Jewish News - 01.24.22

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Southeastern Virginia | Vol. 60 No. 8 | 22 Shevat 5782 | January 24, 2022

29th Annual Virginia Festival 29th Annual of Jewish Film February 24–28, Virginia Festival 2022 February 24–28, 2022 of Jewish Film —page 28

6 Terror in Texas

31 Paper Midrash February 4–6

32 Date with the State January 31–February 3

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Foomoadn& ce R 39 Remembering Bob Saget

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UPFRONT

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Tidewater grateful for ongoing partnership with Secure Community Network T o better protect the members of the Jewish community who worship and attend area synagogues, day schools, and other Jewish agencies in Tidewater, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater with support from a Tidewater Jewish Foundation community impact grant, joined with the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond and United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula to partner with Secure Community Network (SCN) to enhance local security programs in 2020.

Secure Community Network, a nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization, has served since 2004 as the official homeland security and safety initiative of the organized Jewish community in North America.

Established under the auspices of the Jewish Federations of North America (UJFT’s national umbrella agency) and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, SCN works to enhance the safety and security of those within 147 Federations, the 50 largest Jewish non-profit organizations in North America and more than 300 independent Jewish communities.

Through UJFT’s partnership, SCN’s Virginia Regional Security Advisor, David Brackins has spent the past year and a half working with the UJFT’s Community Security Committee, Tidewater synagogues, and agencies, to address the mounting need to make Jewish gathering places more secure and enhance

Through Tidewater’s partnership with SCN, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater will continue to help the community access increased government security funding for local Jewish organizations and synagogues and remains committed to combating antisemitism and all forms of hatred.

To learn more about SCN’s partnership with United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, contact Robin Mancoll at RMancoll@ujft.org.

JFS helps locals during Fall 2021 outreach projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 TJF Community Impact Grant helps KBH. . . . . . 16 Special Section: Food and Romance. . . . . . . . . . . 17 Busy December for BBYO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Tidewater teens go to the movies. . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Temple Israel’s Mitzvah Squad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Tidewater Chavurah at JCOC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Stein Family College Scholarship increases . . . . . 26 Camp JCC: Ready for Summer 2022. . . . . . . . . . . 26 What’s Happening. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Virginia Festival of Jewish Film . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 What’s Happening. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 In Memoriam: Bob Saget. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

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CANDLE LIGHTING

QUOTABLE

CONTENTS Upfront . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Briefs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Terror in Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Texas crisis and social media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Congregation Beth Israel’s rabbi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Gunman asked to speak with Rabbi Angela Buchdahl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2022 UJFT Community Campaign update. . . . . . 10 Executive Order establishes commission to combat antisemitism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Painting in competition for Virginia’s most endangered artifact. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Your Dollars at Work: VAAD Haskashrus of Tidewater. . . . . . . . . . . . 13 JFS bids farewell to Sue Graves, welcomes new team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

existing security practices. This has included threat assessments, assistance with FEMA’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program, briefings, trainings, and connecting Virginia communities to regularly share best practices.

While the Jewish community breathed a collective sigh of relief that the hostages at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, were released alive and unharmed, the events left Jewish communities across the nation shaken. This latest attack on a Jewish house of worship is a part of an undeniable trend of rising antisemitism in this country, with security implications in every community.

Through Tidewater’s partnership with SCN, UJFT will continue to help the community access increased government security funding for local Jewish organizations and synagogues and remains committed to combating antisemitism and all forms of hatred. Through this partnership, UJFT will continue to provide services to community institutions to enhance their safety, security, and emergency preparedness plans. In addition, UJFT continues to coordinate closely with law enforcement to ensure that community members and institutions remain safe and secure.

Published 20 times a year by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.

Friday, Jan. 28/26 Shevat Light candles at 5:08 pm Friday, Feb. 4/3 Adar Light candles at 5:16 pm

“I am grateful to be alive.”

Friday, Feb. 11/10 Adar I Light candles at 5:23 pm —page 6

Friday, Feb. 18/17 Adar I Light candles at 5:30 pm Friday, Feb. 25/24 Adar I Light candles at 5:37 pm Friday, March 4/1 Adar II Light candles at 5:44 pm

jewishnewsva.org | January 24, 2022 | JEWISH NEWS | 3

BRIEFS ISRAEL TO ALLOW US VISITORS IN FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE NOVEMBER Israel lifted its COVID-related travel ban on visitors from the United States, United Kingdom, and several other countries for the first time since restrictions were put in place in November.

According to Israeli media, the restrictions on countries given a “red” status because of their high rates of COVID cases were lifted January 6.

Visitors are allowed to enter provided they show a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of their flight. Visitors are still be required to quarantine upon arrival until receiving a negative COVID test result.

The ban on foreign travelers had been a controversial issue in Israel. American immigrants to Israel have been especially vocal about the bans, which have kept their family members out of the country, even for lifecycle events such as weddings or the birth of a grandchild.

While the travel bans were initially imposed to keep the rapidly-spreading Omicron variant out of the country, Israel’s health minister has admitted that “there is no point in stopping [Omicron’s] entry from abroad” in an interview with the country’s public broadcaster, according to The Times of Israel. (JTA) NEO-NAZI LEADER SENTENCED TO 7 YEARS IN PRISON FOR DISTRIBUTING ANTISEMITIC FLYERS The leader of a Neo-Nazi group that distributed threatening antisemitic flyers to local Jewish residents, journalists and activists who tried to expose antisemitism in Seattle was sentenced to seven years in prison earlier this month.

Kaleb Cole, a leader of the Neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen, was convicted on several counts, including interfering with a federally protected activity because of religion, mailing threatening communications and conspiring to commit offenses against the United States.

“The defendant led a multi-state plot by a neo-Nazi group to threaten and intimidate journalists and advocates who were doing important work to expose anti-Semitism around the country. The Justice Department will continue to investigate and prosecute these hateful acts,” Kristen

Clarke, assistant attorney general in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said in a statement.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, Atomwaffen is a Neo-Nazi group that was formed in 2016 and has already been connected to several murders as well as numerous antisemitic actions. The word “Atomwaffen” is German for atomic weapons and the group’s logo includes a Nazi Waffen SS symbol.

Cole created posters that read, “you have been visited by your local Nazis” that were then distributed to local Jewish residents, journalists, and activists in January 2020. The flyers also contained images, including one of a Molotov cocktail being lobbed at a house.

Some of the people targeted by the Atomwaffen flyers moved out of their homes or installed security systems after receiving the posters, according to the Justice Department. (JTA)

4TH CORONAVIRUS SHOT INCREASED ANTIBODIES FIVEFOLD, PRELIMINARY DATA FROM ISRAEL SHOWS A fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine increases antibodies fivefold in patients who receive the shots, preliminary findings from an Israeli study show.

Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced the news at the Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv, alongside Dr. Gili Regev-Yochay, a lead researcher on the study. The results have not been peer reviewed.

“We know that a week after administration of a fourth dose, we see a five-fold increase in the number of antibodies in the vaccinated person,” Bennett said, according to Haaretz. “This most likely means a significant increase against infection and… hospitalization and [severe] symptoms.”

Israel began administering fourth doses of the coronavirus vaccine this month as a second booster shot to adults ages 60 and up, as well as medical workers who have gone at least four months since their first booster shot. Nearly 100,000 people already received or were scheduled to receive a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine as of January 4, The Times of Israel reported.

The World Health Organization, Dr. Anthony Fauci and others have expressed

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concern about the aggressive booster program.

Professor Galia Rahav, the head of Sheba’s infectious diseases center, spoke to an Israeli news channel, Channel 12, to address the criticism.

“We’re always ahead of the rest. That’s been the case the whole way. We learned a lot about the third shot before the rest.

And we saw its amazing effect—reducing illness in the most impressive way,” Rahav said according to The Times of Israel. (JTA)

PRINCE CHARLES COMMISSIONS HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR PORTRAITS FOR BUCKINGHAM PALACE The United Kingdom’s Prince Charles has commissioned portraits of seven Holocaust survivors to be displayed at Buckingham Palace for International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Charles, the Prince of Wales, commissioned the portraits as part of his service as the royal patron of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, a position he took over from Queen Elizabeth in 2015. The portraits will be displayed in the palace’s Queen Gallery ahead of Jan. 27, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in 1945 and a date that the United Nations has designated as Holocaust Remembrance Day. The paintings will later become a part of the Royal Collection. The survivors are all in their 90s, all survived Nazi camps, and have all since lived in the U.K. “As the number of Holocaust survivors sadly, but inevitably, declines, my abiding hope is that this special collection will act as a further guiding light for our society, reminding us not only of history’s darkest days, but of humanity’s interconnectedness as we strive to create a better world for our children, grandchildren and generations as yet unborn; one where hope is victorious over despair and love triumphs over hate,” Charles said in a statement.

The BBC filmed the making of the portraits for a television program scheduled to be aired next month.

Last year, the Imperial War Museums in London displayed a series of Kate Middleton’s photographed portraits of Holocaust survivors. Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, is the wife of Prince William. (JTA)

BIDEN YANKS TRUMP APPOINTEE WHO SPOKE TO WHITE SUPREMACISTS FROM COMMISSION THAT MONITORS HOLOCAUST SITES President Joe Biden removed from a commission that monitors Holocaust sites a Trump appointee with ties to white supremacists.

The White House asked Darren Beattie on Jan. 14 to resign from the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad by the end of the day or be removed.

The commission identifies and works to secure the preservation of historical sites in Europe, such as cemeteries, monuments and Holocaust killing sites, that are associated with the heritage of U.S. citizens.

Former President Donald Trump’s appointment of Beattie to the commission in 2020 stirred controversy among Jewish groups and led to demands for his removal. It was one of several appointments of young loyalists to prestigious commissions that Trump made after he lost the election.

Beattie, who is Jewish, had been a speechwriter for Trump until it was revealed in 2018 that he had attended a conference of the H.L. Mencken Club.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the conference “has hosted some of America’s most prominent white nationalist ideologues, and serves as a safe space for professors to vent their racist views.”

Beattie appeared at the conference on a panel with Peter Brimelow, a white nationalist who runs the anti-immigrant website VDare. Beattie defends Trump’s policies limiting the entry of Muslims into the U. S. The same day he sacked Beattie, Biden named seven new commissioners to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad, including two with ties to Jewish organizations.

Nancy Kaufman is a former longtime CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women and executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Boston. C. Jonathan Greenwald, a former diplomat, is active with J Street and has worked in negotiating Holocaust reparations. (JTA)

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TEXAS SYNAGOGUE HOSTAGES

All Texas synagogue hostages ‘out alive and safe’ after harrowing 12-hour standoff, suspect is dead Ron Kampeas, Andrew Lapin

(JTA)—All four hostages at a synagogue in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas area were declared “out alive and safe” by Texas Governor Greg Abbott at 9:33 pm CST on Saturday, January 15, following a 12-hour standoff with an armed assailant in an unfolding saga that terrified Jews worldwide.

The hostage situation unfolded during Shabbat morning services at Congregation Beth Israel, a Reform synagogue in Colleyville, a suburb north of Fort Worth.

The synagogue had been live-streaming its services on Facebook; the suspect’s actions had been partially recorded on the stream.

“The suspect is deceased,” Colleyville’s police chief, Michael Miller, told reporters at a late-night press conference, adding that the hostages had been unharmed.

Officials said they had identified the suspect, Malik Faisal Akram, and that he had acted alone.

One of the four hostages, a male, had been released in the early evening, leaving three still held. Reporters and bystanders heard a loud bang and what sounded like gunshots around 9:30 pm local time, which CNN reported were flashbangs used during a raid to distract the hostage-taker; Abbott sent his tweet shortly after.

“Prayers answered,” he wrote. “All hostages are out alive and safe.”

“The SWAT situation in Colleyville is resolved and all hostages are safe,” the local police said on Twitter.

An FBI official said at the press conference that the agency was working closely with Secure Community Network, the agency that consults with national and local Jewish communities, as well as Jewish federations and police in Israel and London.

The assailant had been holding Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker and three congregants hostage.

The FBI was on the scene as well as

local police, and the FBI had led negotiations with the hostage-taker for several hours. The White House was also “monitoring” the situation, per reports. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also said in a tweet that he was “closely monitoring” the situation.

In an alert, Secure Community Network, which consults with national and local Jewish organizations, said the man was reportedly armed and making bomb threats.

“We’re not aware of any direct credible threats to any other synagogues,” Michael Masters, who directs SCN, says.

Masters says the synagogue underwent SCN training in August. “It was a full training,” he says. “We worked on a number of different scenarios and issues and we have been engaged with that congregation.” Masters says it was too early to tell if the protocols kicked in during the hostage taking.

According to recorded audio recovered from the livestream, the man was seeking the freedom of Aafia Siddiqui, a relative by marriage of Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, the chief architect of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Aafia Siddiqui is serving an 86-year sentence in the Fort Worth area for attempting to kill American military personnel after she was arrested in Afghanistan in 2008 on suspicion of plotting attacks in New York. She made multiple antisemitic outbursts during and after her trial.

Akram asked Cytron-Walker to call Rabbi Angela Buchdahl in New York, demanding Aafia Siddiqui’s release. The livestream went down around 2 pm.

Because the man at one point reportedly referred to Siddiqui as “sister,” some initial reports erroneously concluded he was her brother. However, a lawyer for a brother of Siddiqui, Muhammad Siddiqui, said Siddiqui was not the man inside the synagogue. The lawyer, John Floyd, is the chairman of the Houston affiliate of CAIR, the Muslim legal advocacy group. CAIR and the Free Aafia movement, which

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contends that the charges against her are trumped up and that she has been tortured, condemned the hostage-taking.

“This assailant has nothing to do with Dr. Aafia, her family, or the global campaign to get justice for Dr. Aafia,” Floyd said in a statement. “We want the assailant to know that his actions are wicked and directly undermine those of us who are seeking justice for Dr. Aafia.”

The synagogue underwent SCN training in August.

The attack came after two deadly attacks on American synagogues in recent years—in Pittsburgh in 2018 and in Poway, California in 2019—that changed how many Jewish communities thought about synagogue security. Organizations like SCN have intensified security training in communities across the country.

“This highlights the need for all of us to be aware and vigilant and most importantly to keep the individuals in the synagogue in our thoughts and prayers and hope for a peaceful resolution,” Masters says.

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, an umbrella group, said it was monitoring the situation. “Collectively, we must spare no effort to ensure that American Jews

are safe in their houses of worship and community centers,” it said in a statement.

Jessika Harkay, a reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, shared a number of quotes from the livestream in a series of tweets.

“Don’t cry on the f**king phone with me,” a man says at one point. “Don’t f**king cry on me. I have six beautiful kids…. There are hostages in the synagogue who are going to die.… What are you crying for?”

“I’m going to die, are you listening?” the man says, repeatedly. “I’m going to die doing this all right? Are you listening? I’m going to die. Don’t cry about me.”

As the events unfolded, Eric Fingerhut, Jewish Federations of North America president and CEO issued the following statement: “Jewish Federations are horrified that our community is once again under attack.

“It is for moments like this that local Federations across the country are building and strengthening community security initiatives, and that the Jewish Federations created the Secure Community Network.

“SCN is on the ground, in touch with law enforcement, and working to ensure that the community is updated and that the situation resolves peacefully.”

After the hostages were freed, the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas released a statement saying it joined others in expressing relief and joy at the successful conclusion of the hostage situation in Colleyville, Texas.

“The Federation continues to hold those impacted individuals, their families, and the members of Congregation Beth Israel in our thoughts.

“Many individuals and organizations reached out to extend prayers for those involved and to express support for the DFW Jewish community during this more than 10-hour ordeal. We are grateful to all, and especially for law enforcement and the first responders on the scene who worked so diligently and always to keep our community safe.

TEXAS SYNAGOGUE HOSTAGES OPINION

From vigils to vitriol, the Texas hostage crisis showed social media at its best and worst

Beth El synagogue, Colleyville, Texas

Andrew Silow-Carroll

(New York Jewish Week via JTA)—It was the best of Twitter. It was the worst of Twitter.

During the long agonizing hours of Saturday, January 15, during which a rabbi and three congregants were held against their will at a Dallas-area synagogue, social media performed perhaps as its creators and optimists always thought it would. It was a community of caring, with users posting prayers, sharing their distress and comforting one another. They sent messages of hope to the Jews trapped in the building and words of gratitude to the responders gathered outside.

Actual vigils—or should I say, actual virtual vigils—were quickly organized, allowing people to tune in and turn to one another to pray and commiserate. Twitter became a tool for creating community at a speed that could scarcely be imagined in an analog world. Jewish officialdom— defense groups, synagogue organizations, Israeli diplomats—assured the world that they were “monitoring” the situation, a benign word meaning “we are anxious and scared and feeling as helpless as the rest of you.”

As Shabbat ended and more and more Jews who had been enjoying a quiet

Shabbat joined the vigil, the conversation grew and the topics expanded. For many the crisis at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville was playing out as a slow-motion repeat of the 2018 Pittsburgh massacre, when people tuned in after another Shabbat and learned of the deaths of 11 Jews at the Tree of Life synagogue. Many lamented that U.S. synagogues need to be constantly on alert for attacks like these. New York comedian Alex Edelman tweeted, “People genuinely don’t seem to understand that this could happen at any synagogue in America.”

The locations of other recent deadly attacks on Jews were repeated like an incantation: Pittsburgh, Poway, Jersey City, Monsey.…

And inevitably, this being Twitter, the conversations began to shift, taken over by the angry rhetoric of a polarized era. I’m not talking here about the white supremacists who celebrated the crisis, or the Muslim activist who appeared to support the hostage-taking because the hostage-taker demanded the release of an accused Muslim terrorist. I’m talking about the Jewish conversation.

Jewish users began to demand that Muslim groups denounce and distance themselves from the crime. And when they did—when the Muslim-American organization CAIR said the hostage-taking was “an unacceptable act of evil”—many held them and their spokespeople responsible for years of incitement against Israel and the Zionist synagogues that support it.

Others turned their ire on the media, claiming without evidence that the standoff would have gotten more attention if the

victims were Black and the perpetrator were white. (CNN, the only cable channel running nonstop coverage, broke off to air a previously scheduled documentary on The Movies: The 2000s.)

Even as the lives of four people hung in the balance, Jews and Muslims sniped. When some users fretted about an Islamophobic backlash, they were attacked for “centering” Muslims during a Jewish tragedy.

The comments got ugly and uglier.

Some Jews attacked the synagogue’s rabbi, Charlie Cytron-Walker, for his liberal politics. Or asked why he invited a stranger into the synagogue in the first place.

At the same, people eagerly shared the news that Cytron-Walker was known locally for his outreach to the Muslim community and overall menschiness.

CNN quickly turned back to the hostage crisis when a loud bang was heard from the direction of the synagogue, and reported some 30 minutes later that all the hostages were safe and the suspect dead.

With the immediate crisis resolved, the online conversation shifted yet again, this time to a comment by the head of the FBI Dallas Field Office, Matthew Desarno, who said that the hostage-taker was “singularly focused on one issue and it was not specifically related to the Jewish community.” Jewish Twitter erupted, asking how an attack on a synagogue on a Shabbat morning could be anything other than “specifically related to the Jewish community.”

That conversation, at least, was rooted in the facts and an important communal debate. The British national who carried out the attack was said to be demanding the release of Aaifa Siddiqui, a Muslim woman suspected of plotting attacks in New York who is now serving an 86-year sentence in the Fort Worth area. How was it possible, commentators like Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin of Religion News Service asked, to separate Islamist terrorism from

the antisemitism and anti-Zionism of its ideologues?

It’s conceivable that Desarno wasn’t deeply versed in what is and isn’t a “Jewish” issue—perhaps mistakenly viewing antisemitism as an attack on Judaism as a religion and not an attack on a people inextricably tied up, intentionally or not, in geopolitics. (It’s also conceivable that he was just tired.) If he wasn’t before, he probably is now. In thanking the FBI and law enforcement, the Anti-Defamation League said pointedly in a statement: “There is no doubt, given what we know so far, that the hostage-taker chose his target carefully. We urge law enforcement and prosecutors to investigate the role antisemitism may have played in motivating the suspect.”

The debate won’t end there. Some Jews will insist that targeting Jews in the name of an Islamist terrorist confirms their worst fears about “the new antisemitism.” Others will point out the central place Israel holds in American synagogue life and conclude that vulnerability to haters is the price Jews pay for their commitments.

Twitter isn’t real life, but it is a close simulacrum of how Jews talk to and about one another. On Saturday, January 15, as it does so often, the conversation devolved into anger and invective even before the crisis was resolved, and before the facts were in. Twitter is a machine for amplifying fast takes, misinformation and invective. It is also a tool for community-organizing, mutual support and enlightening opinions. During the Colleyville hostage crisis, it was both.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.

jewishnewsva.org | January 24, 2022 | JEWISH NEWS | 7

TEXAS SYNAGOGUE HOSTAGES

‘Quite simply a mensch’: Meet Rabbi Charlie CytronWalker, freed after hostage crisis at his synagogue Andrew Lapin

(JTA)—Over the course of a harrowing 12 hours on Saturday, January 15, the entire world found out just what the Jews of Colleyville, Texas, think of their hometown rabbi.

“Our rabbi is a wonderful human being,” Ellen Smith, who grew up at Congregation Beth Israel, said about Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker during an online vigil while he was being held hostage inside the synagogue building.

Cytron-Walker was leading services on Saturday morning when a man took him and three others hostage, reportedly in an effort to free a woman who was convicted of attempting to kill American military personnel. The crisis, which streamed online for some time before being taken down, drew the world’s attention to a rabbi who is in many ways synonymous with the synagogue he leads.

Congregation Beth Israel was founded in 1998 as an informal community in a rapidly growing suburb of Fort Worth,

located just miles from the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. Cytron-Walker, who joined the Reform congregation in 2006 after graduating from Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, has been its only full-time rabbi.

In that role, he has tackled the everyday challenges of synagogue leadership—seeking out a virtual program when COVID-19 forced Beth Israel’s Hebrew school to go online, for example—while also becoming well known in the area for his interfaith and social justice work.

He has made friends everywhere he has gone, locally and across the extended network of Reform and Conservative rabbis who poured out their recollections of studying and working with him over the years. Colleyville’s police chief called Cytron-Walker a close personal friend. Even the man who attacked the synagogue praised him, saying on the live-streamed audio that the rabbi had welcomed him into the building when he knocked on the door asking whether the synagogue was a shelter. “I bonded with

‘I am grateful to be alive’: Rabbi held hostage in synagogue attack speaks out in Facebook post Shira Hanau

(JTA)—Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker spoke out about the hostage experience for the first time in a Facebook post Sunday, January 16, the morning after his release.

He wrote: I am thankful and filled with appreciation for All of the vigils and prayers and love and support, All of the law enforcement and first responders who cared for us, All of the security training that helped save us.

I am grateful for my family.

I am grateful for the CBI Community, the Jewish Community, the Human Community.

I am grateful that we made it out.

I am grateful to be alive.

He added to the post in a comment: “Now that I’ve put this out, maybe I can finally get to sleep. Sending love and compassion to all!”

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him,” the man said. “I really like him.”

Cytron-Walker is married to Adena Cytron-Walker, a vice president of a Fort Worth organization focused on diversity with whom he remains “completely in love,” according to his biography on Beth Israel’s website; the couple has two daughters.

Cytron-Walker grew up in East Lansing, Michigan, where he leaned into Jewish life at an early age. His family belonged to Congregation Shaarey Zedek in East Lansing, and he attended Camp Tamarack, a popular summer destination for young Michigan Jews. While in high school, he was president of both Lansing’s temple youth group and the National Federation of Temple Youth’s Michigan region. At the end of every regional NFTY convention, he would show up wearing the same outfit: a T-shirt riddled with holes, adorned with the words, “Oh No… Acid Rain!”

“It wasn’t just Charlie being silly,” Cytron-Walker’s childhood friend, Rabbi Aaron Starr, recalls in an email to the JTA. “It was him educating others and calling us to action without any meanness or judgmentalism.”

When Cytron-Walker graduated from high school, he passed the shirt onto Starr, who continued to wear it in the same manner he had. Today, Starr, too, is a rabbi, of a different Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, Michigan.

“Charlie has devoted his life personally and professionally to caring for those in need,” Starr says. When he heard the news of the hostage situation, Starr sent prayers for Cytron-Walker to his entire congregation.

In college at the University of Michigan, Cytron-Walker was involved with the school’s Hillel chapter. He also spent a handful of evenings with Ann Arbor’s homeless population to better understand their plight.

His commitment to social justice has extended throughout his career: between graduating from college and entering

Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker

rabbinical school, he worked for a variety of social services organizations including Focus: HOPE, a Detroit nonprofit that provides education, job training, and other services to underrepresented groups; and an assistant directing role with the Amherst Survival Center, a soup kitchen and food pantry in western Massachusetts. His thesis in rabbinical school, where he received an award for his leadership on LGBTQ issues, was on “Jewish Service-Learning.”

Cytron-Walker is well-known in Colleyville for his commitment to interfaith work. He serves on the steering committee of a local interfaith organization headed by a Unitarian Universalist church, and local Muslim leaders spoke out supporting him. One, Alia Salem, the founder of an advocacy group exposing abuse among Muslim faith leaders and a self-proclaimed “vocal supporter” of the movement to free the woman supported by the hostage-taker, said on Twitter that she has been a friend of Cytron-Walker and his wife for 15 years.

“They are the kindest, most gentle, and loving people who have been absolutely rock-solid friends and allies not only to me but to the entire Muslim community through thick and thin,” Salem wrote.

TEXAS SYNAGOGUE HOSTAGES Following the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh in 2018, Cytron-Walker delivered a sermon to his congregation in which he thanked the local community for standing by their side and offering support. Eleven Jews were killed during Shabbat morning services in Pittsburgh.

“Too many times in Jewish history we faced tragedy without love or support,” he said, in remarks he later posted to Facebook. “Too many times to count, we were left to pick up the pieces of tragedy and destruction. Believe me. The love and suppormatters….

“Thank you for helping us through these dark times,” he concluded. “Thank you for standing together.”

Cytron-Walker’s mother, Judy Walker, is still a member of Congregation Shaarey Zedek in East Lansing, and the congregation’s rabbi, Amy Bigman, was with her as news of the hostage situation emerged.

Through Bigman, Walker declined to comment to JTA but said she appreciated prayers.

“I’ve known Charlie since he was in high school,” Bigman says. “He is quite simply a mensch.”

Smith, who was one of the first people

to post on Twitter about the situation at the synagogue where she grew up, said during a live spoken vigil on the platform that she had traveled with Cytron-Walker to Washington, D.C., as a high school student several years ago for a social justice seminar organized by the Reform movement. She described the experience as pivotal in her own attitudes about effecting political change.

She also offered perhaps the only unflattering insight shared about CytronWalker all day—as part of a prayer for his safe release.

“He’s the worst singer in the world. He cannot hold a tune to save his life,” Smith said. “I hope that he’ll get a chance to pray off-tune very loudly at another Shabbat service.”

Shortly before 10 pm, more than 11 hours after Congregation Beth Israel’s Shabbat services began, Smith and the rest of the world learned that that would in fact be the case. Cytron-Walker was free, unharmed, along with the three people he had been praying with that morning. After meeting with FBI agents, officials said, he was reunited with his family.

Texas synagogue gunman spoke twice to Rabbi Angela Buchdahl in New York City Philissa Cramer

(JTA)—Among the details that trickled out of Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, on Saturday, January 15 while the rabbi and three congregants were being held hostage was the fact that a New York rabbi had been conscripted into negotiations.

That rabbi was Angela Buchdahl, senior rabbi at Central Synagogue and a leading figure in Reform Judaism.

Buchdahl confirmed her involvement to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency saying she spoke twice to the attacker.

“I can confirm that the gunman reached out to me twice yesterday by phone,” Buchdahl wrote in an email. “We are about to share a note with the congregation just confirming that. Other than that for security reasons I cannot share more.”

It is unclear why Buchdahl wound up on the phone during the 11-hour standoff, which began during Congregation Beth Israel’s Shabbat morning services. But Buchdahl is widely known—even appearing as a clue recently on Jeopardy!—and her synagogue’s name, which refers to its

location in New York City, may lend itself to the impression that it is an official hub of power in Jewish communities.

Central Synagogue’s executive director and president said in the email to congregants that Buchdahl had no prior relationship with the gunman and that she “immediately contacted law enforcement and followed their directions” after receiving the call.

A law enforcement source told the New York Post that the gunman called Central Synagogue directly and demanded to speak to Buchdahl. The gunman told Buchdahl that he had a bomb and wanted her to use her influence to secure the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a convicted terrorist who is in a federal prison in Texas.

An FBI source said on CNN that the New York rabbi who had been contacted had been interviewed by FBI investigators.

Congregation Beth Israel’s Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker was ordained by Hebrew Union College, the Reform movement’s rabbinical school, in 2006, five years after Buchdahl.

“It was a surreal and scary day,” Buchdahl told JTA. “I am so grateful for the outcome.”

Mayorkas, Garland and other US officials meet with Jewish groups to discuss synagogue security post-Colleyville Andrew Lapin

( JTA)—Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the United States considers the hostage-taking at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, “an act of terror” and “an antisemitic attack targeting the Jewish community,” according to a Jewish leader who joined a phone call with top U.S. officials Tuesday, January 18.

Majorkas, Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Chris Wray and other national security officials held a call with major Jewish groups to discuss synagogue security concerns in the wake of the week’s hostage crisis in Texas.

The executive director for the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center, Nathan Diament, described the discussion to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency as a meeting of around 1,200 synagogue leaders, including representatives from the OU as well as the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

Diament also said that representatives at the Union for Reform Judaism and United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism had been alerted.

Garland and Mayorkas, both of whom are Jewish, spoke about the personal resonance the attack has had for them, according to a report in the Forward.

Mayorkas said he did not get to plant his

annual tree for Tu B’Shvat as he normally does.

Garland described seeing police cars in front of his own synagogue. Garland and his family are longtime members of Temple Sinai in Bethesda, Maryland.

“This is not the way it should have to be in America, but unfortunately it is the way,” he said.

During the call, which lasted for more than an hour, federal officials reiterated security measures already in place, such as Nonprofit Security Grant Program funds available to synagogues, email information systems available for local congregations to sign up for, and online resources for synagogue security training.

“The purpose of convening this Zoom in the wake of the terrible events in Texas was twofold,” Diament said. “One, we thought was important for the synagogue community to directly hear from these national leaders a message of reassurance and solidarity and commitment to combating antisemitism. And secondly, to also hear from them about the current threat environment and any top-line additional, practical steps that they ought to be taking in the coming days or weeks.”

Also on the call were Melissa Rogers, White House executive director of faithbased and neighborhood partnerships, and other federal undersecretaries.

jewishnewsva.org | January 24, 2022 | JEWISH NEWS | 9

ISRAEL Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla awarded Genesis Prize for work developing coronavirus vaccine Shira Hanau

(JTA)—Albert Bourla, the chief executive officer of Pfizer, was named the winner of the 2022 Genesis Prize, the award sometimes called the “Jewish Nobel,” and pledged his winnings to “projects aimed at preserving the memory of the victims of the Holocaust.”

The award, which “honors extraordinary individuals for their outstanding professional achievement, contribution to humanity, and commitment to Jewish values,” was announced Wednesday, January 19. It will be presented by Israeli

President Isaac Herzog at a ceremony in Jerusalem June 29.

The announcement noted Bourla’s work at Pfizer, which developed one of the first vaccines to protect against COVID19. Bourla’s win was determined by an online vote in which 200,000 people participated, according to the announcement.

“I accept it humbly and on behalf of all my Pfizer colleagues who answered the urgent call of history these past two years and together bent the arc of our common destiny,” Bourla said in a statement. “I was brought up in a Jewish family who believed that each of us is only as strong

as the bonds of our community; and that we are all called upon by God to repair the world. I look forward to being in Jerusalem to accept this honor in person, which symbolizes the triumph of science and a great hope for our future.”

The Genesis Prize comes with $1 million, and past recipients, including Steven Spielberg, Michael Douglas, Michael Bloomberg, Natalie Portman and Natan Sharansky, have donated the winnings to philanthropic causes.

Bourla is set to donate his prize money to Holocaust memorial initiatives “with a particular emphasis on the tragedy

The new Florida? Record number of US retirees relocate to Israel in 2021 Larry Luxner

TEL AVIV—A few weeks ago, Joel Tenenbaum, 81, and Marilyn Berkowitz, 84, arrived in Tel Aviv on an El Al flight from New York ready to start their new lives in Israel.

They had met through JDate five years earlier. Each was widowed; Tenebaum had been married for 47 years, Berkowitz, known as Lyn, for 49.

A retired New York trial lawyer raised in Brooklyn, Tenenbaum always had felt an affinity for Israel — fueled since childhood by Hebrew school and the movie Exodus. Berkowitz, a former university dean’s assistant, had been a frequent visitor to Israel ever since her son moved here in 1991.

Both are longtime volunteers for the Israeli nonprofit organization Sar-El. They now share a rental apartment in Tel Aviv’s trendy Florentin neighborhood, close to the ulpan where they will soon enroll in an intensive Hebrew language program.

“A lot of our contemporaries have gone to Florida,” Berkowitz says. “But I think they should become sandbirds, not snowbirds.”

In fact, more and more older American Jews are opting to spend their golden years in the Jewish state.

Of the 4,478 new immigrants who arrived in Israel from North America last

year, 762—just over 17% of the total— were 55 or older. That’s up nearly 23% from the 580 who came in 2020, according to Nefesh B’Nefesh, the nonprofit agency that coordinates the aliyah process for U.S. and Canadian citizens.

“Israel is becoming a more attractive place, specifically for people at the age of retirement,” says Marc Rosenberg, vice president of Diaspora partnerships at Nefesh B’Nefesh. “With increasing technology, cellphones and internet use, Israel is much more international now, especially with apps that allow people to get around, navigate and do their banking online.”

The pandemic, Rosenberg says, has prompted people of all ages to recalibrate what’s important to them.

“The pandemic really shifted how many people connect and stay close to family without being in close physical proximity,” says Rosenberg, whose organization works in partnership with Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and the Jewish National FundUSA. “And they know the healthcare system in Israel is excellent, and that Israel handled the pandemic pretty well.”

The pandemic was a big factor in the aliyah decision of New York natives Howard and Mina Millendorf, who moved to Israel last July. The couple in their 70s

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settled in Jerusalem’s Katamon district, moving into the same building where their daughter, Sharon, lives with her husband, Shlomo, and their three sons.

“I think the pandemic kind of pushed us into making a decision,” says Mina, a retired elementary schoolteacher who had lived in the Bronx neighborhood of Riverdale since she and Howard were married 41 years ago. “Normally, we’d come to Israel several times a year and rent an apartment here. But with COVID, we were missing all the birthdays and anniversaries. It was not easy for us.”

Six months after their arrival, Howard lists his main goals as “finding ways to do good, playing daily with our grandsons, cultivating new friends, restaurants and wines, and enjoying Mina’s special cooking and baking with family.”

But he also aims to give back to Israel through his work with the telecom company IDT and the Howard Jonas Foundation. Projects include the construction of a new cancer center at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center as well as initiatives for severely disabled youngsters, autistic and hearing-impaired children, and people with terminal illnesses. In addition, Howard is involved in a long-term networking program, choosing his 27,000 LinkedIn connections to open doors and help secure job opportunities in Israel and elsewhere.

suffered by the Greek Jewish community.”

Bourla’s parents, both from Greece, were both Holocaust survivors.

Launched in 2013 by a group of Russian-Jewish philanthropists that includes current foundation chairman Stan Polovets, the prize is financed through a permanent endowment of $100 million established by The Genesis Prize Foundation

COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN 2022 UJFT Community Campaign on track for a successful year Amy Zelenka

O

n January 14, 2022, the UJFT Community campaign stood at $4,595,000 from 1,000 individual gifts.

This total is about $88,000 ahead of where the campaign stood on the same day last year. And even better: there are a good number of potential gifts still “out there” in the community, waiting to find their way into the growing campaign total in the coming days and weeks.

An increased campaign means greater ability to support the programs and services that make this the strong and vibrant Jewish community we love. It means increased security to ensure the safety of community members. And it means that the Tidewater Jewish community can continue to take care of one another (Klal Yisroel) today and into the future.

Thanks to all who have made a commitment and to those who will make one in the coming days.

If you are interested in making a gift of support to the 2022 UJFT Community Campaign, or If you’d like to become a volunteer solicitor for the Federation’s campaigns, contact Amy Zelenka at 965-6139 or azelenka@ujft.org.

VIRGINIA

Virginia Governor signs Executive Order establishing the Commission to Combat Antisemitism

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n his first day in office, Saturday, January 15, Governor Glenn Youngkin issued an Executive Order establishing a commission to combat antisemitism in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The order states: “The Commonwealth of Virginia has been a pioneer for religious freedom since the earliest days of our nation. Tomorrow, January 16, 2022, will be the 236th anniversary of the Virginia General Assembly enacting the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom; promising that no man “shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief.” These words—as important today as when first written—remain enshrined in our Constitution and provide the basis of our enduring commitment to religious tolerance and equality.

“Our nation and our Commonwealth have seen an intolerable rise in antisemitism in recent years. Antisemitism, as defined by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, “is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.

“Sadly, in 2020, Virginians experienced a record number of antisemitic incidents. This disturbing trend has brought to the forefront the necessity of a targeted effort to combat the rising threat of antisemitism and ensure all Virginians are free to live their lives without the threat of harassment, violence, or discrimination. Every manifestation of antisemitism or Holocaust denial is an affront to our society and will not be accepted in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“Virginia must once again lead the way in ensuring religious freedom and equality for all citizens.

We must reaffirm our commitment to stand against hatred and intolerance, and develop an actionable plan to combat antisemitism in our Commonwealth. A commission will help us better understand the scourge of antisemitism and represents a meaningful first step towards ensuring a Commonwealth free from antisemitic harassment, violence, or discrimination in the lives of Jewish Virginians.”

Virginia must once again lead the way in ensuring religious freedom and equality for all citizens.

The purpose of the Commission to Combat Antisemitism (Commission) is to “study antisemitism in the Comonwealth, propose actions to combat antisemitism and reduce the number of antisemitic incidents, as well as compile materials and provide assistance to Virginia’s public school system and state institutions of higher education in relation to antisemitism and its connection to the Holocaust.

“The Commission shall make recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly with the goal of identifying ways to reverse increasing antisemitic incidents in the Commonwealth.”

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jewishnewsva.org | January 24, 2022 | JEWISH NEWS | 11

JEWISH TIDEWATER

Painting among the finalists in state-wide competition for Virginia’s most endangered artifact vamuseums.org Alice Titus

A

late 19th century oil painting of Lewis Nusbaum, an early member of both Ohef Sholom Temple and Beth El, is a finalist in the Virginia Association of Museum’s annual competition for Virginia’s most endangered artifact. The oil painting is one of many invaluable artifacts, photographs, and documents in Ohef Sholom Temple’s Mollie and George Radin Archive. The competition winner will be decided by public voting on the Association’s website.

Nusbaum was born in Germany in 1830, immigrated to the U.S. in 1849, and settled in Norfolk in 1850. He married Bettie Goldsmith, the daughter of Aaron

and Caroline Goldsmith, in 1860, and the couple had four sons and a daughter.

Nusbaum founded the Nusbaum Book and Art Company, which was continued by his sons, Moses and Sidney Leon Nusbaum. A purveyor of the finest paintings and stationery, in addition to books and picture frames, the store was a landmark on Norfolk’s Main Street in the late 1800s and early 1900s. An early issue of The Norfolk Virginian Illustrated Edition “cheerfully recommend[ed]” the store, noting its “subscription and retail department [was] probably the most up-to-date in the State.”

A leading member of Norfolk’s growing business community, Nusbaum was also active in Tidewater’s Jewish community.

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He served in leadership roles in two historic local congregations. At Ohef Sholom Temple, he was elected vice president of the congregation and later served as president. He later was elected vice president of Beth El, briefly assuming leadership of the congregation after the death of its first president, Samuel Seldner. An early member of B’nai B’rith, he was instrumental in shaping and defining the Tidewater Jewish community, a distinction carried on by several of his descendants.

The painting sustained serious damage, probably through having been removed from its frame, rolled, and then flattened, which resulted in tears to the canvas. However, according to the Chrysler Museum’s art conservator Mark

Lewis, if conserved, “the results would be dramatic.”

Competition is formidable in this year’s contest, so don’t miss this opportunity to cast a vote for this representative symbol of Tidewater’s rich Jewish history. Voting will be available on Virginia Association of Museums’ website, www. vamuseums.org through Thursday, January 27. For more information, contact archives@ohefsholom.org.

YOUR DOLLARS AT WORK

The VAAD Hakashrus of Tidewater mission is to make kosher meals available to Jews in homes, at stores, and parties—and in prison.

Lisa Richmon

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he word kosher is associated with dietary provisions one chooses to follow in support of deeply held religious beliefs. The role of the VAAD (Hampton Roads’ kosher supervisory resource) is instinctively tethered to Jews’ freedom to enjoy kosher meals in restaurants, homes, and enrichment camps. But what about prisons? ‘Jews in jail’ doesn’t feel intuitive.

Kosher prison food doesn’t just roll off the tongue.

However, the state of Virginia puts sizable resources into meeting the needs of Jewish prisoners who chose to keep kosher. “People make mistakes,” says

Rabbi Sholom Mostofsky. “I think it’s inspiring that Jews in prisons who are doing their time, still want to keep kosher and not give up the practices that mean so much to them.”

As VAAD Kashrus supervisor, Mostofsky oversees kosher meals and food products and projects for several Virginia working prisons. “It’s remarkable how much effort goes into providing for the prisoners’ needs.”

Outside of prison, sprinkled around Hampton Roads, the VAAD oversees kosher bagels at Yorgo’s on Colonial Avenue, Krispy Kreme donuts in Newport News, Skinny Dip on Colley Avenue; Cold Stone ice cream in Ghent, BJ’s bakeries

in Virginia Beach and Norfolk, and the Sandler Family Campus.

The Jewish kosher community was joined by falafel lovers of all faiths in support of Mr. Shawarma when it was a kosher eatery. No longer kosher, its magic is not lost. “It wasn’t just for Jews,” says Mostofsky. “We have a large military presence who traveled overseas and enjoyed mid-eastern food. It was a meeting place for everyone. And it showed us what a kosher restaurant can be for an entire region.”

Mr. Shawarma was once a pizza place, and the transition from kosher dairy to kosher meat was complicated and intensive. “That’s the kind of thing the VAAD

does for the community.”

Most people know there are different levels of kosher. In Hampton Roads, the VAAD is the highest level. That means all meat is certified Glatt kosher and all ingredients have reliable and approved kosher symbols.

“VAAD has been around a very long time,” says Mostofsky. “We’re here for anyone in the community, at any religious level, and in any way we can help.”

This is part of a series of articles spotlighting local and overseas partner agencies that are beneficiaries of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s annual Community Campaign.

jewishnewsva.org | January 24, 2022 | JEWISH NEWS | 13

JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE

Jewish Family Service bids a fond farewell to Sue Graves, welcomes new development team

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nyone who has ever attended a Jewish Family Service of Tidewater event, participated in Run, Roll or Stroll, ordered a Basket of Hope centerpiece for a celebration, or made a charitable gift to JFS, likely encountered Sue Graves. For more than two decades, Graves has been a staple at JFS as the director of development. The position (and the agency) has grown and evolved over the years, and Graves has been at the center of this evolution.

“It has been my honor and pleasure to serve the Jewish Family Service of Tidewater community for over two decades. On January 7, I stepped down as director of development to join my family in California and begin the next chapter of my life,” says Graves. “It has been wonderful to be part of an agency that serves the most vulnerable in our community,

working alongside all of you to make a difference in the Tidewater region for both individuals and families alike. Thank you for allowing me to be part of your lives.

“I leave this position in the very capable hands of Brooke Rush who I know will help usher in JFS services and programs that are made possible by your support and generosity,“ says Graves.

Rush grew up in Danville, Virginia and graduated from Christopher Newport University in 2009. While attending CNU she worked as a student caller in their Tele-fund program reaching out to alumni and friends of the university to raise funds

“It is with heartfelt appreciation that JFS wishes Sue all the best as she transitions from this role.”

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for the school. After graduating from CNU she managed student callers for the same program. Her career in development continued at a small nonprofit working with planned giving, grants, and major gifts.

Joining the JFS family was an easy decision for Rush, she says, as she relates to the organization’s mission and beliefs and has a passion for helping others. “I am grateful for the opportunity to join such a vital organization and feel lucky to be able to grow and be part of the impact and outreach of JFS. Although there is no one that could possibly fill Sue Graves’ shoes,” says Rush, “I will do my best and bring my experience to continue the organization’s mission.”

Also joining the agency as its in-house graphic designer/marketing assistant is Tryl Hodges. A Hampton Roads native who recently graduated from Tidewater Community College with an associate degree of Applied Science in Graphic Design specializing in Multimedia, she has also worked with Dodge Motorsports, Apple, Barbizon, Aria Earbuds, AT&T, and Tidewater Community College, among others. Hodges will use her experience and creative talents to help JFS with updating its digital content, social media presence, and marketing materials. “I am thrilled to be part of our growing JFS community, and

Sue Graves.

Brooke Rush

Tryl Hodges.

I look forward to expanding my experience in the innovative and ever-changing world of design.”

“JFS welcomes Brooke and Tryl, and we are excited about the energy and talents they bring the organization,” says Burroughs. “We are so grateful to Sue Graves for her time, dedication, and the profound impact that she has had on our community. We wish her well on her new beginnings in California and know that she will continue to leave her special mark on the world.”

Jewish Family Service receives donation from Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation

J

ewish Family Service of Tidewater recently received a gift of $2,500 from the Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation.

The money will be used to stock the JFS food pantry.

“We are so appreciative of community partners such as Food Lion who provide valuable aid to agencies such as JFS,” says Kelly Burroughs, JFS chief executive officer. “As the needs in our community have grown, every dollar we receive allows us to help more people.”

The Food Lion Feeds Charitable

Foundation supports families facing food insecurity across its 10-state footprint.

Established in 2001, the foundation provides financial support for programs and organizations dedicated to feeding local neighbors in the communities it serves.

Since its inception, the foundation has awarded more than $15 million in grants.

The foundation partners with Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief agency, in addition to local food agencies serving the 10 Southeastern and MidAtlantic states in which Food Lion operates.

Local Relationships Matter

JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE

Jewish Family Service helps hundreds of local people during Fall 2021 outreach projects Debbie Mayer

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ow in its 29th year, Jewish Family Service of Tidewater’s Annual Hanukkah outreach programs helped local Jewish families in financial need. Because of safety concerns with COVID-19, families received assorted gift cards for each Temple Israel members deliver food from the congregation’s food drive to JFS. child, along with a small bag filled with chocolate gelt and Beyond financial support, other gifts dreidels. VISA gift cards were sent to and acts of kindness included: families without children. Families who • The “Knitting for Others” volunteers receive Kosher Meals on Wheels and made more than 150 lap blankets and Jewish individuals who are socially isoscarves that were distributed to clients. lated or living in facilities received a box • Hundreds of beautifully knitted hats of Hanukkah-themed cookies. and gloves were donated by the “Knit and The community response this year Chat” group at the Talbot on Granby. One was incredible, raising nearly $21,000 in volunteer made handmade quilts for both gift card and cash donations. JFS received adults and children. donations from individuals, families, • Ohef Sholom Temple’s Religious School groups, companies, organizations, conmade 75 Hanukkah treat bags that were gregations, and schools. Staff and families filled with cookies, gelt, and dreidels. JFS from Strelitz International Academy condistributed these to seniors in nursing tributed money and gift cards amounting facilities or senior living apartments. to more than $2,100. Temple Israel held a • JFS’ food pantry shelves were stocked gift card drive and was the largest group on December 12 from a magnificent food donor in the history of this program with drive organized by Temple Israel. Teens $3,390 in donated gift cards. and young adults helped sort and shelve This year, a total of 286 different local the donations from this food drive.

Jewish people (50 of whom are children • JFS staff held a Thanksgiving food and teens with specific wish lists) bendrive in November and collected toiletries efited from the program. Families will and personal hygiene supplies for clients continue to benefit from these donations in December. as JFS provides gift cards and financial “I am constantly reminded of what assistance toward rent/mortgage, meda wonderful community I am part of,” ication, food, gas, clothing, and school says Jody Laibstain, JFS volunteer and supplies throughout the year. special projects coordinator. “People want “The gift cards relieved some of the to help others in so many ways—donating financial burden of the holidays,” says one time, talents, food, and money. Jewish recipient. “As a single mom, I wanted to Family Service could not do the wonderensure my child enjoyed this time of year. ful things that we do without the support The donated gift cards helped immensely. of our donors.”

Thank you all so much.”

In addition to its Hanukkah campaign,

MEET:

Karen Joyner

As the Chief Executive Officer at the Peninsula Foodbank, she believes the Foodbank not only distributes food but is also the spokesperson for those who otherwise don’t have a voice.

“There are so many low income individuals who haven’t received any benefit from the recovering economy and those who because of their life circumstances need help every now and then. We are there to help ensure their voices are heard.”

“

“Since 2004, when I started with the Foodbank and got to know Payday Payroll, I have always felt that Payday has been involved and helped to build it’s business through positive support for others in the community, both non-profits and start up businesses. I particularly appreciate the generosity that Payday has shown to the nonprofits in our community.”

“

Our client relationships are anything but transactional.

We are long-term partners, dedicated to the success of our clients, and most importantly, their people.

757-523-0605 paydaypayroll.com

PD-ad-three-eighths-V-color-Jewish News-111320.indd 6

JFS also provided support to families in need at Thanksgiving. The Milk and Honey Food Pantry and the Community Food Pantry distributed 85 turkeys and bags with all the trimmings to help families have a Thanksgiving dinner.

The food and turkeys were given by Chesbay Distributing and the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia.

To help local Jewish families in need yearround, consider: • Donating food, gas and grocery store gift cards, or cash.

Payroll Benefits HR

11/13/20 2:56 PM

• Donating grocery bags; toiletries, cosmetics, bath and body products; Judaic/Jewish items; school supplies; baby supplies; paper goods; and cleaning/ household supplies.

• Volunteering.

All donations to JFS are tax deductible. For more information about making a contribution of food or personal hygiene items, contact Jody Laibstain; for other gifts, contact Brooke Rush. They may both be reached by calling 321-2222.

jewishnewsva.org | January 24, 2022 | JEWISH NEWS | 15

Bob & Augusta Live Forever As philanthropists and volunteers, this Virginia Beach couple supported important causes in Hampton Roads.

Although Bob Goodman passed away in 2006 and Augusta Goodman in 2017, they help others today because of the charitable bequest they entrusted to the Hampton Roads Community Foundation. Today, their four children carry on Bob and Augusta’s legacy through donor-advised funds that let them recommend grants to help nonprofits do their best work.

Thanks to their generosity, Bob and Augusta will forever make life better in their home region.

Learn how easy it is to leave your mark on the future by ordering a free bequest guide.

Adding Charity to Your W or IRA ill

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TJF Community Impact Grant helps Kehillat Bet Hamidrash complete water drainage project Thomas Mills

L

eaders at Kehillat Bet Hamidrash/ Kempsville Conservative Synagogue worked on 2020 High Holiday plans for more than two months to create a safe and meaningful holiday experience for their congregants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, on September 18, just as Rosh Hashanah was about to begin, a storm dumped more than five inches of rain, rendering the parking lot completely useless.

“That was the wake-up call that confirmed that we had a drainage problem,” says Alene Jo Kaufman, KBH vice president.

Built more than 30 years ago, KBH’s building has been updated over time to meet Virginia Beach city requirements.

Drainage pipes were installed adjacent to the parking lot along with cinder block barriers to protect cars from water.

Despite these fixes, however, water drainage was still a pressing problem.

“Not only was it impacting the parking and the use of the grounds around the building, but we were also advised that our drainage issue could cause issues with the foundation of the building,” says Kaufman. “Our building is our largest resource and we needed to protect it.”

Approximately $256,000 was

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in FY 2021.

Thanks to TJF’s Community Impact Grant, KBH was able to fix their drainage issue (left) which protected their building from water damage and made their grounds suitable for outdoor activities (right).

The Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s Community Impact Grant of $8,250 covered approximately 45% of the cost of the project. The grant allowed KBH to fix the drainage issue and to finish the project below budget.

“The grants committee recommended a second opinion,” says Kaufman. “Through Glenn Saucier from the Sandler Family Campus, we were directed to a professional engineer who advised us and the contractor on the process to alleviate the drainage issue. It looks like he was correct and we didn’t need to do all of the things that were initially suggested— which saved on materials, electricity, and money.”

“The Tidewater Jewish Foundation is glad that we have an endowed Community Impact Grants process,” says Naomi Limor Sedek, TJF president and CEO. “We dedicate annual resources from the TJF Unrestricted fund, as well as additional resources recommended by Donor Advised Fund holders in order to be able to respond to needs like this one.”

In FY 2021, approximately $256,000 was distributed through TJF’s Community

Impact Grants, with 40 grants awarded by TJF’s board of directors as recommended

by TJF’s grants committee.

“We are actively having conversations to grow this fund with unrestricted legacy gifts so we will be able to help the community with innovative and start-up programming, grants for urgent capital repair, emergency grants, and for collaborative projects of importance to Jewish Tidewater,” says Sedek.

While the project took longer than expected—pandemic-related contractor employee shortages and supply chain issues contributed to delays—the results have exceeded expectations. Residential neighbors’ yards no longer flood, the parking lot is safe to use, the grounds surrounding the building are suitable for outdoor activities, and the building is protected from water damage.

“Even though our building was closed due to the pandemic, we were able to hold joyful 2021 Simchat Torah services outdoors,” says Kaufman. “We look forward to using our grounds more often for celebration and camaraderie.”

& d o o Fomance R Supplement to Jewish News January 24, 2022 jewishnewsva.org | January 24, 2022 | Food & Romance | JEWISH NEWS | 17

New Year Discover New Options

Food & Romance Dear Readers,

W

hether one eats to live or lives to eat, food is always a discussion. And, somehow, food is often tied to romance and friendship.

Speaking of food and friendship, in November, a friend came to town with three copies of Israeliborn British chef Yotam Ottolenghi’s Test Kitchen cookbook. One was for me (really for my husband, the real chef in our home), one for my daughter in Cincinnati, and one for my daughter in Los Angeles.

My friend, who lives in Atlanta, also purchased a copy for herself. Soon, the fun began—each of us trying recipes and sharing the results with photographs, tips, and any adjustments made. We’ve got a great group chat going and we’re eating some extraordinary, not too difficult to prepare meals. And, while we’re spread throughout the country, we’re almost cooking together.

What a great idea. Thank you, Jean!

Like Jean’s gift intends, food often connects and nurtures. Consider two area women we profile in this section who have turned their passion for cooking into businesses.

Years of nudging from family and friends encouraged Amy Markman to officially open Soup Love. Page 22. And, Shari Berman, owner of Cater 613, began her cooking career when she and her husband became observant. Her story is on page 24. Both articles are

by Lisa Richmon.

Celebrity chef Alon Shaya connected with a Holocaust survivor to recreate recipes from his prewar youth. It’s an interesting and uplifting story on page 20.

No matter if you’re celebrating at home by cooking, with gifts, or dining out, this section offers some good suggestions on where to shop and dine and who to call.

Enjoy!

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jewishnewsva.org | January 24, 2022 | Food & Romance | JEWISH NEWS | 19

Food & Romance

Star chef Alon Shaya helped a Holocaust survivor recreate recipes from his prewar youth Margaret Littman

(JTA)—Visiting Yad Vashem a decade ago, Alon Shaya got to see some of the Jerusalem Holocaust museum’s culinary artifacts that aren’t always on display to the public.

It was the James Beard Award-winning chef’s introduction to the fact that concentration camp inmates distracted themselves by recalling and secretly writing recipes—on scraps of hidden paper and cloth—from their prewar lives.

“Food is such a big part of everything I do. It really moved me that people who were trapped, who were facing almost certain death, were helped by these memories of food. It reminded me of the power

of food,” Shaya says. “They would not have spent their last moments documenting this if they did not think this was important.”

The Israel-born Shaya was raised in Philadelphia and now lives in New Orleans, where he and his wife, Emily, own Pomegranate Hospitality. The company runs several restaurants, including Safta in Denver and Saba in New Orleans.

One will open soon at the Four Seasons Hotel, also in New Orleans.

Over the years Shaya kept thinking about those recipes at Yad Vashem.

“Is anyone cooking these recipes?

Do the families know they exist?” he wondered.

Seven years later, on a November

2018 visit to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., Shaya would explore its food-related artifacts. He learned about Steven Fenves, a Holocaust survivor and museum volunteer, and saw its collection of more than 140 Fenves family recipes.

Fenves recalls that when he, his mother and older sister were forced from their home on the Yugoslavia-Hungary border in 1944—his father had already been taken away—there was a line of people on the staircase jeering while waiting to loot the place. Hidden in that crowd, unbeknownst to the Fenveses, was Maris, their former longtime cook. Maris wasn’t there to steal but to surreptitiously rescue items of sentimental value.

After the war, she surprised the family by returning the recipe book, schoolwork, and lithographs and artwork by Fenves’ mother, who had perished in the Holocaust. Fenves was liberated in 1945, as was his sister and father, although his father died about four months later.

Fenves, now 89, had memories of the family going to the market together, choosing seasonal vegetables, and coming home and pickling them together. He remembered potato circles, with yeasted bread and mashed potatoes, which he and his sister were not allowed to eat; those were the special occasion foods for guests.

He and his sister loved a roast turkey dish that involved pulling the turkey off the bone, grinding the meat and then

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Food & Romance Fenves would heat and eat at home and provide Shaya with critiques. The process took the better part of a year.

Videoconferencing made it possible for Shaya to see Fenves and his family, even if Shaya could not serve him in person, as he wished.

“To send him food and have him be able to taste those things for the first time in 75 years, that was one of the most moving things I have ever done,” Shaya says.

Friedberg, the museum historian, says Shaya brought an “incalculable” amount of joy to Fenves.

“The importance of the recipes books is the way it makes vivid and real and visceral what was lost during the Holocaust,” Friedberg says. “We have to make sure that Jews are not flattened into victims.

The partnership of Alon and Steve is one of the most powerful examples of how to appreciate prewar Jewish life.”

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packing it back on before baking. The two would work their way through the ground meat to reach their favorite part, the bone.

But Fenves never prepared those foods of his youth. And that’s where Shaya stepped in.

The chef wanted to help Fenves experience again the tastes of the food made by his mother and grandmothers—food he hadn’t savored in 75 years.

Fenves translated 13 recipes from Hungarian and the book’s table of contents working off a high-resolution copy, as the original is quite fragile, says Edna Friedberg, a historian with the U.S. museum.

While Fenves has an affinity for languages—even as a child he was trilingual—translating the “rescued recipes” was beyond entering them in Google translate. The recipes are handwritten, so he had to decipher 100-year-old script that may have regional differences of language.

Some survivors’ recipes may be written in a combination of languages, such as Yiddish and Polish. And it’s an emotional process for survivors remembering their losses. (The museum is accepting donations to fund the translation and rescue of more recipes so that prewar food traditions can continue.)

Shaya searched the translations for dishes he had never made and recipes to which Fenves had a connection. He chose the potato circles, the turkey, a walnut cake and semolina sticks, which Fenves identified as a delicacy he missed.

Fenves told Shaya the snack—crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside— needed to look like fish sticks. So Shaya made a Cream of Wheat-type substance cooked down with milk, then lightly breaded and fried. The dish was perfection, according to Fenves. It’s also now in regular rotation at the Shaya home.

“The semolina sticks and ground turkey exactly replicated what I remember,” Fenves told an audience in a live video presented by the museum.

The recipes are largely lists of ingredients, without techniques and oven temperatures, so Shaya worked with Fenves to recreate them. Due to the pandemic, Shaya worked in New Orleans and shipped Fenves food packed in dry ice.

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jewishnewsva.org | January 24, 2022 | Food & Romance | JEWISH NEWS | 21

Food & Romance

Amy Markman fills cups with shots of Soup Love Lisa Richmon

T

ender at the Bone is the title of a memoir by Jewish food icon Ruth Reichl.

It doubles as a culinary storyteller’s

nod to the alchemy of ingredients that make the Soup Love, an Amy Markman original. Fueled by a foodie father, and a healer’s heart, Markman re-imagined the classic care package. While raising two sons, the Jewish food fairy of Virginia

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Beach cast her spell on family, friends, and friends of friends with her thoughtful chicken soup and comfort food deliveries.

Facing surgery or a serious illness meant receiving a delicious treat that was equal parts comfort and healing—and indulgent surprise.

“My late father Bert was always in the kitchen cooking something. He taught me all about cast iron. Clean or dirty, his big, flat, round cast-iron pan was on the stove at all times, often with remnants of oilkissed onions and garlic,” says Markman.

“I loved the way the house smelled when you walked in.”

For years, Bert Markman and Marilyn Simon Weinberg’s daughter was content making matzoh ball soup, inspired by her grandmother Dorothy’s recipe—as a genuine expression of caring, or a token of friendship. She celebrated Passover with her family, fully embracing all aspects of food prep. Markman never hesitated converting holiday soups to thoughtful gifts for friends of all faiths and cultures.

A culinary caregiver, and former respiratory therapist and geriatric social worker, Markman found her place in the home-based commercial kitchen, and in 2019, turned up the heat on her passion project.

An offer to prepare from-scratch matzoh ball soup for a friend’s coffee shop in 2018 was pivotal. The response from customers made it as clear as a luscious bone broth. Positive feedback from strangers with no skin in the game, gave Markman the push she needed. The idea of making bank out of matzoh balls simmered on low long enough. Now she had a business in mind and the name was Soup Love. Years of nudging from family and friends finally paid off.

Palate met palette in Markman’s 150 square-foot commercial kitchen attached to her home. Pops of pink are the yin to the yang of the sterile stainless-steel prep stations and refrigerators. Her dedicated team, with son Dillon on board, work by her side crazy hours, always eager to learn

201 Granby Street at City Hall Ave. | Norfolk VA 23510

Soup Love’s Amy Markman makes a delivery of lunch to the front line workers at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital.

22 | JEWISH NEWS | Food & Romance | January 24, 2022 | jewishnewsva.org

Food & Romance from a soup maven, while putting their hearts in every aspect of her enterprise.

“It’s pretty incredible the way my team operates. I’ve built great relationships with these people,” says Markman. “As you get older, you can feel safer doing that.”

As an emerging business owner, Markman’s core goal was to make things easy for the customer.

“It was all about soup that’s easy to love and receive. Soup Love was conceived in the age of Square and Venmo.

Customers get great soup without having to pull out money or talk to anyone. We just drop it off and they grab it. Most of the time we don’t even see the customer.”

Serendipitously timed, Soup Love gained months of traction when it launched, producing a groundswell of customers, on and off Facebook. Markman quickly leveled up the doorstep delivery concept. Her menu consisted of a 24-hour chicken bone broth she developed as the stock/base for the brand’s original Matzoh Ball, Chicken & Noodle, and Chicken & Rice soups. “I only buy organic bones from local farmers for the bone broth I use for my chicken soup.”

Soup Love was already off and running soups around Hampton Roads when COVID hit.

“I can’t tell you how many COVID calls we get. At first, they wouldn’t say the word COVID” says Markman. “It was like leprosy. They would just call and say, ‘we really need your soup.’”

Today is quite different. “Everybody’s an open book,” says Markman. “Now it’s more like, ‘my whole house has it. Just drop off and don’t touch the rail or doorknob.’ ‘My daughter has it and wants her ‘magic soup.’ Last week someone called and said, ‘I don’t live in the area, can you drop off some soup for my son?’”

The Soup Love recipe for success has tripled with 16 year-round soups ranging from Harvest Vegetable, Heart Healer, and Roasted Root—to Lemon Chicken with Orzo, Chicken with Dumplings and Brunswick Stew—and two 24-hour bone broths. Two spring/summer and two fall/ winter specials were rolled out in 2021.

When people are vulnerable and unwell, it’s essential that they have

Since 1879

Unique new jewelry and one-of-a-kind estate pieces in gold & sterling silver Amy Markman at work in Soup Love’s kitchen.

nutrition that’s appealing and comforting, and doctor tested. Not only did the retired geriatric social worker study the health benefits of bone broth when she launched, she’s become more mindful about seasoning and is judicious with the use of the finest quality pink Himalayan salt. She says it’s important to her to support the community and buy local, which is one reason why she only uses organic bones from local farmers for her bone broth.

Producing and promoting healthy soup closes a loop. Markman’s soft spot for the geriatric population can be traced back to 10 years as a geriatric social worker at Beth Sholom Home, and then five years at the Catholic Dioceses. She is elated when physicians recommend bone broth to patients preparing for a colonoscopy or other body compromising treatment like chemo.

“I get happy just adding turmeric. I haven’t made my rounds to all the docs yet, but I’ll get there. Right now, we have our Tuesday and Thursday delivery schedule and a set menu. But, if you’re sick, we make an exception. I can’t remember a time we couldn’t accommodate someone.

We really try. We want it to be easy for the customer and workable for us.”

By wholesaling to Taste Unlimited with locations throughout Hampton Roads (and for whom she makes an exclusive Tuscan chicken and white bean stew), Markman fulfills her purpose to make

sure everyone in the region gets a shot at some soup love.

Soup Love participates in more than 100 individual local markets during market season (and during COVID peaks) when the need to shift to drive-thru markets kicked in. “What really put us on the map is all the local farmers markets.

Groceries are great, but people are buying local.”

Giving back to the community has always been a priority. Markman is a life member, with 10 years active, on the Virginia Beach Rescue Squad. She’s served on the board of several Jewish organizations and is a Lion of Judah.

“I really want to be there for the Jewish community. It’s my heritage and I want to be there for them.”

If expansion talks continue, adding kosher could be on the table. “I haven’t considered it yet, but I’ve been asked. I may have to look at a second location. If that happens, I will look at kosher to see if it’s doable. If it aligns with my business I would love to.”

Against mentor advice, when time permits, Markman offers kugel and chopped liver as an add-on to her larger matzoh ball soup orders. She has a waiting list (Jews and non-Jews) for her chopped liver.

“My advisors ask me ‘why are you doing this?’ It’s not an efficient use of my time, but it makes me happy to do something special for my people. It feels right to me.”

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jewishnewsva.org | January 24, 2022 | Food & Romance | JEWISH NEWS | 23

Food & Romance

Our mothers, ourselves.

Shari Berman in the kitchen.

Lisa Richmon

A

catering mentor once told Shari Berman, ‘We eat with our eyes.’ As a young kosher caterer, art lover, and teacher, she took his words to heart and allowed her brain to release childhood memories.

“When I was in high school, my mother’s culinary talent impressed everyone but me,” says Berman, owner of Cater 613.

“I was a rebellious daughter with zero interest in learning how to use cookie cutters to make shapes out of carrots or how to make cream puff swans from matzoh meal for chicken soup. I was Audrey Gutterman’s daughter, but while everyone else raved about her creativity, I was totally indifferent to the cakes she baked in the former JCC.” Along with a loaded volunteer schedule and the responsibility of full-time motherhood, Audrey Gutterman was a gourmet food consultant who taught local chefs how to prepare a Passover seder and guided iconic businesses like Custom Cake Shoppe in their formative years.

Berman’s move to acknowledge her ‘inner-Audrey’ was made for her 20 years ago when she and her husband Bruce became observant and joined B’nai Israel in Norfolk.

“I had no option but to learn how to cook. Everything I tried not to learn from my mom came back to me.”

Berman also put her loaded restaurant takeout menu collection to good use. Years of eating out and ordering in from La Galleria and No Frill Grill in Norfolk, and anywhere Cowboy Sydney (Mears) set up shop, paid off.

“When I started cooking, I started copying,” says Berman “I really figured out on my own how to make popular dishes that look beautiful and taste amazing. Her crossover meal was pistachio encrusted salmon, or salmone in crusta di pistacchi, inspired by infinite meals enjoyed at La Galleria. Confidence gained in her version of the dish led to a big compliment from Pat Robertson at Swan Terrace on the CBN campus.

“Dr. Roberson was recording an interview with a rabbi and an orthodox scientist. When I arrived to prepare their kosher lunch, I was escorted by a very present and gregarious security guard. I set one table for Dr. Robertson and his kosher guests in a room that accommodates 50. At the end of the meal, I served coffee and tea in disposable cups. I offered to serve Dr. Robertson in one of the fine china coffee cups from the restaurant. He politely said no thank you, ‘I will have everything the same as the Rabbi!’ As I was clearing their meals, he said with a southern drawl, ‘Shari, this kosher food is one of the best meals I ever had!’”

The subject matter on the table was an anti-tumor compound known as CPI- 613.

613 refers to the number of mitzvot one is commanded to follow.

The name, Cater 613, reflects Berman’s commitment to the observant community, without any intention to exclude.

“When I’m serving at an event, I want people to see my food and say, ‘I’d rather have that,’” says Berman. “My mentor worked with a very well-regarded kosher caterer in New York. He taught me about presentation, which fit my background as an art teacher who taught art in public schools for years as well as at HAT and Toras Chaim. Cooking for all the senses tied everything together for me.”

Be careful what you ask for.

When Herb Zukerman and Associates chose Top Golf as their holiday party, Cater 613 was there. The food was prepared at

24 | JEWISH NEWS | Food & Romance | January 24, 2022 | jewishnewsva.org

the B’nai Israel kosher kitchen and taken to the venue. Berman learned fast that a polite sign indicating kosher food was Shari Berman (left) with her mom Audrey Gutterman necessary as the non-kosher and brother, Adam. guests unknowingly swarmed the kosher table. also ran the Purim event at B’nai Israel for In December 2021, Kirk Levy was many years, and in 2009, conceived and among those members of the community chaired the B’nai Israel Reconnect Brunch. who facilitated the Dafna Kaffeman visiting “My mother had a Bat Mitzvah at Beth artist lecture at the Chrysler Museum. Part El in her 60s. She threw a party afterwards of his vision was to have kosher food that dedicated to all-things chocolate. All those everybody would enjoy, but only certain years I thought her creative cooking and people needed to know its status. community projects were lost on me. But, “The Israeli glass artist event looked when I looked at those Jackson Pollack like a dream,” says Berman. brownies at the Chrysler, I was filled with “I put a Jewish twist on popular dishes. I pride. I totally turned into my mother.” know where people eat and what they love.

We came up with a meat menu, which was the perfect context for my brisket wontons.

For my Jackson Pollack brownies, I drizzled mint brownies with chocolate. When the museum’s event director reported to me that her donor was in love with the brownies, I sent her out with a full pan, knowing how important it is to keep donors happy.”

A reduction made from denial is good for the (Jewish) daughter’s soul.

“Does this sound familiar?” quips Berman. “I’m a proud mother and super active in the Jewish community, fusing food and service.”

Berman sits on the board at their Yeshiva, served as past president of Toras Chaim, and for many years ran the PTA. An honoree at the 10th Anniversary Dinner Shari Bernman with Jamie Geller. for Toras Chaim, she

IT’S A WRAP Busy December for Tidewater BBYO Dave Flagler

D

ecember was a busy month for Tidewater BBYO chapters.

BBYO hosted their annual Global Shabbat program on December 11 at the Simon Family JCC. An opportunity for teens to gather in-person, learn, and have fun, many new faces joined the activities.

The evening began with a Havdalah ceremony, finished with dessert, and included dinner and a spirited game of trivia.

The event’s highlight was an educational conversation with Kelly Burroughs, CEO of Jewish Family Service of Tidewater.

The teens had requested that the topic be suicide prevention. Burroughs helped dispel common myths, offered insight in recognizing signs that something might not be right, suggested what to say or to do to support their peers, and shared information about resources available to them and others who may be in crisis. The conversation also covered mental health services and the key role that JFS plays in

supporting members of the community.

In addition to their Global Shabbat program, BBYO completed two tzedakah projects—collecting gifts for the JFS Annual Chanukah Gift Program and collecting food and sanitation supplies for the JFS Food Pantry.

Twenty-five area BBYO teens planned to attend the BBYO Regional Convention representing Tidewater before it was postponed. Even though the BBYO Winter Regional Convention did not take place as scheduled, planning meetings and activity preparation by Tidewater teens were well underway. Once the convention is rescheduled, these teens will have a chance to showcase their work and all that Tidewater BBYO chapters offer.

To learn more about BBYO or other ways that teens can get involved in the Tidewater Jewish community, contact Dave Flagler, director of Camp and Teen Engagement at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, at DFlagler@UJFT.org or 757-452-3182.

Tidewater teens meet at the movies Dave Flagler

N

early 30 Jewish teens came together for an afternoon at the movies on Sunday, December 12. The teens, ranging from sixth through 12th graders, represented OSTY, BBYO, and many area synagogues. Everyone enjoyed popcorn, refills of soft drinks, making new friends, being in-person, and having the Cinema Café movie theater all to themselves while watching Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

Based on the excitement and success of this event, more teen programming for all ages and across denominations and youth groups can be expected in the months ahead.

To learn more about BBYO or other ways for teens to get involved in the Tidewater Jewish community, contact Dave Flagler, director of Camp and Teen Engagement at United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, at DFlagler@UJFT. org or 757-452-3182.

Isabella Goldstein and Elijah Morrissey.

Madison Longwater and Leia Morrissey.

Temple Israel’s Mitzvah Squad keeps on giving Norman Soroko

F

or Temple Israel, in many ways, 2021 went out with a bang. From collecting more than $3,880 in gift cards for needy children in the community to collecting school supplies for children at Granby Elementary School, which netted more than $8,500, a summer Jewish Family Service Food Drive for young families, to ending the year with a phenomenal Food Drive on Sunday, December 12 for the Jewish Family Service Food Pantry, congregants continued to work for the community.

The congregation started collecting food in mid-November and ended up with more than $7,000 which included about $2,600 in cash to shop for JFS. Members saw the inside of BJ’s Wholesalers and Dollar Tree more times than ever. It was a huge and wonderful feeling. When congregants arrived at Jewish Family Service to deliver the food, they were greeted by JFS staff and many young adults who unloaded the cars. Jody Laibstain and Debbie Mayer of JFS helped guide Temple Israel on the items that were so much needed.

Laibstain told the congregants, that “now, so many families in the community will not go hungry” as Temple Israel filled their pantry with canned goods, frozen chicken, frozen hamburger, mashed potato mixes, cereals, paper products, laundry detergents, and so much more.

Many congregants assisted in these projects. Not in any special order: Lorna Legum, Steven Legum, Andrew Bernstein, Noah Bernstein, Mark Solberg, Sgt. DJ Dajero, Wendy Brodsky, Nancy Tucker, Bobbie Fisher, Phil Walzer, Richard Yanku, Valerie Yanku, Villie Tidwell, Claire Laibstain, Jonathan Longman, Linda Longman, Judy Rohn, Dr. Reuven Rohn, Jim Eilberg and Susan Eilberg. Anthony Wilson and Corey Whitten loaded all the food from the temple into the trunks of 11 vehicles.

The Mitzvah squad plans to come up with some new ideas, as well as some old ones, including a food drive to benefit the Norfolk SPCA in early 2022. After all, those animals have to eat and be fed and be taken care of.

Temple Israel’s donations fill a room at JFS.

Norman Soroko with donated items.

jewishnewsva.org | January 24, 2022 | JEWISH NEWS | 25

JEWISH TIDEWATER

Tidewater Chavurah feeds the homeless at JCOC

Stein Family College Scholarship now has up to $80,000 available for new applicants

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tarting in 2022, the Stein Family College Scholarship will offer up to $20,000 a year for four years, according to Tidewater Jewish Foundation. This $80,000 scholarship opportunity makes it the largest scholarship in Jewish Tidewater.

Awarded to Jewish students in Tidewater who are entering college for the first time, the scholarship was established as a legacy in 2009 in memory of Arlene Stein, who did not complete college because of financial hardship. In addition, the family sees this opportunity as a way for Stein Family College Award recipients to expand their horizons and afford to attend school outside their home state, while experiencing a broader Jewish community as part of their college experience.

Betsy Blank

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olunteers with Tidewater Chavurah provided a mitzvah for the Judeo Christian Outreach Center’s (JCOC) guests with a warm and filling dinner of chili, salad, cornbread, oranges, and cookies.

After months of diligent planning, it paid off as the congregation got together to again help with this mitzvah.

This event was made possible through funding from United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.

Cathleen Collins and Carol Smith prepare salads.

The Stein Family College Scholarship application is open until March 1, 2022. To learn more about this opportunity or to apply, visit bit.ly/tjf-stein.

Camp JCC: Ready for Summer 2022

Join Our Team!

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Position Available Sales experience a must • Media sales, a plus • Flexible hours • Great earning potential

•

If you are an ambitious, high-energy, self-starter with good people skills, this might be the job for you!

Interested?

Contact Taffy Hunter, Human Resources director, at 757-965-6117, resumes@ujft.org or submit resume to

Jewish News

Attention: Human Resources 5000 Corporate Woods Drive Virginia Beach, 23462

26 | JEWISH NEWS | January 24, 2022 | jewishnewsva.org

Dave Flagler

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hile the weather may be cold now, warm summer days at Camp JCC will soon arrive.

Despite uncertainties and challenges, Camp JCC Summer 2021 proved to be an incredibly successful summer by all measures. Campers and counselors experienced the fun and magic of camp—with minimal disruptions—for an unforgettable summer.

In fact, last summer, Camp JCC served more individual campers and for more weeks than in the previous five summers.

Campers were able to be in-person after a difficult year in the pandemic, be outside, and rebuild resilience through the challenges presented in daily activities.

Campers swam, ran, cheered, danced, fished, created with their hands, used their minds, and bonded with their counselors and each other. Many parents expressed, often through emotion, the joy in feeling as if they had their children

“back.” Campers at Camp JCC could be their truest selves.

This summer, campers can expect even more fun and friendships than ever before.

Registration for Camp JCC 2022 is now open.

Camp JCC serves campers entering Pre-K (four-yearold classroom) through teens.

Camp sessions are weekly. Families may choose any single week, any combination of weeks that fit their schedules, or all eight weeks.

Camp JCC is accepting applications for junior and senior counselors, specialists, unit head, and camp administrator. Camp JCC employment applications may be found at www.campjcc.org.

To learn more about Camp JCC, visit www.campjcc.org.

To learn more about Camp JCC, or to hear about year-round opportunities for teens, contact Dave Flagler, director of Camp and Teen Engagement, at DFlagler@UJFT.org or 757-452-3182.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Virginia Arts Festival celebrates 25 seasons and includes performances by the Jerusalem Quartet

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ince 1997, Virginia Arts Festival has brought world class performing artists each spring to venues and stages in Tidewater. The Festival plans to mark this milestone with a season suitably spectacular.

Anchoring the celebration are some grand performances: the return of one of the world’s great ballet companies, American Ballet Theatre, with the exuberant classic Don Quixote (March 25–27); a new, fully staged production of the beloved musical The Sound of Music (May 13–15), with the score performed live by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and a 25th Anniversary Celebration concert with the incomparable soprano Renée Fleming and Broadway and television star Kristen Chenoweth (May 21).

The 2022 season is filled with dozens more opportunities to celebrate live performances. On the classical music side, Van Cliburn Gold Medal awarded pianist Olga Kern will perform and has planned a marvelous season of chamber music throughout April, May, and June featuring world renowned artists including the Danish String Quartet, Acropolis Reed Quintet and Jerusalem Quartet. And, Virginia Arts Festival’s friend, the great cellist Yo-Yo Ma will return with pianist Kathryn Stott (April 24).

Music of all kinds abounds in the 25th Anniversary season. Banjo player extraordinaire Béla Fleck returns to his bluegrass roots (April 1); one of the great performers from Broadway’s smash hit Hamilton, Renée Elise Goldsberry (May 6), and a host of Americana/roots rock artists including Grammy-winning singer-songwriters Rosanne Cash (April 6) and Shawn Colvin (April 21).

The Festival’s dance series brings not only the fabled American Ballet Theatre, but also the Nashville Ballet with the original score performed live by Grammywinner Rhiannon Giddens (April 23); and the electrifying Cuban dance company Malpaso (May 11).

Jazz fans can hear multi-Grammy

winner Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra (May 20), and legendary sideman Buster Williams (May 18). Local jazz favorites will return as well, including the Jae Sinnett Trio (April 3) and the John Toomey Trio, joined by tenor saxophonist Gary Thomas (April 20).

Launched in 2021, the Perry Pavilion, formerly named Bank Street Stage, is Norfolk’s newest entertainment venue. This outdoor venue offers the perfect setting for performances of all kinds—featuring a lineup including groundbreaking performers like Aoife O’Donovan (May 22), The War & Treaty (May 26), Cowboy Junkies (May 12), Samantha Fish (May 19), and more.

Join world-class performers from across the US and beyond for a celebration of Caribbean music as the Virginia International PANFest returns May 6–7 at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.

Part of the Festival’s mission is to present new works. A Symphonic Celebration of Water (June 4), joins the Festival with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, conducted by VSO Music Director Eric Jacobsen and featuring classical music favorites and readings that mark the figurative power of water in the life of Coastal Virginia. The innovative, interactive In(heir)itance Project turns community conversations into compelling theatre, addressing issues of race, economy, and justice (May 5–7).

The 2022 season will see the premieres of two one-act operas created through the Festival’s John Duffy Institute for New Opera. Briar Patch (from The Tales of the Briar Patch) will reboot the beloved folk tale while paying tribute to the African tradition of storytelling; and Companion sings the story of an obsessive baker on a quest for the perfect loaf.

A signature event of the Festival, the beloved Virginia International Tattoo will make a triumphant return April 28–May 1 to its home in Scope Arena with its own 25th Anniversary celebration featuring an all-new international cast, a musical

Jerusalem Quartet

tribute to “March King” by John Phillip Souza, and an emotional celebration of the resilience of the human spirit. Make it a weekend and enjoy the Norfolk NATO Festival, with the only parade in the United States to honor NATO (April 30), an international flag-raising ceremony, and a charming international village to sample the tastes, sights and sounds of 30 NATO member nations. There’s a free outdoor bagpipe band competition and the “Tattoo Hullabaloo” offers treats, a beer garden, and free entertainment and interaction with some of the Tattoo cast members.

Visit vafest.org and plan to celebrate the 25th Anniversary season of the Virginia Arts Festival.

Kristin Chenoweth

jewishnewsva.org | January 24, 2022 | JEWISH NEWS | 27

29th Annual Virginia Festival of Jewish Film • February 24–28, 2022 Presented by Alma & Howard Laderberg A Starry Sky Above The Roman Ghetto

Tango Shalom

Ben Gurion Epilogue

Thursday, February 24, 7:30 pm Cinema Café Kemps River 1220 Fordham Drive, Virginia Beach

THE BIG SATURDAY NIGHT CELEBRATION Includes a conversation with the film’s stars, followed by a champagne and dessert reception

Followed by a discussion with world-renowned producer, Yael Perlov

Tickets: $12.

Director Giulio Base | 100 min Italy | 2020 | Italian with English Subtitles | Not Rated

Saturday, February 26, 7:30 pm Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center Virginia Wesleyan University, 5817 Wesleyan Drive, Virginia Beach Tickets: $25.

Director Gabriel Bologna | 115 min |USA | 2020 | English | PG-13

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ed by a talented ensemble of young actors, this inspirational interfaith story is a reminder of the importance of memory, coexistence, and resolving generational friction. When teenaged Sofia finds a wartime photo of a Jewish child hidden in an old suitcase, she enlists the help of a group of students from Rome’s Jewish community to discover the fate of this person. Her quest will have life-changing consequences as she discovers the truth about the child’s history, as well as that of her own family.

The film offers a refreshing look at history through the eyes of a new generation.

Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center Virginia Wesleyan University 5817 Wesleyan Drive Virginia Beach Tickets: $12 Director Yariv Mozer | 70 min Israel | 2016 | Hebrew with English Subtitles | Not Rated

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ow fitting that the first film in history that the Vatican, a Hasidic Synagogue, a Mosque, and a Sikh Temple collaborate on is a comedy! From the director of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Tango Shalom features an award-winning ensemble cast including Lainie Kazan, Renee Taylor, Joseph Bologna, and Dancing with the Stars pro, Karina Smirnoff.

Moshe Yehuda, a Hasidic Rabbi and amateur Hora dancer, played by Jos Laniado, enters a Tango competition to save his Hebrew school from bankruptcy. There is one problem: due to his orthodox beliefs, he is not allowed to touch a woman! At odds with his family, the Grand Rabbi of his orthodox sect, and the entire Hasidic community, Moshe asks a Catholic priest, a Muslim Imam, and a Sikh holy man to help him dance in the Tango contest “without sacrificing his sacred beliefs.” Tango Shalom tests the bonds of family and community, as well as the bounds of tolerance and faith.

Presented by the Alma & Howard Laderberg Virginia Festival of Jewish Film Restricted Fund of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation.

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Sunday, February 27, 2:30 pm

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six-hour interview with David Ben Gurion, one of modern history’s greatest leaders, emerges from the obscurity of an archive where it has lain unrecognized for decades. It is 1968, and Ben Gurion is 82 years old, five years before his death. He lives in the seclusion of his home in the desert, remote from all political discourse, which allows him a perspective on the Zionist enterprise. His introspective soul-searching is the focus of this film, and his reflections provide a surprising vision for today’s crucial decisions and for the future of Israel.

Yael Perlov is the two-time winner of the Israeli Academy Prize for film, laureate of the Art of Film prize of the Ministry of Art and Culture, senior lecturer at the Film and Television Department at Tel Aviv University, and currently a visiting scholar at Duke University.

Hester Street

A sparkling new 4K restoration in honor of the film’s 40th anniversary

An evening dedicated to longtime friend of the Festival, Mal Vincent Includes a conversation with Rabbi Michael Panitz

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Monday, February 28, 7:00 pm Naro Expanded Cinema 1507 Colley Avenue, Norfolk

Building inner strength through self-defense class at the JCC

Tickets $12.

Tuesdays and Thursdays

Director Joan Michelin Silver | 89 min USA | 1975 | English | PG

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mong the great cinematic portraits of Jewish life in America, Joan Micklin Silver’s debut feature is anchored by her own screenplay and an unforgettable Oscar-nominated performance by Carol Kane. Kane stars as Gitl, one half of an Eastern European Jewish couple alongside Yankel (Steven Keats).

Upon arriving in New York’s Lower East Side in the late 19th century, Gitl finds that Yankel, who’d come to America before her and their young son Yossele, has begun an affair with a dancer. Gitl finds herself in an unenviable situation in a strange new place. Hester Street tells the story of one woman’s journey towards assimilation—reconstructing the bygone haven for Jewish immigrants at the crossroads of tradition and modernity.

BEYOND THE FESTIVAL Watch online from the comfort of home!

Tickets: $12 per household, FREE for Full Festival Pass holders

Tiger Within View Online: Sunday, January 30 through Tuesday, February 1 Film available for viewing at your convenience. Reservation required.

Director Rafael Zielinski | 98 min USA | 2020 |English | Not Rated

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he incomparable Ed Asner stars in this tender story that recounts the unlikely friendship between Samuel, a Holocaust survivor, and Casey, a troubled teen runaway.

Despite their respective traumas and initial mistrust of one another, they manage to develop a sense of family and mutual support for each other. While Casey gives Sam a new purpose, Sam gives Casey the guidance and courage she needs to start a new life. Gina Wendkos’ (The Princess Diaries) sensitive script, as directed by Montreal-born indie filmmaker Rafal Zielinski, promotes empathy and understanding in the face of prejudice.

Film Festival Ticket Pricing Full Festival Pass $50 (Includes all four in-person films plus all online films.

Full Festival Pass available for purchase by February 1, 2022) The BIG Saturday Night Film & Celebration: $25 Individual film tickets for all other films: $12

The well-being of audience members and theater teams remain a top priority. United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Simon Family JCC continue to follow CDC guidance and recommendations. Please keep an eye on JewishVA.org/FilmFestival for the most up-to-date COVID health protocols.

Kids Night Out Babysitting at the Simon Family JCC open for JCC members for the BIG Saturday Night Celebration of Jewish Film.

(Registration required at the JCC Front Desk, limited availability.)

Sarah Cooper

“I

t is tough—but rewarding. I am learning to focus, have patience, and to train my brain. I am also getting stronger and having fun!” says Spirit Fighting Arts self-defense student C.J. Fenley about his experience with the new classes offered at the Simon Family JCC. It all started for Fenley in the summer of 2021 when Karate Master Ron Smith coordinated with Dave Flagler, director of Camp JCC and Teen Engagement, to give an introduction to Master Ron’s teachings.

Campers learned basic moves and left with a reminder to be proactive when it comes to bullying—even if it’s happening to someone else. Campers were invited to join classes at the JCC. C.J. immediately informed his parents that he was interested in participating—and now he’s a dedicated student.

C.J.’s parents—Christian and Michelle Fenley—are no strangers to the Camp JCC, Strelitz, and Jewish Family Service of Tidewater community, as they’ve worked for the various organizations.

“This is truly the first activity that he has connected with; he enjoys it so much,” says Michelle Fenley. Her enthusiasm over C.J.’s keen interest in the program is palpable.

“It is just heart-warming to know that a single event from a single day at camp has changed our child’s life.”

Christian Fenley says, “Master Ron quickly recognized C.J.’s strengths and has built upon them to teach and engage him during class. Master Ron is always encouraging, and we can see C.J. developing physical and mental strength, as well as increasing self-confidence. What more can you ask for as a parent?”

While there’s no shortage of martial arts studios, Master Ron Smith is uniquely qualified to teach the children who gravitate to the JCC. He has seven black belts— including a 10th degree in Hanshi-Shorin

CJ in the “ready stance” with Master Ron Smith.

Ryu and a 9th degree in Hanshi-Yamashita Shorin Ryu. Smith retired as the chief of staff for the California State Assembly’s 42nd District before moving to Virginia Beach in 1997 to raise his teenage daughter. During that time, he founded a charity aimed at teaching children and adults quality self-defense techniques, anti-bullying, self-respect, respect for others, and self-discipline.

These continue to be the core concepts emphasized by Spirit Fighting Arts. Along with being the chief instructor of Spirit Fighting Arts, Smith is a Virginia Special Conservator of the Peace, as well as chairman of the board of the USA National Karate-do Federation of VA, Inc. He has worked with thousands of children in different programs.

Kindergarteners and first graders can join Little Ninjas, while second through fifth graders partake in Self Defense classes.

For more information, go to www.simonfamilyjcc.org/childrens-classes/, visit the JCC front desk, or contact Sarah Cooper, Camp JCC program manager, at SCooper@ SimonFamilyJCC.org or 757-321-2306.

For tickets or more information: 757-321-2338 or

JewishVA.org/FilmFestival jewishnewsva.org | January 24, 2022 | JEWISH NEWS | 29

VIRGINIA FESTIVAL

JEWISH FILM

OF

Presented by Alma & Howard Laderberg

tiger within SUNDAY, JANUARY 30 - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1

"An “After School Special” on some very serious subjects, aimed at a teen audience…"

-Roger Moore, Movie Nation

"A study of brokenness, fear, hatred, wisdom, forgiveness, and healing…"

-Darrel Mason, Screen Fish

"Illuminates the story of two damaged people and the bridge of compassion they build."

-Maya Mirsky, JWeekly.com

WHAT’S HAPPENING Exploring Israel through Minecraft Tuesday, February 8, 4 pm Simon Family JCC and/or remotely Dave Flagler

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idewater teens and pre-teens will not have to travel far to see Israel. In collaboration with Lost Tribe ESports, local teens will be able to learn about fun sites in Israel through games and challenges.

Minecraft is a video game in which players create and break apart various blocks in 3D worlds. Players explore a blocky, procedurally-generated 3D world with virtually infinite terrain. Lost Tribe enables players to explore inside the Minecraft world of Israel.

Connecting with a digital generation in the digital age, Lost Tribe ESports strengthens teens’ and young adults’ Jewish identity by building friendships, increasing engagement, and encouraging participation in Jewish life. Lost Tribe Esports designs and delivers Jewish educational online

gaming-based experiences—connecting the next generation through new media and the community. Lost Tribe hosts and facilitates tournaments, community game nights, and livestreams with a wide library of games, partnering with more than 150 Jewish organizations.

Due to the technical considerations involved, the registration deadline is January 31. A technical walk through will happen in the days before the event. In addition, a 5 pm option will be added with enough interest.

To learn more about ways that teens and pre-teens can get involved in the Tidewater Jewish community, contact Dave Flagler, director of Camp and Teen Engagement at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, at DFlagler@UJFT.org or 757-452-3182.

Join Team JCC Virginia Beach for Maccabi Games in San Diego July 31–August 4

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he Simon Family JCC Athletics Department is searching for Jewish teen athletes to travel as a group this summer to the JCC Maccabi Games in San Diego, California.

Tom Edwards, the Simon Family JCC’s athletics director, is organizing players for basketball (3x3 teams), tennis, soccer, swimming, and E-Sports.

Former Team JCC Virginia Beach athlete Matt Gross, now a college freshman, says, “The JCC Maccabi Games were an experience of a lifetime! Not only do you make

memories, but lifelong friends and connections. This year I was visiting a friend at another college and ran into a buddy from Maccabi! Someone I met playing lacrosse in the California Games. I love having these national connections.”

Gross also traveled to the Detroit Games as a basketball player.

Interested athletes or parents should contact Tom Edwards for more information or to sign up at TEdwards@UJFT.org.

Jewish News

View Online. Tickets $12 per household.

JewishVA.org/FilmFestival

30 | JEWISH NEWS | January 24, 2022 | jewishnewsva.org

3 days before the cover date: JewishNewsVa.org/digital.

WHAT’S HAPPENING Husband and wife, artist and rabbi merge art, pop culture, and scholarship Tidewater Together with Isaac and Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik All events online Friday, February 4: Shabbat sermon Ohef Sholom Temple, 6:30 pm, Free, ohefsholom.org Saturday, February 5: Shabbat sermon Congregation Beth El, 9:45 am; Free, bethelnorfolk.com Saturday, February 5, Havdalah Gallery Talk Simon Family JCC, 7:30 pm; Free, pre-register Sierra Lautman

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saac and Rabbi Shawna BrynjegardBialik spend a lot of time talking about Judaism, comic books, and art. As a dynamic duo, this married couple has masterfully found a way to share their passions with others.

In February, the Tidewater community will have several opportunities to be recipients of the Brynjegard-Bialiks’ passion through online sermons and other conversations led by them.

The couple’s virtual visit is part of the Milton “Mickey” Kramer Scholarin-Residence Fund of the Congregation Beth El Foundation’s Tidewater Together Series. The weekend kicks off with three Shabbat programs in partnership with local synagogues.

The pair will lead a visual sermon, accompanied by their “Paper T’filah,” through Ohef Sholom Temple’s livestream service on Friday, February 4. On Saturday, February 5, they’ll join Congregation Beth El’s livestream service to lead a sermon in their distinct conversational style.

Later that evening, an online art-filled Havdalah Gallery Talk hosted by Temple Israel and Kehillat Bet Hamidrash takes place. Havdalah will be followed by a virtual walk through of Isaac’s current exhibit in the Leon Family Gallery, YOU DID WHAT TO MY COMICS?!?!

All three of these events are free and open to the community. Pre-registration is required for the Havdalah Gallery Talk on Saturday evening (link to register can be found below).

Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik’s exhibit of cut-up and reassembled comic books explores the stories of the Jewish people, connecting popular culture with sacred

texts. He has shown his papercuts in galleries across the globe and has commissions in museums, synagogues, hospitals, and private collections. He regularly speaks and writes about the intersection of art and Judaism.

Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik adapts traditional Jewish concepts to a modern context and brings that synergy to students. She is an engaging teacher of Torah, bringing text to life with her unique, modern perspective. She received a Master of Hebrew Letters in 1998 from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, was ordained in 2002 in HUC-JIR’s first Los Angeles class, and served as associate rabbi at Temple Ahavat Shalom in Northridge, California.

The couple combines deep Jewish scholarship with a contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional art of papercutting, providing workshop participants with the opportunity and tools to make visual biblical commentary—what they call “paper midrash.”

The community looks forward to hosting the couple later this year when workshops may take place, offering participants opportunities to create unique pieces of Jewish art. The workshops are presented by the Konikoff Center for Learning. No experience or “artistic ability” is necessary. All materials are provided. Adults (and teens over 16) are welcome. Look for more information in the coming months.

For more information and to stay up-to-date with the latest plans for Paper Midrash, visit JewishVA.org/TidewaterTogether or contact Sierra Lautman, director of Jewish Innovation at SLautman@UJFT.org or by calling 757-965-6107.

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Two VISUAL SERMONS L ive str e amed wi t h Ohef S holom T emple Fr id ay, Feb ru ary 4 , 6 :30 PM L ive str e amed wi t h C ongregat i on Bet h E l Saturd ay, Feb ru ary 5, 9 :4 5 AM

Havdalah Gallery Talk Saturday, February 5, 7:30 PM

Enjoy a walk through the Leon Family Gallery from the comfort of home.

Hosted by Temple Israel and Kehillat Bet Hamidrash find more information or rsvp by visiting

Jewishva.org/tidewatertogether jewishnewsva.org | January 24, 2022 | JEWISH NEWS | 31

WHAT’S HAPPENING Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day[s] 2022 to take place via Zoom

In honor of Jewish tradition, Corey Rosen brings storytelling to life

Meetings with Delegates and Senators: Monday January 31; Tuesday, February 1; and Thursday, February 3

Tuesday, February 15, 7:30 pm Virginia MOCA, free

Group meeting: Wednesday, February 2

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2019 Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day participants.

Elka Mednick

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ne of the greatest tools in the hands of all Americans is the ability to meet with and influence representatives in government to ensure each person’s voice is heard. The United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Jewish Community Relations Council’s annual Date With The State is one way to exercise that privilege and make an impact in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Usually taking place on a single day in Richmond, Date With The State 2022 will take place online over the course of a few days, allowing participants to meet with State Delegates and Senators from the convenience of one’s home or office. The new governor and other officials from his administration have been invited to address the group on Wednesday, February 2 as part of Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day[s] 2022. Participants can sign up for as few or

as many appointments as desired.

Previous Advocacy Day issues have included advocating for social service programs that benefit Jewish Family Service and Beth Sholom Village, for the VirginiaIsrael Advisory Board, and for legislation combating bias, among other topics.

Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day[s] offers the Jewish community an opportunity to be pro-active. These “face-to-face” meetings send strong signals to law makers about the engagement of the state-wide Jewish community. They also encourage participants to develop personal relationships with representatives, helping the community in the long-term.

Register today for appointments at JewishVa.org/dwts, or contact Elka Mednick, Jewish Community Relations Council assistant director, at emednick@ ujft.org or 757-965-6112.

32 | JEWISH NEWS | January 24, 2022 | jewishnewsva.org

Sierra Lautman

veryone has stories to tell, but the trick is how to make each story the best story. Actor, visual effects producer, and host of The Moth, Corey Rosen, teaches how to get past telling “the same” stories and helps each individual find personal Corey Rosen performs with The Moth. stories worth telling.

L’Dor v’dor, from generation to generawith Rosen, the audience will have an even tion, the Jewish People have a rich history greater appreciation for storytelling and be of storytelling. Working as a powerful even more equipped to continue this core vehicle for history, memories, and values, Jewish tradition. stories perpetuate Jewish culture through Rosen, who lives in San Francisco, time. As the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan has worked at Jim Henson Productions, Sacks noted, “Judaism is less about ‘truth interned for Saturday Night Live actor (and as system’ than about ‘truth as story’ and later Senator) Al Franken, and spent more we are a part of that story. That is what it than 20 years making special visual effects is to be a Jew.” at Industrial Light + Magic, Disney, Tippet Some stories are familiar to all Jews, Studio, working on blockbuster movies such as the Passover story or Queen Esther such as Mission: Impossible, Ted, and sevand Mordechai’s story. On a personal level, eral Star Wars films. Today, he is a regular some stories are such an integral part of a host of The Moth, a nationally broadcast family’s collective memory that generations radio show on NPR, which features people of children feel they know their deceased telling live (true) stories in front of an great grandparents. In fact, almost every audience. family has at least one member who This free and open to the community tells the exact same story at every family program offers both in-person and virtual function. ticket options. Pre-registration is required Rosen will be at Virginia MOCA in celefor both. Register at JewishVA.org/KCL. bration of his debut book, Your Story, Well Told: Creative Strategies to Develop and Presented by the Konikoff Center for Perform Stories that Wow an Audience.

Learning at the United Jewish Federation This night of laughs will not just entertain, of Tidewater, in partnership with United it will inspire attendees to get on stage (or Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Simon sit down at the next family dinner) and tell a Family JCC’s Lee and Bernard Jaffe Family story, using the best storytelling techniques Jewish Book Festival and the Virginia from improvisational theatre. After a night Museum of Contemporary Art.

CALENDAR BEGINNING JANUARY 25

Jewish Mysticism: Tracing the History of Kabbalah, a 10-week Melton course taught by Rabbi Michael Panitz. This class will examine how centuries of societal and cultural changes shaped Jewish mysticism, including its cryptic nature and its controversies. Learners will have the opportunity to explore the rich source material itself on a rigorous, scholarly level, and to discuss the timeless mysteries of human existence and the laws of the universe. 12 pm. Presented by the Konikoff Center for Learning at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. For more information or to register, contact Sierra Lautman at SLautman@Ujft.org or 757-965-6107.

JANUARY 30–FEBRUARY 1

Tiger Within, a story featuring an unlikely friendship between a troubled teen and a Holocaust survivor, sparking larger questions of fear, forgiveness, healing, and world peace, starring Emmy Awardwinning actor, Ed Asner and Gina Wendkos ( The Princess Diaries). Watch online from the comfort of your living room, as part of the 29th annual Virginia Festival of Jewish Film presented by Alma and Howard Laderberg. Tickets: $12 per household; FREE for Full Festival Pass holders. Visit JewishVA.org/filmfestival for more information or to purchase tickets. See page 29.

BEGINNING JANUARY 31

Biblical Women: Emerging from the Margins through Midrash, a 10-week Melton course taught by Dr. Amy Milligan. Tracing major female figures of the Bible through classic and modern midrashic commentary, meet a dazzling line up of more than a dozen biblical heroines. Go behind the scenes to gain multiple perspectives on their lives, relationships, and choices to understand their roles in Jewish history and literature as full, well-rounded characters. 6:45 pm. Presented by the Konikoff Center for Learning at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. For more information or to register, contact Sierra Lautman at SLautman@Ujft.org or 757-965-6107.

Children from Kindergarten through 2nd grade are invited to join the Simon Family JCC’s Israel Club.

This 4-week after school class led by the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Youth and Family Program Coordinator, and Israeli born citizen, Nofar Trem, will explore Israel’s unique geography, learn about (and taste) the wonderful foods of Israel, discover Israeli wildlife, and uncover some of Israel’s rich history. Featuring games, crafts, hands on exploration, and conversation, Israel Club is a great way for a child to learn more about Israel with friends. 3:45 pm. Cost for JCC Members: $50. Cost for non-members: $65. For more information, contact Nofar Trem at NTrem@UJFT.org or 747-321-2334.

JANUARY 31–FEBRUARY 3

Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day[s] Online. Join the Jewish Community Relations Council and leaders from across the Commonwealth to hear from Governor Glen Youngkin (invited, not yet confirmed) and other policy makers on issues important to the statewide Jewish community. Pre-registration is required.

For more information and to register, visit JewishVa.org/dwts or contact Elka Mednick at EMednick@ ujft.org or 757-965-6112.

FEBRUARY 8, TUESDAY

Explore Israel through Minecraft. Children ages 10–14 are invited to explore and learn about fun sites in Israel through games, challenges, and exploration in Minecraft. With help from Lost Tribe Esports, participants can join remotely or in person at the Simon Family JCC to step inside the Minecraft world of Israel. $20 per child. Participants will be able to continue to access and play in these worlds after the program concludes. 4:00 pm with a 5:00 pm option to be added with enough interest.

For more information or to register, contact Dave Flagler at DFlagler@UJFT.org or 757-452-3182.

See page 30.

FEBRUARY 4–6

Paper Midrash, as a part of the Milton “Mickey” Kramer Scholar-in-Residence Fund of the Congregation Beth El Foundation’s Tidewater Together series. Dynamic duo Isaac and Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik will lead a variety of programs over the weekend including guest sermons and a gallery talk. For more information or to register, visit JewishVA.org/TidewaterTogether or contact Sierra Lautman at SLautman@Ujft.org or 757-965-6107. See page 31.

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FEBRUARY 15, TUESDAY

Your Story Well Told with Corey Rosen. Actor, visual effects producer, author, and host of The Moth, Corey Rosen comes to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). His new book, Your Story, Well Told: Creative Strategies to Develop and Perform Stories that Wow an Audience, teaches how to get past telling “the same” stories and find stories worth telling from our own lives. 7:30 pm. Presented by the Konikoff Center for Learning at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, this event is free and open to the community with pre-registration required. For more information or to register, contact Sierra Lautman at SLautman@Ujft.org or 757-965-6107. See page 32

FEBRUARY 24, THURSDAY

Past and present meet upon the discovery of an old, mysterious photograph that will end up tying together Christian and Jewish students in search of the truth. A Starry Sky Above the Roman Ghetto kicks off the 29th season of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Simon Family JCC’s Virginia Festival of Jewish Film presented by Alma and Howard Laderberg. At Cinema Café Kemps River. 7:30 pm. Tickets $12, limited seating, pre-purchase strongly suggested. Visit JewishVA. org/filmfestival for more information or to purchase tickets. See page 28.

FEBRUARY 26, SATURDAY

THE BIG SATURDAY NIGHT CELEBRATION OF JEWISH FILM AND CHAMPAGNE RECEPTION featuring the heart pumping and heartwarming film Tango Shalom, a story that tests the bonds of family and community, and the bounds of tolerance and faith, one dazzling dance step at a time. Includes a conversation with the film’s stars followed by a champagne and dessert reception. A 29th annual Virginia Festival of Jewish Film event at the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center, Virginia Wesleyan University. 7:30 pm. Tickets $25, limited seating, pre-purchase strongly suggested. Visit JewishVA.org/filmfestival for more information or to purchase tickets. See page 28.

FEBRUARY 27, SUNDAY

Offering hindsight on the Zionist enterprise, Ben Gurion Epilogue presents a rare and fortuitous piece of cinematic archeology with footage compiled from six hours of conversations with Israel’s founding father. Film followed by a conversation with two-time winner of the Israeli Academy of Prize for film, producer and editor, Yael Perlov. A 29th annual Virginia Festival of Jewish Film event at the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center, Virginia Wesleyan University. In partnership with the Jewish Community Relations Council, Simon Family JCC and community partners’ 11th annual Israel Today series. 2:30 pm. Tickets $12, limited seating, pre-purchase strongly suggested. Visit JewishVA. org/filmfestival for more information or to purchase tickets. See page 28.

FEBRUARY 28, MONDAY

An immigrant couple from Russia grapples with assimilation in turn-of-the-century New York in Hester Street, the 1975 classic that helped launch the modern era of American independent cinema. 29th annual Virginia Festival of Jewish Film presents an evening dedicated to longtime friend of the Festival, Mal Vincent, with this screening of the film newly restored in 4k, and a conversation with Rabbi Michael Panitz. At Naro Expanded Cinema. 7:00 pm. Tickets $12, limited seating, pre-purchase strongly suggested. Visit JewishVA.org/filmfestival for more information or to purchase tickets. See page 29.

MARCH 1, TUESDAY

The Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Simon Family JCC, & Community Partners’ 11th Annual Israel Today series presents: The Four Corners of the World: A Celebration of World Wildlife Day with Roie Galitz. Take a (virtual) trip around the globe with world renowned wildlife photographer, environmental diplomat, entrepreneur, and explorer, Roie Galitz without ever leaving Tidewater. 7:30 pm. Free with pre-registration required. For more information, or to register, visit JewishVa.org/israeltoday or contact Elka Mednick at emednick@ujft. org or 757-965-6112.

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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OBITUARIES BERTRAM DONALD AARON WILLIAMSBURG—Bertram Donald Aaron died peacefully within spitting distance of 100 years on December 31, 2021 with close family by his side.

The Daily Press “Citizen of the Year” at age 97, Bert was a visionary, public citizen, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. It has been said that he was a man of a million ideas and acted on every one of them.

Born in 1922 in Newport News, Bert was the eldest son of Harry and Lillian Aaron. His father was the owner of the famous La Vogue Shoppe and his grandfather the American Fashion Shop. He grew up learning merchandizing and customer service from the dinner conversations between his parents and grandparents. “The Most Priceless Ingredient in Business is a Good Name” hung over the entrance to the La Vogue Shoppe—a motto that ensured Harry’s success and that of his children.

Bert began his own successful business in Los Angeles, then New York, and retired to Williamsburg in 1990. A voracious reader of science fiction, he built his first radio at age 9, attained his Amateur Radio License at 17, and as a Cadet at VPI organized the very first Signal Unit for the Corps of Cadets.

He attained the rank of Captain in the US Army in the Pacific theater during World War II, eventually leading to positions as Aeronautical Research Scientist at NACA (now NASA) and then as an engineer for the US Army Signal Corps where he received the Commanders Medal for his service to national defense. Leaving the Signal Corp, he began his career as an entrepreneur in applications sales for devices in electronics, medicine, computing, and optics.

Bert held professional engineer certificates from Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York, with senior membership in the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers where he served on the board of the Microwave Theory and Techniques Society, as well as chair of the Los Angeles and Long Island, N.Y. chapters. He remained very active in professional societies for the electronics industry and national defense, including as president of the Hampton Roads Chapter of the Society for Electronic Defense.

Having lost two wives to breast cancer, Bert organized and chaired the first Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation Symposium on

state-of-the-art medicine for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. He initiated the Kiwanis Polo Cup, and served on the Kiwanis Board.

His passion and support for the performing arts—particularly in Tidewater Virginia—could be seen through his work organizing and helping to maintain the Greater Williamsburg Virginia Symphony Society after the Symphony were about to cease local operations for lack of an audience. In addition to serving 25 years on the board of the Symphony, he also served as chair of the Williamsburg James City Arts Commission.

When the requirement arose for a tenured Chair of Jewish Studies at Christopher Newport University, Bert gave the lead gift. Endowed programs for the Cleveland Clinic, Virginia Symphony, and Hillel at Virginia Tech bear his name.

A lover of travel, he and family covered every continent except Antarctica. Bert was a member of Rodef Sholem Congregation in Newport News, as well as Temple Beth-El of Williamsburg.

Bert was predeceased by his first wife Marcia Kurke, second wife Judith Heilbraun, and brother Leonard Aaron. He is survived by his loving wife Gladys Aaron, daughters Dr. Cynthia Aaron and Jill Aaron MacPherson (Donald), son Dr. Harry Aaron (Joan), and grandchildren Caleigh, Sarah, and David. Bert is also survived by a cherished extended family including brother Cyril Aaron (Patti), nieces and nephews Hugh Aaron (Laura), Debra Aaron (Bonnie), Rabbi Scott Aaron (Donni), and Jennifer Katz (Larry), as well as step-children Jeffrey Heilbraun, Harris Cohen (Karen), Brad Cohen, Stuart Cohen (Lisa), and their children.

Due to current conditions, a private graveside service was held and a Celebration of Life gathering will be announced at a later date.

Contributions may be given to the Virginia Symphony Society and/or the Bertram & Gladys Aaron Professorship at Christopher Newport University.

DEBBIE KANTOR BROOKS OREGON—Debbie Kantor Brooks passed away at home in Oregon on December 30, 2021.

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Debbie was born on April 21, 1956 in Harlingen, Texas to Barry and Reatha Kantor and lived most of her life in the Hampton Roads area. She graduated from the University of South Carolina and enjoyed many careers through the years, including serving as a probation officer with the Virginia Department of Probation and Parole. Debbie was devoted to her four children, Bryan (Brooke), Chad, Paige and Dori.

Debbie is survived by her loving parents, her children, her brother David, grandchildren, many uncles, aunts, cousins and nephews, who will all cherish her memory.

A graveside service was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Congregation Beth El, the Parkinson’s Foundation, or charity of donor’s choice. H.D. Oliver.

BRENDA DOLSEY SUFFOLK—It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Brenda Dolsey of Suffolk, Virginia, who passed away on December 5, 2021, at the age of 81, leaving to mourn family and friends.

She was predeceased by her parents, James David Jolly and Georgia Irene Lewis Jolly; the father of her children Johnny Anderson; her husbands, Frankie Carter and Yale Dolsey; and her son, Michael Anderson.

She is survived by: her daughter Michelle Johnson (Jim) of Chesapeake; and her cousin Gayle Fowler of Mullins. She is also survived by several stepchildren, step-grandchildren, and step-great-grandchildren, as well as many other cousins and friends.

MARY CASEY CANTIN OHIO—Mary Casey Cantin passed away at home in Ohio on January 1, 2022.

Mary was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 28, 1927. She is preceded in death by her loving husband, Dr. Ira Marshall Cantin, her mother Laura Corliss Casey, and father, James Casey.

Mary attended Mount St. Joseph College and graduated from Hahnemann University Hospital as a registered nurse.

While working at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York, she met the love of her life, Ira who was completing his orthopedic residency. The couple wed in 1958. Together they had three children, Jane Cantin of Norfolk Virginia, Nancy Burton of Columbus, Ohio and Ira Marshall Cantin, Jr. of Virginia Beach, and three grandchildren, Laura Cantin, and Madeline and McKenzie Burton.

Ira and Mary spent 57 years together raising their family and lots of dogs. The couple loved to travel by boat, plane, and restored vintage automobiles. While Mary was not a native Virginian, she grew to love the area and living in Norfolk as long as Ira was by her side.

A graveside funeral service was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery. Contributions in her memory to Ohef Sholom Temple or a charity of your choice. Online condolences may be sent to the family at hdoliver. com.

LEONARD DAVID FRIERMAN VIRGINIA BEACH—Leonard David Frierman, 85, passed away on December 20, 2021 in Virginia Beach.

Left to cherish his memory are his loving wife of 50 years, Margaret (Peggy) Frierman; brother Michael Frierman of Lakeland, Florida; daughter Anne Sewell (Henry) of Atlanta, Georgia; son Jon Frierman of Orlando, Florida; daughter Molly Jolly (Berk) of Virginia Beach; son Curtis Frierman (Christina) of Virginia Beach; brother-in-law Alfred Lozito of Virginia Beach; 9 grandchildren; and beloved dog Mocha.

Altmeyer Funeral Home.

LANI FRIEDMAN VIRGINIA BEACH—Lani Friedman, sister of Jonathan (and Michal) Friedman; daughter of Sheila and Stephen Jay Friedman; and mother of Brian and Brandon passed away.

Funeral services took place graveside at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Norfolk.

ETHEL POLLOCK GOLDMAN VIRGINIA BEACH—Ethel Goldman, 94, died December 8, 2021.

She was predeceased by her loving husband Bernard Goldman. They enjoyed 49 wonderful years together.

A native of Norfolk, Mrs. Goldman graduated from Maury High School and The College of William and Mary.

OBITUARIES Following her love of English and History she was a wonderful teacher for many years. In her later years she found joy in tutoring elementary students through BEAR and other reading programs.

Mrs. Goldman was a member of Temple Israel since its inception. She was active in the Sisterhood and multiple fundraisers.

She volunteered for Habitat For Humanity and the Beth Sholom Auxiliary. Her loves in her retirement years were her Stock Club activities and her Book Club meetings.

She is survived by her son Harry (Iris) Goldman of Gaithersburg, Maryland; her daughter Celia (Jay) Friedman of Virginia Beach; and her son Charles (Wendy) Goldman of Norfolk. Also to cherish her memory were her grandchildren Wendy (Jeremy) Stoller of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; Kari (Mitchell) Rotenberg of Los Angeles, California; and Becky Goldman, of Gaithersburg. She is also loved by her great grandchildren Sloane Stoller, Dylan Stoller and Aden Rotenberg.

A graveside service was conducted at Forest Lawn Cemetery by Rabbi Michael Panitz.

Donations may be made to Temple Israel, Beth Sholom Home or a charity of your choice. Online condolences may be offered to the family at hdoliver.com.

FREIDA LESSER GOLDSTEIN VIRGINIA BEACH—Freida Lesser Goldstein, 91, passed away on Saturday, December 18, 2021 at Beth Sholom Village.

A lifelong resident of Norfolk, Virginia, she was the daughter of the late Jennie and Morris Lesser. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 47 years, Sylvan Goldstein.

Mrs. Goldstein was a graduate of Maury High School, the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary, and was an active long-time member of Congregation Beth El and its Sisterhood, as well as Hadassah and Brith Sholom Center. She retired from a long career working for the federal government in the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Mrs. Goldstein was an accomplished artist and her art brought her joy for many decades.

Left to cherish her memory are her two daughters, Rosanne Goldstein of Norfolk and Jennifer Goldstein of Seattle,

Washington; her sister, Esther Stark; and six nieces and nephews.

The family wishes to express their sincere appreciation for the support of Jewish Family Service and for the dedicated and loving care Mrs. Goldstein received at Beth Sholom Village.

A graveside funeral service was conducted at Forest Lawn Cemetery. Rabbi Adam Ruditsky from Beth Sholom Village officiated, accompanied by Cantor Wendi Fried and Rabbi Emeritus Arthur Ruberg of Congregation Beth El. Memorial contributions may be made to Congregation Beth El, Beth Sholom Village, or to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (bcrf.org).

H. D. Oliver Funeral Apts. Online condolences may be sent to the family through hdoliver.com.

pets to open a small zoo, passed away December 17, surrounded by family in Norfolk, Virginia. She was 90 years old.

Born July 22, 1931, in Fall River, Massachusetts, Nancy was the oldest of Ralph and Betty Kane’s three children.

The family moved to Norfolk where Nancy quickly became a socialite. The niece of well-known health food author, Jane

Kinderlehrer, Nancy became keenly interested in nutrition herself. She worked several years for GNC and Health Food Center before opening her own store, A to Zinc, on Colonial Avenue in Ghent. For years, Nancy enjoyed providing the community with vitamins and other health needs especially Vitamin C, as this was continued on page 36

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OBITUARIES continued from page 35

her cure-all, from a runny nose to a broken arm. She spent her later years volunteering with local organizations and caring for her grandchildren and great grandchildren, who were truly the light of her life.

Nancy is survived by her daughters, Sari Velasco (Rick) and Lori Malloy, also her sister Sue Cohen (widow of Harry) and brother Peter Kane (Claudia); granddaughters Cassie Walt (Matt), Kirby Lefkowitz (Adam), and grandson Justin Velasco (Kelsey); great grandchildren Shane and Jack Lefkowitz, and Wyatt Walt with a second Walt son due soon; plus, numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins who will always remember Nancy’s whimsical nature and warming presence.

Funeral services were graveside at Forest Lawn Cemetery. Donations in memory of Nancy Kane Jennings can be made to the Giant Hearts Giant Dog Rescue (giantheartsdogrescue.com) or Spike’s K9 Fund (spikesk9fund.org).

IRENE KATZ JANOW VIRGINIA BEACH—Irene Katz Janow, 97, died peacefully in her home on January 13, 2022.

She was born in Rokiskis, Lithuania on August 21, 1924, and with her entire family immigrated to the United States in 1939 where her family became a part of the community in Portsmouth, Virginia.

Irene met her future husband of 63 years, Carl, at dance in Newport News and they were married shortly afterwards at B’nai Israel in Norfolk. Carl and Irene moved to the suburbs of Washington, DC where they raised their two daughters, Marcia and Leora. Irene quickly became a self-taught scholar of the political environment and would hold her own in any political conversation. Irene and Carl were very active in their synagogue and Jewish causes. Shortly after retirement, they moved to Virginia Beach to be near family and became members of Congregation Beth El where they would attend every Saturday.

There are many words to describe Irene with the best one being family. She enjoyed her family visits, babysitting opportunities, and phone calls from her grandchildren.

She was fun to have on a vacation. Irene

had a strong personality and would say what was on her mind in a fair and understanding way. When she gave advice, she was always considerate of how it would affect those who were doing the asking.

She was a champion at baking mandel bread. Irene was always known as “favorite aunt” and her song You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.

Irene is preceded in death by her parents, Esther and Aaron Katz, her husband, Carl, brothers, Bernard Katz, Sol Katz, and Herbert Katz and brother-in-law, Harry Sterling.

Left to remember her by are her daughters, Marcia Kay (Bruce), Leora Drory (Nathan); her Grandchildren, Jennifer Kay Michael Newman), Sara MacLellan (Brandon), Esty Gruen (Noach), Danit Drory, Aaron Drory; and her 2 much adored great grandchildren, Yaakcov Moshe,and Miriam; Irene’s sister, Helen Sterling; sister-in-laws, Judy Katz, Zipora Katz; and many nieces and nephews. Irene was a wonderful wife and mother who enjoyed spending time with family and friends.

A private funeral was held by her children and family. Donations to 2Unstoppable (2Unstoppable.org). H. D. Oliver Funeral Apts.

ROBERT JOSEPH LEVY HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA—Robert Joseph Levy, 68, of Harrisburg, Pa., died from esophageal cancer, complicated by Covid-19, on Saturday, January 1, 2022.

The son of Maurice and Sylvia Levy, he was born in Boston, Mass. on September 2, 1953.

After graduating from Susquehanna Township High School in 1971, he then continued his education first at Harrisburg Community College and then finished his bachelor’s degree in Arts at Franconia College, NH. He started his career path with the Associated Press as a photographer for the Patriot News. His work at AP nominated him for a Pulitzer Prize. He worked until he retired at the PA Department of Revenue as a media specialist/photographer.

Bob loved music of many genres and he was an attendee at Woodstock in 1969.

He was such a loyal fan of Formula One

36 | JEWISH NEWS | January 24, 2022 | jewishnewsva.org

Auto Racing that he built car models as his hobby. He loved nature and would either take long drives in the mountains or go hiking on his motorcycle or bicycle.

Bob was loved by so many longtime friends. He was very kind, compassionate, and witty, and had a good creative sense of humor. In other words, he made friends easily.

He is survived by his sister, Ellen (Norman) Cohen, his granddaughter Grace Peterson, nephews and cousins. His parents, sister Harriet Bowser, and son Seth Reckert preceded him in death.

Graveside services were held at Beth El Cemetery.

Memorial contributions to the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area, Inc., 7790 Grayson Road, Harrisburg, PA 17111.

Hetrick-Bitner Funeral Home, Inc.

JEFFREY LOEB VIRGINIA BEACH—Jeffrey Steven Loeb, 76, passed away on Wednesday, January 12, 2022.

He was born in Jamaica (Queens), New York and was raised in Wantagh, Long Island, New York. While attending MacArthur High School, he met the love of his life, Shelley Hochstadt.

One week after Jeff graduated from Penn State University with a business degree, he married Shelley. Jeff had done an internship with Ernst & Ernst, and after passing his CPA exam, he began working for the firm. While working long hours as a public accountant, Jeff served as president of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants. In 1978, Jeff was hired as corporate comptroller of Circuit City Stores in Richmond, Virginia.

After six years, Jeff decided to open his own business, with a partner. Together, they opened Bestway Rent-To-Own, and grew the business to 19 locations. Next, they opened Rent & Roll Wheels and Tires, from which Jeff retired.

Jeff was a founding member and sat on the board of Hearts and Homes, a not-for-profit organization which opened homes for adults with mental and physical disabilities. He was extremely philanthropic and made generous contributions to many charities, especially The Alzheimer’s Association. His father

died with complications from Alzheimer’s disease, and Jeff always believed he would suffer from the same terrible illness. Jeff had a “Bucket List” of places he wanted to travel with his wife, Shelley. First on the list was Australia and New Zealand, followed by a four-week safari in Africa. The couple traveled to six continents and 54 countries together. Jeff loved taking beautiful photos of all the places they visited.

Jeff and Shelley also enjoyed taking their children and grandchildren on vacation.

Jeff was predeceased by his parents, Thelma and Edward Loeb. Left to grieve for Jeff are his beloved wife, Shelley Loeb; his sons, Michael Loeb and Jason Loeb (Emily); and three grandchildren, Jessica Loeb, Zachary Loeb, and Jacob Loeb; his sister, Sherry Schwartz (Stephen); his brother, Brian Loeb (Kathy), brother-inlaw, Ira Hochstadt (Lynne); close cousin, Stuart Kaplan (Debra); nephews, nieces, and many close friends.

A memorial service will be held at a later date due to the spread of the Omicron virus. H. D. Oliver Funeral Apts. Online condolences may be sent to the family through www.hdoliver.com.

FRANCES L. MILLER CHESAPEAKE—Frances L. Miller, age 68, of Chesapeake, Virginia, passed away on Friday, December 3, 2021.

Frances was born March 3, 1953 in Virginia.

A graveside service was held at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens in Norfolk.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.woodlawnnorfolk.com for the Miller family.

S. NEIL MORRISON VIRGINIA BEACH—Dr. Sanford Neil Morrison, 62, passed away unexpectedly on January 6, 2022 at his home in Virginia Beach.

He was born in Richmond, Virginia, and was the son of the late Dr. Melvin and Carole Morrison.

Dr. Neil was a multi-sport athlete at the College of William and Mary, and he completed his DDS at Eastern Virginia Medical School and his surgical residency at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. He was an established and widely respected Oral

OBITUARIES and Maxillofacial surgeon, practicing in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Chesapeake, Virginia. Dr. Neil was also a skilled mathematician and entrepreneur. He was an avid baseball fan, and enjoyed many hobbies, including philately (stamp collecting) and numismatics.

First and foremost, Dr. Neil was a family man who loved his family and was deeply loved by them. His generosity and charitable nature extended not only to his friends and family, but to all who knew him. He was a longtime dedicated member of both Temple Israel and Temple Emanuel and a man of deep faith.

Dr. Neil is survived by his loving wife Stephanie, sons Matthew and Clayton, sister Cindy, brother Warren and his wife Linda, father-in-law Stanley Cohen, brother-in-law Robert Cohen and his wife Robin, nieces Samantha and Alexandra, and nephew Caleb. He was also predeceased by his mother-in-law Beatrice Cohen with whom he was very close. His family unit was small and mighty. He was blessed with many close friends, who will all miss him dearly.

A graveside service was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery conducted by Rabbi Michael Panitz. H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts.

Online condolences may be made to the family at hdoliver.com.

SELMA MOSKOWITZ SUN CITY WEST, ARIZONA—Selma G. Moskowitz, age 89, of Sun City West, Arizona passed away on Saturday, January1, 2022.

Selma was born October 4, 1932 in New York, New York.

A graveside service for Selma was held at Sunland Memorial Park–Prayer II in Sun City, Arizona.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.sunlandmemorial.com for the Moskowitz family.

YALE NESSON NORFOLK—Yale Nesson passed away on January 11, 2022 at the age of 93.

He was the best person in the world and is now in heaven with his daughter, Melissa.

Left to cherish his memory is the love of his life, Sandra Nesson, who he met at 15 and married at 18. They were

married for 69 happy years. He is remembered by his wonderful daughter, Denise and her husband, Bobby Goldwasser; Grandchildren, Jayme (husband, Jason), Lindsey (husband, Chris), Jenna Lipkin, and Barrett Lipkin. Also, great grandchildren, Madyson, Taylor and Cooper; and his devoted brother-in-law, Fred Sukoff; and many nieces and nephews.

Yale was an honest hard-working man.

His business, Nesson Meats, will always be his legacy. He grew up in a time where a handshake was sincere and no contracts ever needed. Being around family, the people he loved, smoking cigars, and telling jokes were his favorite times. He retired at 62 to enjoy playing golf, tennis, and pool, as well.

A graveside funeral service was conducted in Forest Lawn Cemetery with Rabbi Michael Panitz officiating.

Memorial contributions may be made to Temple Israel, CHKD, or The March of Dimes. H. D. Oliver Funeral Apts. Online condolences may be sent to the family through www.hdoliver.com.

LOUIS JOSEPH “LJ” RICHMAN JR. NEWPORT NEWS—Louis Joseph (“LJ”) Richman, Jr., peacefully passed away at home on November 3, 2021, at the age of 91. His death was much as he lived—with “no complaints,” a focus on family and an appreciation for his life.

LJ was a lifelong resident of Newport News. He was always the youngest kid in the class—he started kindergarten a year early and went to college at age 16, where he was classmates with military veterans in their 20s and 30s who were returning from World War II. He was a graduate from Newport News High School in 1946, earned a B.A. in psychology from University of Virginia in 1950, and graduated UVa School of Law in 1955. At UVa, he was a member of the Phi Epsilon Phi Fraternity, business manager of the college newspaper, and associate business manager of the VA Law Review. After a stint in the U.S. Army, stationed at Ft. Eustis as the assistant to the Bird Colonel, he received his Master’s Degree in Tax Law from New York University School of Law in 1959.

A member of the Virginia State Bar and

Bar Association for more than 50 years, most of LJ’s legal career was in private practice with a focus in tax law in downtown Newport News. He had thousands of diverse clients and tried many civil and criminal cases, including at the Virginia Supreme Court.

Debbie Williams was his trusted legal assistant for more than 35 years, and Bobby, his son who is a lawyer, joined LJ’s practice for three years.

LJ was actively involved in his community and held many leadership roles in the organizations he cared about. He was the fifth president of the Beth Shalom Nursing Home at the same time that he was president of the local American Heart Association; president of the Ft. Eustis Reserve Officers Association; chairman of the Adath Jeshrun synagogue and chairman of the building committee for its new home; member of the Jewish Federation endowment and cemetery committees; captain of a division of the United Way; and an engaged member of the Rotary Club for more than 40 years. He served on the national board of the Travelers Protective Agency (TPA) for a two-year term after being president of the Virginia division.

After retiring from practicing law in 2006, and his own bypass surgery in 1995, LJ joined the advisory board of Mended Hearts at Riverside Hospital and at least once a week volunteered advising families of patients who were having bypass surgeries.

LJ was married to his beloved wife Tzina for more than 57 years and is survived by her and his children Rae (Tomas), Dorothy (Mike), and Bobby (Stacey); and grandchildren Shai, Levi, Yael, Elon, and Ayla. He was pre-deceased by his daughter Sheri. LJ loved to travel and sample cuisine around the world with his family.

LJ was honored with a graveside ceremony at the Hebrew Cemetery by Rabbi Gilah Dror and Rabbi Dorothy Richman. Donations to a charity of choice.

Weymouth Funeral Home.

HON. LEONARD SACHS VIRGINIA BEACH—Judge Leonard Bertram Sachs, “Bert”, 92, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 7, 2022.

He was a beloved, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, and friend. He is predeceased by his beloved wife, Sarita R. Sachs, and survived by his three loving children, Jeffry A. Sachs (Lynn Sachs) of Virginia Beach, Jacquelyn S. Furman (Howard Furman) of Needham, Massachusetts, and Amy Sachs (Bruce Kershner) of Gaithersburg, Maryland. He is also survived by his seven beloved grandchildren, Shira Furman (fiancee Michael Lasky), Danielle Smoot (Dr. David Smoot), Micaela Furman, Sara Sachs, Rachel Sachs, Zoe Kershner and Max Kershner (fiancee Stephanie Norman). He was blessed with one great granddaughter, Sadie Brooke Smoot, as well as many loving nephews, nieces, cousins, and many dear friends and colleagues. Bert was predeceased by his sister, Leah Belle Gardner, and his brother-in-law, Dr. Robert Gardner, his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Cecelia and Gilbert Higger, and his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Rose and Chiam Wrobel.

Judge Sachs was born in DeLand, Florida to the late Benjamin Sachs and Sara Weiss Sachs. He was raised in Lexington, Va., as his family moved there when he was less than a year old where he attended the Lexington Public School System.

Judge Sachs attended the University of Virginia but resigned from his studies in December 1950 to enlist in the U.S. Air Force, where he served for four years, including one year in Korea. In 1955, he returned to UVA to attend The University Law School. Upon finishing his studies in January 1959, Judge Sachs served as Law Clerk to the Honorable Judge Walter Hoffman, the U.S. District Judge in Norfolk, during the implementation of the U.S. Supreme Court mandate to end racial segregation in the local school system.

After serving as Law Clerk, Judge Sachs went into private practice until 1980, during which time he represented clients in various types of litigation, including civil and voting rights cases. Judge Sachs was elected Judge of the General District Court of the City of Norfolk in 1980, and in 1985 he was appointed to the Circuit Court of the City of Norfolk until he retired in June 1994. He was known as “the peoples’ judge” and he prided himself continued on page 38

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OBITUARIES continued from page 37

on upholding the integrity of the law while treating all people fairly. He lived proudly by the mantra “Justice, Justice You Shall Pursue.”

More than anything, he loved spending time with his beloved wife Sarita Sachs, their children, and their entire families whether they were visiting in Norfolk, Florida, or traveling to see them. Bert had many passions including, but not limited to, traveling, art, history, photography, birds, music, and reading. He was a longtime congregant of Temple Israel in Norfolk and he was very involved in the Anti Defamation League, as well as many other organizations. May his memory be a blessing to all that loved him.

He lived his final years at Beth Sholom Terrace in Virginia Beach, where he was lovingly cared for by all. His family is eternally grateful to the devoted staff at The Terrace.

A funeral service was held graveside at Forest Lawn Cemetery with Rabbi Michael Panitz officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to Temple Israel, Beth Sholom Village, and The Anti Defamation League.

H. D. Oliver Funeral Apts. Online condolences may be offered to the family at hdoliver.com.

MIRIAM “MIMI” K. LONGMAN LIVINGSTON, NEW JERSEY—Miriam K. Longman, age 100, of Livingston, New Jersey passed away on Saturday, January 8, 2022.

Miriam was born February 5, 1921.

Miriam “Mimi” was the widow of David Longman and the aunt of Jonathan Longman. Miriam “Mimi” and David were long time members of Temple Israel prior to moving out of town many years ago.

Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel/New Jersey.

CAROLE RUTH SACKS NORFOLK—Carole Ruth Sacks, 90, of the 1300 block of Debree Avenue in Norfolk, passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 19, 2021 in Norfolk.

Carole was born on July 15, 1931, in Brooklyn, New York, to Louis H.

Freedman and Katherine Frank Freedman.

When Carole was four years old, the family moved from Brooklyn to Cedarhurst, Long Island, New York.

Then Carole lived with her family, a sister and her mother and father, until she met and married Stanely E. Sacks, then a young lawyer who was practicing law with his father, Herman A. Sacks, a prominent attorney in Norfolk.

Carole attended public schools in Long Island, and after graduation she attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, from which she graduated.

While at Cornell, Carole was a sorority sister and friend of the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who eventually became an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

She was an outgoing young lady; she was beautiful; she was popular; she was well-liked and had many friends. She was a leader among her host of friends.

She always enjoyed the outdoors, and every summer she would go to Atlantic Beach, New York, where she belonged to one of the popular summer beach clubs.

In fact, it was on the beach, in front of her club, where she met her future husband, Stanley. He and a friend were in New York for a wedding for another friend from Virginia, who also had just gone to the beach that day for a few hours.

Stanley and his group were walking along the beach when they met Carole and her group. That resulted in a date where they dined at a beautiful restaurant in New York City, a date that they would remember for the rest of their lives.

That culminated in 13 weekends of Stanley driving to New York to see Carole. A wedding engagement resulted and they were married on July 22, 1953, the beginning of 68 years of marriage.

The longest time of separation was a trip to Holland for a tulip festival. Tulips were Carole’s favorite flowers. She led that trip for herself for two weeks with two other girlfriends.

Carole loved Norfolk and the area.

She blended in perfectly with Stanley and the many young married couples he knew.

38 | JEWISH NEWS | January 24, 2022 | jewishnewsva.org

She started her community and charity work, which she continued over the years. She was an accomplished pianist and frequently serenaded family and friends. She loved art museums.

She even made sure that she had both Moderna vaccinations and the booster.

She loved traveling and every summer she and Stanley would vacation in England or Ireland, or another of the European countries.

Also, one of her favorite pastimes was shopping and she was good at it, and at home in the big stores in New York like Bergdorf Goodman and Bloomingdales as well as the stores in Tidewater and neighboring towns. She also loved antiquing.

She located and had a favorite store– a dress shop in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and on many weekends she was inside buying while Stanely waited outside working on legal files in the car.

In the latter years, one of her little habits was that right after breakfast, she would go into the den and into her favorite chair; and most of the time, she took with her a napkin with 3 or 4 chocolate chip cookies. She watched television a large part of the day, watching the news and current events. She also followed and knew all of the political presentations of the various politicians and office holders. She faithfully worked the local polls during elections for years.

Carole loved her children: her son, Andrew, and daughter, Bette Ann. They were the joy of her life. She loved her family in New York: her mother and father and sister, Iris; as well as a number of nieces and nephews. She absolutely adored her 7 grandchildren. Moreover, she was kind to everyone.

Her family and her friends are heartbroken at her loss and will miss her beyond words.

She is survived by her husband of 68 years, Stanley Sacks; her sister, Iris; Iris’ son, Jeffrey, and Iris’ daughter, Debbie; her sister-in-law, Nancy Jacobson, of Norfolk; her son, Andrew Sacks, of Norfolk, and Andrew’s wife, Janice Sacks; her daughter, Bette Ann Albert, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Bette Ann’s husband, Dr. James Albert; and her 7 adoring grandchildren: Noah, Stella,

Marlena, Vera, Aurora, Brittany (Sanders) and Remy.

A memorial service was held at the Norfolk Chapel of H.D. Oliver Funeral Apartments. Burial was private.

Memorial donations may be made to The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, of which she was an avid supporter, in Washington, D.C., or to a charity of one’s choice. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.hdoliver.com.

ILENE SUE STEIN NORFOLK—Ilene Sue Stein of Norfolk passed away on January 7, 2022 at the age of 72.

She was the sister of Alan (Susan) Stein and Marc Stein.

Altmeyer Funeral Home.

LORRAINE WAGNER COMMACK, NEW YORK—Lorraine Wagner, 93, of Commack, New York, passed away on January 5, 2022.

Lorraine was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. to Jeanne and Irving Braff on October 14, 1928.

Lorraine is survived by her children Cheryl Wagner of Deerfield Beach, Florida, Bill (Ellen) Wagner of Virginia Beach, and Denise (Rick) Ilukowicz of Levittown, New York, her grandchildren Sathi (Emily) Wagner, Amy (Eliot) Weinstein, Greg (Deanna) Wagner, Ashley (Darren) Badolato, Jessica (Michael) D’Amico, Michael Wagner, Megan Ilukowicz, and great-grandchildren Avi and Daniella Weinstein, Audrina D’Amico, and Hunter Badolato.

Lorraine had a long career as an office manager in a machine shop in Florida, where she was the only woman in the company and worked until she was 85.

She enjoyed the theater, dancing, playing tennis, traveling the world, and was an excellent canasta and Mah Jongg player.

She was always dressed to the nines and loved chunky jewelry that would weigh down an ordinary woman. As her voicemail said for decades, she is out chasing rainbows and butterflies.

Donations in her memory can be made to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

IN MEMORIAM

Former Norfolk resident Bob Saget, comedian and actor Shira Hanau and Terri Denison

(JTA)—Bob Saget, the comedian and actor famous for playing a wholesome sitcom father figure, but who never lost his flair for raunchy comedy, has died at 65.

Saget died shortly after performing in Orlando, on Saturday January 8, where he had delivered a show with his trademark mashup of dark humor and dad jokes that he first developed while misbehaving in Hebrew school.

As a performer, Saget alternated between the raunchy standup comic known for darkly funny bits peppered with curse words and the wholesome dad that he played on the 1990s sitcom Full House, bringing together his audiences of children and adults in his role as host of America’s Funniest Home Videos.

Even before he got to Hollywood, Saget honed his comedy as a misbehaving Hebrew school student at Temple Israel in Norfolk, Virginia.

“Well, a lot of it was rebellion,” Saget told the Atlanta Jewish Times in 2014.

“In my Hebrew school training, I would spend more time trying to impress the girls in the class. I remember the rabbi taking me up to his office and saying ‘Saget, you’re not an entertainer; you have to stop doing this.’ I couldn’t stop.”

He never did.

After a short stint contributing to CBS’ The Morning Program, Saget was cast to play a morning show host on TV. As Danny Tanner on Full House, Saget played a widowed dad and morning show host raising three daughters in San Francisco.

Saget played the role until the show ended in 1995 and reprised it in the Fuller House reboot in 2016. In 1989, Saget started hosting America’s Funniest Home Videos, which he continued until 1997.

Saget was born in Philadelphia in 1956 to Jewish parents, but spent much of his childhood in Norfolk, attending Larrymore Elementary School, Azalea Gardens Junior High School, and Lake Taylor High School, for a brief time.

Temple Israel Kindergarten graduation class, 1960. Bob Saget in the second row, fifth from the right.

“Bob was my first boyfriend, at the tender age of 13,” recalls Judy Rosenblatt.

“From all that innocence of growing up at Temple Israel starting in kindergarten to the raunchy comedian he became, he always seemed so happy, even with all of his fame, and I truly hope he was. Rest In Peace my old (but way too young to die) friend.”

“I met Bob in the third grade,” says Lonnie Slone, DC. “I went over to his house for dinner all of the time and we would laugh so hard.”

“Bob had a tape recorder that he made the Chubby Chocolate Show with,” recalls Slone. “He had about 25 voices, which were the same he used in America’s Home Videos.

In our Azalea Gardens Junior High School Yearbook, The Rocket, Bob wrote the funniest captions. He had a wonderful sense of humor and didn’t take things too seriously.”

While Slone says that Saget made him laugh “all of the time” he also recalls that, “Bob told me about the birds and the bees. I didn’t want to believe him, but he was right!”

Even those he babysat for thought he was fun. “We loved having our parents go out so that Bob would babysit,” recalls Mark Moss. “People don’t ordinarily remember their babysitters from when they were 11, but Bob was loads of fun. He was a one-man band, bringing over his guitar or his movie camera to shoot our skits.”

Saget’s father, a supermarket executive (he worked for Food Fair, a Pantry Pride grocery store which was located on East Little Creek Road in Norfolk), and his mother, a hospital administrator, probably would have preferred to see their son follow through on his original plans to become a doctor. But Saget’s plans changed in high school when his English teacher,

Elaine Zimmerman, Saget worked at a deli. encouraged him to Food was an important become a filmmaker. part of Saget’s Jewish “To the next Grouchoupbringing, especially Fellini,” she wrote in his his bubbe’s stuffed cabyearbook. bage and mandelbread After studying film at cookies.

Temple University, Saget Speaking to Jay moved to Los Angeles Sanderson of the Jay’s and became a regular 4 Questions podcast in at the Comedy Store, 2018, Saget recalled the the legendary comedy time he almost got fired Judy Rosenblatt and Bob Saget club famous for launch- at age 13. from his deli counter job ing the careers of comedians like David after he stuck a half-smoked cigarette in a Letterman and Jay Leno. carp’s mouth and showed it to a customer At the same time that Saget was who wanted to be sure the carp was fresh. becoming the most recognizably beloved Despite the years he spent grinding carp, father in America, he experienced his own Saget never lost his taste for gefilte fish, share of tragedy within his real family. though he couldn’t stomach the jarred Saget lost both of his sisters relatively variety. young; Andrea died of a brain aneurysm “The food of the Jewish people stays in 1985 and Gay of systemic scleroderma within me. It is still within me. I am writin 1994. Throughout his career, Saget ing this with a matzah ball inside me from frequently performed at events to benefit 1975. It is next to the kishka,” he wrote in charitable causes and served on the board the foreword to Becoming Jewish. of the Scleroderma Research Foundation.

Saget said he felt a sense of spirituality In 2021, Saget participated in a Purim on a trip he took to Israel with his parents. spiel, or comedic reading of the Purim “It was quite a gift and there were many story, to benefit the Met Council, in which spiritual things that happened throughout he played the villain of the story, Haman. and that I think is still the closest I’ve felt, Saget recalled his Jewish upbringing, because you can actually see it and feel it including his Hebrew school experience in the air in Israel,” he said. and the Jewish foods his bubbe cooked, in Having lost his sisters and both of the foreword he wrote for the 2011 book, his parents—his father in 2007 and his Becoming Jewish: The Challenges, Rewards, mother in 2014, Saget talked about the and Paths to Conversion, by Rabbi Steven difficulty in feeling spirituality or belief in Carr Reuben and Jennifer S. Hanin.

God after experiencing so much loss with “I was born a Jewish boy. I was cirSanderson. cumcised. Thank God by a professional.

“I go back and forth with my belief That is not something you want done by system, by the way. I’m not the best, most a novice. Or someone doing it for college observant Jewish person you’ve ever met credit,” he wrote. or talked to, and yet I’m Jewish and proud As a teenager and through college, to be,” he said. jewishnewsva.org | January 24, 2022 | JEWISH NEWS | 39

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