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Southeastern Virginia | Vol. 56 No. 21 | 2 Elul 5778 | August 13, 2018
42 Israel’s Ambassador to the U.N. speaks at CBN
44
UJFT Campaign Kickoff with Izzy Ezagui Thursday, September 6
—page 15
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Harry Graber honored with retirement celebration
46 Tidewater goes to Israel
49 HAT Golf Tournament Tuesday, August 28
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have always been proud of our community. It’s what brought
by being here and
me to Jewish Family Service of Tidewater in 2003 after working
caring about the
in hospital administration. I was involved in our Federation’s
future.
young leadership programs and served on the executive board
My
husband
of the Jewish Community Center at Newport Avenue. But, I
and I are proud
wanted to do more.
that our roots are
We have a wonderful community. As I have attended
Norfolk,
acted with colleagues from federations around the country,
Peninsula
I constantly hear, “You’re from Tidewater? What an amazing
communities, and
community you have!”
that we now have
and Jewish
And, we really do.
the
It’s about the people. People not only taking care of people,
to raise our chil-
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater John Strelitz, President Alvin Wall, Treasurer Stephanie Calliott, Secretary Betty Ann Levin, Executive Vice-President www.jewishVA.org
opportunity
but also being passionate about our local Jewish community—
dren
improving it, and ensuring its vibrancy for our children and
about taking care
grandchildren.
of people, building
It’s also about the people of Tidewater connecting to the
Terri Denison, Editor Germaine Clair, Art Director Sandy Goldberg, Account Executive Ronnie Jacobs Cohen, Account Exectutive Marilyn Cerase, Subscription Manager Reba Karp, Editor Emeritus
in the Portsmouth,
national JFS conferences over the years and now have inter-
needs of those in Israel, Eastern Europe, the former Soviet
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here.
connections,
It’s Betty Ann Levin
and
ensuring the future of our community—together.
Union, and other communities around the world. Having par-
I really looking forward to seeing all of you the evening
ticipated in federation missions over the years to both Israel and
of Thursday, September 6, as we kick-off our 2019 Annual
Eastern Europe, I have been impacted by seeing first-hand how
Campaign and an exciting year.
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the funds we raise in Tidewater directly help people of all ages and make a difference in their lives. The people of Tidewater are known nationally and internationally for leading, helping those in need, and making a difference. I look forward to continuing this legacy with all of you. We are all connected to our Jewish community, whether it be through the federation, a partner agency, a synagogue, or simply
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CBN Hosts Israel’s UN Ambassador . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Harry Graber’s retirement celebration. . . . . . . . . . . 44 Tidewater’s Israel Mission . . . . . . . . . 46 What’s Happening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Who Knew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Mazel Tov. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 NYT best Jewish obituaries. . . . . . . . . 55
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contents Up Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Briefs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Facebook and the Holocaust . . . . . . . . 5 Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 TJF: New Legacy donor . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Campaign Kickoff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Izzy Ezagui at Campaign Kickoff . . . . 11 US foreign policy and Israel and Iran. 12 PJ Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Inclusion at Beth El . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Nadiv completes second year. . . . . . . . 16 Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
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Executive Vice President
Friday, August 17/6 Elul Light candles at 7:36 pm Friday, August 24/13 Elul Light candles at 7:27 pm
“You cannot un-see it, and you must do something to make it right.” —page 44
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BRIEFS Netflix says it’s not offering Louis Farrakhan documentary Netflix said reports that it would offer a documentary about Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan were based on an “internal miscommunication.” “[I]t appeared to be scheduled for release on Netflix, but it is not. We apologize for any confusion this has caused,” a representative said in a statement. The film, The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan: My Life’s Journey Through Music, had appeared on lists in media outlets of upcoming Netflix offerings. Farrakhan, who has a history of making anti-Semitic statements, had also written on Twitter that the documentary would be available on the service starting on Aug. 1. His tweet is no longer available. In June, Twitter removed Farrakhan’s verified status after a clip was posted of the Nation of Islam leader speaking about “the Satanic Jew.” Farrakhan has promoted an array of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, including that Israel and Jews knew ahead of time about the 9/11 terror attacks and that they control the world. He has also attacked white people and the LGBTQ community in his statements. (JTA)
government, which worked to repatriate property stolen by the Nazis. But the gallery owner’s family decided not to reclaim the two masterpieces, despite settling claims with the Dutch government for other artworks and real estate. The paintings were sold to a Russian prince in 1966 before being acquired five years later by the Norton Simon Museum for $800,000—the equivalent of about $4.8 million today. They have been on display there for nearly 50 years. Desi Goudstikker’s only heir, Marei von Saher, recovered 200 paintings still in the possession of the Dutch government since the 1990s, but the government would not turn over the Cranachs. “The Dutch government acted with authority to convey the paintings after von Saher’s predecessors failed to file a claim,” Judge M. Margaret McKeown wrote in the decision of the three-judge panel in favor of the museum, according to the Los Angeles Times. She also said the court was avoiding “embroiling our domestic courts in re-litigating long-resolved matters entangled with foreign affairs.” Von Saher can appeal the case to a larger appeals panel or to the U.S. Supreme Court. (JTA)
California museum can keep Nazilooted paintings valued at $24 million, US appeals court rules A federal appeals court ruled that an art museum in Pasadena, California, can keep two Nazi-looted Renaissance paintings. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last month that the Norton Simon Museum can keep Adam and Eve, which were painted around 1530 by Lucas Cranach the Elder and in 2006 were appraised at $24 million, The Associated Press reported. The heir to Dutch Jewish gallery owner Jacques Goudstikker left the paintings in the Netherlands when he and his family fled from the Nazis to South America in 1940. Goudstikker left his gallery containing more than 1,200 artworks behind, the Los Angeles Times reported. His wife, Desi, kept a black book listing all the paintings in the gallery. The two Cranach masterpieces were listed there. After World War II, Goudstikker’s paintings were returned to the Dutch
Ordained Orthodox woman announces plans to open her own synagogue A woman ordained by the Orthodox Yeshivat Maharat is opening her own synagogue in Philadelphia. Rabbanit Hadas Fruchter, 28, announced that she will open a Modern Orthodox synagogue in Philadelphia with seed money from Start Up Shul and support from Hillel’s Office of Innovation, which gave her a one-year Fellowship for Rabbinic Entrepreneurs. Fruchter’s announcement was first published in the Washington Post. The synagogue, which does not yet have a location, is scheduled to open in the summer of 2019. She has served as assistant spiritual leader at Beth Sholom Congregation and Talmud Torah in Potomac, Maryland, since 2016. She was ordained that year by Yeshivat Maharat, a liberal Orthodox seminary in New York City.
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Fruchter, the granddaughter of a rabbi, told the Post that she dreamed as a teenager of marrying a rabbi because she did not think she could ever be one. She told the newspaper that her synagogue is “going to be traditional, halachic: fully in line with Jewish law in terms of Modern Orthodox understanding.” This means that she will have to give her sermons from the women’s side of the mechitzah and will not count in a minyan, a prayer quorum of 10 men. It is unlikely her synagogue will be accepted to join the Orthodox Union, the umbrella Orthodox synagogue organization, which earlier this year issued a document on the subject concluding that women should not hold clergy positions. Start-Up Shul, founded by Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld and Steven Lieberman to create gender-inclusive Orthodox synagogues, will fund two synagogues this year and plans to increase to four or five new synagogues a year down the line, according to the Post. (JTA)
Northern California Jewish camp cancels final session over forest fires The final summer session of Camp Tawonga in Northern California has been canceled due to smoke from the Ferguson Forest Fire. In a letter to parents also posted on social media, the director of the Jewish camp, Jamie Simon, said that “the U.S. Forest Service, the Tuolumne County Health Department and CAL FIRE all recommend that Camp Tawonga remains closed for at least another week due to unhealthy air quality and volatile fire conditions.” She also said the camp property was not in danger. “Our thoughts are with the thousands of brave men and women still fighting this fire and many others in California,” she wrote. More than 300 campers from the previous camp session were sent home on July 31 due to the fire and the backfires set to contain the blaze. “In Tawonga’s 93-year history, we have never before had to cancel a session, and we want to do everything we can to support our Tawonga families during this
time,” read the email sent to parents. The last blaze to impact Tawonga was the Rim Fire in August 2013, which covered 250,000 acres and reached the grounds of the camp, where it burned three staff buildings. The Ferguson Fire started in the Sierra National Forest and was burning eight miles south of camp. (JTA)
Amazon removes racist and anti-Semitic products from site Amazon removed racist and anti-Semitic products from its site being offered by third-party sellers. Amazon announced the move in a letter to Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., dated July 31. In mid-July, Ellison in a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos called for the company to stop selling “products that promote hateful and racist ideologies.” Among the products removed were a Nazi swastika pendant, a Nazi eagle sticker and a cross-burning onesie for baby boys, according to BuzzFeed, which published the letter. Amazon also was offering books by white nationalist printing houses, including on Kindle. In its letter to Ellison, Amazon said that it prohibits the listing of products that “promote or glorify hatred, violence, racial, sexual, or religious intolerance or promote organizations with such views.” The company said it had reviewed the products and contents referenced in Ellison’s letter and “removed the listings that were found in violation of our policies and permanently blocked the seller accounts that were in violation of Amazon policy.” Amazon also said it is reviewing seller accounts for potential suspension. (JTA) Jewish incumbent David Kustoff beats challenger who touted Christian values in Tennessee primary David Kustoff, a Jewish congressman, handily won a Republican primary in Tennessee against a self-funded challenger who emphasized his “Christian, conservative” credentials. Kustoff, who had the backing of President Donald Trump, defeated George Flinn 56–40 percent in the contest in the 8th District, which encompasses a portion of Memphis and points west. (JTA)
nation
How Holocaust experts want to help Mark Zuckerberg solve Facebook’s denial dilemma H
olocaust experts want to meet with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the social network’s unwillingness to automatically remove anti-Semitic and Holocaust denial material. The heads of organizations and experts involved in Holocaust and genocide education offered to meet with Zuckerberg and help raise Holocaust awareness within the Facebook community. In late July, Zuckerberg said in an interview published online that he would not automatically remove Holocaustdenying posts from the social network he founded. “Facebook must not allow complete and utter falsehoods about the Holocaust, and about the Jewish people, to go systematically unchecked,” the letter dated Tuesday, August 6 to Zuckerberg says. “Virulent antisemitism is a proven pathway that leads from rhetorical hatred to actions of violence. Freedom of speech laws are not a reason to do nothing— inaction is always the opportunity for evil to flourish. All genocide starts with distortion of the truth and prejudice.” The experts later say: “We offer you tangible, rapidly executable steps towards Facebook becoming part of the solution. We can deliver proven educational resources in multiple languages, ready for digital deployment with Facebook— important as you may wish to break the task down by different jurisdictions with different laws.” They also offer “cost-free professional development programs for educators on Facebook to give them resources, skills and confidence to tackle hate and prejudice, and to teach empathy, understanding and respect.” Among the signers are Simon Bentley, head of Yad Vashem U.K.; Peter Schafer of the Jewish Museum Berlin; Stephen D. Smith, executive director of the USC Shoah Foundation; Laura Marks, chairwoman of the U.K. Holocaust Memorial
R I S T O R A N T E I N S P I R E D
B Y
I T A L Y
Mark Zuckerberg.
Day Trust; and Diane Lee, director general of the Imperial War Museum in London. In an interview published on the Recode website, Zuckerberg had told tech journalist Kara Swisher: “I’m Jewish, and there’s a set of people who deny that the Holocaust happened. I find that deeply offensive. But at the end of the day, I don’t believe that our platform should take that down because I think there are things that different people get wrong.” He said “I don’t think that they’re intentionally getting it wrong.” Zuckerberg later clarified his comments, saying “I personally find Holocaust denial deeply offensive, and I absolutely didn’t intend to defend the intent of people who deny that.” Meanwhile. some 6,000 educational institutions, museums and individuals from around the world signed a Change. org petition started by the New York-based Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect along with the Association of Holocaust Organizations, and Holocaust Learning and Education Fund calling on Zuckerberg and Facebook to stop hosting Holocaust denial on the social network.(JTA)
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Israel Tens of thousands of Druze and their supporters rally against nation-state law
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JERUSALEM (JTA)—Tens of thousands of Israel’s Druze community and their supporters rallied in Tel Aviv against the controversial nation-state law. Israeli media reported that at least 50,000 and up to 90,000 participated in the Druze-led rally on Saturday night, August 4 in Rabin Square. Many protesters carried the Druze flag and the Tel Aviv city hall was lit up in the colors of the Druze flag. “We’re all proud of the democratic and free State of Israel, where human dignity and freedom are the supreme values. We’ve never doubted the Jewish identity of the state. We recognized its Jewish character with full equality for its non-Jewish citizens,” Druze religious leader Sheikh Mowafak Tarif said at the rally. “No one can teach us what sacrifice is, and no one can preach to us about loyalty and devotion—the military cemeteries are a testament to that. We are determined to fight alongside you for the state’s character and the right to live in it with equality and dignity,” Tarif, who received the honor of lighting a torch at last year’s national Independence Day ceremony, said. “Despite our unconditional loyalty to the state, the state doesn’t see us as equals. The cry of the Druze community is real. They feel justifiably that someone seeks to take their Israeliness away.” Tarif also said that he sincerely believes that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has had several meetings with Druze leaders since the passage of the law, and who appointed a highlevel committee to recommend and implement actions to cement the position of the Druze in Israel society, plans to fix the damage caused by the law. “We came here to tell the entire Israeli nation, with all of the Israeli people, that this country is for all of us,” retired Brig. Gen. Amal Assad told The Associated Press. “We were born here, we will die here, we love this country, we have defended it, and we will continue to live here together—Jews, Arabs, Druze,
Circassians, Bedouins, as equal brothers. We are all Israelis.” Druze, unlike other Arabs who make Israel their home, are subject to the mandatory draft. Several Druze servicemen have announced that they would resign from the military due to the passage of the law. Assad, who spearheaded activity against the nation-state law passed last month, became more well known in Israel amid reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly left a meeting with him and other Druze leaders after Assad said that the new law would “lead to apartheid.” Ahead of the rally, 40 former Israeli diplomats released a statement against the nation-state law, saying that they are “embarrassed” and “pained” by its passage. “During our years of service for the State of Israel, we could always look world nations in the eye and tell them with an honest heart that Israel, being the only democracy in the Middle East, is indeed a proud Jewish state, but one run in the spirit of Israel’s prophets and upholding equality between its different components, including by maintaining Arabic as an official language alongside Hebrew,” the statement said. “Being proud of the right we were given to represent the State of Israel, defend it publicly, promote its interests, its security and our government’s policy, and act to advance science, the economy and culture in Israel, we express our protest against the legislation that excludes the minorities among us—Arabs, Muslims, Druze, Christians, Circassians and others,” it also said. During the rally, opposition leader Tzippy Livni and Avi Gabbay, head of the Labor Party, announced in a statement that they would pass legislation making Israel’s Declaration of Independence, which calls Israel a Jewish and democratic state, the constitution of the country. Hours after the end of the rally, Netanyahu at the regular Cabinet meeting
ISRAEL addressed again the issue of the nationstate law. “The State of Israel is the national state of the Jewish people. Israel is a Jewish and democratic state. Individual rights are anchored in many laws including Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty. Nobody has harmed—and nobody intends to harm—these individual rights but without the Nation-State Law it will be impossible to ensure for
[future] generations the future of Israel as a Jewish national state,” Netanyahu said. He also said that the “deep bond between the Druze community and our commitment to it are also essential; therefore, today we will establish a special ministerial committee to advance this bond and this commitment and at the same time will appreciate those of all religions and all ethnic communities who serve in the IDF and the security forces.”
Woman’s appointment to an Israeli rabbinic court is seen as a breakthrough JERUSALEM ( JTA)—A woman was appointed to serve as a judicial assistant in an Israeli rabbinic court—one of the most senior positions in the Orthodoxrun court system. The appointment of Shira Ben-Eli was announced by the rabbinical courts administration and the Civil Service Commission to the Jerusalem District Labor Court. The position involves close contact with the court’s decision-making processes, Haaretz reported. Nearly two years ago ITIM, an organization that seeks to help Israelis navigate the country’s religious bureaucracy, and the Rackman Center at Bar-Ilan University filed a lawsuit calling for equality in Israel’s rabbinical courts, particularly for non-rabbinic positions. The lawsuit included a restraining order against the Civil Service Commission and the rabbinical courts administration from hiring judicial assistants as long as they prevented women from obtaining the positions. The requirement that a judicial assistant have rabbinic ordination or qualification
as a dayan, a rabbinic judge, ultimately was lifted. In an announcement, the Civil Service Commission and the rabbinical courts administration said: “The respondents are pleased to inform the court that the committee that examined candidates for two positions of judicial assistant in the rabbinic court chose a female candidate for one of the posts. No candidate, male or female, was chosen for the second position as of yet because no applicant was found with suitable knowledge and experience.” Rabbi Seth Farber, ITIM’s director, said in a statement to JTA: “This is a great day for women Jewish legal scholars who now have doors opened to them that were unimaginable even five years ago. It is also a great day for Israel, which has demonstrated that extremism can be countered by the forces of democracy and equality.” Karen Horowitz, legal adviser to the Rackman Center, called the appointment “an important step, but certainly not the last one, in the advancement of women.”
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Incendiary kite sparks fire in West Bank winery JERUSALEM ( JTA)—A kite carrying incendiary material sparked a fire this month at a West Bank vineyard. The fire at the Tura Winery near Mount Gerizim was put out quickly, Hadashot news reported. The kite is believed to have been launched from Nablus in the northern West Bank. It is not the first time that Palestinians
in the West Bank have copied the incendiary kites and balloons flown by Palestinian terrorists from Gaza that have burned thousands of acres of woodlands and agricultural fields in southern Israel. Last month, a balloon carrying incendiary materials was found in the eastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo.
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israel Booking.com labeled Jerusalem as an ‘Israeli settlement’ AMSTERDAM (JTA)—The online travel reservation service Booking.com amended its definition of the city of Jerusalem as an “Israeli settlement” following a critical query from a Belgian Jewish newspaper. The Amsterdam-based company acted a day after Michael Freilich, editor in chief of the Joods Actueel newspaper in Antwerp,
asked the firm about its characterization of the capital city, he said. “I thought it was a hoax until I checked it out and saw it with my own eyes,” Freilich said of his verification of a tip by one of his readers. Booking.com has not responded to Joods Actueel’s query, Freilich said, but
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JERUSALEM (JTA)—Ten volunteer firefighters from the United States are in Israel to help battle the blazes sweeping across southern Israel caused by arson kites and balloons sent from Gaza. The firefighters arrived in Israel and went to work last month alongside Israeli firefighters and soldiers. They have been dispatched to the cities of Sderot, Ashdod, Askelon and Netivot. Thousands of acres of farmland and natural forest have been consumed in the flames sparked by the flying firebombs, which Gaza Palestinians have used as a tactic beginning since mid-March as part of border protests that have turned violent. The firefighters are in Israel under the
auspices of The Emergency Volunteers Project, which trains and deploys to Israel volunteer emergency responders including fire, medical and community assistance. The project—one of three that have received funding from the Jewish Federations of North America to help deal with the recent wave of incendiary kites and balloons—includes volunteers in over 50 cities in 10 U.S. states. U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman traveled to the Gaza border area to meet with the American and Israeli firefighters. The firefighters are from Baltimore, Maryland; Plantation and Hollywood, Florida; Fort Worth, Texas; and Los Angeles.
Israel’s Mossad seen as responsible for assassination of vital Syrian rocket scientist
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annexed in the 1980s, is disputed and seen as illegal by many countries and international organizations, including the European Union and the United Nations. Founded in the Netherlands in 1996, Booking.com now offers more than 28 million reported listings in more than 138,000 destinations in 229 countries and territories worldwide. More than 1.5 million room nights are reserved daily on the platform, according to the firm.
10 US firefighters volunteer to battle blazes on Gaza border
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fixed the subject of his query within a few hours of his sending the email. Jerusalem is now shown as being in Israel on Booking.com. Most of the world’s countries do not recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, even with the U.S. recognition in December. However, Israeli sovereignty in the western part of the city is internationally recognized. Israel’s control over the eastern part, which the Jewish state
(JTA)—Israel’s Mossad was responsible for the assassination of one of Syria’s most important rocket scientists, The New York Times reported. Aziz Asbar was killed by a car bomb on Saturday, August 4—at least the fourth assassination attempt by Israel in three years against an enemy weapons engineer on foreign soil—the New York Times reported , citing an unnamed senior official from a Middle Eastern intelligence agency. Syria and Hezbollah both blamed Israel for the attack, but a rebel group affiliated with al-Qaida, the Abu Amara Brigades, claimed responsibility in a statement posted on its Telegram channel.
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied that it was involved in the assassination of Asbar in Masyaf, where Syria’s military research organization maintains one of its most important weapons-development facilities. Spokesmen for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman did not respond to requests for comment from The Times. But Liberman rejected the accusations in an interview on Israeli television. “Every day in the Middle East there are hundreds of explosions and settling of scores,” he told Channel 2. “Every time, they try to place the blame on us. So we won’t take this too seriously.”
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Barb Gelb
Amie and Byron Harrell do not seem like typical legacy
donors. With two young sons and retirement still several decades away, they nevertheless felt compelled to help ensure the future of Tidewater’s Jewish community with a LIFE & LEGACY gift. Deeply committed to the Tidewater Jewish community, they came to this commitment through different paths. Byron’s connection to Judaism is more traditional. He grew up enjoying the holidays with extended family and getting together for meals and celebrations. It was a special time, he recalls, as he was always his grandmother’s “hot date for the High Holy Days, going to services with her.” Growing up, Byron became a Bar Mitzvah at Congregation Beth El, while his family also belonged to Temple Israel and Ohef Sholom. Amie, who is not Jewish, says she has grown to love the traditions and history over the past 17 years—primarily through Byron’s family with its gatherings and celebrations, as well as through community programs. “For example, I did the Mother’s Circle at Ohef Sholom Temple, where we learned Jewish holidays, beliefs, and traditions. It was a wonderful program so we could implement those in our homes to raise our children Jewish.” The couple participated in the Tidewater Couples Project and the Hineni Institute for Leadership with United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. “At the end of the program, we traveled to Israel and fell in love with the country. My journey has really just begun,” says Amie. It wasn’t the beautiful sight-seeing that made the trip so wonderful, she says, but rather the visits to the local communities and seeing where Tidewater’s dollars went to address poverty, disabilities, and more. “We saw children in need and their programs would be non-existent had the Tidewater community not stepped up.” “Seeing little Hampton Roads…doing so much to help those overseas and in Israel…the impact was mind-blowing. This was very important in our decision to become legacy donors,” Byron says. Byron feels the bond he shares with other Jews in the community is important to him, and is clear about how Judaism has informed the way he lives his life. “Judaism has taught me to be kind to others, and to be generous. It has taught me to teach my children these types of things in my everyday life. In my work life, Judaism has taught me to work hard, to be thoughtful in my process with my clients and work with the utmost integrity when I handle their financial affairs.” When talking about philanthropy in their household, Amie says that right now they are focusing on gratitude, and not focusing on material things. “This goes hand in hand with the philanthropy we hope to pass on to our children. Giving back is important to our family. To give our children money doesn’t really click yet, but we start small and show them that we care
Amie and Byron Harrell and their boys.
beyond the walls of this house and these values will be intrinsic to them as they grow older.” Although they are young to be legacy donors, they believe their commitment to LIFE & LEGACY will pay off later. “This will bear its fruit as we get older and it will play a role in our children’s lives after we pass. We want to create a legacy because the Jewish community has done a lot for us. Through wonderful programming we’ve made wonderful friends. This is our way of saying thank you.” As the years go by, Amie and Byron know this will help get their children and grandchildren involved and create a charitable generation in the future. The Harrells decided to start their legacy giving with something they knew they could afford which was a percentage of their qualified accounts. They hope to build on it in the future. Byron explains, “We chose to leave our gift to the Tidewater Jewish Foundation (TJF) because I serve on the Investment Committee of TJF and I’m a recent board member. I see all the good TJF does and how they distribute the money. They are wonderful stewards of the money, growing the money conservatively to distribute it out for many generations to come.” When asked what they hope for the future of the Jewish community, they are clear that they hope the great programming that they have been so fortunate to be a part of can continue and grow. “We hope the community continues to flourish. This community is so amazing to us. What we raise in Hampton Roads is impressive, and we hope we continue to do what we’re doing and raise even more money for all the causes we support.” For more information about the LIFE & LEGACY program, contact Barb Gelb at bgelb@ujft.org.
Although Bob Goodman passed away in 2006 and Augusta Goodman in 2017, they help others today because of the charitable bequest they entrusted to the Hampton Roads Community Foundation. Today, their four children carry on Bob and Augusta’s legacy through donor-advised funds that let them recommend grants to help nonprofits do their best work. Thanks to their generosity, Bob and Augusta will forever make life better in their home region. Learn how easy it is to leave your mark on the future by ordering a free bequest guide. Adding Charity to Your W or IRA ill
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jewishnewsva.org | August 13, 2018 | Jewish News | 9
Campaign Kickoff
Begin the New Year with an inspiring Campaign Kickoff Thursday, September 6, 6 pm, Sandler Family Campus An annual reminder of what it means to be Jewish, this year the High Holidays get their ‘jump start’ on September 1 with the joyful Selichot services. The
following Thursday, another motivator to start 5779 on a positive note—inspiring personal growth and commitment to one’s self as well as to the greater Jewish
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community—takes place at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Annual Campaign Kickoff. Izzy Ezagui, a one-armed sharp shooter in the IDF reserves and author of Disarmed: Unconventional Lessons from the World’s Only One-Armed Special Forces Sharpshooter is the event’s featured speaker. (See article on page 11.) Ezagui’s story is one of perseverance, motivation, and inspiration—perfect for launching the Campaign with the theme, ‘It All Starts With You.’ In addition to hearing from Ezagui and embarking on the Campaign, the evening includes the start of both the Patron of the J Campaign and The Lee & Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival, in partnership with the Jewish Book Council. “I am so honored to once again be the chair of our Annual Campaign,” says Laura Gross. “I want to express my sincere appreciation to all of the generous donors in our community who provide support each and every day to meet both local and overseas needs. As we kickoff our 2019 Campaign, let’s remember that each and every one of us can make a difference in helping those in need, because, ‘It All Starts With You.’” John Strelitz, UJFT president, and Gross know the 2019 Annual Campaign goals appear challenging: to build on the success of the past year’s Campaign of $4.633-million, increase donor and community involvement, and cultivate the next generation of Jewish leaders. Still, they feel the goals are possible to accomplish, because it is so important to do so. “The needs and challenges in Tidewater’s Jewish community, on college campuses, and throughout the nation are great,” says Gross. “Around the world, in Tel Aviv and Kiryat Yam and Budapest and Argentina and London—problems don’t go away. It is critical that we do our part.” Campaign Kickoff marks the official
start to the programs, conversations, and fundraising efforts which are part of the 2019 Annual Campaign. Funds raised during the Campaign support area Jewish agencies such as Jewish Family Service of Tidewater, Beth Sholom Village, scholarships for local schools and summer camps, and vulnerable Jewish populations abroad, in addition to many other programs, organizations, and congregations. “This summer’s community mission to Israel was so energizing as we had the opportunity to see many of the programs our community supports that make a huge difference there,” says Strelitz. “As we kick-off our 2019 Annual Campaign, we need everyone’s involvement to support the many needs within our local community, as well as those overseas.” “I see Campaign kickoff as a time where the community can come together and re-affirm to each other why what we do is important,” says Jason S. Hoffman, Campaign co-chair. “I also see it as a time, being so close to the High Holidays, as an opportunity to reflect on what my role and responsibility as an individual and fellow Jew is to the community and to each other.” With the renewal and insight that comes during High Holiday observations and celebrations, and inspiration from Ezagui and community members, Strelitz says anyone and everyone may begin immediately to help create a Jewish future. “Attend Kickoff,” Strelitz says, “for a fresh start to the Jewish New Year, while helping to alleviate hunger and hardship and open doors to opportunity. Become part of an organization where, together, we are creating a Jewish future.” The free and open to the community event begins with a cocktail reception with heavy hors d’oeuvres. For more information, contact Amy Zelenka at azelenka@ujft.org or 757-9656139. RSVP online at http://jewishva.org/ annual-campaign. *of blessed memory
Campaign Kickoff
Surprising, inspiring, or just plain crazy? Decide for yourself Thursday, September 6, 6 pm, Sandler Family Campus Melissa Eichelbaum
“Maybe one day when I get older, I
will move to Israel and join the IDF.” We’ve all thought about it. Whether it was daydreaming for a split second or two in class at Hebrew Academy (like me), at Sunday school, or even while sitting around the family dinner table. Even with the best intentions, reality eventually gets in the way, and very few actually make it to Israel. Izzy Ezagui, however, was one of those brave foreigners who knew his place was in the Israeli army. Growing up in a religious Jewish community in Miami, Florida, he learned the history of the Jewish people and felt passionate about protecting Israel.
Interacting with soldiers on a Birthright trip in 2006 convinced Ezagui that he could actually do it. Approximately 2,800 lone soldiers (servicemen or women without immediate family in Israel) currently serve in the IDF. “Why did I choose the Israeli military over the US armed forces?” Izzy writes in his book Disarmed: Unconventional Lessons from the World’s Only One-Armed Special Forces Sharpshooter, “both countries are on the same frontline of the war against terror, but Israel is closer.” He couldn’t sit on the sidelines anymore as Israel’s neighbors threatened to obliterate her every day. In December 2008, Hamas again started firing rockets from Gaza, and again, Israel was forced to protect her citizens. Ezagui and his
Purchase Disarmed: Unconventional Lessons from the World’s Only One-Armed Special Forces Sharpshooter by Izzy Ezagui (Prometheus Books, 2018, $24) beginning August 13 at the Simon Family JCC Front Desk. It will be available through the combined United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Campaign, Patron of the J, and Lee and Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival kick-
Izzy Ezagui
unit were called up to the frontlines, and finally he was able to do what he had dreamed of, protect Israel. On January 8, 2009 as his unit was waiting for orders in a tent less than one mile from Gaza, he picked up the phone and contemplated calling his mother to say he was closer to Gaza than he had previously let on, as any good son would do to keep her from worrying. Before he could do so, a rocket hit his tent, severing his left arm, leading to amputation of the arm. While some might call it surprising, inspiring, or just plain crazy, almost immediately, Ezagui wanted to know how he could return to combat. He knew he was not finished fighting for Israel—he just had to convince the IDF that it was a good idea. A year and a half later, after passing all of the physical tests required by the IDF including climbing ropes, jumping walls,
and loading his rifle within seconds (the test he struggled with the most without a second hand to stabilize the rifle), Ezagui was not only reinstated into the IDF, but he was given command of his own unit. Ezagui completed his active-duty service in 2011 and remains in the IDF reserves today, as the world’s only onearmed sharp shooter. Ezagui will speak at United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Campaign Kickoff as the community gathers to plan how to continue to support Israel— whether from the frontlines, or from right here in Tidewater. *of blessed memory Melissa Eichelbaum, assistant director, Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, may be reached at 757-965-6107 or meichelbaum@ ujft.org.
offs featuring Izzy Ezagui.
jewishnewsva.org | August 13, 2018 | Jewish News | 11
nation
Trump and his foreign policy team are on separate pages. What does it mean for Israel and Iran? Ron Kampeas
WASHINGTON (JTA)—President Donald Trump says he’s ready to meet Iran’s leadership without preconditions. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo seems to have preconditions. The disconnect of recent weeks was sharpened Monday, August 6 when the White House announced the reimposition of sanctions on Iran, the first to be reintroduced since Trump announced in May that he was pulling out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Pompeo, speaking with the media and heralding the new sanctions, insisted everything was as clear as day. “So the president and I, too, have been very clear,” Pompeo said. “We’re very hopeful that we can find a way to move forward,
but it’s going to require enormous change on the part of the Iranian regime.” “Enormous change” was a reference to 12 conditions that Pompeo laid out in May after Trump quit the plan, which relieved sanctions on Iran in exchange for the rollback of its nuclear program. The conditions included an end to Iran’s enrichment of uranium (the 2015 deal allowed limited low enrichment), “unqualified access” for nuclear inspectors (under the deal, some inspections required a head’s up of several weeks), a cessation of Iran’s adventurism in the region as well as its ballistic missile program, and the release of all imprisoned Americans. So those are preconditions for a new deal and not necessarily a meeting, right?
Trump and Pompeo don’t seem to agree. “No preconditions, no, they want to meet I’ll meet, anytime they want,” Trump said July 30. Pompeo said two hours later on CNBC: “We’ve said this before. He wants to meet with folks to solve problems. If the Iranians demonstrate a commitment to make fundamental changes in how they treat their own people, reduce their malign behavior, can agree that it’s worthwhile to enter into a nuclear agreement that actually prevents proliferation, then the president said he’s prepared to sit down and have the conversation with them.” So what gives? We canvassed Iran experts.
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The learning curve theory. Jason Brodsky, the policy director for United Against Nuclear Iran, a group that opposed the Joint Comprehensive Plan for Action, or JCPOA, the name of the Iran deal, says Trump was a businessman learning how to be a politician and a diplomat. “I think the president believes he has the ability by virtue of his personality and negotiating experience to be the great negotiator and to close deals he thinks are strong for the United States,” Brodsky says. Since July 30, Trump appears to have retreated from the “no preconditions” posture. “Iran, and its economy, is going very bad, and fast!” he posted on Twitter. “I will meet, or not meet, it doesn’t matter—it is up to them!” “I think after reflection this tweet is an effort to clean up or clarify it’s up to Iran and the ball is in their court,” Brodsky says. The bluff theory National Security Adviser John Bolton spoke August 6 on the Fox News Channel as the announcement came that new sanctions would roll out at midnight. He suggested that Trump’s offer to meet was a means of calling the Iranian bluff. “They flatly turned him down and I think that’s an indication they’re not serious about stopping their malign behavior,” Bolton said. Bolton apparently was referring to a televised address in which Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that any meeting would be contingent on the United States rejoining the JCPOA. “If you stab someone with a knife and then you say you want talks, then the first thing you have to do is remove the knife,” Rouhani said, according to Reuters. Mark Dubowitz, the director of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said Trump’s gambit paid off. “He saw it as a way of throwing the Islamic Republic off balance,” Dubowitz said. “They rejected it and did not know
nation how to respond.” Except maybe it’s the Iranians who are on a learning curve. Later August 6, Rouhani told Iranian television that in fact he was ready to meet without preconditions. “I don’t have preconditions,” he said, according to CNN. “If the U.S. government is willing, let’s start right now.” It was Bolton, told of Rouhani’s 180, who seemed to be off balance. “Let’s see what comes of it and see if it’s just propaganda,” Bolton said Monday afternoon, August 6 on CNN. “If the Iranians are really willing to come and talk about all of their malign behavior in the region and around the world, I think the president is willing to do it.” The chaos theory Jarrett Blanc, the former State Department coordinator for Iran nuclear deal implementation, said Trump’s actions only made sense when seen through the lens of personality, not policy. “The only way to understand how the Trump administration has handled the JCPOA is that President Trump hated the deal because it was concluded by his hated predecessor” Barack Obama, said Blanc, who now works with Diplomacy Works, which backs the JCPOA. That, Blanc said, led the president’s aides to scramble to explain the policy: Hawks like Bolton and Pompeo seized on the pullout to advance a regime-change agenda. Others—apologists for Trump’s erratic behavior—cast it as Trump’s style, depicting him as the guy who is always ready to make a deal. “This administration has been forced into ex-post facto rationalization,” Blanc said. Dubowitz disagreed, saying Trump’s toughness on Iran was of a piece with his advisers. “Iran policy is one of the few areas in the administration where there is consistency and coherence, and there is no daylight between the president and his principals on objectives and tactics,” he said. What happens next The first sanctions target Iran’s currency, its trade in gold and other minerals and
“This is an important moment for Israel, the U.S., the region and the entire world.” mineral byproducts, and Iran’s automotive sector. On Nov. 5, much tougher sanctions come into play targeting Iran’s ports, its oil, and its financial system. On the horizon are new tensions between the Trump administration and Europe, already exacerbated by Trump’s imposition of tariffs. The reimposed sanctions target third-party entities that trade with Iran. (Under U.S. law, U.S. trade with Iran is practically nil). Europe stands by the JCPOA, and announced measures to protect European companies that deal with Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commended Trump for the reimposition of sanctions and called on European nations to follow his lead. “This is an important moment for Israel, the U.S., the region and the entire world,” Netanyahu, who vigorously opposed the JCPOA, said in a statement. “It represents the determination to curb Iran’s aggression in the region and its ongoing intention to arm itself with nuclear weapons. I call upon the countries of Europe, which talk about stopping Iran, to join this measure.” There is one major event bringing the United States and Iran into the same building between now and Nov. 5: the U.N. General Assembly in September. Trump last year reportedly sought a meeting with Rouhani at last year’s G.A.; will it happen this year? Judging from the about-faces that have taken place in the space of a week, it’s too soon to predict.
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TIDEWATER
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C
reated in December 2005 as a Jewish engagement and literacy program for Jewish and interfaith families with young children, PJ Library sends free Jewish children’s books and music on a monthly basis directly to families’ homes. PJ Library is a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, a North American Jewish non-profit organization. Children may start receiving books at just six months old and continue receiving them through age eight. The program’s goal is to enhance Jewish identity and create a library of Jewish children’s books at home. The age-appropriate books highlight Jewish holidays, values, diversity, arts, and culture. Working with authors, publishers, and editors, PJ Library strives to ensure that the finest Jewish children books find their way each month into the mailboxes of all PJ Library families. Many of the PJ Library books have won prestigious awards, including the Caldecott Medal and the Sydney Taylor Book Award. Several have been named as finalists for
the National Jewish Book Award from the Jewish Book Council. After a child turns eight, it’s still possible to continue the PJ experience with PJ Our Way, the next chapter of PJ Library for kids ages nine through 11. Kids are eligible to enroll when they turn eight and one-half through the day before their 12th birthday. In this program, each month kids go to the PJ Our Way website to choose which book they would like to receive from a selection of age-appropriate books with Jewish themes. Study after study demonstrates that reading to children is important, impacting their development. Even the mere presence of books in a home increases the level of education they are able to reach. But, finding the right books and making the time to read as a family might be hard. That’s where PJ Library enters. To register a child or grandchild, visit www. pjlibrary.org or contact Lisa Rosenbach at 757-452-3182 or lrosenbach@ujft.org.
TIDEWATER
Inclusion a priority at Congregation Beth El Claudia Isler-Mazur
C
ongregation Beth El is opening its doors; that is, opening them wider. Recognizing that while the congregation prides itself on its hospitality, there are many ways in which the community feels it can be more actively welcoming. To that end, plans are underway to make members and visitors more comfortable. The congregation intends to upgrade its amplifier system, so that there will be a permanent installation of a loop system in both the sanctuary and Myers Hall. When completed, anyone using a hearing aid that has a “T-switch” can simply flip it to “T,” and be looped in. Users will be able to hear most everything, without the interference of background noises. Items will also be provided that serve the variety of experiences people have during services, such as (quiet) fidgets for
kids and adults, shawls for those who find the air conditioning too effective or the heat insufficient, and a variety of visual aids, including religious texts on Kindles, so that readers can enlarge the font to meet their needs. These items will be readily available—no need to request them—as soon as the changes are in place. Changes do not stop at the sanctuary. Beth El’s religious school welcomes all kids from a wide variety of families, including mixed marriages and families of Jews by choice. Creating an environment where all students feel loved and listened to, and the materials and setting for all kids’ needs to be met, without labeling, will be provided. Beth El also has a new program to provide resources for students with all kinds of learning needs, including trained teen
aides for students who require them, an inclusion specialist and opportunities for one-on-one assistance as needed. The school’s new curriculum comes from the Institute for Southern Jewish Life. Southern Jewish history is so often excluded from the story of American Jewry. The new head of school is Eran Livni, PhD, an Israeli with many years of teaching experience, including with at-risk kids. Livni is also the founder of Roadstead Montessori High School in Norfolk. Claudia Isler-Mazur, the inclusion specialist, is working with Matan, Inc. to focus specifically on inclusion in Jewish spaces.
Changes do not stop at the sanctuary.
The United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Synagogue Partnership Grant Program has helped to make these efforts possible.
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jewishnewsva.org | August 13, 2018 | Jewish News | 15
TIDEWATER
Second year for Nadiv ends with donation to JFS Food Pantry Danny Rubin
Bitcoins, breweries, social action, and more.
Last month marked the end of year two for Nadiv, the new giving circle for young professional men in the Tidewater Jewish community. Twelve months of lunch meetings with engaging speakers concluded with a shopping spree at Lidl in Virginia Beach on July 18. That’s when the group bought nearly $500 in groceries for the Jewish Family Service (JFS) food pantry. It also donated about $400 additional funds so JFS can purchase more food at a later date. “The Lidl trip was a fantastic way to cap off the year for Nadiv,” says Jesse Gordon, an attorney in Virginia Beach and member of Nadiv who coordinated the food donation. “It’s great to give back to the Jewish community and also see the impact firsthand.” Nadiv (which means “generosity” in Hebrew) is a giving circle combined with monthly Lunch and Learns that feature top-notch speakers on business and current events. The 14 members each contributed $54 and decided as a group where to allocate the funds.
A sample of this past year’s meetings include: • A Mr. Shawarma-catered lunch in the middle of Scope for a conversation with Ardon Weiner, the 20-something owner of the Norfolk Admirals. • A special tour of a new bitcoin mining facility on Greenwich Road. The tour included walking through racks and racks of computers blasting hot air from floor to ceiling. • A sneak preview of the new Farmhouse Brewery under construction on Kempsville Road near Tallwood High School. • Coordination of the giant “human Israeli flag” at the 2018 Israel Fest. As Nadiv moves into year three, the group continues to grow and serve as a welcoming space for young men who want to give back to the Jewish community and network for their businesses. The next meeting is Wednesday, August 15 at noon at the Sandler Family Campus. Aaron Rouse, a former Virginia Tech and NFL football player who is running for Virginia Beach City Council, will be the guest speaker.
Nadiv members Danny Rubin, Andrew Kramer, Jesse Gordon, Bern Glasser, and Rabbi Boruch Danzinger (not pictured) filled up four shopping carts with food from Lidl in Virginia Beach on July 18 to be donated to the food pantry at Jewish Family Service.
To join Nadiv, contact Jasmine Amitay, director of the Young Adult Division of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, at jamitay@ujft.org.
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Guide 2018
to Jewish Living in Tidewater
Supplement to Jewish News August 13, 2018 jewishnewsva.org | August 13, 2018 | Guide | Jewish News | 17
Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater
Find It
Jewish Holidays 5779
Adults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19, 31
All holidays begin at sundown on the evening before the date listed.
Arts and Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22, 32 Beth Sholom Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Camps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21, 23 Cemeteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Community Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Community Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Congregations/Synagogues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Disabilities & Inclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Financial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29, 36
Religious Holidays 5779 Rosh Hashanah September 10–11, 2018, Jewish New Year Yom Kippur September 19, 2018, Day of Atonement Sukkot September 24-30, 2018, Feast of Tabernacles Shmini Atzeret October 1, 2018, Eighth Day of Assembly Simchat Torah October 2, 2018, Celebration of the Torah
Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Hanukkah December 3–10, 2018, Festival of Rededication, also Festival of Lights
Freda A Gordon Hospice & Palliative Care of Tidewater . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Tu BiShvat January 21, 2019, New Year for Trees
Health and Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Purim March 21, 2019, Story of Esther
Hebrew Academy of Tidewater . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Holiday Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Jewish Family Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Older Adults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22, 33, 36 Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community . . . . . . . . . 22
Pesach April 20–27, 2019, Passover Days of the Omer Seven weeks from the second night of Pesach to the day before Shavuot Lag BaOmer May 23, 2019, 33rd day of counting the Omer
Rehabilitation Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36, 34
Shavuot June 9–10, 2019, Festival of Weeks, commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai
Simon Family Jewish Community Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Tish’a B’Av July 22, 2019, The Ninth of Av, Commemorates destruction of the two Temples
Social Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Tu B’Av July 27, 2019, Jewish holiday of love
Social Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Tidewater Jewish Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 United Jewish Federation of Tidewater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Young Adult . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Young Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Youth Programming and Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23, 37 18 | Jewish News | Guide | August 13, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org
Modern Holidays 5779 Yom HaShoah April 12, 2019, Holocaust Memorial Day Yom HaZikaron April 18, 2019, Israeli Memorial Day Yom HaAtzma’ut April 19, 2019, Israeli Independence Day
Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater
Community Resources United Jewish Federation of Tidewater
5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 200 Virginia Beach, VA 23462 757-965-6100 www.JewishVA.org www.facebook.com/UJFTidewater info@ujft.org Executive Vice President: Betty Ann Levin United Jewish Federation of Tidewater nurtures a dynamic, committed, inclusive, and caring Jewish community, guided by its values and mission to support and preserve Jewish life. Funds donated to the UJFT Annual Campaign are combined with gifts from almost 1,400 generous community members. They are then distributed to trusted Jewish agencies and institutions as part of a thorough allocation process. This model of communal giving assists Jewish agencies and organizations globally, from Israel to Tidewater. A leader and facilitator of action, UJFT cares for those in need, aids Jews in danger, enhances Jewish security, and promotes Israel. Gifts help UJFT partners provide healthcare, social services, Jewish cultural and educational programs, and initiatives that improve human relations. As a result, UJFT, as part of the Jewish Federations of North America, impacts Jewish lives around the world.
Annual Campaign www.JewishVA.org/annual-campaign UJFT holds an Annual Campaign fundraising effort each year to help with the needs of Jews locally, globally, and in Israel. More than 100 local Jewish leaders volunteer to help with the campaign in partnership with a small professional staff. An emphasis is placed on one-on-one and small group conversations to hear personal concerns and ideas about challenges facing the community. In turn, UJFT donors better understand how gifts make a difference and how to help secure the future of the community through tax-deductible contributions. The Annual Campaign runs on the UJFT’s fiscal year, July 1–June 30. A kickoff celebration to begin the campaign is slated for Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018 at the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus with featured speaker Izzy Ezagui. At the end of the campaign year, the UJFT board of directors allocates funds based on recommendations by the Finance committee for distribution to the local community, and by the Israel & Overseas committee, for distributions to international and Israeli agencies and organizations. Donations to the Annual Campaign are welcome at any time, and can be made securely online at www.JewishVA.org/Donation.
Men’s Division http://jewishVA.org/mens-cabinet Contact: Amy Zelenka, 757-965-6139, azelenka@ujft.org UJFT’s Men’s Division is dedicated to engaging the community in support of the UJFT’s Annual Campaign. The Men’s Division is comprised of an executive committee and more than 50 volunteers who are bound together to serve the Tidewater Jewish community and to solicit donations for the Annual Campaign. These leaders ensure funding is available for Jewish education, health and social welfare, the fight against anti-Semitism, emergency services, and crisis relief.
Women’s Division www.JewishVA.org/women www.facebook.com/JewishWomen757 Director: Amy Zelenka, 757-965-6139, azelenka@ujft.org The Women’s Division is the women’s fundraising arm of the Annual Campaign, providing the women of the community with opportunities for volunteerism and philanthropy. At the helm of the Women’s Division is the Women’s Cabinet, which meets regularly to learn what’s happening in the Tidewater Jewish community and the Jewish world. Not only do they serve as ambassadors and role models for women of all ages in the community, the Women’s Cabinet takes the lead in volunteer fundraising for the Women’s Division of the UJFT Annual Campaign. In addition to fundraising, the Women’s Division reaches out to women in the Jewish community through a series of events and activities throughout the campaign year.
Young Adult Division (YAD) www.JewishVA.org/yad www.facebook.com/YAD Director: Jasmine Amitay, 757-965-6138, jamitay@ujft.org The Young Adult Division promotes social, cultural, leadership, and philanthropic opportunities for young Jewish adults between the ages of 22 and 45. YAD fosters Jewish identity, involvement, and responsibility among young Jews in Tidewater in order to sustain and enrich the vibrant community at home, in Israel, and around the world. YAD aims to cultivate relationships, build networks, and develop highly skilled leaders to ensure the future of the Jewish community. David and Alexandra Calliott, Shikma and Danny Rubin. YAD hosts numerous programs such as monthly happy hours, holiday parties, business networking lunches, Shabbat dinners, and men’s and women’s specific programs. YAD also spearheads Super Sunday, which is the community’s annual fundraising phone-a-thon, scheduled for October 21, 2018. The Tidewater Couples Project is another path of leadership within YAD for young married couples to learn about UJFT’s mission, network, gain leadership skills, and most importantly, create community. Future leaders are nurtured through YAD’s Hineni! program and the Tom Hofheimer Young Leadership Mission to Israel.
Society of Jewish Professionals http://jewishVA.org/societyofprofessionals Contact: Amy Zelenka, 757-965-6139, azelenka@ujft.org The Society of Jewish Professionals (SOP) is dedicated to educational, social, and philanthropic activities, and provides opportunities to network, socialize, and become active through a financial commitment to the Annual Campaign. Members also serve as role models for their colleagues, family, and friends, and provide funding for Jewish survival, welfare, and continuity. SOP is an evolution of the once separate groups Maimonides and Business & Legal Societies, whose members decided to merge in light of their common Jewish and communal interests, and to enjoy the programming and benefits. All healthcare, business, legal, media, real estate, entrepreneur, and service provider professionals are invited.
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Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater
Shalom Tidewater www.JewishVA.org/ShalomTidewater Contact: Jasmine Amitay, 757-965-6138, jamitay@ujft.org The Tidewater Jewish community is a hub of activity, spanning five cities: Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Suffolk. A wealth of resources is offered for newcomers to the Tidewater Jewish community. Whether interfaith, unaffiliated, or anything in between, the Tidewater Jewish community celebrates diversity every day, and Shalom Tidewater is available to help everyone find their place.
annual Elie Wiesel Writing and Visual Arts Competitions for students; annual educators’ awards, and Biennial Educators’ Conferences. The Holocaust Commission’s webpages provide resources for those interested in learning more about the Holocaust and how to participate and support its programs.
PJ Library Contact: Lisa Rosenbach, 757-452-3182, lrosenbach@ujft.org Something magical happens when parents sit down to read with their children. PJ Library sends free Jewish children’s books to families each month, sharing stories that can help foster conversations about important values and traditions. Families with kids ages six months through eight years old with Judaism as part of their lives—affiliated, unaffiliated, interfaith, or non-traditional—are welcome to sign up by visiting www. pjlibrary.org. Local PJ Library programs bring the books to life with other PJ kids.
Jewish News www.JewishNewsVA.org www.facebook.com/JewishNewsVA Editor: Terri Denison, 757-965-6132, tdenison@ujft.org Published 21 times annually, Jewish News connects the Tidewater Jewish community with news of Jewish interest from local, national, and global spheres. The Jewish News is delivered to thousands of mailboxes each month, and reaches tens of thousands through its easy-to-navigate website. Electronic editions of the Jewish News are available online.
Hal Sacks Jewish News Archives Israel Story cast, Virginia Arts Festival and UJFT staff.
Community Relations Council
www.JewishNewsVA.org news@ujft.org Research, laugh, remember, and browse through the Hal Sacks Jewish News Archives, an online site to access past issues of the Tidewater community’s Jewish News since 1947.
www.jewishVA.org/CRC www.facebook.com/CRCUJFT Director: Robin Mancoll, 757-965-6120, rmancoll@ujft.org Assistant Director: Melissa Eichelbaum, 757-965-6107, meichelbaum@ujft.org The Community Relations Council educates the community on issues impacting the rights of Jews locally, in the United States, in Israel, and around the world. The CRC’s mission is to establish constructive dialogue, create educational opportunities, and maintain positive exchanges with public officials and government, the media, the Jewish community, as well as with other faith and ethnic communities throughout Tidewater. The CRC offers numerous opportunities for engagement for the entire community throughout the year, including Jewish Virginia Advocacy Day and the popular speaker series, Israel Today.
The Holocaust Commission www.HolocaustCommission.org www.facebook.com/holcommission Director: Elena Barr Baum, 757-965-6129, ebaum@ujft.org The Holocaust Commission encourages teachers, students, and the community to apply the lessons of history to the moral decisions they make each day. The Commission offers programs, resources, and holds community events related to Holocaust education and remembrance. Dedicated volunteers from the community guide and foster the Holocaust Commission’s work. Among its many events and programs, the Holocaust Commission offers What We Carry, a multimedia program for schools, community, and military groups; a yearly community gathering for Yom Hashoah, the commemoration day of the Holocaust; the
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Elie Weisel Visual Arts Competition winning artwork.
Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater
Simon Family JCC Summer Camp.
CAMP Simon Family JCC Summer Camp
Simon Family JCC Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23462 757-321-2338, fax 757-489-4427, www.SimonFamilyJCC.org Contact: Andrew Weinberg, 757-965-6134 Camp JCC provides children with a rich and unique day camp experience. This dynamic program allows every child to explore their own interests and try new activities within a safe camp atmosphere. Summer camp runs mid-June through early August, with three weeks of post camp until Labor Day.
GAN ISRAEL
Chabad House, 1920 Colley Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23517 www.ganizzy.org Director: Rashi Brashevitzky, 757-616-0770 Camp Gan Israel, “Gan Izzy” is part of the largest worldwide network of Jewish day camps. At Gan Izzy, campers’ days are filled with games, crafts, field trips, sports, swimming and more—all with a Jewish twist! Each day of Gan Izzy also includes prayers and a Jewish lesson delivered in a child friendly and relevant fashion. The Gan Izzy experience is filled with great spirit and a love for Jewish heritage—campers have been known to wait all year long to return to Gan Izzy and start the fun all over again!
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Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater
Community Centers Reba and Sam Sandler Family campus of the tidewater Jewish community
Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community 5000 Corporate Woods Drive Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462 757-965-6100 Facility Director: Glenn Saucier When the Jewish agencies moved to the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus in 2004, a department was established to assume the operations formerly administered by each agency. Mechanics, heating and cooling, food services—including the Cardo Cafe—janitors, landscaping, and security is a function of the Campus. This enables the individual agencies to concentrate on serving the Jewish community and reduces spending.
Simon Family Jewish Community Center
Simon Family JCC on the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23462 757-321-2338, fax 757-489-4427, www.SimonFamilyJCC.org CEO: Betty Ann Levin COO: Andrew Weinberg The Simon Family Jewish Community Center serves the entire Jewish and greater Tidewater community, from infants to seniors. Everyone is welcome, regardless of faith. It is a division of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.
WELLNESS & MEMBERSHIP Director: Tom Purcell, 757-321-2310 JCC membership includes use of a fitness center, three indoor pools, outdoor water park, gymnasium, tennis courts, and more in the state-of-the-art facility. The JCC also offers more than 65 free group exercise classes weekly, such as Pilates, Zumba, and yoga. New members receive two free BeWell sessions with a personal trainer, as well as discounts on such classes as Tai Chi. All members have access to cultural events.
FITNESS AND AQUATICS Director: Tom Edwards, 757-321-2308 A variety of aquatics, sports, recreation, and athletics include youth and adult athletic leagues such as basketball, soccer, tennis, and a swim team. JCC membership is not required to participate, but does provide discounts. The JCC also offers children and adult swim lessons, lap lanes for fitness swimmers, and an outdoor waterpark.
ARTS + IDEAS
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22 | Jewish News | Guide | August 13, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org
Callah Terkeltaub, manager, 757-321-2331 Art exhibits Monthly exhibits featuring Israeli or Jewish artists from around the globe can be viewed in the Leon Family Gallery. The Lee and Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival Discussions led by visiting authors, special events for children and families, and a curated list of titles to be sold are planned for November 1—December 2, 2018. Virginia Festival of Jewish Film Presented by Alma & Howard Laderberg* and Patricia & Avraham Ashkenazi One of the nation’s longest continuous Jewish film festivals, the 26th annual event will feature national and international films created by Jewish or Israeli writers and filmmakers. January, 2019 Israel Fest Simon Family JCC’s biggest outdoor community event of the year, Israel Fest will celebrate Israel’s 71st birthday with authentic Israeli street food, Israeli art and jewelry, and camel rides on Sunday, May 19, 2019.
SENIOR ADULT PROGRAMS Director: Naty Horev, 757-321-3186 Celebrations and fun activities are offered for adults with friendly company. The variety of programs include celebrating Jewish holidays, taking trips to area attractions, participating in a book club or the Yiddish Club, or playing Mahjong or Bunco. Transportation to JCC provided by Jewish Family Service, 757-321-2304.
JEWISH LIFE & LEARNING Program Department Associate, 757-321-2304 Jewish Life and Learning promotes Jewish literacy, learning, exploration, and innovation through classes, lectures, family programs, and holiday events. These diverse opportunities for learning and celebration are open to all.
Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater
Family owned and operated since 1917
SouthSide ChApel 5792 Greenwich Road Virginia Beach 757 422-4000
MAeStAS ChApel 1801 Baltic Avenue Virginia Beach 757 428-1112 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
Advance funeral planning Flexible payment plans Financing available About the cover: Community creates giant Israeli flag at Israel Fest at Simon Family JCC.
YOUTH PROGRAMMING B’nai B’rith Youth Organization (BBYO) (Jewish students 9th–12th grade) Benita Watts, 757-965-6123 BBYO involves Jewish teens in meaningful Jewish experiences, guiding them into leadership positions that will last a lifetime. Teens meet weekly from September through June at the JCC, and focus on community service and social action programs. Hillel at Old Dominion University 757-559-1836, oduhillel@gmail.com Director: Rabbi Gershon Litt Hillel is the home to the Jewish student community with social activities, educational events, and holiday celebrations on and off campus. Visit www.JewishVA.org/Hillel.
CHILDREN AND FAMILY PROGRAMS Contact: Andrew Weinberg, 757-965-6134 Children’s classes, Schools Day Out programs, birthday parties, cooking classes, dance classes, gymnastics, yoga, and more are offered. Age 3 through elementary school. Kids Connection Sarah Cooper, 757-321-2306 Before and after school enrichment program provides a safe, fun, and educational experience for children Pre-K to sixth grade. Students engage in a variety of activities, such as cooking, music, and reading. They also form friendships through group games and sports activities in a diverse environment. Offerings include holiday camps for Winter and Spring Break, and other days that schools are closed. Open Monday–Friday, 6 am–6 pm during the school year. Transportation provided from many Virginia Beach Public Schools.
JCAMP Contact: Andrew Weinberg, 757-965-6134 JCamp provides children with a rich and unique day camp experience. This dynamic program allows every child to explore their own interests and try new activities within a safe camp atmosphere. Summer camp runs mid-June through early August, with three weeks of post camp until Labor Day.
CheSApeAke ChApel 929 S. Battlefield Boulevard Chesapeake 757 482-3311
Making your arrangements in advance is one of the best ways to show your loved ones that you care about them. Our Family Service Counselors have the training and experience that will help you in the process. Our services
denbigh ChApel 12893 Jefferson Avenue Newport News 757 874-4200
include a free funeral cost estimate, and we offer many options for financing. Visit our web site for a three-step Pre-Arrangement Guide or contact the Altmeyer Pre-Arrangement Center directly at 757 422-4000
RiveRSide ChApel 7415 River Road Newport News 757 245-1525
www.altmeyer.com
Approved by all area Rabbis and Chevrah Kadisha
Coming in the September 17 issue. To advertise call 757.965.6100 or email news@ujft.org jewishnewsva.org | August 13, 2018 | Guide | Jewish News | 23
Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater
CONGREGATIONS B’NAI ISRAEL CONGREGATION
420 Spotswood Ave., Norfolk, VA 23517 757-627-7358, fax 757-627-8544 www.bnaiisrael.org, office@bnaiisrael.org Rabbi Sender Haber ORTHODOX B’nai Israel Congregation is an exciting, family-oriented full-service Orthodox synagogue in the heart of a diverse and dynamic Jewish community in the Ghent neighborhood of Norfolk. It offers daily morning and evening prayer services. The synagogue houses the Norfolk Area Community Kollel, BINA High School for Girls, and the Norfolk Community Mikvah. It is affiliated with the Orthodox Union and the National Conference of Young Israel. • Adult classes • Children’s programming • Teen programming
CHABAD LUBAVITCH OF TIDEWATER/ CHABAD HOUSE 1920 Colley Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23517 757-616-0770, Fax 757-616-0772 www.chabadoftidewater.com, rabbilevi@chabadoftidewater.com
Security & Beauty
Children enjoying the creations of Ryan the Balloon Guy at Chabad Purim.
Rabbi Aron Margolin, Rabbi Levi Brashevitzky Rychel Margolin, Rashi Brashevitzky Established in 1979, Chabad Lubavitch of Tidewater is dedicated to increasing the awareness, knowledge and observance of Judaism in Tidewater by reaching out to all Jews, regardless of age, affiliation or level of observance. Chabad participants experience the joy and celebration, the intimacy and compassion, the wisdom and knowledge that is inherent in Jewish life and learning. Chabad of Tidewater responds to both the material and spiritual needs of the Jewish community through classes, counseling, Shabbat and holiday celebrations, and innovative programming for children. • Women’s Rosh Chodesh Society • Jewish Learning Institute • Shabbat Youth services • Jewish Art Calendar
Chabad at the Oceanfront
Rabbi Zalman Margolin www.jewishvb.org chabadvb@gmail.com 757-362-2710 Chabad at the Oceanfront is a branch of Chabad of Tidewater. Dedicated to serving the Jewish community living near and visiting the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, it offers an array of Jewish holiday, educational, and religious services year-round.
CONGREGATION BETH CHAVERIM
• Ornamental Fence • Custom Wood • Polyvinyl Fence
• Pool Fencing • Gate Systems Since 1955
SECURITY IN EVERY JOB
HerculesFence.com • 757.321.6700 Norfolk Yorktown Richmond Manassas Jessup
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757-463-3226, Fax 757-463-1134 www.bethchaverim.com Temple.Office@bethchaverim.com Rabbi Israel Zoberman, founding rabbi REFORM Founded in 1982, Beth Chaverim has been affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism since 1984. • Religious School • Library • Adult classes • Gift Shop • Teen programming • 8 pm Friday Night Services
Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater
CONGREGATION BETH EL
422 Shirley Ave., Norfolk, VA 23517 757-625-7821, fax 757-627-4905 www.bethelnorfolk.com, noelle@bethelnorfolk.com Rabbi Jeffrey M. Arnowitz Cantor Wendi Fried Rabbi Arthur Ruberg, rabbi emeritus Head of School: Dr. Eran Livni Executive Director: Pam Gladstone CONSERVATIVE As the oldest Conservative synagogue in Virginia, Beth El has been translating Jewish practice into purposeful living for more than 168 years. Beth El provides a full educational program for all ages, diverse religious services and ritual moments, cultural events and participation in social action projects within the Jewish community and beyond. Beth El holds daily morning and evening services, as well as weekly Shabbat morning worship services. • Religious School • Adult clubs and classes • Teen programming
COMMODORE URIAH P. LEVY CHAPEL
Corner of Maryland Ave. and Gilbert St., Naval Station Norfolk Rabbi Gershon Litt 757-559-1836 Gary.litt@navy.mil UNAFFILIATED The Commodore Levy Chapel is the oldest land based Jewish Chapel on a Naval Station in North America. Established in 1942 and named for Commodore Uriah Philips Levy in 1959, the Levy Jewish Chapel celebrated 50 years of service to God and Country in 2009. Access to worship services is available to Active Duty and Reserve Military, their dependents, military retirees, and Civil Service employees. Guests are allowed, when accompanied by sponsors from the above groups or by special permission from the Base Chaplain’s Office.
KEMPSVILLE CONSERVATIVE SYNAGOGUE
Kehillat Bet Hamidrash 952 Indian Lakes Blvd., Virginia Beach, VA 23464 757-495-8510, www.kbhsynagogue.org, kbhsynagogue@gmail.com Chazzan M. David Proser CONSERVATIVE Kempsville Conservative Synagogue (Kehillat Bet Hamidrash) is a place for traditional, yet egalitarian Jews to celebrate all things Jewish in a comfortable and inviting atmosphere. Services take place on Shabbat (Friday evening and Saturday morning) and holidays. Kehillat Bet Hamidrash (KBH) shares activities with its programming partner, Temple Israel. KBH was established in 1978 and is centrally located in Tidewater, not far from Town Center and the Sandler Family Campus. • Shared Religious School and Youth Programs • Adult clubs and classes • Shabbat Experience for Young Families
Ohef Sholom Temple
530 Raleigh Ave., Norfolk, VA 23507 757-625-4295, fax 757-625-3762 www.ohefsholom.org, linda@ohefsholom.org Rabbi Rosalin Mandelberg Cantor Jennifer Rueben Executive Director: Linda Peck Director of Education & Engagement: Stephanie Ben Simon, RJE Music Director: Charles Woodward Rabbi Lawrence A. Forman, rabbi emeritus REFORM Founded in 1844, Ohef Sholom Temple is the largest and oldest Reform congregation in Tidewater. Services take place Friday nights at 6:30 pm and Saturday mornings at 10:30 am. Ohef Sholom Temple is committed to welcoming interfaith couples, empty nesters, singles, and seekers. The congregation is affiliated with Union for Reform Judaism. • Religious School from ages three through 10th grade with programming for 11th & 12th grades • Extensive family programming • Adult study and teen programming • Library • Gift shop • Archives
New for High Holidays 2018 Youth Programming:
Choose Your Own Adventure Check out our interactive, age appropriate services for ages 3 - teens, followed by your own personalized adventure! • Will
you do games in Hebrew? • A Mitzvah Project? • Relay races or 4 Square?
PLUS Shofar Idol on 2nd day of Rosh Hashanah, storytelling and a special presenter on Yom Kippur. All under the watchful eyes of our fabulous team of caregivers.
Want to check out Beth El for the first time? Come as our guests. Infant/toddler care available. Contact Pam Gladstone. 757.625.7821
www.bethelnorfolk.com
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Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater
TIDEWATER CHAVURAH
Photograph of Ohef Sholom Temple’s bimah by Steve Budman.
TEMPLE EMANUEL
424 25th St., Virginia Beach, VA 23451 757-428-2591 www.tevb.org, office@tevb.org Rabbi Marc Kraus Office manager: Gail Gogan CONSERVATIVE Temple Emanuel is a thriving oceanfront Jewish community located in Virginia Beach. It is intimate, accepting, and open to all. Temple Emanuel embraces the many ways to express Jewishness and spirituality, welcoming people of all family situations, ethnicities and sexual orientations. Located at the beach, it offers a relaxed, informal atmosphere with creative worship services as well as cultural programming for all. Religious School is cutting edge. Learn more about Temple Emanuel at www.tevb.org/about.
www.tidewaterchavurah.org 757-499-3660 or 757-468-2675 Rabbi Cantor Ellen Jaffe-Gill Contact: Carol or Reesa INDEPENDENT Tidewater Chavurah, is a “synagogue without walls” involved in Jewish fellowship. Formed in 1998, Tidewater Chavurah has been an alternative to the formality of religious institutions since its inception. Tidewater Chavurah welcomes singles, couples, and families in interfaith marriages, people of all ethnicities, gender identities, and sexual orientations while remaining a small, vibrant, and friendly group. The Hebrew term chavurah means “fellowship” and generally denotes a group of like-minded people who interact within a Jewish context. Tidewater Chavurah holds monthly Shabbat and High Holiday services. They use prayer books of the Reform movement. Rabbi Jaffe-Gill also leads holiday celebrations and facilitates Jewish-themed learning experiences.
Education Beit Sefer Shalom and United Hebrew School 2.0
757-489-4550 Head of School: Dr. Eran Livni The school has two divisions, a primary school, and a Midrashah (post- bar mitzvah program) providing classes for children up through 12th grade. Students from Congregation Beth El, Kempsville Conservative Synagogue, and Temple Israel meet Sundays at Beth El to engage in a cutting edge curriculum designed by the Institute for Southern Jewish Living (ISJL) as well as Hebrew instruction. Each student also receives personalized, one-on-one instruction from a Hebrew teacher during the week. The Midrashah is open to any child in the Jewish community.
TEMPLE ISRAEL
7255 Granby St., Norfolk, VA 23505 757-489-4550, fax 757-489-3425 www.templeisraelva.org, TempleIsraelVA@aol.com Rabbi Michael Panitz Executive Director: Nancy Tucker CONSERVATIVE Temple Israel is a vibrant, egalitarian, full-service synagogue continuing to meet the spiritual, educational, life cycle and social needs of its diverse membership. Through fulfillment of mitzvot, it provides opportunities for meaningful living for members. Temple Israel’s focus on tikkun olam (repairing the world) and valuing each individual for who they are (tzelem elohim) enables the congregation to welcome new ideas and new voices into its family and to continue to innovate while still respecting tradition. A willing participant in inter-congregational activities, Temple Israel maintains a full schedule of joint programs with the Kempsville Conservative Congregation (KBH), and is a stakeholder, with that congregation and with Congregation Beth El, in the Beth Sefer Shalom religious school and high-school level Midrashah, providing for the Jewish-educational and social needs of children and teens. • Adult Clubs and Classes • Library • Gift Shop Hebrew Academy Class of 2018.
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Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater
BINA High School
425 Washington Park, Norfolk, VA 23517 757-627-BINA (2462), fax 757-627-2461 www.binahighschool.com, binahighschool@gmail.com Menaheles: Aviva Harpaz Norfolk’s first and only Orthodox Jewish High School for young women, BINA opened in 2007. The BINA experience enables each student to develop her love for Hashem, His Torah and the Jewish people. In a supportive and challenging academic environment, students are given the skills to excel in both Judaic and General studies. BINA’s knowledgeable and professional faculty foster a love of learning and pride in achievement. A BINA student is taught to be proud of her heritage, concerned for her community, and prepared for her future.
Hebrew Academy of Tidewater
Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23462 757-424-4327, fax 757-420-0915, www.hebrewacademy.net Head of School: Heather Moore Admissions Director: Carin Simon, csimon@ hebrewacademy.net Visitor tours by appointment The Hebrew Academy of Tidewater Konikoff Center of Learning, affectionately known as HAT, is a progressive Jewish Day School serving students from all backgrounds from kindergarten through fifth grade. Founded in 1955, the secret to HAT’s continued success is the strength of its traditions, outstanding secular and Judaic curriculum, and dedicated faculty who prepare knowledgeable, self-assured, and responsible graduates year after year. Guided by four core Jewish values of Kehillah (community), Kavod (honor), Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), and Torah v’Lishman (love of learning), students are academically confident and secure in their Jewish identity. Graduates are ready to meet the challenges of today’s fast-paced world, as evidenced by their acceptance and seamless transitions into the best independent schools, International Baccalaureate programs, and public school academies. The advantages Hebrew Academy students receive are extraordinary: A rigorous academic curriculum including language arts, science, math, social studies, Jewish studies, Hebrew language, music, violin, art, and physical education. What makes HAT special? • Comprehensive technology program using Chromebooks, ActiveBoards, Coding and Robotics Clubs and student television news program • Advanced K-5 Science Program taught in the school science lab • Outdoor Learning Garden • Global learning experiences through field trips, virtual learning, and community service experiences
• Suzuki Violin program starting in kindergarten • Generous financial aid available • Accreditation by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools
Institute for Jewish Studies and Interfaith Understanding at Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University 2024 Batten Arts and Letters, Norfolk, VA 23529 757-683-6816 https://www.odu.edu/al/institutes/ijiu, amilliga@odu.edu www.facebook.com/IJIUatODU Director: Amy Milligan, PhD The Institute for Jewish Studies and Interfaith Understanding, an interdisciplinary academic program at Old Dominion University, fosters knowledge of Jewish history, thought, cultures, and languages through education, scholarship, and community outreach. The Institute offers courses in the Jewish religion and literature, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, the Hebrew language, the history of modern Israel and its role in shaping global Jewish identity, the cultures of the Jewish diaspora throughout the ages, and the ethical and philosophical role of Judaism in influencing other world religions and civilizations. The institute is also involved in community partnerships and hosts a variety of events for the university and local community.
Norfolk Area Community Kollel
420 Spotswood Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23517 757-655-1836, nack@norfolkkollel.com www.norfolkkollel. com Rosh Kollel: Rabbi Baruch Danziger Executive Director: Rabbi Gershon Litt Rabbi Ephraim Davis Rabbi Moshe Prager Rabbi Eliyahu Segal Rabbi Shmuel Katz Rabbi Gavriel Rudin Norfolk Area Community Kollel offers Jewish classes and programming regardless of affiliation or practice. Their philosophy is Torah based and centers on gaining spirituality through personal growth through rich Torah heritage. The Norfolk Kollel offers programs at college campuses and high schools, as well as lunch and learn programs, “one on one” study sessions, and can “tailor-make” a Jewish education program for specific needs. The motto of the Kollel is “Inspiration Through Education.”
B’nai Israel B’nai Israel Congregation
Congregation
The Orthodox Synagogue for ALL Synagogue Jews The Orthodox for in Jews Hampton Roads ALL in Hampton Roads
B’nai Israel is truly a family B’nai Israel is truly a family where Jews of differing levels where Jews of differing of observance feel right at levels of observance home. feel right at home. Call us today and
We are your synagogue for we’ll connect you with every day, Shabbos, and all Shabbos meal the holidays—especially accomodations! the high holidays. For more information, please call:
(757) 627-7358
(757) 627-7358
420 Spotswood Avenue Norfolk, Virginia 420 Spotswood Avenue23517 Norfolk, VA 23517 office@bnaiisrael.com office@bnaiisrael.com
www.bnaiisrael.com www.Bnaiisrael.org
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Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater
STRELITZ EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION CENTER
Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23462 www.strelitzearlychildhood.org Facebook: strelitzearlychildhoodcenter Preschool Director: Lorna Orleans Preschool Assistant Director: Elyssa Brinn Director of Admissions: Carin Simon, 757-424-4327, csimon@hebrewacademy.net The mission of the Strelitz Early Childhood Education Center is to establish a strong foundation for lifelong learning, social and emotional wellbeing, and ethical principles in a dynamic, supportive, and enriching Jewish environment. Starting with the infant care program, Strelitz offers parents a nurturing and safe place to ensure the growth and development for their baby. The infant curriculum focuses on sensory activities and exploration, stories, songs, and floor time. At Strelitz, students experience the joy of learning through hands on learning activities and nurturing teachers. Through the Sheva learning framework, students learn math and literacy skills and about Jewish holidays and the world around them through books, arts and crafts, songs, games, and creative play. Students are prepared for the area’s leading kindergarten and elementary school programs. Strelitz is open to students of all faiths from six weeks old and is accredited by the
ATTENTION STUDENTS Do you want to go to Israel?
Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS). What makes Strelitz Early Childhood Education Center exceptional? • Large classrooms with bathrooms, sinks, and technology for ongoing parent/ teacher communication • I ndoor and outdoor play areas for motor development • Music, library, and physical education instruction • Swimming Instruction (for ages three and four) • Cooking center • Outdoor Learning Garden • In-school field trip experiences • Extended day and full-care options • Area’s most comprehensive building security
INFANT TO PRE-KINDERGARTEN CARE Carin Simon, 757-424-4327, csimon@hebrewacademy.net At Strelitz, early childhood starts are celebrated whenever they occur and faculty and staff work with parents to ensure their child succeeds. The initial years of life are very important, and parents depend on the guidance and encouragement of experienced teachers and care providers to prepare their son or daughter for success in school and to create a life-long love of learning. • Full Care, Monday through Friday, 7:30 am–6 pm, six weeks and up • Half Day, 2, 3, and 5-day options, 8:45 am–12 pm, 16 months and up • Extended Day Option, 8:45 am–3:30 pm (includes Lunch Bunch Program), 16 months and up Strelitz is located in a modern community center, which boasts: • Large outdoor play area and garden • Indoor and outdoor pools • Full-size gymnasium • Auditorium • Oversized classrooms with bathrooms and sinks • Dedicated sleep space with individual cribs for full-care infants Strelitz also celebrates the birth of new babies with a Chai Baby Basket. Baby Ambassadors deliver the baskets to new moms in Tidewater. Baskets include Judaic toys, keepsakes, and information to help families make connections with other parents.
TJF has funds ready to help you get there. Apply at www.jewishva.org by October 8.
For more information, contact Barb Gelb at bgelb@ujft.org or 965.6105.
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Rabbi Yisroel Stein, Yehuda Chakoff, Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Loiterman, Ken Wilson, and Rabbi Gershon Litt.
Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater
Talmudical Academy
Yeshivas Aish Kodesh 612 Colonial Ave., Norfolk, VA 23507 757-623-6070, dwatyak@gmail.com Judaic principals: Rabbi Shaul Lefkovitz and Rabbi Avrohom Weinreb General Studies principal: David Rowzie Administrative director: Debbie Wilson Yeshivas Aish Kodesh is geared toward the student striving for excellence in Limudei Kodesh and General Studies. The school aims to facilitate the spiritual, personal, and academic growth of talmidim, with an eye toward producing well-rounded bnei Torah. Yeshivas Aish Kodesh meets these goals with a full, balanced schedule. The curriculum features Gemara shiurim in both Iyun and Bekius, as well as regular classes in Chumash, Navi, Halacha , and Tefillah. Yeshivas Aish Kodesh offers a general studies program taught by state-certified instructors. Yeshivas Aish Kodesh’s facilities feature a Beis Medrash, state-of-the-art classrooms, a well-stocked library, and a recreation/work-out room. The students can participate in varsity and junior varsity basketball, as well as intermural football. The students have regular opportunities to participate in pick-up basketball games, swimming, ice skating, and other activities. Yeshivas Aish Kodesh views experiential learning as an integral part of the Yeshiva’s approach. Visiting and interacting with Gedolei Yisrael, an energetic Oneg Shabbos, a heartfelt kumzitz—ways in which the special ruach and warmth that characterizes Yeshivas Aish Kodesh is extended.
academics are taught by certified teachers who are exceptional in their fields and who convey both the content and the flavor of their studies. The school year at Toras Chaim also contains many exciting and fun activities to enrich the students’ experience. Students celebrate Jewish holidays, participate in league sports, spelling bees, geography bees, and writing contests that help them be the best that they can in whichever area is their strength.
William and Mary Hillel
College of William and Mary CSU 4531 PO Box 8793 Williamsburg, VA 23186 Director: Rabbi Gershon Litt, rabbilitt@wmhillel.org 757-559-1836 William and Mary Hillel is open to all Jewish students and is the Jewish organization at the College of William and Mary. Hillel offers social, religious, cultural, and Israel based programs as well as allows students to lead and plan programs and events. In Fall 2018, the Shenkman Jewish Center will open as the home for W&M Hillel offering kosher meals, programs, and services.
TORAS CHAIM
3110 Sterling Point Drive, Portsmouth, VA 23703 757-686-2480, www.toraschaim.net Principal/menahel: Rabbi Mordechai Loiterman Toras Chaim is an Orthodox Jewish Day School committed to providing quality Judaic and general studies education in a Torah environment for infants through eighth grade. The school day is divided into two curricula. First, it offers an academic program of high rigor with a superior set of learning objectives which is accredited by Advanc-Ed, formerly the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Second, it offers a religious curriculum that teaches original texts and traditions that ground the students in a sense of their Jewish heritage and traditions founded on national standards created by Torah Umesorah, the national Jewish day school organization. The staff of Toras Chaim is comprised of committed educators. Religious instruction is taught by religious leaders who live the traditions and values they teach. Secular
Taylor Reveley, William & Mary president; Mark and Rosalind Shenkman; Eric Fingerhut, president, Hillel International; and Rabbi Gershon Litt. jewishnewsva.org | August 13, 2018 | Guide | Jewish News | 29
Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater
Foundation Tidewater Jewish Foundation Tidewater Jewish Foundation Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 200 Virginia Beach, VA 23462 757-965-6111, www.jewishva.org/tjf-about President and CEO: Scott Kaplan
The Tidewater Jewish Foundation (TJF) is dedicated to building and creating permanent resources to help meet the current and future needs of the Jewish community. Founded in 1984 as a single endowment fund under the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, TJF is now independent and has grown to $100 million in assets, representing funds on behalf of individual donors, the Federation, and just over a dozen local affiliate agencies and synagogues. TJF leads the community’s Life & Legacy program in partnership with nine local agencies and synagogues to help individuals and families create legacy gifts, providing a permanent source of support for Jewish causes they care about. The program is founded on the principle that everyone, regardless of age, wealth or affiliation, can make an enduring financial impact for future generations. Life & Legacy is jointly funded by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and the Tidewater Jewish Foundation. The Simon Family Legacy Society is TJF’s donor recognition program to honor those who have made a legacy commitment. Creating a legacy is a powerful commitment to the future. It is the process of making a lasting charitable gift (now or after one’s lifetime) that can financially benefit both the donor and the institution receiving it. For anyone considering establishing a fund at TJF, who has a family foundation, or is beginning the estate planning process to consider their legacy, TJF can assist in accomplishing philanthropic goals. TJF works in partnership with United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Simon Family Jewish Community Center, Jewish Family Service, Hebrew Academy of Tidewater, Toras Chaim, Beth Sholom Village, and local area temples/synagogues, as well as many other charitable organizations. TJF also supports the needs of the community through grants and donor-advised funds. This past year, TJF launched a teen philanthropy program—B’nai Tzedek—with matching funds available to create individual philanthropic funds for teens around the time of their Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Most importantly, TJF helps people help others.
TJF staff: Front: Scott Kaplan and Ann Swindell; Back: Randy Parish, Barb Gelb, and Craig Bailey.
At this season of new beginnings . . . sending warm wishes that each season of your life be especially blessed.
TIDEWATER CHAVURAH Offering holiday worship filled with warmth, joy and fellowship.
Services will be held in Temple Israel’s Brody Auditorium in Norfolk
Contact Carol at 757-499-3660 or Betsy at 757-495-0730 Arrangements need to be made in advance.
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Congressman Scott Taylor meeting with constituents on Lobby Day.
Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater
services and organizations America Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)
Southern States Area Director: Doni Fogel, 770-541-7610 dfogel@aipac.org AIPAC is a 100,000-member grassroots movement of activists committed to ensuring Israel’s security and protecting American interests in the Middle East and around the world. For information on Tidewater’s chapter, call Doni Fogel.
American Jewish Committee (AJC)
Regional Office Director: Alan Ronkin, 202-785-5475 AJC in Virginia Beach serves as the local gateway to AJC’s global Jewish advocacy network. Often called the State Department of the Jewish People, AJC’s bridge building with diplomats and world leaders keeps Jews safe and promotes Israel’s place among the nations. With more than 30 offices in the U.S. and around the world, AJC secures the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel while promoting democratic values for all.
day. Recognized as one of ADL’s most innovative and effective offices, the Washington, DC Regional Office serves Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia and North Carolina, and carries out the League’s mandate “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people…and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.”
B’NAI B’RITH OF TIDEWATER
Arnold Gamsey Lodge #1195 Officer: Steve Legum, 757-627-6225 Founded in 1843, B’nai B’rith is dedicated to building a strong sense of Jewish identity and unity within the Jewish community.
Brith Sholom Center of Virginia Inc.
LeeAnne Mallory, secretary, 461-1150 or Brith.sholom1@gmail.com Brith Sholom Center of Virginia Inc. is a nonpolitical organization which aims to foster and perpetuate the spirit, ideals, and traditions of Judaism. Membership is currently at 250. Applications for men and women 21 years and above are available for new membership. Activities include dinners, dances, trips, entertainment, and cultural events. Its philanthropic endeavor is to support Jewish education and community organizations that provide services, plus international groups that assist needy causes. Brith Sholom meetings take place on the first Sunday of each month (except July and August) at 11 am at Beth Sholom Village in Virginia Beach.
Temple m o l o h S f Ohe ua wishes yo lthy hea happy & Plenty of picnic fare without the pests at Brith Sholom’s indoor picnic.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
Assistant Regional Director for ADL DC Regional Office: Heather Gillies, 202-261-4620 Founded in 1913, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is the nation’s premier civil rights/ human relations organization. It has a distinguished history of reminding the world just how tenuous civil rights are and mobilizes people to engage in reasonable discourse to find solutions together. A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with supporters and partners throughout the United States and around the world, ADL is rooted in Jewish values. The organizations speaks up for those whose voices are not always heard. Its network of more than two dozen regional offices nationwide and an office in Jerusalem are on the ground, organizing, and galvanizing grassroots support around the most pressing issues of the
h a v o T h Shana
Make us your home for the High Holy Days.
Founded in 1844, Ohef Sholom Temple is the largest and oldest Reform congregation in Tidewater.
heck Religious School from ages 3 through 10th grade c e m Co ut! with programming for 11th & 12th graders. us o Extensive family programming,
We are committed to welcoming interfaith couples, empty nesters, singles and seekers.
adult study and teen programming Library Gift shop Archives
530 Raleigh Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23507 757-625-4295 | fax 757-625-3762 ohefsholom.org
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Why is LIFE & LEGACY™ important to you? Alene and Ron Kaufman chose to create a legacy to make sure there is a Jewish community here for years to come.
Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater
Friends of the IDF
www. Fidf.org Director of Virginia: Alex Pomerantz, 757-472-9054, alex.pomerantz@fidf.org Friends of the Israel Defense Forces has a long-standing connection to Holocaust survivors. The organization was founded in 1981 by Holocaust survivors who remember when there was no army to protect the Jewish people. FIDF was their way to provide humanitarian support, to thank the IDF soldiers for their sacrifice, and to ensure that “Never Again” means never again. Today, the FIDF offers educational, cultural, and recreational and social services programs, as well as facilities that provide hope, purpose, and life-changing support for the soldiers who protect Israel and Jews worldwide.
HADASSAH NorfolkVirginia Beach Chapter
Contact: De Anne Lindsey, 757-418-4336 In New York in 1912, the first group of Hadassah was chartered after its founder, Henrietta Szold returned from Jerusalem. The second chapter of Hadassah was chartered in Norfolk, Va. Today, Hadassah is the world’s largest women’s Zionist organization. The original purpose of the organization was to bring modern health care to Palestine. Today, the Hadassah Medical Organization is internationally recognized as a leading authority in healing, teaching and research. Hadassah is the largest organizational contributor to Jewish National Fund. Hadassah’s Norfolk-Virginia Beach chapter serves all of Tidewater.
HEBREW LADIES CHARITY SOCIETY “One of the organizations we chose to leave a legacy gift to is the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater because our boys had the privilege of a wonderful Jewish and secular education there and we want to make sure that the school exists for the future so that other children will have that incredible opportunity.” – Alene and Ron Kaufman
Representative: Frances Levy Birshstein, 757-572-3817 Hebrew Ladies Charity Society of Tidewater supports Jewish Family Service’s food and financial assistance programs.
Jewish Museum and Cultural Center
607 Effingham St., Portsmouth, VA 23704 757-391-9266, www.jewishmuseumportsmouth.org Administrator: Barbara Rossen The Jewish Museum and Cultural Center is housed in the beautifully restored Chevra T’helim Synagogue, the interior of which is a rare surviving example of Eastern European Jewish Orthodoxy. The Center offers monthly programming, an annual lecture series, exhibits, a summer music series, as well as school programs, adult programs, and tours.
JEWISH WAR VETERANS of the United States of America
Old Dominion Post #158 Adam Goldberg, Post Commander, 831-917-3996 The oldest active Veterans organization in America, Jewish War Veterans brings together men and women with joint ties of a common heritage as Jews and a common experience as active duty or past members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Find out how to create your legacy plan by contacting Barb Gelb, bgelb@ujft.org, 965.6105; or Scott Kaplan, skaplan@ujft.org, 965.6109.
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National Council of Jewish Women Established nationally in 1893 and locally in 1905, NCJW is the oldest Jewish women’s organization in the U.S. The group’s educational and legislative efforts have helped bring about action in areas of concern to women and children. The Endowment Fund, which provides scholarships and contributions, functions as the Tidewater Council
Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater
of Jewish Women under Jewish Family Service Foundation Philanthropic Fund Agreement. Donations may be made to the TCJW Fund through JFS, 260 Grayson Rd., Virginia Beach, VA 23462.
Norfolk Area Community Mikvah
757-627-7358 The Mikvah serves the entire Jewish community. Call for information or to schedule an appointment.
ORT AMERICA
Abbie Laderberg, 757-497-7238 ORT America supports vocational and technical training for Jews around the world. More than 300,000 students are enrolled in the ORT network of schools and training programs which include comprehensive and vocational high schools, colleges, apprenticeship programs and teacher training institutes.
Social Services Beth Sholom Village
The Berger-Goldrich Health Care & Rehabilitation Center 6401 Auburn Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23464 757-420-2512, fax 757-424-0657 www.bethsholomvillage.com CEO: David R. Abraham Administrator: Rebecca Moralez, RN, LNHA Since 1980, The Berger-Goldrich Health Care & Rehabilitation Center at Beth Sholom Village (formerly Beth Sholom Home of Eastern Virginia), has served as the only nursing facility in Tidewater, which embodies traditional Jewish values, customs, and traditions. A full-time religious leader, kosher food, holidays, and special observances enable residents to continue to live with dignity, and as Jews. The Health Care Center is a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility that accepts all Medicare, as well as all payer types including private pay. The facility also accepts managed care plans for short-term rehabilitation and other approved services. The Berger-Goldrich Health Care & Rehabilitation Center is undergoing a major renovation due to be completed in June 2019. All rooms will have a walk-in shower and an upgraded bathroom. The rehabilitation gyms will be expanded and upgraded. All common areas and multipurpose areas will have new and modern décor. Professional affiliations exist with The Freda H. Gordon Hospice and Palliative Care Center, Generations Home Health, Jewish Family Service of Tidewater, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Glennan Center and Services as well as ECPI University. • A coordinated approach to care, including physical, occupational, and speech therapy in two state-of-the-art therapy gyms. One gym includes a practical kitchen for residents to relearn skills necessary for their return home. • Team of nursing personnel, therapists, social workers, and an activities department with certified activity therapists. • Dentist, ophthalmologist, and podiatrist. • Out-patient physical therapy department. • Kosher meals and snacks. • Daily and Sabbath services, as well as holiday services. • The Kantor Café. Open to the public, kosher; serves breakfast, lunch, and snacks. • A 26-bed Special Care Unit for residents with advanced dementia. • Beds certified for Medicare and Medicaid in private and semi-private rooms.
• Excellent staff to resident ratio. • Hair salon with full-time hairdresser. • Outdoor gardens, patios, and secure courtyards. • Auxiliary Gift Shop. • Auxiliary with almost 1,000 members bringing enhancements to the lives of the residents. The Berger-Goldrich Health Care & Rehabilitation Center is a recipient agency of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, UJC-VA Peninsula, Tidewater Jewish Foundation, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, VEJA, and BSHEV Foundation.
The Terrace at Beth Sholom Village 1049 College Park Blvd., Virginia Beach, VA 23464 757-282-2384, fax 757-361-0151 www.bethsholomvillage.com Administrator: Mikelle Rappaport, LNHA Seniors who are no longer able to live on their own, find a new lease on life at The Terrace at Beth Sholom Village. The Terrace, a Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Assisted Living Center, can accommodate 75 residents in 69 units. The Terrace provides gracious assisted living where residents can live comfortably in their own studio, one or two-bedroom apartment. Three levels of care are offered to assist residents with their activities of daily living in spindel 2018b.qxp_Layout 1 4/11/18 12:45 PM Page 1
Create a Jewish legacy for the community you love through planned charitable giving . . .ask us how Jody Balaban
Ron Spindel
rspindel@spindelagency.com
jbalaban@spindelagency.com
Brandon Terkeltaub, CFP®
Chrys Lyon
brandonterkeltaub@friedenagency.com
christopherlyon@friedenagency.com
757-340-5600
277 Bendix Road, Suite 500 • Virginia Beach www.spindelagency.com LIFE INSURANCE • LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE • GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE • MEDICARE jewishnewsva.org | August 13, 2018 | Guide | Jewish News | 33
Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater
food. The closing of Farm Fresh in Ghent meant Jews who
a secure and comfortable environment. Three kosher meals are served daily by the wait staff in the dining room, and snacks and drinks are always available in the Club Room. The activity calendar is filled with entertainment, outings, art programs, and a wide variety of in-house activities, including daily exercise. A caring staff provides scheduled transportation for shopping and doctor appointments. Licensed nurses attend to residents’ regular medical needs and are available for more urgent situations. The Memory Enhancement Center allows residents with Alzheimer’s or dementia related illness to be as independent as possible within a safe and secure environment. This secure unit has 18 individual apartments which surround a well-lit central atrium with areas designated for dining, activities, and relaxing. The secure walking path is accessible through the screened-in sun porch or the music room.
observe kashrut in Norfolk had to travel to Trader Joe’s in
Generations Home Health
Kosher food returns to Ghent Thanks to a local letter-writing campaign, Harris Teeter on Colonial Avenue in Ghent now carries more kosher
the Hilltop area of Virginia Beach to purchase kosher food from a local grocer. Some of the kosher products Harris Teeter now carries include meat, frozen produce and multiple brands of kosher cheeses, deli meat, and frozen bread and rolls.
Administrator, Nina Turner, MPT, WCC 6477 College Park Square, Suite 210, Virginia Beach, VA 23464 757-822-6991 Generations Home Health provides in-home, skilled medical care and private care designed to competently meet important needs of BSV’s neighbors. Whether recovering from illness or injury, managing a chronic disease, or caring for a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, Generations has the multi-disciplinary team that can ensure achieving optimal health outcomes while in the comfort of one’s own home.
Jewish Family Service Of Tidewater MAIN OFFICE Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 400, Virginia Beach, VA 23462 Administration 757-321-2222 Counseling and Adoption 757-459-4640 Home Health 757-489-3111 Fax 757-489-1958, www.jfshamptonroads.org CEO/Executive Director: Betty Ann Levin
Personal Affairs Management Program Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 300, Virginia Beach, VA 23462 757-938-9130 Peninsula Office United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula 401 City Center Boulevard, Newport News, VA 23606 757-223-5635
Quality. Experience. Trust. JFS is your Jewish communal agency for skilled home health care and private duty care.
JFS Home Health Care
Call 757-489-3111 www.jfshamptonroads.org
Pictured: Seated – Sondra Pietrzak, RN; Judy Laster, RN; Jan Ganderson, RN; Lucy Cardon, RN, and Heather Cole, RN. Standing – Maxine Wilson, RN; Allison Madore, RN; Julie Van Gorder, RN; Ashley Williams, LPN; Susan Riggs, RN; and Linda Badgley, RN. Not pictured: Valerie Busby, RN QA; Deb Farmer, RN QA; Myra Iacono, LPN; and Linda Jinright, RN QA.
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Jewish Family Service of Tidewater, Inc. is a home health and social service agency providing a continuum of home-based solutions to those in need throughout Tidewater, regardless of religion or financial status. The Hebrew Ladies Charity Society began this work in 1865, which continued through the 1900’s until Jewish Family Service was established in 1946 and incorporated as Jewish Family Service of Tidewater, Inc., in 1969. The agency has earned a national reputation of responding to community needs by the creation and expansion of programs for children, youth, families, older adults, the developmentally disabled, and the chronically mentally ill. JFS depends on the generosity of the Jewish and the broader Hampton Roads communities for support. Local funding sources include the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Tidewater Jewish Foundation, United Way of South Hampton Roads, the United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula and many generous foundations and donors.
Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater
ADOPTION
COUNSELING FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES
Adoption Resources of Jewish Family Service is a licensed child placement agency offering services to guide families through the beginning of a family through adoption. Professional staff counsel birth parents and assist adoptive parents. Adoption Resources staff are cognizant of Virginia law and are experienced in working with attorneys and other agencies to facilitate parental placement adoptions, domestic adoption, and international adoptions. Counseling services are offered to any family facing an unplanned pregnancy.
At the Dozoretz Center for Family Healing, Jewish Family Service provides confidential clinical services such as individual, marital, and family therapy, as well as educational and support programs for children, teens, and adults experiencing stress and difficulties adjusting to life’s challenges. The Jessica Glaser Children’s Therapeutic Pavilion is designed to support children and their families through the process of grief, loss, and other life transitions. A full range of counseling services is offered for those dealing with divorce and separation. In collaboration with the Edmarc Hospice for Children, JFS co-sponsors age-appropriate support groups for children and teens that have lost a loved one. Each spring, during the Month of the Grieving Child, JFS showcases artwork by area children who have experienced a significant loss. Specialized substance abuse counseling for teens and adults and support for family members is also available. JFS provides educational advocacy and assessment services for children and teens experiencing school or learning-related difficulties. The JFS Parent Resource Center, including the Annabel Sacks Collection, is a lending library addressing a wide range of parenting issues.
CARE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM This program assists individuals and their families in assessing the medical, personal, and social service needs of the elderly, and, with the cooperation of the client and their families or legal guardians, helps design a long-term care plan. This plan allows the frail and vulnerable elderly person to remain in their own home for as long as possible. Care managers address the practical needs of daily living with older adults. Programs include kosher Meals on Wheels, volunteer friendly visitors, senior companions, and transportation services.
COMMITMENT TO HEALTHY LIVING For the past 14 years, JFS’s Spring Into Healthy Living has provided opportunities for education, fitness, and fun. Activities include the JFS Run, Roll, or Stroll (a race along the Virginia Beach boardwalk), seminars, and speakers on a variety of topics to encourage healthy bodies, minds, and spirits.
Run, Roll or Stroll 2017. Photo by Joel Mednick.
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COUNSELING FOR OLDER ADULTS The golden years of life are sometimes tarnished by relationship problems, adjustment to retirement, financial shifts, losses such as the death of a loved one or relocation, changing relationships with adult children, and a variety of health concerns. JFS therapists offer an opportunity to speak openly and confidentially, allowing older adults and their families to explore feelings, ideas, and options. JFS therapist services are covered by Medicare and Medicaid, and by many private health insurance companies. Services can also be provided on a sliding scale fee basis to those without insurance who qualify.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE Financial assistance is available for Jewish families coping with unplanned financial debt and obligation. Case managers help with budgeting, financial planning, and payment arrangements. This program is made possible by the generosity of the Pincus Paul Fund of the Jewish Family Service Foundation and the endowment fund of Hebrew Ladies Charity Society, along with the support of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula. Individuals and families fund special projects, including holiday food baskets, Hanukkah gifts for children, grocery certificates, and clothing donations. Individuals and families under 60 years of age who need assistance should call 4594640. Mature adults and families over 60 who need assistance should call 321-2222.
JFS HOME HEALTH CARE JFS’s Medicare-certified skilled home health agency is accredited by the Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP) and has built a reputation of providing quality care for the past 20 years. This is validated by client outcomes data and patient satisfaction results, as well as by physicians in the community. Skilled home health care is reimbursed by Medicare and private insurances. When individuals face surgery, serious illness, and the process of recovery, physicians may prescribe skilled home health care to help patients heal and rehabilitate at home. Patients have the right to choose a home health care provider and can convey to the hospital discharge planner or physician that JFS is that choice. JFS skilled home health offers a comprehensive array of services provided by highly skilled professionals: • Professional nursing care by Registered Nurses (RNs), including a Certified Wound Care RN • Physical, occupational, and speech therapists • Medical social work • Home health aides • Wellness/Recreational Therapist With many years of experience, JFS clinicians have developed an excellent reputation for providing quality, compassionate, patient-focused care. Under Private Duty Home Care, certified nursing assistants and nurse’s aides can provide services such as dressing, bathing, and personal care, supervision of medication, meal preparation, ambulation assistance, range of motion exercise, private care while hospitalized, transportation and accompaniment to medical appointments, and outpatient procedures and shopping, companionship, and family support. For more comprehensive care, Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) can provide medication administration, blood pressure monitoring, catheter care, diabetes management, tube feedings, and other services.
OLDER ADULTS JFS helps ensure that older adults live with dignity and the greatest degree of independence possible. Agency professionals work closely with patients, families, health care providers, and other organizations to design comprehensive care plans. 36 | Jewish News | Guide | August 13, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org
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PERSONAL AFFAIRS MANAGEMENT The Personal Affairs Management (PAM) Program at JFS safeguards the personal and financial affairs of vulnerable, incapacitated adults, 18 years of age and older, with physical, cognitive, and/or mental disabilities. Guardian and/or conservator services are provided based on court order. The PAM Program has been recognized as a Model Program by the Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging and is approved as a Regional Public Guardian and Conservator Program by the Virginia Department for the Aging and Rehabilitative Services. On-call case management is available 24 hours a day to improve clients’ quality of life and manage personal and medical care.
SPECIAL NEEDS • SIMCHA, a socialization and recreation group for Jewish adults with mental illness offers cultural and recreational outings. • CHAVERIM, meets the cultural, socialization, and recreational needs of the Jewish developmentally disabled. • Special Needs camp. In cooperation with the Simon Family JCC staff, special needs children are integrated into summer programs and activities, enabling them to participate with their non-disabled peers.
Freda H. Gordon Hospice & Palliative Care of Tidewater
Thomas Elder, RN.CHPN, Administrator 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 500 Virginia Beach, VA 23462 Office: 757-321-2242, 757-452-6937 Freda H. Gordon Hospice and Palliative Care agency was formed in 2012. HPCT’s vision is to exceed the expectations of its patients and families in providing outstanding care, and encourage patient choice resulting in improved quality of life. The hospice team is committed to providing comfort and dignity through physical, emotional, and spiritual support. As health professionals, HPCT is dedicated to educating the community about hospice benefits. A comprehensive array of services for adults who want to manage their end-of-life healthcare needs in their own homes, nursing home, or assisted living is offered.
Youth Groups B’nai B’rith Youth Organization (BBYO) (Jewish 9th–12th grade)
Benita Watts, 757-965-6123 BBYO involves Jewish teens in meaningful Jewish experiences, guiding them into leadership positions that will last a lifetime. Teens meet weekly from September through June at the Simon Family JCC, and plan community service, social action, and fun social programs.
NFTY: The reform Jewish Youth Movement
Mid-Atlantic Region—NFTY-MAR REFORM www.nfty.org/mar, nftymar@urj.org Reform Jewish teens from North Carolina, eastern West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC, and far-eastern Tennessee comprise NFTY-MAR. Members come
High Holy Days • 5779 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
Eve of Rosh Hashanah Service • 8:00 pm
Service led by Guest Rabbi Leah Cohen Tenenbaum and Jim Hibberd - Soloist
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10 Rosh Hashanah Worship • 10:30 am
Service led by Guest Rabbi Leah Cohen Tenenbaum and Jim Hibberd - Soloist
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
Shabbat Shuvah Service • 8:00 pm Service led by Founding Rabbi Israel Zoberman and Jim Hibberd - Soloist
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 Kol Nidre Service • 8:00 pm
Service led by Guest Rabbi Leah Cohen Tenenbaum and Jim Hibberd - Soloist
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 Yom Kippur Morning Service • 10:30 am
Service led by Guest Rabbi Leah Cohen Tenenbaum and Jim Hibberd - Soloist
Discussion with guest Rabbi Leah Cohen Tenenbaum • 2:00 pm Afternoon Service • 3:00 pm Yiskor & Concluding Service • 4:00 pm Break-the-fast to follow in our Social Hall
• All Guests Welcome •
Youth Services - Yom Kippur 10:30 am Babysitting available upon request
L’Shanah Tovah! Congregation Beth Chaverim
3820 Stoneshore Road, Virginia Beach 23452
Virginia Beach’s only Reform Temple
together for learning, fun, worship, community service and fellowship to help young Jewish adults build and strengthen lifetime ties with each other and Reform Judaism.
Congregation Beth Chaverim 757-463-3226 Beth Chaverim Youth Group (BEACHY) participates in NFTY-MAR events. For students in grades 9–12.
Ohef Sholom Temple Youth 757-625-4295 Ohef Sholom Temple’s Youth Group (OSTY) is for students in grades 8–12. JOSTY, the Junior Ohef Sholom Temple Youth group, is for 6th and 7th graders. Members participate in community service, regional and national conventions, religious, and other “just-for-fun” events.
jewishnewsva.org | August 13, 2018 | Guide | Jewish News | 37
Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater
United Synagogue Youth (USY)
Kadimah CONSERVATIVE Congregation Beth El, Temple Israel and KBH co-sponsor a youth programs for students in grades 6–8. The group promotes synagogue identification, fosters friendships and makes Judaism an integral part of life. Activities are recreational, social and religious, and are tied into the philosophies of the Conservative Jewish Movement.
CEMETERIES
Hebrew Cemetery Princess Anne Road and Tidewater Drive, Norfolk, Va., 757 441-2576
Mikro Kodesh Chesapeake, Va., 757-965-6100
Princess Anne Memorial Park 1110 North Great Neck Road, Virginia Beach, Va., 757-481-1097
Rosewood Memorial Park Cemetery
B’nai Israel Cemetery Cromwell Road, Norfolk, Va., 757-627-7358
631 N. Witchduck Road, Virginia Beach, Va., 757-497-8925
Forest Lawn Cemetery
Woodlawn Memorial Gardens
Granby Street, Norfolk, Va., 757-441-1752
6309 E. Virginia Beach Blvd., Norfolk, Va., 757-461-4054
Gomley Chesed Cemetery
Workmen’s Circle
Shell Road near Frederick Blvd. and George Washington Highway Portsmouth, Va., 757-484-1019
Committed to
Excellence
5 Stars in quality measures and health inspection
www.medicare.gov
Recognized for the attainment of 4 or more AHCA Quality Initiative goals including high patient functional outcomes and safely reducing hospital readmission
www.ahcancal.org
Top Performing
PM-SPAD0518072433
www.usnews.com
Demonstrating commitment to the highest quality of services by complying with ACHC standards
www.achc.org
38 | Jewish News | Guide | August 13, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org
Chesapeake, Va., 757-965-6100
Working Together to Provide a Continuum of Care We care about your care. Trust your loved one’s health and safety to the professional and devoted staff at Beth Sholom Village and Generations Home Health. • Lee H. and Helen Gifford Rehabilitation Pavilion • Berger-Goldrich Skilled Care • Terrace Assisted Living • Freda H. Gordon Hospice and Palliative Care • Generations Home Health • In-Home Skilled Medical Care and Personal Care
www.bethsholomvillage.com | 6401 Auburn Drive, Virginia Beach | 757.420.2512 www.genhhs.com | 6477 College Park Sq, Ste 210, Virginia Beach | 757.822.6991
jewishnewsva.org | August 13, 2018 | Guide | Jewish News | 39
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater 2019 Annual Campaign Kickoff
Thursday, September 6 at 6 PM Featuring Izzy Ezagui, author of Disarmed Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus 5000 Corporate Woods Drive | Virginia Beach
Join us as we kick off the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s 2019 Annual Campaign, the Patron of the J Campaign, and The Lee & Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival! Free and open to the community, the evening will include:
Cocktail Reception | Program | Book Signing | Young Adult Division After Party 6 PM 7 PM 8 PM 8:30 PM
For more information or to reserve your seat, contact Patty Malone at 757-965-6115 or pmalone@ujft.org or visit jewishva.org/kickoff.
*of blessed memory
*Of Blessed Memory
IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU
JOIN US!
IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU
IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU
IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU
40 | Jewish News | Guide | August 13, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org
Upcoming issues
Shabbat
Seven hacks to make Shabbat in the summer easier Zibby Owens
(Kveller via JTA)—I observe Shabbat every Friday night. Well, kind of. I mean, I try to. I’d like to. But with four kids and all the summery stuff we try to pack into three short months, it can get pretty tricky for a busy, modestly observant family like mine. I do a much better job in the winter, when the sky darkens before I can even get in my afternoon coffee fix. Sundown just seems more prominent in the daily schedule in those dark months. During the school year, when it’s Friday evening, out comes the challah, the candlesticks, the wine. With the summer’s late sunsets, Shabbat seems to be less on our radar. Still, I like to keep the tradition alive. So over the years, I’ve developed some tricks and tips to have that Shabbat feeling, stress-free summertime style. Here they are. 1. Pre-order or pre-purchase the challah. If I purchase the challah early enough in the day, the soft, doughy carbtastic creation will whisper my name from the counter and not let me forget it come dinnertime. There’s a farmstand near our summer rental that bakes its own challah and I have a standing order. I usually remember to pick it up, though sometimes my babysitter does in the middle of the kids’ dinner. We get two challahs each week: one for Friday night Shabbat dinner, one for Saturday morning French toast. Yum. 2. Put out the candlesticks early. Like, right after breakfast. You won’t have to remember to remember them —they’ll be ready and waiting in your kitchen or dining room all day. Pro tip: The next time you’re dining at a restaurant, snag a few matchbooks, too, which will obviate the need for a last-minute
forgotten Shabbat until the very last minute—mostly because I’ve forgotten that it’s even Friday. On those nights, even if we don’t have candles and challah, we maintain our Shabbat tradition of going around the table and answering the question “What are we grateful to God for this week?” The answer can be anything: health, happiness, the new stuffed animal, ice cream. I enjoy witnessing my kids’ emotional development as their answers change from “Mickey Mouse” and “my eyeballs” to things like “my family was all together for my birthday.”
lighter/matches hunt. (But be warned: I recently snagged a few matchbooks only to find out— at the last minute—that they were really tiny scratchpads. Who needs paper that small?!) 3. Sundown, shmundown. Does the sun ever set in the summer? There have been a few recent nights I’ve had to force myself to stay awake until it does. If we waited until the sun set every Friday, we’d be having a midnight challah feast. So instead of “three stars in the sky” and all that, we welcome Shabbat whenever it works best for us. 4. Come as you are. With four kids and a sun that’s still blazing when it’s time for the little ones to go to bed, I can’t get my act together for a fancy Friday night dinner. So I’ve given up on formalities. Wear your jammies, wear your bathing suits. Whatever. 5. Ask good questions. There have been a few weeks when I’ve
6. Better late than never. If you happen to be a day late and realize you’ve forgotten to welcome Shabbat, just do it right then. Light the candles. Say the blessings. Eat the challah. Drink the wine. This is not hardship duty! So even if it happens to be Sunday night, just take a moment to stop and thank God. God will likely understand. And if not, well, there’s still bread and wine.
September 17
Home October 1
7. Invite friends. If you invite another family over for Shabbat dinner, you definitely won’t forget. Welcoming Shabbat together is an intimate and a warm experience; it doesn’t have to be formal or perfect. So gather friends together and thank God for them, too. Zibby Owens is a freelance writer and mother of four in New York City. She also co-authored the book Your Perfect Fit [McGraw-Hill]. Follow her on Instagram @zibbyowens. Kveller is a thriving community of women and parents who convene online to share, celebrate and commiserate their experiences of raising kids through a Jewish lens. Visit Kveller.com.
October 22 To advertise, call 757.965.6100 or email news@ujft.org
jewishnewsva.org | August 13, 2018 | Jewish News | 41
TIDEWATER
CBN hosts Israel’s UN Ambassador for 700 Club interview and lunch
Our 92nd Season
Terri Denison
Please join us for our season opener
First Date September 7-30
Ambassador Danny Danon.
I
sraeli Ambassador Danny Danon began his remarks at a luncheon last month at CBN’s Founder’s Inn by noting that it is “usually a bad sign when there’s a room full of people coming to talk about Israel.” Looking around the room with a big smile, he continued, “but today looks different. This room is full of friends!” Just prior to the luncheon, Danon was
interviewed by Gordon Robertson, 700 Club host and CBN CEO. Local elected officials including Congressman Scott Taylor, Virginia House of Delegate Jason Miyares, Virginia Beach City Councilman Bobby Dyer, and Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander, members of the Jewish community, and CBN partners and associates attended. In brief remarks, Danon shared what was taking place on each of Israel’s borders and a bit of what serving in the United Nations as Israel’s ambassador involves. Promising to be optimistic, Danon listed three recent achievements for Israel in the UN: 1) Yom Kippur is now recognized as a holiday at the UN (“That’s one day that the ambassadors can perform T’shuva (repentance),” he quipped.). 2) Kosher food is now available at the UN. 3) Danon ran for and won the position of chairman of UN’s legal committee—the first Israeli ambassador to hold any position in the UN. Publicly, Danon says that UN Ambassadors tend to say “bad things about Israel, but privately, they say good things
about Israel. We want to close that gap.” In an effort to close that gap, a trip was arranged to take a group of UN ambassadors to Israel. First, though, they made a stop at Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland to learn about the Holocaust. Surprisingly, many, Danon said, knew very little about the Holocaust. The group then traveled to Israel where they met with Israeli officials, including the president and prime minister, toured the country, and saw first-hand the borders, tunnels, and Gaza. It was an eye-opening trip for those ambassadors and one, that hopefully will be repeated. Following a short video of the ambassadors’ trip, Danon said he’d “be happy to answer questions…but only easy questions!” Danon closed by expressing his and Israel’s gratitude for the current climate of strong support for Israel from both the current administration—including Ambassador Nikki Haley and President Donald Trump for moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem—and from the pro-Israel community.
Stephen Lentz, Rep. Scott Taylor, Gordon Robertson, Ambassador Danny Danon, Virginia Beach City Councilman Bobby Dyer.
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Thank you
for your contribution to the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s effort to honor Harry Graber for more than 30 years of Jewish communal excellence. Your generosity helped establish the Harry & Joyce Graber donor-advised fund with the Tidewater Jewish Foundation! Judith Anderson Susan Alper and Steve Harwood Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz on behalf of Congregation Beth El Babbi and Brad Bangel The Bartel Family Roslyn and Michael Barney Bonnie and David Brand Stephanie Calliott and Don London Ann and Robert Copeland Robin and Todd Copeland Carol and Jamie Diamonstein Leora and Nathan Drory Barbara and Noel Dudley Lisa Ehrich and Rob Bernstein Susan and Marty Einhorn Karen and Matthew Fine Kim and Andrew Fink Mona and Jeffrey Flax Anne and Lawrence Fleder Beverly and Alan Frieden Alicia and Robert Friedman Leslie H. Friedman Shari Friedman Laura and Rabbi Lawrence Forman Bootsie Goldmeier Martha and Robert Goodman Randi and Steven Gordon Laura and Fred Gross Marcia Hofheimer
Denise and Jason Hoffman Taftaleen Hunter Beth and Nathan Jaffe Karen Jaffe Joan and Eric Joffe Sheila and Robert Josephberg Kathy and Jerry Kantor Erica and Scott Kaplan Melissa and Aaron Kass Jodi and Jay Klebanoff Sofia and David Konikoff Anne and Eddie Kramer Cindy and Ron Kramer Carol and Leonard Laibstain Phyllis and David Lannik The Lefcoe Family Jay Legum The Leon Families Betty Ann and Scott Levin Amy and Kirk Levy Mark Lipton Karen and Rick Lombart Joan London Robin and Matt Mancoll Martha Mednick Glasser and Richard Glasser Ellen and Bryan Mesh Stacie and Marc Moss Alyssa and Jonathan Muhlendorf Andrew Nusbaum Nancy and Charlie Nusbaum
Barbara Parks and Michael Basto Rose and Kurt Rosenbach Diane Rosenberg Judy and Robert Rubin Sara Jo and Joel Rubin Jennifer Rush and Jason Alper Annabel Sacks Ellen and Skip Sacks The Families of Steve and Art & Annie Sandler Terri and Lonny Sarfan Glenn Saucier Lynn Schoenbaum Patti and Paul Seeman Ben Simon Shelly and Britt Simon Harris, Cheryl, David and Debra Sloane Linda and Ron Spindel Jane and Edward Stein Lawrence Steingold Randi and E.J. Strelitz Renee and John Strelitz Sara and Aaron Trub UJFT Administrative Assistants Jody and Alan Wagner Nancy and Alvin Wall Harriet White Helen and David Wolfe The Zelenka Family
If you would like to make a contribution to the Harry and Joyce Graber Family Fund, contact Scott Kaplan at skaplan@ujft.org.
Pledges and gifts made as of July 27, 2018
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It’s A wrap
Community honors Harry Graber at retirement celebration A
fter 30 years of dedicated service to Tidewater’s Jewish community, Harry Graber retired on June 30. Attended by hundreds of well-wishers, a celebration in his honor took place on June 14 at the Sandler Family Campus. Graber served from 1988 to 2003 as executive vice president of Jewish Family Service, followed by 15 years as executive vice president of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. The evening, which celebrated Graber’s vast and varied accomplishments, opened with a cocktail reception. Local and national Jewish leaders, volunteers, Tidewater community leaders and associates, Graber friends and family members, and those who have worked with him over the years filled the Cardo at the Sandler Family Campus. All wanted to affectionately shake Graber’s hand, hug him, or pat him on the back for a job well done. A program followed the reception, with Ron Kramer, a past UJFT president,
serving as the evening’s emcee. Kramer praised Graber’s character and leadership: “Working with Harry gave me a chance to really get to know and appreciate him for the funny, sometimes quirky, but ultimately brilliant leader that he was and is.” Art Sandler, another past UJFT president and community leader, spoke warmly about his relationship with Graber and how many things he undertook during his time at JFS and UJFT—many of them quietly, so that few even knew of his involvement. Sandler thanked Graber, and his wife Joyce, for their devotion to the community. Graber’s sons, Alex and Zach, spoke of their father being a prominent figure in the Jewish community and their experiences growing up. They recalled these particular words of wisdom their father had imparted to them: “‘If you see something that’s fundamentally wrong,’ he would tell us, ‘You cannot un-see it, and you must do something to make it right.’”
John Strelitz presents Harry Graber with the Harry Graber Jewish Communal Professional Award.
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Harry Graber addresses the crowd.
In a speech that began in Yiddish, but gradually turned to English, Graber remarked on the great satisfaction he had received in his years of work in the Jewish community, and of being grateful for his partnerships with lay leaders. He Annie Sandler presents Harry Graber with a piece of art from JDC. thanked his family Beach Mayor Louis R. Jones, Strelitz read for their constant support, and assured a proclamation declaring June 14 “Harry all of his confidence in leaving the comGraber Day.” munity in the capable hands of his In an especially meaningful tribute, successor, Betty Ann Levin. the Jewish Communal Professional Award, John Strelitz, UJFT president, prewhich is presented bi-annually to an exemsented Graber with numerous awards, plary Jewish professional, was named in including an autographed ODU Lady honor of Graber—a past recipient of the Monarchs basketball and a metal and award, himself. Strelitz also announced the fused glass Hanukkiah by artist Gary establishment of the Harry & Joyce Graber Rosenthal featuring the Jerusalem skyFamily Fund of the Tidewater Jewish line and inscribed to mark the occasion. Foundation. Created by donations in honor World ORT took the unprecedented of Graber’s service to the community, the action of awarding Graber membership Grabers will be able to make charitable in its 1880 Society, the organization’s distributions from the fund. elite donor’s group. On behalf of Virginia
It’s A wrap Joyce and Harry Graber with sons Alex and Zach.
Graber family.
Amy and Jeff Brooke. Harry Nadler of ORT, Harry Graber, and Sandy Katz of JDC.
Betty Ann Levin, Harry Graber, and David Brand.
Art Sandler.
David Leon, Harry Graber, Miles and Sandra Porter Leon and Steve Leon.
Joyce and Harry Graber.
Rob Cross and Harry Graber. jewishnewsva.org | August 13, 2018 | Jewish News | 45
ISRAEL MISSION
Federation’s Journey Home Mission to Israel
E
arlier this summer, a group of 37 local community members traveled to Israel together on the Federation’s Journey Home Mission to Israel. The week-long, interactive mission was designed to enable participants to follow their campaign dollars to the sites and programs funded by the UJFT’s Annual Campaign. It was also an opportunity for Federation young leaders to closely interact and share experiences with more seasoned leaders, with each group inspiring the other. Woven throughout the mission were an emphasis on leadership (individual, collective, and even global) and making a difference. To those ends, the mission included visits at leadership development organizations, IDF experiences, some of Israel’s leading high-tech programs, and even cutting-edge programs in social entrepreneurship. The country itself can be described as “Leading the way” for so many high-tech advances in medicine, security, and social programs. Many of the programs the group experienced were delivered by UJFT’s overseas partners—the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee ( JDC), the Jewish Agency for Israel ( JAFI), and ORT. It was gratifying to see how this Federation’s campaign dollars were hard at work—making a difference in the lives of one, and also in the lives of many. Upcoming issues of Jewish News will highlight some mission experiences. The first article follows.
First Person
Beginning at the first border
Among other things, this mission was characterized by visits to three of Israel’s borders—Egypt (Gaza), Syria, and Lebanon. Alyssa Muhlendorf
T
he desert sun beat down on us as we stood on a hill, gazing out at what was forbidden for us to enter—the Gaza Strip. On approach to this overlook from the north, we drove past dozens of patches of scorched earth, remnants of fires from recent Palestinian terrorist attacks. Gazan terrorists utilized the winds and dry conditions to their advantage by sending flaming kites and balloons to Israel, which destroyed painstakingly cultivated crops and forests. As we looked toward Gaza, Nimrod Palmach, a combat-injured, former IDF special-forces officer, spoke about the stress from persistent danger that Israelis endure living on the Gaza border. Since it is critical for thriving Israeli communities
to remain on the borders to stake Israel’s claim to the land, Palmach has used innovative ideas over the last four years to support them. Palmach was asked by members of Kibbutz Nahal Oz (which is less than a kilometer from the Gaza border) to help revitalize their community. Following a terror attack in which a child was killed, many families left. To demonstrate his commitment, Palmach and his wife moved to that community and started a gap year program for high school graduates. This pre-army program called mechina, engages teens from across Israel in a meaningful process of growth and identity to help shape their future. At the same time, the program contributes to the wellbeing of this struggling border community. Palmach led our group on a visit to his current residence, Kibbutz Sufa. Palmach is the CEO of Ein Prat, the second mechina in a border community he helped to open.
Surveying the damage caused by incendiary kites at the Gaza border.
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Nimrod Palmach.
Tidewater Mission participants with Mechina alumni.
Young adult alumni from this competitive program spoke to us about the physical, mental, and spiritual growth and deep love for giving back to Israel that they gained from the program. To see Zionism being re-interpreted for 2018, and to
Alyssa Muhlendorf.
witness a new generation enthusiastic to live up to high expectations of social action and collective responsibility was inspiring. Palmach said that the mechina pours extensive time and resources into these young adults, then tells the graduates: “We have invested in you—now it is your turn to invest in Israel.” Nimrod Palmach’s expressions of leadership stayed with me throughout our trip. It gave me a new prism through which to see our community’s young leadership program, and it reminded me of how much I personally have benefited from the generosity of our Tidewater Jewish community—Tidewater Couple’s Project, Hineni, Hebrew Academy, etc. I’m excited to use all I gained intellectually and spiritually from this trip to reinvest into our Jewish community and pay forward this incredible experience.
op-ed
The non-misogynist, non-hypocritical case for Jewish continuity. With music. Andrew Silow-Carroll
(JTA)—This is Leonard Bernstein’s centennial summer, and the Tanglewood Music Center in the Berkshires is staging a series of outdoor performances to celebrate its favorite son. I’m not saying that everyone who goes to Tanglewood is Jewish, although I always think a typical evening there is what the High Holidays would look like if the Israelites had enjoyed picnics and white wine. Last month I had lawn tickets when the Boston Symphony performed Bernstein’s score of West Side Story live while the film was shown on large screens. The effect was sort of magical and almost distracted me from my usual activity, which is basically contemplating the fate of the Jewish people. I say almost because there’s an unmistakable gap between the message of the musical about forbidden love and the normative—or should I say, once normative—Jewish preference for Jews marrying other Jews. I’ve joked before that American Jews are the only group that roots against Romeo and Juliet getting together. This was just a few days after the New York Jewish Week reported on sexual misconduct allegations against the influential Jewish sociologist Steven M. Cohen. Cohen’s persistent question has been how many Jews are doing Jewish. He studied the impact of interfaith marriage on Jewish continuity and vitality, and became associated with a camp of social scientists who believe that intermarriage, late marriage and lifelong singlehood hold “disturbing consequences for Jewish community.” A generation of Jewish communal professionals was galvanized by studies showing the ways that Jewish connections and behavior diminish among the children and grandchildren of intermarriage. Cohen has already stepped down from some of his key roles and been removed from some others. Longtime critics of his research and advocacy are already stepping into the breach: The Forward published two op-eds decrying
Cohen’s emphasis on fertility and statistics; three female scholars accused him and the Jewish communal establishment of making “patriarchal, misogynistic, and anachronist assumptions about what is good for the Jews.” Cohen and his colleagues in Jewish sociology have made mistakes. As Jane Eisner at the Forward pointed out, Cohen had license, perhaps unusual for a social scientist, to be an advocate for specific policies. In championing traditional modes of Jewish engagement—synagogue attendance, attachment to Israel, a sense of peoplehood—he and his colleagues could appear dismissive of new ways that Jews were experiencing their Jewishness. Sometimes they shifted blame, intentionally or not, onto women and the choices they make about career, marriage and childbearing. That’s the feminist critique of the communal obsession with “continuity.” More familiar is the cultural critique, which you are less likely to find in academic journals than in the Wedding section of the New York Times. Jewish kids marry kids of other faiths because Americans marry Americans. The idea that you should “stick to your own kind,” as Anita spits at Maria, goes against a liberal grain that embraces multiculturalism, diversity and tolerance. Tribalism is the enemy. That was Michael Chabon’s point in a speech he gave this year at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. The novelist called Jewish-Jewish marriage a “ghetto of two,” which he further likened to “a gated community, a restricted country club” and the heavily guarded Jewish enclave of Hebron. “I am for mongrels and hybrids and creoles, for syncretism and confluence, for jazz and Afrobeat and Thai surf music, for integrated neighborhoods and open borders and the preposterous history of Barack Obama,” Chabon whitmanized in defense of intermarriage. “I am for the hodgepodge cuisines of seaports and
crossroads, for sampling and mashups, pastiche and collage.” But where I usually agreed with Cohen and his school of sociology was when, responding to declining Jewish numbers and engagement, they would champion Jewish literacy and distinctiveness. The goal was not to shame people into sticking with the tribe but to identify and promote what it is about Jewish life that is worth preserving in the first place: a textual inheritance; a particular moral and ethical language; a series of distinct and meaningful rituals; a living awareness of a Jewish past, in all its glories and horrors; a profound sense of connection with people who share that story.
The goal was…to identify and promote what it is about Jewish life that is worth preserving.
That’s not tribalism; that’s not Bubbe saying she’ll sit shiva if you marry out. That’s a deep kind of cultural engagement that even Chabon should appreciate. And if the Jewish world created too few places that promote that affirmative vision of Jewish continuity, that’s not the researchers’ fault. But those who are committed to this kind of Jewish continuity face a dilemma. It is what Ross Douthat, writing Sunday in the New York Times, calls “liberalism
without/conservatism within.” Liberal Jews are prone to embrace a world with fewer borders, more diversity, the whole Maria-and-Tony thing. At the same time, the Jewish community maintains “a certain conservatism about its own patterns of marrying and begetting and cultural transmission (and, in the case of Israel, the safety of its lonely nation-state).” Does that make many of us hypocrites? I suppose. But it is hypocrisy with a purpose. Yes, West Side Story is itself collage: of classical music and jazz, ballet and modern dance, Shakespeare and New York slang. It was originally conceived in fact as a clash not between “Americans” and “Puerto Ricans,” but Jews and Catholics. It’s creators—four gay Jewish men—were at least doubly outsiders. But like a lot of American hybrids, it wouldn’t have come about at all without something distinctive in the upbringings of its creators. Chabon wants “syncretism” without explaining where the distinctiveness of the ingredients comes from in the first place. There’s no Afrobeat without the West African musical traditions out of which it grew. Collages would be pretty bland unless the elements were distinct in one way or the other. I’d flip it around on Chabon. If there was a small, distinct indigenous culture and its millennia-old folkways were about to be swept away by a tide of colonialism or cultural appropriation, would he celebrate that as “syncretism and confluence”? His call for an open-source Judaism suggests that tradition has run its course, and deserves to subsumed by the mainstream. There are many, many Jews, however, including Jewish liberals, who see themselves as that besieged indigenous culture. And they are willing to fight to preserve it—not as a museum piece but a living, breathing, ever-growing thing. Andrew Silow Carroll is editor in chief of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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what’s happening United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Campaign Kick-Off Thursday, September 6, 6 pm Sandler Family Campus
Leon Family Gallery Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus
August—Photography Exhibit
Israel on Fire, “Operation Black South”
U
nited Jewish Federation of Tidewater will launch the 2019 Annual Campaign with Izzy Ezagui, the first one-armed military sharp shooter and author of Disarmed; presented in partnership with The Lee & Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival. The evening begins with a reception. Contact Amy Zelenka at azelenka@ujft.org or 757-965-6139 for more information. *of blessed memory
Learn Hebrew in five lessons Free Hebrew Reading Crash Course Mondays, beginning August 13, 7 pm Simon Family JCC
T
he Simon Family JCC is offering a free Hebrew Reading Crash Course that is designed to teach those with no basic knowledge of Hebrew how to read the language in five easy lessons—just in time to be better prepared for High Holiday services. An estimated four million American Jews are not affiliated with any religious denomination or institution. For many, the inability to read Hebrew and understand synagogue services is an effective barrier to active participation in Jewish life. By teaching them to read Hebrew and making them feel comfortable in synagogues, NJOP, sponsor of the Hebrew Reading Crash Course, hopes to open the door to Jewish growth and commitment for previously uninvolved or marginally affiliated Jews. “The Hebrew Reading Crash Course opened a new dimension in my life,” says Larry Diamond, a Manhattan businessman. “Before the Crash Course, I rarely set foot inside a synagogue except for weddings and Bar Mitzvahs. I felt like a fish out of
Hebrew Reading Crash Course Simon Family JCC August 13, 20, and 27 September 4 and 12
water because I couldn’t even read the writing over the holy ark. Thanks to NJOP, I now attend synagogue every Sabbath, and I am overjoyed that I can pray along with the rest of the congregation in the original Hebrew text.” The five-week Hebrew Reading Crash Course is geared toward “Jewish beginners,” as well as those who feel left out during synagogue services, unable to follow or appreciate the liturgy. The course begins with learning the Hebrew alphabet and covers basic reading skills, preparing participants to read and understand the prayer book and other Jewish texts. Those who complete the course will be able to read Hebrew and gain a rudimentary understanding of the prayers in their original language. Classes will be taught by Rabbi Sender Haber of B’nai Israel. For more information or to reserve a seat for the class, call 757321-2304 or email KWard@ujft.org. NJOP was established in 1987 by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald. NJOP offers free programs at more than 5,000 locations across North America and in 41 countries worldwide. Through programs such as Shabbat Across America and Canada and Read Hebrew America and Canada, NJOP has successfully reached more than 1,600,500 North American Jews, and engaged them in Jewish life.
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I
sraelis living in communities on the border with Gaza, known as the Gaza Envelope, are facing a wave of extreme terrorism. Since April, rockets—made from kites, balloons, and other devices—have barraged the region, causing fires that have burned thousands of acres of farmland and forests, putting the safety of residents at risk, and causing extensive emotional, physical, and environmental damage. The massive fires have destroyed the habitat supporting the region’s wildlife and caused many animals to die. Fields that were once a place for families and friends to gather for picnics and for animals to graze, are now charred and burned. As kites continue to wreak havoc, firefighters and volunteers work around the clock to counter the harm being inflicted on their land. Operation Black South began as a group of Israeli photographers trying to bring more attention to the terror kites’ devastation. It is now the largest photography project in Israel with more than 300 photographers sharing their experiences through their cameras.
In their pursuit to capture every single piece of land torched by the terror kites, the photographers of Operation Black South are presenting these pictures as their way to say “thank you” to the land that has provided them with radiance and pleasant memories. The photographers are showing the world what is going on in their own backyard. For each photograph sold, one tree will be planted in Israel through Jewish National Fund. The balance of the proceeds will assist with other needs in the region. Moshe Rivlin, world chairman of the Jewish National Fund, says, “In most countries, people are born to forests, and forests are given to them by nature. But here in this country, if you see a tree, it was planted by somebody.” The Leon Family Gallery is located at the Simon Family JCC, 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Virginia Beach. Contact Naty Horev, with questions about this exhibit or the Leon Family Gallery, at 757-321-3186 or NHorev@simonfamilyjcc.org.
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BOOK YOUR BUSINESS MEETING NOW! Private Dining Rooms to Accommodate 10 to 10 guests
YAD plans End of Summer Shabbat Dinner and Pool Party Friday, August 24, 5 pm Simon Family JCC’s outdoor waterpark
W
hile the end of summer is almost here, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Young Adult Division still has plenty of fun planned, especially at its annual End of Summer Shabbat Dinner and Pool Party. With a variety of activities for both kids and adults, the evening kicks off with a Splash Fest that includes a Slip-N-Dip, relay races in the pool for all ages, and more. Shabbat blessings and dinner start at 6 pm, and includes summer classics such as chicken barbeque, corn on the cob, and refreshing adult beverages. And, save room for the all-ages hot dog eating contest beginning at 6:40 pm. Rain or shine, this Shabbat dinner is a
time to gather and celebrate, as well as an opportunity to welcome new members and families to Tidewater. To purchase tickets, visit www.simonfamilyjcc.org/shabbat, stop by the JCC front desk, or call 757-321-2338. Early bird tickets, purchased by August 17, are $8 for kids ages 3-12, $12 for adults, and $35 for families. After August 17, prices are $10 for kids, $15 for adults, and $45 for families. All children under three years of age are free. For more information, contact Carly Glikman, Young Adult Division associate director, at cglikman@ujft.org or 757-965-6127.
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Registration open for Hebrew Academy of Tidewater’s Bob Josephberg Classic Golf Tournament Tuesday, August 28, 10:30 am, Tee-off, 12 pm Cypress Point Country Club, Virginia Beach
Impact the lives of Tidewater’s Jewish teens
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he 30th Annual Hebrew Academy of Tidewater’s Bob Josephberg Classic, which raises money for Hebrew Academy of Tidewater and Strelitz Early Childhood Education Center, will include a continental breakfast, on course lunch, beverages, snacks, and a post-tournament awards reception and dinner. To register online, go to https://www.hebrewacademy.net/support-us/golf. Registration is also possible at the event. Sponsors will be acknowledged on golf course sponsor signs, in the tournament brochure, and the Jewish News. For more information and to become a sponsor, contact Patti Seeman, HAT director of development, at 757-424-4327 or pseeman@hebrewacademy.net.
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Tidewater AZA chapters seek 2 male advisors BBYO advisors serve as positive Jewish role models working in partnership with staff members to supervise and guide chapters. Advisors encourage each and every BBYO member to strive for excellence and explore opportunities for teens to grow into dynamic and engaged young Jewish leaders.
For more information, please e-mail lrevenson@bbyo.org or call 704-944-6734. jewishnewsva.org | August 13, 2018 | Jewish News | 49
Hebrew Academy of Tidewater Konikoff Center of Learning
CalEndar August 13, Mondays, through September 12 Pre-High Holiday Crash Course in Hebrew Reading. The five-week Hebrew Reading Crash Course is geared toward “Jewish beginners,” as well as those who feel left out during synagogue services, unable to follow or appreciate the liturgy. The course includes learning the Hebrew alphabet and covers basic reading skills, preparing participants to read and understand the prayer book and other Jewish texts. Those who complete the course will be able to read Hebrew and gain a rudimentary understanding of the prayers in their original language. This free and open to the community class will be taught by Rabbi Sender Haber at the Simon Family JCC. Mondays, August 13, 20, and 27; September 4 and 12. 7 pm. Call 757‑321-2304 or email KWard@ujft.org for more information or to reserve a seat. See page 48.
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August 28, Tuesday HAT Golf Tournament. The Hebrew Academy of Tidewater is teeing up for the 30th Annual Bob Josephberg Classic Golf Tournament. Hosted at Cypress Point Country Club, registration opens at 10:30 a.m. with a shotgun start at 12 p.m. Contact Patti Seeman at 757-424-4327 or pseeman@hebrewacademy.net for more information or register online at https://hebrewacademy.net/support-us/golf/. September 16, Sunday Catch-and-Release Fishing Derby. Join the Simon Family JCC at Lake Sandler for the second annual Catch-and-Release Fishing Derby. Registration is $8 per angler, and includes a JCC all-access day pass. Children must be accompanied by an adult. First cast is at 8 am and the last cast is at 10:55 am. Bring your own gear. Bait, lures, drinks, and snacks will be available. Hourly prizes for biggest fish, raffle prizes every 15 minutes, and a 50/50 raffle. Register at the JCC front desk or call 757-321-2338. Send submissions for calendar to news@ujft.org. Be sure to note “calendar” in the subject. Include date, event name, sponsor, address, time, cost and phone.
who knew Ruth Bader Ginsburg says she plans to spend 5 more years on Supreme Court
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(JTA)—Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg says she hopes to remain on the court for another five years. “I’m now 85,” Ginsburg said, according to CNN. “My senior colleague, Justice John Paul Stevens, he stepped down when he was 90, so think I have about at least five more years.” Ginsburg made the statement last month in New York during a discussion following a production of The Originalist, a play about the late Justice Antonin Scalia. When asked in October at an event sponsored by Equal Justice Works in Arlington, Virginia, if she was contemplating retirement, Ginsburg said, “As long as I can do the job full steam, I will
do it,” CNN reported. Ginsburg, who this year is marking her 25th anniversary on the Supreme Court, has hired law clerks for the next two terms, taking her at least through 2020. Asked by The Originalist director Molly Smith what keeps her “hopeful,” Ginsburg quoted her late husband, Marty. “My dear spouse would say that the true symbol of the United States is not the bald eagle—it is the pendulum. And when it goes very far in one direction, you can count on its swinging back,” she said. Ginsburg has survived colon and pancreatic cancer while serving on the court.
Mazel Tov TO
who knew Philip Glass to receive Kennedy Center honor
Renowned
composer Philip Glass is one of this year’s Kennedy Center award winners. The Jewish artist, 81, will be honored along with pop idol Cher, singer Reba McEntire, and jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter for making “enduring and indelible marks on our culture,” the Kennedy Center announced. The four co-creators of the Broadway play Hamilton, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, also will receive awards. Glass, who pioneered a new minimalist and repetitive form of classical music, is widely viewed as one of the 20th century’s most influential composers. Among other things, he has written operas, symphonies, pieces for musical theater, and film scores—three of which were nominated for Academy Awards. Glass, a Baltimore native, is the son of Jewish immigrant parents from Lithuania. He has called himself a “Jewish-Taoist-Hindu-Toltec-Buddhist.” The ceremony takes place Dec. 2 and will air Dec. 26 on CBS. It is customary for the president to attend the event, but Donald Trump opted not to last year. Speculation has already begun over whether or not he will attend this year. ( JTA)
organized crime and gangs. “With over 68 million displaced people around the world today, there has never been a more compelling reason or greater urgency to show solidarity and support for refugees,” Stiller said in a statement announcing his appointment. “I for one will do what I can as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR to advocate for refugees and encourage others to join me.” He also said in a tweet: “I’m not exactly sure what my credentials are as a Goodwill Ambassador, or who approved it, but somehow I got through and I’m honored to be advocating for the millions fleeing violence and persecution all over the world.” The tweet included the hashtag #DoIHaveDiplomaticImmunity. The actor and director has been involved with the international refugee agency since 2016, and also has traveled to Germany and Jordan to meet with Syrian refugees. ( JTA)
Mazel Tov submissions should be emailed to news@ujft.org with Mazel Tov in the subject line. Achievements, B’nai Mitzvot, births, engagements and weddings are appropriate simchas to announce. Photos must be at least 300k. Include a daytime phone for questions. There is no fee.
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Ben Stiller named global goodwill ambassador for UN refugee agency
Actor
Ben Stiller was named a global goodwill ambassador by the United Nations refugee agency. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR, made the announcement on the same day that Stiller finished up a trip with the agency to Guatemala, where he met people who have been forced to flee their homes due to violence from
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Wedding Zach and Courtney Lewis on their recent marriage. Zach is the son of Beth Cohen Jaffe, the step-son of Nathan Jaffe and grandson of Joan and Bob Cohen. Courtney is the daughter of Diane and Randy Carrington, of Midlothian, Virginia. The couple were married at the Independence Golf Club in Midlothian by Rabbi Rosalin Mandelberg and Cantor Jennifer Rueben on May 26. They currently reside in Virginia Beach. Zach is a senior cybersecurity analyst with Booz Allen Hamilton and Courtney is a project manager with Benson Homes.
Zach and Courtney Lewis.
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obituaries Larry Isrow Norfolk—Dr. Larry Isrow, 73, passed away Monday, July 23. He was born to Jerome and Shirley Isrow in New York in 1945. He was a neurology specialist in Norfolk and practiced for over 47 years. He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Medicine in 1971. He was predeceased by his parents. A graveside service was held in Forest Lawn Cemetery and was officiated by Rabbi Levi Brashevitzky. Altmeyer Funeral Home.
a strong interest in politics and enjoyed NPR and CNN, as well as classical music. She enjoyed traveling, to Europe as well as four visits to Israel during her lifetime. Survivors include two nephews, Bruce Kanter of Laurel, Maryland, and Michael Kanter of Switzerland. A graveside service was held at Gomley Chesed Cemetery in Portsmouth. Memorial contributions may be made to Beth Sholom Village or to the Jewish Museum and Cultural Center in Portsmouth. Condolences may be registered at BWFosterFuneralHome.com.
Eleanor Sue Kanter Virginia Beach—Eleanor Sue Kanter, 88, passed away on July 21, 2018 at her home, Beth Sholom Village in Virginia Beach. She was born and raised in Portsmouth. Eleanor was predeceased by her parents, Charles and Rose Kanter, and her brother, Jules Irving Kanter. She attended The College of William & Mary, graduating in 1954 with a degree in English Literature. Eleanor wrote short stories and poems for magazines, as well as three books which were never published. Her third was a biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt; this she felt was her best work. She was active in numerous organizations including Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America. Eleanor enjoyed reading extensively. Having experienced sight problems since she was young, she credited a housekeeper from a small private school in Portsmouth with teaching her to read, as she taught her “standard English.” She maintained
Henrietta P. Schatz Norfolk—Henrietta P. Schatz, 99, of the 1100 block of Redgate Ave. died July 20, 2018 in Virginia Beach. Mrs. Schatz was born in Norfolk the daughter of the late Annie Potts and Hyman Potts. She was born in 1918 on the waterfront to European Immigrants in what is now West Ghent, and as a teenager helped run her parents general store. Mrs. Schatz grew up during the hardships of the depression, she graduated from Maury High School in 1936 and attended Madison College. After marrying her husband Jack in the 1950s she assumed the role of wife, mother, and homemaker. She was truly the matriarch and backbone of the family. Survivors include her son, Sam Schatz of Virginia Beach; and a nephew Thomas Potts and his wife, Marsha of Suffolk. The family would like to thank the staff at Beth Sholom Home. A graveside funeral service was conducted at B’nai Israel Cemetery in Norfolk,
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with Rabbi Sender Haber officiating. Donations to B’nai Israel Congregation, the American Heart Association or to a charity of choice. H.D. Oliver Funeral Apartments. Betty Schoenbaum SARASOTA—On Tuesday, July 31, Glasser/Schoenbaum—and the world— lost a great woman. A divine leader with a generous heart, her loss is felt very deeply. Betty Schoenbaum, approaching her 101st birthday, passed away surrounded by her family. Whether it was through the thousands of scholarships she has given, the work of the Glasser-Schoenbaum Human Services Center or that of the Salvation Army, there is no doubt about the tremendous impact that Betty Schoenbaum had on countless lives—first through a philanthropic partnership with her late husband, Alex—and later on her own. Her daughter Joann Miller summed up her mother’s life succinctly: “A century of good works.” She worked so hard, and gave so much, Miller said, because she liked to remind people “there are no luggage racks on the hearse.” Betty Frank was born in Dayton, Ohio, to Sarah and Sam Frank, the second of four children, on Sept. 27, 1917. Schoenbaum often mused about the amazing changes in the world she witnessed. When she was born, automobiles were beginning to roll off the assembly line and airplanes were emerging. Later in life, she would witness the space race. Schoenbaum said her parents lived for their children first. They indulged their daughter in her love of ballet and dancing. She would study for 15 years. She yearned to be a dancer, but she was too tall—5 feet, 8½ inches. Her life took a new course when she decided to attend Ohio State University. That’s where she met Alex Schoenbaum on her first day of school. After they were married, Alex Schoenbaum made a name for himself in the insurance industry, but left it when World War II impacted the family. He moved to Charleston, West Virginia, to take over the family business after his brother died in the war and his father
became ill. The family owned bowling alleys, and near the corner of one was an empty lot where Alex Schoenbaum put a drive-in restaurant. At first it was called the Parkette. Later, it was renamed Shoney’s. “The rest is history,” Betty Schoenbaum told the Herald-Tribune. “More than 2,000 restaurants in 36 states. Alex paid $2,500 for the building and $7,500 for the equipment. A $10,000 investment started that whole chain of restaurants.” Among her philanthropic work included the Glasser-Schoenbaum Human Services Center; the Schoenbaum Family Enrichment Center in Charleston, West Virginia; the Schoenbaum Family Foundation; the Alex and Betty Schoenbaum Science, Education, Cultural and Sports Campus in Kiryat Yam, Israel; and many local charities, including the Jewish Family and Children’s Services and the Women’s Resource Center. Betty Schoebaum is survived by sons Raymond (and wife Susan) of Atlanta, and Jeffry (and wife Sue) of Palm Harbor; daughters Joann (and husband Richard) of Oldsmar, and Emily of New Orleans. She is survived by seven grandchildren: Alex (and wife Jaime), Jay (and wife Maisa), Marc (and wife Samantha), Brian Schoenbaum, and Sara, Lauren, and Lindsey Miller, and 10 great grandchildren: Aubrey and Bryce Stapf and Alex, Max, Zach, Ryan, Noa, Rani, Nate and Beau Schoenbaum, and her brother, Marvin Frank. Funeral services took place at B’nai Jacob Synagogue in Charleston, West Virginia. Taylor Shea Via Virginia Beach—Taylor Shea Via of Virginia Beach, age 26, passed away unexpectedly on July 20, 2018. Taylor was born in Richmond, Va. and raised in Hampton Roads. She is survived by her mother, Rochelle Rosenberg, father Charles Via, brother Aaron, sister Hannah, step sisters Tila (Adam) Fly and Tara Balkus, Uncle and Aunt Marc (Stephanie) Rosenberg, cousin Samantha, grandmother Toby Lerman and her Aunt Michele Brooke. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Stanley and Sandra
obituaries Rosenberg of blessed memory. Taylor, also known as Tay Shea, was such a special loving young woman with a very old soul. Her bright blue eyes sparkled, and her beautiful smile would light up a room and fill the sky with stars. Her laughter was contagious and would put a smile on your face. She felt compassion and concern for those less fortunate and went out of her way to make others feel better even when she was experiencing the pains of Juvenile Diabetes. She was artistic and had a flair for fashion, design, music, and art. She was the light in the darkest of nights and was always there for her family through the good and bad and would drop everything to ensure her family came first on every occasion. Taylor wrote “I’d break my own heart and use those pieces to fix yours.” Our dearest Taylor will be missed so much more than the air we breathe. A funeral service was conducted at the Norfolk Chapel of H. D. Oliver Funeral Apts. with Cantor Jennifer Reuben officiating. Burial followed in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Donations in Taylor’s memory to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (www.jdrf.org). Online condolences may be sent to the family through www.hdoliver.com. Ronald Burt Zedd Norfolk—Ronald Burt Zedd, 80, of Norfolk, died peacefully on July 22, 2018, after a brief illness. He lived in Norfolk his entire life and was blessed with a wide network of family and friends, all of whom loved him very deeply. He was best known for his sweet personality, kindness and most of all for his inimitable sense of humor. He brought joy to everyone he touched. Ronnie graduated from Maury High School, UVa and the William & Mary Law School, then practiced law skillfully for 53 years. He was an avid golfer, racquetball player, and enjoyed crosswords and the Arts. He felt most at home on Colley Avenue, where he would regale everyone he met with stories and humor derived from a life well lived. He was predeceased by his loving wife, Judith Golding Zedd; his parents, Maxwell and Burnett Shuman Zedd; and his brother,
Morton Zedd, of blessed memory. He is survived by his sons, Gordon and Barton; and grandchildren, Jacob, Michael and Eliot, who will treasure every moment they had with this sweet man. Also surviving in a close-knit family are his loving sister, Kay Zedd Kesser, his brother-in-law Barry Kesser, sisters-in-law, Leslie Zedd, Linda Cohen (David) and Sandra Peskin (Howard), and many nieces and nephews. Funeral services were held at Congregation Beth El. H. D. Oliver Funeral Apts. Online condolences may be sent to the family through www.hdoliver.com.
Richard Siegel, educator who co-edited The Jewish Catalog Andrew Silow-Carroll
NEW YORK (JTA)—Richard Siegel, an educator who advocated for Jewish culture and arts and co-edited the seminal Jewish Catalog series of guides to “do-it-yourself” Judaism, died Thursday, July 12 in Los Angeles. He was 70 and had been battling cancer for two years, according to a friend and colleague, Barry Holtz, a professor of Jewish education at The Jewish Theological Seminary. Siegel was the director emeritus of the Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management at Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles, which trains communal professionals for work in Jewish organizations. For 28 years he worked at the National Foundation for Jewish Culture (renamed the Foundation for Jewish Culture), and served as its executive director from 1978 to 2006. According to HUC, he created the Jewish Endowment for the Arts and Humanities to provide funding for artists, scholars and cultural institutions, and initiated the Fund for Jewish Documentary Filmmaking, the Fund for New Play Commissions in Jewish Theater and the 6-Points Fellowships in the Arts. In 1973, along with Michael Strassfeld and Sharon Strassfeld—fellow members of Havurat Shalom, a lay-led congregation in Somerville, Massachusetts—he published what became known as The First Jewish Catalog. It’s subtitle was A Do-It-Yourself Kit, and it offered instructions on everything from making a seder to crafting a tallit to
protest for Soviet Jewry. Its target audience was young Jews who wanted to return to the traditions of their grandparents, but weren’t exactly sure how. Inspired by the The Whole Earth Catalog, a source of “tools and ideas” for the hippie generation, Siegel and the Strassfelds found contributors who, like them, boasted excellent Jewish and even rabbinic educations. The book became an instant best-seller for the Jewish Publication Society. It and two subsequent volumes were credited with empowering young Jews who felt alienated from synagogue life and popularizing an ethos of pluralism and gender egalitarianism. Critics objected to the very elements that its fans considered its strengths: that it leaned too heavily on the ethos of the 1960s counterculture and gave too little respect to the major Jewish denominations and institutions. “We did have a legitimate critique of American Jewish life, and we were continued on page 54
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obituaries continued from page 53
offering some new ideas for its reinvigoration,” Siegel recalled in 2015 in an address to HUC’s graduates. “To be clear, we weren’t just pointing out the Jewish community’s faults and admonishing it to change its priorities. As activists, we were working to make the change happen, to ‘be the change we wanted to see,’ to use a contemporary aphorism.” As his generation of young activists themselves became part of the Jewish establishment, Siegel turned to promoting Jewish culture and training professionals for work in Jewish institutions. In his 2015 speech, he said, “Now more than ever, Jewish organizations, whether startups or legacy institutions, need business-savvy, Jewishly educated, and visionary professional leaders to help them address both the enormous challenges and significant opportunities facing the Jewish world and the broader society.” In recent years he worked with his wife, Rabbi Laura Geller, on a forthcoming book titled Good at Getting Older: A Practical Catalog Grounded in Jewish Wisdom, to be published by Behrman House. His other books included The Jewish Almanac (1981) and The Writer in the Jewish Community: An Israel-North America Dialogue (1993). Siegel also was one of the founding members of Minyan Maat, a lay-led congregation that meets at Ansche Chesed, an egalitarian, Conservative synagogue on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. “Richard Siegel was a transformative force in the Jewish world through his commitment to strengthening professional education, enhancing Jewish culture and
advancing contemporary Jewish identity formation,” the Zelikow School said in a statement announcing his death. Raised in Pittsburgh, Siegel received a master’s degree in contemporary Jewish studies (now the Hornstein Program) at Brandeis University in 1972 and another master’s in Jewish history from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1974. His master’s thesis at Brandeis was subsequently developed into The Jewish Catalog. He was the Hillel director, its first, at the State University of New York at Stony Brook from 1974 to 1978, where he founded the Long Island Jewish Arts Festival. He is survived by his wife, the senior rabbi emerita of Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, and their children, Andy, Ruth, Josh and Elana.
Charlotte Rae, who starred as Mrs. Garrett on The Facts of Life Actress Charlotte Rae, who won acclaim playing the housemother Edna Garrett on the sitcom The Facts of Life, has died. She was 92. Rae, who was nominated for Emmy and Tony awards, died Sunday, August 5 at her home in Los Angeles. She was diagnosed last year with bone cancer; she had survived pancreatic cancer. Rae first appeared as Mrs. Garrett in a recurring role as a housekeeper on the popular sitcom Diff’rent Strokes, and then for seven years on its spinoff, The Facts of Life, beginning in 1979. Her Emmy nomination was for the show. Her career also featured appearances on more than 50 television shows. Rae worked in theater before her TV
Coming in the September 17 issue. To advertise call 757.965.6100 or email news@ujft.org 54 | Jewish News | August 13, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org
career took off, garnering two Tony nominations—in 1966 as best featured actress in a musical in Pickwick, and in 1969 for best actress in a play for Morning, Noon and Night. Her last role in a feature film was alongside Meryl Streep in the 2015 movie Rikki and the Flash. She also appeared in films such as Woody Allen’s Bananas in 1971, Hair in 1979 and the Adam Sandler comedy You Don’t Mess with the Zohan in 2008. Rae was born Charlotte Rae Lubotsky in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Russian Jewish immigrants. Her mother, Esther, was a childhood friend of the future Israeli prime minister Golda Meir, also a Milwaukee native. Rae reportedly dropped her Jewishsounding surname on the advice of an unnamed radio personality. She released her autobiography, The Facts of My Life, in 2015, co-written by her son Larry Strauss. Rae was married for 25 years to composer John Strauss, but divorced in 1976 when he came out as bisexual. Her son Andrew, who was diagnosed with autism, died in his mid-40s of a heart attack in 1999. She is survived by her son, Larry; three grandchildren; and a sister, Miriam Guten.
Jackie Gothard, who led rebuilding of New Orleans congregation after Hurricane Katrina As the president of her New Orleans Orthodox congregation in 2005, Jackie Gothard oversaw the burial of seven Torah scrolls ruined by flooding from Hurricane Katrina. Then she made sure her synagogue would be reborn. Gothard, the driving force behind the rebuilding of Congregation Beth Israel, died last month of heart failure following emergency surgery, The Crescent City Jewish News reported. She was 83. The first female president of Beth Israel in the Lakeview section of New Orleans, Gothard was in office when Katrina struck. She recalled burying the Torah scrolls in a story she recounted 10 years later for The My Katrina Story project, a multimedia partnership of the Loyola University School of Mass Communication, the Center for the
Study of New Orleans and NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune. Some 150 people attended the burial in a cemetery plot of the Torah scrolls. A year later, a girl named Hayley Fields from Los Angeles, who for her bat mitzvah project sold plastic watches for $5 each to raise money for a refurbished Torah, brought the new scroll to the synagogue on the first anniversary of Katrina. “It was amazing. All around us church bells were ringing [to mark the anniversary],” Gothard recalled for the My Katrina Project story. “We had klezmer music and were dancing in the street outside Gates of Prayer with our new Torah. Four additional refurbished Torahs were donated. Each one that came was amazing. It was such a celebration for Beth Israel.” Gothard guided the building of Beth Israel’s new home in suburban Metairie alongside the Reform synagogue Congregation Gates of Prayer. The New Orleans-based Crescent City Jewish News called Gothard the “primary author of the then-101 year-old Orthodox congregation’s recovery.” Gothard was the first to meet with the Gates of Prayer rabbi and administrator to discuss relocating next door to the Reform synagogue and, the newspaper said, “it was Gothard who rallied the dispersed members, suggesting a comeback from such a tragedy was possible.” She also traveled to Milwaukee to meet with representatives of the Orthodox Union to express her congregation’s desperate plight and seek financial assistance. She returned home with a six-figure contribution from the umbrella group to help in the recovery effort. Gothard was a social worker for Child Protective Services at the New Orleans Department of Welfare, and later worked as a travel agent specializing in trips to Israel. She also led six-week teen tours of Israel for six years. Gothard was involved in Hadassah, Jewish Family Services—she was active in the Teen Life Counts suicide prevention program—the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans and the Jewish War Veterans of America. She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Sol; five children; 11 grandchildren and one great-grandson; and a sister. (JTA)
obituaries
The seven best Jewish obituaries by New York Times writer Margalit Fox Josefin Dolsten
NEW YORK (JTA)—New York Times obituary writer Margalit Fox announced she was leaving her position after writing farewells to more than 1,400 notable, notorious or downright unusual people over a 14-year span. Fox intends to turn to book-writing full time. Among the highlights of her time on the “dead beat” were obituaries of Jewish newsmakers, which like so many of her obits stand out for the vividness of her prose and the humor she sometimes brought to solemn moments. Here are some standouts. Rabbi Sol Steinmetz
S
teinmetz was a widely respected Jewish Hungarian-American expert in linguistics and lexicography who wrote about both English and Yiddish. The ordained rabbi was the executive editor of Random House’s dictionary division; journalists frequently called on him as an expert “on matters semantical, grammatical, and etymological.” Steinmetz likely would have enjoyed his obituary by Fox with its definitions and derivations of words, dictionary-style. Fox wrote: “Writing in the New York Times in 2006, William Safire, who knew from language mavens, called Mr. Steinmetz a ‘lexical supermaven,’ an accolade that in two scant words draws exuberantly on Greek, Latin, Yiddish and Hebrew. (‘Maven,’ Yiddish for cognoscente, derives from the Hebrew noun mevin, ‘one who knows.’)”
Debbie Friedman
T
he Jewish singer-songwriter helped create beautiful folky melodies for traditional prayers that invigorated American Jewish life across the denominational spectrum. Fox’s obituary highlighted these creations and also brought to light the fact that Friedman was a lesbian—a fact known to some that Friedman had preferred to keep private during her lifetime. The obituary’s mention of Friedman’s sexuality ignited a debate about whether she had been right to keep it a secret. “Many of her English lyrics concerned the empowerment of women and other disenfranchised groups, stemming, her
associates said on Monday, from the quiet pride she took in her life as a gay woman.”
Moshe Landau
L
andau was the presiding judge in the trial of Nazi War criminal Adolf Eichmann. During the 1961 trial, Eichmann sat in a bulletproof glass booth and ultimately was sentenced to death by hanging. Fox’s obituary highlights the fact that Landau himself was a refugee from Nazi Germany, his actions during the trial and his career afterward as president of Israel’s Supreme Court. “On one occasion, as the New York Times reported, Justice Landau became impatient with the chief prosecutor, Gideon Hausner, after Mr. Hausner called witnesses who testified about horrors in Polish and Lithuanian ghettos. According to the parameters set by the indictment, these narratives were not strictly germane to the case. ‘I know it is difficult to cut short such testimony,’ Justice Landau told Mr. Hausner in open court. ‘But it is your duty, Sir, to brief the witness, to explain to him that all external elements must be removed that do not pertain to this trial.’”
Maurice Sendak
I
n a long obituary for the prominent children’s book author, Fox touches on Sendak’s way of making dark, serious themes accessible to children and how his books were received (sometimes skeptically). She notes that the creatures in his best-known book, Where the Wild Things Are, were inspired by the Jewish relatives “who hovered like a pack of middle-aged gargoyles
above the childhood sickbed to which he was often confined.” She also mentions melancholy aspects of his background, including how he hid his sexuality from his parents. “As Mr. Sendak grew up—lower class, Jewish, gay—he felt permanently shunted to the margins of things. ‘All I wanted was to be straight so my parents could be happy,’ he told the New York Times in a 2008 interview. ‘They never, never, never knew.’” Irving
Cohen
O
ne of the lesser-known people on this list, Cohen was said to be “the borscht belt’s longest-serving maître d’hôtel” and a prolific matchmaker. Fox writes about how Cohen, who worked at the Concord Resort Hotel in Kiamesha Lake, New York, for some 60 years, had an ability to quickly size up and then set up Jewish singles in search of love, resulting in “thousands of marriages.” “’You got to pair them by states and even from the same cities,’ Mr. Cohen told the Daily News in 1967. ‘If they come from different places, the doll is always afraid the guy will forget her as soon as he gets home.’ To keep track of demographic information, Mr. Cohen used a specially built pegboard, 10 feet long, on which each of the Concord’s hundreds of dining tables was represented by a circle.”
Rabbi Hershel Schachter
S
chachter was the first U.S. Army chaplain to enter and participate in the liberation of Buchenwald. That experience would continue to
haunt Schachter, an Orthodox rabbi who played a prominent role in American Jewish life, including as chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations. Fox’s obituary recalls Schachter’s entry into Buchenwald and the devastation he saw there. “There, in filthy barracks, men lay on raw wooden planks stacked from floor to ceiling. They stared down at the rabbi, in his unfamiliar military uniform, with unmistakable fright. ‘Shalom Aleichem, Yidden,’ Rabbi Schacter cried in Yiddish, ‘ihr zint frei!’—‘Peace be upon you, Jews, you are free!’ He ran from barracks to barracks, repeating those words. He was joined by those Jews who could walk, until a stream of people swelled behind him.” Judy
P
Protas
rotas, a retired advertising executive at Doyle Dane Bernbach, was the writer behind the iconic advertising campaign to sell Levy’s rye bread beyond its natural Jewish customer base. The best-known campaign featured a diverse group, including an African-American boy, Asian- and Native American men and a choirboy, proclaiming that “You don’t have to be Jewish to love Levy’s real Jewish Rye.” “Though its evocative tagline is often credited to William Bernbach, a founder of DDB, or to Phyllis Robinson, the agency’s chief copywriter, period newspaper accounts and contemporary archival sources make clear that the actual writing fell to Ms. Protas, who, working quietly and out of the limelight, set down those dozen durable words.”
jewishnewsva.org | August 13, 2018 | Jewish News | 55
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“ We not only care about Proudly offering Virginia and North Carolina communities
the communities we
with many free programs and initiatives including:
live in, but we take
• Free Breast Screening
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action to make them
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Last year Sentara contributed $364,956,000 to the communities we serve.
Learn more about Sentara’s community involvement at: sentara.com/community 56 | Jewish News | August 13, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org
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