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Obama: Arab anti-Semitism, Palestinian conflict dog Israeli-Arab accord WASHINGTON (JTA)—The PalestinianIsraeli conflict as well as Arab anti-Semitism dog reconciliation between Arab nations and Israel, even in the face of a common threat from Iran, President Obama said. “With respect to Israel, the interests of Israel in stability and security are actually very closely aligned with the interests of the Sunni states,” Obama said in an interview published in the New Yorker and referring to common cause between Israel and countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran. “What’s preventing them from entering into even an informal alliance with at least normalized diplomatic relations is not that their interests are profoundly in
conflict but the Palestinian issue, as well as a long history of anti-Semitism that’s developed over the course of decades there, and anti-Arab sentiment that’s increased inside of Israel based on seeing buses being blown up,” Obama said. “If you can start unwinding some of that, that creates a new equilibrium.” Obama said he believed new Iran sanctions under consideration in Congress would not come to fruition. “I don’t think a new sanctions bill will reach my desk during this period, but, if it did, I would veto it and expect it to be sustained,” he said. The Obama administration says the new sanctions could scuttle talks now
underway between the major powers and Iran aimed at keeping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Backers of the sanctions say they will strengthen the West’s hands in the talks. Separately, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his top Middle East negotiator, Martin Indyk, met Monday, Jan. 20 in Washington with Israeli negotiators Tzipi Livni and Itzik Molho to advance the Israeli-Palestinian peace framework favored by Kerry. Despite reluctance on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides, Kerry wants a framework agreement to be completed by the spring.
Israelis mostly like Netanyahu but pessimistic on country, poll shows JERUSALEM (JTA)—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a relatively high favorability rating, but more Israelis believe the country is moving in the wrong direction, according to a new poll. As he begins his eighth year as prime minister, Netanyahu scored a favorability rating of 51 percent in a new Times of Israel poll, down 2 percent from last year. It is a relatively high favorability rating for an incumbent prime minister, according to pollster Stephan Miller. Netanyahu’s popularity among his base of right-wing voters is dropping, but is ris-
contents Up Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Briefs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Israel Today with Gil Troy. . . . . . . . . . 5 Ariel Sharon dies at 85. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Tips on Jewish Trips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Opening of Virginia Festival of Jewish Film. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Chick Flick for Jewish women. . . . . . 12 Teen expresses love for Israel. . . . . . . 13 NEST at Ohef Sholom. . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Ramp built for hospice patient. . . . . . 14
ing among left and center voters, Miller said. The poll also found that 52 percent of Israeli voters believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, up from 51 percent the previous year. Twenty-seven percent of voters said the country was going in the right direction, down from 26 percent a year ago. Among voters aged 18 to 24, some 71 percent said the country was headed in the wrong direction, compared with 11 percent who said it was headed in the right direction. A majority of voters for the Likud-
Cover: Portrait of former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon. August 06, 2002. Photo by Flash90.
HAT parents bake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 FBI presents CREST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Tallwood Students go to Israel. . . . . . 16 What’s Happening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Meet the Presidents: Burle Stromberg.23 Mazel Tov. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Book Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Who Knew?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Yisrael Beiteinu party alliance believed that Israel was heading in the right direction. Netanyahu’s job approval rating also has declined. Some 34 percent of voters gave his job performance an excellent rating, compared with 39 percent last year. Meanwhile, 62 percent judged his performance as poor, compared with 57 percent last year. Most of the drop came from his right-wing voters’ base, according to the poll. The survey of 802 eligible Israeli voters was conducted Dec. 26-31. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.5 percent.
quotable
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briefs Kerry asks Vatican to help in freedom bid for Alan Gross U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry asked the Vatican to intercede in helping free American-Jewish contractor Alan Gross from a Cuban jail. In a meeting Tuesday, Jan. 14 with the Vatican’s secretary of state, Archbishop Pietro Parolin, Kerry said they discussed Cuba and the need for respect for freedom of religion and human rights in the island nation. “I raised the issue of Alan Gross and his captivity, and we hope very much that they might be able to be of assistance with respect to that issue,” Kerry told reporters. Gross, 64, a subcontractor for the State Department on a mission to hook up Cuba’s small Jewish community to the Internet, was arrested in December 2009 as he was leaving Cuba. The Maryland resident is serving a 15-year sentence for “crimes against the state.” Edward Alex Lee, the U.S. acting deputy assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, met with Gross earlier this month while in Havana for migration talks with Cuba. Lee said that during the talks, the United States demanded that Cuba release Gross, according to the Latin American Herald Tribune. He also said that the Gross case is a key issue in the troubled relationship between the U.S. and Cuba. Gross says he has lost 100 pounds since his imprisonment and suffers from painful arthritis. He reportedly leaves his shared cell once a day for one hour. In a letter sent last month, Gross asked President Obama to personally help secure his release. The Cuban government has said it wants the U.S. to allow the return to Cuba of five spies in prison or on probation in the U.S. in return for negotiations on Gross. Kerry is the first Catholic U.S. secretary of state in more than 30 years, according to Reuters. He and Parolin also discussed such issues as Syria, Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations and global poverty. (JTA) N.C. boarding school cafeteria gets ethical-kosher seal A Jewish high school cafeteria in North Carolina became the first pre-collegiate institution to obtain an Orthodox social
justice organization’s seal certifying its adherence to fair-labor practices. The American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro, which touts itself as the only international Jewish college prep boarding school, recently received Uri L’Tzedek’s Tav HaYosher, an “ethical” seal for kosher establishments. The academy was the first pre-collegiate school to seek the seal in a program that was launched in 2009. Tav HaYosher certifies 86 establishments, mostly restaurants in New York City and Los Angeles. Several campus-based kosher dining halls, including at Barnard-Columbia, Yale and Ohio State universities, have the Tav HaYosher seal. Others are in the pipeline. Yael Keller, Uri L’Tzedek’s director of programming, told JTA that the boarding school initiated the certification process after one of its board members saw a Tav HaYosher sign in a restaurant window. The program enlists volunteers to visit kosher eating establishments and interview their employees to ensure their employer is in compliance with state labor laws concerning pay, overtime and safety. (JTA)
JTA to merge with MyJewishLearning The Jewish Telegraphic Agency and MyJewishLearning announced their intention to merge. The boards of both organizations signed a non-binding letter of intent to move forward on the merger after negotiating for several months. JTA’s CEO and editor in chief, Ami Eden, will be CEO and executive editor of the combined organization. Meredith Lewis, the director of operations of MyJewishLearning, will be its chief operating officer. “In the coming months we will have more details to share as the merger is finalized,” Eden wrote in an email to the agency’s client newspapers on Monday, Jan. 13. “For now, we wanted to let you know that this merger will allow us to improve our services to existing readers, provide new audiences with meaningful and informative Jewish content, and strengthen the business side of our operation.” Founded in 1917, JTA is an international news agency covering developments impacting Jews and Jewish communities in
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North America, Israel and countries around the world. The JTA website attracts about 300,000 unique visitors per month and the agency reaches millions more syndicating its content to nearly 80 newspapers and websites. Jewish News is a JTA client. MyJewishLearning was founded in 2002 to spread knowledge of Jewish religion, history, values, traditions and culture. MJL’s websites reach more than 650,000 aggregate unique visitors a month. The new organization will maintain its existing brands: JTA; Kveller, a Jewish parenting website; and Jewniverse. (JTA)
Israel earned $370 million in taxes on Waze sale Israel earned $370 million in tax revenue on the sale of the navigation app Waze to Google. Google is set to pay $230 million in taxes on its acquisition of the property rights to the free application for smart phones on top of the more than $143 million in taxes already paid on the purchase. Waze on July 25 reported a purchase price for Waze of $966 million in cash in its financial report for the second quarter of 2013, Globes reported. The purchase was completed in mid-May. The Israeli firm’s managers and employees have remained in their Raanana headquarters rather than relocating to Menlo Park, Calif., which reportedly was a requirement of the purchase agreement. Google has said that Waze will remain a separate service and an independent company. It is not known where Google will register Waze’s intellectual property, though it likely will eschew the United States in favor of a country with a lower tax liability. (JTA) U. of California shifts academic calendar for Rosh Hashanah The University of California system shifted its academic calendar for the start of a new term to avoid a conflict with the Jewish High Holidays. The change, which affects all seven of the U.C. campuses, means that campus move-in days will not be in conflict with Rosh Hashanah, The California Aggie, the daily student newspaper of the University of California, Davis, reported. The term will begin on Oct. 2, a week
later than usual, and winter break will last two weeks instead of three. The change in the schedule was affected in order to comply with a U.C. policy that conflicts with “the observance of a major religious holiday.” The Policy for Addressing Religious Holiday Conflicts with Residence Hall “Move-In” Days was created in 2007 following complaints the previous year from the Jewish community, when move-in days conflicted with the High Holidays, according to the Modesto Bee. The policy last affected the start of the school year in 2009, when late August move-in days for U.C. Berkeley and Merced, which operate on the semester system, conflicted with the Muslim holiday of Ramadan. Some three percent of U.C. students on the seven campuses identify themselves as Jewish, according to a 2010 University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey. (JTA)
Tel Aviv dedicates monument to gays persecuted by Nazis A monument to gays persecuted by the Nazis was dedicated in Tel Aviv. The monument, the first of its kind in Israel, was constructed in Meir Park, near the Tel Aviv Gay and Lesbian Association Center in the central part of the city. The monument is made up of a concrete pink triangle along with a bench and a plaque providing information on the persecution of gays and lesbians during the Holocaust. Gays and lesbians were forced to wear an identifying pink triangle on their clothing in the same way that Jews were forced to wear a yellow star. The inscription on the memorial reads in Hebrew, English and German: “In memory of those persecuted by the Nazi regime for their sexual preference and gender identity.” Tel Aviv Councilman Eran Lev, who is gay, initiated the project. “The significance here is that we are recognizing that there were other victims of the Holocaust, not just Jews,” Lev said at the dedication on Jan. 10, according to The Associated Press. Memorials to the gay victims of Nazi persecution exist in Berlin, Amsterdam, Sydney and San Francisco. (JTA)
Israel: Jewish and Democratic by Gil Troy and Martin J. Raffel
This is one of five op-eds that appeared in The Times of Israel (and now, Jewish News). It is reprinted with permission. Gil Troy is part of the Community Relations Council’s Israel Today Forum. See page 19 for details.
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Even nations need recognition, right?
W
e exist in the world as individual human beings without the need for any special acknowledgement. Yet if we want to participate as lawyers, doctors, teachers, etc., society requires that we fulfill certain academic/ professional criteria in order to receive a license or certification. The same is true with groups that have distinct languages, cultures, religions and shared historical experiences. Not all groups achieve official statehood recognition from the international community. But the Jewish people have received such recognition in multiple ways over a long period of time. Zionism, the movement of Jewish nationalism, began in its modern form in the 19th century, as the very idea of nationalism began to spread throughout Europe. In the 20th century, international proclamations and commissions validated this movement. The Balfour Declaration of 1917, which called for “establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people,” was endorsed by the U.S. Congress in 1922 and formally adopted by the Council of the League of Nations in July 1922 that established the British Mandate for Palestine. The Mandate’s preamble recognized the “historical connection of the Jewish people with Palestine” and the “grounds for reconstituting their national home in that country.” Any ideas of creating a bi-national, Jewish-Arab state in Palestine were quickly discarded as the local Palestinian community reacted violently to the Mandate. Great Britain convened the Peel Commission in 1936 following a particularly severe outbreak of Arab violence. The Commission issued a report the following year, which argued that the best arrangement in Mandatory Palestine would be partition leading to creation of a “Jewish State.” The concept of one democratic, bi-national state for Jews and Palestinians
continues to hold appeal in some quar- Gil Troy ters. But Jews and Palestinians represent such fundamentally different national groupings, with distinctive languages, cultures, religious traditions and historical narratives that trying to meld them into a cohesive state would be a prescription for endless strife. The leadership of both peoples recognize—as the international community understood even during the days of the British Mandate — separation is by far the preferred course of action. Indeed, the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP), whose report formed the basis of the later UN partition resolution, explained that, “Only by means of partition can these conflicting national aspirations find substantial expression and qualify both peoples to take their places as independent nations in the international community and in the United Nations.” As a result, the UN General Assembly in 1947, by a vote of 33-13 (10 abstentions), adopted Resolution 181 that called for the creation of a Jewish and an Arab state in Mandatory Palestine. Thus, the UN extended its formal imprimatur to the notion of a Jewish state, something it has not done with other states. Israel’s formal application for membership in the UN, as submitted to the Security Council, referred to “the natural and historic right of the Jewish people to independence in its own sovereign state.” U.S. administrations and Congresses down through the years consistently supported the concept of Jewish statehood. In his landmark speech in Jerusalem in March, 2013, President Obama declared, “for the Jewish people, the journey to the promise of the state of Israel wound through countless generations. It involves centuries of suffering and exile, prejudice and pogroms and even genocide. Through it all, the Jewish people sustained their unique identity and traditions, as well
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as a longing to return home. And while Jews achieved extraordinary success in many parts of the world, the dream of true freedom finally found its full expression in the Zionist idea—to be a free people in your homeland.… Meanwhile, Palestinians must recognize that Israel will be a Jewish state and that Israelis have the right to insist upon their security.” Peace agreements have been reached between Israel and two of its Arab neighbors—Egypt and Jordan—and the Oslo Accords of 1993 provide a framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The wider Arab world has expressed an
interest in normalizing relations with Israel contingent on an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. Yet many extremist elements remain, refusing to recognize the legitimacy of Jewish national self-determination in the state of Israel, arguing erroneously that Jews are foreign interlopers undertaking a classic European colonial strategy and displacing the native population. The extremists’ refusal, which makes the task of achieving peace much more difficult, is ironic in light of the Arab world’s insistence on recognition for Palestinian national rights. Again, mutual respect and recognition should be our standard.
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Ariel Sharon, one of Israel’s last warrior statesmen, dies at 85 by Ron Kampeas
(JTA)—Ariel Sharon, one of Israel’s last warrior statesmen, whose military and political careers were woven into his nation’s triumphs and failures, has died. Sharon, 85, died Saturday, January 11 at the Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv after eight years in a coma. “He went when he decided to go,” said his younger son, Gilad, who has become the fierce guardian of his father’s legacy. He was among the last of Israel’s founding fathers, fighting in every Israeli military conflict in the first three decades of the state. As a military general, Sharon helped turn the tide of the Yom Kippur War with Egypt in 1973. As defense minister, he plunged his nation into the crucible of Lebanon in 1982, an engagement that nearly cut short his career after he was found to bear indirect responsibility for the massa-
cre of Palestinian refugees at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Lebanon. But Sharon would rise from the ashes of that calamity to effect an astonishing about-face as prime minister, orchestrating the evacuation of thousands of Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip after spending the bulk of his career championing the settlement enterprise. As prime minister, Sharon began the construction of Israel’s controversial security fence in the West Bank. His overriding concern, Sharon always said, was to protect a nation built on the ashes of the destruction of European Jewry. “I arrived here today from Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Israel, the only place where Jews have the right and capability to defend themselves by themselves,” he said in a May 2005 visit to Auschwitz to mark 60 years since the Holocaust. He forged affectionate bonds with Diaspora Jewish leaders, interspersing his
Israeli President, Shimon Peres, pays his respects at the coffin holding former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, laid outside the parliament where thousands came to pay their last respects. Sharon passed away at the age of 85, after being in coma for 8 years. January 12, 2014. Photo by Miriam Alster/FLASH90
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English with Yiddishisms and often urging four settlements in the northern West Bank. them to emigrate to Israel. “Sharon did what no one on the left “Sharon worked his entire life for the was able to do,” said Rabbi Michael unity of the Jewish people,” said Lerner, editor of the progresa statement from the Jewish sive magazine Tikkun. “Split “Sharon Federations of North America. the right, marginalize the “He was closely engaged with worked his extremists who believe that Jewish communities around holding on to the biblithe world, and acutely entire life for the cal vision of the Land of aware of their needs and Israel is a divine manaspirations. In all his unity of the Jewish date, and acknowledge leadership roles, and people. He was closely that a smaller Israel especially as prime minwith defensible borders ister of the Jewish state, engaged with Jewish is preferable to a large Sharon engaged with Israel that requires Jewish communities communities around the domination of 3 milacross the Diaspora.” world, and acutely aware of lion Palestinians.” Lionized and Bor n A r iel scorned for his blunttheir needs and aspirations. Scheinermann in ness, Sharon was nicknamed “the In all his leadership roles, and 1928 to Russianspeaking parents in Bulldozer” both for his tendency to disrespect especially as prime minister the village of Kfar Mala in the central part of boundaries and his legof the Jewish state, Sharon prestate Israel, Sharon endary girth. for much of his career Ideological loyalties engaged with Jewish was known more for his meant little to the man impetuousness than his communities across known in Israel simply as pragmatism. Arik. In 1973, he helped the Diaspora.” His bravery in the battle for cobble together the Likud Jerusalem in Israel’s 1948 War party from a coalition of interof Independence made the infantry ests that had little in common unit commander the stuff of legend at except that they had been frozen out of government for decades by the ruling the age of 20. He took a bullet to the stomach and, when all seemed hopeless, ordered the Labor party. A generation later, in 2005, he bolted soldiers who were able to retreat. He eventuLikud to form Kadima, a centrist party ally crawled to safety. Five years later, Sharon led a raid on the that attracted lawmakers from Likud and Labor, including his old partner and rival Jordan-ruled West Bank town of Kibya in retaliation for a terrorist attack that killed Shimon Peres. As agriculture minister in the first an Israeli mother and her two children. Likud government, from 1977 to 1981, The raid killed 69 Palestinians, half of Sharon vastly expanded Jewish settlement them women and children. Sharon claimed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, areas he hadn’t known there were people in the conquered in the 1967 Six-Day War. In homes he was blowing up, but the stain 2005, he led the disengagement from Gaza, marked his subsequent military and politoverseeing the evacuation of nearly 10,000 ical careers. In the 1956 war with Egypt, Sharon Israelis from 21 communities in Gaza and
captured the strategic Mitla Pass in the Sinai Peninsula after defying orders not to advance. During the 1973 war, he again challenged his superiors who feared crossing the Suez Canal was a risky maneuver that would incur too many losses. But Sharon prevailed, leading his forces across the canal and trapping an Egyptian army unit, a move many consider a turning point in the conflict. His penchant for insubordination making it unlikely he would ever secure the top military job, Sharon quit the army in 1972—returning only to fight in the Yom Kippur War—and launched his political career. His ability to keep an unruly coalition in line helped Likud leader Menachem Begin win the 1977 elections, ending the hegemony that Labor leaders had enjoyed since the founding of the state. Sharon was rewarded with the agriculture portfolio, ostensibly because of his farming roots, but also because he turned the ministry into a cash cow for the settlement movement. After another hard-fought Likud victory in 1981, Begin could hardly deny Sharon the prize he had sought for so long: the Defense Ministry. A year later, in June 1982, Sharon launched Israel’s invasion of Lebanon to push back Yasser Arafat’s Palestine Liberation Organization from its mini-state in southern Lebanon. The invasion rankled both the Reagan administration, which had brokered a mostly successful ceasefire with the PLO nine months earlier, and Sharon’s government colleagues. On Sharon’s orders, the army breached the 40-kilometer line the government initially said was its goal, pursuing the PLO all the way to Beirut, where it laid siege to the city.
Ariel Sharon with Rabbi Israel Zoberman in 2000.
“If he gets the chance, he’ll surround the Knesset with his tanks,” Begin once reportedly joked of Sharon. The Lebanon war also would give birth to one of the darkest stains on Sharon’s career—the September 1982 massacre of hundreds of Palestinian refugees by Israel’s Lebanese Christian allies. A state commission subsequently cleared Sharon of knowing in advance of the massacre, but held him indirectly responsible, asserting that he should have anticipated and prevented the carnage. The commission recommended Sharon’s dismissal, and by the beginning of 1983 he was gone from power. The exile would not last long, however. Sharon rebuilt his reputation, this time as a careful nurturer of alliances. He was an architect of the national unity governments that lasted until 1990. When Likud returned to power in 1996, Sharon became national infrastructure minister and later foreign minister under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Americans and Palestinians alike said they appreciated Sharon’s role as an elder statesman who would make sure Netanyahu kept his word. Sharon was critical in achieving the 1998 Wye River Accords that kept the peace process alive through the rest of Netanyahu’s term. In 1999, Labor’s Ehud Barak ousted Netanyahu, who temporarily retired from politics, and Sharon became head of the Likud. The following year, Sharon visited the Temple Mount accompanied by a large escort of security officers, inflaming Palestinians and—some have charged— helping to provoke the second intifada. The uprising derailed Barak’s efforts to accelerate peace talks and Sharon was overwhelmingly elected prime minister in February 2001. In a flash, the sidelined statesman and disgraced defense minister, the soldier once marked as brilliant but uncontrollable, was in charge. His contemporaries who had kept him back were dead, retired or marginalized. Sharon and President George W. Bush, who assumed power at the same time, had an affinity dating to 1998, when Sharon hosted the then-Texas governor on a helicopter flight across Israel and the West Bank. Their friendship culminated in Sharon’s greatest diplomatic triumph: the
1971, Visit of former Prime Minister David Ben Gurion in IDF posts on the Egyptian border along the Suez Canal. David Ben Gurion (L) conversing with O.C. of Southern Command Ariel Sharon (R). Photo by GPO/ Flash 90
2004 White House letter recognizing some of Israel’s largest West Bank settlements as realities on the ground and dismissing the demand for a “right of return” of Palestinian refugees to Israel. In 2005, Sharon carried out one of the most astonishing moves of his career, abandoning his longstanding support for Israeli settlements by evacuating thousands of settlers from Gaza and relocating them inside Israel proper. Months after the disengagement was completed, he broke from Likud, much of which had opposed the operation, and formed Kadima. His appetites, like his personal ambition, knew few bounds. He routinely feasted on grilled meats on Jerusalem’s Agrippas Street, famous for its late-night eateries. He had gallstones and kidney stones removed, suffered from gout and, at 5 feet, 7 inches tall, was extremely obese. In December 2005, Sharon was rushed to the hospital after aides noticed impairment in his speech. He was released two days later having suffered a mild stroke. Weeks later, in January 2006, Sharon suffered a second stroke that left him in a vegetative state from which he would never recover. Here, too, Sharon defied expectations, holding on for eight more years, fed by a tube but breathing on his own. About a year ago, scientists reported that Sharon had exhibited brain activity in response to external stimulation, a finding that suggested he might have regained some ability to comprehend what was going on around him. His medical condition began deteriorating significantly in early January, prompting renal failure followed by a
decline in organ function. Throughout his career, Sharon’s motivations were a subject of considerable speculation. How could the man who had cleaned Gaza of terrorists as southern commander in 1971 and helped sire the settlement movement wind up endorsing the 2003 road map for peace and evacuating thousands of settlers? As a soldier and statesman, Sharon always maintained an acute sense of the possible and the improbable. And unlike some Likud colleagues who were ideologically wed to the notion of Greater Israel, Sharon showed himself capable of putting strategic considerations above other loyalties. “The Palestinians will always be our neighbors,” the man who once bridled at the mere mention of the word “Palestinian” told the United Nations in September 2005. “They are also entitled to freedom and to a national, sovereign existence in a state of their own.” Sharon is survived by two sons: Gilad, 46, who has been a keeper of his father’s flame, tending the family farm and publishing a compilation of his father’s writings in 2011, and Omri, 49, who served in the Knesset from 2003 to 2006 and carved out a niche as an environmentalist. Omri Sharon quit because of a corruption probe and served a four-month prison sentence in 2008. Sharon’s first wife, Margalit, died in an automobile accident in 1962. Two years later he married her younger sister, Lily, who died of cancer in 2000. A son, Gur, from his first marriage died in a shooting accident in 1967. Matthew Berger and Ben Sales contributed to this report.
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Chronology of Ariel Sharon’s life by Ben Sales and Naomi Segal
(JTA)—A timeline of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s life. 1928—Born Ariel Sheinerman in Kfar Malal, near Tel Aviv.
1973–74—Elected to Israel’s eighth Knesset, under the Likud banner.
1942–48—Member of the Haganah, the pre-state Jewish fighting force.
1974—Proposes that Israel negotiate with Palestinians toward the establishment of a Palestinian state in Jordan.
1948—Wounded while serving as an infantry commander in Israel’s War of Independence. 1952–53—Studies history and Oriental studies at Hebrew University. 1953—Founder and commander of the Unit 101 anti-terror force, which carries out raids in retaliation against Arab attacks. One raid by Unit 101 leaves 69 dead in the Jordanian-controlled West Bank village of Qibya and draws international condemnation. 1954–57—Commander of a paratroop brigade that captures the strategic Mitla Pass during the 1956 Sinai War with Egypt. 1957—Attends Camberley Staff College in Great Britain.
1975–76—Appointed special defense adviser to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. 1976—Forms the Shlomtzion Party. The party wins two Knesset seats, but soon merges into the Likud. 1977–81—Minister for agriculture and chairman of a ministerial committee for settlement under Prime Minister Menachem Begin. Considered a patron of the Gush Emunim settlement movement, Sharon advocates establishing a network of Jewish settlements. 1981-83—Appointed minister of defense by Begin. April 1982—Carries out last phase of Israeli evacuation from northern Sinai as part of peace agreement with Egypt.
1958–62—Studies law at Tel Aviv University. 1964-65—The Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, Yitzhak Rabin, appoints him to be chief of staff for the Northern Command. 1967—During the Six-Day War, commands an armored division in the Sinai Desert and directs a battle that successfully recaptures the Mitla Pass and the corridor to the Suez Canal. 1969–73—Heads the IDF’s Southern Command. After August 1970, focuses on fighting Palestinian terrorism in the Gaza Strip. 1973—Retires from the military to pursue political career and works at establishing the Likud Party. With outbreak of Yom Kippur War, returns to active military service to command an armored division that crosses the Suez Canal.
1982—With Sharon as defense minister, Israel invades Lebanon in Operation Peace for the Galilee.
1990–92— Named minister for construction and housing in a Likudbased government formed by Yitzhak Shamir. Continues to encourage development of settlements in territories and oversees vast construction effort to create housing for massive wave of immigration from former Soviet Union. 1991—Objects to Madrid peace conference under Shamir. 1996—Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu creates national infrastructure portfolio for Sharon in new Likud-led government. 1998—Becomes foreign minister following resignation of David Levy; helps negotiate Wye River accord. 1999—Netanyahu resigns as Likud leader and appoints Sharon as caretaker. Sharon later wins the position outright in a party vote. July 2000—Prime Minister Ehud Barak is left without a parliamentary majority when Shas, National Religious Party and Yisrael Ba’Aliyah leave the government over the Camp David summit.
1983–84—Resigns as defense minister, but remains as minister without portfolio after a government commission finds Sharon indirectly responsible for the September 1982 massacre of Palestinians by Lebanese Christian forces at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps.
Sept. 28, 2000—Sharon visits the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and Palestinian riots erupt, marking start of second intifada.
1984—Files a libel suit against Time magazine over article on Sharon’s role in the Lebanon war. A New York jury eventually rules that the article was defamatory, but did not have malicious intent.
2001—Sharon wins prime ministerial election in a landslide, garnering 62 percent of the vote to Barak’s 38 percent. He forms a unity government with the Labor Party.
1984–90—Serves as minister for industry and trade in national unity government.
8 | Jewish News | January 27, 2014 | jewishnewsva.org
December 2000—Barak’s resignation forces new elections for prime minister. Sharon becomes the Likud Party candidate.
2002—After escalation of Palestinian suicide bombings in the second intifada, Sharon launches Operation Defensive Shield and Operation Determined Path. Sharon also begins construction of a separation barrier between the West Bank, Gaza and Israel.
January 2003—Sharon wins a second term as prime minister, and Likud doubles its Knesset faction to 38 seats. December 2003—Sharon surprises his base by announcing disengagement plan, wherein Israel would withdraw fully from the Gaza Strip, relocating almost 10,000 settlers. July 2004—Sharon sparks controversy by calling on French Jews to make aliyah due to rising anti-Semitism in France. November 2004—Yasser Arafat dies. Sharon says he will meet with the new Palestinian leadership, but continues advancing his disengagement plan. July 2005—The IDF executes the disengagement plan, encountering widespread civil disobedience, but little violence from settlers. November 2005—Facing opposition from the Likud due to the disengagement, Sharon breaks off from his party and forms the centrist Kadima Party ahead of the 2006 elections. Sharon’s allies in Likud, as well as several Knesset members from other parties, join Kadima. January 4, 2006—Sharon suffers the second of two strokes in quick succession, leaving him in a vegetative state. January 11, 2014—After eight years in a coma, Sharon dies from multiple organ failure at age 85.
Tips on Jewish Trips
Israeli celebrity chef injects hummus, ‘balagan’ into Jewish heart of Paris by Cnaan Liphshiz
PARIS (JTA)—In the elegant silence of a narrow street near the River Seine, David Moyal takes a breath of fresh winter air and enters a noisy restaurant in the French capital. Inside Miznon, he is transported to another world, filled with the cacophony of Hebrew voices and Israeli music. A bustling new bistro that Moyal runs in the 4th arrondissement, Miznon is becoming hugely popular with Israelis and French Jews thanks to its Tel Aviv feel and audacious mission to pack Paris into a pita. Inside, a few dozen customers are chatting and gesticulating while eating fusion dishes such as ratatouille with hummus, beef bourguignon with fried eggplant or a whole head of roasted cauliflower. Sometimes a staffer will spontaneously start drumming on pots to songs by Yehoram Ga’on or the Dorbanim as one of his colleagues doles out complimentary glasses of mint tea. “As you can see, we were going for good service but with a healthy amount of Israeli ‘balagan,’” Moyal says, using the Hebrew slang word that translates roughly as “hullabaloo.” Opened in October in the heart of the Marais, the historically Jewish district on the right bank of the Seine, Miznon is the brainchild of Eyal Shani, a well-known Israeli television chef who owns a successful restaurant by the same name in Tel Aviv. “My vision is to take whole cities and translate them into one pita,” Shani says. “So in this case, to take Paris’ energies, its groove, its longings, its limitations, its beauty and its food, and express all of that in one pita.” Miznon is not the only Israeli restaurant in the Marais to offer pita power for a couple of euros. Next door is L’As Du Fallafel (The Falafel Ace), a Parisian eatery whose devoted clientele and 35 years in existence have made it into something of an institution here.
Moyal, 32, says he is unfazed by the competition. “The Ace have nothing to do with what we’re about,” he says. “They are selling Israeli food from the 1970s. We are offering a taste of contemporary Tel Aviv mixed with Paris.” Some Israeli fans of Miznon become indignant at the mere comparison. “Miznon is one of the few places where you can get real hummus, which they cook and make here,” says Hen Solomon, who has been living in Paris for several years. “The rest of the restaurants here sell the cliche of Israeli food, shwarma and falafel. That’s bulls**t. Been there, done that.” Still, Ace does have its own card to play. Unlike Miznon, which is kosher style, the Ace is certified kosher. The fact that Miznon is situated in the heart of the Marais carries special significance for Moyal, who grew up here. Once clotted with Jewish shops and restaurants, the area has grown more chic and become less Jewish in recent years. “It’s very important for me that Miznon is keeping Jewish presence here,” Moyal says. If Miznon succeeds in becoming a hub for Israel-born expats in Paris—a population some estimate at approximately 5,000—it would be a first, according to Ariel Kandel, the Jewish Agency’s head of operations in France. “Paris doesn’t have any of those Israeli hangouts you see in New York, London or Amsterdam,” Kandel says. “Maybe Miznon will become just that. So far their marketing has been brilliant.” Indeed, the restaurant has received rave reviews from some of France’s hippest publications, including L’Express Styles, Nous Paris, Time Out and Le Figaro, among others. In addition to non-Jewish clients, the publicity has brought in a stream of French Jews. “We can’t afford a ticket to Israel every week, so we come here to be reminded,” says Nathalie ben Chetrit, a Miznon regular. “But we also come for the banane au chocolat.”
Project will bring tourists to former shtetls in three countries
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esearchers, historians and tourism developers have begun work on a tourist itinerary and an Internet portal to include former Jewish shtetls in Poland, Belarus and Ukraine. Called “Shtetl Routes: Vestiges of Jewish Cultural Heritage in Transborder Tourism,” the two-year project launched in December is being supported by a $570,000 grant from the European Union’s Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Poland-BelarusUkraine 2007–2013. The goal is to develop tourism in the region through the promotion of Jewish cultural heritage. The route will include three tourist trails, a guidebook to Jewish heritage in the region, the Internet portal to provide details of Jewish history and culture, and
3-D virtual models of 15 shtetls, five in each participating country. There also will be guided tours and training programs for tour guides. Five cultural and educational institutions in the three countries are developing the project led by the Brama Grodzka (Grodzka Gate) Theatre NN Centre in Lublin, Poland, which for years has run activities focusing on Jewish heritage, culture and history. According to a description on the Brama Grodzka website, “The project area has a huge potential for the development of cultural tourism, but its tourism infrastructure is poorly developed and the knowledge about the area’s cultural heritage—particularly Jewish cultural heritage sites—is insufficient.” (JTA)
Lee’s will said a lot about him. What does your will say about you? Virginia Beach attorney H. Lee Kanter loved the arts and always leaped to his feet to shout “bravo” after cultural performances. Before he died in 2001, Lee arranged for a bequest to the Hampton Roads Community Foundation to provide grants for performing arts in Hampton Roads. Kanter grants have helped Virginia Arts Festival, Todd Rosenlieb Dance and the Virginia Symphony. Thanks to Lee’s generosity he will forever bring great performances to his home region. Connect your passion to the future by ordering a free bequest guide. Learn how easy it is to leave a gift for charity. Call 757-622-7951 or visit leaveabequest.org.
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jewishnewsva.org | January 27, 2014 | Jewish News | 9
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The Virginia Festival of Jewish Film,
presented by Alma* and Howard Laderberg Mark Robbins photography
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urning 21 was a celebration at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts when the Simon Family JCC’s Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, presented by Howard and Alma* Laderberg, held its Opening Night on Saturday, Jan. 18. More than 350 people attended to see The Zigzag Kid. After the film, the audience was treated to a beautifully decorated and delectable reception. Patricia and Avraham Ashkenazi sponsored opening night, Al Benas photographed the evening, Leslie Siegel and her crew decorated the party, The Village Caterers prepared food and drinks, and other sponsors of the film festival made Opening Night a tremendous success. (Al Benas Photography.)
Film Festival co-chairs Mark Robbins, Gloria Siegel and William Laderberg with Michele Goldberg, JCC cultural arts director and Scott Katz, JCC center director.
Howard Laderberg on the red carpet with his daughter, Linda Baltuch, and Gloria Siegel. Mark Robbins photography
On television from BSV
T Larry and Fern Leibowitz with Mike Shroyer.
Miles and Sandra Porter Leon, Lisa and David Leon and Steve and Caren Leon.
Opening Night sponsors Avraham and Patricia Ashkenazi.
Amy Levy, Terri Sarfan, JCC president, and Kim Simon Fink.
Laura and Fred Gross with Ralph and Arlene Soussan.
Mark Robbins photography
Barry and Lois Einhorn with Ellie Lipkin.
he Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, presented by Alma* and Howard Laderberg was reported on local television channels 10 and 3 on Sunday, Jan. 19. Residents at Beth Sholom Village got the red carpet treatment when they came to see Sturgeon Queens, which screened again at the Simon Family JCC on Wednesday, Jan. 22.
Sean Gaston.
Marcia Brodie and Leslie Shroyer.
Helene Grablowsky and Lawrence Steingold.
Ronnie and Marcus Friedman.
BBYO check in helpers Jillian White, Melanie Patish, Sydney Bernstein, Shelley Smith, Andie Eichelbaum, Jordan Dobrinsky and Julia Havel.
10 | Jewish News | January 27, 2014 | jewishnewsva.org
Marcia Hoffheimer, Ed J. Rafal and Normie Sher.
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isa’s Fugue, the Holocaust documentary film shown at the TCC Roper Performing Arts Center on Sunday, Jan. 19, attracted 325 community members, students and area educators. Frank “Misa” Grunwald and director Sean Gaston were on hand after the screening to answer questions and share insights with the audience. They were joined by Gunskirchen camp liberator Bill Juksch and Elena Baum, director of the Holocaust Commission, who led a post film discussion. The Simon Family JCC is a constituent agency of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.
Simon Family JCC’s | 21st Annual
VIRGINIA FESTIVAL OF JEWISH FILM Presented by Alma* & Howard Laderberg
We would like to thank our sponsors
Patricia & Avraham Ashkenazi Additional Sponsorship by
motivate. educate. advocate. C O M M U N I T Y
R E L A T I O N S
C O U N C I L
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In Partnership with Beach Movie Bistro · Naro Expanded Cinema Sandler Center for the Performing Arts · Tidewater Community College *of blessed memory jewishnewsva.org | January 27, 2014 | Jewish News | 11
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Tidewater Jewish Women come together for a Sunday afternoon “Chick Flick” and more by Amy Zelenka, UJFT women’s campaign director
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early 60 women attended the recent joint United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Women’s Outreach and Jewish Women’s Salon event held at the Sandler Family Campus. The third annual “Girls’ Afternoon at the Movies” featured the 2013 award-winning film, Dorfman in Love, followed by a live (via Skype) discussion with screenwriter Wendy Kout. In her welcome remarks, Women’s Outreach and Salon chair Janet Mercadante thanked each of the women for coming, pointing out that this is year three of the Jewish Women’s Salon program. “What began as an on-line magazine, produced by Hadassah Brandeis Institute, has become a forum for wonderful discussions among the women in our Jewish community.” The Jewish Women’s Salon came to life through the hard work and dedication of Annie Sandler, who brought the program to Tidewater, and Salon co-chairs Janet Peck and Danielle Leibovici. In its three years, the Salon has touched more than 150 Tidewater women – bringing the community together to engage in meaningful discussions about issues that matter. Separate from the Jewish Women’s Salon is a long-standing and terrific committee—the Federation’s Women’s Outreach Committee. Women’s Outreach hosted the first two “Girls’ Afternoons at the Movies,” showing Crossing Delancey and later Avalon. Outreach continues to be a “labor of love” for the Women’s Division of the UJFT. “Federation is a fundraising organization,” explained Mercadante. “We raise and dis-
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Eilene Rosenblum, Zena Herod, Linda Samuels, and Diane Muhlendorf.
Danielle Leibovici, Jewish Women’s Salon co-chair, with her mom, Jeanne Ben-David.
Shari Graber and Joy Kaps
Faith Jacobson, Robin Mancoll, Emily Nied, and Tammi Foer.
tribute dollars to Jews in need in Tidewater and around the world. We help take care of people, and you all make that possible through your donations. Thank you. However,” she continued, “today’s is NOT a fundraising event. Today is a day of getting to know one another... of meeting and greeting and strengthening bonds which will ultimately strengthen our community.” UJFT continues to offer outreach and community-building programs which enable donors to see where and how their donated dollars work to help those who most need assistance. For more information on the Jewish Women’s Salon or Federation Women’s Outreach events, contact Amy Zelenka, Women’s Campaign director at azelenka@ujft.org or 965-6139.
Elli’s love for Israel extends to area teens by Laine Mednick Rutherford
E
lli Friedman spent her childhood and early teen years thinking she loved Israel. But that love, the 17-year-old now realizes, came about because that was what she was always taught she should feel. It didn’t come from the tangible connection that’s held her in its grasp for nearly a year, making the Maury High School senior fill an already slam-packed schedule with pro-Israel programming and resources— and love—that she plans and procures and offers to her peers so they might, too, feel a connection to the Jewish homeland. Elli’s “love connection” got its start with a deep-rooted relationship with Judaism. The daughter of respected Jewish educator Linda Peck and Birdland Records owner Barry Friedman, Elli attended the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater for nine years, adored going to Sunday School and confirmation class at Congregation Beth El, and became active in BBYO.
Her revelation about Israel—and connecting to the country on a deeply personal level—came last April when she went abroad to study, attending the eight-week Alexander Muss High School in Israel. Life and school in Israel made an impact on Elli that would change her life, immediately and definitively. “Being there really allowed me to form my own opinions,” says Elli. “We got to see and learn things at the same time, and not just from textbooks. Like we did a mountain hike, went to the desert, and to a beach, all on the same day. “I got to see Israel’s diversity and its beauty, and it opened my eyes to what a great place it is,” Elli says. “I like the diversity there—the people and the land. It really feels like home to me.” When Elli returned to Virginia after attending AMHSI, she found out that her name had been submitted for a relatively new program: the StandWithUs MZ Teens Internship. Elli pursued the opportunity to be a part of the international, nonprof-
it organization that supports Israel, and was one of 50 United States high school students chosen for the Internship—from among hundreds of applicants. The StandWithUs MZ Teens Internship is a leadership program that prepares students for the challenges they may face within their communities and at college. Elli and the other participants began the year-long commitment with an all-expenses paid trip to a conference in Los Angeles, where she learned even more about Israel, how to be an advocate for the country, and began to think of positive campaigns that would inspire her peers and educate Tidewater Jewish teens about Israel. “My goal is to get kids my age involved, and help them find a connection to Israel,” Elli says. “I want them to find their voice to advocate and to love, not just because its “Israel,” but for their own reasons and by finding their own connections.” In addition to working closely with BBYO and being part of its leadership, Elli—with support from StandWithUs—
Elli Friedman with a friend in Israel
has built a strong relationship with the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, and its director Robin Mancoll. Together, they are bringing pro-Israeli programs and speakers to Maury High School and to Jewish teens in the community. (See Israeli soldiers speak on page 19.) Even if her peers don’t have a connection with Israel yet, Elli thinks they should attend the special programs in Tidewater. “My eyes have been opened and what I’ve found is that Israel is a bigger part of my Jewish identity than I ever thought it would be,” she says. “It feels like I’ve got two homes—one in America. And one, in Israel.”
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it’s a wrap
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Heart and “soles”
t was rainy and cold on Thursday, Jan. 2 as Ohef Sholom Temple began its second night of hosting the weeklong Norfolk Emergency Shelter Program (NEST) with the help of its neighbor, Ghent United Methodist Church. Sadly, one homeless man arrived in the rain and cold without any shoes. When one congregant learned of this man’s predicament and shoe size, he didn’t hesitate to give the man his shoes. The volunteer worked the rest of the evening and left the building in his socks. This generosity, which he humbly downplayed, epitomizes the soul of Ohef Sholom where congregants truly take to heart the concept of tikkun olam, repairing the world. Similar acts of selflessness and generosity played out throughout the week, as for another year—and with dauntingly little notice—coordinator extraordinaire Sharon Ross made sure Ohef Sholom’s doors and hearts were open to the more than 50 homeless men and women who sought shelter and food each night in a week with record-breaking cold temperatures. Guests flocked to the shelter—and showed great appreciation for all the special touches, including luxury toiletries donated by Evelyn Hearst and the gen-
erous contribution of hygiene kits from Brian Friedman and his Hospitality for the Homeless group, the gloves provided by NEST founder Dale Gauding, and bus tickets provided by the temple on the coldest day. Plus Ohef Sholom offered healthy vegetarian meals from Ross and her kitchen crew (the mixed reviews of the delicious-but-different curried lentil soup are not to be mentioned!). In all, more than 100 OST volunteers pitched in with cooking, cleaning, supervising, serving, and offering sustenance and cheer to the guests, many of whom requested early wake-up calls in order to put in a day’s work. Special kudos go to the “overnighters” —Karen Fine, Evelyn Hearst, Joyce Graber, Peter Crockin, Joe Hearst, Meril Amdursky, Nanci Glassman, Laura Gilbert, Alan Troy, Sharon Ross, David Fierman, Carol Laibstain, Prue Salasky and Jim Schloss. While supporting NEST is only a temporary solution to the problem of homelessness, Ohef Sholom is proud to support Virginia Supportive Housing, which aims to end homelessness by providing permanent housing and supportive services. Ninety-eight percent of their residents do not return to homelessness
Hebrew Academy parents bond over baking by Dee Dee Becker
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ewish education is not just for kids. Marissa Kempner, Patti Seeman and Ashley Lemke, active parents of Hebrew Academy’s parent organization (Hakesher) recently spearheaded a special challah baking class for HAT and Strelitz preschool room parents. The results proved to be an extraordinarily heartwarming experience as parents learned helpful tips and bonded over the sharing of their own challah traditions. Kempner shared her baking and braiding skills along with a few really great laughs throughout the process. “Marissa is a superb teacher,” says Patti Seeman, room parent and baking participant. “She taught us about the mechanics of making challah, as well as its Judaic significance and importance. I definitely look forward to taking part in more fun occasions like this together.” 14 | Jewish News | January 27, 2014 | jewishnewsva.org
HAT parents Hila Zach, Alyssa Muhlendorf, Patti Seeman and Sharon Debb show off their challah braiding talents.
“Everyone enjoyed the class and the feedback has been very positive,” says Carin Simon, admissions director and Strelitz parent. “We have a close knit community here at HAT and Strelitz. Moms and dads are not just parents, they are friends and family. That is what I love about working and sending my sons here.” The Hakesher committee’s next class: Making Hamentashen!
Team goes beyond care
Homeland Contracting building the ramp.
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ot all cases are the same, and so, not all needs are the same. The recent case of a 38-year-old male palliative care patient of Freda H. Gordon Hospice and Palliative Care of Tidewater is a perfect example. Diagnosed with stomach cancer in October, this relatively young man rapidly declined. He was given two months to live without treatment and about six months with treatment. The patient has two young girls and his youngest just had open-heart surgery. Grace V. Padgett, RN, BSN at Jewish Family Service, received a phone call that the patient had fallen. The patient had a doctor’s appointment and was trying to walk up his two stairs to get into his house, became too weak, and fell. Jewish Family Service quickly got him a wheelchair and then called HPCT to ask if it was possible to get a ramp built since he had another doctor’s appointment the next day at 2:30 pm and had no way of getting down the stairs in a wheelchair. An email was sent to the Hospice team to see if anyone knew of a company that could build the ramp. Padgett quickly realized that she had the answer as she is married to a project manager for a construction company, Homeland Contracting. She called her husband and explained the situation. He immediately spoke with his boss and his crew headed out to build a ramp for the patient completely free of charge. It is amazing what a group of well-intentioned people can do when there is a need to help.
it’s a wrap Community gets its most wanted crime information at FBI program by Laine Mednick Rutherford
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alking away from the FBI’s Community Relations Executive Seminar Training, attendees of the event, which took place at the Simon Family JCC on Sunday, Jan. 12, held in their hands a nicely printed certificate confirming their attendance, and tried to grasp in their heads an abundance of information about crime. Five FBI special agents from the Norfolk FBI office and the FBI’s Community Outreach Specialist, Vanessa Torres, presented the CREST program in partnership with the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, the UJFT Business & Legal Society, and the Simon Family JCC. Topics presented during the five-hour training session included counterterrorism, foreign counterintelligence, cyber crime, civil rights and human trafficking. About 80 community members attended the program, which was free and open to the public. Among the audience members, who spanned the age spectrum from 10 to octogenarian, was high school senior Andie Eichelbaum. “I was glad they had this scheduled, because I’m going to use some of the information I heard today in a research paper I
February 6 and 8 ON THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BEATLES FIRST APPEARANCE IN AMERICA, the original cast of the Broadway sensation Beatlemania returns to Hampton Roads to perform more than twenty classic Beatles hits, backed by the VSO POPS.
Tickets start at only $22! VirginiaSymphony.org have to write on the topic of “How the War on Terror Effects Humanity,” says Andie, a First Colonial High School student. “One of the most interesting things that I heard was how 9/11 changed this country, so much more than I even realized, and how much we’re needed now to help the FBI. I’m using what I learned here today for my own personal education, as well as for this school project.” The topics of this seminar were selected specifically at the request of the CRC and its director, Robin Mancoll. “Our goal in doing this is to develop relationships and build trust in the community that we serve, so that they know what to report to us,” says Torres. “This program just scratches the surface of the public that we want to reach. That’s why we would like you to take the messages that are learned here today and take them out into the community, and perhaps to some other organization. “We’re here to catch the bad guys. This is our way of being proactive,” says Torres. “We have people out there spreading the word, but we do need the public’s assistance as well. Thank you.” For more information on the CRC and their initiatives, visit www.JewishVa.org/CRC.
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first person
Tallwood High School students reflect on Israel experience
U.S. and Israeli students picking clementines for those in need. They picked 600 lbs. of fruit which fed 75 families.
by Kathleen Laroue
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o take 10 students overseas alone for any length of time seems like a task for someone who has a screw loose. To compound that craziness by making it a three week trip to Washington D.C., New York City, Jerusalem, Modi’in, Jaffa, Haifa, Masada, and Tel Aviv is the dream of a madman, yet this is the task I volunteered for when I said I would travel to Israel on behalf of the Global Studies and World Languages Academy of Tallwood High School in Virginia Beach. In November, I took 10 of our incredibly bright and socially aware students to represent our country, our Commonwealth and our city. I believe they
did so with flying colors. To describe Israel and the effect of being there is to try to paint a picture with only two colors. It is a story with so many shades, and is so complicated my few words will not do it justice. Israel is a country of contrasts. Just as you think you have a handle on the country, it surprises you. To look at the wall or security fence that both protects and defends, to walk the paths of Yad Vashem, to dance and sing in a Palestinian school, everything you do and see adds another layer to the puzzle. I thought I would come back with memories and pictures to use in my classroom, to help my students understand Israel better. What I came back with instead are more questions, and the realization that all of the teenagers involved in this undertaking will need to be willing to give, to listen, and to learn about each other to see a brighter, more peaceful future for both our nations. Following are excerpts of the students’ reflections of the trip: Isela Vazquez I was able to meet people from Israel and learn about their customs and traditions, and also I was able to meet new people from all over my country. Although we were different and had our own ways of living, deep down we were all the same. I learned that I had more in common with
16 | Jewish News | January 27, 2014 | jewishnewsva.org
it’s a wrap
first person someone across the globe than I thought. We had the same interest in music, hobbies, and sports. My mind was expanded in a whole new way, not only by learning about the Israeli ways of life, but also how we interacted with each other. This trip has helped me see the world in a more global perspective, and has provided me with memories that will last a lifetime. Greg Falls This trip brought out more in me than just my role as a student. We got a first-hand look at some incredible places such as the Western Wall during Shabbat, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and the numerous Israeli markets. As the second week ended, we moved in with our host students in Modi’in and lived as an Israeli. This was my favorite part of the trip, as we got to experience everything that our host did. I cannot end this without mentioning how incredible the food is, from the falafel to the “toast” from the restaurant Menfis. In all, this was an unforgettable trip and I am so grateful that I had the privilege to go. Zoe Hollander My trip to Israel was a life-changing experience. Every day I was there, I grew not only in character, but spiritually as I connected with the people of the same origin as myself. I felt so at home. Jerusalem was an extremely different, yet rewarding experience. The breathtaking limestone was phenomenal and really gave the city the historical feel that I had read about. The landscape was beautiful, but what was even more interesting was the diversity of people and religions that lived peacefully in one city. Tel Aviv was modern and so much fun! I remember just looking up at the tall skyscrapers, lit up in the night sky, and being speechless. The city was bustling and everyone was so friendly to our delegation and our host students from Modi’in. Staying in Modi’in was my favorite part. The people were so kind and welcoming. My host student, Zohar Gorny, and her family were the friendliest people I have ever met. I felt like a part of their family immediately and today, even half way across the world, I consider them a part of my family.
Bria Reel Before applying for this trip I heard it all. From the country is bombed every day to they ride camels in the desert and of course you have to sprinkle in a little media to frighten the parents. Washington DC and New York was an amazing way to start off the trip. It gave the Israelis a chance to see some of our nation’s most recognizable monuments. It was also great to see Israeli and Jewish involvement in the community that we often don’t recognize. Our Israeli adventure began in Jerusalem. Within the four days of being there we experienced the importance of the city to culture and religion. We also had free time in markets and traveled to Masada and the Dead Sea. In Tel Aviv we explored the historic port of Jaffa and of course we had to feel the beautiful Mediterranean water. Overall this was the best trip ever. You don’t only learn things about others but also about yourself. Andrew Clark Everyone has an idea of Israel influenced by our individual backgrounds and experiences. In our school, we studied about Israel politics, history, culture, conflicts. We were told regularly when Israel was discussed, “it is not how the media displays it.” This is one of the reasons I wanted to go to Israel. I trust that the best way to learn is to go in person. I don’t know what my expectations were, but they definitely were impressed. Israel is alive, complex, diverse. There is a piece in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem by Olafur Eliasson called “Whenever the Rainbow Appears.” To me, this is an epitome of Israel. It consists of more than 300 individual hand painted boards spanning the light spectrum. Franchesca Virtucio I made so many incredible friends and memories, some that will last a lifetime; from the
bright lights and get togethers in America, to the beautiful mountains and waters of the Dead Sea, to the colorful markets and streets of Jerusalem, and to the long nights under the stars just hanging out with our Israeli friends. Our Israeli friends couldn’t have been more similar to ours, here in America. I thought: how could kids our age that live under so many different circumstances in the Middle East, be so similar to us, love what we do, and act like we do? It was incredible, for I also had the opportunity to experience true Israeli hospitality when I got sick in the middle of the markets, and the owner of a restaurant gave me free bags of tea and homemade remedies to clear my sickness. Kaitlyn Gallagher I always heard about how dangerous Israel is and about all the tension, but the whole time we were there, I never felt safer. Every person I passed would smile and most people were genuinely nice. If I had to summarize the trip in one word I would say “family.” I felt that most people were looking out for me, just like family does, even if we didn’t know each other. Traveling to Israel brought me an entirely new perspective on the world. The atmosphere was entirely new and even if I had no clue as to what people were saying, it felt like home. I was able to try new food like falafel, I experienced life without a curfew, and I was taught tolerance in a whole new way. I don’t think there’s a nicer group of people than the people in Israel.
U.S. and Israeli Students Ba’hai Gardens
A team works to fill the planter with dirt.
ChavuRAH!
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group of Ohef Sholom parents and children came together on Sunday, Jan. 12 to celebrate the holiday of Tu B’shevat, the New Year for the Trees. While not planting trees, planting was the theme of the day. Master Carpenter Jim Douglass made a beautiful planter for the temple’s outside atrium, and the kids readily filled it up with soil and planted pansies. Inside, children decorated clay pots to plant parsley, which should be ready for use as the karpas for the Passover Seder plate. Sweet Williams were also planted to decorate Passover tables. This activity was sponsored by OST’s ChavuRAH!, a group that promotes social activities for families with children in the five- to 15-year-old range. It’s a great way to meet other families at Ohef Sholom and entertain kids with family-fun both at the Temple and in the community. To learn more about ChavuRAH! or other Ohef Sholom activities, contact information@ ohefsholom.org.
Barbara Fernandez and her son, Sam and his decorated pots. jewishnewsva.org | January 27, 2014 | Jewish News | 17
CALLING ALL HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS!
Announcing the 22014 Stein Family College Scholarship The application is now available online at: www.jewishva.org/tjf-stein Applications deadline is April 1, 2014 Questions? Contact Shelby Tudor at: 757.965.6105 or studor@ujft.org ujft.org WE’RE GOING TO ISRAEL THIS SUMMER! WANT TO COME?
Depart Norfolk: Wednesday, June 18 Arrive in Israel: Thursday, June 19 Return to Norfolk: Saturday, June 28 $5,500* per person (based on coach class seating and double hotel occupancy) Land only options are available (where participants provide own air travel). Flight and room upgrades, as well as extensions available. Priced based on requests. Three nights at the Waldorf Astoria in Jerusalem Three nights at the Ramot Resort in the Galilee Two nights at the Carlton hotel in Tel Aviv Mission price also includes tour buses, admissions, guides, most meals, bottled water, and hostess services at hotels. Does not include tips. Enjoy a festive and meaningful Shabbat in Jerusalem Study with world-renown scholars • Climb Masada • Explore the Old City of Jerusalem above ground and below • Dig at an archeological site visit to the City of David • High-level briefings with government officials and IDF representatives • Visit Tidewater-funded projects • Tour the mystical city of Safed • Enjoy special wine and chocolate workshops in the Golan • Relive history through sound and lights at Beit Shaen • Meet some of Israel’s newest Olim at a JAFI absorption center • Marvel at ORT’s new Science Center in Kiryat Yam • Check in on friends at the Neve Michael Youth Village .....and more! • •
Join mission chairs Jodi Klebanoff and Bonnie and David Brand as well as dozens of fellow Tidewater community members for a unique, unforgettable, multisensory experience this summer! Space is limited! Interested? Want to learn more? Applications and deposits now being accepted. Call or email Amy Zelenka, UJFT Missions Director at 965-6139 or *In addition to the mission fee, a minimum gift of $1,200 per person to the 2015 Annual Campaign of the UJFT is requested from participants.
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What’s Happening Getting to know you: Advocating for Jewish community in Richmond Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day at the Richmond General Assembly Wednesday, Feb. 5, 8:45 am–6 pm by Laine Mednick Rutherford
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he Tidewater area has new General Assembly leaders representing it in Richmond this year, in addition to a new Virginia Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General. Members of the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater feel this is an important and opportune time to let these elected officials know that the Tidewater Jewish community and those it helps are aware, informed, and can vocally express their concerns. As it has in years past, the CRC is chartering a bus to take community representatives to Richmond for face-to-face meetings with State Delegates and Senators on a day set aside for the entire Jewish community of the state. Known as Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day, the meetings held that day can make a significant difference to the Jewish agencies in the area. “Many members of the Jewish community assume that issues important to us are only decided in Washington. Not true,” says Jeff Brooke, co-chair of CRC Legislative committee with Jeff Cooper. “In fact, a better case can be made that the closer the level of government, the more directly it affects us in our daily lives. In this light, I urge you to consider coming with me and many other members of our community to “Date With the State”/ Jewish Advocacy Day in Richmond this February 5,” says Brooke. “As a member of the Governor’s Virginia Israel Advisory Board, I can tell you that members of General Assembly and Executive Branch are keenly interested in our views. Our General Assembly only meets for a short period of time each year, and many important decisions will be made which directly affect our rights and interests. Whether the issue is funding for the VIAB, Medicaid, gun control, or free speech issues, many key matters will be considered and decided. If we don’t advocate for ourselves, there are certainly
Date with the State 2013.
other groups who will show up and argue opposing points of view. CRC member Brad Lerner, who has attended Date with the State in the past, feels a good show of community representatives makes a difference. “Spending time in Israel with thoughtful and intelligent policy advocates from across the United States has further energized my commitment to DWTS issues.” says Lerner, who is a participant in the Jewish Council for Public Affair’s (the CRC national umbrella organization) Frank Family Leadership Institute. “Moreover, spending time visiting Auschwitz and Yad Vashem painfully reminds one to speak out against issues that might slowly decay a Jewish person’s freedoms in the state of Virginia, i.e., opposing bills this session that encroach on freedom of religion in public schools. “It is the community’s responsibility to live by the adage “never again” and being proactive and voicing concerns over ill-conceived Bills or advocating for the Jewish voice in general will help ensure the strength of Jewish people locally, statewide and nationally.” It is not too late to be a part of this memorable day. RSVP now. Cost is $36 and includes a kosher lunch and helps defray the cost of transportation. Visit www. JewishVA.org/DWTS for more information, and to RSVP. Those going on the trip are encouraged to attend an Insiders’ Briefing, Thursday, Jan. 30, at 6 pm at the Sandler Family Campus. The CRC will provide all attendees with detailed talking points and lobbying tips.
What’s Happening Gil Troy, Zionism in Israel Today
Israeli soldiers to speak to Tidewater teens
Wednesday, Jan. 29, 7 pm
Thursday, Feb. 20, 6:30 pm at Bite Restaurant, Norfolk
by Laine Mednick Rutherford
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he Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater had astute foresight in inviting Gil Troy to be the second speaker in this year’s Israel Today Forum. While the organization had no way of knowing that Troy would create a grass-roots, social media-driven “Troycott” (in response to a boycott of Israeli educators by their American educator peers) just before speaking in Virginia Beach, the organization was aware that the Zionist fight to combat delegitimization of Israel is ongoing-and Troy is one of that battle’s most prominent warriors. “The CRC is constantly striving to fulfill its mission to motivate, educate, and advocate around issues important to the Jewish people, namely Israel,” says Megan Zuckerman, CRC chair. “Bringing Gil Troy to our community at a time when the American Studies Association has declared a boycott on Israel’s universities and academic institutions is timely and fitting. “Professor Troy will educate us on how to be better Zionist advocates, thus motivating those around us, Jews and non-Jews alike. The anti-Israel attacks have not grown weaker over the last seven decades. For many of us, our connection to Israel is one that comes from deep within our souls and hearts. Despite personal convictions, it is our duty as Jews to continue to be educated on the importance of Israel in order for us to be better advocates,” Zuckerman says. While educational, Troy’s discussion won’t be stiff or academic. “This is not just some academic theorizing, this is about realizing our power, as citizens lucky to be living in a democracy, to improve the world, not just by defending Israel, but by celebrating Israel—and the shared values linking America and Israel.” Troy will speak about his most recent-
ly published book, Moynihan’s Moment: America’s Fight Against Zionism as Racism, and the ongoing effort to have Israel treated fairly in the world’s eyes. “Daniel Patrick Moynihan was a Gil Troy genuine American hero, an adviser to both Democrats and Republicans, on both domestic and foreign issues,” Troy says. “In 1975, with no strong ties to Israel from before, he saw the attack on Israel at the UN as an assault on democracy and decency. Refusing to stand by, he stood up—he also warned that this attack on Zionism would not go away. Nearly 40 years later, his warnings have proved true.” While a large part of his discussion will center on Moynihan’s Moment, Troy will also talk about today’s events. “Current events are always on the agenda when we talk about Zionism and Israel,” he says. “Israel is in a strategic part of the world, and many important issues play out there. Having said that, I will be emphasizing, the real news—a story of Israel and Zionism that is not just about headlines, not just about problems, but is also about inspiration and dreaming and the extraordinary story of a people surviving, reviving and thriving. “The poetry of daily life in Israel is to me, the real headline, and the everyday miracles we see in the Jewish state are truly compelling current events.” All Israel Today events are free and open to the community. For more information on Israel Today, upcoming events and other CRC initiatives, visit JewishVa.org/ CRC. RSVP to Liz Henderson at lhenderson@ujft.org or 965-6107.
Hospice Support Group on Grief and Loss
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Second Wednesday of each month, 11 am–12:30 pm
support group for those dealing with grief, sponsored by Freda H. Gordon Hospice and Palliative Care of Tidewater, will take place monthly in the Glasser Conference Room at Beth Sholom Village.
The facilitators are Chaplain Keya Bhagirath and Meital Jakubovitz, MSW. To register, contact Chaplain Keya Bhagirath at kbhagirath@hpctidewater. com or 757-452-6930.
by Laine Mednick Rutherford
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ne of the more striking sights in Israel: teenagers, the blush of youth evident in their unlined faces and in their energetic gait, dressed not in jeans and t-shirts but in head-to-toe standard issue Israel Defense Forces uniforms, bearing lethal weapons slung on a strap across their bodies. Not yet old enough to order a drink in an American bar, these young men and women patrol the streets of Israeli cities, guard the country’s borders and protect all of its citizens and visitors—defending the Jewish homeland until, at least, their mandatory two or three years of service have ended. Impending service in the military— along with the potential for conflict, injury, or, perhaps, worse—is a matter of fact for most Israeli high school students, unlike their American counterparts. In a unique program initiated by StandWithUs, an international Israeli education organization, local high school students will have the opportunity to meet and speak with two young Israeli veterans. While their American teenage counterparts were preparing for college football games and fraternity parties, when they were 18, these youths were engaged in military missions and combat duty.
Tr avel i ng to Tidewater as part of the StandWithUs Israeli Soldiers Speak program, Shay and Hen, who are now IDF reservists and student leaders at major Israeli universiShay. ties, will speak with area teens at Bite Restaurant, 440 Monticello Ave. in Downtown Norfolk. Presented by the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Hen. Tidewater, BBYO, NFTY, USY, and the Jewish Teen Leadership program of the Simon Family JCC, the evening event is free, includes kosher pizza for dinner, and is open to all community teens. The program will feature Shay and Hen sharing their combat experiences and delving into deeper conversations, such as the Israeli-Arab conflict in their country. There will be substantial time for questions and discussion, from the diverse, yet youthful, perspectives of those who attend. For more information about the event, visit JewishVA.org/SoldiersStories. RSVP by Feb. 17 to LHenderson@ujft.org.
Calling all bakers and cookie makers Third annual baking event for the troops Sunday, March 2, 11 am–3 pm
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or the third time, Operation Hamantashen, a joint venture of the UJFT Young Adult Division and the JCC Children and Family Department, will take place at the Sandler Family Campus. In 2012, more than 100 bakers and helpers of all ages convened in the cafeteria of the Simon Family JCC to partake in the annual baking extravaganza. The “Operation” will generate about 1,500 cookies, which will then be distributed to Jewish soldiers serving our country at local and regional military bases in time for the Purim holiday. With stations for rolling and cutting,
filling and folding, and egg brushing, every willing participant, from BBYO teens to Hillel students to young families and grandparents, can roll up their sleeves and partake in the baking process. Children and teens will also make greeting cards thanking soldiers for their hard work. The cards will accompany each package sent with the Hamantashen so that soldiers can taste and enjoy a little Purim away from home. For more information about upcoming Young Adult Division events at the UJFT, contact Amy Weinstein at 965-6127.
jewishnewsva.org | January 27, 2014 | Jewish News | 19
What’s Happening Free film documents the Israel Philharmonic’s dramatic beginning Orchestra of Exiles, documentary Tuesday, Feb. 25, 7 pm • Sandler Family Campus, Free and open to the community
by Laine Mednick Rutherford
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n anticipation of the Virginia Arts Festival performance by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra on April 2 in Virginia Beach, the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater has scheduled a screening of Orchestra of Exiles with the Holocaust Commission of the UJFT and the Simon Family JCC as partners. The community is invited to watch the 2012 film that reveals the fascinating story of the Philharmonic’s beginning. Orchestra of Exiles chronicles the story of celebrated Polish violinist Bronislaw Huberman’s
efforts to save the lives of Jewish musicians and European music from extermination by the Nazis during World War II. Through an acute awareness of what was happening to his fellow Jews, a fierce determination, and by enlisting the help of famous collaborators (including Arturo Toscanini and Albert Einstein), Huberman arranged the emigration to Palestine of nearly 100 Jewish musicians. Huberman, with these musicians, went on to form a symphony that would become the worldclass Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Michele Goldberg, cultural arts director of the Simon Family JCC—the CRC’s
partner in this film presentation—says the community stands to gain a greater appreciation of the Israel Philharmonic, and its continued reputation of excellence, after seeing this film. “Orchestra of Exiles provides us with a chance to understand how this world-class symphony was founded, and to marvel at the incredible legacy we get to experience when we hear the Philharmonic perform in person on April 2,” Goldberg says. The documentary includes archival footage, original recordings, reenactments, and commentary by some of this era’s most famous musicians and conductors, including Itzhak Perlman, Zubin Mehta, Pinchas Zukerman, Joshua Bell and others. Following the screening of Orchestra of Exiles on Feb. 25, the audience will be further enriched through a discussion with the film’s director Josh Aronson, who will attend the screening. Aronson is an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, and a concert pianist himself. The presentation of this film marks the first of the Simon Family JCC’s Celebrate Israel series. Additional events include the CRC’s Israel Today forum featuring Robert Satloff on May 1, and the popular Israel Festival on May 18. For more information about the film and to RSVP, visit JewishVA.org/CRC, or call 965-6107. For more information about the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra appearance in the Virginia Arts Festival, to purchase tickets and to learn more about the Celebrate Israel series, visit SimonFamilyJCC.org.
JCC Eight week Tuesday Lunch and Learn Series — February Topics Feb. 11, 18, 25, March 4, 11, 18, 25, April 1, 12:30–1:30 pm
Men’s Club Shabbat at OST explores art confiscated by the Nazis Friday, February 21, 7:30 pm
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hef Sholom Temple will celebrate its annual Men’s Club Shabbat with members of the Men’s Club leading the service. Jefferson C. Harrison, chief curator of the Chrysler Jefferson C. Museum of Art, whose Harrison topic is “Nazi-Era Provenance Research and the Chrysler Collection,” is the featured speaker. Locating works of art confiscated by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945 and restoring them to their rightful heirs has for decades been a central commitment of international arts and legal organizations. Like many other American museums, the Chrysler has systematically reviewed its own pre-1945 European collection with that very issue in mind. Harrison will discuss the path he followed in his research of the collection and reveal some of the surprising (and reassuring) facts he discovered along the way. Harrison has been at the Chrysler Museum of Art since 1982, when he was hired to research its European collection. Since 1993 he has served as the Museum’s chief curator. He has organized and curated scores of exhibitions during his 31 years at the Chrysler, from Rembrandt and the Golden Age to Norman Rockwell. His most recent exhibition was Our Community Collects: From Dürer to Warhol and Beyond in 2011. Preceding the service, at 6:30 pm a dinner prepared and served by Ohef Sholom’s Sisterhood will take place. Dinner is $10 per adult and child over 12; children under 12 are free. The community is invited to the dinner and service. RSVP to reservations@ohefsholom.org.
$8 a session/$45 series; JCC members $5 a session/$35 series Feb. 11—Rabbi Roz Mandelberg Fallout from the Pew Study on American Judaism: What we learn, what we can do Feb. 18—Rabbi Israel Zoberman Potpourri of poetry of the Jewish and human experience
20 | Jewish News | January 27, 2014 | jewishnewsva.org
Feb. 25—Rabbi Jeff Arnowitz The challenging ethics presented by genetic screening For information, call Miriam Brunn Ruberg, director Jewish Life & Learning, Simon Family JCC at 321-2328
BINA Annual Purim Carnival Sunday, Feb. 23, 12–4 pm
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ames, food, and fun for all ages at the Simon Family JCC. Contact BINA High School for more information at 627-2462.
what’s happening Avi Liberman, stand-up comedian at the J
Women’s Heart Health at Ohef Sholom
Saturday, Feb. 15, 8 pm
Sunday, Feb. 2, 11 am
by Leslie Shroyer
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augh the winter blues away at the Simon Family JCC during a comedic evening with Avi Liberman. This is the first of two Performing Arts at the J, presented by Leah Wohl* events this winter. A favorite in comedy clubs from Los Angeles to New York, Liberman was born in Israel, raised in Texas, attended college in New York, and now resides in Los Angeles. His quirky style is a winning combination of life experiences and topical issues told through a varied blend of characters and voices with worldwide expertise. Liberman has performed stand-up comedy on CBS’s Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend and Make Me Laugh, as well as NBC’s Friday Night! His acting credits include Dave’s World CBS, Boston Common NBC and Andytown U.S.A. Comedy Central. He can be seen regularly on E! as a frequent guest on their popular countdown series. Liberman has successfully arranged widely acclaimed stand-up comedy tours in Israel to help boost morale while donating all of the proceeds to a charity. The “Comedy for Koby” tour is now a regular bi-annual event, benefitting the Koby Mandell Foundation.
Avi Liberman
Although he performs for Jewish audiences, it’s not his everyday routine. Before he makes his way to this area, he is performing to large clubs in Las Vegas, Vancouver and Lake Tahoe. “I’ve never been to the Virginia Beach area,” says Liberman. “I’m looking forward to pulling out my Jewish jokes alongside my regular stories and to entertaining folks.” Cost: $20; $15 for JCC members. Cash bar. Tickets are available online at SimonFamilyJCC.org or by calling 3212338 or at the door. Presented in partnership with the Young Adult Division of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. *of blessed memory The Simon Family JCC is a constituent agency of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.
Maimonides Society hosts award-winning journalist Tuesday, Feb. 4, 7 pm
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riel Heilman, an award-winning journalist and managing editor of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, will speak at a United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Maimonides Society event. The Maimonides Society is comprised of Jewish healthcare professionals dedicated to educational, social, and philanthropic activities that focus on the betterment of Jews in need locally in Tidewater, in Israel and around the world. Heilman’s talk, “Small State, Big Medicine: Secrets of the Israeli Healthcare Innovation,” will discuss the secret ingredients driving Israeli health care innovation and if Israel can develop a long-term edge. Heilman coordinates worldwide
news agencies and U.S. coverage for JTA. He served as bureau chief for the Jerusalem Post, where he was awarded the 2006 Boris Smolar Award for Excellence in Investigative Uriel Heilman. Reporting for a series of stories about Ethiopian aliyah. The event for Tidewater’s healthcare community takes place at the Sandler Family Campus. Contact Risa Levitt for additional detail or to RSVP: rlevitt@ujft. org or 757-965-6124.
n honor of February’s Heart Health month, Ohef Sholom Temple presents: Women’s Heart Health. Margarita Simon, a nurse practitioner with more than 30 years of cardiology experience, and Susan Kaplan, a cardiac researcher and nurse educator at Sentara Heart Hospital in Norfolk, will present a program on women and heart disease. Simon will address the differences between women and men’s heart disease. Kaplan will share techniques to decrease stress through yoga. What you learn may save your life. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Linda Peck at 625-4295.
Temple Emanuel and Beth El hold joint Religious School Purim Carnival Sunday, March 16, 9:45 am–12 noon
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he religious schools of Temple Emanuel and Beth El are joining together for a Purim Carnival and making it open to the community. The carnival takes place at Temple Emanuel. The fun begins at 9 am for a “T’fillah Tip Toe through the Megillah” with Sharon Wasserberg. There will be a Best Costume Contest for an adult/couple and for the children, a costume parade, a giant inflatable, games and prizes, and homemade pizza, popcorn, and ice cream for sale. Hamantashen will also be for sale. Temple Emanuel is located at 424 25th St. in Virginia Beach. Call 757-428-2591 for more information.
The Jungle Book travels to the JCC Sunday, Feb. 23, 2:30 pm
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irginia Stage Company brings its touring show, The Jungle Book to the Simon Family JCC for an imaginative and interactive experience for children. This production, part of the JCC’s Cultural Arts children’s series, is based on the tales of Rudyard Kipling. To draw in the audience, children help the educational troupe tell the story. Many children are already familiar with the story in which Mother Wolf takes Mowgli in as one of her own cubs when he wanders into the Indian jungle. The troupe of three is performing The Jungle Book this winter and spring, in schools and other little theaters such as the JCC. Cost: $5 for children 10 and under, $7.50 for ages 11+; $25 for a family of two adults and children. For more information, call 321-2338 or purchase tickets online at SimonFamilyJCC.org. The Simon Family JCC is a constituent agency of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.
Tidewater Together: Exploring our Jewish Future
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March 20–23, Thursday–Sunday
weekend of inspiration through community collaboration; multiple topics and locations, with scholar-in-residence Rabbi Brad Artson. TidewaterTogether.org for more information; see ad on page 27. Community members welcome at all events.
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Camp JCC is a wonde rf ul place to wor k! SUMMER 2014 Camp JCC: June 16 - August 8 • Post Camp: August 11 - 29
NOW HIRING…..STAFF FOR ALL POSITIONS Counselors (High School Graduates; minimum requirement) Junior Counselors (High School rising Junior; minimum requirement) Specialist (Activities: Sports, Music, Arts, etc.) Special needs Supervisor • Special needs Assistant • Nurse
experience. A dynamic program allows every child to explore their own interests and try new activities within a safe camp atmosphere. Engaging and supportive staff encourages campers to have fun, develop skills, and form meaningful relationships. All staff members are hired for their ability to facilitate memorable experiences for our campers. All camp personnel have a background check and participate in an extensive orientation program.
Brith Sholom will host its annual Super Bowl Party at Beth Sholom Home at 5:30 pm. The game will be on a 61-inch big screen. $7.50 members/$15 guests. Hot dogs and barbecue beef will be served along with other goodies. Call Gail at 461-1150. February 5, Wednesday Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater travels to Richmond for the annual Jewish Advocacy Day. 8:45 am–6 pm; leaving from the Sandler Family Campus. $36 includes kosher lunch and helps defray transportation. RSVP to LHenderson@ujft.org or 965-6107. An Insiders’ Briefing, providing all attendees with detailed talking points on the issues and lobbying tips, takes place on Thursday, Jan. 30 at 6 pm. See page 18.
Don’t wait! Applications accepted TODAY! Applications available at: www.simonfamilyjcc.org (757) 321-2342 (757) 965-6117
Submit completed application to:
Simon Family JCC
Attention: Human Resources 5000 Corporate Woods Drive Virginia Beach, 23462
Andy Kline President
Call us today to see how we can help, 757-523-0605 or visit us at www.paydaypayroll.com.
PD-ad-JewishNews-QtrBW-070611.indd 1
February 20, Thursday Israeli Soldiers’ Stories at Bite Restaurant in Norfolk (kosher pizza and more). The Stand With Us Israeli Soldiers’ Stories tour is an innovative program featuring reserve duty Israeli college students who talk about the Israeli-Arab conflict, giving a human face to the IDF uniform. Free and open to all teens. 6:30 pm. RSVP by Feb. 17 to LHenderson@ujft.org or 965-6107. See page 19. February 25, Tuesday Orchestra of Exiles. Join Josh Aronson, film director, for a screening and discussion of this great film featuring Itzhak Perlman, Zubin Mehta, Pinchas Zukerman, Joshua Bell and others. Orchestra of Exiles is the suspenseful chronicle of how one man helped save Europe’s premiere Jewish musicians from obliteration by the Nazis during WWII and formed a symphony that would become the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Visit www.firstrunfeatures.com/orchestraofexiles/ for more information. Free and open to the community. At the Simon Family JCC; 7 pm. RSVP by Feb. 22 to LHenderson@ujft.org or 965-6107. See page 20.
Payroll, Taxes and W-2s • Web Based Time and Attendance NCS Background Checks • Employee Loans • Pay As You Go Workers Comp Insurance HR Answerlink H.R. Legal Resources • Employee Self Service Online Cobra Administration • VISA Debit Payday Cards
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February 9, Sunday Sundae Swim, Sing & Swing For Pre-K–grade 6. A fun afternoon with friends of swimming in the pool, singing karaoke, swinging to Just Dance and swinging on the swings. Then top it off with a sundae bar. Sponsored by Camp JCC. 1–3 pm. Simon Family JCC; $12; $6 for 2013 & 2014 Camp JCCers. 321-2338 to register. February 19, Wednesday The JCC Senior’s Club will meet at the Simon Family JCC. The guest speaker is Master Police Officer Dolly Deans. She will inform the group about Senior Safety and recent scams and frauds. The board meeting begins at 10:30 am, lunch is at 12 noon, followed by the general meeting. For further information, call 338-2676.
Eric Kline Business Development Danny Kline Vice President
January 29, Wednesday Zionism and Israel Today with Gil Troy presented by the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and community partners. Sandler Family Campus. 7 pm. For more information or to RSVP, visit www.Jewish VA.org/IsraelToday or 965-6107. Free and open to the community. See page 19. FEBRUARY 2, SUNDAY Brith Sholom meeting will be held at the Beth Sholom Home. Board meeting 10 am; general meeting 11 am; followed by brunch served at 12 noon.
Camp JCC provides children with a rich and unique day camp
For more information, contact: Erika Eskanazi, Children, Family and Camp Assistant Director Taffy Hunter, Human Resource Director
calendar
7/6/11 11:54 AM
March 2, Sunday Bake cookies and treat local and regional troops to a little bit of Purim away from home at the annual baking fest at the Sandler Family Campus. 11 am-3 pm. Call Amy Weinstein at 965-6127 for more information. 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.
Serving as president of any board requires a commitment of time, mediation skills, funds and an abundance of patience. Meet the Presidents is a Jewish News column that introduces these remarkable people who have accepted the challenge of heading local Jewish organizations and synagogues to the community.
Meet the Presidents Burle Stromberg President, Hebrew Academy of Tidewater
Mazel Tov to Achievement The Honorable Dana Adler Rosen, Chief Judge, Social Security Administration, Greensboro, N. C. hearing office, who has been appointed a Judge with the U. S. Department of Labor in Newport News.
Engagement Rabbi Arthur Ruberg and Miriam Brunn Ruberg on the engagement of their son, Rabbi Jeremy Brunn Ruberg to Rebecca Sarah Shapiro, daughter of Dr. Naomi Hersh and Bernard Shapiro of Stamford and Westport, Conn.
Mazel Tov submissions should be emailed to news@ujft.org with Mazel Tov in the subject line. Achievements, B’nai Mitzvot, births, engagements and weddings are appropriate simchas to announce. Photos must be at least 300k. Include a daytime phone for questions. There is no fee.
Profession Assistant City Attorney of the City of Portsmouth Education Virginia Tech, B.S., Public Administration (1981) University of Dayton School of Law, Juris Doctor (1984) Family Married to Robin Drucker Stromberg Three children: Arielle (22); Rachael (12); Sam (8) Jewish organizations Hebrew Academy of Tidewater, president Beth El Synagogue, member Jewish Community Center, Burle Stromberg member and youth basketball coach Weinberg Trust, chairman Chevra T’helim (Jewish Museum and Cultural Center), board of directors Beth Sholom Home, board of directors (1997–2003) Favorite Jewish holiday Shabbat; we have a Shabbat meal Friday night and attend services Saturday morning as a family (“We might be late for services, but at least we are early for Kiddush”). Most memorable personal Jewish milestone My bar mitzvah/the naming of my children and my oldest daughter’s bat mitzvah. Ties to the Tidewater Jewish community My parents and siblings were active members of Gomley Chesed Synagogue. My father was involved with the Federation and was one of the founding members of the Hebrew Academy as a community day school. Most admired Jewish leader Golda Meir What other positions have you held with HAT ? I’ve been on the executive committee for several years and served on the Bylaws, Strategic Planning and Search committees, among others. Why have you chosen to devote so much time to HAT? I wish to carry on my father’s vision for the school; I believe in the school’s mission to provide Jewish children with the highest quality Judaic and general studies’ education; and all three of my children have attended HAT. What would you like people to know about HAT? HAT educates the child and the family, and provides an excellent educational and moral foundation for the children to succeed in their future educational endeavors and in life in general. What are your goals as president? To maintain or increase the number of children enrolled in the school, notwithstanding the assimilation that is occurring in our Jewish community.
Madeline Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State and Rabbi Israel Zoberman, Chanukah, 2013, White House, Washington DC.
Jewish ne’er-do-wells fare well in Oscar nominations LOS ANGELES ( JTA)—The Academy Award nominations proved to be a bonanza for Jewish con men. American Hustle and The Wolf of Wall Street won multiple nominations, including for best picture, for spotlighting the shenanigans of two members of the tribe unlikely to be feted at any Jewish Man of the Year banquet. American Hustle, which tied Gravity for the most nominations with 10, is based on the misdeeds of Irving Rosenfeld, the principal figure in the FBI’s Abscam sting in the late 1970s and early ’80s. Christian Bale plays Rosenfeld in the film and earned a nomination as best actor. The Wolf of Wall Street is based on the memoirs of high-living stockbroker Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, who will be vying with Bale for top actor. From the same film, director and co-writer David O. Russell—the son of a Russian-Jewish father and Italian-Catholic mother—and Jonah Hill earned nominations. Hill was tapped for best supporting actor for his portrayal as second-string con man Donnie Azoff. Meanwhile, Woody Allen is up for best writer for his screenplay for Blue Jasmine, although he missed out in the best picture
and director categories. Spike Jonze, who was born Adam Spiegel and has a Jewish father, hit paydirt with three nominations as producer, writer (original screenplay) and composer of The Moon Song for his film Her. Emmanuel Lubezki was nominated as cinematographer for Gravity. Among the foreign language films, the Palestine-credited Omar made it to the final five. Omar director Hany Abu-Assad, whose Paradise Now was nominated previously, is a native and resident of Nazareth. Israel’s entry, Bethlehem, was eliminated last month. The two films present different takes on the bloodier aspects of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. Philomena, produced by the Jewish mogul Harvey Weinstein, placed among the nine best picture nominations. But three other highly touted films produced by Weinstein’s company—August: Osage County, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and Lee Daniels’ The Butler—failed to land a nomination. Also coming up short was the critically acclaimed musical drama Inside Llewyn Davis by brothers Joel and Ethan Coen. The Academy Awards will be presented on March 2 in Hollywood. (JTA)
jewishnewsva.org | January 27, 2014 | Jewish News | 23
book review Novel covers multitude of losses Losses by Lea Goldberg, edited with Aftermath by Giddon Ticotsky Bnei Brak: Hakibbutz Hameuchad-Sifriat Poalin Publishers, 2010 380 pp, In Hebrew
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ea Goldberg (1911– 1970), distinguished author, poet, translator (From Russian and English to Hebrew), and chairRabbi Zoberman woman of the Department of Comparative Literature at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, was a native of Koenigsberg, Eastern Prussia, spending her early childhood in Russia. She made “aliyah” in 1935. Goldberg chose to shelve this jewel of a revealing novel, personally and historically Jewishly and generally, though segments of it appeared in the Palestine Hebrew Press in the second half of the 1930s. The book’s drama, bearing Goldberg’s autobiographical features, is centered in Berlin during the critical years of 1932 and 1933. The author studied at that time at the University of Berlin, receiving her doctorate from Bonn University’s renowned Oriental Seminary with a dissertation on the Samaritan translation of the Torah. With Nazism’s rise to power in 1933, she had an eerie premonition of a world war, “And the war will be in a few years,” along with a radical transformation for what seemed so stable as exemplified in Berlin’s stature, “This solid city hanging
DIG UP YOUR JEWISH ROOTS JEWISH GENEALOGY SERVICE Tidewater Jewish Roots twjroots@gmail.com • 757-641-3006
obituaries over nothingness, the city of peace and freedom on the precipice of blood’s void.” The novel’s protagonist, Elchanan Krohn was raised in Russia in a well-to-do Russian speaking family with his lawyer father, already removed from “shteitle” life. In a Job-like tale of woes in the ensuing times’ upheaval of the Russian Revolution, the family was reduced to poverty and misery. The father died a broken man and the one sister married a Russian sailor, moving away from her Jewish roots. Krohn himself was arrested and exiled to Siberia for Zionist activity, eventually settling in Palestine as a chalutz. A proud Hebrew poet, he was a student of mysticism and philosophy who came to Berlin to study when the German universities had the finest reputation in the world. He focused on mysticism in the three monotheistic religions, perhaps searching for a unifying, universal factor, even as Nazi ideology tried to disprove it. Goldberg and her family also experienced trying times in Russia and she regarded herself as a Hebrew poet without particular regard to her gender. Soon enough, with the Nazi takeover, the halls of academia are infected with rabid anti-Semitism. Both Jewish and Gentile professors who opposed Nazism are victimized. Professor Klaus Paul Braka of Bonn University was poisoned to death while in France. He represents Goldberg’s mentor, professor Paul Ernest Kahle who left for
England, sacrificing his academic career. Kohl’s own wife, Mary, on April 1, 1933, a declared ban day on Jewish professionals and businesses, called on a Jewish physician, courageously confronting SS men. Braka appointed for his assistant the brilliant, Jewish Czechoslovakian Dr. Briker, in spite of Nazi resistance. A probable reminder of Dr. Levy, Kahle’s assistant committed suicide when dismissed by a Nazi party member. It was at a Braka lecture that Krohn was exposed to a papyrus, which the professor discovered, revealing that the Caliphates sought not to convert their conquered people to Islam because it reduced collected taxes. How intriguing that today we still attempt to understand Islam’s intentions which again are of global consequence. Goldberg’s deep and wide-reaching novel, gratefully released 40 years after the author’s passing, rather than be consigned for permanent oblivion, adds an essential perspective both literally and academically. The losses in Losses refer to an early loss, if not theft of a manuscript precious to Krohn; the loss of one’s roots and homeland, the loss of the women in Krohn’s life, and last but not least, the loss of Germany’s humane soul along with the attached loss of multiple millions of Jews and Gentiles that even Goldberg’s prophetic vision could not fully grasp. —Dr Israel Zoberman is founding rabbi of Congregation Beth Chaverim.
“Goldberg’s deep and
wide-reaching novel adds
an essential
perspective.”
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Ex-envoy Michael Oren joins CNN
ichael Oren, the former Israeli ambassador to the United States, will be a contributor to CNN. “Michael will be joining CNN as a Middle East contributor,” a spokeswoman for Oren told JTA in a statement.
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Oren, a U.S.-born historian who served as ambassador from 2009 until September, now splits his time between Israel, where he lectures at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, and the United States, where he is a fellow at the Atlantic Council, a think tank. (JTA)
Thomas C. Grant Virginia Beach—Thomas “Tommy” Charles Grant, 66, passed away peacefully at his home in Virginia Beach on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014. Tommy was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. to the late Joseph and Rita Kraemer Grant, he is also predeceased by his brother, Robert Grant. An honored Vietnam veteran, he earned a purple heart and was a recipient of the Theodore H. Vale Medal of Valor for his heroism in rescuing four people in a capsizing boat on the Long Island Sound. Tommy was also a Captain of the Broad Channel N.Y. Volunteer Fire Department. He retired from N.Y. Telephone Co. after 27 years of service. Survivors include his wife, Andrea Kline; daughter, Evelyn Mulligan and husband Kevin; sons, Robert Grant and wife Geraldine, John Grant and wife Valerie; stepson, Ivan Cockrum and wife Mary; grandchildren, Jack, Brody, TJ, Katie, Ryan, Shane, Gavin, Mason. He leaves behind a special friend, Teresa Husted. Donations may be sent to either the Hospice and Palliative Care of Tidewater or the ALS Association in Tommy’s memory. A committal service will be at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. Myra G. Lindquist Norfolk—Myra G. Lindquist, born April 5, 1926, died peacefully in her sleep on Jan. 8, 2014. A longtime resident of Norfolk, Myra had resided in Jacksonville, Fla. for the past few years. Myra was predeceased by her husband Karl A Lindquist, Jr (USN-Retired), her sister Anita Joy Cochran and her parents, Max and Celia Feinstein. She is survived by her sister, Naomi Leopold; her sister-in-law, Anna Hoffine (Harold); her children, Sharon Lindquist-Skelley (Thomas Skelley), Karl A Lindquist, III (Karen) and Craig L. Lindquist (Sandra); her grandchildren, Stephanie Skelley Auldridge (John Auldridge), Laurie Lindquist, Alexander Lindquist (USAF), Alyson Lindquist, Erika Lindquist (USCG), Victoria Lindquist, Sophia Lindquist and Kimberly Thomas (James); her great grandchildren, Kathryn Auldridge, Taylor Thomas and Aniayah
obituaries Gilmore; three step-grandchildren, 12 step-great-grandchildren and nine (and counting) step-great-great-grandchildren, along with numerous cousins, nieces and nephews and friends. Myra received her RN from Maimonides Hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y. and was a member of the Nurse Cadet Corp during WWII. She married her beloved Karl in 1945 and traveled the country while Karl served in the Navy for more than 31 years. They retired in Norfolk where Myra worked as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. She retired in 1988 from the Naval Medical Clinic. Myra was in one of the first classes of Nurse Practitioners at UVa, graduating in 1974. She served as president of the Virginia Nurse Practitioners in 1983 and 1984. Myra was a Captain in the VA Defense Force, serving as head of the Medical unit and volunteered with the Civil Air Patrol and the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Department. She was active in the Norfolk Rebekah’s Lodge and the Lake Taylor Civic Club. Myra was a Life member of Hadassah. She enjoyed gardening, knitting, traveling and her grand and great grandchildren. Myra had requested no flowers and any donations be made to the Heart Association or the Naval Fleet Reserve Branch 60.
The funeral service was conducted at Woodlawn Funeral Home, with interment following in Woodlawn Memorial Gardens. Alma F. Spivey Suffolk—Alma F. Spivey, 96, passed away Friday, Jan. 10, 2014. She was born in Gates County, N. C., and was the daughter of the late Preston B. and Alma Harrell. She was predeceased by her husbands, William Rieger, Louis L. Friedman, and J.T. Spivey; her sister, Dorothy Inez Harrell and her brother, Preston B. Harrell. She was owner and operator of William’s Clothing Company in Suffolk for over 40 years. She was an active member of Agudath Achim Synagogue. After her retirement, she volunteered for many years at Louise Obici Hospital. She loved gardening, reading and lived a full life. She was treasured by her family and friends. She is survived by her daughter, Sara R. Trub and husband Aaron D. of Virginia Beach, and grandchildren, Barry W. Trub of Washington, D.C. and Lisa S. Trub of New York, N.Y., along with many loving cousins and family members. A graveside funeral service was held
at Holly Lawn Cemetery in Suffolk, with Rabbi Jeffrey Aronowitz and Cantor Gordon Pilch officiating. R.W. Baker & Co. Funeral Home and Crematory. Donations to either Congregation Beth El, 442 Shirley Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23517 or to a charity of choice. Online condolences registered at online at www.rwbakerfh.com.
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who Knew? Stiller’s Western Wall romancing
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en Stiller revealed to Parade magazine that he has some fond memories from visiting Israel as a teen. The actor and director, promoting his new movie, recalled that at 16 he took a father-son bonding trip to Israel with his father, comedian Jerry Stiller, and found himself in a romantic dalliance there. “I met a girl on that trip and we had a whirlwind romance,” Stiller told Parade. “Is it blasphemous to say we ended up making out near the Western Wall? It might be. But we did…. It was one of those times you don’t ever forget.” Stiller has returned to Israel several times since then, Ynet reports. (JTA)
Gal Gadot on Wonder Woman casting
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al Gadot, the Israeli supermodel recently cast as Wonder Woman in the upcoming movie Man of Steel, opened up on an Israeli talk show about her new role. The slender Gadot has received significant criticism from Wonder Woman fans about her physique. Some claim she is too thin and too flat-chested to properly embody the iconic superheroine. “I represent the Wonder Woman of the new world,” she told the Israeli program Good Evening with Guy Pines. “Breasts… anyone can buy for 9,000 shekels and everything is fine.” Gadot also delved into her character’s backstory. In her comic book incarnation, Wonder Woman’s secret identity is Princess Diana of Themyscira, a princess of the Amazons, a fierce race of warrior women who lived near the Don River in contemporary Russia. In some iterations of the myth, Amazons cut off their right breasts in order to throw their javelins with greater accuracy—a fact Gadot picked up on in her interview. “By the way, Wonder Woman is Amazonian, and historically accurate Amazonian women actually had only one breast. So, if I’d really go ‘by the book’… it’d be problematic,” Gadot said. She added that she plans to work out with weights in order to gain the extra muscle required for the role. (JTA)
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Fran Drescher, the former ‘Nanny,’ is going to be a wicked stepmother
ran Drescher, best known for playing the down-to-earth Fran Fine in The Nanny, is bringing her talents to Broadway, where she’ll be playing Cinderella’s stepmother. The 10-week engagement, starting Feb. 4, will allow Drescher to exercise her comic talents in an unusual milieu for the TV star. Still, there’s no doubt Drescher will be able to project in the theater, with her trademark soaring nasal twang. And who’s to say Drescher won’t shine in a story about kings, princes and fairy godmothers? After all, she is from Queens. (JTA)
Mel Brooks: There’s no ‘solely Jewish humor’ anymore
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el Brooks, the 87-year-old reigning king of Jewish humor, told BuzzFeed that comedy has become increasingly universal. The distinction between Jewish and secular comedy is a thing of the past, Brooks explained. “Twenty-five years ago, sure, yes, absolutely,” he told Buzzfeed. “Today, it’s the same education, same newspapers, leading now to TV, leading to the Internet. I think [humor is] all the same now.” Brooks also revealed that he regularly gets letters from rabbis and offers them advice about humor in return. Jokes, according to Brooks, are more unforgettable than your average sermon. Certainly when it comes to the legendary writer/director of Robin Hood: Men in Tights, The Producers and Spaceballs, unforgettable is the word. (JTA)
David Mamet to tackle the seven deadly sins for Fox
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avid Mamet has signed a contract with Fox to develop a seven-hour series based on the Christian concept of the seven deadly sins, Variety reports. The two-time Pulitzer Prize winning playwright has agreed to write and direct the first episode and write at least two subsequent segments. Mamet is no stranger to biblical material. In fact, he once co-authored a
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commentary on the Torah entitled Five Cities of Refuge: Weekly Reflections on Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy (2004) with Rabbi Lawrence Kushner. And though the series focuses on Christian concepts of sin (the seven deadly sins originated with a fourth-century Greek monk, later popularized by the likes of Dante Alighieri and Thomas Aquinas), the playwright has often trafficked in humanity’s darker motivations. Arguably Mamet’s most famous work, Glengarry Glen Ross, a brutally frank portrayal of the lives of Chicago real estate agents, has plenty to say about greed. In fact, some of the play’s characters embrace greed as a virtue. However he winds up approaching the seven deadly sins, it’s certain that Mamet, author of some 35 plays in addition to his books, movies and films, can’t be accused of sloth. (JTA)
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Johansson’s Super Bowl ad
carlett Johansson, faceless in the movie Her, just landed a gig as the face of an Israeli company. According to The New York Times, the Jewish actress has been chosen as SodaStream’s “global spokesperson” and will star in its upcoming Super Bowl ad. In the commercial, airing during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLVIII on Fox on Feb. 2, Johansson will show how the home soda maker works. The point is to “demonstrate how easy it is, how sexy it is, to make your own soda,” says Daniel Birnbaum, chief executive of SodaStream International. Who better to do that than the woman who was named Esquire’s “Sexiest Woman Alive” for 2013? It also doesn’t hurt that she’s had some practice: Johansson has been a proud SodaStream user for a few years and has even gifted the machine to friends. “I love carbonated water but hate the waste of bottles,” Johansson says in a behind-the-scenes clip for the upcoming commercial. Sounds far less controversial than the company’s last Super Bowl ad, its first, showing a regular soda bottle exploding every time someone used SodaStream. Seen as an assault on certain behemoth soda brands, CBS refused to air it. (JTA)
Rolling Stones talking about first Tel Aviv gig
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ore serious negotiations are going down in Israel—this time between Israeli producers and the Rolling Stones. According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Acharonot, the band is in the process of hashing out a deal to add a Tel Aviv performance to its upcoming European summer tour. It would be the first Stones concert in the Holy Land. The $4.5 million being offered the Stones is the largest amount for an artist playing Israel. Representatives for the legendary rockers are set to arrive in Israel shortly to continue talks. Israeli fans bummed out by last year’s false rumors of a Stones show are likely crossing their fingers and hoping for some satisfaction. (JTA)
Meryl Streep labels Walt Disney as anti-Semitic, sexist
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alt Disney may be portrayed as a mensch in Saving Mr. Banks, but Meryl Streep wants everyone to know that isn’t entirely accurate. Streep took the stage at the National Board of Review awards gala in New York to present an award to Emma Thompson for her role in the film about how the man behind the mouse, played by Tom Hanks, convinced author P.L. Travers (Thompson) to sell him the movie rights to her book Mary Poppins. First Streep praised Thompson, but according to Variety and other sources, she quickly launched into a little speech about Disney’s anti-Semitic and sexist views. She pointed out that the mogul “supported anti-Semitic industry lobbying groups” and that he was a “gender bigot.” “Women do not do any of the creative work in connection with preparing the cartoons for the screen, as that task is performed entirely by young men,” Streep read, quoting a 1938 letter the company sent to an aspiring female animator. Rumors about Disney have been out there forever (you’ve got to be living under a bridge if you’ve never heard the one about him being cryogenically frozen), but naturally they’ve been discussed more since the popular film’s release. (JTA)
The United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, the Synagogue-Federation Partnership of the Tidewater Jewish Community, and the Milton “Mickey” Kramer Scholar-in-Residence present:
TIDEWATER EXPLORING OUR TOGETHER: JEWISH FUTURE A weekend of inspiration through community collaboration.
MARCH 20–23 Conversations with Rabbi Brad Artson Scholar-in-Residence
EVENTS LEARNING LIFE’S LESSONS Thursday, March 20 · 6:30pm At the Sandler Family Campus
HOW WE COPE & PERSIST Friday, March 21 · 12:00pm (lunch included) At Beth Sholom Village
WHY BE JEWISH Friday, March 21 6:30pm Shabbat dinner · 7:30pm service At Ohef Sholom Temple
THE JUDAISM OF TOMORROW Saturday, March 22 · 9:30am At Congregation Beth El w/ Temple Emanuel
GOD & THE BIG BANG Saturday, March 22 · 8:30pm At Congregation Beth Chaverim
MODELS OF LEADERSHIP Sunday, March 23 · 10:00am At Temple Israel w/ Kempsville Conservative Synagogue
*Friday night meal: $10 | 12 years+ Free | 12 & under Kosher meals available upon request. RSVP required.
TIDEWATER TOGETHER CONVERSATIONS ARE FREE* & OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY. ALL ARE WELCOME. For more information or to RSVP, visit TidewaterTogether.org, call 757-965-6136, orjewishnewsva.org email apomerantz@ujft.org. | January 27, 2014 | Jewish News | 27
February 7 at 9 a.m. and February 20 at 7 p.m. OPEN Preschool: K – 5: Call to schedule a private tour. HOUSES
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• A lifelong love of learning • Confidence and preparedness as they continue their education
• Moral education and character development • Values, integrity and leadership
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5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23462 | www.hebrewacademy.net The Strelitz Early Childhood Center is an educational partnership of Hebrew Academy of Tidewater and the Simon Family Jewish Community Center. The preschool is open to students of all faiths.
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