Jewish News March 20 2017 by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater

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Southeastern Virginia | Vol. 55 No. 13 | 21 Adar 5777 | March 20, 2017

21 What’s your Israel Story?

Surge in anti-Semitism —page 5

22 Beth Sholom Village’s Kahbaid weekend honors parents

23 Israel Fest Sunday, April 30

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25 Gitit Shoval Saturday, March 25

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Upfront

Over 100 Holocaust memorial groups and scholars urge Trump to keep office monitoring anti-Semitism NEW YORK ( JTA)—More than 100 Holocaust remembrance institutions, scholars and educators called on President Donald Trump to maintain a government office dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism following a report that he was considering nixing it. The 120 signatories— among them Holocaust museums, anti-genocide groups, Holocaust studies programs, and Holocaust scholars and educators in the United States and Europe—released a statement Monday, March 13, calling on Trump to strengthen the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat AntiSemitism, which fights anti-Jewish sentiments abroad. The signatories also urged Trump to create a new office to combat anti-Semitism in the United States. Last month, Bloomberg reported that Trump was considering cutting a number of special envoy positions, including the one dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism, as part of a budget proposal. “The need becomes clearer by the day as hatred, like a tidal wave, sweeps across the nation,” read the statement, which was written by members of the Association of Holocaust Organizations. It cited vandalism of cemeteries, synagogues, churches and mosques, anti-Semitic vandalism and bomb threats made against Jewish institutions. Jewish sites, including community centers, schools, museums, and AntiDefamation League offices, have been hit with more than 100 bomb threats so far this year, all of them hoaxes. In the

past three weeks, Jewish cemeteries were vandalized in Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Rochester, New York. Congress mandated the position of special envoy for monitoring and combating anti-Semitism in 2004 with the passage of the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act. The measure directs the State Department to establish the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, to be headed by the special envoy. Jewish groups and lawmakers have urged the president to keep the office, including the American Jewish Committee and the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Earlier this month, a bipartisan House task force on anti-Semitism called on the Trump administration to rebuff reports that it was planning to cut the office. Ira Forman, the former executive director of the National Jewish Democratic Council, most recently served in the envoy position under President Barack Obama. Forman’s LinkedIn page lists him as having served in the position; Trump has not named a replacement. “I can’t believe someone at the White House won’t have better sense than to realize that this is a disaster,” Forman told Jewish Insider. “I just can’t believe that they would even think of this given the relatively small budget needed to run this office. The office exists by legislation. It’s just a matter of someone signing up to fund it. This is as bipartisan an issue as you can get, and I just hope folks at the White House come to their senses.”

The

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clearer by the

day as hatred,

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like a tidal wave, sweeps across

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the nation

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Standing Again As One T

here is a midrash that, when standing at Sinai to receive the Torah, each person received their own personal revelation but responded in one voice, saying, “Na’aseh v’nishma”—“We will do and we will hear.” It is in that exquisite moment that we became one People. Each of us is an individual, but we—and our fate—are inextricably linked, and we are each responsible for one another. The Jewish community today is under attack, with more than 148 terrorist threats to our institutions in more than 30 different communities. Hate-filled vandalism and desecration of our sacred places are being perpetrated to wreak havoc and instill fear. Whenever the Jewish community is threatened in such a vile and insidious way, na’aseh v’nishma—we must stand together to face the challenges of the day in a decisive and powerful way. We may come from different vantage points, denominations, walks of life—we may differ from each other in a thousand ways—but nothing compares to that which unites us. This has been true throughout our history as a Jewish People. These words of solidarity were sent to us by the chair of the board of trustees and president of the Jewish Federations of North America and similar words have been sent to us by officials of the Jewish Community Centers Association. We think of these words as we are certainly aware that our families and children have just joyfully celebrated Purim and reenacted the rescue of the Jewish people. Nowhere was the celebration more joyous then at the Konikoff Center for Learning Hebrew Academy of Tidewater, Strelitz Early Childhood Center and the Simon Family JCC, all housed on the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus. Thankfully, we have not had any of the 148 threats visited upon our community. Our solidarity has not been tested in such a direct way, but if it had, we have no doubt that we would have stood fast. The threats that are intended to disrupt and frighten would, we believe, have been met with unity, anger and defiance. The parents and members regardless of their religion know that the Sandler Family Campus has, throughout its existence, taken all the necessary steps to provide the finest security in a facility of its kind in the region.

Published 22 times a year by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.

This past week UJFT and the Sandler Family Campus brought together representatives from the Jewish institutions in our community with members of local law enforcement, FBI, Homeland Security and Virginia State Police to discuss security, preparedness, and media relations. All law enforcement officials individually and collectively lauded Jason Capossere, Sandler Family Campus director of security, for his vigilance and professionalism, as well as for the high esteem in which he is held by them and their colleagues. There is no question that whether you are attending an event, working out or studying at the school—your safety and security is being seriously considered and determinedly prepared for at the Sandler Family Campus. We will not stand idly by as the threats grow. Through our Community Relations Council we will work with national organizations like the Anti-Defamation League to pressure our legislative and executive branches of government for the necessary funding and mandate to fully investigate and bring those responsible to justice. In addition, to increase funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which helps nonprofit groups in religious and ethnic communities targeted by hate crimes. The UJFT will stay the course and guarantee that when our family, friends, and neighbors participate in the wonderful mosaic that is Jewish life, they will find the meaning, community and security they seek. Na’aseh v’nishma—standing together as one.

Jay Klebanoff President, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater

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Candle lighting

Beth Sholom Home’s Kahbaid weekend . . . . 22 What’s Happening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

“We should build bridges

Jewish News Archives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

among ourselves first, and then

Surge in anti-Semistim. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Who Knew?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

hopefully, it would become

ADL plans center to combat hate . . . . . . . . . . 8

Appreciation: Dave Rosenfeld. . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Poll on anti-Semitism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

organic—on how

HUBB to be honored by VCIC. . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Interview with Armin Langer: Salaam–Schalom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

What’s your Israel story?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

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Briefs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Mishy Harman: The story he told. . . . . . . . . 21

United Jewish Federation of Tidewater Jay Klebanoff, President Alvin Wall, Treasurer Stephanie Calliott, Secretary Harry Graber, Executive Vice-President www.jewishVA.org

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Friday, March 24/26 Adar Light candles at 7:03 pm Friday, March 31/4 Nissan Light candles at 7:09 pm Friday, April 7/11 Nissan Light candles at 7:15 pm Friday, April 14/18 Nissan Light candles at 7:21 pm

to approach these issues with our congregations.” —page 11

Friday, April 21/25 Nissan Light candles at 7:27 pm Friday, April 28/2 Iyar Light candles at 7:33 pm

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Briefs Switzerland to launch Holocaust remembrance app A new app to teach youth about the Holocaust will be a centerpiece of Switzerland’s chairmanship of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. Switzerland took over the rotating chairmanship of the 31-member inter-governmental group on March 7 from Romania. The app, called Fliehen vor dem Holocaust, or Escaping the Holocaust, allows users to learn about the fate of four individuals using multimedia tools. Educators must take on “the challenge of virtual reality” so youth will grasp that “we are speaking about people,” not merely about numbers, Benno Bättig, secretary-general of Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, said in a ceremony at the Swiss embassy in Berlin. Founded in 1998, the alliance aims to unite political and social leaders behind the need for Holocaust education, remembrance and research. (JTA) Reform movement leaders meet with Mahmoud Abbas Leaders of the U.S. Reform movement met with Palestinian Authority President President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. The delegation of around 30 leaders from the Union for Reform Judaism, led by its president, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, met with Abbas and other Palestinian officials Thursday, March 9. Discussions included the two-state-solution, Israeli settlements and the Trump administration. “I was impressed with the president’s clear and unequivocal commitment to the two-state solution,” Jacobs said in a statement. “He clearly is frustrated with the lack of progress, or even the existence of ongoing negotiations. I share that frustration.” Jacobs also said he learned from Palestinian officials that they had spoken with the Trump administration, which had confirmed that U.S. policy continues to support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At a joint news conference last month with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump had said he “can live” with either a one- or two-state solution, a statement Palestinians slammed for breaking with decades of

American policy. One unnamed Palestinian official told Israel Radio that the president’s words were “the biggest disaster it was possible to hear from the American president.” Liberal and centrists Jewish groups also criticized Trump’s statement. The delegation also spoke with Abbas “about the Palestinian Authority’s responsibility to stem anti-Israeli incitement.” “He acknowledged it was a real challenge, just as it is in Israel, and called for reviving the anti-incitement trilateral committee led by the U.S.,” Jacobs said. Daryl Messinger, chair of the URJ North American Board, acknowledged that the two sides disagreed about some issues. “We clearly did not agree on everything, nor did we expect to. We were warmly received, and I found our conversation to be positive,” Messinger said. The URJ delegation also met with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Jewish Agency President Natan Sharansky, members of the Knesset, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (JTA)

New app allows users to report anti-Semitic incidents A new app will allow users to report suspicious activity and document anti-Semitic incidents from their smartphones. The app, called Jewish Security Application, is being launched by the Community Security Service, a New Yorkbased group that works to enhance security at Jewish institutions. The app will allow users to receive security alerts from Community Security Service, send messages to the group and other relevant authorities and to upload video or photos to assist first responders. It also will feature a panic button to alert local authorities to immediate threats. The launch of the app comes after seven waves of bomb threats that have affected more than 100 Jewish community centers, schools, and Anti-Defamation League offices around the country. At least three American Jewish cemeteries have also been vandalized in recent months. “The American Jewish community needs to fundamentally change the way we approach security. Not everyone has it in them to be proactive, but JSA emboldens

4 | Jewish News | March 20, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

every member of a community to be more vigilant, and more importantly, to be able to quickly and easily report suspicious activity,” Jason Friedman, CSS executive director, said in a statement. The app is “making it easier for the community to record and report suspicious activity so we all can be part of keeping our community safe, to see threats before they materialize,” Friedman said. The free app will be available for both Android and iOS phones. Access will be distributed through synagogues, schools and community centers. (JTA)

Intel to acquire Israeli tech firm Mobileye for $14.7 billion The U.S. chipmaker Intel will pay $14.7 billion to acquire the driverless technology firm Mobileye in what reportedly is the largest-ever purchase of an Israeli hightech company. In a joint announcement, the companies said the combination “is expected to accelerate innovation for the automotive industry and position Intel as a leading technology provider in the fast-growing market for highly and fully autonomous vehicles.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel called Mobileye CEO Ziv Aviram to congratulate him, calling the deal in a tweet a source of “Israeli pride.” “This deal proves that the vision we are leading is coming true. Israel is becoming an international technological powerhouse. Not only in regards to cyber, but in regards to vehicles as well,” Netanyahu said. Aviram reportedly told Netanyahu that the company and its research would remain based in Israel. Mobileye was founded in 1999 with a mission to help cut the number of injuries and fatalities caused by vehicles. It employs 600 people. Mobileye and Intel already are collaborating with BMW on a project that will see the production of 40 self-driving test cars. They are scheduled to hit the road later this year. The sale is expected to close in nine months. The boards of both companies have already approved the deal, which is subject to certain regulatory approvals and other closing conditions. (JTA)

FBI: Dedicated team is tracking Levinson whereabouts The FBI says it has a dedicated team seeking the return of Robert Levinson, a former agent who went missing in Iran a decade ago. The announcement, included in a statement released March 9 on the 10th anniversary of Levinson’s disappearance, is unusual. Over the years, the State Department and the White House have noted the anniversary, but the FBI has not weighed in. “Bob and the entire Levinson family are remembered every day by his FBI friends and colleagues,” said the statement. “The FBI shares in their anguish and resolve to return their husband, father and grandfather to his family and country.” It concluded: “The FBI continues to dedicate a team of agents and analysts who, along with our interagency partners, remain steadfast in our mission to locate Bob and return him home where he belongs.” Robert Levinson, 68, of Coral Springs, Florida, a private investigator and former FBI agent who was also a part-time consultant for the CIA, disappeared on Iran’s Kish Island during what has since been revealed as a rogue CIA operation. Also March 9, the White House reiterated President Donald Trump’s pledge, made as a candidate, to bring Levinson home. “The Levinson family has suffered far too much during the last decade due to the absence of Mr. Levinson, a loving father, brother, husband, grandfather and friend to many,” the White House said in a statement on March 9. The statement noted that there is an outstanding $5 million reward for information leading to Levinson’s return. Under President Barack Obama, five Americans were released by Iran in January 2016 in an exchange timed to coincide with the implementation of the nuclear deal struck between Iran and six major powers. Levinson was not one of those released, but the Obama administration, which had brokered the deal, accepted an Iranian pledge to help track his whereabouts and said his return was a top priority. Tips on Levinson’s whereabouts have reportedly led to dead ends. (JTA)

from the hal Sacks Jewish News Archives

March 2, 2007 BINA Girls’ High School signed a lease to open the school at Ohef Sholom Temple.

March 14, 1997 Fifty Reform rabbis from throughout the United States, including Rabbi

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Lawrence Arthur Forman from Ohef Sholom Temple, embarked on a whirlwind trip to Israel to lobby against proposed changes to the conversion laws and to affirm support for the Reform movement there. The rabbis traveled under the auspices of ARZA (Association of Reform Zionists of America).

March 13, 1987 Elie Wiesel will be the featured speaker at the 50th anniversary meeting of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. His topic will be “Remember, Rejoice, Renew.”

March 18, 1977 The Soviet Union has effectively banned the entry of matzah during the forthcoming Passover festival. The Soviet action—in the form of a note to the Universal Postal Union for circulation to national post offices throughout the world—came shortly after Soviet officials in the West had given assurances that matzah packages would be permitted entry.

March 1, 1967 The Jewish Community Center and Jewish Family Service have formed a joint committee to be known as The Older Adult Committee. At present, representatives of both organizations are studying the needs of adults beginning at age 60, and the varied services that will be necessary to meet these needs. Mrs. Sheldon Leavitt will act as chairman.

March 1, 1957 The 8th Annual Jewish Community Center Day Camps will be decentralized, using the facilities of the JCC, the YMCA, Boys’ Club Pool and Lake Geneva in Portsmouth. The six-week season is $75.

March 1, 1947 Ben Simon was elected president of the Norfolk Jewish Community Council, which

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The surge in anti-Semitism? Here’s how to stop it We welcome the White House’s strong condemnation of recent anti-Semitic incidents and its promise to find ways to stop them. We also appreciate the Senate (JTA)—Almost daily accounts of vandalletter urging action against these threats ized cemeteries, spray-painted swastikas spearheaded by Senators Peters, Portman, and bomb threats to JCCs and other Rubio and Nelson, and signed by all 100 Jewish agencies have naturally evoked members of the upper chamber. considerable alarm. But still more can be done Clearly, we must never reconnow. Here are three suggescile ourselves to an America tions for concrete action: where this is considered Hate crimes First, the White House normal. Yet we must not menace the should convene a confersuccumb to the opposite ence on violent extremism tendency to see these very basis of our and hate crimes. The recent incidents through assault on the Jewish a 2,000-year-old lens pluralistic society, community is not occurand draw comparisons and therefore every ring in a vacuum. There to darker days, when Jews felt powerless and citizen should have also have been widespread reports of crimes alone in the fight against an interest in against other minority anti-Semitism. communities. Although There is no nation— stopping them. reasonable people can disother than Israel, of agree about the causes, there course—that has been more can be little doubt that something hospitable and welcoming to Jews ugly has been unleashed, and it needs than the United States. Indeed, there to be examined and addressed. has been no generation of Jews in our peoAll crimes are reprehensible, but ple’s history more ingrained into the fabric hate crimes carry an extra dimension of the nation in which it lived. A recent since they victimize both individuals and Pew Research Center report found that communities. Recent polls reveal that Jews are the most admired religious group a majority of European Jews do not feel in the country, and it will take far more comfortable wearing clothing or jewelry than the incidents of the last few months that identifies them as Jewish. The sitto alter that fact. uation in Europe is very different, and Experts on hate crimes agree on two tragically, more violent than what Jews in things. the U.S. have confronted. Still, the White First, perpetrators are not always House must elevate this issue in an effort caught, and therefore the majority of hateto ensure that such sentiments do not take crime victims may not see the culprits hold in our nation. brought to justice. Second, federal security funding for Second, since hate crimes are “mesvulnerable religious and other commusage” crimes, the public response is crucial nal institutions must be increased. The in preventing them from happening again. Nonprofit Security Grant Program, adminWords matter. Condemnations matter. istered by the Department of Homeland And leaders must step up and express solSecurity, is currently budgeted at approxidarity with the victimized communities, imately $20 million, a figure simply sending the clear message that such acts inadequate to meet a pressing need. will not be tolerated or ignored. Daniel Elbaum and Marc Stern

anti-Semitism Hate crimes aimed at Jewish institutions threaten not only those organizations. They menace the very basis of our pluralistic society, and therefore every citizen should have an interest in stopping them. Governments at all levels need to make financial investments to that end. No doubt there are other steps that can be taken—a good example being the Federal

Communications Commission’s waiver of certain privacy rules that will make it easier to track phone threats. And finally, since other nations are watching, our reaction, in word and deed, can affect Jewish security abroad. The White House should act swiftly to dispel rumors that, as part of a wave of budget cuts, it plans to eliminate the State

Department’s special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism. Since 2004, when Congress created that post, the special envoy has been a go-to global address, an embodiment of our country’s commitment to fight anti-Semitism. It is needed today more than ever. Although the special envoy has dealt with anti-Semitism abroad, the position also

sends a message here at home—and so does any talk of eliminating it. The upsurge of anti-Semitism will not abate on its own. We need concerted action to reverse it. —Daniel Elbaum is the American Jewish Committee’s assistant executive director and director of regional offices and Marc Stern is the committee’s general counsel.

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anti-Semitism

ADL announces plans for Silicon Valley center to combat hate online

he Anti-Defamation League will build a Silicon Valley “command center” to combat online hate speech and harassment, the group’s CEO announced. Jonathan Greenblatt made the announcement at the South by Southwest music and media festival in Austin, Texas. He said the ADL secured seed funding for the project from Omidyar Network, a self-styled “philanthropic investment firm” started by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar. “Now more than ever as anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism, and other hatreds have exploded online, it’s critical that we are bringing best-in-class technology and resources to this fight,” Greenblatt said in a statement the ADL released ahead of the announcement. “That’s why we will build this center in Silicon Valley, and why we are so grateful to Omidyar Network for providing seed funding for this effort.” Greenblatt was on stage at SXSW discussing recent hate crimes with Evan Smith, the editor-in-chief of the local newspaper The Texas Tribune. According to the ADL statement, the center will bring together “the best technology” and “seasoned experts” to “monitor, track, analyze and mitigate hate speech and harassment across the Internet, in support of the Jewish community and other minority groups. The group said it would produce reports and data, provide analysis to government and policymakers and “expose and stop specific cases of online harassment and cyberbullying.” Brittan Heller, a lawyer who joined the ADL last year, is to serve as the founding director of the new center. She investigated and prosecuted cyber crime and human rights violations at the U.S. Department of Justice and the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

“Inclusivity is key to a healthy society and yet this is being challenged and attacked in countries around the world, including the United States. Cyberhate is a big, growing part of the problem and it needs a big response. ADL’s work against hate is unmatched and the launch of the center in Silicon Valley will enable them to further collaborate with the technology industry to tackle these problems.” Stacy Donohue, an investment partner at the Omidyar Network said in the ADL statement. Since Donald Trump’s election as president, the ADL has repeatedly warned that the anti-Semitic incidents are on the rise and called for action. More than 100 bomb threats have this year targeted Jewish Community Centers and other U.S. Jewish institutions, including ADL offices. In March, Trump responded to a question from an Orthodox reporter about what action he would take by angrily denying that he was anti-Semitic, earning reprimand from Greenblatt and ADL National Chairman Marvin Nathan. “It is mind-boggling why President Trump prefers to shout down a reporter or brush this off as a political distraction,” they said in a statement. “This is not a partisan issue. It’s a potentially lethal problem—and it’s growing.” Under Greenblatt, the ADL has shown an interest in tackling hate online. After Jewish journalists were targeted by anti-Semitic trolls identifying as Trump supporters during the campaign, the ADL created a task to look into the issue, which later issued a report. And days after Trump was elected, Greenblatt said the group had seen a spike in donations from people “most interested in seeing ADL scale up its work in the cyberhate space, where the anti-Semitism and hate speech has been most alarming.” (JTA)

anti-Semitism South Carolina House endorses State Department definition of anti-Semitism

outh Carolina’s House of Representatives passed a bill endorsing the U.S. State Department’s definition of anti-Semitism as part of an effort to fight discrimination on college campuses. The bill, which passed unanimously Friday, March 10, defines anti-Semitism to include the State Department’s definition, which considers demonizing, delegitimizing or applying a double standard to Israel to be forms of anti-Semitism. Under the South Carolina bill, the new definition would be used in probes of possible anti-Semitism at state colleges and universities. The pro-Israel groups Stand With Us and the Louis D. Brandeis Center for For Human Rights Under Law, a nonprofit that conducts research on campus

anti-Semitism, hailed the measure. “We applaud the South Carolina legislators for standing up against this growing anti-Jewish bigotry, and in a way that fully protects free speech on campus,” the Brandeis Center’s president, Kenneth Marcus said. The State Department definition has drawn criticism for deeming certain types of criticism of Israel to be anti-Semitic, a theme critics of the South Carolina bill echoed. “This language would shut down legitimate debate on South Carolina campuses about policies of the state of Israel and would equate criticism of Israel with anti-Jewish racism,” said Caroline Nagel, a professor at the University of South Carolina. (JTA)

Poll: 87% of Democrats, 53% of Republicans say anti-Semitism a ‘serious’ problem

eventy percent of American voters see anti-Semitism in the country as a “very” or “somewhat serious” problem, up from 49 percent a month ago, according to a new poll. The responses differed by party identification, with an overwhelming majority of Democrats, 87 percent, seeing anti-Semitism as a “very” or “somewhat serious” problem, and slightly more than half of Republicans, 53 percent, seeing it as such, according to the poll released March 9. The survey was conducted by Quinnipiac University at the beginning of March. Jewish institutions have been hit with more than 100 bomb threats so far this year, all of them hoaxes. Jewish cemeteries have also been vandalized in Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Rochester, New York. Respondents were split on President Donald Trump’s response to the bomb threats and vandalism, with 37 percent approving and 38 percent disapproving. Most Republicans, 71 percent, approved of Trump’s response, while most Democrats, 66 percent, disapproved. The poll also found that 63 percent of American voters think hatred and

prejudice has increased since Trump’s election, while two percent say it has decreased and 32 percent say it has stayed the same. Trump has come under fire for his delayed response to the incidents. Concerning the threats on Jewish establishments, Trump at first deflected questions—and in one instance shouted down a reporter who asked him about it—before calling them “horrible.” Last month, the president noted the bomb threats and vandalism of cemeteries in his first address to a joint meeting of Congress. “Recent threats targeting Jewish community centers and vandalism of Jewish cemeteries, as well as last week’s shooting in Kansas City, remind us that while we may be a nation divided on policies, we are a country that stands united in condemning hate and evil in all its forms,” Trump said. The Kansas City incident occurred after a patron ejected from a bar after hurling racial epithets at two workers from India allegedly returned with a gun and killed one of the men and wounded another. (JTA)

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jewishnewsva.org | March 20, 2017 | Jewish News | 9

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synagogue in Seattle was defaced with graffiti denying the Holocaust. “The Holocaust is fake history!” was found spray-painted on the wall of the Temple de Hirsch Sinai synagogue Friday, March 10. “There were two things we felt: shock and sadness, and resistance,” Daniel Weiner, the synagogue’s senior rabbi, told NBC News. “We were shocked that this had reached our own community and that such things, such stereotypes had become

frequent. But we are also adamant to not give in to the intolerance and growing climate of hate in Seattle and our nation, and will resist.” With more than 1,500 member families, the synagogue, founded in 1889, is one of the largest in the Pacific Northwest. The incident comes amid a wave of threats against Jewish institutions nationwide, including more than 100 bomb threats, mostly against Jewish community centers, since the beginning of the year. (JTA)

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helsea Clinton cited the lessons of Purim to chastise a congressman who said restoring Western civilization could not be done “with somebody else’s babies.” “Clearly the Congressman does not view all our children as, well, all our children,” Clinton, the daughter of former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, who lost the November presidential election to Donald Trump, said in a tweet quoting a tweet by Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa. “Particularly ironic and painful on Purim.” Clinton’s husband, Marc Mezvinsky, is Jewish. Purim celebrates the triumph of Persia’s Jews over a deadly enemy, Haman. Some Jewish traditions cite its lessons as upholding diversity. King in his tweet praised Geert Wilders, the anti-Islam Dutch lawmaker whose party is among those competing in elections in the Netherlands. “Wilders understands that culture and demographics are our destiny,” he said. “We can’t restore our civilization with somebody else’s babies.” The tweet was reviled as bigoted almost as soon as King posted it. “This is so offensive, it’s hard to know where to start,” Jonathan Greenblatt,

the Anti-Defamation League CEO, said in a tweet. “America’s greatness is the diversity of our culture, the dynamism of our demography.” Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., alluded to King’s closeness to Trump, and claims from Democrats that Trump’s election has spurred increased bigotry, in calling the comment “racist.” “It’s no accident that communities across America have been threatened by emboldened racists,” she said in a statement. “The GOP Leadership must stop accommodating this garbage, and condemn Congressman Steve King’s statements in the strongest and most unequivocal terms.” In an appearance on CNN, King would not say whether he believed Muslims were “equals,” but defended the tweet from charges that it was racist. “It’s the culture, not the blood,” King said. “And if you can go anywhere in the world and adopt these little babies and put them into households that were already assimilated into America, those babies will grow up as American as any other baby with as much patriotism and as much love of country as any other baby. It’s not about race.” (JTA)

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Sherri Wisoff

reated in the spring of 2015 as a constructive response to the racial violence and civil unrest that took place in Ferguson and Baltimore, Hands United Building Bridges is comprised of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim clergy. HUBB’s goal is to forge relationships across racial and religious lines and to build bridges of mutual understanding in Tidewater. At the 2017 Tidewater Humanitarian Awards Dinner, Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities will present the Distinguished Merit Citation Award to

HUBB for its efforts to promote inclusive community connections. HUBB was founded by Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz of Congregation Beth El and Dr. Antipas Harris, professor in the School of Divinity at Regent University and Theologian-in-Residence at First Presbyterian Church in Norfolk. The challenge for clergy, Rabbi Arnowitz says, is to find the appropriate response. “The violence in Ferguson and Baltimore were several months apart and I remember feeling that is was very important, but I wasn’t sure how to respond. I was anxious to handle with care, anything that could be seen as political from the pulpit.” Arnowitz contacted other faith leaders to discern if they, too, were having a similar experience and soon joined forces with Dr. Harris. “The theme that came up again and again was that our community was not so different. We have a tremendous level of de facto segregation, among our neighborhoods, not so much from city to city, but from neighborhood to neighborhood—and there is not a lot of communication between those different communities and there are a lot of assumptions between the communities.” Arnowitz and Harris invited 20 faith leaders to meet to share concerns and garner new perspectives. Arnowitz says, “We wanted to become a hub for dialogue and exchange ideas.” It was decided “we should build bridges among ourselves first and then hopefully it would become organic—on how to approach these issues with our congregations. If anything should break out (racial unrest) in this area, we would know each other and be able to respond as an interfaith community.” The group meets every 4 to 6 weeks to discuss a range of topics including education, race, poverty, the justice system, and

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policy making to share perspectives and find common ground. “It has been wildly more successful than we could have ever hoped for. We initially had 20 people involved and now it is over 70,” says Arnowitz. “Antipas and I say it (HUBB) is the most selfish endeavor we have ever done, because maybe it is helping other people, but the two of us learn so much all the time and it has really been a great journey.” Rabbi Arnowitz shares a quote from the Chasidic master, Rebbe Nachman, “All the world is a very narrow bridge and the main thing is not to be at all afraid.” Reflecting on a possible interpretation, Arnowitz explains, “the bridge is narrow because only one person can pass over it at a time and if someone is coming in the other direction, you have a problem, therefore it forces cooperation. “That is how I like to think of it, that ultimately the bridge is how we connect to each other—it is tenuous and little—maybe only able to hold one of our weights at a time but it is the cooperation between us that is going to get us across the bridge—one way or the other.” Arnowitz suggests that communities need to reach out to each other, “What is the worst that can happen, you offend somebody? I don’t want to offend anyone, but the benefits of taking risk to make a connection are great…so the key is not to be afraid, walk the narrow bridge and then create one.” To attend the dinner or purchase a table for a business or organization, visit www.inclusiveva.org, or call 804-515-7950. To purchase a seat at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater/Tidewater Jewish Foundation table, contact Tammy Mujica at tmujica@ujft.org or 757-965-6124.

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jewishnewsva.org | March 20, 2017 | Jewish News | 11

camp

Camp becomes the endless summer— thanks to social media and smartphones Josefin Dolsten

(JTA)—For 12-year-old Sophie Golden, camp is “kind of like a different world,” where electronics are a no-go and her bunkmates feel more like sisters than friends. When she misses that feeling during the year, there’s an easy way to get it back, even if just for a fleeting moment—by checking her phone. That camp feeling “is coming back a little bit, but the second I stop texting, it goes away,” says Golden, who attends Beber Camp, a Jewish summer camp in Mukwonago, Wisconsin. She said she never worries at the end of the summers about losing touch because she and most of her camp friends stay in constant contact in group chats and on Snapchat, the

photo messaging application. Though camp has traditionally been a summer-only experience, the increased use of social media and technology by kids is changing that—and camps are catching on. “For our campers, that camp experience of being connected to your camp friends never ends, it doesn’t just last eight weeks of the summer anymore,” says Jamie Lake, who serves as marketing manager for the Jewish Community Centers of Chicago’s two overnight camps and nine day camps. That’s a positive as Lake sees it. “I think it’s fantastic,” she says. “Anything that we can do to keep the positive feeling of Jewish overnight camp going longer than just the summer is

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a benefit, not only to our camp programs but really to our campers and their families.” And the JCC Chicago camps rely on social media, too, in keeping campers connected, such as using Facebook’s live streaming service in order to broadcast reunions to campers who cannot attend. Social media also provides a way for campers to hang out — virtually, that is. Camps Airy & Louise, Jewish brother-sister overnight camps in Thurmont and Cascade, Maryland, organize yearround events that campers can attend by logging onto Facebook and Instagram. During Hanukkah, the camp ran a scavenger hunt in which campers were asked to photograph themselves wearing their camp shirts in various locations, and submit the pictures to the camps’ social media pages. Camps Airy & Louise also run online fantasy football leagues and March Madness brackets. “If they’re going to be in a fantasy football league—some of them are probably already in three or four—why not be in a fantasy football league with camp?” says Jonathan Gerstl, the executive director at Camps Airy and Louise. Golden’s camp, Beber Camp, organizes virtual events once a month during the year, such as “Beber Camp Shirt Day,” where campers are encouraged to post photos of themselves wearing a camp shirt on social media, and “Where in the World is Beber?” where campers on winter break post photos of themselves around the world. Brad Robinson, manager of customer experience and marketing at Beber Camp, said that anywhere from a few dozen to 200 kids—representing nearly a third of all campers—participate in the events. Though Golden communicates with her camp friends on her smartphone at least once every other day, she still makes time for in-person meet-ups. In fact, during a phone call earlier this month with JTA from her home in Chicago, Golden’s camp friends were messaging

her to coordinate a visit to play laser tag. Asked to imagine a world without cellphones, Golden says her relationships with camp friends would probably suffer. “I think we wouldn’t be as close in the summer and have as much to connect to,” she says. Robinson of Beber Camp echoes Golden’s experience. “I think it [social media] definitely allows for deeper relationship building because they are just a few finger taps away from communicating with their friends,” he says. “It has allowed campers and staff to really further build those relationships, where in the past it was only when they saw each other in person, or they were maybe writing some slower mail or emails back and forth.” And parents are catching on, too, using group chats to share letters they received from their children or ask each other questions. “Parents find out who’s in their child’s bunk and they exchange phone numbers and they start a group text to everybody,” Rabbi Joel Seltzer, executive director of Camp Ramah in the Poconos, a Conservative Jewish camp in Lakewood, Pennsylvania, says. For other parents, social media provides not only a way to connect with their children’s camp experiences—but also to the camps they attended in their youth. This summer, Sophie Golden’s mother, Davina, will be attending a reunion for Herzl Camp in Webster, Wisconsin—her first reunion since she worked there as a counselor 25 years ago. Davina Golden says she probably would not be attending were it not for having connected with old camp friends on social media. “I lost touch with a lot of my friends,” she says, “but then since Facebook we all got in touch with each other.” —This article was made possible with funding by the Foundation for Jewish Camp. The story was produced independently and at the sole discretion of JTA’s editorial team.

Getting ready for summer camp

Supplement to Jewish News March 20, 2017

Camp

Norfolk Academy

ummer at the Academy starts with fun, but Norfolk Academy thinks summer is about a whole lot more. Summer is about making new friends, finding new interests, and developing passions. With more than 90 camps to choose from, for students in grades K-9, there is something for everyone. This year an expanded selection of camps just for Middle School students is being offered, such as Global Inventors where students can learn computeraided design (CAD) and 3-D printing. Extended care is available. Camp fees include free bus transportation and swim time in the indoor pool. There’s a reason Norfolk Academy has been doing camp for more than half a century. Join the adventure: www.norfolkacademy. org/summer.

Camp JCC filled with traditional day camp fun

amp JCC provides children with a rich and unique day camp experience. A dynamic program allows every child to explore their own interests and try new activities within a safe camp atmosphere. For children ages 2–12, integrated camp sessions for each age group are designed around the theme, “Adventures in Time.” Campers will explore different decades with creative activities and field trips to match, plus swim every day in the Simon Family JCC’s outdoor waterpark or indoor pools. Engaging and supportive staff encourages campers to have fun, develop skills, and form meaningful relationships. Call 757-321-2338 or go to CampJCCvb.org.

14 | Jewish News | Camp | March 20, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

Camp Security at residential summer camps: What to know

Ben Harris

espite the wave of recent threats against Jewish institutions, coupled with a spike in anti-Semitic activity in recent months, no one has been seriously injured by a security breach at an American Jewish summer camp. The worst incident many camp leaders could remember was in 2012, when a group of intruders drove through a religious camp in Pennsylvania yelling anti-Semitic slurs and damaging property. But many Jewish camp leaders aren’t taking any chances. “The foundation of our success is all about the sacred trust that exists between our parents, our campers and our communities and our camps,” says Paul Reichenbach, director of camping and Israel programs for the Union for Reform Judaism, which operates 16 summer camps across the country. “Parents have to have confidence that the people and place to where they’re going to send their children, in whom they’re going to entrust their children, has as their highest priority their child’s welfare.” As with many Jewish summer camps, the Reform movement’s security efforts were beefed up significantly following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. The movement launched a security manual for their camps, created specific job requirements for camp safety personnel and established protocols for responding to a range of threats. It also retained the services of an Israeli security firm, which recommended security improvements from entrance gates to lighting and video surveillance. The camp’s security protocols are reviewed and updated annually. Many involved in security at Jewish camps say that training and advance preparation are key—perhaps even more important than guards or barriers, both of which are increasingly common. Among the preparedness steps camps are taking: the development of protocols that determine who does what in the event of an emergency. Preseason security training for camp staff has become

commonplace. Camp leaders are also strengthening their relationships with local law enforcement, and many law enforcement agencies conduct annual site visits to familiarize themselves with the camp environment and provide advice. “In the end, it’s all about training,” says Jeremy Fingerman, CEO of the Foundation for Jewish Camp. “Training itself builds awareness. You can never train enough. By continuing to train you’re building that sort of level of awareness.” Security at summer camps presents a number of unique challenges not faced by urban Jewish institutions, which typically have a defined perimeter and controlled access points. Camps are open, their borders often marked by little more than a tree line, and everyone involved in their security acknowledges the need to strike a balance between safety and preserving the sense of freedom and openness emblematic of the camping experience. They also have to contend with an evolving security climate. While radical Muslims presented the foremost security challenge in the wake of 9/11, that is no longer the case. Many camp leaders note the case of Anders Breivik, who gunned down 69 Norwegians at a summer camp on the island of Utoya in 2011, as well as the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012. “My concern is not just from jihadists anymore,” says Paul Goldenberg, the director of the Secure Community Network, the organized American Jewish community’s security arm. “We’re starting to see a real uptick from the white supremacist side of the house right now. Some of these people are calling for death to the Jews. It’s pretty serious.”

Goldenberg stresses that he knows of no specific threats against Jewish camps and would not hesitate to send his own grandchildren to one, a sentiment shared by many other Jewish camp directors. And while most directors contacted for this story were hard-pressed to name a single serious security breach at a Jewish summer camp, a handful of recent incidents have raised the alarm. In the summer of 2012, several intruders drove through Camp Bonim, a religious boys camp in rural Pennsylvania, according to local police who later arrested five suspects. In 2015, it was Camp Agudah Midwest, a religious camp in Michigan, where two vandals spray-painted a swastika and damaged a building, according to The Associated Press. That incident came two weeks after an attack at upstate New York’s Camp Karlin Stolin, in which three teenagers threw bottles and coins at campers and staff. Officials at all three camps declined JTA’s request for comment. But security experts say the incidents only serve to highlight the dangerous level of unpreparedness at some Jewish summer camps. “If anything, the risk has continued to rise,” says Joshua Gleis, a security consultant who works extensively with Jewish institutions. “I do think that camps certainly need to continue to button up security as you see schools, houses of worship, community centers doing right now. Many camps are not taking the actions that I think they should. While many have been improving, I know many camps that have still not changed their security structure significantly.” Camp Seneca Lake in Honesdale,

“I do think that camps certainly need to continue to button up security as you see schools, houses of worship, community centers doing right now.

Pennsylvania, isn’t one of them. On the advice of the State Police, camp owner Irv Bader now has guards check all trucks entering the camp for deliveries. The camp has also hired 24-hour armed security—“not rent-a-cops,” Bader says—and installed a network of security cameras that are monitored around the clock. At night, the camp is illuminated with high-wattage lighting. “It looks like daylight in the camp,” Bader says. “I do it because it’s necessary,” he says of his security precautions. “The world is crazy today. And you’ve got too many crazies around. It’s a deterrent.” Despite the heightened sensitivity, many camp directors say the most common threat to the well-being of campers comes not from violent attack, but from the weather. Jamie Simon, the director of Camp Tawonga in Northern California, says she is far more concerned about an earthquake than an intruder. (In July 2013, her camp was hit by tragedy when a counselor died after a tree fell on her.) Still, the camp installed a video camera last year at its front gate so it can screen visitors remotely. Camp Tamarack in Michigan is taking the camera tool even further. New technologies allow surveillance systems to learn about normal movement in an area and send an alert when it detects something anomalous. For a camp like Tamarack, that sort of assistance is invaluable. The facility is among the largest Jewish residential camps in the country, covering over 1,000 acres and 400 structures. “It’s a force multiplier,” says Gary Sikorski, the director of communitywide security for the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit. “You can monitor areas that would be almost impossible to monitor with an individual.” (JTA) This article was made possible with funding by the Foundation for Jewish Camp. The story was produced independently and at the sole discretion of JTA’s editorial team.

jewishnewsva.org | March 20, 2017 | Camp | Jewish News | 15

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Gabe Friedman

mi Yunger is used to people sounding surprised when they hear that he and his three siblings all met their spouses at the same summer camp. But he doesn’t think it’s that weird. “Funny enough, I am so used to it that sometimes I think that it is strange when I hear about couples who did not meet their spouse at camp,” Yunger says. The 24-year-old now studies economics at Bar-Ilan University in Israel, but he grew up in Montreal. He followed the path of his modern Orthodox siblings at age 10 when he began spending summers at Camp Moshava in Ennismore, Ontario—a small outpost of the Bnei Akiva religious Zionist youth movement. There he met a girl named Samara when he was 14 and she was 13. They didn’t start dating until moving to Israel after high school, just before Ami served in the Israeli army, and they married five years ago. In doing so, Ami became the last of the four Yunger siblings to marry someone they met at Moshava. No surprise, then, that he invited dozens of Moshava campers to his wedding, and not just those with whom he went to camp. “Half the camp disappeared and they all went to my kid’s wedding,” says Joy Yunger, Ami’s mother. “It was like being at camp — the kids came and it was such a camp atmosphere, they sat around in a circle.” Finding love at Jewish camp is not

exactly a new or rare phenomenon. Many Jewish camps, especially those that fall under a specific denomination’s umbrella, host campers with similar religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. The Conservative movement’s Ramah camp network has its own dating app for alumni. But a group of four siblings meeting their spouses at the same camp? Yunger’s brother Gadi, 33, and sister Naomi, 30, even married siblings from the same Toronto family. “I don’t know whether it was in the water or it was in the juice they gave them,” Joy says. All of the Yunger siblings started officially dating their basherts after their time in camp—although some were not too adept at hiding their developing feelings before then. Shlomie, 35, and his wife Dalia, 36, were “only friends” and fellow camp employees throughout their camp days (Shlomie as a counselor and Dalia on sports staff), but most of the camp sniffed out their budding romance. One time, when Dalia was assigned to the rock climbing wall, Shlomie offered to climb as an example to a group of young campers. As Dalia helped belay him down, some of the boys entangled their ropes—so when Shlomie made it down he was tied up next to Dalia. “Even the 10- and 11-year-old boys knew there was something,” Dalia says. For one summer, Naomi slept in a bunk that her future sister-in-law Dalia helped oversee. It was during that time

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Camp that Joy Yunger first became acquainted with Dalia—through a letter Naomi wrote home calling her an amazing counselor. Naomi’s only complaint was that Dalia made her and her fellow bunkmates do push-ups if they misbehaved. “Since then, my daughter-in-law has run the New York Marathon four times,” Joy says. Today, Shlomie and Dalia Yunger live in Toronto, where he is an accountant and she works in regulatory finance. Gadi and Atara live in Modiin, Israel, from where he runs a clothing company based in Toronto (he makes frequent business trips) and she works as a graphic designer at a company in Tel Aviv. Naomi and Zvi also live in Toronto, where she is a kindergarten teacher and Zvi works in finance. While Ami goes to school in Ramat Gan, Israel, Samara works as a special education teacher in Beit Shemesh. They all know of other couples who met at their camp, and they say it was easy to find love at Camp Moshava because most, if not all, of the campers developed a deep bond to Israel. Gadi said at times

he felt like he was on a kibbutz because of the communal themes, how much campers learned about Israel over the summers and the number of Israeli workers on campus. “For Atara and I, one of our prerequisites was that the other would want to live in Israel one day,” Gadi says. “When you have like-minded people [at camp] that believe in something like Israel, I think it just works.” Dalia added that the camp’s retro aesthetic and feel— embodied in things such as rustic bunks and the old, decaying couches in the small room where counselors hang out— brought the camp staff closer. Camp administrators even paired up counselors who they thought might have crushes on each other to do nightly bunk check-ins together. “If there’s any chemistry between people there it’s going to come out,” she says. (JTA) This article was made possible with funding by the Foundation for Jewish Camp. The story was produced independently and at the sole discretion of JTA’s editorial team.

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urrah Theatre Camp is an opportunity for young people to learn all about theatre with hands-on activities and workshop style instruction. No previous experience required…just a desire to have fun! In the mornings, campers participate in classes in musical theatre, acting, broadway dance, jazz, tap, and more. In the afternoons, campers rehearse a one-act show. The final day of camp is performance day. Following a pizza party picnic, campers showcase all their hard work and talents for their families and friends. Campers also receive a free ticket to attend Hurrah’s main-stage production of Grease. Call 627-5437 or go to hurrahplayers.com.

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Tidewater Volleyball

idewater Volleyball Association is a non-profit organization that works to educate and train local youth on the exciting game of volleyball. With five indoor hard courts, four indoor sand courts, a training facility, and five blocks at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, TVA provides every player with what they need to further their athletic career all while staying active and making new friends. TVA has opportunities for boys and girls, all skill levels, ages 3-18. With clinics every evening and camps beginning in June, check out what there is for each player. TVA is located at 2644 Dean Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23452. Visit www.playtva.org, call (757) 498-5052, or email Youth Director Rachel at rachels@playtva.org.

18 | Jewish News | Camp | March 20, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

Camp

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hildren can spend an exciting week learning to sail on the Downtown Norfolk Waterfront! The fun, hands-on camps include water and shorebased activities led by certified instructors. Children will experience the water in a whole new way while learning the principles of sailing and water safety. The Harbor 20s are safe and ideal performance sailboats that are perfect for any type of sailor, and can hold up to 5 campers. Each boat will have a certified instructor on board to provide more personalized training for each student. 757-823-4242 or sailnauticus.org.

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or summer campers between the ages of 4 and 12, Norfolk Collegiate’s 2017 Summer Under the Oak programs offer all kinds of great things to get into. From technology and academic themes to sports and the arts, the school’s weeklong summer programs include half-day and full-day formats. Choices are wide-ranging, but all offer experiential learning opportunities in a safe, fun, and enriching atmosphere. Before and after care is also available. Sign up to stoke their interests and crank up the summer fun. These programs are open to everyone—your child does not have to be enrolled at Norfolk Collegiate to join in. Learn more and register at norfolkcollegiate.org/summerprograms.

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jewishnewsva.org | March 20, 2017 | Camp | Jewish News | 19

Camp

Hunt Club Farm

unt Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Summer Farm Camp provides children the opportunity to learn about life on a farm. This program offers hands-on experience with petting farm animals, including horses, goats, sheep, llamas, rabbits, and chickens. Campers learn the responsibility of daily feeding, cleaning, grooming, and animal care activities. In the garden, campers pick vegetables, herbs, and flowers, and they even pull a few weeds. For more information, go to huntclubfarm.com or call 757-427-9520.

WHAT WILL YOUR CHILD GET INTO THIS SUMMER? Have children ages 4-12? Sign up now to stoke their interests and crank up the summer fun. From technology and academic themes to sports and the arts, our weeklong summer programs include half-day and full-day formats. Before and after care is also available.

Learn more and register at norfolkcollegiate.org/summerprograms.

20 | Jewish News | Camp | March 20, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

tidewater

It’s a wrap

What’s your Israel story?

Mishy Harman: The story he told Raizy Cook

itch Albom, author of The Five People You Meet in Heaven, once wrote, “There’s a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking.” Mishy Harman, the high-spirited, curly-haired host and co-founder of the hit radio show, Israel Story, says these stories matter. Modeled after NPR’s This American Life, Israel Story sets out to change the way people relate to each other through sharing their stories. “At Israel Story, we try to take complicated realities and complicate them further,” says Harman, who explains that when people see others on the street, it is natural to assign labels and make judgments about who they must be. But, with no visuals on the radio, instant judgments disappear, allowing audiences to listen to the stories of people they might never speak with. This is especially true in Israel, a nation so small, yet so complicated, so diverse, and, as the joke goes, where impatience has its own vocabulary. Israel Story provides listeners the opportunity to hear the stories of Israel’s people, whether an Orthodox couple, a Jordanian Palestinian, a refugee, or, to quote Harman, “even an Ex-IDF general who became a singing buffalo famer in rural Wisconsin.” Last month, during his 48 hours in Tidewater, in addition to speaking at the Simon Family JCC as part of the Community Relations Council’s Israel Today series, Harman spoke to two Entrepreneurial groups, to students at Green Run High School, and to United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Young Adult Division, and he appeared on WHRV’s The Cathy Lewis Show and on the Christian Broadcasting Network. Harman shared his story of how he fell into radio, almost by accident, and the tremendous impact that his podcast has had on Israel, as well as on Leora Friedman and Mishy Harman at the

Mishy Harman shares a Holocaust survivor love story during Israel Today presentation.

the global community. He also offered a taste of the show. In keeping with the week’s Valentine’s Day theme, Harman shared three captivating stories of love that spanned over the course of a century and three generations. Using audio clips and photos, he shared the story of two Holocaust survivors who found love in the swamps of British Mandate Palestine, of an American mother living in Tzfat who adopted four special needs children so that they could each have a partner that understood their challenges, and a tale of the 46-year friendship between the wife of the famous Israeli general, Moshe Dayan, and the mother-in-law of Yassir Arafat. Rabbi Alexander Haber of B’nai Israel Congregation stunned his family and acquaintances when he shared his personal connection to Harman’s story. “When Mishy was halfway through his story about the couple in Tzfat who had adopted special needs children, I had a sudden flash of realization. I turned to my wife and said, ‘I stayed at their house 20 years ago! This was exactly Mishy’s point. We interact with people every day, but we don’t stop to consider the story they have to tell.’” Harman’s performance reminded everyone that when experiences are shared, hearts are opened and people realize that more similarities exist than differences. No one is alone in the journey of life, and in the end, each person is comprised of thousands of stories. Why not share them? For information on the Israel Today series, including upcoming events and a full list of community partners, visit www.JewishVa.org/ IsraelToday or call 965-6107.

s if Israel Today’s Mishy Harman’s performance wasn’t captivating enough, the event last month also included a presentation by Sheena Jeffers and Jennifer Chapman, founders of Story Exchange, a community engagement project aimed at sharing human experiences via art. Jeffers and Chapman invited the community to share their personal Israel story. The winning entry will be turned into an art form and presented at the Sandler Family Campus. Here’s how it works: • Writers of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences are eligible. • Write the story (approximately 500 words) based on the prompt, “What’s YOUR Israel Story?” • Email the story by April 3 to v ibestor yexchange@g mail.com with the subject line “ISRAEL” • Five story submissions will be selected and given to artists who will use the stories as inspiration to create a work of art (dance, song, sculpture, film, painting, poem). • The selected stories and inspired works of art will be performed later this year. For more information, contact vibestoryexchange@gmail.com.

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jewishnewsva.org | March 20, 2017 | Jewish News | 21

It’s a wrap First Person

Kahbaid weekend brought message of honoring parents and appreciating Beth Sholom Home to entire community Joel Rubin

he fifth commandment is clear. “Honor your father and mother,” as is the reason, according to the Torah (Exodus, Chapter 20). “So that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your G-d gives you.” If that’s true, then we all gained a few more years on this earth the week of February 17–24, thanks to the collective commemoration of the commandment and the 38-year-old Jewish skilled care nursing facility affectionately known as The Home. In every synagogue in the region, and on both sides of the harbor, synagogues, education directors, and everyday congregants made moms and dads and their care the focus of programming, coinciding with the annual reading of the Parsha Yitro. As the marketing consultant for the Berger-Goldrich Home at Beth Sholom Village, which will soon commence a $5-million refurbishment, I was eager to visit as many shuls as possible. Over two weekends, I hit four. On Friday evening February 17, Rabbi Severine Sokol invited me to Temple Sinai in Newport News to apprise them of our Honor (Kahbaid) Campaign and lead a lively discussion on being a grandparent, which was valuable since I became one for the third time five days earlier. In her remarks, the rabbi said that “according to the Talmud, we have a responsibility to safeguard our parents’ physical well being” and added that “the illustrious Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav opined that the prosperity of a country is in accordance with its treatment of the elderly.” On Saturday morning February 18, I was at Temple Israel in Norfolk where Rabbi Michael Panitz asked member Marcia Brodie, Beth Sholom Village’s marketing director, to describe the trying years she experienced caring for her aging parents, Mindy and Ralph Futterman

(both former presidents of Beth Sholom), first in their homes, and then at Beth Sholom. “Little did I know how much caring was involved and how difficult it would be. Thanks to Beth Sholom, though, I was able to sleep at night and spend more time with my daughter, while still honoring my mother and father.” The following Friday, I attended a family Shabbat at KBH in Virginia Beach, where Alene Kaufman coordinated a display of pictures of congregants’ parents. “When Beth Sholom was built, it was for our parents and grandparents,” said Judy Saperstein, one of the submitters. “We need to be sure that it will be there for us when it’s our turn.” That same night, I drove to Ghent to hear Ohef Sholom Temple’s director of Family Learning, Chris Kraus, describe “Better Together,” an intergenerational partnership between a group of residents at Beth Sholom Village and a dozen teens from his synagogue. “They meet once a month for lunch to learn together, schmooze, play games, and tell stories.” One of the teens, Kari Levi, then spoke movingly about the many conversations she had with Marjorie Simon, a resident of the Terrace Assisted Living facility, who passed away in January, but left her young friend with a newly found respect for the elderly. Meanwhile, Rabbi Israel Zoberman sermonized at Beth Chaverim in Virginia Beach that the “Fifth Commandment seals the first five, which according to Jewish tradition, are enshrined on the first tablet dealing in the relationship between God and humans. Consequently, honoring one’s parents affects no less than our relationship with God the Creator who, the rabbis teach us, partners with parents in creating children.” At Congregation Beth El in Norfolk on February 18, Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz spoke about the lessons we learn from our elders and the impressive services Beth Sholom Village provides. He even invited

22 | Jewish News | March 20, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

Beth Sholom Village CEO David Abraham to the bimah for an aliyah. At Temple Emmanuel in Virginia Beach, Steve Suskin, BSV director of Philanthropy, talked about the Honor Campaign, and Rabbi Marc Kraus devoted his sermon to the same subject, stating that “one Kari Levi and Marjorie Simon. day we all hope to receive from others the same quality of care and dignity that our loved ones deserve today.” At Adat h Jeshrun Synagogue in Newport News that same morning, Rabbi Gershon Litt noted that Moses’ energy came from his ancestors and tied that to our own experience. “We remember how our grandparents made Alene Kaufman in front of KBH’s display of photographs of congregants’ parents. latkes, what they said at the seder, how they blessed us, possible.” what they wished for us, and how they Together with an interactive conversadreamed of a Jewish future in their family. tion I conducted on February 5 with more Now it is up to us to use that energy, like than 100 members of Brith Sholom, which Moshe did, to take action. Having a place meets monthly at the Berger-Goldrich to bring our Jewish elderly is something Home, it was a full month of celebratthat we should not take for granted.” ing our connections to our mothers and And finally, B’Nai Israel Congregation fathers and telling our story. in Norfolk hosted a special “Chai Kiddush” “It was a great idea for Beth Sholom after Shabbat services that featured an Village to take its mission of caring for our elaborate printed program with memorial older generation out into the community dedications by congregants to their parthrough Kahbaid Shabbat,” says Rabbi ents and several photos from interactions Arnowitz. “It was an excellent opporToras Chaim students had with Beth tunity for us to honor our own seniors Sholom residents during their own “Better and remind everyone of the essential role Together” initiative. “The joining of generBeth Sholom plays in our greater Jewish ations is truly a time-honored tradition,” community.” organizers wrote in the program. ”We here in Tidewater are truly blessed with For more information on the Honor or the Beth Sholom Home where our parents Kahbaid Campaign to refurbish the Berger(or grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.) are Goldrich Home at Beth Sholom Village, call cared for in the most professional manner Steve Suskin at 757-420-2512.

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THE PILOT’S

READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS

OF 2016 Sherri Wisoff

n May 14, 1948, Israel’s future first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, publically read Israel’s Declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel, marking the ending of the British Mandate. The joyous mood to celebrate can only be imagined, in spite of an invasion by angry neighbors the next day. On this national holiday, Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Independence Day), Israelis drape their blue and white flags from balconies, attach tiny state flags to their car windows, and sing and dance in the streets. Regardless of religious observance or affiliation, businesses close, while Israelis enjoy fireworks, rowdy family picnics, and concerts in commemoration of this day. To honor Israel’s 69th Independence Day, the Simon Family JCC invites everyone to its largest community celebration, Israel Fest. This yearly festival, presented by Charles Barker Automotive, Wall, Einhorn & Chernitzer, P.C., and WealthQuest Financial Services, offers a unique opportunity to experience some of the diverse culinary, cultural, and artistic gifts of Israel without leaving Tidewater.

GOLD

Israeli chefs, Guy Marom and Nir Margalith of Puzzle Israel (see page 24) will tantalize taste buds with their authentic Israeli cuisine, and local synagogues will serve food, treats, and drinks. The Friends of the Israeli Defense Force (FIDF) in partnership with the Simon Family JCC, will create an obstacle course on the campus grounds, playfully testing participants’ physical readiness for military IDF service and offer a Krav Maga (Israeli karate) class. Between sips of Israeli beer or refreshing lemonana, attendees can tap their feet to the tunes of an Israeli DJ, climb a rock wall, or even ride a camel. Arts and crafts, a petting zoo, bouncy inflatables, Elite Fleet’s remote controlled ships, jewelry by local artisans, an Israeli Shuk (Marketplace), along with booths sharing abundant educational materials about Israel, will make certain there is something for everyone at this year’s celebration. Event is free and open to the public (Tickets required for some experiences and food.) For more information visit, www.simonfamilyjcc.org/israelfest.

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what’s happening Virginia Opera Gala to honor memory of Joyce Strelitz Saturday, April 22, 6 pm, Hilton Norfolk The Main

oyce Strelitz, of blessed memory, and the Virginia Opera are forever linked. A long-time member of the Opera’s leadership, Strelitz served as chair of the statewide board of directors and also, for many years, guided the efforts of numerous fundraising and special event initiatives. In recognition of Strelitz’s commitment to Virginia Joyce Strelitz Opera, the 2017 Opera Gala will be dedicated to her with a musical tribute honoring her many decades of loyal service and support. This black-tie celebration at downtown Norfolk’s newest destination, will begin with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres,

followed by a seated dinner with wine pairings. The musical selections will include some of Strelitz’s Opera and Broadway favorites. Strictly Bizzness Band caps off the evening with dancing and nightcaps. Proceeds from the Gala support Virginia Opera’s award-winning education and outreach programs that travel throughout the Commonwealth bringing opera activities and performances to more than 120,000 students each year.

Nir Margalith and Guy Marom.

Israel Today Two Events with Guy Marom and Nir Margalith

Israel Fest Sunday, April 30, 11 am–4 pm Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus

Tickets for the Opera Gala are $250 per person. For more information, contact Lisa Domingo Sands at 757-213-4554.

Israeli Kitchen Encounters: A Culinary Adventure with Puzzle Israel Tuesday, May 2, 7:30 pm Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus

UNITED JEWISH FEDERATION OF TIDEWATER

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

Sherri Wisoff

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PUT A FACE TO YOUR BUSINESS! Jasmine Amitay, jamitay@ujft.org Erin Dougherty, edougherty@simonfamilyjcc.org jewishva.org/societyofprofessionals

Available online and in print in Summer 2017.

24 | Jewish News | March 20, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

sraeli chefs Guy Marom and Nir Margalith will tantalize Tidewater taste buds with their passion for Middle Eastern cuisine at two separate events. At Israel Fest, the community celebration of Israel’s Independence Day, Marom and Margalith’s gourmet goodies will provide fresh, authentic Israeli food, served alongside generous food offerings of local synagogues. Two days later at a hands-on cooking demonstration, Marom and Margalith will represent their unique catering company, Puzzle Israel. Tickets for this event are $41 or $36 for JCC members; $72 for couples or $60 for JCC members. Born in the hilly region of the Lower Galilee, they both share fond memories of hiking, horseback riding, and exploring the surrounding landscapes. Combining their love of cooking, nature, and travel, Marom and Margalith founded the travel company,

Puzzle Israel Tour Company, which includes their catering enterprise. Offering fresh perspectives on Israel, they design personalized eco-travel tours, which unite the rich food cultures of a region with unique outdoor itineraries. Marom and Margalith shared a small sample of their Israeli food at Tidewater’s 2014 Israel Fest. They are the closing event of the 2016–17 Israel Today series, which offers cultural and educational programs that highlight the diversity of talent and people of Israel. Israel Fest, presented by the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Simon Family JCC and community partners, as part of the Israel Today series, is free and open to the public. To purchase tickets for A Culinary Adventure with Puzzle Israel or for more information, visit JewishVA.org/IsraelToday or call 321-2304.

what’s happening Norfolk Chamber Consort performance to include Shostakovich’s From Jewish Folk Poetry

Israel Today

Gitit Shoval, Israeli vocalist, voice actor, and educator presents: From Gershwin to Dylan: the Genius of Jewish Songwriters Saturday, March 25, 8 pm Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus

Gitit and Tutti Shoval.

sraeli singing sensation Gitit Shoval and her family will present an evening of song in a jazz club atmosphere that will include a cash bar and appetizers at the Simon Family JCC. The hits of Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Carole King, and George Gershwin will be

among those that Shoval will sing, while she also tells stories about this Jewish talent during her concert, From Gershwin to Dylan: the Genius of Jewish Songwriters. Music is a family affair for Shoval, as her husband and children will share the stage with her at this event. The Shovals have produced 10 albums; four with holiday music in Hebrew that have reached multi-platinum status. Shoval is the seventh guest of the Israel Today series, which offers cultural and educational programs that highlight the diversity of talent and people that comprise Israeli life. Tickets are $23 or $18 for JCC members. For more information or to buy tickets, visit Jewishva.org/IsraelToday or call 757-321-2304. Presented by the Simon Family JCC, Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, and community partners.

Camp JCC Open House offers “Taste of Camp” Sunday, March 26, 1–4 pm, Simon Family JCC

amp JCC invites parents and their children, two years old through 11th grade, to experience a “taste of camp.” The children will become happy campers with a fun-filled day of arts and crafts, mini golf, Israeli dodgeball (Gaga), basketball, snacks, and more. A juggling demonstration and workshop will be on site, as well as inflatable bouncy rides, and the opportunity for parents and children to don swimsuits and splash into the indoor pools.

Monday, April 17, 7:30 pm ODU’s Chandler Recital Hall

he Norfolk Chamber Consort concludes its 48th season with “Two Rivals.” Dedicated to the two most illustrious names to have emerged out of Soviet Russia—Sergey Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich—this program juxtaposes their instrumental and vocal chamber works created during the 1940s and the early 1950s, some of the most dramatic periods in the Soviet history. The concert begins with the Sonata for Flute and Piano in D Major, Op. 94, by Prokofiev. The first half will conclude with Concertino for Two Pianos in A Minor, Op. 94, by Shostakovich. The second half will open with Oksana Lutsyshyn’s rendition of Piano Sonata No. 5 in C Major, Op. 135 by Prokofiev. The program will conclude with Shostakovich’s From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op. 79. Created in 1948 as a protest against an anti-Semitic wave that was gathering momentum during the final years of Stalin’s reign, the work consists of 11 settings of Yiddish folk poems in

Russian translations. Remarkably, the texts also work in translations back into the original Yiddish, despite the composer’s unfamiliarity with the language. The work was premiered in Yiddish in 1984 during the first London Jewish Music Festival, and separate movements have since been performed and recorded in this setting. The Norfolk Chamber Consort will present the entire cycle in Yiddish for the first time in the United States. Soprano Bridgid Eversole of Norfolk State University, mezzo soprano Stephanie Marx and tenor Brian Nedvin—an ODU professor who along with Andrey Kasparov helped realize the current setting of the original Yiddish texts to Shostakovich’s music—will be joined by Kasparov on piano. Tickets are $25 or $10 for students. Available at the door. Call 757-852-9072 or go to ncconsort.org. A free reception after the concert will be provided by The Green Onion, a Ghent restaurant.

Vote online for Israel Poster Through March 31

ozens of handmade posters from the 5th Annual Israel Poster Contest presented by the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater were on display in The Leon Family Art Gallery through March 10. Designed by first through 12 graders, the posters depict cool facts about Israel. The top 10 poster finalists are now online at JewishVA.org/CRCIsraelPosterContest, awaiting votes. One vote is allowed per day.

The winning poster (the poster with the most online votes) will be announced on Monday, April 3 and will be professionally framed and hang permanently at the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus, joining previous winners. In addition, attendees of the Israel Festival on Sunday, April 30, will receive a copy of the poster. For more information visit www. JewishVA.org/CRCIsraelPosterContest.

For more information and to view Camp JCC’s brochure, visit www.CampJCCvb.org.

jewishnewsva.org | March 20, 2017 | Jewish News | 25

what’s happening First Person

Virginia Arts Festival presents

A Taste of Mussar

Itzhak Perlman The Great Violin Film Scores with Virginia Symphony Orchestra conducted by JoAnn Falletta

Wednesdays, March 29, April 5, April 26, May 3 12:30–1:30 pm, Simon Family JCC Rabbi Gavriel Rudin

hile commonly translated as ethics, Mussar is really much broader. Dr. Alan Morinis, founder of the Mussar Institute, recently spent a weekend in Tidewater as the guest scholar for the Milton “Mickey” Kramer Scholar-inResidence Fund’s 4th Annual Tidewater Together presented by the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and the Tidewater Synagogue Leadership Council. During an extraordinary weekend, Morinis explained that “Mussar is a path of contemplative practices and exercises that have evolved over the past thousand years to help an individual soul to pinpoint and then to break through the barriers that surround and obstruct the flow of inner light in our lives.” Ethics may ask no more of us than being a kind person. Mussar gets in touch with our inner souls to improve how we act, as well as who we are. The goal of Mussar practice is to release the light of holiness that lives within the soul. The roots of all of our thoughts and actions can be traced to the depths of the soul. Often, our emotions and desires get in the way of those holy thoughts, causing us to act in ways that are less than ideal. By reconnecting with our inner soul, we can become the best people possible, who we want to be. The result is not only becoming more ethical people, but also holier and more spiritual. While Mussar has been around for thousands of years, the formal study of

Mussar did not become widespread until the Mussar Movement in the 19th century, which was started by Rabbi Israel Salanter of Lithuania. He arranged for the republishing of the classic Mussar works and established Mussar as part of the regular curriculum in his yeshiva (rabbinical school). Since then, Mussar books have been printed in many languages and remain an important part of the daily study of many of the rabbinical schools throughout the world. They have also become popular in synagogues, schools, and homes. Although I have been a student and teacher of Mussar for many years, Morinis’s visit introduced me to a new approach to Mussar study. Not merely an educational resource to study the intellectual aspect of Mussar, the Mussar Institute has created a system to take those ideas and implement them into daily lives, inspiring people to become better and holier. Turning inspiration into action is often difficult, but the Mussar Institute has solved that problem. Through bi-weekly vaadim (group meetings), daily messages, practice assignments, chavruta study, and follow up, a Mussar series is bound to change how you act, as well as who you are. I am proud to partner with UJFT, Simon Family JCC, and the Mussar Institute to facilitate A Taste of Mussar in Tidewater. To register for A Taste of Mussar, visit the Simon Family JCC front desk or call 321-2338. For more information, email mgoldberg@simonfamilyjcc.org.

The Main Event: A celebration for the Arts Friday, March 24–Sunday, March 26 The Main, Norfolk

his weekend of visual and performing arts, fine dining, and luxurious accommodations hopes to raise $1 million for Hampton Roads Arts organizations. Susan Hirschbiel and the Honorable Paul Fraim are the event’s co-chairs. To learn more about performances, ticket packages, and benefit information, go to TheMainNorfolk.com.

26 | Jewish News | March 20, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

Thursday, April 13, 7:30 pm Sandler Center for the Performing Arts

ndeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin, Itzhak Perlman enjoys superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician. In this return engagement at the Virginia Arts Festival, Perlman will perform music from famous film scores with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, conducted by JoAnn Falletta. Perlman has performed for major film scores including his unforgettable, emotional rendition from Schindler’s List, as well as other films including Fantasia 2000 and Memoirs of a Geisha. In this performance, he will play these themes, as well as music from Sabrina, Cinema Paradiso, Scent of a Woman, Out of Africa, Far and Away, The Adventures of Robin Hood, and As Time Goes By from Casablanca. Born in Israel in 1945, Perlman first showed interest in music as a toddler growing up in Tel Aviv. He began his studies at the Shulamit Conservatory and at the Academy of Music, giving his first public recital at age 10. When he was 13, he was invited to appear on one of early television’s most popular shows, The Ed Sullivan Show, where an audience of millions discovered the gifts of this great violinist. Since then, he has performed with the world’s great orchestras as both soloist and conductor; has created a legacy of recordings, garnering 15 Grammy Awards as well as the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award; and has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, National Medal of the Arts, and the Kennedy Center Honors. A major presence in the performing arts on television, Perlman has also been honored with four Emmy Awards. Perlman continues his busy performance schedule of solo recitals, concerto performances, and conducting. In addition

Itzhak Perlman

to teaching at Juilliard and running his summer academy—the Perlman Music Program—he dedicates himself to causes of lifelong interest of diversity, inclusion, and breaking barriers. In May 2016, he attracted international attention when he took a stand for equality in cancelling his North Carolina show. One month later in June 2016, he was awarded the “Jewish Nobel” 2016 Genesis Prize in Israel by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Perlman distributed the $1 million Genesis Prize funds to disability and music education organizations. Tickets for the Virginia Arts Festival performance are $59-$125 and may be purchased online at www.vafest.org, by phone at 757282-2822 or by visiting the Virginia Arts Festival box office.

what’s happening

Calendar March 25, Saturday Gitit Shova—from Gershwin to Dylan. Israeli singer entertains through music and story-telling. 8 pm. Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus. Tickets are $23 or $18 for JCC members. Jewishva.org/IsraelToday or 757-321-2304. See page 25. March 30, Thursday Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities honors Kim Simon Fink and Hands United Builing Bridges (HUBB). See page 11. Brith Sholom’s dinner and show. Princess Anne High School presents The Unsinkable Molly Brown starring Ginger Johns. Dinner at 5 pm at Gus & George’s Spaghetti and Steak House; then to Princess Anne High School for the show. $15 per member and $30 per guest. For more information, contact LeeAnne Mallory at Brith.Sholom1@hrcoxmail.com or at 757-461-1150.

May the course be with you! Simon Family JCC’s Presidents’ Cup Golf Tournament Monday, June 5, Heron Ridge Golf Club Early Bird Registration Deadline: April 30 Sherri Wisoff

aising funds for children’s programming at the Simon Family JCC, as well as experiencing a fun, relaxing day of golf are two of the goals of the Simon Family JCC’s 7th Annual Presidents’ Cup Golf Tournament. The third goal is to honor the commitment and dedication of those who have served as JCC president. The tournament is open to all, regardless of skill level. Through generous sponsors and players, the Golf Tournament raises funds to support Camp JCC, Kids Connection’s before and after school programs, infant and toddler care, teen programing, and a vital special needs summer day camp. Portions of these funds also provide camp scholarships opening the door for children who otherwise would not be able to afford Camp JCC’s enriching summer camp experience. Gene Ross, president of Loan Care Servicing and a past JCC president said at a previous tournament, “With proceeds largely directed toward children’s programming, it’s easy to acknowledge the significance of this event.” One of the beneficiaries is Yachad

(Together in Hebrew), the new name for Camp JCC’s special needs shadow program. Shadows are trained counselors who follow campers throughout the day offering support if needed. Camp JCC provides shadow assistance to campers with a variety of physical, emotional, intellectual, and developmental needs. Unique to the area, this fully inclusive summer camp program enables children of all abilities to enjoy the activities Camp JCC offers. Desiree, a mother of a six-year-old camper in the Camp JCC’s shadow program says, “They have been amazing! They make me feel safe to have her there. They know her name and watch her every moment. I had reached out to several day care centers that were not willing to include my daughter. We are very grateful for this program.” The Simon Family JCC will have a full, exciting calendar year of children’s programming, as well as hundreds of happy campers, because of the tournament. For more information, visit: simonfamilyjcc.org/about-us/support-your-jcc/ presidentscup/ Call 757-321-2337 or email Corrie Lentz at clentz@simonfamilyjcc.org.

April 2, Sunday Brith Sholom board meeting at 10 am; regular meeting at 11 am followed by brunch at Beth Sholom’s Pincus Paul Hall. Richard Greathouse of the 3rd Virginia Infantry Re-enactment group will speak on the Civil War in Virginia. For more information, contact LeeAnne Mallory at Brith.Sholom1@hrcoxmail.com or at 757-461-1150. April 5, Wednesday Simon Family JCC’s Senior Seder will be led by Cantor Flax and Rabbi Panitz. This will be a mini Seder with traditional Passover foods. 12 pm. Tickets: $10. Advanced ticket purchase required. All welcome. Call JCC at 757-321-2338. April 23, Sunday Yom Hashoah. Jay Grymes, author of Violins of Hope, will speak. Ohef Sholom Temple. 6:45 pm. April 30, Sunday Israel Fest. The Simon Family JCC’s Annual Israel Fest celebrates Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day. Since 2010, the Simon Family JCC has held a festival that honors all of the cultural, artistic, educational, and culinary gifts of Israel. It is an opportunity to learn more about Israel, dance, feast, play games, ride a camel, and shop. Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus. Free and open to the entire community. SimonFamilyJCC.org/IsraelFest for more information or call 757-321-2304. See page 23. May 2, Tuesday Israel Today with Chefs Guy Marom and Nir Margalith. Celebrate Yom Ha’tzmaut through the taste and culture of Israel. Sharing their love for fresh, authentic Israeli food in a fun, hands-on, culinary adventure, Marom and Margalith will leave novice and experienced chef-participants with skills and stories to share from their own kitchens. Limited space. Visit www.JewishVa.org/IsraelToday or call 757-321-2304. See page 24. 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?

Steven Spielberg to direct film about publication of Pentagon Papers

irector Steven Spielberg has signed on to direct Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep in a film about the Washington Post’s publication of the Pentagon Papers in 1971. Hanks will star as Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee and Streep as publisher Kay Graham, who challenged the federal government in the Supreme Court over the right to publish the leaked classified documents about U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, the entertainment website Deadline first reported. Amy Pascal’s Pascal Pictures purchased the script, and Pascal will serve as a producer, along with Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger. Spielberg is currently in post-production on the Warner Bros. film Ready Player One and is also in pre-production on The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara, about the struggle of Jewish parents to regain their son who was forcibly taken to be raised as a Christian. (JTA) jewishnewsva.org | March 20, 2017 | Jewish News | 27

in appreciation

obituaries

First Person

Dave Rosenfeld Mark Kozak

dd one more anecdote to the gruff, yet caring—and even prescient—personality of Dave Rosenfield, the longtime Tides executive who died Tuesday, Feb. 28. Rosenfield was not a practicing Jew, but his background probably played a role in this story. It was the summer of 1972, not long after Hurricane Agnes had created a flooding swath along the East Coast, particularly in Richmond where the James River caused severe damage. In the Met Park office of the Tides’ general manager, Rosenfield met with two teenagers he did not know. Representing Portsmouth’s Blachman AZA chapter of the area’s B’nai Brith Youth Organization, we had cooked up an idea to fulfill our charitable tenet. Would the Tides allow us to partly sponsor a game and contribute some of the proceeds to Red Cross flood relief? The idea was to distribute tickets to each of the area BBYO chapters through the Jewish Community Center in Norfolk. Each chapter would be responsible for selling its allotment, collecting money, and/or returning the unsold tickets. “You’re going to be left on the hook for a lot of money,” a booming Rosenfield warned Robert Hurwitz and me, of placing so many tickets in the hands of teenagers. “There are going to a lot of missing tickets.” “No way,” we assured, using famous last words, and explaining our detailed plans. Rosenfield relented—taking a chance on two kids he had no reason to believe. The Tides printed a couple hundred “flood relief” tickets for the Aug. 9, 1972 game vs. the Toledo Mud Hens, and we

went to work distributing them. Rosenfield could not have been more right. When the time came to collect the money and/or unsold tickets, a lot was outstanding. The issue was brought before the adult leadership of B’nai Brith, which voted to force the youth chapters to cough up the funds. But Rosenfield showed his softer side. “We’ll eat the tickets,” he said—and the Red Cross was the big winner. Many years later, as a young journalist at The Pilot, I reintroduced myself to Rosenfield and recalled that long-ago meeting and his prediction. “Told you so,” he said, raising his dark eyebrows with a smile.

28 | Jewish News | March 20, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

Florine Marcus Landau Tamarac, Fla.—Florine M. Landau, formerly of Portsmouth, Va., passed away surrounded by her family on February 28, 2017, at her residence. Florine was born on June 22, 1923 and was the daughter of the late Morris and Minnie Marcus. She grew up in Portsmouth and graduated from Woodrow Wilson high school. On August 20, 1944, she married her soulmate, Norman Landau, and they were happily married for 72 years. Florine worked as a loan consultant at Life Federal Savings & Loan for many years, retiring in the late 1980s. After retiring, she and Norman moved to Sunrise, Fla. Florine was a faithful member of Temple Israel in Norfolk where she was a member of the Sisterhood. She was a longstanding member of City of Hope in Sunrise for many years and was very involved in their activities. In addition to her parents, Florine was predeceased by her sister, Adele Blum. She leaves behind, to smile in her memory: her loving husband, Norman Landau, her daughter, Helene Landau of Edenton, N.C.; her son, Barry Landau of West Palm Beach, Fla.; her grandson, Michael Hermelin ( Julia); and her great-grandchildren, Bethany and Grayson Hermelin of Columbia, S.C.; and her grandson, Brad Hermelin (Imelda) of Virginia Beach. Florine also leaves her sisters, Myra Coplon and Sareta Jones, and many nieces and nephews. A graveside service was held at Star of David Memorial Gardens in North Lauderdale, Fla.

Caroline Miller Virginia Beach—Caroline Miller, age 76, died suddenly of natural causes on March 11, 2017. She is survived by her sons Joseph Miller and his wife Carol, and Daniel Miller and his wife Amy, and her daughter Rachel Stern, her brother Michael Ashe and his wife Mitzi, her sister Arleen Kluger, her sister Ernestine Adelman and her husband Howard, her sister-in-law Rosalie Walner and her grandchildren Meredith Stern, Anna Stern, Dalya Miller, Hayden Miller, Max Miller, and Emmi Miller, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents Sidney and Adele Ashe, and her husband Bernard Miller. She was a lifelong member of B’nai Israel congregation and loving daughter, wife, mother, and grandmother. A brief memorial service was held at the Norfolk Chapel of H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts., followed by a graveside service at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens. Donations to the Virginia Beach Rescue Squad or B’nai Israel Congregation. Online condolences may be offered at hdoliver.com. Stephen Weinstein New York City—Stephen Weinstein, a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, died Saturday, March 4. He was 83. Mr. Weinstein worked as an architect for many years with Ehrenkrantz Associates before branching out on his own. He worked on innovative and flexible designs for buildings, including laboratories and hospitals, as well as on restoring lighthouses and fire stations. As a solar

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Leah Adler, mother of Steven Spielberg and popular restaurateur LOS ANGELES (JTA)—Leah Adler, the mother of director Steven Spielberg and a well-known restaurateur, has died. Adler, also a former concert pianist and accomplished painter, died last month at her home in Los Angeles. She was 97. Most of America and the world first heard her name when Spielberg kissed her and described her as “my lucky charm” while accepting an Academy Award as director of the film Schindler’s List. Although invariably linked to her famous son, for the past four decades Adler earned almost equal renown as

proprietor, greeter and presiding presence at The Milky Way restaurant, a strictly kosher eatery in Los Angeles that was popular with Orthodox rabbis, show biz luminaries and tourists. Born Leah Posner in Cincinnati, she was raised during the Roaring Twenties and the subsequent Depression. At 5, she learned to play the piano and studied at her city’s music conservatory. Shortly before the United States entered World War II, she had a single date with Arnold Meyer Spielberg, corresponded with him while he served with the Army Air Corps in the Pacific, and married him following his discharge in 1945. Over the next 10 years, the couple had four children—on Steven and daughters Anne, Sue and Nancy—all raised in a somewhat chaotic home environment that encouraged their different talents. As Arnold Spielberg evolved into one of the pioneers in computers and system engineering, he moved frequently from city to city, taking his growing family with him. Along the way the family encountered the prevalent anti-Semitism of the times. For instance, in Scottsdale, Arizona, a neighboring family used to stand outside the family home chanting “The Spielbergs are dirty Jews.” One morning, Adler recounted, she received a hysterical phone call from the neighbors. It seemed that 10-year-old Steven had sneaked out of the house during the night and smeared all their windows with peanut butter. Characteristically, the mother did not scold her son for this prank. As she recalled the incident later, she commented, “Wasn’t that ingenious of Steven? I was so proud of him.”

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Also in Arizona, Adler often did piano solos and performed with chamber music groups. She also owned The Village Shop in Scottsdale, showcasing the works of local artists. Leah and Arnold Spielberg divorced in 1965 and two years later she married Bernard Adler. In the late 1970s, the couple opened The Milky Way restaurant, with the husband handling the business end and his wife as hostess, greeter and reigning presence. She was also in charge of the hallway art gallery, featuring posters of each of her son’s movies. The petite hostess became a popular, frequently quoted public figure who counseled foreign tourists on the fine points of kosher cuisine and on general life problems. Leah Adler is survived by her four children, 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Arnold Spielberg turned 100 this month. Bernard Adler died in 1995 at 75.

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ATTENTION HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS!

what’s happening Salaam–Schalom

Interview with Ármin Langer, founder of the Jewish-Islamic Initiative of Interfaith Understanding in Berlin

Announcing the 2017 Stein Family College Scholarship Applications are now available at: www.JewishVa.org/TJF-Stein Applications deadline is March 31, 2017 Questions? Contact Amy Weinstein at 757-965-6105 or aweinstein@ujft.org

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Jewish News: Mr. Langer, Old Dominion University and the Hampton Roads community are looking forward to your visit to learn more about your interfaith initiative Salaam-Schalom, which has made recent headlines in the German media, including such prestigious and prominent newspapers as the Hamburger Zeit and the Berliner Tageszeitung. How did that all start? Ármin Langer: The Salaam-Schalom Initiative was established in Berlin in 2013 to promote solidarity between different minority groups, especially Jews and Muslims. We offer examples where the peaceful coexistence of Jews and Muslims is working to counter the image of a natural animosity between Jews and Muslims, which we so often hear about. Since 2013, several Salaam-Schalom chapters have been established outside of Berlin and Germany— maybe the next one will be founded in Norfolk? JN: It seems German history has been following quite persistently the model of the 18th century philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, who described the course of history as a dialectical development of contradictions and reconciliations. Germany’s modern history seems to prove the German philosopher right time and again. Just one recent example: After Nazi Germany caused hundreds of thousands to flee its territory, contemporary Germany has—vice versa— welcomed over a million refugees from the Middle East last year alone. AL: After Brexit and Trump, before Le Pen and Wilders, Germany is today one of the

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30 | Jewish News | March 20, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

JN: Your visit to the United States could not be more timely, considering that this country is currently divided by political differences and immigration policies that cause racial and religious tensions probably like never before in its history. Are the increasingly multicultural democracies of the Old World and the New World going through a dramatic transformation and national reorganization? AL: The face of Western Europe has changed a lot in the past decades as a result of the legal guarantees of free movement and residence in any country of the European Union. Twenty-one percent of Germany’s population has a migration background. Even if most of the migrants come from countries with a culturally Christian dominance, the new encounters create new challenges for all. Integration is a must—but it’s not only migrants who have to integrate, but also native inhabitants of the country. Hatred against migrants leads only to separatism and fundamentalism—an open society has also open-minded migrants.

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last bastions of liberal democracy. But we shouldn’t think that members of minorities have nothing to fear. According to different studies, half of the population rejects the idea that “Islam belongs to Germany.” One fifth of all Germans still believe in a Jewish world conspiracy. Even if the far-right is not as successful in Germany as in other Western European countries, nobody can guarantee that it will stay like that. I don’t think that we should lay back and wait for history to write itself—we should take the initiative and fight for an open society in Germany and all over the world.

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C A R E E R O P P O RT U N I T Y H O LO C AU S T CO M M I S S I O N PRO G R A M C O O R D I N ATO R The United Jewish Federation of Tidewater seeks candidates for the position of Holocaust Commission Program Coordinator. This part-time position (approximately 20 hours/week) is responsible for the administrative and program support of Holocaust Commission activities. A minimum of 1-2 years of administrative experience is required. Associate's Degree in business, Public Administration, Jewish Communal Service, or other related and appropriate field, preferred. Candidate must be proficient in using MS Office Suite; have an understanding of social media and its usage; excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written. Must be available for flexible working hours.

Employment Oppor tunity Development Associate and LIFE & LEGACY Coordinator The Tidewater Jewish Foundation (TJF) seeks an organized, self-starter, and team-oriented individual to work collaboratively with the President & CEO to manage the LIFE & LEGACY Program and other planned giving related activities. Serves as the primary liaison and coach to all LIFE & LEGACY partner organizations. Works with TJF staff, board and other lay leaders to help facilitate development efforts by planning, organizing, monitoring and assisting action plans. Promotes TJF and gift planning concepts to help cultivate new gifts with multiple generations of donors, including promotion of B’nai Tzedek Teen Philanthropy Program. Candidate must have proven planning, time management and implementation skills, excellent interpersonal and relationship building skills, highly developed written and verbal communication skills, advanced critical thinking, ability to multi-task, with attention to detail. Must be able to handle confidential and sensitive information, and work independently. Qualifications: • Bachelor’s Degree • At least 3 years’ experience in one or more of these areas:

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philanthropy noun • phi·lan·thro·py • [fi-lan-thruh-pee] 1. The effort or inclination to increase the well-being of humankind, as by charitable aid or donations. 2. Love of human kind, in general. jewishnewsva.org | March 20, 2017 | Jewish News | 31

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32 | Jewish News | March 20, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

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