JEWISH TIDEWATER
Decades later, a shaliah returns to Tidewater Terri Denison
F
or two busy years starting in 1986, a young Doron Kissinger Kaynar and his family made their home in Norfolk while serving as the shaliah at the Jewish Community Center of Tidewater on Newport Ave. Thirty-five years later, Kissinger Kaynar traveled from Israel to visit a few friends and check out the old neighborhood. “I am here to bring Israel closer to you—and to bring you closer to Israel!” Kaynar was quoted in the October 17, 1986 issue of the then, UJF Virginia News. When he was just 14 years old, Kaynar left his home in Tel Aviv to live on a kibbutz in the valley of Israel. After serving in the artillery corps and fighting
in the Yom Kippur War, he worked in the Army’s education department, accompanying soldiers on tours throughout Israel. He knew then, that he would eventually like to become a tour guide. First, though, it was time for college. Kaynar graduated from Bar-Ilan University with degrees in Jewish History and Israeli Geography. He also became involved with the Israeli Scouting Program—the largest youth movement in Israel. With the Scouts, Kaynar first travelled to the United States. “My colleagues and I formed an Israeli Scouting Caravan and visited 70 cities,” he recalled. Then, Kaynar completed the course offered at the Israeli Tourism office and became an authorized Israeli Guide. Still, he wanted to return to the U.S. So, in March, 1986, he and his
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then wife applied to be a shaliah, an emissary to share about Israel with American communities. Executives of three Jewish C o m m u n i t y C e n t e r s —Tu l s a , St. Louis, and Norfolk—flew to Israel to interview Kaynar and his now former wife, Batya. Neal Perlman, Tidewater’s exec at the time, sold him on Norfolk. “I’d never even heard of Norfolk!” Kaynar laughs. During his time in Tidewater, Kaynar “prepared youth for trips to Israel, visited a different shul every Shabbat, gave lec- Doron Kissinger Kaynar and Jim Eilberg peruse old issues of Jewish News. tures about Israel at both Jewish and Christian events, and taught about and In Israel, Kaynar lives near his three celebrated Israeli and Jewish holidays,” children in Yehud, a small town near he recalls. Tel Aviv. He says he’s “now busier than “I was so busy! I enjoyed it very ever.” Self-employed, he lists his diverse much!” work: he’s an organizational consultant His wife taught at Hebrew Academy conducting management, leadership, of Tidewater, where his eight-year-old and team work workshops; officiates at son attended, adding to their busy lives weddings (primarily for marriages not based in Norfolk’s Wards Corner area. recognized by the state of Israel) and at In the mid-80s, Jim Eilberg served funerals (“there are more funerals than as head of the Israel Committee. His weddings” he notes); he leads Orienting friendship with Kaynar stuck and now, sporting events for companies and bar their visit in the Jewish News office at and bat mitzvah parties; and, yes, he’s the Sandler Family Campus is filled a tour guide for German- and Englishwith laughter and warmth as they look speaking groups. through old copies of the paper, rememBut today, he’s fondly reminiscing bering events and people. Kaynar asks about the Jewish Tidewater he knew 35 about various community members years ago with an old friend, and a couple and broadly smiles when he hears good of new ones, too. reports.
