Jewish News - June 26, 2023

Antisemitism-themed Leopoldstadt and Parade are big Tony Awards winners

Andrew Lapin

(JTA) – Broadway made a statement about antisemitism Sunday, June 11, as two high-profi le shows on the subject this season — the play Leopoldstadt and the musical revival Parade — pulled in multiple major Tony awards.

Some of the shows’ honorees, in turn, made statements of their own linking hatred of Jews with other forms of hatred, including homophobia and anti-transgender sentiment at a time when trans inclusion is under attack in many places.

Leopoldstadt, Tom Stoppard’s epic semi-autobiographical play about three generations of a Viennese Jewish family before and after the Holocaust, won four of the six Tonys for which it was nominated, including best play. (It was Stoppard’s fi fth Tony, coming 55 years after his fi rst, for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.)

The Leopoldstadt actor Brandon Uranowitz, the only member of the play’s large cast to receive an acting nomination, won for featured actor in a play and thanked Stoppard for writing a show about antisemitism and “the false promise of assimilation.” He noted that members of his family were murdered by the Nazis in Poland.

Uranowitz, who is gay, ended with a plea to parents: “When your child tells you who they are, believe them.”

Parade, about the 1915 lynching of American Jew Leo Frank, won two prizes, including best revival of a musical. Alfred Uhry, who wrote the book to the original 1998 production of Parade, wore a Star of David lapel pin when he came up to accept the award for best revival.

Michael Arden, the show’s director, noted in his speech that Leo Frank had “a life that was cut short at the hands of the belief that one group of people is more or less valuable than another,” which he noted is “at the core of antisemitism, of white

supremacy, of homophobia, of transphobia, of intolerance of any kind.”

Arden warned the crowd to learn the lessons of the show, “or else we are doomed to repeat the horrors of our history.”

While Parade took the top prize, as well as best director of a musical, its Jewish stars Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond both lost out in their categories — Platt to Some Like It Hot star J. Harrison Ghee, and Diamond to Kimberly Akimbo star Victoria Clark. But Platt and Diamond did share a moment onstage, performing the Parade number This Is Not Over Yet in character as an imprisoned Frank and his wife Lucille.

The non-Jewish actor Sean Hayes won best actor in a play for his role as Oscar Levant, the real-life Jewish concert pianist, actor, and entertainer who had lifelong struggles with mental illness, in Good Night, Oscar.

There were several other Jewish moments at the show. Jewish Broadway legends John Kander (96 years old) and Joel Grey (91 years old) received the evening’s lifetime achievement awards, with Grey’s actress daughter Jennifer Grey presenting him with his honor. Among the pair’s many achievements: Kander composed and Grey starred in Cabaret, a musical set in Weimarera Germany, and Grey mounted the recent successful Yiddish-language revival of Fiddler on the Roof. Kander is also the composer behind New York, New York, a new show whose musician characters include a Jewish refugee from Nazi-occupied Poland.

Miriam Silverman won the featured actress in a play award for her role in The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window, a revival of a long-overlooked Lorraine Hansberry play about a Jewish bohemian couple in 1960s Greenwich Village.

Lea Michele, despite not being eligible for a Tony for taking over for Beanie Feldstein in Funny Girl, performed her

signature tune from the show about the Jewish comedian Fanny Brice. A Beautiful Noise, a biographical jukebox musical about chart-topping Jewish pop crooner

Neil Diamond, also snuck in a performance of Sweet Caroline despite not being nominated for anything. The crowd gamely sang along.

Three from Tidewater to serve on Attorney General Miyares’ Antisemitism Task Force

Attorney General Jason Miyares announced the members of his Antisemitism Task Force earlier this month. The members were chosen through an application process and are from the Office of the Attorney General employees, law enforcement, educators, and leaders in Virginia’s Jewish community.

The Attorney General’s task force was announced in February and is the first of its kind in the United States. Its purpose is to monitor, gather information, educate, and coordinate with law enforcement regarding instances of antisemitism in the Commonwealth.

“As Attorney General, the safety of Virginians is my number one priority. Antisemitism is the world’s oldest form of bigotry and remains prevalent today. I’m excited to announce the successful and prevalent Jewish leaders and community partners joining my Task Force to take a step forward in preventing and combating antisemitism in the Commonwealth,” says Attorney General Miyares.

The Task Force includes, from Tidewater:

• David Brand, as chair of the Task Force. He serves as special assistant to the Attorney General for Outreach.

• Robin Mancoll, chief program officer, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.

• Michael Goldsmith, Secure Community Network (SCN) regional security advisor. Former Norfolk Virginia Chief of Police. Other members include:

• Christine Lambrou Johnson, Senior Assistant Attorney General, Office of Attorney General Section Chief of

Office of Civil Rights.

• Meredith R. Wiesel, Anti-Defamation League (ADL) regional director.

• Daniel Staffenberg, CEO, Jewish Community Federation of Richmond.

• Mark B. Rotenberg, vice president, University Initiatives and Legal Affairs, Hillel International.

• Vicki E. Fishman, director, D.C. and Virginia Government and Community Relations for Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Greater Washington.

• Joel Taubman, candidate for the Virginia Bar. Former Law Clerk, the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law.

• Bruce Meyer, former chairman of the Virginia Community College System and board member for over eight years.

The Virginia Attorney General’s Antisemitism Task Force brings together community leaders from across the Commonwealth to address antisemitism and support the work of the Office of the Attorney General. The Task Force marshals the expertise of an agile group of attorneys, professionals, and law enforcement officials to confront the scourge of antisemitism inserting itself in public and private spheres. The Task Force’s mission centers around four objectives to combat antisemitism in the Commonwealth: educating, monitoring, information-gathering, and coordination with law enforcement.

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About the cover: David Leon, incoming UJFT president, with Laura Gross, outgoing UJFT president, at the Biennial meeting. Photography by Mark Robbins.

NYPD reports decrease in anti-Jewish hate crimes

The New York Police Department has reported 100 anti-Jewish hate crimes in the city since the start of the year, a decrease of some 20% when compared to the same period last year.

Anti-Jewish incidents have comprised nearly 45% of the 223 total hate crimes the NYPD has reported this year. Jews are targeted for hate crimes more than any other group in the city and have been the victims of a plurality of hate crimes each month. These incidents include assaults, vandalism such as swastikas being drawn in front of synagogues, verbal harassment, and more.

A recent audit by the Anti-Defamation League found that there was a 39% increase in antisemitic incidents in New York State last year, from 416 in 2021 to 580 last year. The ADL report said that antisemitic incidents spiked 36% nationwide last year.

This year, Jewish security groups, including the New York-based Community Security Service and Community Security Initiative, teamed up with the ADL to form the Jewish Security Alliance, an effort to share resources and information to better fight hate in the tri-state area.

The ADL also opened an office in Brooklyn, which it called the “epicenter” of antisemitic assaults. The ADL’s antisemitism also found that the majority of antisemitic assaults last year targeted Orthodox Jews, and that of the 111 assaults tallied nationwide, 52 took place in Brooklyn.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has a close relationship with the Orthodox community and frequently speaks out against antisemitism. Governor Kathy Hochul has also made multiple public statements denouncing antisemitism. (JTA)

Israeli officer censured over accidental shooting death of Palestinian toddler

The Israel Defense Forces censured an officer for actions that contributed to the mistaken killing of a Palestinian toddler and said the incident revealed “gaps in the command and control of the commanders” who were involved.

On June 1, an IDF soldier shot 2-year-old Mohammed Tamimi and injured his father Haitham Tamimi while responding to a shooting near the Israeli West Bank settlement of Halamish, also known as Neve Tzuf. The toddler died of his wounds several days later.

This year has seen an escalation of violence in the West Bank, as more than a dozen Israeli civilians have been killed in terror attacks, and more than 100 Palestinians — both militants and civilians — have been killed amid clashes with Israeli forces. On June 13, one Israeli civilian and four soldiers were injured in a Palestinian shooting in the West Bank.

A recently completed IDF investigation of the June 1 incident found that the Tamimis were shot when a soldier fired at them after receiving permission from

his commander, mistakenly thinking they were the Halamish gunmen.

At around the same time, however, another officer fired into the air, contrary to orders. The investigation said that the soldier who shot the Tamimis heard that gunfire and thought it came from Palestinian attackers, prompting him to fire.

The IDF is censuring the officer who fired into the air contrary to orders and is still deciding whether to further investigate the incident.

“The investigation revealed gaps in the command and control of the commanders in the incident, as well as in the reports and dialogue between the forces in the field which led to wrong decision-making,” the IDF investigation said.

Maj. Gen. Yehuda Fox, the IDF’s Central Command chief, said that he “regrets the harm to civilians and the death of the toddler. We will continue to learn and improve in order to precisely target terrorism.” (JTA)

“The all-time attendance record for MetLife Stadium of 93,000 people was set by the 12th Siyum HaShas on August 1, 2012,” the note reads. Sheeran’s attendance figure was reportedly the largest ever for a concert at the stadium.

Those who participate in Daf Yomi all study the same page of Talmud every day, and it takes roughly seven and a half years to get through all 2,711 pages of the rabbinic code of law. The most recent Siyum HaShas celebration took place in January 2020, also at MetLife Stadium, and the next one is scheduled for June 2027. Women have been admitted to the event since 1990 and sit in a separate section from the rest of the attendees.

Orthodox Twitter users reacted to the note with a mixture of amusement and pride.

“As one of the 93,000 attendees of the Siyum HaShas at @MetLifeStadium in 2012 (and 2020), I officially endorse this Community Note,” Joel Petlin, superintendent of schools in the Hasidic New York town of Kiryas Joel, wrote. “Sorry @edsheeran, @AgudahNews still has the record.” (JTA)

Golda Meir biopic starring Helen Mirren gets US release date

British singer-songwriter

Ed Sheeran came close to setting the attendance record at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday, June 11 drawing a crowd of 89,106 concertgoers.

The current record-holder? A celebration of Talmud study in 2012 that filled the seats and stands with 93,000 people, most of them Orthodox men.

That gathering, called the Siyum HaShas, marked the completion of the seven-and-a-half year cycle of Daf Yomi, the practice of studying one double-sided page of Babylonian Talmud per day.

The 2012 ceremony re-entered social media discourse due to a tweet from PopCrave, an entertainment news company with 1.4 million followers on Twitter. Its tweet read, “Ed Sheeran breaks the all-time attendance record at MetLife Stadium with a reported crowd of 89,000 people. It is his biggest US show to date.”

The tweet has been viewed nearly 6 million times, but hours after it went up, a box of text appeared below it, fact-checking its claim and citing the Siyum HaShas attendance. The text feature, known as a Community Note, provides context to tweets that contain inaccurate or misleading information.

The Community Note tacked onto the PopCrave tweet was written by a contributor identified on the platform with the alias “Futuristic Mountain Seagull.”

Abiopic of Golda Meir, the Israeli prime minister who helmed Israel during the Yom Kippur War, is set to hit screens just one month shy of the conflict’s 50th anniversary.

Golda, directed by Oscar-winning Israeli filmmaker Guy Nativ and starring Oscar-winning actor Helen Mirren, will begin playing in theaters on Aug. 24. The film is set during the three-week war, which began as a surprise attack on Israel launched by Egypt, Syria, and a number of allies on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. It will focus on Meir’s decision-making during the war, her complicated relationship with U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (played by Liev Schreiber), and her legacy around the world.

Israel’s first and, so far, only female prime minister, Meir was born in Kyiv and grew up in Milwaukee before immigrating to Israel. She served as prime minister from 1969 to 1974. While she has historically been admired by American Jews, her legacy in Israel – particularly regarding her conduct before and during the Yom Kippur War – is more controversial. She resigned as prime minister months after the war ended and died in 1978.

In addition to Mirren and Schreiber, the film stars Israeli actors Lior Ashkenazi as IDF Chief of Staff David “Dado” Elazar and Rami Heuberger as Defense Minister Moshe Dayan.

Golda had its world premiere in February at the Berlin Film Festival, and will open the Jerusalem Film Festival in July. That event will be held at Sultan’s Pool, the outdoor amphitheater located directly under the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City.

Mirren has already received critical acclaim for her performance in the role, which required makeup and prosthetics so that she would resemble Meir. Mirren is neither Jewish nor Israeli, which prompted some scrutiny regarding her casting. (JTA)

Ed Sheeran is popular — but not as popular as the Talmud, according to MetLife Stadium attendance

TORAH THOUGHT

Rabbi Jill Hammer

This article originally appeared on My Jewish Learning.

(JTA) — My mother died in February, and since then I’ve been caring for her home. At the time of her death, she had over a hundred plants — and that’s only inside the house. Outside, there were hundreds more — roses and lilacs and dahlias, lilies of the valley and irises and daffodils, violets and honeysuckle and sunflowers. They bloom in almost all seasons, from late winter to late autumn. Except when the ground is frozen, there is never a moment when something is not blooming in my mother’s garden. And she celebrated when they bloomed, whether once a season or once every 10 years. They were, in many ways, the great work of her life, and it’s powerful for me to be caring for them now.

I grew up surrounded by those plants. I ate wild strawberries, chestnuts, and pears. Once, I dug up some daffodils near the creek and moved them to my “garden” in the woods. My mother was furious (though those daffodils still bloom in the woods every spring). I planted peas with my father and watched him guide the young bean plants up their poles. I noted when the violets came out and when the chestnuts fell from their trees. For me, as for my mother, the plants are their own kind of people — beings I try to nurture, appreciate, and understand.

So, it’s moving to me that the Jewish tradition sees plants in a similar way — as beings with voices. Psalm 96:12 states: “Let the fields rejoice and all that is in them; let the trees of the forest sing for joy.” Psalm 17:33 proclaims: “Let the trees of the forest sing at the presence of God.” In Psalm 48:8, the fruit trees offer praise. In Isaiah 55:12, the trees clap hands.

Maimonides understood these verses to be metaphors, but the Midrash — writings that fill in gaps in biblical texts — claims that trees do in fact speak with one another and with other creatures, and that they discuss the earth and its well-being. The Jerusalem Talmud too understands these verses expansively, saying that when Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai began to teach mystical secrets, the trees started to sing. The Zohar, the mystical Torah commentary, imagines that when the Creator visits the Garden of Eden at midnight, the trees burst into song. This description of plants reflects the way many of us experience plants — as alive, and in relationship to us. And it’s likely they reflect how our ancestors did too. Many indigenous spiritual practitioners consider plants to possess intelligence, so it’s certainly possible our ancestors saw plants this way as well. And it might be time for us to be mindful of this too, given that we are breathing in what plants breathe out, and vice versa.

A team of researchers at Tel Aviv University has recently discovered that plants make sounds, albeit at a frequency we can’t hear, and that they make more sounds when distressed. This claim was made long ago in the Midrash, which teaches that when a tree is cut down, its cry goes from one end of the world to the other, but no one hears. How differently might we act if we could hear the cries of trees and plants? And how much richer might we be if we could tune into their songs?

Indeed, this might not be as far-fetched as it sounds. In some kabbalistic understandings, we have plant consciousness inside us. According to the mystic Hayyim Vital, plants are a category of beings known as the tzomeach — the growing ones. They exist among four kinds of living creatures: humans, animals, plants, and stones (yes, even stones are considered beings). Even God has plant-like aspects: The kabbalists call the structure of the divine personality the Tree of Life, and in the Zohar, the Divine Presence is called the gan, the garden, or the chekel detapuchin kadishin, the holy apple orchard.

I invite all of us to celebrate, protect and listen to these green beings, these creatures who eat light and who create the very air we breathe.

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

Summer is almost here. It’s time to learn the Torah of the garden.

Forever Helping Others

Missouri school board votes not to ban ‘Maus’ from district bookshelves following criticism

Philissa Cramer, Andrew Lapin (JTA) — A Missouri school board has decided not to ban Maus, the graphic memoir about the Holocaust, after considering doing so because of a new law barring the distribution of “explicit sexual material” in schools.

The board of Nixa Public Schools voted unanimously on Tuesday, June 20 to retain Art Spiegelman’s awardwinning book in local schools.

Spiegelman himself was among those exhorting the board of Nixa Public Schools, a district of about 6,000 students in Christian County just south of the city of Springfield, not to remove his book and several others.

The board voted to remove or restrict six other books. Two — a graphic version of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Blankets, a graphic memoir about leaving Christianity — were removed out of concern that they violated the law, which prescribes penalties for distributing sexually explicit material to students. The board also voted to remove two books in response to parent challenges, and to make two others available at parent request only.

“The board wanted to review anything that might violate the new law to offer protection to staff if they decided to keep it, since there is a criminal offense aspect to the law,” Zac Rentz, a district spokesperson, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency by email. “The difference between those books would be they felt Maus didn’t violate the law and that the other books did.”

Rentz had previously told JTA that the board’s decision to review Maus for sexual content “should not be viewed as an attempt to limit students’ access to information about the Holocaust or be viewed as antisemitic. The district does not tolerate hate speech of any kind and has the teaching of the Holocaust as a part of various classes.

The material is being reviewed solely on the basis of the new state law in order to help protect the staff from legal action and place the decision on the board of education.”

Twenty-eight people spoke during the three-hour meeting, according to local news reports. Some argued in favor of keeping the books while others argued that children would be at risk if they were to encounter the material in their school libraries.

Spiegelman’s book was an early, visible casualty of the nationwide conservative-led movement to remove or restrict books from school libraries for perceived inappropriate content when a Tennessee district voted to remove Maus from its middle

school curriculum last year. There, school board members cited profanity in the book and a drawing of a naked mouse, which represented the author’s mother after she died by suicide.

At the time of the Tennessee district’s initial removal of Maus, Spiegelman spoke to a local Jewish federation about the controversy, saying it was “about controlling.” He has since appeared on CBS and in other media outlets as a leading voice for authors opposing restrictions on their books in schools.

Spiegelman worked with the literary free-speech advocacy group PEN America to lobby the Nixa board to retain his books and others that were on the chopping block. The book-banning movement has taken aim most squarely at books with LGBTQ+ content or books about racial equity, though Holocaust books and other books with Jewish content have been caught in the dragnet.

“We haven’t learned much from the past, but there’s some things you should be able to figure out,” Spiegelman said in an interview with the group. “Book burning leads to people burning. So, it’s something that needs to be fought against.”

interview with the group. “Book burning leads to

Attacks on Maus and other books are “a real warning sign of a country that’s yearning for a return of authoritarianism,” Spiegelman told the Washington Post. Reflecting on the wide array of books that have faced bans, he said, channeling the view of the bans’ proponents, “It’s one more book — just throw it on the bonfire.”

On Wednesday, June 21, PEN America criticized the Nixa board’s decision to remove or restrict books. “While Maus will thankfully remain on bookshelves, there is no reasonable basis for blocking student access to the other six books,” Kasey Meehan, PEN America’s Freedom to Read program director, said in a statement. “These new bans are an unfortunate –and predictable – outcome of legislation intentionally designed to suppress certain ideas.”

Some other Missouri school districts have interpreted the state’s new law barring the distribution of “explicit sexual material” to mean that comic books and graphic novels, in particular, could expose staff to legal liability. One district near St. Louis ordered staff to temporarily pull not only Maus, but also hundreds of other illustrated books, including several Holocaust history books for young readers.

We haven’t learned much from the past, but there’s some things you should be able to figure out. Book burning leads to people burning.

Elka Mednick

The Virginia Beach School Board met on Monday, June 12 to vote on, among other topics on their agenda, potential changes to the library media centers in each of the division’s schools.

The vote on the proposed change to the school’s library policy in Virginia Beach City Public Schools was the culmination of discussion that took place over many weeks. It had garnered both support and concern from Virginia Beach citizens of all backgrounds.

The proposed policy was to implement a review process for the digital and print items contained in each school library. Using a recently enacted law by the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Virginia Beach School Board has begun a process to identify materials that feature sexually explicit content and how to administer these items depending on the grade levels the library serves.

Many educational professionals and Virginia Beach community members voiced concern that the language used

in the proposal was vague and open to interpretation. Moreover, many classic and new titles would have been censored as a result of the policy.

The School Board’s vote of 5 in favor of the policy and 6 against, resulted in the measure failing. Kimberly Melnyk, who represents District 2, says, “It is important that we preserve access to important historical and cultural literary works and research. Policy 6-65 was an ambiguous policy defined by subjective criteria that could have created a gateway to book banning.”

One of the six members who voted against the measure, Melynk says the community outcry over the concern that students would no longer freely see themselves and their peers in the literature available to them served as a motivating factor for her vote. She says she received many calls and emails expressing alarm from constituents. “Community

engagement was the reason this policy did not pass and is the perfect example of why the voice of the people matters,” says Melnyk.

Pleased with the outcome, community leader and long-time educator Gail Flax says, “The opportunities to VBCPS students to continue to be exposed to different cultures and experiences were retained by the vote of the Virginia Beach School Board. Censorship limits a free exchange of ideas and the vote of our board members provides students the freedom to read books that challenge them to explore new ideas and to think critically. The board set a positive example of democracy by listening to the voices of the citizens of their communities and voting against limiting their reading autonomy.”

United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Jewish Community Relations Council and the Holocaust Commission will continue to follow this story.

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For

contact Elka Mednick, Holocaust Commission director, at emednick@ujft.org or 757-965-6100.

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THE PROPERTY

Cyber-crime is a growing national and global concern. In fact, according to the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), one in three homes in the United States have a computer

infected with malicious software, 65% of Americans who went online received at least one online scam offer, and 47% of American adults have had their personal information exposed by cyber criminals.

The Secure Community Network is

tracking multiple suspicious emails and phishing attempts across various communities throughout the U.S. Its Duty Desk is tracking more than 400 phishing or suspicious email incidents so far this year in the Jewish community nationwide. While an event has not happened in Tidewater, it is important to stay ahead of the threat and be aware of these types of attacks. Phishing, in its various forms is serious – the potential loss of data or compromise of sensitive Personally Identifiable Information can devastate an organization.

Following are some definitions of the various forms of phishing and some strategies on how to avoid becoming a victim.

Phishing

A technique for attempting to acquire sensitive data, such as bank account numbers, through a fraudulent solicitation in email or on a web site, in which the perpetrator masquerades as a legitimate business or reputable person. It is a form of social engineering in that the perpetrators use methods to trick unsuspecting victims into thinking the message is legitimate, thereby getting the reader to click a link that downloads malware, ransomware, or elicits PII through the completion of a web form.

Spear Phishing

This is a technique closely aligned with phishing but is more insidious in that the perpetrators may pose as a CEO or procurement agent thereby adding gravity to the message. In these types of attacks, the fake CEO may ask for bank account information or ask the potential victim to wire money to a certain account. There is usually some urgency to the request. Additionally, the perpetrator may have enough information to target each potential victim with just enough facts to elicit the desired response. Another tactic is to send invoices that appear to be from a known vendor. These invoices may be loaded with malware or require the user to enter PII.

Whale Hunting

This is a type of spear phishing attack that

generally targets the executive level of the organization. The perpetrators usually target C-Suite executives using spear phishing methods.

Smishing

Using fraudulent text messages designed to trick individuals into sharing sensitive data such as credit card numbers, bank account information, or PII.

Don’t Be a Victim

All these attacks rely on someone taking an action either by clicking a malicious link or divulging sensitive data. Examine emails closely before clicking on any link or replying with sensitive data.

Hover over any link or any email address to see if the domain makes sense. Take a minute and think before you click on any link in a message. Ask the following questions before acting:

• Does this email make sense?

• Am I expecting this message from my CEO/Finance Director/Supervisor?

• Do the domains match the email address?

• Am I expecting this invoice from this vendor?

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Other safety actions

• Keep virus definitions and antivirus programs updated.

• When in doubt, call the alleged originator of the message for confirmation.

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Mike Goldsmith is the SCN Regional Security Advisor for Tidewater. He may be reached at MGoldmith@ujft.org.

Mike Goldsmith

37 people signed Israel’s Declaration of Independence. A new podcast explores their legacy.

Deborah Danan

TEL AVIV (JTA) — Israel’s Declaration of Independence has taken central stage this year in the country’s divided politics — sometimes literally, as when Israelis opposed to proposed changes to the judiciary carried a massive version in their protests.

Now, the Declaration of Independence is also the subject of a new podcast from the producers of Israel Story, which its creators say is the most listened-to Jewish podcast in the world.

“Signed, Sealed, Delivered?” is a deep dive into Israel’s founding document, called Megillat Haatzmaut in Hebrew. It was conceived before the judicial overhaul proposal as a way to capture the sweep of Israel’s history in advance of its 75th birthday, creator and host Mishy Harman says in an interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Harman says he was interested to learn more about the 37 signatories to the declaration, which plays a quasi-constitutional role in Israeli law, and their descendants.

“It’s sort of like a pointillist painting. When you look at them from afar, you think, well, it’s a pretty monolithic group,” Harman says. “Then when you delve in you see that actually, it was a very diverse group. I wondered whether, in the 75 years since the signatories put their name on the Megillat Haatzmaut, that diversity had expanded or shrunk.”

The podcast’s original, Hebrew-language incarnation was inspired by NPR’s This American Life and weaves together quirky personal anecdotes, interviews, and soundscapes to tell the story of Israel beyond the headlines. In 2014, Harman launched a sister podcast in English, now produced in partnership with The Times of Israel and The Jerusalem Foundation. (In 2018, Harman and the cast of Israel Story performed in Tidewater at Norfolk’s Waterside.)

From a Palestinian-Brooklynite on a hunt for a wife in the Tulkarem Refugee Camp to an Orthodox matchmaker whose dates take place just outside her apartment, the stories featured on the podcast shed light on questions of culture, identity, history, and — despite Harman’s avowed efforts — politics.

A decade later, Israel Story has several hundreds of thousands of listeners from more than 190 countries around the world, 60% of whom live in North America, according to the podcast’s analysis. Around 50% of listeners are not Jewish.

Harman recently spoke with JTA about the new podcast, how he threaded the politics needle and what surprised him most about how the descendants of the 1948 signatories had to say.

The interview is edited for brevity and clarity.

JTA: What’s the most surprising piece of feedback you’ve received from listeners?

MH: There are stories that we work on for many months and that are very alive in our own lives, but then they come out into the world and we never really know in what ways they’re going to impact listeners. From time to time, we hear from people who tell us that as a result of hearing an episode — an outcome of

label on them and within a second, you’ve constructed a whole sort of narrative about who that person is, who they vote for, what their Shabbat table looks like, what they did or didn’t do in the army, what they think about the gay pride parade and whether they go to demonstrations about the judicial reform or not. It obviates the need to actually listen and ask them what their story is.

our storytelling and craft — they adopted a child with Down Syndrome or moved to Israel or decided to come out as trans. It’s a cool thing to realize that stories have an impact and that they really change people’s lives.

JTA: Were you always a storyteller?

Mishy Harman: I think we’re all storytellers in some very fundamental way. I spent a lot of a lot of time in academia, I have a Ph.D. in history, and I always thought of history as a form of storytelling. And all of my years in universities, the things that stayed with me were stories rather than academic arguments. I think most of us experience life by telling stories.

JTA: Would you say your identity as a Jerusalem native informs your storytelling?

MH: It definitely does in a very clear, clear way. Jerusalemites have a tremendous advantage in that they wake up every morning into a reality which is complicated and is full of people trying to negotiate their various different narratives and coexist and live side by side. You walk in the streets and within a few steps you see people whose lifestyles and belief systems are very different from yours. You see somebody and you take in what they have or don’t have on their head, or what color skin they have, or what clothes they’re wearing, and immediately, put a

By removing that visual element, we allow listeners the gift of being able to suspend their judgments for a little bit and listen — really listen — to the story of somebody who they wouldn’t otherwise talk to or meet in the real world, allowing people to train their muscles of empathy. Which I think is a good thing in our society in general.

JTA: I’d love to talk about your new series called “Signed, Sealed and Delivered,” marking Israel’s 75th anniversary. How did it come to be?

MH: We set out to tell these complicated, nuanced details of Israel in a way that has nothing to do — and we’re very intentional about this — with hasbara [public diplomacy]. We’re not interested in having people like Israel or support Israel. We’re Israelis, we live here, we find our society to be interesting and we want to tell stories to hopefully make other people also interested in Israel. What they think about Israel is their own business, obviously. And as such, we’ve resisted many, many offers by various different official sources of funding. We also tell stories in which Israel doesn’t look so good.

Back in September, so before the last round of elections and definitely before the judicial reform and the demonstrations, we had this idea to go back to Megillat Haatzmaut,

Continued on page 10

Mishy Harman

ISRAEL

which of course has since become sort of a rallying call of the demonstrations, and see the way in which the founders of the state envisioned Israel and how Israel has fared in various different ways. We’re an apolitical organization. We try to shy away from overtly political content, which is always a tricky question, because obviously, the follow-up question is, what is political content?

JTA: A story of someone buying a hat in Israel is political …

MH: I completely agree. But we weren’t interested in being another voice in this sort of cacophony of voices about Israeli politics. I was reading Megillat Haatzmaut again and then I went down to the signatures and started reading up about them. I was interested to see who these people were, and what became of them. Because the interesting thing about this group of 37 men and women who signed the Megillah is that even though there were no non-Jews — and let’s just put that on the table because it’s an important fact to state — it’s sort of like a pointillist painting. So, when you look at them from afar, you think, well, it’s a pretty monolithic group of Russian and Polish Mapainikim [members of the Mapai political party, a democratic socialist party helmed by then-Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion that was a precursor to the present-day Labor Party]. And then when you delve in you see that actually, it was a very diverse group. There were revisionists,

communists, haredim, atheists, young and old, Mizrahim and Ashkenazim — in skewed numbers — and men and women, again, obviously, in skewed numbers.

I wondered whether, in the 75 years since the signatories put their name on the Megillat Haatzmaut, that diversity had expanded or shrunk.

Out of the 37 signatories, 14 still have children who are alive, and the rest have grandchildren or nieces and nephews and stuff like that. We set out to locate the closest living relatives of each one of the signatories and interview them, both about their ancestors and also about the promise of the Megillat, the ways in which we lived up to that promise, the ways in which we didn’t live up to that promise.

We tried to have each episode address a different facet of Israeli society. We also have a bunch of bonus episodes, including one about the word “God” which famously doesn’t appear explicitly in the Megillat, and one about the word “democracy,” which also famously doesn’t appear.

JTA: Was there anything you learned that you didn’t expect?

MH: Yes. Obviously, every interview has its own surprises. For example, in the episode about Sa’adia Kobashi, who was the lone Yemenite signatory of the Megillat Haatzmaut, we interviewed his son, Avinoam Kobashi, who is himself 91 years

old and from a very, very traditional background. Yet when we spoke to him, his main critique of Israel today was the lack of religious pluralism at the Western Wall and the fact that women can’t pray [with a Torah scroll] there, which is a surprising thing and not exactly what you would imagine he’d say.

I would say as a whole, looking at the entire project, what was surprising to me is that while we do have a very wide range of opinions — from descendants who talk about Israel as a Judeo-Nazi state or like Ben Gurion’s grandson who talks about Israel as an apartheid state, all the way to descendants who say that democracy isn’t a Jewish value and not something that we should aspire to — I expected there to be a pretty even distribution among the descendants in terms of their positioning within Israeli society, and to my surprise, I would say that the vast majority, the bulk of the people that we talk to, are squarely within the center-left camp.

They are definitely horrified by the judicial reform and many of them are very active in the protests. I found that surprising. We had very, very few Bibistim [Netanyahu supporters] which is surprising given the fact that the Likud is the most popular party in Israel. There were people who are much more right-wing than Bibi, but as a whole, the group tended to lament the fact that we are not living up to the notions of equality, irrespective of race and ethnicity and gender, that were stipulated in Megillat Haatzmaut.

Health Care in the Jewish Community

Dear Readers,

One of the most accurate truisms, in my opinion anyway, is “If you have your health, you have everything.” Of course, until we or someone close to us faces a medical challenge, the saying seems to be reserved for “older people.” It is in fact, true for all ages, which might explain the proliferation of health and exercise-oriented programs and articles.

After all, while genetics play a major role in our medical makeup, there are steps we can take to keep ourselves and our families on a somewhat healthy track. Hence, the articles in this section cover an array of medical related topics and celebrate a couple of area physicians.

On the next page, for instance, we have an interview with Dr. Ira Lederman, an ophthalmologist, who at 86, will retire at the end of this month. His story is uplifting, interesting, and inspiring. . .in fact, he has inspired several to go to medical school!

Receiving a cancer diagnosis can be life changing. On page 16, Sharsheret, the national Jewish breast cancer and ovarian cancer organization, provides seven ways to offer support to friends or loved ones facing the disease.

Steven Warsof, MD, EVMS professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, recently received an Inside Business Health Heroes award. A much-deserved recipient, Warsof has shared his medical expertise way beyond Tidewater. Mazel Tov! Page 18.

Among this section’s other articles, also on page 18, is one about an innovative approach to preventing and healing strokes developed by an Israeli startup. The system just won a top prize at Hebrew University.

Even if this section doesn’t inspire you to go to medical school, perhaps it’ll encourage you to get your checkups, know your family’s medical history, and . . .eat your vegetables.

All of us at Jewish News wish you thousands and thousands of healthy days ahead!

L’Chaim!

Terri Denison Editor

Ira Robert Lederman, MD sets his sights on retirement

After more than 55 years in practice as an ophthalmologist in Tidewater, Ira Lederman, MD, is retiring on June 30, 2023.

At 86, he has had a very long and prestigious career, holding many important positions, including serving as president of the Virginia Ophthalmology Society and president of Temple Israel.

“He had very humble beginnings, as he grew up with his family of four in a one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn, N.Y.,” says his daughter, Beth Johnson. “He was the first to attend college in his family.

“To this day, my father continues to see patients and has remained active in the medical community by volunteering his time interviewing medical student applicants for EVMS. His patients and the office staff love him. He has been practicing medicine for so long that in some cases he has been the ophthalmologist for families for three generations. He loves being a doctor and serving his patients and his community. I know his patients will miss him and he will miss them,” says Johnson.

“He has inspired my son (his grandson) who is currently a medical student at EVMS to follow in his footsteps.”

For his last day in the office, June 27, 2023, Lederman’s three children, Steve Lederman, Laura Marcus, and Beth Johnson scheduled appointments so they can be his last patients before retirement.

Looking toward his retirement from medicine, Jewish News took the opportunity to ask Dr. Lederman to reflect on his family, medical career, and how he got to Tidewater.

Jewish News: Where were you born and where did you grow up?

Ira Lederman: I was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y.

JN: Where did you receive your education?

IL: 1962: Graduated from Medical School: State University of NY (Downstate) in Brooklyn

1962-1963 Internship: Jewish Hospital of Brooklyn

1963 – 1966 Residency: Medical College of Virginia (now VCU)

While a resident also a NIH research trainee

1966-1968: Captain in US Army Medical Corps and Chief of Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat at Kenner Army Hospital at former Fort Lee, Virginia.

JN: Why did you choose ophthalmology?

IL: I wanted to do something that had medicine and surgery and in a field in which I could develop long-term relationships with patients.

Some patients I have seen over 50 years. Several patients I saw as children and are now on Medicare.

JN: Please tell us about your wife and children.

IL: I have been married for 62 years to Joan Lederman. I met my wife on a blind date (we

are still friends with the woman who introduced us). I took her to her Senior Prom. My wife supported us for the first two years of our marriage working as a teacher. She went back to school after her children were in grade school and became a social worker at De Paul Hospital until her retirement.

I have three children: Steve Lederman, Laura Marcus (Jeff Marcus), and Beth Johnson (Brent Johnson). Steve is a Virginia Beach resident and Beth lived in Norfolk until October 2022 and now lives near Laura in Georgia.

I have eight grandchildren: Brock Johnson, Brannon Johnson, Melissa Marcus, Lindsey Marcus, Blair Lederman, Jason Marcus, Megan Lederman, and Sam Lederman – ranging from age 21 to 35.

JN: When do you begin practicing?

IL: 1966 – in the Army; July 1968 – in private practice.

JN: How and what year did you get to Norfolk?

IL: I moved to Norfolk in 1968 when I began private practice with Dr. Edwin Pearlman.

Continued on page 14

“For many decades, Dr. Ira Lederman has been a blessing to the community,” says Rabbi Michael Panitz.

“His service to a large circle of patients, and his leadership-by-example within Temple Israel and the South Hampton Roads Jewish community, have made our world a better place. He has helped us fulfill the Biblical quote, ‘By your light, oh God, do we see light.’

“At a funeral in 2015,” Rabbi Panitz continues , “I witnessed the son of the deceased – in the depths of sadness –suddenly see Dr. Lederman in attendance.

The younger man’s countenance brightened, and he said: ‘Dr Lederman, I must tell you this. When I was a teen, seeking my way, you allowed me into the gallery to observe a surgery. It inspired me to take up my practice of ophthalmology. You have stood behind the good I have done in this world.’”

Dr. Ira Lederman at De Paul Hospital.

=moved my family to Norfolk after being offered a job with Dr. Pearlman. I did not have a contract or an agreed upon salary, but I felt comfortable with Edwin. In all the years we practiced together, we never had an argument.

The practice grew to include Dr. Bonnie Reshefsky around the 80’s.

After selling my practice, I worked with Verdi Eye Specialists.

JN: Where was your office at Wards Corner?

IL: My office was directly next to Norfolk Collegiate High School and near Temple Israel. We sold the building to NCS in 2010. The Meredith Arts Center now sits in that location. Our practice then moved to Granby Street in the 3900 block.

JN: Did you ever gather with the other doctors at Wards Corner? If so, what was that like?

IL: I had frequent lunches at Melvin’s deli with other Jewish physicians and dentists from the Wards Corner area. Later we ate at Uncle Louis’

and the Pancake House.

There was a lot of comradery and friendship that developed over the years. I will always cherish those memories.

JN: Have you experienced many changes in your field? If so, what changes, in your opinion, are for the better? And, what for the worse?

IL: First, the improvements:

When I first started, cataract surgery patients were hospitalized for a week for each eye. Now, cataract surgery is outpatient and takes much less time and the patients are sent home within a few hours. The incision is much smaller and often sutures are not required.

The biggest change was the introduction of the operating microscope and the Intraocular lens, and patients do not need the thick glasses they once had to wear years ago.

Also, now technicians play a prominent role in the ophthalmologist’s office. For about the first 10 years of my practice, the physician did the entire exam and testing by himself.

The introduction of electronic medical

records is also good.

And now, the negatives:

There is much more paperwork than there used to be and more discussion with the insurance company. The interaction among physicians has been reduced because patients are in the hospital a shorter time, which has led to less collegiality and a reduction in professional courtesy.

JN: We understand that you treated Russians who arrived in Norfolk during the 1980s. Was language a barrier? How would you give an eye exam?

IL: There was frequent use of interpreters. The young members of the family often knew enough English to interpret for their parents.

JN: Will you share some special memories or highlights of your career?

IL: I had one patient that did not realize I was still working, and I had seen her as a child. Once she realized I was still working, she sent a lovely note telling me how much her life changed after her eye surgery. She was crossed eyed and was often teased by other children. I was able to do a surgical procedure so that her eyes no longer crossed.

There was no ophthalmic equipment at Beth Sholom Village, but I arranged with an anonymous donor to give more than $20,000 towards the purchase of various pieces of ophthalmic equipment.

Twenty years ago, I was carjacked at gunpoint outside of the office – it was a brand-new car with about 300 miles. The police caught the perpetrator within an hour. Apparently, the perpetrator had been offered $3,000 from

a chop shop. During the police pursuit, he hit a telephone pole and totaled my car. I ended up buying a new car and received a $1,000 loyalty credit for being a repeat customer. What was particularly meaningful, was that Father Goumenis of the Greek Orthodox Church happened to be in the waiting room that day. He called me that night to find out how I was doing.

I had very close ties to many of my staff and enjoyed teasing and joking with them over the years. The most senior employee in the office was hired by me over 25 years ago, Clarita Chooran.

JN: Did you ever miss a day of work, other than scheduled vacation?

IL: Except for when I had a scheduled surgery or scheduled a vacation, I never missed a day of work.

When I was a resident, I had German Measles and as I was preparing to go to work, my wife stopped me.

JN: Where else have you worked?

IL: While I examined the vast majority of my patients at my office, I also spent time at Beth Sholom Village and Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital.

For many years, I volunteered at the De Paul Hospital Eye Clinic and the Eye Clinic at Norfolk General Hospital. I performed most of my eye surgeries at DePaul Hospital in Norfolk.

JN: Why did you wait until you were 86 to retire?

IL: Why would I retire and leave something so enjoyable and stimulating with the opportunity

Brannon Johnson (grandson), a third-year medical student at EVMS and Ira Lederman, MD at Johnson’s white coat ceremony. Lederman had the honor of putting the coat on his grandson for the ceremony. Typically, the EVMS faculty or staff put on the coats for the M1 students, but family members who are in the medical profession are allowed to come on stage to give the student their white coat.

of helping others at the same time? Also, working allows me the ability to get to know so many wonderful people.

JN: What are your plans for after June 30?

IL: I plan to sleep in the mornings. I am not certain of my plans other than to spend more time alongside my wife. I may audit some college classes.

JN: Any other thoughts?

IL: My hobbies include painting and playing the piano. For my 60th birthday, my wife purchased art lessons for me. I painted over 50 oil paintings, including portraits of family members.

It is a bittersweet experience retiring after 55 years of practicing medicine and saying goodbye to patients, many of whom I have treated for 30 to 40 years.

Ira Lederman’s Qualifications/Leadership/Honors

• Ophthalmologist, board certified, 1968

• American Academy of Ophthalmology, Fellow

• American college of Surgeons, Fellow

• Temple Israel, president, 1978-1980

• Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital and Beth Sholom Village, Ophthalmology consultant

• De Paul Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology chair for over 20 years

• Virginia Society of Ophthalmology – Board of Directors for over 25 years

• Virginia Society Ophthalmology, president, 1992-1994

• Virginia Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons (VSEPS), counselor emeritus

• American Academy of Ophthalmology, Counselor for Virginia, 6 years

• Eastern Virginia Medical School, joined the faculty in 1975. Worked through the academic ranks and attained the rank of Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology.

• Medical Society of Virginia and the Virginia Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons (formerly • Virginia Society of Ophthalmology), member for 50 years

• Volunteer conductor of interviews for medical school applicants

• Published multiple articles in peer review journals, gave talks in various locations, including a visiting lecture in Hong Kong

• Ophthalmic Technology Program 1984 - until closing, approximately 25 years later, co-founder and medical director

• EVMS, Department of Ophthalmology vice chairman, 1984-1994

• Old Dominion University College of Health Sciences, adjunct professor, 2011 – for approximately 5 years

• VSEPS, created the “Ira Lederman Legislative Vision Award” and gave this award out for many years to Virginia legislators in support of vision and Ophthalmology.

This award acknowledges one’s service to the public, particular and significant contribution to the profession of ophthalmology and the visual care and welfare of Virginia’s residents, and an exemplary commitment to enhancing the delivery of quality health care.

"Recently my mother required 12 hour per day personal care assistance. On short notice, Changing Tides Home Care provided the necessary assistance. They have been responsive to my mother's needs and have kept the family informed by telephone, text and portal. I am very pleased with their services.”

-Andrew H. Hook, President of Hook Law Center

Ira and Joan Lederman with children: Beth Johnson, Steve Lederman, and Laura Marcus.

Seven ways to offer support and Jewish strength to friends or loved ones facing cancer

Suzanne Kurtz Sloan

When Shoshana Polakoff, 40, received an unexpected breast cancer diagnosis three years ago, the mother of three young children needed extra support. Her friends, family, and Jewish community in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan immediately stepped up.

They organized help with after-school childcare, packed school lunches for her kids and sent her little notes of encouragement while Polakoff endured trying cancer treatments.

“I felt pounds lighter and overwhelmed by the chesed that mobilized so quickly,” says Polakoff, using the Hebrew term for kindness. “And the practical help was such an incredible gift.”

Too often, however, friends and loved ones of cancer patients are at a loss for how to respond when someone close to them is diagnosed with cancer.

“Often they feel just as thrown into this new reality as the woman herself and are not sure what to do next,” says Adina Fleischmann, chief services officer for Sharsheret, the national Jewish breast cancer and ovarian cancer organization.

This is especially the case for young people who might never have had a family member or friend diagnosed with cancer before.

Fleischmann — whose organization offers extensive resources for cancer patients, ranging from emotional support, mental health counseling, and education to financial subsidies for women and their families facing breast and ovarian cancer — has some guidance for what to say, how to reach out and what kind of help might be appropriate to provide in the face of a friend or family member’s cancer diagnosis.

It’s all about providing chizuk – Hebrew for strength – to the person facing cancer.

1. Establish the “Kvetching Order”

The “Kvetching Order,” based on a concept called the Ring Theory developed by clinical psychologist Susan Silk, dictates that those close to someone struggling with a cancer diagnosis offer only support to the cancer patient, and any kvetching about their own stress outward.

Thus, the person with cancer is at the center of a circle surrounded by a ring of her or his most intimate friends and loved ones. More distant concentric rings include other friends, acquaintances, more distant family, and community members.

Colloquially known as “comfort in, dump out,” the Kvetching Order establishes a flow of support directed toward the person facing cancer.

2. Be clear and specific with offers of help

Support can look and feel different to different people facing cancer; each person’s needs and life circumstances are unique. When younger women are diagnosed with cancer — as often is the case with ovarian or breast cancers, where 50% of new diagnoses are in women under age 63 — patients often need extra help managing their responsibilities as parents and/or career professionals.

“Let the woman guide the journey,” Fleischmann says of the cancer patient. “Follow her lead.”

Sharsheret suggests offering concrete, practical assistance, such as offering to take the patient’s child to after-school activities or helping with homework. Maybe offer to come over to help clean the house, do laundry, or pick up groceries and make dinner for the family.

“But give the woman the feeling of control,” Fleischmann says. “Let her be in control of your support.”

Thus, a concrete suggestion like, “Can I bring you pizza for dinner on Wednesday?” is better than a vague offer of “What can I do to help?”

3. Check in often but don’t expect a response

By all means reach out to the person facing cancer. But if they don’t respond to your phone calls, emails, or texts, don’t be put off.

“Sometimes the woman may not have the time or energy to respond,” Fleischmann says. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t continue reaching out. “She will appreciate knowing that you’re thinking of her.”

Polakoff found small gestures particularly meaningful.

“Little things meant a lot,” she says. “Like just a note that said, ‘I’m thinking of you. Have a good Shabbos.’”

4. Leave cancer out of it sometimes and just be with them

Kristen Harvey, who at 23 was faced with an ovarian cancer diagnosis for the second time, says it was important to have friends around her with whom she could talk about the future.

“Just being there was the best thing,” says Harvey, who recently graduated from college and lives in Michigan. “We didn’t need to do anything. I appreciated when people came over and we just hung out and watched a movie.”

Alexis Wilson, a teacher in Jupiter, Florida, says her friendships were essential during her breast cancer treatment. Before starting chemotherapy, her friends threw her a big party to which everyone showed up in different-colored wigs and decorated her yard with signs.

“My friends played a big role,” says Wilson, 39. “I felt like I wasn’t alone.”

5. Continue your support throughout someone’s cancer journey

For some women, “maintenance treatment” can last for many years beyond the active treatments of chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery. Women living with metastatic breast cancer, for example, usually continue treatment throughout their lives.

Fleischmann recommends checking in with a woman along every step of her cancer journey: not just the period of active treatment, but also during maintenance treatment, survivorship, and if she is living with metastatic or advanced cancer.

“It’s nice to know my friends and family continued to reach out once I was done with treatment,” Harvey says. “Back to normal doesn’t mean life is ever normal.”

There are often heightened emotional needs around anniversaries of certain cancer diagnoses or treatment dates, Fleischmann says, so marking these dates could be important.

6. Make sure you have your own support system

If you’re particularly close to the person with cancer, you may experience feelings of being overwhelmed yourself. It’s important to take care of your own emotional well-being and not dismiss it in the face of someone else’s more pressing illness.

“As a caregiver, you can be very easily drained without your own coping mechanisms,” Fleischmann says.

Make sure to take care of yourself physically and emotionally so that you have the capacity to attend to your friend or loved one’s needs.

7. Talk to your healthcare provider and safeguard your own health

Even while supporting a loved one or friend with breast or ovarian cancer, it’s important to safeguard your own health.

The BRCA genetic mutation that causes breast cancer and ovarian cancer is much more common among Ashkenazi Jewish women than in the general U.S. population. About 1 in 40 Ashkenazi Jewish women and men carry the mutation, compared to 1 in 400 in the general population. Ashkenazi Jewish men are also at elevated risk for melanoma and prostate and pancreatic cancer.

“Talk to your healthcare provider,” Fleischmann says. “Those whose family members are facing hereditary breast and ovarian cancer should speak with their doctor or genetic counselor to see how this may affect them, too, and learn about appropriate testing and precautions.”

This article was sponsored by and produced in partnership with Sharsheret, the national Jewish breast cancer and ovarian cancer organization. This article was produced by JTA’s native content team.

Hebrew University’s Startup prize goes to firm developing system to prevent and heal strokes

Avertto, a startup in the health field, emerged victorious in 2023’s highly competitive Asper Prize startup award. Presented by ASPER-HUJI Innovate, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, and the Asper Foundation, the award recognized Avertto’s outstanding achievement in using innovative technologies to make a positive global impact.

With 45 startups vying for the prestigious prize, the competition was substantial, showcasing ground-breaking solutions to significant challenges in various sectors such as healthcare, food security, global warming, education, and industrial manufacturing. These startups were founded by Hebrew University researchers, alumni, or relied on the University’s intellectual property while also meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s). The prize of NIS 100,000 was awarded to Avertto for developing a system to prevent and heal strokes.

Avertto works to prevent strokes and to heal the disease, instead of treating it. Strokes are a key cause of disabilities and endanger the lives of millions. If it is administered in time, treatment for stroke damage is efficient. Avertto aims for early intervention instead of treatment. Avertto has developed a system that monitors blood flow to the brain, detects any changes, and provides real-time alerts to enable timely treatment.

Throughout the competition, the entrepreneurs had the opportunity to pitch their startups to industry experts and high-ranking venture capitalists, opening doors to potential funding and partnerships. The five startups that reached the final round presented their ventures to the Board of Governors of The Hebrew University whose members are senior leaders from all over the world and who, along with a distinguished panel of judges, chose the winning startup. Among the five finalists were a diverse range of innovative startups.

• ANINA Culinary Art caught the judges’ attention with their mission to transform ”ugly vegetables” that are typically discarded into swift, tasty, and nutritious meals.

• Avertto impressed with their development of a medical device capable of real-time stroke detection, facilitating timely treatment.

• Daika Wood showcased their groundbreaking wood material created through the recycling of wood waste while maintaining its original properties.

• Quai.MD demonstrated their AI-powered solution that economically assists healthcare providers in complex medical diagnoses.

• RumaFeed utilized innovative molecular technologies to eliminate toxic chemicals in potato greenery, thereby preventing the wastage of millions of tons of potato leaves each year.

Dr. Amnon Dekel, director of the Center for Innovation at the university congratulated the fi nalists and gave details of the criteria for choosing the winning startup. “Thank you to all the startups that entered the competition and for their efforts to make the world a better place,” he said. “You, the brains behind the startups, are at the forefront of tomorrow’s world in that not only are you holding your own in the commercial world, but you are also serving as an important model for the world of sustainability.”

Steven Warsof: An Inside Business 2023 Healthcare Hero

Inside Business presented the 2023 Healthcare Heroes Awards to “recognize outstanding individuals and organizations that are making a noteworthy difference in healthcare across Hampton Roads” on Tuesday, June 20. The breakfast event took place at the Westin Virginia Beach Town Center.

Steven Warsof, MD, EVMS professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, was one of the honorees.

“It was a great honor to receive this award as a Healthcare Hero,” says Warsof.

“Although I have dedicated my professional life to providing health care to high-risk pregnancies in Hampton Roads, there remains much to do especially in the last few years as women’s reproductive rights are being challenged. As one of a few obstetricians who remember what things were like prior to Roe v Wade, I am saddened that we are going back to those times. I am concerned that once the government is allowed to take any right from women, what rights will the government be willing to take next.”

In addition to his advocacy, Warsof is involved with the medical community in Israel as well as in Hampton Roads.

In 2018, Warsof was made an honorary member of the Israeli Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology for his long-standing volunteer efforts at the Azoraeli School of Medicine of the Galilee at Bar Ilan University in Sfat Israel.

The following year, Warsof helped bridge the relationship between Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) in Norfolk and the Bar-Ilan University Medical School (BIUMS) in Safed, Israel, bringing Israeli exchange medical students to Tidewater. “Providing high quality community healthcare services to patients at risk both in America and northern Israel is among the major learning insights of medical students participating in the exchange program,” he said in 2019.

“With partnerships such as this, the future looks bright for these two institutions,” said Warsof.

Since the Israeli school opened in 2011, Warsof has taught on numerous occasions at BIUMS.

In an interview with Jewish News in 2015, Warsof noted, “Teaching in Safed combines my three passions— getting closer to my family in Israel, teaching obstetrics, and helping Israel in the best way I know how.”

Among his many volunteer activities, Warsof served as president of Temple Emanuel, beginning on June 5, 2018.

Gail Asper, chair of the Asper Foundation; Dr. Hila Ben-Pazi, co-founder and CEO of Avertto; Prof. Asher Cohen, president, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Yaniv Kirma, CTO Avertto; Ayelet Cohen, executive deputy director, Asper HUJI Innovate; Dr. Amnon Dekel, director of the Center for Innovation, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Credit: Bruno Sharvit

The Sacklers, Jewish family behind OxyContin, will pay $6B in deal that shields them from lawsuits

Andrew Lapin

(JTA) – The Sackler family, the Jewish billionaires whose marketing of the painkiller drug OxyContin fueled the United States’ ongoing opioid epidemic, will receive full immunity from all civil legal claims in exchange for spending up to $6 billion on addiction treatment and prevention programs.

The decision to grant immunity by a federal appeals court panel last month effectively ends the thousands of civil lawsuits that have been filed against Purdue Pharma, the Sacklers’ company, over opioid deaths.

But it clears the way for the company to declare bankruptcy, a move considered essential to a plan to pay out billions of dollars to help states and communities address the opioid crisis. Of the up to $6 billion allocated under the deal, about $750 million will go to people who became addicted to OxyContin, and to family members of people who died from overdoses.

The ruling reverses a lower court’s 2021 ruling that bankruptcy proceedings were an improper tool for shielding wealthy private citizens from legal repercussions. It does not grant members of the Sackler family immunity against possible future criminal charges.

In a brief statement sent after the publication of this article, the Sackler family welcomed the decision and said it is “critical to providing substantial resources for people and communities in need.”

Purdue founders Arthur, Mortimer, and Raymond Sackler were the sons of Jewish immigrants in Brooklyn who attended medical school in Scotland because American schools wouldn’t admit Jews at the time. Mortimer and Raymond introduced OxyContin in 1996, after Arthur had left the company; the family then made billions by aggressively marketing the drug for more than two decades, even amid signs it was driving users into opiate addiction.

The three brothers have all died, but other members of the family have retained control of Purdue Pharma and their wealth, estimated at about $11 billion two years ago.

The Sackler name had been a regular presence in philanthropic circles until the opioid lawsuits began building up in 2019, at which point many cultural institutions began refusing the family’s donations and removing their name from buildings. The Jewish artist and activist Nan Goldin spearheaded a grassroots movement opposing the family for years.

One notable beneficiary of the Sacklers, Tel Aviv University, resisted pressure to drop the Sackler name from its medical school — though the American-facing wing of its medical school quietly removed the Sackler name from its marketing materials last year. But on June 21, the university announced that the family “has kindly agreed to remove their name” from the medical school.

When a breast cancer diagnosis knocked me down, a network of Jewish women lifted me up

Karen E. H. Skinazi

(JTA) — On the way home from the hospital where I was given my diagnosis of grade 2 invasive lobular breast cancer, I directed my husband, through my tears, to stop at the kosher store.

“I don’t want to see anyone right now,” I said, knowing the inevitability of running into someone we knew in the small Jewish community where we live, “so can you go in?” He pulled into the parking lot. “We need challah,” I reminded him. It was Thursday, after all. The next evening was Shabbat. Time doesn’t stand still for cancer.

My hospital appointment took place two days after the front page of the New York Times declared: “When Should Women Get Regular Mammograms: At 40, U.S. Panel Now Says.” I was 48. Breast cancer has long been the second most common cancer for women, after skin cancer. It is also the most lethal after lung cancer. Statistically, though, most women affected are postmenopausal, so unless there was a specific reason to test early, women were screened regularly from the age of 50. Now, the advice has changed. Breast cancer is rising in younger women. For women in their 40s, the rate of increase between 2015 and 2019 doubled from the previous decade to 2 per cent per year. Why is this happening? Air pollution? Microplastics? Chemicals in our food? We don’t know.

In the days following my appointment, there was a proliferation of articles about the topic. Importantly, doctors explained that the cancer women are diagnosed with in their 40s tends to be a more aggressive type of cancer. Cancers in premenopausal women grow faster; many breast cancers, like mine, are hormone sensitive. (Got estrogen? Bad luck for you.)

When I posted the news about my diagnosis — on Facebook, because I’m an oversharing type — I was stunned by the number of friends my age, more discreet about their lives, who sent me messages to tell me they had recently gone through the same thing.

I’m not sure why I thought I was immune. Or maybe I didn’t — maybe I just never gave it much thought. Even when I found the lump on my breast, I was dismissive. I went to the doctor, and she asked if anyone in my family had had breast cancer. “Oh, who knows? They were all murdered,” I said blithely. Her eyes bugged. “In the Holocaust,” I added. “Your…mother? Grandmother? Sisters?” “Oh! No, no history of breast cancer in my immediate family.”

Add to that, my mother and sister both tested negative for the BRCA gene mutations, and that’s my Ashkenazi side. The thing is, though, most women who test positive for breast cancer have no family history of it.

But also, I’d done everything right! If you look through the preventative measures, I took all of them. I had three kids by 35, and I breastfed them. I have a healthy, mostly plant-based diet; I walk and cycle everywhere. I’m not a drinker or smoker. I eat so many blueberries!

Several articles emphasized the particular danger for Black women, with good reason: They have twice the mortality rate of white women. But as I did my research, I realized that Jewish women should also be on high alert. We’ve long known that one in 40 Ashkenazi women has the BRCA gene mutation, significantly raising the risk of breast cancer (50% of women with the gene mutation will get breast cancer) as well ovarian cancer, which is much harder to detect and far more deadly. So many of my friends who reached out to me to tell me of their breast cancer experiences are Jewish; interestingly, not one has the BRCA mutation. Are Jewish women generally more susceptible to breast cancer?

This seems to be an important area of future research.

Deafenbaugh PA-C Kim Pham NP-C

Dr. Gary Moss Dr. Greg Pendell Dr. Craig Koenig Dr. Marguerite Lengkeek

Hadassah Medical Organization opens medical facility in Beit Shemesh

Amajor Israeli hospital system, the Hadassah Medical Organization opened a medical facility this month in Beit Shemesh, Israel’s fastest-growing city, located 22 miles from Jerusalem. The new site, to be known as Hadassah Beit Shemesh, will bring Hadassah’s sophisticated medical services to the city, whose population is growing nine percent a year and already exceeds 150,000.

The new facility, located in the Migdal HaMayim neighborhood, will relieve Beit Shemesh inhabitants of having to travel out of town to receive specialized medical care.

The services will become available in

and Rhoda Smolow, national president of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America. The American group’s financial support helped make Hadassah Beit Shemesh possible.

“The opening of Hadassah Beit Shemesh is part of the Hadassah Medical Organization’s vision to provide services where people live,” said Weiss at the opening. “We want to enable residents of Beit Shemesh and the surrounding areas to easily benefit from Hadassah’s high-quality care.”

support both exemplary care for more than 1,000,000 people every year and world-renowned medical research. Hadassah serves without regard to race, religion, or

nationality. Hadassah also supports youth villages that set at-risk children in Israel on the path to a successful future.

stages, starting with cardiology, pediatric hematology, gastroenterology, gynecological surgery, the treatment of pediatric eating/feeding issues, and a pain clinic. The next stage will add children’s psychiatry, ophthalmology, nephrology, treatment for respiratory issues, and surgery in what will be two operating rooms.

The director of the new branch is Boris Vershitzky, MD, a Hadassah specialist in family medicine and cardiology.

Hadassah Beit Shemesh is the result of a multi-year partnership between the Beit Shemesh Municipality, headed by Mayor Aliza Bloch, and the Hadassah Medical Organization, led by Director General Dr. Yoram Weiss and Dalia Itzik, chair of the board of directors and former Speaker of the Knesset, Israel’s national legislature.

At the official opening on June 14, Israel’s Minister of Health, Moshe Arbel, and other dignitaries joined Weiss, Itzik,

“Just as the women of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, began their work in pre-state Israel by meeting the community’s medical needs, Hadassah Beit Shemesh, helped by our almost 300,000 members in the U.S., will bring expert medical care to the city’s growing population,” said Smolow. For more than a century, the Hadassah Medical Organization has set the standard for excellence in medical care and research in Israel. The experience and ingenuity of Hadassah’s doctors and scientists have yielded ideas with vast potential in all areas of medicine, including therapeutics, diagnostic medical devices, and digital health. In 2023, Newsweek named Hadassah a world leader in oncology, the only medical center in Israel to receive that honor, and one of the world’s top hospitals in cardiology and smart technology.

Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, is the largest Jewish women’s organization in the United States. With nearly 300,000 members, associates and supporters, Hadassah brings women together to advocate on such critical issues as ensuring Israel’s security, combating antisemitism, and promoting women’s health. Through the Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem, Hadassah helps

• Family owned and operated since 1917

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Chris Sisler, Vice President, Member of Ohef Sholom Temple, Board member of the Berger-Goldrich Home at Beth Sholom Village, James E. Altmeyer, Jr., President, James E. Altmeyer, Sr., Owner

Shavuot celebrated by area Conservative congregations

Lawrence Weinstein

The Conservative community gathered last month at Temple Emanuel to celebrate the second night of Shavuot with a Kabbalat Shabbat service, a simple but delicious dinner, and a communal Shavuot-teach from its rabbis and cantor.

More than 50 people from all four Conservative synagogues – Temple Emanuel, Temple Israel, Kehillat Bet Hamidrash (KBH), and Congregation Beth El – participated, along with Rabbis Ari Oliszewski, Michael Panitz, and Ron Koas and Chazan David Proser. Rabbi Ari and Chazan Proser led the Kabbalat Shabbat services with a mix of traditional and new melodies. Ken Kievit and the Temple Emanuel kitchen crew prepared and served the Shabbat dinner.

After dinner, the clergy led remarkably different and relevant discussions of Shavuot. Rabbi Ari presented a text-based exegesis of why Ruth is revered. Rabbi Panitz discussed aspects of biblical movies, including how each movie reflects the spirit of its era and the similarity between movies fi lling in back-stories to provide motivation for the story and rabbis fi lling in back-stories to provide motivation for the story, aka Midrash. Cantor Proser talked about Shavuot traditions and Rabbi Koas spoke about the Ten Commandments and learning to be parents and honoring children.

The fi nal event was a brief presentation of a beautiful biblical-era pot. And the miracle of this Shavuot is that the event was fi nished by 9 pm!

UP TO $10,000 TO START YOUR MEDICAL CAREER!

The Feldman Family Medical and Health Professions Student Scholarship of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation is awarded to Virginia Jewish students entering an Appropriate Health Care Degree Program. Learn more and apply now at bit.ly/tjf-feldman.

Town Hall to introduce Secure Community Network’s

Local Relationships Matter

Mike

Goldsmith to the community

Monday, July 10, 7:30 pm,

Sandler Family Campus

Mia Klein

United Jewish Federation of Tidewater with the Secure Community Network (SCN) continues to enhance the safety and security of Tidewater’s Jewish community. As part of this partnership, in April, Mike Goldsmith was appointed SCN Regional Security Advisor for Tidewater. Goldsmith is a former law enforcement officer and Deputy City Manager for the City of Norfolk, with nearly 35 years of experience in the field. He has worked in various capacities, including patrol operations, special operations, criminal and administrative investigations, and homeland security. He was appointed Chief of the Norfolk Police Department in 2012.

For SCN, Goldsmith is responsible for developing and administering a comprehensive program that provides risk mitigation, security consultations, assessments, and training to Jewish institutions throughout the region. He is also slated to teach SCN’s flagship training courses such as Be Aware: Introduction to Situational Awareness, Countering Active Threat Training, and Stop the Bleed®. Sessions are

scheduled for August. Details will follow in upcoming issues of Jewish News.

To introduce Goldsmith to the community, UJFT is hosting a Town Hall where he will discuss the national Jewish community’s security environment and best practices to make the local community safer. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions.

Joyner

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

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

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

The Town Hall event is an important step in ensuring the safety and security of Jewish Tidewater. With Goldsmith’s expertise and the support of the SCN, the community can look forward to a more secure future.

For more information, contact Mia Klein, program department coordinator, at mklein@ujft.org or 757-452-3184.

Our client relationships are anything but transactional. We are long-term partners, dedicated to the success of our clients, and most importantly, their people. 757-523-0605 paydaypayroll.com

Payroll Benefits

MEET: Karen

If you like 60 Minutes, you’ll love Ira Rosen Tuesday, August 1, 12 pm, Sandler Family Campus

Joel Rubin

Alot of familiar names are in Ira Rosen’s engrossing book, Ticking Clock, Behind the Scenes at 60 Minutes. Names such as Harry Reasoner and Ed Bradley, Leslie Stahl and Morley Safer are found throughout, but local TV viewers of a certain age will also remember Byron Pitts, who worked alongside me as a reporter at WAVY TV for two years in the mid 80’s. I obviously didn’t know Baltimore-born Pitts well enough because Rosen writes that he overcame a tough childhood (Pitts was “functionally illiterate” until age 12) to pursue not just a post in Portsmouth, but a correspondent’s job at 60 Minutes. He went from WAVY to Orlando, Tampa, D.C., and N.Y. where he won an Emmy for his coverage of 9/11. And he fulfilled his dream, landing on the air at 60 Minutes where Ira

Rosen was an occasional segment producer for the young and hungry reporter – the only African American on the show at that time.

I’ll ask Rosen, who joined 60 Minutes in 1980 at the age of 26, about Mr. Pitts (who is now at ABC) when he comes to the Simon Family JCC for a book festival gathering, but most of the interview will focus on more famous people with whom he interacted, including Mike Wallace, the curmudgeonly face of 60 Minutes for whom the author was a principal producer. (“I was trapped with Mike Wallace,” Rosen writes.) You will learn that it’s the intrepid producers who typically find and set up the stories, track down the subjects, and arrange the interviews. Rosen did this with everyone from Yasir Arafat and Jimmy Carter to Larry Flynt, Muhammed

Ali, Marlon Brando, and Dr. Strangelove (Edward Teller.)

But it was the great issues of the time that Rosen also pursued, from Three Mile Island to Nazi war criminals being allowed into the U.S., from Jesse Jackson’s meteoric rise in politics to the Italian mob. (Wait until he talks about his relationship with the Gotti family). For me, learning how he found stories was intriguing. At 60 Minutes, Rosen seemingly had an unlimited travel budget and would hop on flights just to search for stories that could become fodder, for say, a Steve Croft feature.

What a luxury, but also an intense responsibility because the competition among correspondents and producers was stiff. And of course, Rosen had to put up with Wallace who could be as cruel to those assigned to him as he was to female staffers

that he allegedly assaulted.

On the 60 Minutes team, Wallace wasn’t the only boor involved with the broadcast, says Rosen, who pulls no punches in his description of the work environment at CBS New York.

Yet 60 Minutes, presumably tamer today inside, remains a vital American institution and a highly desirable career objective for any journalist. Sharon Alfonsi, who was a reporter at WVEC in Norfolk in the late 1990’s, reached 60 Minutes in 2015, and in 2018, Paul McCartney admitted to her on air that he couldn’t read music, was wildly insecure, and worried about his legacy.

Rosen left 60 Minutes for a while for ABC where he launched the use of hidden cameras and worked alongside Diane Sawyer and Sam Donaldson on 20/20 and Primetime Live. But certainly, it’s his first glamour job that defines his life, and ours.

Frankly, despite the faults Rosen details, I love 60 Minutes. When the clock strikes 7 pm on Sundays (or later during the darn NFL season when the 4 pm game runs late), it is appointment viewing in my household. And I’m rarely disappointed, so when I learned that one of its most noted producers was coming to town, I practically demanded that I have the chance to spend time on stage with Ira Rosen. I wolfed down his book and invite you to as well, either before August 1 or right after you hear him that day at lunch.

Ira Rosen will speak at the Simon Family JCC at 12 pm on Tuesday, August 1. $12 admission, $6 for ages 55+ (lunch included). $27 for lunch and signed book. Special pricing for lunch and book ends July 25. For more information and to register, visit JewishVA.org/BookFest or contact Hunter Thomas at HThomas@UJFT.org.

The Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival is held in coordination with the Jewish Book Council, the longest-running organization devoted exclusively to the support and celebration of Jewish literature.

CALENDAR

JUNE 29, THURSDAY

Who Knows One? Ohef Sholom Temple presents the innovative game show that combines Six Degrees of Separation and Jewish geography. $18; $50 per family. Includes wine and beer. 7 pm. For more information, 757-625-4295 or www.ohefsholom.org.

JUNE 30, FRIDAY

Jewish Family Service of Tidewater 66th Biennial Meeting. JFS will extend appreciation to board members, recognize Anne Kramer, outgoing board president, welcome new president, Scott Flax, present community awards and discuss the agency’s services. 12 – 2 pm. Fleischmann Lounge, Sandler Family Campus. RSVP to brush@jfshamptonroads.org.

JULY 9, SUNDAY

Sunday Fun Day. Join PJ Library in Tidewater at the Sandler Family Campus outdoor waterpark for Sunday Fun Day. Pack the sunscreen and towel and enjoy an afternoon of fun under the sun with music, water toys, and a free snow cone from KONA ICE. Kosher hot dogs and hamburgers poolside will be available for purchase. 1-4 pm. For more information and to register, visit JewishVA.org/PJ or contact Nofar Trem at NTrem@UJFT.org.

JULY 10, MONDAY – JULY 13

Swordfish Swim Clinic. 4-Day Swim Clinic will help your child improve their technique whether preparing for the swim team or becoming a stronger swimmer.

Taught by JCC Swordfi sh Team Head Coach Leia Sabatini. $65 (with a $15 discount for JCC members) Metzger Outdoor Aquatic Center at the Simon Family. 6-7 pm. Jewishva.org/swim-clinic.

JULY 10, MONDAY

Secure Community Network (SCN) Town Hall. United Jewish Federation of Tidewater is hosting a Town Hall to share details of UJFT’s partnership with the Secure Community Network, introduce Tidewater’s new Regional Security Advisor, and offer details as to how we are working together to make Tidewater’s Jewish institutions safer. 7:30 pm. Sandler Family Campus. For more information and to register, visit JewishVA.org or contact Mia Klein at Mklein@ujft.org

JULY 20, THURSDAY

Moon Circle Gathering. A monthly gathering to connect more deeply with each other and the sacred flow of the Hebrew calendar. For Rosh Chodesh, this is a time for self-reflection and rituals that will help connect with this ancient legacy, learn from Jewish wisdom and embrace the unique spiritual energy of each month. 6:46 pm. Sandler Family Campus. Registration required, $7 donation suggested. Jewishva.org/Moon

AUGUST 1, TUESDAY

Ticking Clock: Behind the Scenes at 60 Minutes with Ira Rosen

Writer and producer Ira Rosen reveals the intimate, untold stories of his decades at 60 Minutes, America’s most iconic news show. Presented by the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Simon Family JCC’s Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival. 12 pm. $12 admission, $6 for ages 55+ (lunch included). $27 for lunch and signed book. Special pricing for lunch and book ends July 25. For more information and to register, visit JewishVA.org/BookFest or contact Hunter Thomas at HThomas@UJFT.org.

C AREER O PPORTUNITY

Y OUN G A DU L T D IVIS ION A SSOCI A TE ( Y AD)

The UJFT seeks an ambitious, energetic candidate for the position of Young Adult Division Associate, to support the development of a best-in-class Young Adult Division (22- 45-years-old) program; to actively engage this population in Jewish life and offer multiple entry points for involving them in Federation and the greater Tidewater Jewish community. Primary responsibility will be outreach and volunteer engagement, event planning, campaign operations and administrative tasks.

A Bachelor's degree is required (preferred degree in business, marketing, office administrative operations & logistics or related field from an accredited college or university), with a proven track record with program development and volunteer management. Ideally, 2-4 years of work experience in Jewish communal field; combo of education & experience considered.

Contact Taffy Hunter, Human Resources director, at 757-965-6117, resumes@ujft.org or submit resume to: United Jewish Federation of Tidewater Attention: Human Resources 5000 Corporate Woods Drive Virginia Beach, 23462

Team

Employment Opportunity

Director, Women’s Philanthropy & Affinities

United Jewish Federation of Tidewater seeks a creative, articulate, and well-organized individual to work within Women's Division and other targeted (small affinity) areas of the general Campaign. The primary role is to engage new donors, cultivate relationships, and solicit donations to advance Federation’s mission.

The Women’s Campaign Director will organize and facilitate the activities of Women’s Philanthropy Committee, which can include lay leadership development and succession planning; women’s ratings and assignments; outreach to new donors; stewardship of existing donors; and serving in a key senior professional role on the development team. The position requires a Bachelor’s degree with (3) three or more years’ experience in fundraising or equivalent combination of relevant education, experience and skills required; excellent customer service skills, and experience in volunteer management. Strong knowledge of basic office computing, including MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams), Zoom and basic database management skills required. (Proficiency in Power BI and Abila Millennium products a PLUS). Must be able to work off-shift hours including nights and weekends, as needed.

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.

Complete job description at www.federation.jewishva.org

Equal Opportunity Employment

TIDEWATER 2023 UJFT Biennial Meeting honored past and present leadership and volunteers

OUR MISSION

For more information, please contact us: Cohen Investment Group 150 Boush Street, Suite 300 Norfolk, VA 23510 (757) 490-1193 www.coheninvestmentgrp.com

Terri

Denison

The Marty Einhorn Pavilion on the Sandler Family Campus was the setting for United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s 2023 Biennial Meeting on Wednesday, June 14. After a 30-minute reception, the meeting began at 7 pm.

Nearly 150 members of Jewish Tidewater turned out to recognize outgoing and incoming leadership and to help honor those receiving awards.

Laura Geringer Gross, outgoing president, delivered a comprehensive speech noting all the community had accomplished over the past two years, while extending appreciation to both UJFT’s board of directors and the Federation’s staff. She also noted how close the Community Campaign was to reaching $5 million in gifts. “The strength of our campaign is due to the generosity of our community members and allows us to fund the initiatives you hear about tonight, the needs of our local institutions and agencies, programming that builds community, and especially, to help vulnerable Jews and Jewish communities throughout the world,” she said.

David Leon, newly installed president, immediately picked up on that theme, and

with a smile, offered “to take all complaints now” in exchange for the less than $50,000 needed to achieve the $5 million mark.

John Strelitz presented the Joseph H. Strelitz Community Service Awards to volunteers from area congregations and agencies.

The award, Strelitz said, is “named for Joseph “Buddy” Strelitz, my dad, whose devotion to his people touched so many lives on so many levels. We continue to feel Buddy’s presence in the work he accomplished here. This award, in his memory, honors those in the community who share his convictions and strive to emulate his standards. Buddy always taught that leadership and responsibility is ongoing.”

Recipients included:

• Tehilla Mostofsky: Bina School for Girls, a consistent leader for the school.

• Jeff Brooke: B’nai Israel Congregation, president for six years.

• Vergie McCall: Beth Sholom Village, long-time volunteer.

• Jim Hibberd: Congregation Beth Chaverim, cantor for the congregation for more than 20 years.

• Herm Shelanski: Congregation Beth El, tremendous work as the security chair and leader for the temple.

John Strelitz with winners of the Joseph H. Strelitz Community Service Award.

is a proud supporter of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and its affiliates

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• Bernie Mayer: Jewish Family Service, volunteer for 23 years.

• Alan Shapiro and Bruce Finkelstein: Kempsville Conservative Synagogue (KBH)- going above and beyond, including their own certifications and training to provide excellent security for the synagogue.

• Margaret Sawyer: Ohef Sholom Temple, exemplary service as board member, sisterhood co-president, and volunteer.

• Melissa and Aaron Kass: Strelitz International Academy, leadership by example serving the school as a board

member and devoted parent volunteers.

• Jody Wagner: Tidewater Jewish Foundation, past president and chair of strategic planning process.

• Jason Lovitz: Temple Emanuel, past president, leading the temple through the pandemic, a rabbi search, period without a rabbi and organizing lay leaders to lead services until Rabbi Ari’s arrival.

• Mark Solberg: Temple Israel, a mensch who gets things done. Whether it’s ensuring shul security or leading zoom minyan, he leads when called upon.

• Rabbi Gershon Litt: Toras Chaim,

above and beyond to sustain school, now co-president.

In addition to her remarks, Betty Ann Levin, executive vice president/ CEO UJFT/Simon Family JCC, presented the Harry Graber Jewish Communal Professional Award to Randy Parish, CFO of Tidewater Jewish Foundation. The award is presented at each biennial meeting in recognition of those professionally engaged in Jewish communal service who, through their dedication, exemplify the highest ideals of Judaism.

“A native of Norfolk, Randy has been an invaluable member of the

Tidewater Jewish Foundation team for the past 14 years,” said Levin. “With over 25 years of experience in healthcare, non-profit financial management, and municipal government, Randy brings a wealth of expertise to his role as Chief Financial Officer of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation. Friendships and relationships made with peers in the Jewish community during his middle and high school years, have been enhanced through his long tenure of working for the Foundation.”

As promised, the meeting concluded just before 8 pm.

Ron Kaufman, Alma Ben Chorin, Aya Sever, and Alene Kaufman. Linda Spindel and Annie Sandler.

Deb Segaloff, Robert Friedman, and Kirk and Amy Levy.

Allison Whiteman, Melissa and Aaron Kass, and Amy Weinstein.

Naomi Limor Sedek, Randy Parish, and Betty Ann Levin.

Amy Brooke and Hugh Cohen.

Sharon Nusbaum, Rabbi Roz Mandelberg, and Margaret Swayer. David Leon and Paul Peck.

John and Renee Strelitz.

William “Billy” Halprin

NORFOLK – William Halprin, 71, passed away on June 4, 2023.

Born in Norfolk, Va., he was the son of the late Burton Zelick and Annette Comess Halprin and was predeceased by his sister-in-law Lani Roman.

A lifelong resident of Norfolk, Bill graduated from Old Dominion University. He worked for the majority of his adult life at SL Nusbaum Realty Co, where he most recently served as senior vice president. He was a two-term president of the Tidewater Builders Association and served on the board of the Beth Sholom Home.

Left to cherish Bill’s memory is his beloved wife of 46 years, Jeri Jo Halprin, daughter, Peri Halprin, son, Brian Halprin and wife Laura, sister, Diane Harrell and husband Frank, and brotherin-law Richard Roman.

William enjoyed travel, spending time in the Outer Banks, his weekly poker game, and shaking a leg at

countless family functions where he invented “The Billy.” Without a doubt, William’s greatest passion was his family. He leaves behind a community of countless family and friends who loved him dearly for his generosity, kindness, and integrity.

A graveside service was held for William at Forest Lawn Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made in Bill’s name to a charity of your choosing. His family does ask that whenever Stairway to Heaven plays, please listen to it in its entirety in memory of Bill.

Abbey Horwitz

VIRGINIA BEACH – The family of Abbey Horwitz is heartbroken to announce his sudden passing on June 3, 2023.

Abbey, born March 27, 1955, grew up in the Bronx, New York. he graduated from Fordham University before attending the Medical College of Virginia School of Dentistry in Richmond. Upon graduation, he moved to Virginia Beach

and, in 1981, he opened his first dental practice in Great Neck Square. While working, he met his partner and soulmate, Brenda Spradlin.

Abbey was passionate about his work, his staff, and his patients. Always with a smile on his face and a cup of coffee in his hand, Abbey loved to share stories and jokes with all who walked into his office. He was committed to providing the best care for his patients. He took time to listen to their concerns and carefully explain their options. He never hesitated to open his doors on the weekend to help emergency cases. And he continued his education to adapt emerging technologies to his practice.

For over 40 years, Abbey brought smiles to the Tidewater area.

When Abbey and Brenda began their relationship, they made the Tidewater Jewish community their home. In 1984, they traveled on their first mission trip to Israel before they were married. From that time on, Abbey devoted his time and energy to the Jewish community and to the State of Israel. He first served as president of the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater, where he established the inaugural 8th grade trip to Israel. He wholeheartedly believed in the importance of sending Jewish students to Israel to see and experience first-hand their homeland. Abbey also served as president of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, supporting the establishment of the Simon Family Jewish Community Center in 2004.

Abbey shared his love of life with everyone he met. Whether through his dental practice or his volunteer efforts, or even just the stranger standing next to him, he touched people’s lives and brought immense light and joy to those around him. He had a unique way to make everyone he spoke with feel special.

All who knew him had their own “Abbey story.” We all will treasure his memories.

Abbey loved to travel the world with his wife and family. He endeavored to find the local experience wherever he traveled, which often included trying the most exotic items on the menu. He loved to capture moments and scenery on his camera, which he would then print on

large canvases to cover the walls of his dental practice. Later in his life, Abbey and Brenda found joy in hiking, snorkeling, and rappelling. Their adventures together even brought them to skydive for Brenda’s 60th birthday.

Above all else, Abbey fiercely loved his family.

He is survived by his wife, Brenda Horwitz, children, Shayna and Jonathan Horwitz, brother Ethan Horwitz and Gloria Kindman, his brothers-in law, Danny and Karen Spradlin, Donald and Kaylene Spradlin, nieces and nephews, Jessica and Jason Fruithandler, Matthew and Anu Horwitz, Wesley and Beth Spradlin, Mark and Jessi Spradlin, Emily and Dan McGuinness, and great-nieces and great-nephews, Liba, Micah, and Hadar Fruithandler, Shrayan Horwitz, Decker, Harper, and Greer Spradlin, Ella and Isaiah Spradlin, and Hugo McGuinness. Abbey’s parents, Lester and Barbara Horwitz, preceded him in death.

A graveside service was held for Abbey at the Princess Anne Memorial Park in Virginia Beach. A box was at the gravesite for members of the community to bring a written “Abbey story” for the family to share together.

Should friends desire, contributions may be sent to any of the following organizations: the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, the Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, and the Currituck County Animal Services Control.

May his memory forever be a blessing. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Dr. Bernard Daniel “Danny”

Jason

NORFOLK – Dr. Bernard Daniel Jason passed away on June 15, 2023, with loved ones by his side.

Known as “Danny,” he was born on December 23, 1931, in Norfolk to the late Jack Jason and Mollie Tisch Jason and is preceded in death by his loving wife of 56 years, Sylvia Rose Lazarus Jason, his daughter Paula Jason Carl, and brother Stanley Jason.

Danny is survived by his son, Joel David Jason and his wife Carol of Virginia Beach and his daughter, Marcy Mostofsky and her husband Michael of

OBITUARIES

Norfolk. He treasured his eight grandchildren Adam (Marina), Aaron, and Josh Jason, Scott Flax (Erika), Lauren Flax Kocen (Jordan), and Katherine Flax Brody (Louis), and Ilana Peck and Devorah Peck Zinn (Rueven), and his six great grandchildren Emily and Jack Jason, Sydney and Peyton Flax, Penina and Everlee Kocen, Preston Brody, and Noam Zinn. Danny is also survived by his sister Deanna Jason Kogut of Houston, Texas.

Danny was a 1950 graduate of Norfolk’s Maury High School. From there he attended William and Mary Extension in Norfolk before his graduation from Southern College of Optometry in 1955. That year, he and Sylvia Rose were married and moved to St. Louis after enlisting in the Army, serving at St. Louis Medical Center until 1957. His Bruton, Alabama raised wife, Sylvia Rose, felt Norfolk was too big a city, so they moved to Danville, Va., where he opened Family Eye Care Center and raised their three children.

Among his accomplishments and hobbies, Danny served as vice president and was a board member at Temple Beth Shalom in Danville. He was also president of Danville Lions Club. Danny spent weekends playing golf with his buddies at Tuscarora Country Club, Pittsylvania County. 44 years later, Danny retired, selling his Danville practice to move to Norfolk to be closer to Joel, Paula, and Marcy. After many trips to Norfolk and Richmond to visit grandchildren, Sylvia Rose was accustomed to the thriving metropolis of the big city.

Danny continued contract work for several years at local optometry practices. Danny’s kind and gentle spirit served as a patriarchal guide to his greatest joys. . . his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He is so loved and will be missed by so many.

A graveside service was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery.

The family requests donations may be made to B’nai Israel Congregation, Norfolk, or Temple Emanuel Synagogue, Virginia Beach. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.hdoliver.com.

Dr. Aaron Israel Vinik

NORFOLK – Dr. Aaron Israel Vinik, MD, PHD, FACP died June 15, 2023 in

Norfolk, Virginia.

The EVMS Professor Emeritus and noted scientist, expired peacefully at his home of 30 years, The Pier at 40 Rader Street.

Born in Benoni, South Africa, he was the son of the late Joseph Vinik and Fanny Shain Vinik.

Dr. Vinik authored 11 books, 140 chapters and published over 600 peer reviewed research articles in major scientific periodicals. Arthur, as he was often called, remains beloved of the staff and patients of the Diabetes Institutes, and in fact, worldwide. He is remembered fondly by hundreds of physicians and students who enjoyed his tutelage as a mentor, as well as his engaging personality and sense of humor at EVMS, and previously at the University of Michigan.

Dr. Vinik is survived by his wife of 64 years, Etta Johanna Vinik; sons, Howard Vinik, Dr. Bryan Vinik, and Steven Vinik; brothers Dr. Ronald Vinik, Morris Vinik, and sister, Gloria Hoff; daughter-in-law, Robin Vinik; sisters-in-law, Sandra Vinik, Bernice Vinik; and grandchildren, Natasha Vinik, Sean Vinik, Hannah Vinik, and Sammy Vinik.

A graveside service was conducted at Princess Anne Memorial Park in Virginia Beach. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.hdoliver.com.

Ben Helfgott, one of two Holocaust survivors to compete in the Olympic

Jacob Gurvis

(JTA) — Ben Helfgott, one of two known Holocaust survivors to go on to compete in the Olympics, died Friday, June 16 at 93. Helfgott survived the Holocaust as a teenager, and he went on to become a champion weightlifter and a champion of Holocaust education. He was knighted in 2018.

“Sir Ben Helfgott was one of the most inspirational people I have known,” said Britain’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, according to London’s Jewish News. “He was a charismatic and passionate leader, who promoted the values of compassion, understanding, love and peaceful coexistence. His own horrific experiences inspired him to work tirelessly for a more peaceful and unified world and he inspired

us to do likewise.”

Helfgott was born in Piotrkow, Poland, in 1929. He once said his parents were troubled about their future as Jews in Poland, and in 1935 his family had secured paperwork to leave for then-Palestine. But his grandmother did not want to leave, so they stayed.

The Nazis invaded Poland in 1939, when Helfgott was 10. His family was

forced into a ghetto, the Nazis’ fi rst in Europe. Helfgott’s father led efforts to smuggle food into the ghetto, while Helfgott himself took advantage of his blond hair by spending time outside the ghetto — without his Star of David armband.

Helfgott would spend three years in the ghetto before he and his father were sent to the Buchenwald concentration

Sisler, Vice President, Member of Ohef Sholom Temple, Board member of the Berger-Goldrich Home at Beth Sholom Village, James E. Altmeyer, Jr., President, James E. Altmeyer, Sr., Owner

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camp. Other members of his family were deported to Ravensbrück.

Helfgott would ultimately be separated from his father, who he later learned was killed attempting to escape a death march. Helfgott was sent to the concentration camp in Schlieben and later Theresienstadt, which was liberated three weeks later. At 15, Helfgott was alive and an orphan.

That’s when he jumped at an opportunity to go to England, where he would be reunited with his sister. That’s also where Helfgott would discover weightlifting.

The 5-foot-5 Helfgott would go on to become Britain’s lightweight champion in 1955, 1956 and 1958. He represented the United Kingdom in the 1956 and 1960 Olympics, and he won gold medals at the Maccabiah Games in 1950, 1953 and 1957. He was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.

Despite his athletic achievements, Helfgott’s greatest passion was his work supporting fellow survivors. He served as chairman of ‘45 Aid Society, an organization created by and for the young survivors — often called “the boys” — who in 1945 arrived in England, 732 children in all.

“Ben was one of the greatest ambassadors for the Boys and, indeed, for all Holocaust survivors,” read a statement from the organization.

Robert Gottlieb, legendary editor who championed Joseph Heller, Robert Caro and

Chaim Potok

Andrew Silow-Carroll

(JTA) — Robert Gottlieb, the legendary literary editor who shepherded into print and best-sellerdom such 20th-century classics as Joseph Heller’s Catch-22, Robert Caro’s The Power Broker and Chaim Potok’s The Chosen, died Wednesday, June 14 at age 92.

Few editors of his generation had as big an impact on the literary culture, from his time as editor-in-chief of Simon & Schuster to his later association with Alfred A. Knopf (now Knopf Doubleday). He edited The New Yorker for five years and wrote numerous books himself, including several on one of his many

passions: ballet.

The eye and obsessiveness he brought to editing (and what he once described as his “convoluted, neurotic, New York Jewish mind”) were captured last year in a documentary, Turn Every Page, about his longtime relationship with Caro, a fellow Jewish New Yorker. The film, by Gottlieb’s daughter Lizzie Gottlieb, remembers when Gottlieb and Caro sat side by side trimming Caro’s massive manuscript for The Power Broker — an epic biography of the New York City master builder Robert Moses — into a still weighty 1,200 pages. The book went on to become a bestseller and remains a touchstone for a generation of journalists and city planners.

Gottlieb saw the potential in Chaim Potok’s book, thinking it might introduce gentile readers and secular Jews like himself to the world of Orthodoxy while telling a universal story about fathers and sons. Gottlieb advised on the title of the book and took his scalpel to the manuscript.

“I recognized that the book had come to an end, and that Chaim had written 300 more pages,” Gottlieb told the Paris Review in 1994. “The material that was the motor of the book had worked itself out, and he had gone on to write the sequel. So, I called up Chaim’s agent and said, I love the book and would like to talk to him about it, but please explain

the Source of Peace

Jewish screenwriter, journalist and novelist Nora Ephron, and blockbuster science thrillers by Michael Crichton.

Born and raised in Manhattan, he graduated from Columbia University in 1952. After studying at Cambridge University, he joined Simon & Schuster in 1955 as an editorial assistant. Soon after, he took on a satirical novel by a Jewish writer and former World War II pilot named Joseph Heller. Gottlieb saw its potential when senior editors didn’t, and among his suggestions was changing the book’s title from Catch-18 to Catch-22 — to avoid confusion, Gottlieb explained, with Leon Uris’ Mila 18, a bestseller about the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. The book was a huge success and Catch-22 entered the lexicon as a phrase meaning an unsolvable dilemma.

“I suppose our convoluted, neurotic, New York Jewish minds work the same way,” Gottlieb said about his relationship with Heller.

Gottlieb was married twice, the second time to actor Maria Tucci, and had three children. A famous workaholic, he reportedly was reviewing proofs of a book by the Jewish author Cynthia Ozick while helping his pregnant wife through labor.

“From the day 52 years ago that we first looked at my pages together, Bob understood what I was trying to do and made it possible for me to take the time, and do the work, I needed to do,” Caro said in a statement on Gottlieb’s passing. “People talk to me about some of the triumphant moments Bob and I shared, but today I remember other moments, tough ones, and I remember how Bob was always, always, for half a century, there for me. He was a great friend, and today I mourn my friend with all my heart.”

At his death, Gottlieb was working with Caro on the last installment of his five-volume Lyndon Johnson biography. There was no word from Knopf Doubleday on who would finish the edits on the long-awaited book.

A self-described “Jew who knows nothing about Jewishness,” Gottlieb was working at Simon & Schuster when in 1966 he received the manuscript for a novel by a rabbi about two Orthodox Jewish boys — one Modern, one Hasidic.

to him it’s only on the condition that he drop the last 300 pages that I want to publish it; if he wants to leave it as it is, it’s a different book. Chaim immediately saw the point, so there was no problem.”

Following its publication in 1967, the book stayed at the top of the New York Times bestseller list for 10 months. It spawned a movie starring Robbie Benson and Rod Steiger, and a sequel, The Promise.

Gottlieb also proposed that Potok write a nonfiction history of the Jews. “I grew up in an atheist household; I never attended anything. I thought that Chaim could write a very popular and useful book that might instruct someone like me,” said Gottlieb. Wanderings was published by Knopf in 1987.

Gottlieb’s other credits include fiction by future Nobel laureates Toni Morrison, Doris Lessing and V.S. Naipaul; spy novels by John le Carré; lyrics by Bob Dylan; fiction by the Canadian Jewish novelist Mordecai Richler; essays by the

Earlier this year, Lizzie Gottlieb told the New York Jewish Week that her father and Caro both strongly identified as New York Jews.

“It’s almost a Talmudic focus on their craft, and without that they wouldn’t be who they are,” said the filmmaker. “So, to the extent that that’s a Jewish quality, I think that’s essential to their being, to their achievements. There’s something like a Talmudic scholar in going over all these things, the industriousness and the empathy as well, this sort of looking at a thing from all sides and dedicating yourself to this pursuit.”

Lizzie Gottlieb also commented on her father’s various eccentric collections, including kitschy Israeli record albums from the 1960s and ’70s.

“Maybe that’s a Talmudic thing as well, like a deep dive into whatever it is that is interesting to him,” she said. “He says that every subject gets more interesting the deeper you get into it. When something strikes him as charming or funny or curious, he goes all the way with it.”

May

send peace to all who mourn, and comfort to all who are bereaved.

Mazel Tov to Dorianne Villani for receiving the Kurt M. Rosenbach Board Member of the Year Award.

Jewish Tidewater’s Graduates

Terri Denison

Graduation season began again this year with plenty for Jewish Tidewater’s graduates and their families to celebrate, and Jewish News celebrated plenty with 34 graduates from high schools, colleges, and myriad graduate programs in the June 12, 2023 edition. Here, we congratulate more grads and their families on jobs well done with bright futures ahead!

Myers Park High School

International Baccalaureate Program

Next: Ben has been accepted into the Honors Program at N. C. State in Raleigh, N.C. where he will be a business major.

Ben is the son of Stacy and Allen Baum of Charlotte and the grandson of Nancy and Steve Schreier.

Created in 2004 by Ohef Sholom Temple’s board of directors, the award honors a board member whose “outstanding service and contributions to Ohef Sholom Temple best embodies the qualities of leadership and commitment demonstrated by our beloved Kurt Rosenbach.”

Academy at Tallwood High School

Global Studies & World Languages

Graduating with honors and with a bi-literacy seal for Spanish on her diploma

Received awards in Latin and Spanish President of the Israeli Culture Club and Vice President of the Latin and English Honor Societies

Next: Abbie will attend Washington & Lee University

Abbie is the daughter of Thomas McGuinness and Andrea McGuinness.

Kent State University

Graduated Cum Laude on May 11 with a BA in Fashion Design.

Next: Faith was hired as a designer for Abercrombie and Fitch in Columbus, Ohio, and starts in July.

Faith is the daughter of Debi and Rick Yarow.

Benjamin Gordon Baum

Abbie Marie McGuinness

Faith Rose White

Katelyn, Dorianne, and Dan Villani at Ohef Sholom Temple.