematorium, while ordered to perform outdoors. However, only in the 1990s did he feel 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 Holocaust related violins. Especially those unidentified ones are most dear to him, representing the many unknown victims. The simple 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. Currently Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman and Shlomo Mintz are acknowledged virtuosos. The author exposes us to the Palestine Orchestra’s (now the famous Israel Philharmonic Orchestra) both trying and triumphant history with its opening performance in Tel Aviv on Dec. 26, 1936, and conducted by no other than Arturo Toscanini of the New York Philharmonic. Giant Toscanini pledged not to visit his continued on page 29

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his winter, the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater invited first through 12th graders of Tidewater to participate in the 3rd annual Israel Poster Contest. Students were asked to illustrate a fact about Israel in a hand-made (i.e. not c o m p u t e r- g e n e r a t e d ), 8.5" x 11" poster. The list of cool facts the students were provided may be found at w w w.jew ishva.org /crcisraelpostercontest. More than 150 posters were displayed in the Simon Family JCC Cardo at the Sandler Family Campus in March. The community voted in person, with the top 10 winners selected as finalists. Through April 17, voting is taking place online at www.jewishva.org/ CRCIsraelPosterVoting. One vote, per person, per day. This contest offers the entire community a chance to advocate for Israel by sharing these facts around the world. The poster that receives the most online votes will be announced on Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day, April 23.

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BOOK REVIEW — continued from page 28

homeland Italy nor Germany given their fascism and anti-Semitism. The founder of the Palestine Orchestra, celebrated Jewish violinist Bronislaw Huberman, also stood up to Nazism. When Jewish musicians could no longer be employed in Germany, he conceived of establishing a first-rate Jewish orchestra in Palestine that would disprove the Nazi propaganda that Jews were not great artists. While putting together what The New York Times described on Feb. 9, 1936, as an Orchestra of Exiles, from 1935 through 1939, Huberman saved about 1,000 lives.

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, this unique orchestra played the national anthem, Hatikvah (The Hope) of a reborn people. Indeed “Wherever there were violins, there was hope.” Rabbi Israel Zoberman is spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Chaverim in Virginia Beach. He is a son of Polish Holocaust survivors.

jewishnewsva.org | April 6, 2015 | Jewish News | 29

what’s happening Musical Voyages Sunday, April 26, at 2:30 pm Simon Family JCC

embers of the Symphony Orchestra will play music from around the world at the Simon Family JCC as part of the JCC’s Children’s Cultural Arts Series. Call 321-2338, stop by the front desk or visit simonfamilyjcc.org for tickets.

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and wellness experts. Teens n empowering event will gain useful tips and stratfor local Jewish egies for eating healthfully, teens and their parmanaging stress, building ents, Teen Wellness: Healthy confidence and being the Bodies, Healthy Lives is healthiest version of thempresented by United Jewish selves. Federation of Tidewater, Parents and teens will the Simon Family Jewish participate together for the Community Center, Jewish first half of the program and Family Service of Tidewater, David Reitman then separate for break-out BBYO and NFTY. sessions of interest during Dr. David Reitman, the featured guest speaker, deals everyday the remainder of the event. Take the first step toward a healthy with young adult health issues in his role as medical director for the Student body and healthy life. RSVP to Samantha Golden at sgolden@ujft.org or Health Center at American University. The event will include an array of 757‑965‑6124. engaging workshops by prominent health

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Parents’ meeting for the Swordfish Swim Team Tuesday, May 12, 5:30 pm Simon Family JCC

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he Simon Family JCC’s Swordfish Swim Team is for swimmers from five to 18 years old. This recreational competitive swim team offers experienced coaching to swimmers who wish to improve technique, get fit and make friends. Meets against other teams are scheduled for the middle of the summer, concluding with a team championship on July 30 at 4 pm. Afternoon and evening practices begin late May. Call 321-2308 for more information.

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30 | Jewish News | April 6, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org

he 4th Annual Pink Tea to honor women cancer survivors and emphasize that, “Your Good Health is in Your Hands,” will take place at Temple Emanuel. This year’s topic, Cancer in the Family, will be presented by Dr. Louise Lubin. A psychologist who has been involved with cancer patients and their families, Lubin has been a speaker at many cancer support groups. In addition, several families in the community will offer some insight into their

experiences. The minimum contribution of $7.50 will be donated to the Beach Health Clinic in Virginia Beach. The clinic provides mammograms and examinations for women who do not have insurance. The tea is sponsored by local Pink Angels. Last year, the Tea raised $2,000 for the clinic. Make reservations by calling the temple 757-428-2591 or Renee Heyman 757-853-2145.

what’s happening Ohef Sholom Temple’s Scholar-in-Residence: Rabbi Amy Scheinerman Friday, April 17–Sunday, April 19

he 2015 Scholar-in-Residence Weekend at Ohef Sholom Temple, sponsored by Rabbi Connie and Dr. Jerry Golden, will feature Rabbi Amy Scheinerman. Opportunities to hear and study with Rabbi Scheinerman include Friday Shabbat services, Saturday Torah Study and services and a Sunday brunch. An energetic, engaging speaker, Rabbi Scheinerman is the consummate teacher who brings unique insight to Talmudic and Jewish texts. She is known for interpreting Talmudic texts, which respond to concerns of the present through the Jewish wisdom of the past. By engaging learners of every level, she brings the Oral Tradition alive, making it relevant and meaningful in the 21st Century. Scheinerman, who fell in love with the Talmud as a teenager when she first had an opportunity to study a short passage, says, “Talmud is our heritage, and it is a

treasure trove of wisdom and insight into the universal questions of life that we all struggle with. Talmud is known as the ‘Oral Torah’ and it is the foundation of the Judaism we all practice. Many people don’t know what it is and even those who do are often frightened and think it’s too difficult to understand. It’s not—I promise.” She is one of the first teachers to make the Talmud accessible to non-rabbis. “I spent a lot of time thinking about what people needed to know to approach a text, how to craft questions that invite people to join a discussion, and how to explain sometimes ‘foreign’ literary styles and abstract ideas expressed through metaphor in a way that people could understand, appreciate, and enjoy,” she says. In other “firsts” Scheinerman was also one of the first to use the Internet as a teaching tool and among the first handful of rabbis to have a website. (She even pro-

10:30 am. Her topic is Jews & Power: From Pesach to Purim and Beyond. grammed her site in html!) She The Goldens say they are credits her technological savvy pleased to sponsor this weekto living in a “geeky” house- Rabbi Amy Scheinerman. end. Rabbi Connie Golden says, hold. In addition to her updated website, she also maintains a Torah com- “Learning is so crucial to us as People of the Book. Even though we have several mentary blog and a Talmud blog. The weekend will begin with Shabbat resources not only in our temple but also services on Friday, April 17 at 6:30 pm. in our community, those who are from Rabbi Scheinerman will deliver a sermon, somewhere else with different experiences What is Talmud? (Come see!) What’s in it and backgrounds can open up a whole new area of studies for us.” for Me? (Everything!). Why come learn about Talmud at the Rabbi Scheinerman will lead Torah Study on Saturday, April 18, from 9 until Scholar-in-Residence Weekend? To under10 am. Her topic will be The Rabbis’ stand it, find it fascinating and extract Radical Views of God: Not What You wisdom and insight from it. All programs during this Scholar-inMight Think. Shabbat services will follow at 10:30 am, during which Rabbi Residence Weekend are free and open to the Scheinerman will deliver a sermon entitled community. Reservations, to reservations@ Religious Fanaticism. A light Kiddush lun- ohefsholom.org, are not required, but are appreciated so the temple knows how to precheon will follow. Finally, she will be the featured speaker pare for each session. For more information, at Sunday’s Carpool Café on April 19, at contact Ohef Sholom at 625-4295.

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jewishnewsva.org | April 6, 2015 | Jewish News | 31

what’s happening You’ve seen her on TV, now see her in person Joan Lunden: My Journey

A Holocaust Memoir: Dodging Death

Presented by Jewish Family Service

Sunday, April 12, 10 am Temple Israel

Sunday, April 26, 2 pm, Norfolk Academy

s part of its Spring Into Healthy Living programming, Jewish Family Service of Tidewater will present Joan Lunden, American journalist, author and television host at Norfolk Academy’s Samuel C. Johnson Theater. The event is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required at www.jfsrunrollorstroll.org. In June of 2014, Lunden was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, which required chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. Since then, she has shared her journey through cancer treatment with the world, becoming a prominent voice in the breast cancer community. An eternal optimist, Lunden decided to take her diagnosis and turn it into an opportunity to help demystify cancer treatment. During her visit to Tidewater, Lunden will share her experience and work in continuing to raise awareness on breast cancer diagnosis, screening, treatments and recovery. Her recent profile in People Magazine and appearances on NBC’s Today Show exemplify her passion and dedication for being an ambassador for this cause and spreading her important message. Dr. Judith A. Salerno, president and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, will also speak briefly on what Komen has done toward advancement of breast cancer research and treatment. “We are thrilled to have Joan Lunden coming to our community,” says Betty Ann Levin, JFS executive director. “It gives us the opportunity to collaborate with a number of new organizations to raise awareness about breast cancer screening and treatment in our community. We are so grateful to the many healthcare organizations, businesses and individuals who have joined us as a partner in this initiative.” For more than three decades, Lunden

has been a trusted voice in American homes and exemplifies today’s modern working woman. As the longest running host ever on early morning TV, Lunden greeted viewers every morning on Good Morning America for nearly 20 years. She reported from 26 countries, covered five presidents and five Olympics and provided insight to top issues for millions of Americans each day. Today, Lunden is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, health and wellness advocate, motivational speaker, successful entrepreneur and a mom of seven children. She continues to keep Americans up-to-date on how to care for their homes, their families and themselves. On her web site, JoanLunden.com, Lunden shares personal videos from treatment sessions, collaborative research from doctors and experts, as well as tips and advice collected from the interactive community created through her website. Also featured on JoanLunden.com, is content from various experts on health, wellness, lifestyle, caregiving and boomers. Bringing her passions to life, Lunden founded and runs a women’s wellness retreat, Camp Reveille, where women come to relax, recharge, jump-start their fitness and have fun in a Maine summer camp setting. From her real-life experience, Lunden has a strong passion for family and caregiving. She is the spokesperson for the nation’s leading senior referral service, A Place for Mom. She recently co-authored a new edition of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Family Caregiving. Lunden has served as national spokesperson for various organizations such as the American Heart Association, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the American

Lung Association, the American Red Cross, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Colon Cancer Alliance. She speaks regularly around the country about health and wellness, parenting, success and balance in life, and more. One of the most visible women in America, Lunden has graced the covers of more than 40 magazines and book covers. Her books include Chicken Soup for the Soul: Family Caregiving; Growing Up Healthy: Protecting Your Child From Diseases Now Through Adulthood; Wake-Up Calls; A Bend in the Road is Not the End of the Road; Joan Lunden’s Healthy Living; Joan Lunden’s Healthy Cooking; Mother’s Minutes; Your Newborn Baby; and Good Morning, I’m Joan Lunden. She also hosts the exercise video Workout America. The presenting sponsor of Spring Into Healthy Living is Towne Bank. Lead sponsors are the Lee and Bernard Jaffe* Family Fund of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation. The Copeland/Klebanoff Families are the Diamond sponsor. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact Betty Ann Levin, executive director, or Sue Graves, fundraising coordinator, at 757-321-2222. Visit www.jfsrunrollorstroll.org to view the full listing of sponsorship opportunities. Jewish Family Service is a constituent agency of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. *Of blessed memory

The event is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required at www.jfsrunrollorstroll.org.

32 | Jewish News | April 6, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org

he story of each Holocaust survivor weaves a poignant, yet individual thread in the tapestry of the world’s collective memory. The Temple Israel Men’s Club continues its dedication to sharing these stories with the annual Yom HaShaoh brunch featuring Otto Salamon, award-winning writer and producer and author of Dodging Death: A Family on the Run. Salamon was transported from Budapest to an internment camp in southern Slovakia when he was not yet seven years old. He and his family managed to survive despite the threats of warfare and virulent anti-Semitism, by using their ability to run, intelligence to hide and tenacity to keep doing both. His producing credits include the television mini-series People vs. Jean Harris that earned its star, Ellen Burstyn, a Golden Globe and Emmy nominations and the TV film, Necessary Parties starring Oscarwinner Alan Arkin. Salamon is a former William Morris agent and a member of the faculty at the New School University, where he taught film and television. The event is free, although a $5 donation is suggested for those who are able. Call 489-4550 or email templeisraelva@aol.com to RSVP by April 9.

Tidewater Chavurah to hold Friday Night Service Friday, April 24, 7 pm

he Tidewater Chavurah is holding a Friday night service, led by Rabbi Ellen Jaffe-Gill, at the home of Hal and Elaine in the Great Neck Meadows area, Virginia Beach. An Oneg will follow the service. A congregation without walls, events are held in members’ homes or at other locations. Everyone is invited. For more information and location address, email dlqt@cox.net or call 468-2675.

what’s happening

Yom Hashoah community Holocaust commemoration to feature Holocaust Survivor from Poland Wednesday, April 15, 6:45 pm, Congregation Beth El

Henry Greenbaum

enry Greenbaum, a Polish Auschwitz survivor from Bethesda, Md. and weekly volunteer at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, even at age 86, will be the featured speaker at the annual Holocaust commemoration sponsored by the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Marking the official Day of Holocaust remembrance, the Yom Hashoah commemoration has been sponsored by the Holocaust Commission for more than 25 years. The evening program celebrates the power of the human spirit and the enduring faith of those who witnessed and survived the Holocaust. It honors the survivors, liberators and righteous gentiles who reside in Hampton Roads. Another key part of the evening’s program is the awards presentation to the winners of the annual Elie Wiesel Writing and Visual Arts Competitions for students, as well as awards to area teachers for Excellence in Holocaust Education. This year marks the 18th annual writing competition and the 13th annual visual arts competition, which students from a record number 46 schools entered. More than 50 area teachers have been awarded the educa-

tor’s award, allowing them further study on the Holocaust, as well as field trips for their students to the United States and Virginia Holocaust Museums. A candle lighting ceremony for all local survivors will conclude the solemn evening. Survivors and liberators will wear yellow roses, but many others attending will be wearing roses as a tribute to the Holocaust Commission’s White Rose Project and Red Rose Campaign. Since 1996, the White Rose has helped to fund many educational outreach projects. These include the publication of To Life: Stories of Courage and Survival, documenting the stories of local survivors, liberators and righteous gentiles, and the donation of thousands of books and other educational materials on the Holocaust to middle and high school libraries and classrooms all over South Hampton Roads, as well as to the libraries of 95 Navy ships home ported in Norfolk. The Red Rose helps to sponsor other vital programs, such as What We Carry, Through the Eyes of a Friend and a biennial conference for local public and private secondary school educators connecting the lessons of the Holocaust to students’ lives today. This year’s conference will take place at Norfolk Academy July 28–29, and will be open to community members who may not be educators, but are simply interested in learning more about the Holocaust. Blockbuster speakers are planned. Registration is open. Contact the commission at info@holocaustcommission. org for details.

A tale of Survival: The Jewish Hospital in Berlin 1945 Monday, April 13, 12:30 – 1:30 pm, Old Dominion University Tuesday, April 14, 7:30 pm, Old Dominion University by Betsy O. Karotkin

metal bas-relief hangs on a wall in our home. A gift from the Jewish community in Iasi, Romania where my father was born, it commemorates the pogrom begun in June 1941, ending a few weeks later with tens of thousands of murdered Jews. The mass grave on the etching also includes the doctors, nurses, patients and other staff of the Jewish Hospital in Iasi, all of whom were taken out and shot on the lawn of the hospital. How ironic that a very different story unfolded, in of all places, Berlin. In 1945 the Russians entered the city; when they opened the doors of the Jewish Hospital in Berlin, they were shocked to find 800 Jews who had survived the Holocaust within the walls of the hospital. How was this possible? The hospital was the only Jewish organization allowed to operate during the Nazi period. Why? The individual stories of survival, while uplifting, also serve as a reminder of the enormity of what was lost. Dr. Ernst Eichengrun, for example, was the genius who invented the most universally used medicine in the world—aspirin—while working for the Bayer Chemistry Works. Initially sheltered at the hospital, he was eventually sent to Thierezenstadt where Bayer Chemistry Works set up a lab for him so he could continue his research for their benefit! Historians have suggested any number of explanations for how the hospital and its “inmates” survived. On Monday, April 13, Old Dominion University’s Institute of Jewish Studies and Interfaith Understanding is hosting an exhibit of pictures and artifacts from the hospital and a talk by Professor Elke-Vera Kotowski from the Moses Mendelssohn Center for European Jewish Studies. She will shed light on this extraordinary story, as well as give a tour of the exhibit. The talk will take place in the conference room of ODU’s Perry Library. Free parking will be available. On Tuesday, April 14, a reception at 6:30 pm and a panel discussion at 7:30 pm

on the “Ethics of Healthcare During War and Trauma” will take place. Panelists are: Dr. Elke-Vera Kotowski, Moses Mendelsohn Center for Jewish Studies, Germany; Captain Martin Snyder, a Virginia Beach surgeon with the U.S. Navy who treated enemy soldiers during the Iraq war; Dr. Annette Finely-Croswhite, a scholar of the history of medicine, ODU Department of History (moderator); and Dr. Kimberly Adams-Tufts of the College of Health Sciences. RSVP to Farideh Goldin at fgoldin@ odu.edu or call 757-683-6816. In this season of Passover, consider this story: Klaus Zwilsky, the son of the hospital administrator, remembers how his mother baked matzahs in the hospital in defiance of Nazi regulations. “My job,” he recounted, “was to stand outside the door to let her know whether anyone looking like Gestapo was coming. To this day, I marvel at her courage.” May we always have the courage of Klaus’s mother and the will to be a free people. Note: This story was uncovered on a visit to Berlin five years ago by Gale Garner, a psychiatric nurse who has worked for Jewish Family Service for 16 years. Since then, she has returned to Berlin three times, resulting in the upcoming conference, exhibit and lecture at Old Dominion University. Garner felt the values inherent in this incredible survival story warranted attention and that what happened in the middle of Berlin is a little known piece of Holocaust history. She notes that the hospital still functions and that when she walks down the halls, she feels the “spirit” of those whose lives tottered on the brink from week to week over many years of Nazi rule.

jewishnewsva.org | April 6, 2015 | Jewish News | 33

what’s happening

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It’s an Israel-themed Shabbat celebration Friday, April 17, 5:30 pm

he Children and Family Department of the Simon Family JCC and the Young Adult Division of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s first co-sponsored Family Shabbat celebration event of the year will feature Israeli-style food, fun and games at the Simon Family JCC. Taking place right before Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israel Independence Day, this unique Shabbat dinner will feature candle lighting, Israeli cuisine, crafts and an Israel-themed scavenger hunt. “Our Family Shabbat programs are always wonderful, but this event will be extra special. We are going to have new activities for the kids, and an Israeli twist

on Shabbat dinner fare. This will be fun for the whole family,” reports Melissa Kass, YAD’s Family program chair. Families are encouraged to register soon, as the event is expected to sell out. Tickets are $10 per adult and $6 per child (ages 3+) ahead of time, and $12 per adult and $8 per child at the door; call 757-321-2338 or visit the Customer Service Desk at the Simon Family JCC to make reservations. Contact Alicia Kraus, program director for the Simon Family JCC at akraus@simonfamilyj.org or Amy Weinstein, YAD director for UJFT, at aweinstein@ujft.org, with questions or inquiries about other family programs.

APRIL 12, SUNDAY Brith Sholom meeting will feature Beth Ann Lawson, elder law and estate planning attorney. A question and answer session will take place following her presentation. Reservations and payment must be received no later than Tuesday, April 7. Call Gail at 757-461-1150. Camp JCC Preschool Carnival at the Simon Family JCC. Games, crafts, face painting and balloon animals. 10:30 am–12:30 pm. 321-2342. April 15, Wednesday JCC Senior Club meeting will have Officer Allen Perry speak on Project Lifesaver, which is designed to provide security for families, while safeguarding the memory-impaired and those least able to care for themselves. Officer Perry has been with Virginia Beach Project Lifesaver since it started in the Police Department in June 2005. Board meeting at 10:30 am, lunch at 12 noon, general meeting follows. Call 757-497-0229. Yom Hashoah at Congregation Beth El. Holocaust Remembrance Day commemoration. Candle lighting ceremony, guest speakers and recognition of Holocaust survivors, Righteous Gentiles, Liberators and all of their families. Announcement and presentation of student winners of the Annual Elie Wiesel Writing and Visual Arts Competitions and Excellence in Education award-winning teachers. 6:45 pm. Free and open to the community. Visit www.HolocaustCommission.org for more information. See page 33. April 19, Sunday Temple Israel Gala to pay homage to Jewish jazz giants with local bandleader bringing story of survival to event. The synagogue’s annual fundraiser will feature hors d’oeuvres and a dinner prepared by TCC’s culinary expert Deanna Freridge, as well as music, dancing, singing and the stories behind the legends, told by WHRV FM’s Jae Sinnett, the area’s leading authority on jazz. Tickets are $60 each and are available by calling 757-489-4550. April 23, Thursday Charles Barker Automotive presents The JCC’s Second Celebrate Israel event National Geographic’s Jerusalem, a movie presentation at the giant screen theater at the Virginia Aquarium. Shows at 6 and 8 pm with a reception at 7 pm with light refreshments. Catered by The Village Caterers. Tickets available at the Simon Family JCC. $18 per person. See page 14.

Eric Kline Business Development Danny Kline President

APRIL 26, SUNDAY Brith Sholom will take a two-hour cruise at 2 pm on the Victory Rover from Nauticus. After the cruise, the group will go to Beth Sholom for dinner and entertainment. Sixty seats have been reserved. It is wheelchair accessible and walkers can be used. Cruise, dinner and entertainment: $20 per member. Call Gail for further information at 757-461-1150.

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May 17, Sunday The Simon Family JCC’s annual Israel Fest, presented by Charles Barker Automotive. Taste, explore and discover at the JCC’s biggest party of the year. 11 am–5 pm. For information visit simonfamilyjcc.org.

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MAY 20, WEDESDAY The J.C.C. Senior Club guest speaker will be John W. Hallman, Virginia Beach Fire Department. Responsible for the “Operation Smoke Detector” program as well as the Older Adult Program, he will give a presentation on fire safety. Board meeting at 10:30 am, lunch at 12 noon, General Meeting at 12:45 pm. For information, call 757-497-0229.

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.

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Who Knew? Kanye West and Kim Kardashian to visit Israel JERUSALEM (JTA)—Kanye West and Kim Kardashian reportedly are planning to visit Israel this month. The celebrity power couple booked rooms at Jerusalem’s high-end Waldorf Astoria Hotel for themselves and their entourage for April 12, the Israeli daily Yediot Acharonot reported. The hotel declined to comment to Yediot, which reported that everyone involved in the visit has signed a multimillion-dollar confidentiality agreement. An Israeli security firm that specializes in protecting VIPs has been hired, according to the newspaper. The couple reportedly is visiting Israel before flying to Jordan. Reports emerged in January that Kardashian and her two sisters were planning to buy a Tel Aviv apartment worth $30 million. Meanwhile, American actor Richard Gere reportedly is in Israel to continue filming for the Oppenheimer Strategies, a project by Israeli director Joseph Cedar. The project recently wrapped up its New York filming. Gere stars as the title figure, Jewish businessman Norman Oppenheimer, a small-time operator who befriends a young, down-and-out Israeli politician. Oppenheimer’s life is transformed when the politician rises to international prominence.

Israeli sisters have music video sweeping across the Arab world by Avishay Artsy

(Jewniverse via JTA)—On March 8, a music video uploaded to YouTube flew from the Israeli desert to Yemen and through the Middle East. Its three stars, Israeli sisters Tair, Liron and Tagel Haim (not to be confused with L.A.’s three-sister rock band Haim), became immediate celebrities. Going by the name A-WA (pronounced Ay-wa, Arabic for “yes”), the young women sing in Arabic, wear bright pink dresses and headscarves, and tear through the desert in a Yemeni jeep. Then they

dance-battle three guys (potential suitors?) wearing matching blue Adidas tracksuits. Their first video, Habib Galbi, which was viewed more than 500,000 times around the world in the first two weeks of its release, layers beautiful Yemenite melodies over irresistible hip-hop beats, creating a fast-paced, danceable fusion of Middle Eastern musical traditions. Descendants of Yemeni immigrants on their father’s side, the Haim sisters grew up in a small desert village in the Arava Valley in southern Israel and fell in love with their grandparents’ Yemeni-Arabic music, which had been sung by women for generations. It’s no wonder that A-WA has been gaining popularity in the Arab world, even getting posted on the “Mipsterz” (Arab Hipsters) Facebook page. We’re counting down to the release of their debut album later this year.

Topol to receive Israel Prize lifetime achievement award JERUSALEM ( JTA)—The Israeli actor Chaim Topol, best known as Tevye the milkman in Fiddler on the Roof, will be awarded the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement. Esther Herlitz, 93, a former diplomat and Knesset member, as well as the founder of the Center for Volunteer Services, Israel’s umbrella organization for voluntary services, also will receive a lifetime achievement award when the Israel Prize laureates are officially presented on Israel Independence Day. The awards were announced Monday, March 30 by the Education Ministry. In addition to his role as Tevye, Topol, 79, is known for his breakout role as the lead character in the 1964 film Sallah Shabati, about the difficulties faced by a Mizrahi immigrant family in Israel. The Ephraim Kishon film was Israel’s first Academy Award nominee in the foreign language film category. Herlitz served as Israel’s ambassador to Denmark and in several missions to the United Nations.

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obituaries Herman Eisenberg Norfolk—Herman Muni Eisenberg, 91, a retired pharmacist of Norfolk, passed away March 26, 2015 at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. Muni was born June 18, 1923 in Norfolk, the son of the late Morris and Esther Eisenberg. He was also predeceased by his sisters, Lena E. Friedman, Gertrude Eisenberg, Sonya E. Lachman and Norma E. Vogel. He received his pharmacy degree at Columbia University in New York after serving as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After his graduation, he served as chief pharmacist at the Durham, N.C. Veterans Hospital and later became supervisor of outpatient services at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. Mr. Eisenberg was also an editor of the journal, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts. Muni was a former member of Gomley

Chesed Synagogue in Portsmouth. Muni is survived by his three nieces, Myra F. Kramer and her husband Linwood, Adelle F. Adler and Rhoda V. Foote and her husband Donald; two cousins, Norman Soroko and Arlene Kessel and her husband Isi; brother-in-law, Martin Lachman; many great nieces and nephews. A graveside service was held in Chevra T’helim Cemetery in Portsmouth. Rabbi Jeffery Arnowitz officiated. Altmeyer Funeral Home. Condolences may offered to the family at www.altmeyer.com. Arline Lois Jarashow Virginia Beach—Arline Lois Jarashow, surrounded by family, passed away on March 21, 2015. Formerly from Brooklyn, N. Y., she was a long-time resident of Virginia Beach. She was predeceased by her husband, Harold, and daughter, Yvette. Left to cherish her memory are her daughters, Elysa Suddeth, Natalie Brown

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(Mark) and son, David Jarashow (Jennifer). Mrs. Jarashow will be sorely missed by her six grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Always clowning around, full of positive wit, her insightful intelligence nicely complimented the outgoing personality everyone loved. A memorial service was held at Beth Sholom Home. Dr. Steven Martin Leibowitz Virginia Beach—Dr. Steven Leibowitz, 62, passed away on March 26, 2015. He was born in New York to Irving and Zelda Leibowitz, of blessed memory. He earned his B.S. from the University of Rhode Island in 1974 and his D.D.S. from NYU in 1980. Steven obtained his prosthodontic specialty training from NYU in 1982. He is survived by his sisters, Dale (Jon) Jacobs, of Virginia Beach and Andrea Weisberg of Charlotte, N.C., his brothers, Harold (Mardi) Leibowitz of Manalapan, N.J. and Larry (Fern) Leibowitz of Virginia Beach. Steven was an accomplished tennis player who loved the beach and spending time with his family and his dog Hope. He was known for his good heart and generosity towards others, especially his nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews. Burial took place in New York. Rabbi Seymour M. Panitz Rockville, Md.—On Monday, February 16, 2015, Rabbi Seymour M. Panitz passed away. He was the beloved husband of Barbara R. Panitz; devoted father of Debra Panitz, Aliza Panitz, Ora (David) Chaiken and the late Varda Reisner; cherished grandfather of five. He was also the uncle of Rabbi Michael Panitz. Funeral services were held at B’nai Israel in Rockville, Md. Interment followed in Beth Jacob Cemetery, Finksburg, Md. Contributions may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, JSSA Hospice or the Jewish Theological Seminary. Arrangements by Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home, Inc., under Jewish Funeral Practices Committee of Greater Washington Contract.

Gene Saks, award-winning director who worked with Neil Simon NEW YORK (JTA)—Gene Saks, a Tony Award-winning director best known for his work with playwright Neil Simon, has died at 93. Saks died of pneumonia Saturday, March 28 at his home in East Hampton, N.Y., The Associated Press reported. Saks, who directed for stage and film and also was an actor, began working with Simon in 1966, when the playwright asked him to direct the film version of Barefoot in the Park. Over the next two decades they collaborated on film versions of The Odd Couple, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, The Prisoner of Second Avenue and Brighton Beach Memoirs. Their work together on Broadway included Brighton Beach Memoirs, California Suite and Lost in Yonkers. In 1987, Saks told The New York Times that his and Simon’s shared Jewish background was a factor in the compatibility. “We both come from middle-class, first-generation Jewish families,” he said, “and our humor springs from the same roots.” Saks grew up in Hackensack, N.J., where his father ran a women’s wholesale shoe business. After graduating from Cornell University in 1943, he served in the U.S. Navy in World War II, participating in the D-Day invasion. In 1963, Saks made his Broadway directing debut with Enter Laughing, a coming-of-age comedy based on a novel by Carl Reiner. Saks is survived by his wife, Keren, whom he married in 1980, as well as three children and three grandchildren. For nearly three decades he was married to actress Bea Arthur, best known for her roles in the TV comedies Maude and The Golden Girls. Arthur and Saks divorced in 1980. Arthur died of cancer in 2009.

New research shows Anne Frank died earlier than believed (JTA)—Anne Frank died earlier than previously believed, according to new research. Researchers from the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam looking into the last months of the teenage diarist and her

obituaries sister Margot concluded that they died in February 1945, according to a statement from the Anne Frank House published Tuesday, March 31–the 70th anniversary of the official date of the sisters’ deaths set by Dutch authorities after the war. Their deaths had been marked as sometime during March 1945, the Red Cross concluded at the end of World War II. The researchers used the archives of the Red Cross, the International Tracing Service in Bad Arolsen and the BergenBelsen Memorial, in addition to as many eyewitness testimonies of survivors as possible, the statement said. The exact date of Anne Frank’s death

from typhus in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp is unknown.

Israeli citizen on board crashed Germanwings flight JERUSALEM (JTA)—An Israeli citizen was aboard the Germanwings flight 4U 9525 that crashed in the French Alps, Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed. Eyal Baum, 40, a businessman living in Germany who was flying home from Barcelona, was among the 144 passengers killed on Tuesday, March 24 in the crash of the Airbus plane operated by Lufthansa’s budget airline, according to the Jerusalem Post. Six crew members also died.

Other Israeli media said Baum lives in Barcelona and was traveling to Dusseldorf, Germany, for business. The Foreign Ministry said his family, of Hod Hasharon in central Israel, had been notified. The family reportedly had contacted the ministry earlier in the day when reports of the crash were made public, knowing that Baum had a ticket for the flight. Sixteen German high school students and two of their teachers returning from a weeklong trip to Spain, as well as two German opera singers, were among the passengers killed in the crash.

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Still Passover Scrambled Egg Potato Muffins for a kid-friendly Passover breakfast

assover is bad enough without having to feed your kids, too. And breakfast during Passover can be pretty tricky: no toast, no oatmeal, no (palatable) cereal and no traditional syrup-drenched pancakes. Aside from making matzah brei every day, the options are somewhat limited for American kids. A few years ago we started making egg in hash brown nests from The Pioneer Woman, one of my favorite bloggers and TV personalities, and so I adapted the recipe to include scrambled eggs and even a little color in the form of a vegetable. If your kids don’t like peppers, you could also try spinach, broccoli or even sweet potato. Or just leave out a veggie altogether. These little muffins are portable and can be re-heated, so you can make a big batch to help ease the Passover cooking just a little.

Scrambled Egg Potato Muffins Yields 12 potato-egg muffins Ingredients 2 medium-large Yukon gold potatoes 3 large eggs 1½ tablespoon milk ½ cup chopped bell pepper (or other veggie) ¼ cup cheese (cheddar, goat, or feta recommended) Salt and pepper Directions 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place whole potatoes in the oven and roast until almost totally cooked, but not quite edible–around 25 minutes. 2. Cut potatoes open and allow to cool. Peel off skin (it should come off pretty easily). This step can also be done the night before to save time. 3. Grate potatoes and season well with salt and pepper. 4. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. 5. W hisk together eggs, milk, cheese, salt and pepper in a bowl. 6. Grease a standard size muffin tin. Push shredded potatoes into the bottom and sides of each cup. 7. Pour about 2 tbsp of egg mix into each cup and top with diced red pepper. Don’t allow them to sit too long—pop them quickly into the oven. 8. Bake 12–14 minutes until the eggs are golden and baked, and the sides of the potatoes are starting to brown. 9. Using a small spatula or butter knife, loosen sides of egg-potato muffins and remove. Serve warm. Kveller is a thriving community of women and parents who convene online to share, celebrate, and commiserate their experiences of raising kids through a Jewish lens. Visit Kveller.com.

Ben & Jerry’s charoset and 10 more Passover ice cream ideas By Julie Wiener

few weeks after Ben & Jerry’s founders indicated that marijuana-infused ice cream may one day join its product line, the company’s kosher-for-Passover charoset flavor has been generating buzz. In case your memories of last year’s seder are blurred by too many cups of wine, charoset is the fruit-and-nut puree that symbolizes the mortar Hebrew slaves used when making bricks to construct Egyptian cities. In making its charoset flavor, which, sadly, is distributed only in Israel, Ben & Jerry’s opted for the Ashkenazi tradition of apples and walnuts, rather than the chunky Sephardic style featuring nuts blended with assorted dried fruits. Ashkenazi charoset is great, but why stop at one Passover flavor? If we could have 10 plagues, why not 10 ice creams? Here’s some Passover flavors we’d like to see:

➊ Sephardic Charoset: Think rum raisin, but with lots of spices and other dried fruits like dates and figs. ➋ Manischewitz Madness: Sure, it’s not yet legal to put marijuana in the ice cream, but why not this potent and intensely sweet wine? We envision it as a sorbet with a kick that could replace the four cups of wine and double as a palate cleanser.

➌ Chocolate-Covered Matzahs and Cream: Think cookies and cream, but crunchier and kosher for Passover.

➍ Macaroons and Cream: Ice cream with chunks of macaroon, and the possibility

38 | Jewish News | April 6, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org

of almost infinite sub-categories of flavors, mixing different types of macaroon with different types of ice cream.

➎ Pure Macaroon: Forget the chunks of macaroon and instead just infuse the almond and coconut that form macaroons’ base into the ice cream itself.

➏ Fruit Jellies Jamboree: The iconic gooey fruity candies mixed into vanilla ice cream or fruit sorbet offers a nice mix of textures.

➐ Rocky Road out of Egypt: Wouldn’t those 40 years in the desert have been nicer with this confection of chocolate ice cream mixed with kosher marshmallows and nuts.

➑ Red Sea: You won’t want to part with this red-velvet rich chocolate. ➒Tzimmes: Sweet potato base with chunks of dried fruit. If you don’t think a tuber can go in ice cream, remember this: pumpkin pie is an accepted ice-cream flavor and sweet potato pie tastes a little like pumpkin pie, so why not? ➓ Dayenu: All (or maybe just some) of the above flavors combined into one more-than-satisfying flavor. Incidentally Ben & Jerry’s, Passover is not the only Jewish holiday. When you finish with the Pesach line, we’re hoping to see some Rosh Hashanah (apples-and-honey), Hanukkah (jelly doughnuts and/or gelt, anyone?) and Shavuot (cheesecake) confections.

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