Jewish News October 14, 2024 Issue

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JEWISH NEWS UP FRONT

Grateful for community in the wake of October 7

It was important for our community to come together to commemorate the first anniversary of the heinous attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

We are grateful to have so many friends, including law enforcement and elected officials, from our broader community join with our Jewish community for this commemoration.

I had the opportunity to also attend the ODU Hillel commemoration and “Singing for Shalom,” in the evening at Temple Emanuel, where cantors, rabbis, and choirs from our Jewish community joined together in a concert of remembrance and hope. It was a poignant and healing end to an emotional day.

– Betty Ann Levin, executive vice president/CEO United Jewish Federation of Tidewater

KNOWLEDGE IS KEY SOME

BASIC FACTS.

• A majority of Americans (61%) say the U.S. should play a role in diplomatically resolving the Israel-Hamas war. Still, more want the U.S. to play a minor role (37%) than a major one (24%). An additional 19% would prefer for the U.S. to play no diplomatic role at all, and 19% are unsure. Posted Oct. 1, 2024. (pewresearch.org)

• More Americans say they have little or no confidence in Netanyahu (52%) than say they have a lot or some confidence in him (31%) to do the right thing regarding world affairs. Another 17% have not heard of Netanyahu or did not answer the question. There are large partisan differences in views of the Israeli leader: Half of Republicans express confidence in Netanyahu, compared with only 14% of Democrats. The 71% of Democrats who have little or no confidence in Netanyahu includes 39% who say they have no confidence in him at all. (pewresearch.org)

• According to a study by Brandeis University researchers, about 15% of students surveyed were hostile to Israel, with many believing, for example, that Israel has no right to exist. It also found that nearly a quarter of non-Jewish students overall said they did not want to be friends with people who support Israel’s existence as a Jewish state, a stance the survey said had the effect of “ostracizing nearly all of their Jewish peers.” (jta.org)

• More than 135,000 Israeli citizens from 105 towns and communities in the north and south evacuated their homes shortly after October 7 – either compulsorily, with the help of Israel’s military, its tourism ministry and other government bodies, or voluntarily out of fear – in what has become the largest internal displacement in Israel’s history. (The Jewish Chronicle, thejc.com)

Report an antisemitic incident at www.Federation.JewishVA.org/IncidentReporting

In an emergency, always call 9-1-1 first.

If online reporting is not practical, contact local law enforcement and/or the relevant suspicious activity reporting authority. Also contact Mike Goldsmith, Tidewater’s SCN Regional Security Advisor, at MGoldsmith@ujft.org or by calling 844-SCN-DESK.

Robbins.

Published 18 times a year by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.

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October 28 Business/Investment October 11 November 11 Mazel Tov October 25 December 2 Year-end Decisions November 15 December 16 Hanukkah November

About the cover: Governor Glenn Youngkin presents David Leon, UJFT board president, with a state flag commemorating October 7. Photo by Mark

BRIEFS

Shofars blown along Ukrainian frontlines

For the first time since Ukraine was plunged into war in 2022, soldiers on the front lines could hear the blast of the shofar marking the Jewish new year.

The largest Jewish communal body in the country distributed shofars to Jewish soldiers stationed in dozens of military positions along the 620 miles of the Ukrainian frontline. Each received training in how to blow the ritual instrument.

“The soldiers’ response was overwhelming,” said Rabbi Yaakov Sinyakov, who led the initiative of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine. “It reinforced their connection to their faith and heritage, even in the midst of conflict.”

The initiative is one of several notable Rosh Hashanah observances across Ukraine. Nonprofit and religious groups are supporting Jewish Ukrainians, who are needier on average than they used to be because of the war, in being able to celebrate. Meanwhile, thousands of Jewish pilgrims from outside of Ukraine flooded into the country, against safety warnings, for an annual Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage that pays tribute to the influential Hasidic Rabbi Nachman of Breslov in the city of Uman.

But the efforts to serve soldiers are the biggest change over previous years, reflecting a growing mobilization during the grinding war.

The FJCU, which is affiliated with the ChabadLubavitch movement of Judaism, says it is supporting more than 1,200 Jewish soldiers serving in the Ukrainian army as professional soldiers, volunteers and a growing proportion of conscripts, according to the group’s chair, Rabbi Mayer Stambler.

Besides delivering the shofars, FJCU volunteers distributed hundreds of holiday kits containing kippahs and Rosh Hashanah ritual items such as candles and honey, eaten to symbolize a sweet new year.

The kits also include informational materials about the holidays and Ukrainian-language prayer books. The books have been translated as part of a broader trend in which Ukraine’s historically Russian-speaking Jewish communities have embraced Ukrainian as their communal language.

Apart from the materials transferred to soldiers, the FJCU has dispatched with the help of Chabad emissaries in 30 Ukrainian cities holiday kits to 51,000 Jewish households across Ukraine, reaching communities in 169 different locations.

“We are also providing festive meals for thousands,” Stambler said, adding that he expected synagogues across Ukraine to be filled for Rosh Hashanah services despite the ongoing war and the severe consequences it is bringing for Ukrainian Jews and non-Jews alike in the form of constant power outages, involuntary military mobilization, and widespread casualties on the front lines.

The FJCU’s efforts are not the only ones meant to

reach Jewish soldiers in the Ukrainian army. Last year, David Milman, who is affiliated with Kyiv’s Brodsky Synagogue, became the first official Jewish chaplain in the Ukrainian army. In that role, he has visited with wounded Jewish soldiers, provided pastoral care to their families, and even facilitated ritual circumcisions for several men who did not have them as babies. (JTA)

Man who shot two Jews outside LA synagogues sentenced

Aman who attempted to murder two Jews leaving synagogue in Los Angeles on consecutive days last year has been sentenced to 35 years in prison.

Jaime Tran, 30, a former California resident and dental student, pleaded guilty in June to two counts of hate crimes with intent to kill and two counts of “using, carrying and discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence,” a statement from the Justice Department said.

According to law enforcement, in February 2023, Tran drove to Pico-Robertson, a heavily Jewish neighborhood in L.A., in search of Jewish victims, and shot a man who was leaving a synagogue and wearing a kippah. The next morning, Tran shot another man wearing a kippah and leaving a different synagogue nearby.

Both victims were injured in the attacks and survived. Tran was arrested two days later.

In a statement, the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles said it is “grateful for today’s sentencing of the perpetrator responsible for the 2023 antisemitic shooting in the PicoRobertson area of Los Angeles, which targeted members of the Jewish community.”

According to the indictment, Tran had a long history of making violent antisemitic comments and threats. In the months leading up to his attacks, Tran repeatedly called and texted a former classmate, sending messages including “Someone is going to kill you, Jew. Someone is going to kill you, Jew. Someone is going to kill you, Jew. Someone is going to kill you, Jew,” and “Burn in an oven chamber you bitch Jew.”

As of 2023, Tran was prohibited from buying firearms due to previous mental health holds, according to a statement from the Justice Department. But the statement said that around mid-February 2023, he acquired at least two guns using an intermediary, and then “used the internet to research locations with a ‘kosher market.’”

Attorney General Merrick Garland, who is Jewish, said, “Vile acts of antisemitic hatred endanger the safety of individuals and entire communities, and allowing such crimes to go unchecked endangers the foundation of our democracy itself.”

Garland also alluded to rising rates of antisemitism in the year since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack launched the war in Gaza.

“As millions of Jewish Americans . . . observe(d) the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Justice Department reaffirms its commitment to

aggressively confronting, disrupting, and prosecuting criminal acts motivated by antisemitism, or by hatred of any kind,” Garland said. “No Jewish person in America should have to fear that any sign of their identity will make them the victim of a hate crime.” (JTA)

Jewish MLB executive Chaim Bloom to lead St. Louis Cardinals

J

ust over a year after the Boston Red Sox fired Chaim Bloom, the Jewish baseball executive has secured his next gig at the helm of an MLB team.

Bloom, the 41-year-old front office veteran, will take over as the St. Louis Cardinals’ president of baseball operations beginning with the 2026 season.

Bloom joined the Cardinals front office as an advisor this season, and the team announced that he would replace longtime president John Mozeliak when his contract expires after the 2025 season. Bloom signed a five-year contract with the Cardinals that will begin next year.

Bloom spent four seasons as the chief baseball officer in Boston, and while he successfully lowered payroll and bolstered the Red Sox farm system, his tenure was marred by multiple last place finishes and only one playoff appearance. The team went 267–262 under his management, a disappointing record for a team in a competitive division that has won four World Series in the past two decades. (He was succeeded by fellow Jewish Yale University alum Craig Breslow.)

Bloom is a Jewish day school alum who observes Shabbat, and his experience in Boston was also marred by multiple instances of antisemitism. In early 2023, Bloom told the Boston Globe he had received death threats and was targeted with an antisemitic slur. The year before, the team released a minor league player after he launched a series of social media attacks against Bloom, including calling him “an embarrassment to any torah-following jew.”

Despite an underwhelming on-field output in Boston, Bloom has established himself as one of the sport’s foremost farm system mavens. According to MLB.com’s rankings, the Red Sox boast three of the top 25 prospects in baseball, all of whom were drafted by Bloom. Prior to his Red Sox tenure, Bloom was known for helping to build the Tampa Bay Rays into a perennial contender, despite that team’s relatively low payroll.

St. Louis finished the 2024 season tied for a distant second place in the National League Central, but the team has not made the playoffs since 2021. The team last won the World Series in 2011.

If Bloom can turn the Cardinals’ fortunes around, his first career championship would also mark the end of a years-long bet he made with a colleague over an unopened jar of gefilte fish. He still has the jar, which has occupied space in his offices in both Tampa and Boston. (JTA)

Letters offer support to Jewish community for October 7

In recognition of the first anniversary of the brutal attacks by Hamas, several elected officials and retired U.S. military leaders issued letters in condemnation of the atrocities and in solidarity with the Jewish community. Among those sending letters were U.S. Senator Mark Warner, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, and Virginia State Senator Aaron Rouse. VADM Herman A. Shelanski, USN (ret.), Naval Inspector General, was among the 92 signatories on an open letter from retired military leaders “in Support of Israel on 10/7 Anniversary.” The letter was issued by JINSA.Read it at jinsa.org.

Candidates for U.S. Senator respond

With permission to reprint from Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington and Washington Jewish Week, this is a recent Q&A with candidates for the U.S. Senate, Senator Tim Kaine and Hung Cao. Printed are the candidates’ responses to two questions that are of interest to the statewide Jewish community. Visit www.JewishVA.org/Election24 to access the candidates’ responses to all the questions posed.

Candidate for U.S. Senate –Democrat Tim Kaine

Antisemitism has reached an unprecedented level in the United States; what do you think Congress’ role in fighting this age-old hatred is, and how will you fulfill that role?

posthumously awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to a group of 60 diplomats from some two dozen countries that used their influence to help Jews escape Nazioccupied Europe during World War II. Religious freedom is a fundamental American principle, and we must never stop fighting for a society where people of different religious faiths can live in the same neighborhoods, attend the same schools, work side by side, and do so as friends — without fear of religious discrimination.

As we approach a year since the October 7th massacre, what role do you think Congress should play in the Israel-Hamas war and its resolution?

the right to defend itself. Congress must stand by our ally and remind our Jewish friends and neighbors that we will not tolerate antisemitism in any form, and when I’m elected to the U.S. Senate, I promise to support Israel in every way possible, as I did in uniform. In 2003, one of my team’s missions was to respond to any possible SCUD attack from Iraq during our initial invasion. Sadly, my opponent Tim Kaine thinks pro-Hamas, pro-Hezbollah rioters have a point and a voice that needs to be heard. I completely disagree.

We have seen an alarming rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia in the wake of October 7th. Religious freedom has long been the bedrock of who we are as Americans. As someone who takes my own faith very seriously, I am determined to fight back against the evils of hatred. I am pleased to be a member of the Senate Bipartisan Caucus on Antisemitism, co-led by Senators Jacky Rosen and Jim Lankford. In 2022, I successfully urged the Biden Administration to develop a national strategy to combat antisemitism. We must embrace a whole-ofgovernment response to antisemitism by working to implement the recommendations contained in the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism announced by the Biden Administration in June 2023. Senator Warner and I also wrote to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to ask the Department to use its resources and influence to do more to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia on college campuses. And in the wake of the recent disturbing rise in antisemitism, I urged the DHS and FBI to do more to combat hate. I also helped pass the National Security Supplemental earlier this year, which included $400 million for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to provide security improvements and training to organizations and places of worship, including Jewish institutions. Finally, I also believe in highlighting not just the darkness but also the light. I am proud to have joined Senator Bill Hagerty on a bipartisan measure

The acts of terror on October 7th were horrific. For the last nine months, I’ve worked with Democrats, Republicans, and the administration to ensure that Israel has the support it needs. At the same time, much more must be done to protect civilian life in Gaza. That’s why I’ve pushed to prevent civilian casualties, supported the safe and swift delivery of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, and advocated for finding long-term solutions that allow Palestinian and Israeli communities to live alongside each other in peace. We must secure both a hostage release deal and a ceasefire to put an end to the immense suffering in the region.

Candidate for U.S. Senate –Republican Hung Cao

Antisemitism has reached an unprecedented level in the United States; what do you think Congress’ role in fighting this age-old hatred is, and how will you fulfill that role?

This is what has become of our country under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Never did I think I would see vicious antisemitic rioting in America like we have seen in recent months and years. Let me be clear: Jewish Americans have the right to live free from harassment, and Israel has

As we approach a year since the October 7th massacre, what role do you think Congress should play in the IsraelHamas war and its resolution?

The United States has provided Israel with a lot of support for many years and it is more important than ever to continue to support Israel in every way that we can. We have always been friends of Israel through the Iron Dome and in return, they have provided us with critical intelligence from the region. Israel is the ONLY Jewish state in the world. Israel has never asked for a single American to come on their land to protect them. They only ask that we stand by them. Israel’s equivalent of 9/11 came on their Sabbath and the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. The world watched in horror as Hamas launched its latest reign of terror, launching upwards of 5,000 rockets into Israel and killing thousands of men, women, and children. It’s Congress’ responsibility to ensure we continue to partner with them, while also shoring up our military resources and securing our border.

ELECTION DAY IS NEAR, BE PREPARED

The Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater has compiled an Election 2024 toolkit to educate, engage, and inform Tidewater voters about ‘all things’ election. It offers information on how to check voter registration status, find a polling place, determine what district to vote in, information about candidates, and more. Visit www.JewishVA.org/Election24 and be ready to make informed decisions on November 5, 2024.

Tim Kaine

Hung Cao

ELECTION 2024

FIRST PERSON

For our Jewish community, local races matter

Olga Eskinazi and Shikma Rubin October 7, 2023, changed us. The attack on our beloved Israel was truly soul crushing for our entire community. We followed the news hour by hour, spoke with friends and family in Israel, and prayed for their safety.

Beyond October 7, seeing what was starting to take place on college campuses and in the streets around the U.S. and other Western countries, was a huge wake up call. Many of us knew there were undercurrents of antisemitism plaguing our nation, but the flood gates really opened and continue to ravage our community in full force.

Seeing all of this unfold since October 7 made us think harder about the political climate in Virginia and, specifically, Hampton Roads. How is the war against Hamas, and more broadly Iran and its proxies, shaping opinions of leaders in our own community? Are elected officials standing up to antisemitism and anti-Zionism without hesitation? Will they continue to do so in the future?

We have realized since those early weeks how critical it is to elect public officials who understand the Jewish community’s concerns and values, who stand with us on our darkest days and who will fight to protect our basic rights.

We have been lucky in Virginia, especially in Hampton Roads, to have many leaders that have not only been vocal in their support for Israel, but have visited Israel, have voted to defend Israel, and voted to strengthen protections for the Jewish community. Imagine if the leadership in our state and region did not unequivocally stand with Israel.

Would we have less funding for community and building security? Would elected officials produce statements that inflame the masses and direct hatred towards us? Would our children go to school where they face Jew-hatred and antisemitic rhetoric with no consequence? Would police be unwilling to stand guard at our synagogues and community events? It’s hard to fathom, but not out of the realm of possibility in the near future. In short, we would feel alone and targeted.

As we approach Election Day, now is the time to educate yourself on the candidates, especially at the local level. Beyond the presidential race, it is important to know the candidates for Senate, House, and especially local races such as Mayor, city council, and school board, who may have an even greater direct impact on our community. The famous phrase “All politics is local” holds true once again. We need to place people in local offices who will steer our community in a positive direction. For example:

• Stand firmly against calls to denounce and limit U.S. support for Israel.

• Increase calls for cultural training for administrators and staff within city governments and school systems around antisemitism.

• Speak out and act against antisemitism and anti-Zionism.

• Push back on banning events, speakers, and books that broaden a student’s worldview.

Please take the time to do your research. Most candidates have detailed websites that list their positions. Beyond that, if you are on social media channels, look at how candidates and current officials have spoken about the war, the hostages, and antisemitism in the U.S. If they are currently in office, look at their voting track record when it comes to Israel and the Jewish community. Don’t rely on hearsay and the noise –really take the time to make an informed decision. Don’t walk into the polling station to vote for president and then haphazardly vote down ballot. Local and state officials often hold more sway in our daily lives than the top office. This is a critical time for our community, and your informed vote matters.

Ensuring we continue to drive support for Israel and the Jewish community begins with electing (and re-electing) people to office who have moral clarity and will defend our biggest ally in the Middle East and protect the Jewish community. Words are not enough; we must also measure candidates by their actions.

Accountant Melvin R Green endowed a scholarship at the Hampton Roads Community Foundation His goal? To give future students opportunities he never had Today, years after his passing, Green’s gift continues to support students

In the next issue of the Jewish News, you will see more about the candidates' positions as they relate to our Jewish community. In the meantime, visit United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Jewish Community Relations Council’s 2024 Election page at JewishVA.org/Election24 for links to check your voter registration status, find your polling place, determine what district you vote in, and which candidates will be on your ballot. Please read the information thoroughly and be ready to make informed decisions on November 5, 2024.

Olga Eskinazi and Shikma Rubin are members of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Jewish Community Relations Council’s Steering Committee.

Your gift can live forever, too Visit leaveabequest.org to learn more

Shikma Rubin and Olga Eskinazi.

Community commemorates October 7, 2023

Stephanie Peck

Around the globe, Jewish communities held ceremonies, services, and other events in commemoration of the first anniversary of October 7.

In Tidewater, Governor Glenn Youngkin declared October 7 as an official state day of remembrance for victims of the horrific attacks by Hamas on Israel. During his remarks at the Community Commemoration of the Tidewater Jewish Community, Youngkin reiterated his stand with Israel, his fight against antisemitism, and his universal support for the Jewish community.

The event on the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus, which included speakers from the Jewish community, elected officials from Virginia, Jewish and non-Jewish clergy, and two students from Old Dominion University’s Hillel, was attended by hundreds of people and represented a broad spectrum of Tidewater.

David Leon, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s board president, said he does not consider the one-year anniversary as a normal remembrance or memorial, since the emotional and physical wounds are still fresh, and the existential threat that Israel faces from Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran is

ongoing. He added “This war has nothing to do with a two-state solution. This is a battle between good and evil. And Israel is on the front lines.”

Noah Gross, UJFT intern, a senior at Old Dominion University, and vice president of its Hillel, shared his experience on a college campus. He has witnessed professors who preach hate, and he has feared the rhetoric of protesters. During a recent Birthright trip, he felt safe and empowered as a Jewish man, even as he looked towards the Gaza border. Referring to the lives lost and the hostages still in captivity, Gross said, “I live every day to the fullest. I live every day for those who can’t.”

Attorney General Jason Miyares spoke of his 48-hour visit to Israel last November, when he visited Kibbutz Be’eri and how he could still “smell death.” He shared the grim sight of a bedroom where a young girl was murdered. “This was an attack on everyone who lives for freedom and democracy.” Miyares noted that 43 Americans were also killed by Hamas that day.

Rabbi Shlomo Eisenberg of B’nai Israel Congregation read prayers for the hostages and Israel Defense Forces soldiers. Virginia Beach Delegate Alex Askew quoted

Martin Luther King when discussing antisemitism, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."

Virginia Beach Councilman Joash Schulman recited the prayer for the State of Israel. Reverand Dr. Antipas Harris of the Urban Renewal Center said, “...here, in our own communities, we can choose to foster unity. We can reject the forces of division, antisemitism, racism, bigotry, and hate. Jews and Blacks have suffered together in American history. We have stood together and fought for justice. We must stand together now.”

Betty Ann Levin, executive vice president/CEO of UJFT, shared that the local emergency campaign raised more than $4.8 million, which was part of the more than $850 million raised by the 146 communities comprising the Jewish Federations of North America. She added how this Rosh Hashanah was different. “There has never been a greater moment in our lifetimes to hear the battle cry of the shofar and fight for the renewal of the people of Israel.

Am Yisrael Chai – the people of Israel live.”

The commemoration concluded with Hatikvah, the Israeli national anthem, sung by fourth and fifth graders of Strelitz International Academy.

Community members listen to clergy and elected officials.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares.

Rabbi Sholom Eisenberg of B’nai Israel Congregation. Virginia Beach Councilman Joash Schulman.

Rabbi Levi Brashevitsky of Chabad.

Betty Ann Levin and Congressman Bobby Scott.

Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer, Congresswoman Jen Kiggans, and David Brand.

Singing for Shalom commemorates October 7 at Temple Emanuel

Stephanie Peck

Approximately 250 people attended Singing for Shalom, a concert for hope and remembrance at Virginia Beach’s Temple Emanuel on the evening of October 7. The commemoration featured performances and reflections by area rabbis, cantors, the choir from Congregation Beth Chaverim, and Tidewater’s Shinshinim, creating an atmosphere filled with brotherhood, hope, and unity.

“Coming together during such a delicate time for our people was more than a gesture of support; it was an expression of unity and solidarity that resonated through every song we shared,” says Rabbi Ari Oliszewski of Temple Emanuel.

“The emotion that filled the air with each note was palpable. The songs deeply touched our hearts, but it was when we saw the videos about the IDF soldiers and the images of October 7, 2023—a date that will forever be etched in our memories—that we truly felt the weight of the history we are living,” says Rabbi Ari. “Many eyes filled with tears, a mix of pain and hope, of suffering and an unshakable belief in the possibility of a peaceful future.”

Stephanie Calliott says, “It was a spectacular example of synagogues working together for one community event.” Calliott says she feels that the evening was inclusive, meaningful, and just what Jewish Tidewater needed. She also credits Rabbi Ari Oliszewski of Temple Emanuel for conceptualizing the idea and for his commitment to “creating an inclusive program to mark this solemn anniversary, an event that highlighted the strength and warmth of this Jewish community.”

Shinshinim Danielle Hartman and Emily Patyuk. ODU Hillel students Noah Gross and Ben Rosenthal.

Dr. Antipas Harris of the Urban Renewal Center. Virginia Delegate Alex Askew.

Cory Hill holds a poster of a hostage still captive in Gaza.

Virginia Senator Bill DeSteph and Rabbi Israel Zoberman.

Reverend Todd Woolston, Virginia State Coordinator, Christians United For Israel and Reverend Mike Morisi.

Rabbi Roz Mandelberg and Rabbi Ari Oliszewski.

Betty Ann Levin.

Olga Eskinazi and her daughter, Elise.

The choir from Congregation Beth Chaverim.

FIRST PERSON

ISRAELI FAMILY CREATES A HOME AWAY FROM HOME IN TIDEWATER

My name is Yoel, husband to Tali and father to Leo, Riley, and Kyla. A year ago, my family and I moved to Virginia Beach from Israel, but I write this today, still carrying the weight of the events of October 7th.

I was born in Israel. My parents made Aliya from France two years before my birth, fleeing the rising tide of antisemitism. Israel became home, a place where we thought we could live freely and securely. But that sense of security was shattered on October 7th. The day before, on October 6th, we were camping on the northern beach of Hof Dor, alongside my childhood friend, who had served with me in the Israeli Navy. It was a perfect day — the kids played, and we adults enjoyed the calm night, raising a glass under the stars with the sound of the waves in the background. Little did we know, our lives were about to change forever.

At dawn, I woke to the sound of helicopters from a nearby navy base, tactical teams being dispatched. A single message came through from my commander: “Bardak”—chaos in Hebrew. We knew something terrible had begun. The beach, once full of families like ours, emptied within the hour as word spread of an unprecedented attack on the south. By the time we made it back home to Kochav Yair, soldiers were stationed at our gates, weapons at the ready. We gathered our children in the shelter, telling them it was “movie time,” all while trying to comprehend the gravity of the situation. Tali looked at me and said, “We need to get out.” I tried to reassure her, thinking this was just another operation, but she was resolute — we needed to leave. Within days, it was clear there was no way out of the country. Flights were canceled, and every night we slept together in the shelter locking the door behind us. Then, a week later, just after we had put the kids to sleep and I was trying to decompress from yet another day, I got a message from my sister-in-law: “Check your email now.” We had received an evacuation notice from the U.S. Embassy since my wife and kids are U.S. citizens. The flight was leaving in four hours. It wasn’t an easy decision. We packed up two big duffle bags, leaving everything behind, and carried our sleeping children into the car, making our way to the airport, not knowing how long we’d be gone or what we were leaving behind. We thought it would be a short trip. After a week in Athens and three weeks in Port Washington, we visited Tali’s sister here in Virginia Beach. We soon realized it was more than just a visit. It was an escape from

a future we no longer understood.

We reached out to the members of the Tidewater community and were immediately welcomed with open and warm arms. The United Jewish Federation of Tidewater embraced us fully, giving us the support we so desperately needed. We felt safe, secure, and truly at home. What we have created here is a home away from home, all thanks to this incredible community.

With community support, instead of just taking things day by day, we were able to look ahead with confidence — planning week by week, month by month, and now, nearly a year into it, we feel part of something. We almost feel whole again. So now, a year later, we are still here, but our hearts remain with Israel. The events of that day will never leave us, and neither will the longing for peace and for a homeland that we may one day return to safely.

This isn’t just about our story or our battle. We, as Jews, have a responsibility to care for all the people of the world. Our fight is not only for ourselves but for the world to recognize the true light, the universal human right to live in peace, safety, and dignity. As I reflect on this, I’m reminded of the powerful words of Pastor

responsibility we all have to stand up, not just for ourselves, but for others. Today, it resonates more than ever:

First they came for the Communists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me

And there was no one left

To speak out for me

This is not just our battle. It is a fight for humanity — to ensure that the world does not turn a blind eye to the suffering of others. May we always stand up for what is right, for justice, and the freedom and dignity of every person.

Yoel Lev

Martin Niemöller. His poem speaks to the

The Lev Family

OCTOBER 7

A VIEW FROM ISRAEL / FIRST PERSON

After one year, “No, I’m not doing so well.”

? (How are you?)

? (What’s up?)

These simple, innocent questions that we automatically use at the beginning of an interaction with someone we know have, since October 7, 2023, become loaded in Israel. With every phone call or conversation with my work colleagues or friends since October 7th, there has been a hesitation before answering this simple question. It’s as if you can hear the internal debate – do I tell the truth or just provide the accepted and expected answer “I’m fine”? Until about a month ago, most people I knew ended this internal debate with the answer “I’m fine considering the circumstances.” Now, most choose a more honest truth – “No, I’m not doing so well.”

These simple, innocent quesLons that we automaLcally use at the beginning of an interacLon with someone we know have, since October 7, 2023, become loaded in Israel. With every phone call or conversaLon with my work colleagues or friends since October 7th, there has been a hesitaLon before answering this simple quesLon. It’s as if you can hear the internal debate – do I tell the truth or just provide the accepted and expected answer “I’m fine”? UnLl about a month ago, most people I knew ended this internal debate with the answer “I’m fine considering the circumstances ” Now, most choose a more honest truth – “No, I’m not doing so well ”

Why are we not doing so well? On one hand, there is pride in what the army has accomplished in the last month – the beeper aXack and the assassinaLon of Nasrallah. For many in the north, it feels like the army and the government are finally paying aXenLon to our home. On the other hand, it is a year since this war began. There is no end in sight and our hostages are sLll not home. The escalaLon in the north has led to more and more people being affected directly from the war. More rockets falling across larger swaths of the north, forcing schools to move online for a week from Haifa to Tiberias and north. Personally, the escalaLon caused me to move a work retreat to an online format instead of meeLng physically so my staff would not need to travel from the north.

And of course, there was the missile aXack from Iran on October 1. Lior and I already knew on the aCernoon of October 1 that Iran was preparing for a missile aXack due to reports in the news media. When we received alarms directly to our phones, we were not surprised. We grabbed the kids and ran to

Why are we not doing so well? On one hand, there is pride in what the army has accomplished in the last month – the beeper attack and the assassination of Nasrallah. For many in the north, it feels like the army and the government are finally paying attention to our home. On the other hand, it is a year since this war began. There is no end in sight and our hostages are still not home. The escalation in the north has led to more and more people being affected directly from the war. More rockets falling across larger swaths of the north, forcing schools to move online for a week from Haifa to Tiberias and north. Personally, the escalation caused me to move a work retreat to an online format instead of meeting physically so my staff would not need to travel from the north.

And of course, there was the missile attack from Iran on October 1. Lior and I already knew on the afternoon of October 1 that Iran was preparing for a missile attack due to reports in the news media. When we received alarms directly to our phones, we were not surprised. We grabbed the kids and ran to our safe room, which is my son’s bedroom. My husband managed communication with the family and I kept the children calm, as it was already the third siren of the day. The first one was while they were at school, the second one was a half an hour earlier while one of my daughters was in the shower. She had to run to the safe room dripping wet in a towel, crying. We were in the safe room for about 30 minutes. We spoke with my mother-in-law, I read stories, and

we kept reassuring the children they were safe and gave many hugs. In the background, we could hear the nearby explosions of the Iron Dome intercepting the missiles. After about a half an hour, we left the safe room and continued our evening – finishing dinner, brushing teeth, reading stories before bed. My children all chose to sleep in the safe room and my little one refused to go to the bathroom by himself.

The next day we received reports that a missile fell on an abandoned building in Hod HaSharon, causing damage to hundreds of houses nearby. No one was physically hurt.

As I tell my children, we are lucky that Israel cares about its civilians unlike Hamas and Hezbollah; we have the Iron Dome, safe rooms, bomb shelters, and accurate warning systems. However, there is a psychological cost that our children and we pay despite being physically safe. It took three nights before my daughters returned to sleep in their own room. My son constantly tells me he is scared to go to kindergarten because he misses me despite having a great time. All my children, as well as myself, are on edge and go from calm to angry in a second without thinking. We can’t make any definite plans – all is contingent on the war situation. One of my daughters is heartbroken that the start of a long anticipated extracurricular activity keeps being delayed because of the war. This is the mental situation of my family who are lucky – we are safe (relatively) in a comfortable apartment in the center. We are parents with education and means who are home with our children. We are surrounded by family and a supportive community. I can only imagine the situation of other families who are dealing with constant rocket fire and sirens, who don’t have a safe room, who don’t

have constant work because of the war, who have lost a close loved one, or where the father is being constantly called up for reserve duty. This is why we, as a country, are not ok.

As we face the year anniversary of the October 7th massacre, the start of the war, and the evacuation from our beloved home and community, I want to end with what I wrote to my staff in honor of this day:

A year has passed since we woke up and had our lives shattered at the personal, college, community, and country level.

May we remember and honor the heroes that we have lost while they were defending the innocent, especially Ido Shani, Keren's brother who fell a year ago.

May we mourn for the innocent lives lost on all sides of this war and the destruction it has brought.

May we pray for the safety of our soldiers who are currently serving to protect us – they are our husbands, wives, sons, daughters, and students.

May the hostages return home.

May we pray for the

social workers, psychologists, teachers, volunteers, parents, and all who care for others to have the strength and energy to carry on their work.

May we find inspiration from each other and those around us who, despite uncertainty and challenges, continue to make the world a better place.

Thank you, my staff, for being my inspiration for this past year, and may we serve as an example of how this country is and should be.

Shalom, Liz Dovrat

Elizabeth Dovrat is the daughter of Barbara Dudley, Jewish Community Relations Council chair. She occasionally writes for Jewish News on life in Israel with her family.

Liz Dovrat

Liz Dovrat

Liz Dovrat

Biden lights Oct. 7 yahrzeit candle as Kamala Harris vows to see Hamas threat ‘eliminated’

Ron Kampeas

(JTA) — WASHINGTON — In separate statements marking the anniversary of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris said they continue to support Israel’s war against the group and its allies.

Harris, who next month will face Donald Trump in a bid to replace Biden, pledged to eliminate the group’s threat.

Biden and the first lady, Jill Biden, participated in the lighting of a yahrzeit memorial candle at a White House ceremony where Rabbi Aaron Alexander of Adas Israel Congregation recited the El Maleh Rahamim prayer, traditionally said in times of mourning. He also called Israeli President Isaac Herzog to express his condolences.

Harris, meanwhile, was set to plant a tree in memory of the 1,200 people killed in Israel at the vice president’s residence in the afternoon on Monday, Oct 7.

“We all must ensure nothing like the horrors of October 7 ever happen again,” Harris said in her statement. “I will do everything in my power to ensure that the threat Hamas poses is eliminated, that it is never again able to govern Gaza, that it fails in its mission to annihilate Israel, and that the people of Gaza are free from the grip of Hamas.”

Biden in his statement said Israel had U.S. backing in its efforts to face down Hamas and attacks from other Iranbacked groups that have proliferated over the last year.

“We support Israel’s right to defend itself against attacks from Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and Iran,” he said. “Last week, at my direction, the United States military once again actively assisted in the successful defense of Israel, helping to defeat an Iranian ballistic

missile attack.”

Both leaders also focused on the sufferings of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who have faced Israel’s efforts to rout the terrorist group.

“I am heartbroken over the scale of death and destruction in Gaza over the past year — tens of thousands of lives lost, children fleeing for safety over and over again, mothers and fathers struggling to obtain food, water, and medicine,” Harris said.

The messages come amid concerns about the role that the administration’s stance on Israel and the war could play in November’s election. A majority of Americans favor Israel in the war, polls show, although substantial portions question its conduct, but support has been lower among Democrats and Biden and Harris have faced sharp calls from the left to withdraw the United States’ support for Israel. The dissent is particularly strong in Michigan, seen as important for Harris to secure the presidency, where a large contingent of pro-Palestinian progressives say they plan not to vote for her in November. Multiple swing states are also home to large Jewish communities where many voters are sensitive to candidates’ comments on Israel.

intransigence. Both statements also called for a diplomatic solution to the fighting in Lebanon, which has massively intensified in recent weeks.

Top Democrats in Congress also made statements, including New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Jewish New Yorker who is the majority leader. “Hamas displayed such viciousness on that horrible day to try to scare the Israeli people, the American people and freedom-loving people of the world into submission — but they failed,” Schumer said. “We will never forget.”

Among the 1,200 people killed in Israel on Oct. 7 were 46 Americans. Seven Americans remain hostages in Gaza, of whom as many as four remain alive. Biden had vowed to reach a ceasefire deal that would achieve their release by the end of his term; now, Harris signaled that she would carry on that effort if it extends after Biden leaves office.

The Biden administration has been frustrated with the Israeli government’s reluctance to come to a ceasefire deal with Hamas and Hezbollah, its Lebanese ally, although Biden officials say the main problem has been Hamas’

“I will never stop fighting for the release of all of the hostages, including the seven American citizens, living and deceased, still held: Omer, Edan, Sagui, Keith, Judy, Gad, and Itay,” Harris said in her statement. “I will never stop fighting for justice for those who murdered Hersh Goldberg-Polin and other Americans. And I will always ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists like Hamas. My commitment to the security of Israel is unwavering.”

World leaders mourn Israeli victims and call for a ceasefire on anniversary of Oct. 7 attack

Shira Li Bartov

(JTA) — Days after calling for a halt in arms shipments to Israel and earning a public rebuke from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his solidarity with “the pain of the Israeli people” on social media and met with the families of French hostages being held by Hamas.

More than 40 French citizens were killed when Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

On the first anniversary of the attack, Macron

and leaders around the world marked the day, often seeking to strike a balance between acknowledging the victims in Israel — Hamas killed 1,200 people and took hundreds more hostage — and calling for an end to the war in Gaza in which more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed and most of the population has been displaced.

Meanwhile, demonstrators around the globe staged outpourings of grief, commemoration and various demonstrations of solidarity with Israelis and Palestinians and expressed outrage over the

expanding Middle East war.

In Europe, leaders pledged their support for victims of Oct. 7 with varying levels of pressure for a ceasefire.

Beyond Europe, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attended a vigil in Melbourne. Argentina’s Javier Milei, an outspoken friend of Israel, wrote “Bring them home now” in Hebrew and English on social media. Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya condemned the Oct. 7 attack and said that Japan was “gravely concerned” about Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.

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Jewish officials handling hurricane communications face antisemitic harassment

Ron Kampeas (JTA) — WASHINGTON — Jewish government officials are being targeted with antisemitic attacks in a misinformation blitz hampering efforts to get critical information out to victims of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer and Jaclyn Rothenberg, the spokeswoman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, have been the subject of an onslaught of antisemitic abuse on the social media platform X.

The antisemitism has appeared among a welter of misinformation that has complicated efforts to deliver aid and services to victims of the hurricane. FEMA even created a rumor-refuting page website, and Rothenberg’s professional X feed now reads like a Whac-A-Mole game of knocking away misinformation. One thread earlier this month refuted false rumors that FEMA stole donations delivered to nonprofits.

“There are many dangerous, misleading rumors spreading about #Helene response, which can actively prevent survivors from getting help,” she said on Thursday, Oct. 3. “Our top priority is ensuring that disaster assistance is reaching people in need.”

Her replies overflowed with antisemitic comments. “Hey look, a lying Jew,” said one typical commenter. “Oh look you’re Jewish,” said another.

The Biden White House called on politicians to condemn the smears and the falsehoods.

“It is already heinous to attack a bipartisan disaster response with conspiracy theories that put vulnerable Americans — people who have lost loved ones and homes — in even more danger and cheat them out of the aid they deserve,” Andrew Bates, an administration spokesman, said in an email. “Now

those lies are also infected with revolting antisemitic smears, targeting a mayor who’s doing everything in her power to help her community stand together, and federal responders working around the clock to save lives and deliver critical necessities like food, water, and medical supplies.”

Manheimer, the Asheville mayor, is the subject of one of the most viral posts on X. “The Mayor of Asheville, North Carolina is Esther E. Manheimer,” said a post that accumulated more than 13

surprising to see the reaction from people on social media who have made it about antisemitism when we’re here to do a job, and that’s to help people recover from Hurricane Helene.”

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has peddled some of the false claims, including that money meant for hurricane relief is diverted to migrants — though he has not trafficked in any antisemitic rhetoric when discussing the hurricane.

million views within three days. “If you’re wondering: yes, she is.” (The implication, in social media parlance common on the far right, is that yes, Manheimer is Jewish.)

Another post that had quickly acquired close to a million views features photos of Manheimer, Rothenberg, and Mayorkas and identifies each as “jew.” Manheimer and the Department of Homeland Security did not return requests for comment.

Rothenberg, a political communications veteran who worked for former New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio’s administration and then for the 2020 Biden campaign, said she has seen nothing like the current round of abuse and misinformation.

“My job is to put out information that helps people during a really difficult time,” she says. “We’re here to help people on their worst day, and so it’s been really

Lawmakers of both parties say that the misinformation is diverting energies needed to get relief to those who need it.

“Please don’t let these crazy stories consume you or have you continually contact your elected officials to see if they are true,” Kevin Corbin, a Republican state senator in North Carolina, pleaded with his constituents on Facebook. “I’ve been working on this 12 hours a day since it started and I’m growing a bit weary of intentional distractions from the main job.”

Corbin cited the conspiracy theory that officials or bad actors control the weather, an antisemitic trope peddled by Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has apologized for her past embrace of the theory that the Rothschild family used space lasers to cause wildfires. She echoed the trope again on Oct. 3.

“Yes they can control the weather,” she said on X. “It’s ridiculous for anyone to lie and say it can’t be done.”

Within two days, her tweet became a joke on Saturday Night Live. “I don’t know who ‘they’ is, but it has been a suspiciously nice Rosh Hashanah weekend,” said comedian Michael Che during the “Weekend Update” segment.

Government officials say X remains one of the most efficient means for the government to get out information to the public, but it has also become a nexus for falsehoods, antisemitism, and other forms of bigotry — particularly since Elon Musk bought the platform formerly known as Twitter in 2022 and weakened or removed guardrails around hate speech and disinformation.

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, mentioned the attacks on Manheimer and others when he appeared on Sunday on CNN to discuss the spike in antisemitism in the year since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas invasion of Israel.

“There has been an avalanche of antisemitic conspiracies directed at the mayor, directed at FEMA, as if somehow the Mossad is involved in distributing disaster relief,” he said.

Amy Spitanick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, a national public policy group, said antisemitism and efforts to undermine government went hand in hand. “Antisemitic conspiracy theories are intended to sow distrust in our government and our democracy — leading directly to harassment and threats against Jews and ultimately making all of us unsafe,” she said.

Rothenberg said the only role her Judaism played was in motivating her to public service.

“Judaism teaches you the importance of helping others,” she said. “And I am determined to continue helping people and making sure they have access to support from our agency.”

Legal

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Join us for a complimentary discussion on creating a season of joy. Learn how to prevent caregiver burnout and minimize stress so you can truly enjoy the holidays with your loved ones.

Lay leaders with legal degrees utilize their expertise for the community

Stephanie Peck

Lay leaders are integral to the functioning of Jewish Tidewater. With multiple synagogues, day schools, and various agencies meeting myriad needs of the community, Jewish Tidewater’s lay leadership helps steer the missions and define the goals of each organization, as well as navigate challenges, make decisions, and build consensus. In this special Legal section, several area Jewish attorneys share how their education and professional experience have guided their service as lay leaders. They also share examples of how that legal expertise has assisted them in directing the organization they were/are leading.

Scan the code or call to RSVP and reserve your Holiday Caregiver Support Kit. 757-347-1732

Jeffrey Brooke

Poole

Brooke Plumlee PC

Area ofLegal expertise: General Civil Litigation

Former president of B’nai Israel Congregation (seven years).

Law school and the practice of law teach you to take an orderly and logical approach to matters. There is a temptation when the fur is flying at a trial (for example) or in a board meeting to follow the loudest voices and bend to popular will. But that can be a mistake. Sometimes a deep breath and consulting with your key allies is needed before plunging ahead. Once consensus occurs, it’s also important to document decisions and to act on them. (This is called common sense in the real world and “contract law” by attorneys).

In my last year as president, we were able to entertain bids for and replace the HVAC and roof at B’nai. We also went through a long process to figure out our new rabbinic needs and recruited and hired Rabbi Shlomo Eisenberg. Both took consensus building, buy-in and a healthy dose of patience. It is quite handy for an organization to have an attorney on board to dot the “I’s” and cross the T’s” without having to incur legal fees all the time. Attorneys have an ethical and halachic requirement to give back to the community—the requirement to perform “pro bono” work – so doing this kind of work is a ‘win-win.’ Of course, it was my honor to serve in the position for so long and to see how we were able to thrive when everyone pulled together.

David A. Cardon

Cardon Law

Area of legal expertise: Personal Injury, Traffic & Criminal Defense

Past president of Strelitz International Academy Board of Trustees and current vicepresident of Congregation

Beth El Board of Trustees.

As a lawyer for almost 30 years, I have learned to analyze complex issues, assess risks, and think critically. These skills were essential in helping me as SIA board president in running board meetings, as well as overseeing school governance, operations, and strategic planning.

As president of the SIA board during the “COVID years," we were constantly having to make decisions that balanced the need to keep our students and faculty safe while at the same time maintaining a superior education for our students. I am proud to say, along with the incredible leadership of Heather Moore, SIA head of school, we were able to navigate the COVID period with the least amount of disruption to our students and faculty. In fact, because we were able to remain open for inschool learning for most of the time, while many schools in our community switched to virtual learning, SIA saw a significant increase in our student enrollment.

Mona Flax

Mona Schapiro Flax, PC

Area of legal expertise: Family Law

Chair of the Women’s Philanthropy Division (formerly Women’s Cabinet) and United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s president-elect.

I am a litigator. I think this and my Virginia State Bar activities enhanced my leadership skills.

A good lawyer and litigator must also be a good negotiator. Thus, I have learned to listen. As chair of the Women’s Philanthropy Division, these skills enabled me to listen and hear varying points of view. I was able to use this ability in directing the division and also try to effect change.

Laura Gross

Kaufman & Canoles

Area of expertise: Employment Law

United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Campaign chair, and former UJFT Women’s Philanthropy chair, Simon Family JCC president, UJFT president, Sandler Family Campus Committee chair.

Law school taught me to think critically and emphasized the necessity to look at both sides of an argument. As a lawyer and a lay leader, I listen before speaking; in depositions, if you’re thinking about the next question, you’re not hearing what is being said.

During COVID, we needed to figure out what to do, when to do it, and how to do it.

Burle Stromberg

Portsmouth City Attorney’s Office Area of legal expertise: Municipal Law, Personal Injury, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Law.

Former president of Hebrew Academy of Tidewater, now known as Strelitz International Academy.

My legal background gave me a structure by which to be a lay leader. I had a law professor who told us in our very first class that we would analyze practically everything in life based on our legal training and he was right. It helped me assist Gomley Chesed Synagogue in repurposing an endowment and in transferring ownership of the Gomley Chesed Cemetery to United Jewish Federation of Tidewater for continued operation and maintenance. My legal expertise also helped in drafting and interpreting bylaws.

Cohen Investment Group has helped countless investors execute 1031 tax deferred exchanges, while also enabling high net worth individuals, registered investment advisors, and wealth managers to participate in institutional grade investment offerings across the country.

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Autumn is here—and the falling leaves, shorter days and colder weather will arrive whether we are ready or not. So why not prepare for it? At Kaufman & Canoles, we believe in proactively planning for the future. Our dedicated Estate, Trust and Wealth Transfer team counsels families— sometimes even three or four generations of the same family—to strategically preserve wealth, minimize risk and create a legacy that will last for many seasons to come. We can. And we will.®

Legal GENERATIONS AT WORK TOGETHER

Editor’s note: There was a time when it was practically expected that children would work in their parents’ business or profession when they reached adulthood. The nature of the business didn’t matter – from

a mom-and-pop shop to a real estate office to a medical or law practice – and seemingly everything in between, that’s the way it was. Not so anymore. When it does happen, however, it’s worth noting and

writing about.

In Jewish Tidewater, we have several fortunate parents who work alongside their adult children. In future issues of Jewish News, we plan to feature

Michael and Jake Glasser: Collaborating, maintaining a personal touch for clients

Stephanie Peck

Jacob Glasser joined his dad, Michael Glasser, in 2020 in the family firm of Glasser and Glasser, which was founded in 1932. Trust and respect play important roles in their successful working relationship.

Michael A. Glasser

Glasser and Glasser, P.L.C.

Area of practice: Real estate, Commercial Litigation, Arbitration

Jewish News: How do you collaborate professionally with Jake?

Michael Glasser: Constantly, we are in each other’s office multiple times daily and in touch evenings and weekends.

JN: Do you find generational differences in practicing law? If so, what are they?

MG: Yes, other than Jake, most lawyers of the younger generation are focused on work/life balance. Jake is an extremely hard worker.

JN: What have you learned from practicing with Jake?

MG: Jake’s organizational skills are excellent. Jake is calm, logical, and efficient. I know many lawyers but none I would trust more than Jake.

JN: What advice would you give to parents/children who work together?

MG: If you don’t have a close bond and deep respect for the abilities of your child, this does not bode well for a long-term, successful business relationship. I have enormous respect for Jake’s intellect, integrity, and work ethic. So do all of the firm’s partners. That is why he is our firm’s managing partner.

Jacob L. Glasser

Glasser and Glasser,

P.L.C.

Area of practice: Banking and Finance; Business Law; Real Estate; Tax

Jewish News: How do you collaborate professionally with your father?

JG: My dad is the ultimate sounding board. Having practiced law for over 46 years, my dad has a wealth of legal experience and practical knowledge, much of which he gained from working with his father and brothers. We are frequently in each other’s offices reviewing legal issues and collaborating on

the administration of our firm.

JN: Do you find generational differences in practicing law? If so, what are they?

JG: Younger attorneys tend to leverage more technology in their legal practice which can be very helpful from an efficiency and organizational standpoint. That said, reliance on such technology can often result in a loss of the personal touch that prior generations incorporated into the legal practice. My dad has taught me that clients are often reaching out to an attorney because they have a problem and are looking for help. Helping a client resolve their

issue and delivering that solution with a personal touch goes a long way.

JN: What have you learned from practicing with your dad?

JG: To be responsive, to treat everyone with the utmost fairness and respect, and to help resolve clients’ issues in an efficient and professional manner.

JN: What advice would you give to other parents/children who work together?

JG: Working with family is a special experience. Value that time together and find ways to share advice and receive helpful feedback in a loving manner.

Jacob and Michael Glasser.

Legal

Richard Tavss and Besianne Tavss Maiden:

A model of appreciation of each other, their clients, and the

Stephanie Peck

At Tavss, Fletcher, Maiden & Reed, Richard Tavss and his daughter, Besianne Tavss Maiden, specialize in different areas of law, yet they communicate and share ideas multiple times each day. Both attorneys look forward to the next generation joining the firm, when Zach Maiden graduates law school this spring.

Richard J. Tavss

Tavss, Fletcher, Maiden & Reed, P.C.

Area of practice: Personal Injury and Civil Litigation

Jewish News: How do you collaborate professionally with Besianne?

Richard Tavss: I pick up the phone and talk to her or walk down the hall to her office about 20 times a day.

JN: Do you find generational differences in practicing law? If so, what are they?

RT: The law is constantly changing and evolving, as well as technology, which impacts the general practice of law. Our generational gap is maybe less than it is with others because we have been working together for over 30 years. That gives us both the “old” and “new” perspective.

JN: What have you learned from practicing with Besianne?

RT: She cares deeply about each of her clients. That resonates with me and reminds me every day that we are the most important call/visit a client has that day, even though we see/talk to many people.

JN: What advice would you give to other parents/children who work together?

RT: It enriches the relationship between father and daughter, and if given the opportunity, I would recommend you do it; it makes every day at work better.

JN: Additional comments?

RT: Having my daughter with me and seeing her thrive has made my career that much more rewarding. Coming soon: The next generation will join Tavss, Fletcher, Maiden

future

& Reed, P.C. One of my grandsons will be graduating from Tulane Law in May 2025 and plans to join me and his mother. We are all beyond excited.

Besianne Tavss Maiden Tavss, Fletcher, Maiden & Reed, P.C. Area of practice: Family Law

Jewish News: How do you collaborate professionally with your father?

Besianne Tavss Maiden: We discuss specific cases; we bounce ideas off one another; we share our successes by telling each other the “blow-by-blow” details.

JN: Do you find generational differences in practicing law? If so, what are they?

BTM: My dad is from a generation where lawyers trusted one another, and many negotiations were solidified with a handshake. Now, we, of course, put everything in writing. When he has information for a client, he picks up the phone, rather than sending an email or text. Because I learned from him, I do the same, but younger lawyers are quick to respond with an email, which can be less effective.

JN: What have you learned from practicing with your dad?

BTM: My dad taught me to be kind, to appreciate and thank our clients, our office staff, judges, court clerks, everyone with whom we come into contact. He smiles all of the time and checks on everyone in the office daily; he is a “bright light” to all who

have the honor to work with him. I strive to be like him in that way.

JN: What advice would you give to other parents/children who work together?

BTM: If given the opportunity, take it. Take time to have lunch together and enjoy the shared experience and the time together. My career would not have been nearly as successful or rewarding (and often fun) without his guidance, support and friendship.

JN: Additional comments?

BTM: My oldest son, Zach, will be joining our firm this summer after he graduates from Tulane Law. That will make three generations practicing law together. I think that is pretty special.

Richard Tavss and Besianne Tavss Maiden.

Welcome Seniors!

The laws and labor of kashuring a commercial kitchen

Rabbi Shalom Mostofsky performs a unique task in Tidewater. As the sole mashgiach for Vaad Hakashrus of Tidewater, Mostofsky is the kosher food supervisor for commercial kosher kitchens in the area. He ensures that all ingredients and equipment meet the kosher laws or requirements to maintain this specific certification.

According to the Vaad website, vaad ha Rabinim, or vaad for short, translates to council of rabbis. “Having a Kosher symbol on your label opens up your product up to an entire new market,” according to the promotional material. In Tidewater, that market includes more than 100 households that follow the laws of kashrut.

Mostofsky’s work takes him to William & Mary on a weekly basis, where a kosher kitchen provides dining options for students who follow this religious tradition. In this kitchen, some of the equipment is new, which requires no effort on the part of the mashgiach. “A stove top and oven are easy to make kosher, because nothing sits directly on the equipment,” Mostofsky says. However, a pot, or any implement encountering food, needs to be heated to remove traces of non-kosher food. Boiling water is one option to make a pot kosher; utensils can also be boiled in a pot of water, for the same outcome.

“A grill or a griddle requires much stronger heat,” says Mostofsky. He will often burn charcoal on the surface for an hour until the charcoal burns out. In many establishments, this task requires moving the heavy equipment outside to avoid a fire hazard. While working at ODU before the opening season of kosher Camp Sababa, Mostofsky was unaware of the location of a heat detector, which summoned the police and fire departments while he torched the kitchen equipment.

The kosher kitchen at William & Mary also uses a lot of ingredients, requiring more supervision. Many vegetables are washed numerous times with soap and water to remove traces of bugs. Mostofsky uses a light box to further examine the produce before deeming it kashured.

When Nothing Bundt Cakes opened in Norfolk, it was “the perfect storm for kosher,” Mostofsky acknowledges. The ingredients are labelled kosher, and all the equipment was new, similar to the opening of the kosher Krispy Kreme in Newport News.

Converting an existing kitchen to kosher can be complicated. Mostofsky highlights the Krispy Kreme in Virginia Beach, one of the oldest locations of the chain. “They used to use lard as their oil, that’s how old it is,” he laughs. While this location currently uses kosher oil for its donuts, the hot tank is not kosher, and Krispy Kreme cannot stop production long enough to thoroughly clean the tank to meet kosher standards.

While Mostofsky oversees this certification for other organizations, his role at Vaad Hakashrus encompasses weekly and monthly visits to 9 -10 establishments, including the Norfolk locations of Cold Stone Creamery, Skinny Dip, and Nothing Bundt Cake. Mostfosky also travels to three BJ’s locations in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Richmond, where the dairy cakes are baked off, to ensure that the baking equipment remains separate from the various tastings offered throughout these stores.

“I’ve been here for 30 years. I have an idea of what works and what doesn’t,” he says.

Stephanie Peck

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Legal

Guardianship and Conservatorship Summit hosted by Jewish Family Service

Kelly Burroughs

The first Guardianship and Conservatorship Summit, sponsored and presented by Jewish Family Service of Tidewater’s Personal Affairs Management Program, took place on September 24 at the Sandler Family Campus. Approximately 150 people from throughout Hampton Roads attended.

The summit included speakers from JFS’ Personal Affairs Management program and an attorney who works closely with JFS. Each of the speakers brought expertise to share with the attendees – hospital discharge and intake staff, nursing home administrators and staff, owners and managers of group homes for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, and representatives from various independent living and skilled nursing facilities.

“There is a lot of confusion on what it means to be appointed guardian,” said Dorothy Salomonsky, PAM program director. “Just because someone has poor judgement does not mean they need a guardian.”

Greg Pomije, an attorney and Commissioner of Accounts for the city of Portsmouth, noted “Guardianship appointments are very serious. People under guardianship most often lose their right to vote, to own guns, to drive a car, among other things. State statutes outline due process,” he continued, “but the court outlines the individual restrictions.”

Lloyd Clements, PAM’s clinical director, shared insights based on his more than 25 years with the agency and background as a licensed professional counselor. “People come to us for a variety of reasons,” he said. “It is our goal to help them as much as we can by providing person-centered strategies that help them maintain their dignity and have a good quality of life.”

Nikcole Gerhardt, PAM’s client and community relations manager, outlined the intake process, reiterating that the agency does not petition the courts for referrals to the PAM program. Once a person is appointed to JFS, the representative for the agency must post bond and qualify before

the court clerk. JFS receives hundreds of referrals each year, and currently serves as guardian to approximately 1,300 incapacitated people.

When someone is appointed a guardian, they are often also appointed a conservator, who is appointed by order of the circuit court and is responsible for managing the estate and financial affairs of an incapacitated person to ensure their financial well-being. “This is a time-consuming process,” said Andrei Niazdoimin, JFS director of finance and accounting. “The agency is responsible for the financial affairs of the person appointed to us. We do not know anything about them, what assets they have, what resources. We apply for benefits on their behalf and maintain a fiduciary

relationship with them while also ensuring that all their needs are met.”

Dorothy Salomonsky was recognized at the event with an award. Harry Graber, who was executive director for JFS at the time of the program’s development, remembered hiring Salomonsky nearly 30 years ago. “What started out as a volunteer job for 10 hours a week became a fulltime job. Dorothy’s work helped to shape guardianship rules for adults throughout Virginia, and the program was named by the Governor’s Office as a Model Program. I am very proud to have been associated with Dorothy,” he said. For her outstanding achievements for 29 years as the program director, she was presented with an award on behalf of JFS thanking her for her outstanding devotion.

Dorothy Salomonsky, PAM program director.

Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family

Jewish Book Festival

Whether you love fiction, nonfiction, or both, the 2024 Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival has something for everyone. Historical fiction fans will love Rachel Beanland’s The House is On Fire . Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat’s The Art of Diplomacy couldn’t be more timely. Parents won’t want to miss “America’s Worst Mom,” Lenore Skenazy. And, the festival wraps up with theater journalist Eddie Shapiro celebrating Broadway’s leading ladies with live music. All this and more, right here in Tidewater!

Pre-registration is required for all events. For more information and to register, visit

JEWISH TIDEWATER

Israeli painting is donated to United Jewish Federation of Tidewater

Boaz Kritchman, an Israeli with two adult children living in Tidewater, facilitated the donation of a painting last month to the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.

The impetus for the donation, by his son, Lotan Kritchman, stems from a desire to remember Israeli soldiers who have been killed in the current war.

Six years ago, he and his wife adopted a teenager who was neglected by his mother. Three years later, the teen joined the IDF and served as a commander in a very special army unit. “The IDF recognized him as a Lone Soldier and

he used to spend Friday dinners with our family,” says Kritchman.

On January 2, 2024, he was shot and died in the helicopter on the way to the hospital.

“I want to donate the painting to remember all the poor Israeli soldiers that have been killed,” says Kritchman. “I am thrilled to bring the painting to the JCC.”

“We are honored to accept this meaningful painting. It will be displayed at the Sandler Family Campus to help all remember the soldiers,” says Betty Ann Levin, executive vice president/CEO,

Boaz Kritchman and Betty Ann Levin.

UNITED JEWISH FEDERATION OF TIDEWATER AND SIMON FAMILY JCC’S LEE & BERNARD JAFFE

FAMILY JEWISH

BOOK FESTIVAL 2024

OCTOBER 28 - DECEMBER 4 

For more than 40 years, this annual celebration of Jewish writers, books, and ideas has featured authors from various backgrounds who have written about diverse topics. Featured author events allow

Rachel Beanland

The House is on Fire

Monday, October 28, 7:30 pm

During Richmond's winter social season in 1811, the city's theater caught fire mid-performance. Among the crowd, four characters from dramatically different backgrounds make crucial decisions that intertwine their fates. Based on a true story, The House Is on Fire reveals how tragedy can offer rare chances for redemption.

the community to engage with bestselling and up-and-coming writers, their ideas, and their work.

Unless otherwise noted, all events are free and will take place at the Simon Family

Elizabeth White and Joanna Sliwa

The Counterfeit Countess: The Jewish Woman Who Rescued Thousands of Poles

During the Holocaust

Thursday, November 7, 12 pm $10 for JCC members; $14 for non-members. Includes lunch. Preregistration required by October 30.

DClaire Sufrin, editor

Jewish Community Center on the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus. Preregistration or tickets are required for all events. To register for events, visit JewishVA.org/BookFest.

Stuart E. Eizenstat

Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas

iscover the incredible true story of Dr. Josephine

Janina Mehlberg, a Jewish woman who masqueraded as a Polish countess to save thousands during the Holocaust.

Historians

Elizabeth White and Joanna Sliwa unveil her remarkable journey of courage and ingenuity in this compelling presentation.

Presented in partnership with United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Holocaust Commission.

Thursday, November 14, 12 pm, Online

Pre-registration required to receive link.

Sources is an award-winning print and digital journal published by the Shalom Hartman Institute that promotes informed conversations and thoughtful disagreement about the issues that matter most to the Jewish community. Join Editor Claire Sufrin for a conversation about the journal’s publication process and its most recent editions.

Presented in partnership with United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Konikoff Center for Learning and Jewish Community Relations Council.

The Art of Diplomacy: How American Negotiators Reached Historic Agreements That Changed the World

Monday, November 18, 7:30 pm

Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat takes readers inside the room of highstakes global negotiations— from the Vietnam War to the Iranian Nuclear Accord— revealing untold drama, strategies, and lessons from top diplomats and world leaders through gripping firsthand accounts and exclusive interviews.

Presented by the Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival as part of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Simon Family JCC, and Community Partners’ 14th annual Israel Today series.

Support United Jewish Federation of Tidewater by purchasing books online. UJFT and Simon Family JCC receive 10% of each purchase through its storefront at BookShop.org/Shop/JewishVA. Books may also be purchased in person at the Simon Family JCC. Book signings will take place following each author event.

The Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival is funded in part by the citizens of Virginia Beach through a grant from the City of Virginia

David and Susan Schwartz

The Joy of Costco

Wednesday, November 20, 12 pm

$10 for JCC members; $14 for non-members. Includes lunch. Pre-registration required by November 12.

Did you know that Costco sells more than half of the world’s cashews? Or that they sell seven times more hotdogs than all Major League Baseball stadiums combined? David and Susan Schwartz are two of Costco’s biggest fans, and they’ve got some facts to share!

Beach Arts and Humanities Commission and is held in coordination with the Jewish Book Council, the longest-running organization devoted exclusively to the support and celebration of Jewish literature.

For more information about the festival or to sponsor or volunteer, contact Hunter Thomas, UJFT's director of Arts + Ideas, at HThomas@ UJFT.org or 757-965-6137. To learn more or to register for events, visit JewishVA.org/BookFest.

Lenore Skenazy

Free Range Kids: How Parents and Teachers Can Let Go and Let Grow

Thursday, November 21, 6:30 pm

$10 for JCC members; $14 for non-members. Includes lunch. Pre-registration required by October 30.

With realworld examples, Lenore Skenazy describes how parents and educators can step back so kids can step up. Positive change is faster, easier, and a lot more fun than one would believe.

Skenazy has helped millions of American parents feel brave and optimistic again— and the same goes for their kids.

Eddie Shapiro

Here’s to the Ladies: Conversations with More of the Great Women of Musical Theater

Wednesday, December 4, 7:30 pm

Featuring live music in partnership with Zeiders American Dream Theater and ROGE Theater Reinvented.

$10 for JCC members; $14 for non-members. Preregistration required by November 26.

ITidewater Jewish Foundation’s Life & Legacy Plus program, you can help ensure the Jewish instituations you cherish continue providing enriching experiences for future generations.

Presented in

with Strelitz International

n Here's to the Ladies, theater journalist Eddie Shapiro sits down for intimate, career-encompassing conversations with some of Broadway's most prolific and fascinating leading women.

Join him for a Cabaret-style evening of songs and stories celebrating the lives of some of the most remarkable women of Broadway and the songs they brought to life.

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SPORTS

How Harlem Globetrotters founder Abe Saperstein shaped basketball as

Jacob Gurvis (JTA) — When basketball superstar Stephen Curry sunk a series of threepoint shots to help Team USA clinch the Olympic gold medal in Paris this summer, it’s unlikely the four-time NBA champion was thinking about Abe Saperstein.

we know it

But as a new biography of the trailblazing Jewish basketball executive suggests, Curry had plenty of reasons to be grateful to Saperstein, who is best known as the founder and longtime head coach of the Harlem Globetrotters.

Saperstein, who at 5-foot-3 is the shortest man in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, is credited with introducing the three-pointer to the game. But his imprint on basketball, and sports more broadly, extends far beyond Curry’s signature long-distance shot.

In a new book, Globetrotter: How Abe Saperstein Shook Up the World of Sports, brothers Mark and Matthew Jacob explore Saperstein’s far-reaching legacy, which they say is still under-appreciated 58 years after his death. In addition to the three-pointer, they contend, Saperstein played a crucial role in elevating basketball from a second-tier American sport to a professionalized global powerhouse.

“You look at how popular basketball is in the Olympics, and Abe gets the credit for part of that,” Mark Jacob says. “I think that he should be considered one of the great innovators in sports, and not just in sports and how it was played — although he was that — but also in how sports was marketed and how it was promoted.”

Among his career highlights: He pushed the NBA to expand to the West Coast years before the Minneapolis Lakers moved to Los Angeles in 1960. And as

today

early as the 1950s and ’60s, Saperstein warned about the slow pace of play in baseball, a live issue in MLB debates in recent years, and urged team owners to charge more for games against better teams.

“I think if Abe Saperstein, figuratively speaking, could be looking down from heaven, he would be smiling to see that the NBA doesn’t just have an All-Star Game, they have an All-Star Weekend with the slam dunk contest,” says Matthew Jacob. Globetrotter is the result of years of research and writing by the Jacobs. Mark, 69, lives in Evanston, Illinois, and is a former editor at the Chicago Tribune; Matthew, 61, lives in Arlington, Virginia, and is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research, the group credited with revolutionizing that game through analytics. (The brothers are not Jewish.) This is the second book they have co-written, following their 2010 work What the Great Ate: A Curious History of Food and Fame, and the most in-depth published examination of Saperstein’s life and influence.

Saperstein was born on July 4, 1902, in London to Louis and Anna Saperstein, who had left what is now Poland amid a rise in antisemitism. The family moved to Chicago when Abe was five. The Sapersteins were Conservative Jews who attended High Holiday services and spoke Yiddish at home but were largely secular.

Saperstein’s career in sports began as a booking agent, and in 1926 he became the coach of an all-Black team then called the Savoy Big Five, based on the South Side of Chicago.

Saperstein renamed the team and began a barnstorming tour that, nearly a

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SPORTS

century and thousands of games later, the Globetrotters are still on.

At its inception, the team was neither from Harlem, nor were they globetrotters. The name was a symbol of Saperstein’s promotional flair: “Harlem” was chosen to signal to Midwestern towns of that era that the team was all-Black, and “Globetrotters” was meant to exaggerate the team’s reach and prestige.

The Globetrotters’ famous style of play — an entertaining combination of impressive athleticism, comedy, and theatrics — has earned the team, and its founder, both celebration and consternation. While the Globetrotters are credited with elevating players such as Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton — who was one of the first Black players in the NBA — and future Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain, the team also took heat for what some considered to be playing into racist stereotypes.

“I think that some viewed the Globetrotters as kind of a minstrel show, as something that depicted Black people as childlike and pranksters and not as serious people,” says Mark Jacob.

But Jacob says the Globetrotters, and Saperstein, were far more nuanced than the team’s sometimes circus-like style would suggest. There was a reason Black icons including Jesse Owens and Jesse Jackson were fans.

“On the other hand, the Globetrotter players are conspiring with the audience to make fun of the referees and the other team,” Jacob adds. “They’re not being demeaned. They’re almost triumphing in the whole pantomime of it.”

And while the players performed plenty of tricks on the court, they were also remarkably talented basketball players. In 1948, the Globetrotters won an exhibition game against the vaunted Minneapolis Lakers.

“That showed that Black athletes could compete with anyone, at a time when a lot of white people didn’t think that was true,” says Mark Jacob. “A lot of people point to that game as a real impetus for the integration [of the NBA] and making it, in fact, inevitable that Black players would be allowed in the NBA.”

It was Saperstein’s identity as an outsider — a Jewish immigrant from London — that helped him take on the role

of a go-between for his Black players and the still mostly white world of professional sports. Mark Jacob says Saperstein fits into broader Jewish-Black relations in the period, when Jewish leaders played a key role in the fight for Black civil rights.

Saperstein, a proud Jew and Zionist, was also no stranger to discrimination himself.

As Globetrotter details, Saperstein and his family faced antisemitism time and again, in London, in Chicago, and as Saperstein traveled the world promoting his Globetrotters, Negro League baseball teams, and other Black athletes.

Saperstein’s Jewish identity was especially front and center during the Globetrotters’ first European tour in 1950. When the Globetrotters went to Paris, Saperstein was vocal about his disdain for a particular venue, the Palais des Sports, where just years earlier 30,000 Jews had been held before being deported to Nazi camps.

“When you get down in those dark, gloomy dressing rooms, there’s a ghost around every corner,” Saperstein said of the Palais, according to the biography.

Saperstein and his 13-year-old daughter Eloise also encountered the deepseated antisemitism of postwar Germany, according to a particularly powerful anecdote from the book recounted by Abra Berkley, Eloise’s daughter.

While her father conducted a news conference at a hotel, Eloise, in search of local Jewish food, went to the concierge to ask where she could find the Jewish neighborhood.

As Berkley recounted, the hotel worker spat in Eloise’s face and told her, “Hitler should have gotten rid of all of you.” Eloise, with spit still dripping down her face, burst into her father’s news conference, crying hysterically, and told him what happened.

Saperstein abruptly ended the conference, demanded the employee be fired, and went to a jeweler next door to order a Star of David necklace for Eloise, which Berkley said her mother never took off. Years later, Eloise made copies of the pendant for her own daughters.

“The fact that Abe went off and had that made right after that incident is just a very powerful message, not only to people today, but obviously to his daughter,

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who’s just gone through this very horrible experience,” says Matthew Jacob. “He is like, ‘This is who we are, and we’re going to be proud of it, and I don’t ever want you to forget it, because I won’t.’”

The scene, Mark Jacob says, exemplifies the audacity that animated Saperstein’s entire career, in which he was never afraid to speak his mind, even when

some of his ideas were decades ahead of their time.

“Jews have historically faced horrible challenges and discrimination,” says Mark Jacob. “I think that there’s this kind of endurance, this ability to rise above circumstances and to meet challenges instead of avoiding them. And Abe was that. Abe did that.”

2ND ANNUAL STRELITZ FALL FESTIVAL

A day of family fun for the entire Tidewater community

Sunday, October 27, 11

am - 3 pm, Sandler Family Campus

Fall is a season of excitement at Strelitz International Academy. From decorating the sukkah and harvesting its fall garden to enjoying seasonal sensory experiences, this time of year holds special meaning for SIA students. What began as the “Falling into Shabbat” event for the school’s Early Years program has blossomed into something bigger. After last year’s successful inaugural event with almost 800 people attending, the 2nd Annual Strelitz International Academy Fall Festival promises to be even more spectacular.

Designed for families of all ages, the event will feature activities such as pony rides, train rides, a petting zoo, bounce houses, carnival games, and more. Community partners, including PJ Library, Camp JCC, Konikoff Center of Learning, and Jewish Family Service, will offer additional engaging programming throughout the day.

The festival’s menu options will include a variety of kosher fare, including hotdogs and popcorn.

While the Fall Festival is all about fun, it’s also a vital fundraiser for the Strelitz International Academy. Proceeds

JCC Seniors Club: In the sukkah with ShinShin Emily

Wednesday, October 16, 12 pm Sandler Family Campus

Many Jewish holidays that aim to bring in a sweet new year take place this month. Since the Seniors Club meeting falls on Erev Sukkot, it will be held in the Sandler Family Campus sukkah. Emily Patyuk, one of Tidewater’s ShinShinim (Israeli ambassadors) will lead activities and bring a bit of culture and enthusiasm to the event.

The Seniors Club meets on the third Wednesday of each month at the Simon Family JCC. This club is for adults who are at least 55 years old and who seek some education, culture, and connections to others and the Jewish community. Membership is $15 per year. Each month, there is a $6 charge for lunch with a presenter following the meal. If interested in joining or learning more about the Seniors Club, contact Mia Klein at MKlein@UJFT.org.

from sponsorships, wristbands sales, and themed raffle baskets with prizes will directly benefit students and programs. Sponsorship opportunities are available at all levels, allowing businesses and individuals to support the growth of this vibrant learning community. Whether stopping by with little ones before naptime or arriving after Sunday School, there will be plenty of activities to enjoy.

To support the Second Annual Strelitz Fall Festival, celebrating young families in Tidewater, contact Carin Simon, director of advancement, at csimon@strelitzacademy.org or 757-424-4327, ext. 4189.

For more information and to purchase a Children’s Festival Activity Wristband, go to https://strelitzinternationalacademy.org/fall-festival/.

FROM THE SHTETL TO THE SOUTH: EXPLORE YOUR PLACE IN JEWISH HISTORY CLASS STARTS:

TUESDAY OCTOBER 15, 11:30 AM SANDLER FAMILY CAMPUS

Sierra Lautman

How does your family’s history fit into the broader sweep of modern Jewish history? Were they recent immigrants or part of a long line of Jewish families? This fall, explore those connections in the new course “From the Shtetl to the South,” offered by the Konikoff Center for Learning of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Led by historian Rabbi Michael Panitz, the course will link participants’ personal stories to the greater Jewish experience of recent centuries. In fact, Rabbi Panitz will tailor the course to reflect the class participants’ families’ journeys, based on surveys they will complete after registering. Whether ancestors fled Soviet oppression, Nazi persecution, or other struggles, this class will connect those personal histories to the Jewish narrative.

Registration is $72 for JCC members and $90 for non-members, with scholarships available. Register at JewishVA.org/KCL or contact Sierra Lautman at SLautman@ujft.org.

Carin Simon

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Healing a fractured world discussed with Rabbi Sacks’ book as guide Next book club meeting: Sunday, October 27 10 am, B’nai Israel Synagogue

Craig Schranz

The Rabbi Sacks Tidewater Community Book Club met last month at Ohef Sholom Temple to discuss To Heal a Fractured World. This was the fourth book reviewed as part of a yearlong effort to dig deeply into the profound work of Rabbi Lord Jonathon Sacks, the former Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom and widely acknowledged master teacher, theologian, and communicator.

To Heal a Fractured World: The Ethics of Responsibility provides a passionate plea to return religion to its true purpose – a partnership with G-d in the work of ethical and moral living. During the wide-ranging discussion, close to two dozen participants examined the roots of “tikkun olam” in the biblical tradition. Blending universal values with the particularities of Jewish tradition, Sacks makes a forceful case that we exist to make a difference in this world. The depth of the Torah provides a blueprint between ritual and deeds to take thoughts and turn them into habits that impact the world. Sacks says, “Each of us has a unique constellation of gifts, an unreplicated radius of influence, and within that radius, be it as small as a family or as large as a state, we can be a transformative presence.”

friendly members’ collective wisdom and clarity provided me with answers and observations that help me reframe my judgments or reinforce them. If you’re seeking food for thought, you’ll find a feast with this supportive, reflective group.”

This Community Book Club, a partnership between the Konikoff Center for Learning of the United Jewish

The Daffodil Project: Remembering children of the Holocaust

Sunday, October 20

11 am – 3pm Jewish Museum and Cultural Center Portsmouth

The Daffodil Project Rededication Ceremony, which commemorates the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust, will take place at the Jewish Museum and Cultural Center at Chevra T’helim Synagogue in Portsmouth.

The Daffodil Project is a worldwide initiative to plant 1.5 million daffodils to honor these children. The vibrant yellow flowers symbolize resilience and hope, blooming each spring as a testament to the enduring spirit of those who suffered.

Participants will be able to purchase and pick up daffodil bulbs to plant, helping to create a living memorial that not only remembers the past, but also supports children facing humanitarian crises today. Through the purchase of bulbs, the memory of these children continues to blossom.

“’I think I just spent the morning in a room with the smartest group of people I’ve ever been in,’” says Elizabeth Murphy. “That’s what I told my husband after attending a Sacks Community Book Club meeting for the first time. For the past few years, I’ve read or listened to the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ commentary on almost every week’s parsha before attending Torah Study.

“Especially considering the ongoing events in Gaza, Israel, and Lebanon, as well as Ukraine, the US, and the rest of the world, it’s imperative to discuss ethics and responsibility,” says Murphy. “Rabbi Sacks’ insights are timeless. Listening to and questioning the brilliant,

Federation of Tidewater and area synagogues, welcomes newcomers regardless of if or what synagogue they are members of. The next club meeting will discuss Judaism’s Life Changing Ideas. In this book, Rabbi Sacks offers an essay that corresponds to each of the weekly torah readings over the course of the year. This book club will be unique because there is no expectation to read the book before the meeting. Instead, the group will discuss Rabbi Sacks’ approach to Torah commentary and review a representative essay.

As the annual Torah reading begins with Simchat Torah in late October, this is the perfect time to get a copy of the book and consider committing to reading a three-page essay each week.

For more information and to register, visit JewishVA.org/SacksBookClub or contact Craig Schranz at schranzc@yahoo.com.

This annual event stands as a powerful act of remembrance and hope, uniting individuals in their commitment to preserving the memory of the 1.5 million child victims of the Holocaust through this beautiful project.

To purchase bulbs and to learn more about the 2024 Daffodil Project, visit www.jewishmuseumportsmouth. org/the-daffodil-project. For more information, contact the museum at jmccportsmouth@gmail.com or 757-391-9266.

CALENDAR

OCTOBER 15 – DECEMBER 17, TUESDAYS

From the Shtetl to the South. 10-week course, offered by UJFT’s Konikoff Center for Learning and taught by Dr. Rabbi Michael Panitz. Cost includes a bus tour of Jewish landmarks around Tidewater. 11:30 am. Sandler Family Campus. $72 JCC members, $90 non-members. Scholarships available. Information and registration: JewishVA.org/ KCL or contact Sierra Lautman at slautman@ujft.org or 757-965-6107. See page 32.

OCTOBER 16, WEDNESDAY

Seniors Club – In the Sukkah. For adults 55 years and older. Annual membership $15. $6 for lunch. 12 pm. Information and registration: Mia Klein at MKlein@UJFT.org. See page 32.

OCTOBER 20, SUNDAY

The 2024 Daffodil Project rededication and bulb pick up to honor the memory of children lost in the Holocaust while supporting humanitarian causes. 11 am. Jewish Museum and Cultural Center in Portsmouth. Information: jmccportsmouth@gmail.com or 757-391-9266. See page 3.

JMCC Annual Rummage Sale. Proceeds support the Jewish Museum and Cultural Center and its programs. 11 am – 3 pm. Jewish Museum and Cultural Center. Information: jmccportsmouth@gmail.com or 757-391-9266.

OCTOBER 23, WEDNESDAY

Lafayette Bicentennial presentation. Portrayed by Greg Eatroff, Moses Myers remembers Marquis de Lafayette as a General, as the nation’s guest, and as a friend to the Jewish community. 7 pm. Jewish Museum and Cultural Center. Free. Information: visit www.jewishmuseumportsmouth.org or 757-391-9266.

OCTOBER 28 – DECEMBER 4

Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival. Featured author events allow the community to engage with bestselling and up-and-coming writers. Information and registration: visit JewishVA.org/BookFest or Hunter Thomas at HThomas@UJFT.org or 757-965-6137. See page 28.

OCTOBER 28, MONDAY

Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival presents Rachel Beanland, author of The House is on Fire. Based on a true story, The House is on Fire reveals how tragedy can offer rare chances for redemption. 7:30 PM. Sandler Family Campus. Free. Information and registration: visit JewishVA.org/Beanland. See page 28.

OCTOBER 29, TUESDAY

Middle School Kick-Off. Connect with friends, enjoy pizza dinner, share ideas for future get-togethers, and get to know Shinshinim, Danielle and Emily. Grades 6-8. 6 – 7:15 pm. Free. Simon Family JCC. Advance registration required by October 28. Information and registration: contact Dave Flagler at dflagler@ujft.org or 757-3182.

OCTOBER 30 – DECEMBER 11, WEDNESDAYS

Mitzvot Matter. During this six-week Melton course, offered by the Konikoff Center for Learning and taught by Amy Lefcoe, students will focus on the opportunity and power of mitzvot. 11:30 am. Sandler Family Campus. $36 JCC members, $45 non-members. Scholarships available. Information and registration: visit JewishVA.org/KCL or contact Sierra Lautman at slautman@ujft.org or 757-965-6107.

WHAT’S

HAPPENING Puttering around at the Simon Family JCC

Stephanie Peck

A common advertising refrain, “Membership has its benefits,” takes on extra meaning at the Simon Family JCC, where membership includes opportunities that feature fitness and swim options, cultural arts programs, clubs for all ages and interests, leagues, and an impressive facility – indoor and outdoor – that is used by infants to grandparents. . . literally spanning generations.

“I would love everyone to know we have these things. We encourage our guests and members alike to enjoy a kosher lunch at our Cardo Café. And they can keep the fun going by partaking in a leisurely game of 9-hole mini golf all year long!” says Leigh Ellard, member experience director at the Simon Family JCC. The front desk, Ellard says, supplies the golf clubs and balls for the course – at no additional cost for members.

Situated on the Sandler Family Campus between the waterpark and athletic fields, this miniature golf course is just one of the many benefits of Simon Family JCC membership.

For information on the Simon Family JCC, go to simonfamilyjcc.org or contact Leigh Ellard at lellard@simonfamilyjcc.org or 757-321-2326.

JCC BOOK CLUB

Monday, October 21, 1:30 pm

Sandler

Family Campus

In March 2024, Christopher Gorham spoke virtually in partnership with United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and the Konikoff Center for Learning about his novel, The Confidante. The JCC Book Club will go into more depth about this book at its next meeting. JCC Book Club meets on the third Monday of each month at the Simon Family JCC. This club is open to the community to join in person or via Zoom. If interested in joining or learning more about the JCC Book Club, contact Mia Klein at Mklein@ujft.org or Sherry Lieberman at joeann124@aol.com.

Leigh Ellard prepares for a ‘double-clubbed’ round at the Miniature Golf Course on the Sandler Family Campus.

OBITUARIES

f May the Source of Peace send peace to

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

Charles Bress

SILVER SPRING, Md. - Charles Marvin

Bress passed away on September 29.

Beloved husband of the late Patricia Bress; devoted father of Paul Bress (Carol Robitaille), Susan Weiglein (Andre), and Nancy Bailey (Darrin); loving brother of

Larry Bress (Linda), and the late Glenda Schuwall (Marty); cherished grandfather of Madison, Dylan, Ryan, and Samantha.

A graveside service was held at Judean Memorial Gardens in Olney, Md. Memorial contributions may be made to The ALS Association (als.org).

David N. Cohen

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - David (Pop-Pop) Cohen, 78, passed away peacefully with his family by his side after a long battle with cancer on September 23.

Beloved and devoted husband of Charlene; loving and caring father to Anton (Debra) Cohen, Gavin Cohen, Lori (Shane) Shapiro and Donna (Asher) Kells; proud and loved grandfather to Ella, Samantha, Cole, Annie, Laine, Axel and Dane; kind brother to Gerald (Lesley) Cohen and Hilary (Stanley) Weiner; and loyal friend to all.

David was an avid fisherman and had a passion for antiquing. His Jewish faith was very important to him, and he had a deep connection to the State of Israel.

He lived his life with loyalty, integrity, honesty, and had a wonderful sense of humor. Nothing made him prouder than spending time with his grandchildren.

David grew up in Cape Town, South Africa and emigrated to the United States in 1990. He settled with his family in Virginia Beach, where he lived for 30 years, before making Ponte Vedra Beach his full-time home. He will always be in our hearts and his legacy will live on forever.

Donations may be made to Beth El The Beaches Synagogue at https:// bethelbeaches.org/ or The Mayo Clinic at https://philanthropy.mayoclinic.org/ donateMC.

Alfred Dreyfus

VIRGINIA BEACH - Alfred Dreyfus, 100, peacefully passed away on October 4.

He was born in Rastatt, Germany on December 11, 1923, to Emmy (née Lieblich) and Manfred Dreyfus. From his father, an industrialist and World War I veteran, Alfred inherited a passion for technology and business and an indefatigable resilience. From his mother, daughter and granddaughter of prominent kosher hoteliers in Baden-Baden, Alfred acquired an appreciation for high culture and the natural world. From both his parents, Alfred absorbed fierce loyalty to family, profound attachment to the ideas and traditions of Judaism, and a sense of responsibility to do good in the world.

Alfred’s happy childhood ended abruptly when virulent antisemitism drove his family from Germany to France in 1933. Several years later, with the outbreak of World War II, the Dreyfus family again became refugees with Alfred’s father imprisoned and Alfred, his mother, and two brothers fleeing their homes, German bombs flying overhead, for the safety of southern France. By 1942, that place of refuge again turned dangerous as the French authorities began deporting local Jews to Nazi extermination camps. For a while, a local farmer agreed to hide Alfred and his family in his barn. The farmer later decided he could not face the risk of being discovered. The Dreyfus family embarked on a clandestine passage using false identification papers through southern France to reach the Swiss border where they

OBITUARIES

might escape and find refuge.

On trains and at roadside checkpoints, the family narrowly evaded the Gestapo as they watched other Jewish families arrested. Reaching Lake Geneva, the Dreyfus family found the Swiss border tightly sealed with police boats patrolling to prevent refugee. Jews from entering the country. They decided to attempt the more dangerous and physically demanding escape over the Chablais Alps by foot to reach Switzerland. The family crossed the border and eventually received refugee asylum. But the Swiss authorities separated the family into different labor camps; Alfred built roads and bridges near Lugano for several years until the end of World War II.

Later, Alfred studied radio-electricity in Switzerland through the Jewish organization ORT. This training fueled a lifelong interest in electronics and computers.

Alfred immigrated to the United States in 1947, arriving alone in New York City with one suitcase and a few dollars in his pocket. Although he never graduated high school nor attended university because of the war, he used his technical knowledge and survival instincts to find work and carve out a life for himself.

In 1950, he met Mildred Scherb at a singles dance. Alfred and Mildred married in 1951, and they were soon blessed with children, Claudia and Mark. The family moved frequently because of Alfred's work: from Queens, N.Y. to Schenectady, N.Y. to Stratford, Conn. and finally to Norfolk, Va. in 1966. There, Alfred founded ECPI (Electronic Computer Programming Institute), a pioneering technical college offering adult learners hands-on, skill-based computer training to allow graduates to enter the workforce quickly.

From the first class of eight students, the school later moved to Virginia Beach. Over the next 50 years, the school transformed into ECPI University, accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associates, bachelors, and master’s degrees. The university expanded to 18 campuses across Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Texas, and online.

Today the University matriculates 10,000 students in the areas of nursing,

health sciences, technology, business, and culinary arts. Alfred believed in the transformative power of applied education deeply; ECPI graduations were highlights of Alfred’s year, occasions when he could look on with pride at the accomplishments of hard-working students taking control of their own destinies.

He also marveled at the opportunity to help veterans and the military community as a way to thank them for their service and the sacrifices made during World War II, which saved his family.

Alfred’s life was beset by challenges; World War II disrupted his childhood and teenage years. His close relatives died in concentration camps. For decades, Alfred spoke about his wartime experiences at schools, synagogues, and community gatherings, to his grandchildren and to strangers in the grocery store. He was devoted to passing on the story of the Holocaust to younger generations and wide audiences. He would tear up with gratitude recalling the miracles he experienced allowing him to survive.

Alfred was a devoted family man; a generous benefactor to many community causes and private individuals in need and a proud American who had experienced barbarism in Europe and knew first-hand the value of American freedom and the American dream.

Alfred Dreyfus was predeceased by Mildred, his beloved wife of almost 70 years. He was also preceded in death by his younger brothers, Henry Dreyfus and Roger Dreyfus. He is survived by his daughter Claudia Dreyfus and son Mark Dreyfus; grandchildren Brett and Marisa Levi and Sam, Max, and Sophia Dreyfus; and great-grandchildren Joshua, Evan, and Natalie Staines and Judah Levi-Miran. Alfred is also survived by his sister-in-law Anny Dreyfus, nephew Philippe Dreyfus, and many other cousins around the world.

Arthur S. Kreger

VIRGINIA BEACH - Arthur S. Kreger died on September 24 with his wife and daughter by his side.

He was born in Norfolk, Va. on February 27, 1936, to the late Lena Cohen and Jacob Kreger. Arthur was preceded in death by his siblings Sammy, Bernice, Sol,

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and Shirley Levin.

Arthur was a graduate of Maury High School and attended the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary. He and his brother and sister owned and operated AAA Building and Plumbing Supply in Norfolk.

He was introduced to Emmy Lou in Norfolk in 1963, and they were married on August 11, 1963. A member of Beth El and its Men’s Club for many years, he loved playing poker and going to stock club meetings with his friends. Arthur was a fan of the Washington Redskins and the Baltimore Orioles.

Survivors include his beloved wife of 61 years, Emmy Lou Kreger, and his loving daughter, Jackie Kreger Ris, and her husband, Peter. Other survivors include many nieces and nephews.

A graveside service was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Donations may be made to Congregation Beth El or a charity of one’s choice. Online condolences may be made to the family at hdoliver.com.

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

ARTS & CULTURE

How a real-life rabbi coached Netflix’s Nobody Wants This about interfaith relationships

Shira Li Bartov

(JTA) — Nobody Wants This, a rom-com Netflix series starring Adam Brody as a charming Los Angeles rabbi who falls for a blond, agnostic sex and dating podcaster played by Kristen Bell, is based on a true story — kind of.

Erin Foster, the creator of the show, is a blond Los Angeles native who found her match in a Jew, albeit not a rabbi — her husband is record-label owner Simon Tikhman — and converted for him. Like her protagonist Joanne (Bell), she also “got the ick” when her Jewish then-boyfriend eagerly tried to impress her mother with a bouquet of oversized sunflowers.

In other words, Foster is a “shiksa” to the perennial nice Jewish boy. “Shiksa,” as Joanne quickly discovers in Nobody

Wants This, is a Yiddish-origin pejorative used by Jews to describe non-Jewish white women with varying degrees of blond hair. “Shiksa” was also the original title of the 10-episode series.

After the trailer launched last month, fans of Brody marveled at his portrayal of a “hot rabbi,” and one early reviewer praised the show as “a smart and sexy story where Jews are the plotline, not the punchline.”

Others bristled at what they saw as stereotypes about Jewish women.

Steve Leder, the former senior rabbi of Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles, supplied his advice to the cast and crew as a consultant rabbi. He had his own connection to the real-life love story — Foster converted to Judaism in his synagogue.

Leder was tasked with vetting the Jewishness on screen, from the schedule of earnest Rabbi Noah (Brody) to the pronunciation of Hebrew words to the ordering of candles, wine, and bread for Shabbat. Brody has gained fame by portraying Jewish characters on screen, most notably Seth Cohen in The O.C. and, more recently, Seth Morris in Fleishman Is in Trouble. But in real life, he says he “barely got bar mitzvahed and retained nothing from it,” and had Leder’s help alongside his own journey through books, podcasts, and documentaries about Judaism.

“Anything in the series that is, for lack of a better way to put it, overtly Jewish — I did my best to make sure it was done with authenticity and respect,” Leder says.

The central tension of the show

— whether Noah can marry a non-Jew while continuing on his path as a rabbi — is also a realistic one, says Leder. While some rabbis marry non-Jews, he says it’s more common that their partners eventually convert. Traditional Jewish law, known as halacha, prohibits marriage between Jews and non-Jews.

Still, Nobody Wants This comes out during a time when American Jewish institutions are increasingly accepting intermarried rabbis. Hebrew Union College, the rabbinical seminary of the Reform movement, announced in June that it was dropping its ban on interfaith relationships for rabbinical students. The Reform movement is by far the largest denomination in the United States, with four in 10 members married to nonJews. Reform rabbis have never been prohibited from intermarrying.

But you wouldn’t guess that trend of acceptance from Noah’s Jewish circle. As much as he fears rejection by his congregation, he is nearly as cowed by judgment from his own family — primarily the women, and most of all his mother Bina (played by Broadway star Tovah Feldshuh).

Noah’s sister-in-law Esther (Jackie Tohn) is similarly unyielding — dominating over her helpless husband Sasha (Timothy Simons) and drawing sharply demeaning contrasts to Joanne, whom she refers to as “Whore #1” (Joanne’s sister Morgan, played by Justine Lupe, is “Whore #2”). The only Jewish woman who immediately welcomes Joanne is a rabbi she meets briefly at Noah’s former camp, who is, coincidentally, also blond.

The stereotypes of Jewish women can sometimes lean into shtick, necessary as they are for the show’s comedic contrast between the fun, outspoken, sex-positive shiksa and the severe, withholding Jewish women who view her as a threat. But Leder says that while their exaggerated tendencies were written for a laugh, the Jews were in on the joke.

WITH US!

Kristallnacht: A turning point in Nazi persecution

Elka Mednick

November 9-10, 1938, Kristallnacht, or the “Night of Broken Glass,” marked a critical escalation in Nazi persecution of Jews. This pogrom led to the destruction of more than 1,000 synagogues and 7,500 Jewish-owned businesses, resulting in the arrest of 30,000 Jewish men and the death of many people. Kristallnacht demonstrates how quickly societal norms can break down when unchecked hatred flourishes.

The lack of significant public outcry during this pogrom emboldened the Nazi regime, highlighting the importance of speaking out against injustice. The regime’ s use of propaganda to portray Kristallnacht as a spontaneous reaction underscores the dangers of misinformation. This event also serves as a warning about the slippery slope of discrimination; it was preceded by years of increasing antisemitism that ultimately led to catastrophic consequences. Learning about these events is vital to preventing future atrocities and ensuring that we remember the past.

As we remember Kristallnacht, let us commit to combating hatred and fostering a more inclusive society. It is critical that each person reflects upon the importance of being an upstander rather than a perpetrator or bystander when encountering bigotry.

The Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater works to accomplish this goal through its educational programming and outreach. Learn about the impact of Kristallnacht on individuals in Tidewater by reading To Life: The Past is Present or listen to the podcast Stars Among Us. To learn about these Holocaust Commission projects and more, visit https://holocaustcommission.jewishva.org/.

Elka Mednick is director of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Holocaust Commission. She may contacted at emednick@ujft.org.

Marcia Trains offers Dementia Caregiver Workshop

Wednesdays, October 16, 23, and 30, 10 am – 12 pm Frieden Agency

Premier Senior Living Community!

OPENING SOON

Aviva Pembroke will be retirement living at its best. A 7-story senior living community, including 121 independent living apartments, 20 assisted living apartments, and 12 memory support units, for a complete continuum of care. Located in the heart of Town Center, residents will have access to all of the best dining, shopping and entertainment Virginia Beach has to offer.

• Pickleball Courts

• Rooftop Venues

• Indoor Aquatic Center

• Top-of-the-line Appliances

• Life Enrichment Programs

• Hair & Nail Salon

• Fitness Center

• Bistro and Café

• Housekeeping Services

Workshop instructors will provide practical hands-on tools for family care partners and professional caregivers of dementia patients. Marcia Futterman Brodie will address dementia and the changing brain. Mikelle Rappaport will explain how to identify signs that loved ones may need additional support and share available care options. Tierra Ellison will demonstrate practical, accessible, and affordable art projects to help keep patients and family members connected, stimulated, and engaged. Susan M. Kaplan will discuss how to recognize stress and manage it through breathing techniques and simple yoga moves.

Register for one session ($49) or attend all three and receive a 10% discount. Register at MarciaTrains.com.

• Concierge Services

• Dog Washing Station

Apartments are filling fast! Place a deposit for the apartment of your choice today.

A COLLABORATION BETWEEN BETH SHOLOM VILLAGE AND PEMBROKE SQUARE ASSOCIATES

Professionally managed by Beth Sholom Village with over 40 years of experience. For more information, contact Allison Hechtkopf at (757) 961-3046.

AvivaPembroke.com

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