Jewish News - Business Supplement 11.29.21 by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater

Business in the Jewish Community

Supplement to Jewish News November 29, 2021 jewishnewsva.org | November 29, 2021 | Business | JEWISH NEWS | 15

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BUSINESS THRIVES, WE ALL SUCCEED.” Rob Shuford, Jr. President & CEO Old Point National Bank

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16 | JEWISH NEWS | Business | November 29, 2021 | jewishnewsva.org

Business

Dear Readers,

usiness can be very personal, despite the famous phrase from The Godfather. (You know the one…‘it’s not personal, it’s strictly business.’)

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In fact, business is often very personal. That’s what Lisa Richmon learned when she spoke to Josh Leibowitz and Avidan Itzhak about their return to Tidewater to join their families’ businesses. Leibowitz joined his dad’s dental practice and Itzhak is managing a segment of his parents’ staffing business. Their interviews begin on page 18. Business was personal to Aaron Feurestein, known as the Mensch of Malden Mills. He paid his workers even after his factory burned. An article on page 36 recalls his gracious life. Carin Simon penned a piece about the Entrepreneurship and Business Academy at Kempsville High School on page 24. Her article focuses on some of the Strelitz

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Who knew there was a National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum? Phil Sklar noticed that none existed, so with a friend’s help, he’s managed to open such a place in Milwaukee. Page 22. At Jewish News, we regard our advertisers as personal friends. We hope you’ll do the same and consider their businesses when you’re in the market for jewelry, printing needs,

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Business

Back in Business.

Dentist Josh Leibowitz returns home to ‘co-work’ with his friend, mentor, and father Lisa Richmon

‘P

laying it safe’ used to be a nice way to say cop out. Today, however, safety is the national trend for young professionals returning to the parental home to invest and save money, work remotely, job hop virtually, spend more time with family—and avoid becoming a CDC statistic. For practicing dentist Josh Leibowitz, ‘back to the beach’ was always in the cards, not a default plan, or Plan B. Leibowitz is the son of Larry and Fern Leibowitz, and nephew to three dentists. September 20, 2021 marked his first day seeing patients at his father’s celebrated dental practice on Kempsville Road. While working in New York, Leibowitz made many discoveries about the dental industry and shaped his future. The question, however, that churned on repeat was where he would find the right person with which to build a life. “The finality of a Virginia move was a never-ending struggle in my mind,” says Leibowitz. When a good friend from dental school drilled career advice that hit home, he got the clarity he was searching for, but pandemic realities pumped the brakes on his plan to suit up with his dad. “I always knew my dad was a dentist, but I didn’t really know that side of him or what that really meant. I saw that he really enjoyed his life and was a well-respected member of the community. Once I learned my gift for science and math, and my passion for healthcare, my dad really took me under his wing. Even before I joined the practice, he never reacted in a condescending manner when I introduced a dental concept that he didn’t think of first. That’s rare among medical professionals and one reason why he’s always been the first person I talk to about my procedures and my patients.” While in New York, Leibowitz began to carve his niche for patient care. The

city also gave him proximity to extended family, such as his uncle, Ira Langstein, a highly respected dentist who practiced in Virginia Beach for 14 years before moving back to New York. Langstein coached Josh on how to avoid becoming a mediocre dental cliché. “New York was challenging,” he recalls. “Most offices for young dentists are mills with one goal: money. They weren’t concerned with my extensive medical knowledge, or the quality of my work. ‘Did it make us money? Great.’ I didn’t go into this field to be the richest guy out there. What mattered to me was seeing my patients cry tears of joy, no matter how small the product or procedure. That’s how I slept at night. “Also, NYC is an amalgamation of people. It taught me how to deal with everybody out there. “My greatest strength is patient interaction. I bring ‘ME’ to the community, I’m someone who really gets it. I’ve been a dental patient myself. I had braces three times, I had reconstructive jaw surgery. I have cried time and time again in doctors’ offices (as a child mainly, haha) over the simplest of injections. So, I feel that when a patient is in my chair, I understand them better than a lot of people might. In dentistry, I do not believe in surprises. Patients are empowered when they have a full understanding of their oral health and of their options.”

FAMILY BUSINESS AS USUAL Everything about the move to Virginia Beach has been positive for Josh Leibowitz, DMD. He’s gearing up to get an apartment in Norfolk and joined his first two young adult Jewish groups. Serendipitously, two of his closest friends from childhood, both Jewish, are also heading back home to Virginia Beach to continue careers they started in big cities. Working with family also means ‘unplanned’ office visits from his 90-yearold grandfather ‘Sid.’ At Leibowitz Family

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Dentistry, a typical work week starts with patients who call in and ask when they can be seen because they’re experiencing a problem. They say something like, ‘Can you fit me in this week?’ Sid Glass, a Type-A, real estate broker, wakes up with a toothache and texts his grandson Josh, ‘I’m on my way.’” Leibowitz takes it all in stride. He’s an inquisitive empath much like his mother Fern, a former CPA, heavy knitter, and owner of Either Ore at Hilltop. Fern Glass Leibowitz showed Josh and his brother Jason, what caring

Josh Leibowitz works on a patient.

R O L E P L AY Q U E S T I O N S Larry Leibowitz. This is what Josh would say: What’s it like being back in Virginia Beach and working with your dad? I have been away from the area for 12 years except for various visits. It was exciting and scary at the same time to come back to Virginia Beach. I have always known my dad to be a respected and competent dentist. It would be great to practice and learn from him. Who better than my father could serve as a teacher and mentor as I take my dentistry to the next level? Josh Leibowitz: This is what my dad would say: What’s it like having Josh back in Virginia Beach and working with you at Leibowitz Family Dentistry? I have been excited to have Josh work with me for some time. We have always had a bond in terms of science, the Yankees, Giants, and technology. Now, it’s exciting to add our profession to that list of areas we share. Josh and I are not only family, but also friends. I think it’s not only a great opportunity to learn from each other, but to also be able to share my practice with him. It is rewarding to see him interact and treat patients who I have taken care of for more than 30 years!

Business for others is all about. Credit goes to Sid, everyone’s role model for the human touch. The one-time NYC cab driver never knew a stranger or was too busy to listen to someone’s problems. Putting people at ease comes naturally to Leibowitz, but he credits his uncle Jonathan Jacobs, a local plastic surgeon and oral surgeon, for helping him see why Harvard was the school to beat. Unlike other excellent schools on the table, Jacobs illustrated why he should seriously consider Harvard’s combined dental and medical curriculum.

Yianni and Josh Leibowitz, sharing a beer and friendship.

PROGRESS MAKES PERFECT While implant dentistry is becoming less and less “advanced” and more standard of care, Josh envisions offering surgical implant placement as a key practice differentiator. He also plans to expand their technology with CBCT scans, laser technology and 3D scanning to eliminate the need to take impressions. Two months into the game, Josh Leibowitz knows he made the right call at the right time. “I often think of my friend Yianni from dental school. Right before the pandemic, and within a year of joining his father’s orthodon- Drs. Josh and Larry Leibowitz. tic practice, a plan similar to my own, Yianni called to work with his dad as planned. ‘I think you let me know his dad had been diagnosed should move back to Virginia, Josh. I want with metastatic pancreatic cancer. you to have the experience with your dad For years, I knew I wanted to move that I won’t have.’ back to Virginia, but relationships and the Now that I’m here, and especially finality of a Virginia move seemed like a knowing what time stole from Yianni, I never-ending struggle in my mind, and I really don’t think too many people wake wasn’t sure how or if I’d be able to come up one day and wish that they had spent to peace with a decision. less time with their parents in the long After his father died, Yianni called and run.” shared the loss he felt not being able to

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Business

Business as unusual.

Avidan Itzhak returns home to refresh and recruit at Remedy Staffing Lisa Richmon

OVID pulls families apart. COVID brings families together. In May 2020, Avidan Itzhak returned home to Virginia where he continued to work as a corporate recruiter for a healthcare company. At that time, he had no intention to leave New York for the foreseeable future. The big city was his home. “It was always in the back of my mind that I would one day move back here and work in the family business. But being down in the Tidewater area during COVID, I realized I can impact local companies by helping them scout great talent. The Remedy staff was swamped with orders, and no one wanted to work, so I decided to jump on board and join the team full time.”

COVID has not been kind to the recruiting industry. Itzhak believes the lingering effects will force management at companies to adapt to market shifts, leaving them no choice but to adjust to today’s employee market. “Job hopping is an employer nightmare,” he says. “Millennials have job ADHD. The max is two to five years at one company. The problem swings both ways. Millennials want something trendy and new, and to be consistently challenged. If their current employer fails to deliver, they move on to one that does. In the New York market, where perks are standard, and where they have beer on tap and fancy gyms, people still leave. It comes down to how employers treat their employees.” The challenge about recruitment is

that the typical recruiter forgets they’re dealing with people. It’s just a name and resume to most recruiters. Cutting corners, brushing people off and ghosting them when they no longer have value to us—that’s the norm. I try to follow my mother’s lead. Shira is known for her personal touch and positivity. It’s hard sometimes, but I really try to give every single candidate some kind of honest feedback to help them down the road.” Itzhak joined Remedy as the manager of the Executive Search division. Remedy operates under the umbrella of Remedy Intelligent Staffing, branded as Remedy Recruiting. The Hampton Roads Remedy office, owned by Shira and Shmuel Itzhak, is the local franchise office of one of the largest staffing companies in the country, EmployBridge.

Avidun Itzhak.

“We know that the recruitment industry has a bad rap,” says Itzhak. “Remedy

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20 | JEWISH NEWS | Business | November 29, 2021 | jewishnewsva.org

Business R O L E P L AY Q U E S T I O N S

Shmuel and Shira Itzhak.

is different. Remedy is a family. We are a small company that cares for our employees and cares about each person we place. We are in the business of peoples’ livelihoods, helping people find employment so they can provide for themselves and their families. During my first week at Remedy, my mother set up an interview with a client in Norfolk and went to the site and physically introduced her candidate to the interviewer. That type of candidate care is unheard of in our industry, especially in New York. I learned from my father how to be an honest and trustworthy businessman, and how to treat everyone with respect. I admire the way he incorporates religion into his everyday life. I hope that watching and learning from them shows how much I appreciate all they have done for me and my siblings.” Helping Remedy maintain its core brand of personalized service is as important to Itzhak as re-imagining and re-joining the local Jewish community. “There are plenty of people in New York to take care of the community and meet its needs. But this small community needs to be cared for to sustain itself and grow. I know how challenging it is to get good people to move to a smaller community to start a family or a job. COVID may have accelerated my timeline, but I always knew I would come back one day and play an active role in our Jewish community’s future.”

Shira Itzhak. This is what Avidan would say. What is it like being back in Virginia Beach and working for Remedy? First of all, I never thought it would happen! I never thought I’d come back to Norfolk as a young professional. And if I didn’t think I’d come back to Norfolk, I certainly didn’t think I would be working in the family business! But as we have learned, “man plans and G-d laughs.” Actually, once I came back to Norfolk, I decided that I really like the community, the more “laid back “ environment, the people, and maybe even my family (lol). I really enjoy being in the family business because I can use my experience that I gained in NY and work with companies that my family has developed relationships with over two generations, now three generations! It’s been really cool to hear my client say, “Avidan, your grandfather (Bob Low) was our accountant!” I can see first-hand how my parents and grandparents have worked so hard in the community and I look forward to continuing to do so. It’s also been great developing business

and personal relationships with second and third generation community members and continuing the legacy in the Jewish community here in Tidewater. I would like to see a kosher pizza shop though—let’s put that on the Tidewater Jewish Community bucket list! Avidan Itzhak. This is what my mother would say: What’s it like having Avidan back in Virginia Beach and working with you at Remedy? What more can I ask for than to work with my kids? This is the reason why we worked so hard to build this business for our children to come back and be valuable members of the community. I am ecstatic to have Avidan working at Remedy. It gives me time to play much more pickleball and go bike riding. It’s funny because we never thought our kids would come back from the New York area to Norfolk, especially since Avidan has an affinity for kosher steak houses. I’m glad to have him working with us here so we can continue to impact the Hampton Roads community.

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jewishnewsva.org | November 29, 2021 | Business | JEWISH NEWS | 21

Business

Meet the Jewish founder of the world’s only bobblehead museum, and his Hanukkah bobbles Jacob Gurvis

( JTA)—A crochet museum in Joshua Tree, California features countless crochet animals that appear in airport

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22 | JEWISH NEWS | Business | November 29, 2021 | jewishnewsva.org

of the mustard mecca: the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, located in Milwaukee. Co-founded by Phil Sklar, a Jewish Illinois native, and his friend Brad Novak, the institution is the world’s only museum dedicated to bobbleheads. Its collection holds 7,000 unique bobbleheads, including some manufactured by Sklar and Novak. Bobbleheads date back to the late 1700s, Sklar explains in an interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. A famous painting of Queen Charlotte—a replica of which hangs in the bobblehead museum—shows two figurines behind the monarch, with heads that bobble. Fast forward to 2021, when the museum has unveiled its first-ever Hanukkah items: a Bobble Menorah that features nine bobbling “flames” (sans real fire, of course) and comes in three color patterns, and a Bobble Dreidel on a geltshaped base. “Having the candles with the flame bobbling and the dreidel on a spring, we thought was pretty unique,” says Sklar. “It was something that was tasteful and that people would enjoy displaying on Hanukkah, or with their Judaica collection.” We spoke to Sklar about how a unique collection turned into a one-of-a-kind museum, how he uses bobbleheads for a good cause and, of course, which famous Jews have their own bobbleheads. This interview has been edited and condensed. JTA: With any collection like this, the first question has to be: How did you get into bobbleheads? Sklar: My dad collected baseball cards, and he got me into collecting when I was growing up. Brad was working for a minor league baseball team in the early 2000s, and they gave away a bobblehead for the first time in 2003. We decided the bobblehead was sort of cool, and the [Milwaukee] Brewers and Bucks and local soccer and hockey teams were giving out

bobbleheads. So, we started to circle the bobblehead dates on the calendar, since we were already going to several games a year anyway as big sports fans. The collection sort of grew from that. JTA: How did this interest turn into the world’s only bobblehead museum? Sklar: The collection grew out of traveling. We went on a journey to try to go to all the Major League Baseball stadiums, and as we traveled we’d go to different museums in local places. Several times we’d either go to the stores in the area of the stadium, or antique malls, and just pick up some bobbleheads from the area to bring back. Before we knew it, we were doing some buying, trading and selling on eBay, in our free time. Then in 2013 we set out to produce a bobblehead for the first time of a friend of ours who was a manager for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee sports teams, and also a Special Olympian. We thought it would be a cool way to honor him. During that process we realized there was a need in the market, an opportunity to produce bobbleheads—people or things that otherwise haven’t had bobbleheads produced—and market them. At the time, our collection was numbering in the 3,000 range. I don’t even know how we got that many. We were running out of room for them. It’s a lot easier to store 3,000 baseball cards—you can get one box and store them. But 3,000 bobbleheads take up a lot more room. We started brainstorming, and realized, hey, there’s no museum in the world dedicated to bobbleheads. There are museums dedicated to mustard and spam, and a bunch of other random things. We started to do market research on the museum side, and in November 2014 we announced the idea for the museum. JTA: How many bobbleheads do you have now, and what are some of the highlights? Sklar: We have 7,000 unique bobbleheads on display in the museum. The collection itself is now in the 10,000-11,000

Business range. We’re getting in new bobbleheads pretty much daily. Teams send them, organizations, people across the country. It’s really everything from sports to pop culture, politics, music, movies, TV, comics. Anything and everything that can be turned into a bobblehead, including the menorah and the dreidel. JTA: Do you have a personal favorite bobblehead? Sklar: The one of [our friend] Michael is sort of the one that sparked the whole idea for the museum, so that’s my sentimental favorite. He’s also Jewish. We didn’t meet because of being Jewish, we just saw him around campus. Then we got to know his family, and found out we went to the same congregation. JTA: What has the reception been to the museum? How did the pandemic impact your work? Sklar: We’ve been blown away by the reception. We’ve had visitors from all 50 states and I think 25 different countries. We opened on February 1, 2019, and then closed for about 14-and-a-half months in March 2020 because of the pandemic. Luckily, we were able to produce a ton of bobbleheads during that time. In the beginning of April was the first Dr. [Anthony] Fauci bobblehead. That one became our best-selling bobblehead within like a week. Now we’ve raised over $300,000 for Protect the Heroes, which is administered by the American Hospital Association to get resources to first responders. We were able to keep busy, keep everybody employed that works for us, and also do something for a good cause during the pandemic. JTA: With some unique collections, there can be subcultures that develop within particular groups—the cult-like popularity of the band Phish among Jews comes to mind. Is there any bobblehead subculture that you’ve seen? Sklar: There definitely are various bobblehead subcultures. There’s definitely people out there who collect Jewish figures and bobbleheads. Or usually it’s their favorite team or player. There are definitely Grateful Dead [bobbleheads]—quite a few

different bobbleheads, and people try to collect all of them. There are people who are political, they want all the presidential- or historical-related. The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle did a story, and we sent them pictures of the different Jews that have been depicted in bobbleheads. Sandy Koufax, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a member of KISS, a wide variety of people. It’s sort of fun to see, there’s more [Jews] than we had anticipated when we were going through the list. JTA: How did you decide to create the Hanukkah bobbles? What is your goal with the products? Sklar: It was probably around this time last year, sort of close to Hanukkah, and we were thinking, there hasn’t really been anything Hanukkah-related when it comes to bobbleheads. And I mentioned to my aunt who lives in Omaha, she works at the [Jewish Community Center] and she really liked the idea and mentioned it to a few other family members and they thought it was pretty cool. We had a rendering made, and we went through some different iterations of the design, and thought, yeah, this would be pretty cool. You go to Target or different stores, and you see a little small display of Hanukkah-related merchandise and then aisles of Christmas stuff. We could definitely help increase that assortment. JTA: Are there any other Jewish holidays that you think would be particularly conducive for a bobble? Sklar: I think my aunt actually sent a list. There were some characters like Judah Maccabee. We could do Purim. We’re sort of waiting to see how the Hanukkah bobbleheads go. There’s also some other fun things that we could turn into bobbles. A bobble hamantaschen just came to mind. But I don’t know, it might get people to try to eat it or something. We’ll put a warning on the package. JTA: A lot of your products and launches are connected to charities. Why is it important to you to use the bobbleheads to support these causes? Does your Jewish identity have any impact on that? Sklar: I think it probably does have

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something to do with my upbringing. Being taught to give back, and taught about tzedakah [charity]. And we’ve seen other bobblehead companies start to do the same thing, and they hadn’t done it in the past, so I think we’ve actually inspired other people. We’re not doing it to boost

the sales, but we’ve seen that when it has that good cause, it can definitely help boost the sales and boost the excitement around it as well. But we’re really doing it to give back to causes and to get people engaged.

jewishnewsva.org | November 29, 2021 | Business | JEWISH NEWS | 23

Business

What do the Strelitz International Academy and the Entrepreneurship and Business Academy at Kempsville High School have in common? Carin Simon

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24 | JEWISH NEWS | Business | November 29, 2021 | jewishnewsva.org

trelitz International Academy is known for giving students a great foundation for life. SIA students graduate with the ability to apply to a range of excellent middle school and high school programs in the area, both public and private. Recently, a number of SIA graduates have applied and been accepted to one of the newest high school programs in Tidewater—the Entrepreneurship and Business Academy at Kempsville High School. Launched in 2016, the Entrepreneurship and Business Academy at Kempsville High School is an innovative program for students looking for Evan Nied. not only an academic challenge, but also to hone in their leadership skills and entrepreneurial spirit. The overall goal of the Entrepreneurship and Business Academy is to provide students the business skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in any career related fields of study in post-secondary education and in the workforce. Specific academy objectives include successfully completing a sequential program of study that focuses on specific skills, knowledge, and technology in the fields of entrepreneurship, business information technology, and corporate finance. Students in the EBA program have opportunities to earn an Associate’s degree at Tidewater Community College, as well as post-secondary credit. EBA students participate in job shadowing, mentoring, and internship programs that extend, enrich, and refine student learning and create linkages with the academic

Ophek Newman.

and business communities. EBA students also complete a long-term project through an internship-mentorship experience. The program culminates with a presentation in the students’ senior year featuring

Business

Ophir Newman promotes the EBA at an Open House.

an in-depth study of an issue of related concern to their related industry. The students present ideas and solutions as viable options to address the issue to a panel of business and community leaders. Evan Nied, SIA graduate and senior at Kempsville High School was accepted to the EBA program three years ago, “The EBA has business opportunities and resources that no other school in Virginia Beach offers. I’ve had many public speaking opportunities as the Master of Ceremonies of the school’s Shark Tank esq Pitch Night.” Ophek Newman started SIA in second grade. His family is from Israel. Currently in 11th grade in the EBA, Ophek says she loves the school, “It offers a lot of programs that are not taught in other schools. Students can learn subjects like entrepreneurship, marketing, accounting, finance, economics, computer programming, and technology. Students get exposed to all of them and have the ability to choose areas to focus on. The skills taught in the entrepreneurship and business academy are applicable in life regardless of students’ career choice.” SIA Class of 2018 graduates Ophir Neuman, Ilan Rivera, and Nate Simon, went on to different middle schools in Virginia Beach and were all accepted to the EBA program this past spring. Due to the proximity to the Sandler Family Campus, all three have maintained their close connection to the Jewish community. Ophir and her brother, Ophek, volunteer regularly at SIA. Nate and Ilan volunteer at the

Simon Family JCC and Jewish Family Service and both are regulars at the JCC Gym. Although these three freshmen have only been in the EBA program for a few months, they’re enjoying the program and all that it has to offer. “I love the EBA academy because it has three different strands, which all focus on business skills and have many learning opportunities. Even if you don’t know what you want to do in the future, all the skills you learn in the EBA can be applied past high school,” says Ophir. “We love hearing about the wonderful accomplishments of all of our graduates, and we are proud of the excellent foundation that we provide our students to explore and develop their skills and interests in order to prepare them for middle school and high school,” says Heather Moore, SIA Head of School. So what do the Strelitz International Academy and the Entrepreneurship and Business Academy at Kempsville High School have in common? As an IB World School, SIA has a strong focus on community, responsibility, and social action —all concepts that tie well into a program designed to prepare students for leadership, innovation, and opportunities in the future. For more information on the Strelitz International Academy, contact Carin Simon, admissions director, at 757-424-4327 or csimon@strelitzacademy.org. For more information on the Entrepreneurship and Business Academy at Kempsville High School, contact Megan Timlin, Academy Coordinator, at 757-648-5450 or meghan.timlin@vbschools.com. The IB program approach empowers students to develop critical thinking skills and innovative ideas so we anticipate more SIA students

jewishnewsva.org | November 29, 2021 | Business | JEWISH NEWS | 25

Business

‘A new Judaica’: Meet the Israeli entrepreneurs putting the Bible on the blockchain Shira Hanau

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(JTA)—A Bible in printed form: about $20. A Bible on the blockchain: priceless— or at least that’s the hope of two Israeli entrepreneurs who are turning verses from the Torah into NFTs. Nonfungible tokens, otherwise known as NFTs, have become a hot commodity among art collectors and blockchain enthusiasts in the last year. Everyone from Grimes to The New York Times has gotten in on the game, selling everything from art to a newspaper column to clip-art pet rocks, in a new industry that can sometimes feel like a scam. Now CryptoVerses, a company founded by two secular Israelis, is hoping to make NFTs composed of verses from the Bible encrypted in Hebrew and English into the next big blockchain collectible. CryptoVerses organizes its verses into small groups, arranged by story, and has already sold 30 of them for an average price of 0.91 Ethereum, or approximately $4,150. While others have created NFTs of artwork connected to chapters of the Torah, CryptoVerses appears to be the first company to encrypt the actual biblical text. “It’s like an evolution of the printing press,” Yonatan Bendahan, a software developer and one of the cofounders of CryptoVerses, says. He likens the Bible verse NFTs to “a kind of a new Judaica.” Yuval Meyraz, Bendahan’s co-founder, recalls carrying a Bible with him on hikes as a youth group counselor. He would read stories from the Bible that were relevant to wherever they were hiking in Israel as a way of connecting his campers to the text. “It was a great way to deliver the story to the next generation, but these days I’m working on a bit more of a technology way to connect young people…with the stories we love and grew up on,” Meyraz says.

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Meyraz and Bendahan explain why someone would want to own an encrypted Bible verse and how the idea has been received. This conversation has been edited and condensed. JTA: First of all, can you explain what an NFT is for those of us who still don’t get it? Meyraz: So, NFT stands for nonfungible token. A token is a piece of digital asset that you can own, just like Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency. When it comes to NFT, it’s a different type of digital asset that you can own. But it’s not a coin; it’s something that represents something unique that you can own and transfer, buy and sell. It started mostly with digital art: people created digital images, and created a token, which represented those images and started to transfer ownership over those images. JTA: Why would someone want to buy an NFT of a Bible verse? Bendahan: We see it as kind of a new Judaica, some piece of something that you can collect that you have some personal connection to, and you want to give it to yourself or to one of your family members. Our second objective is to encrypt the Bible text on the blockchain. So we want to take the Bible text, which was started from writing on a piece of paper or something which was before even paper, and then transfer into digital copies over the internet. And now the next phase which we are leading is putting it on the blockchain. And what’s so unique about it is that we put this text on a distributed network, and in this way we can make sure that no one can delete it, and it can be available to anyone. So, by owning an NFT that encrypts a Bible verse, you can participate in preserving the text on the blockchain. JTA: How can you even make the Bible into NFTs when no individual person can

really own the Bible? Meyraz: As you said, no one can own the Torah, it’s totally public domain. And we don’t really claim that anyone is going to own it, of course. But we see it more like a piece of art that we made for the first time. For example, let’s say that I took 5,884 candlesticks from gold, and on each one of them I minted a different verse. And we have each candlestick with a specific verse only once. It’s unique. Now, I’m going out there and selling my art with the specific verse, and it’s not that I’m selling the Bible, but we own the unique canvas, because you have only one. It’s the same when we created this NFT: It’s a piece of art, we sell the encrypted verse and it’s the first time in history of the Jewish people and it’s what we sell. So, the NFT is something that you can own—but no one owns the Bible itself. JTA: Who are the people buying these NFTs? And has there been any backlash? Meyraz: Religious people, some of them, we were surprised. They found it super interesting. We were afraid that we would get some backlash on the project. We didn’t know how it would be accepted, especially with religious [Jewish] people. And what surprised us was that it was mostly religious people who are more excited about the project. We have some investors who are religious, studying in yeshiva even now. One of them actually even helps us with the text, with analyzing the text—you’d be surprised how many versions of the Torah there are, so we had to choose which version is the right one. It’s really surprising how our intuition that we hope that everyone will connect to the story to preserve the story, how it really connects to everyone in the real world. This was really surprising, I think it’s very beautiful that people see texts as something precious, especially in the digital age.