BSV is back with Mah Jongg

IT’S A WRAP

Mah Jongg is back after a two-year absence

Marcia Futterman Brodie

Since its inception in 2011, Beth Sholom Village’s The Janet Gordon Annual Mah Jongg Event and Luncheon never missed a year…until COVID-19 hit. An event that Mah Jongg playing women have looked forward to and enjoyed, it has evolved from a tournament with competitive play to a day of play with a smaller group of die-hard tournament players.

As with almost every social event, The Mah Jongg event was canceled for two years due to COVID-19. One of the two years, a virtual event (without the Mah Jongg) was held to raise money for BSV. Excitement over holding the event again on Sunday, April 3 and bringing friends back together was hard to contain. Still, changes were made due to COVID-19. The first difficult change was to move the event off-campus and to the Hyatt Place Virginia Beach Town Center. This was done to to protect BSV’s most vulnerable population from the pandemic, as it was deemed unsafe to have more than 100 people enter the building for several hours.

“While the fantastic decorations of the past that transformed the lobby and halls of BSV were missed, the setting of the Hyatt Place at Town Center was lovely and accommodating,” says Amy Weinstein, BSV’s director of philanthropy. The Auxiliary Gift Shop set up a Pop-Up Shop in the hotel’s lobby and sold a lot of purses, dresses, and jewelry, and “we brought life-sized posters of some of our beautiful residents so players could remember the reason BSV has this fundraising event,” she says.

“We are so appreciative to the Gordon Family for their support,” says Weinstein. ”It was delightful to see so many new and old friends of Beth Sholom together. I also want to again thank our dedicated committee, without whom, this event would not be possible. Co-chairs Rachel Abraham and Dana Patish, and committee members Stephanie Banks, Lauren Barkan, Abby Friedman, Sharon Goldner, Joan Johnson, Rachel Krupnick, Rebecca Tall, Carin Simon.”

Seasoned players were able to spend time together and women new to the game formed groups and enjoyed the day.

BSV’s catering staff brought its wellknown delicious food to the hotel, and attendees were excited to enjoy the stuffed mushrooms, salmon, chicken, and parfait dessert.

Ellyn Mae Friedman and Helen Laibstain.

Beth Sholom Village thanks the sponsors and donors who helped make the tournament a successful day.

Luncheon Sponsor ($5,000)

Daniel and Janet* Gordon

Philanthropic Fund

Year of the Tiger Sponsors ($1,000+)

APC Paper Company—ProAmpac Altmeyer Funeral Homes Beskin Divers Insurance Group Buckingham Strategic Wealth Butler Paper Recycling, Inc. Friedman Associates Harbor Group International Hyatt Place Virginia Beach

Town Center Wall, Einhorn, Chernitzer, P.C.

Table Sponsors ($300+)

Rachel & David Abraham Auxiliary of Beth Sholom Village Brith Sholom Center of Virginia Karen & Mark Gilbert Laura & Keith Goldstein Jeri Jo & William Halprin Dana & Larry Patish PayDay Payroll Strelitz International Academy

Contributing Sponsors ($150+)

Stephanie & Randall Banks Beach Hardware (Sharon & Mark Goldner) Barbara Gordon Jewish Family Service of Tidewater Joan & Ken Johnson Martha Kline Tina & Doug Moses SoupLove (Amy Markman) Fay & Charlie Silverman Rebecca & Jeffrey Tall General Donation Sponsors Elise Berkowitz Sylvia Kaplan Janet Kass Emmy Lou Kreger Elayne Littman Marcia Lovitz Ellen & Bryan Mesh Shelley Saunders

*of blessed memory

Rachel Abraham and Dana Patish, co-chairs of The Mah Jongg Event. Bill Halprin, BSV Board of Directors’ first vice president and Amy Weinstein, BSV director of philanthropy.

Millie Cohen and Anetta Mantel.

First time players: Sheryl Markowitz, Barbara Kahn, Marci Danzing and Beth Fisher.

Shari Patish, Tina Moses, Sharon Leach, and RosaLee Aftel.