Jewish News Sept 14, 2015 by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater

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18 Remembering Morton “Morty” Goldmeier

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Jewish news jewishnewsva.org White House: Sanctions relief tied to compliance by Iran

WASHINGTON (JTA)—The removal of sanctions depends on Iran’s compliance with the terms of the nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers, the White House said. “We’ve been crystal-clear about the fact that Iran will have to take a variety of serious steps to significantly roll back their nuclear program before any sanctions relief is offered,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Sept. 3. Earnest was responding to a statement by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that if the sanctions are merely suspended, Iran’s actions would be “at the level of suspension and not [changed] in a fundamental way.” Earnest said sanctions relief would not kick in until Iran had complied with every condition in the deal, “from reducing their nuclear uranium stockpile by 98 percent, disconnecting thousands of centrifuges, essentially gutting the core of their heavy-water reactor at Arak, giving the IAEA the information and access they need in order to complete their report about the potential military dimensions of Iran’s nuclear program.” The International Atomic Energy Agency is the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog. “And then we need to see Iran begin to comply with the inspections regime that

Contents Up Front. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Will Obama and Netanyahu reconcile?. . . . . 5 Iran Nuclear Deal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Elections 2016. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 European Jews aid refugees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ?? Terrace receives top report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Be a Reader. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Business Directory available . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 In Memoriam: Morton Goldmeier. . . . . . . . 18 High Holidays—Special Section . . . . . . . . . 19 Jewish Summers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Tom Hofheimer Young Leadership Mission in Israel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Warhol portraits of Jews have been stolen

the IAEA will put in place to verify their compliance with the agreement,” he said. The deal, reached in July, stipulates that Iran will scale back some of its nuclear program in exchange for suspension and gradual peeling back of international sanctions. In his statement to clerics, which a state television anchorman read, Khamenei is reported to have said “there will be no deal” if the sanctions are not lifted. “We insisted that sanctions ought to be lifted, not suspended,” Khamenei said, according to the Iranian Tasnim news agency. Khamenei also ruled out any cooperation with the U.S.-backed coalition fighting the radical Islamic State militant group in Syria and Iraq. Part of the Iran deal refers to Iran’s Parchin facility, which inspectors, instead of conducting inspections themselves, would study through photos, videos and samples to be provided by Iranians, according to a corrected Associated Press report from last month. Olli Heinonen, a former deputy director of the International Atomic Energy Agency—a U.N. watchdog—told the Times of Israel that he had “a lot of reservations about the reasonability and credibility of the arrangements.”

About the cover: Photograph of Sam Sachs at the Sandler Family Campus by Joel Mednick.

2015 European Maccabi Games. . . . . . . . . . Off to college . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A French reconnection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Teens and Jewish summers. . . . . . . . . . . . . Beth El at the Shore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Teachers attend conference at U.S. Holocaust Museum. . . . . . . . . . . . Book Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . What’s Happening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mazel Tov. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Quotable 34 34 35 37 38 38 39 40 43 43

Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 INSIDE—High Holidays

(JTA)—Nine iconic silkscreen portraits of Jewish celebrities by the artist Andy Warhol, including those of actresses Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe, were discovered stolen. A family in Los Angeles who purchased the portraits in the 1980s made the discovery when they were taken to be reframed and the framer realized they were fakes, the website TMZ reported. In 1980, Warhol created a portrait series of 10 leading Jewish cultural figures of the 20th century, which he called “Ten Portraits of Jews of the 20th Century.” They were Golda Meir, the Marx Brothers, George Gershwin, Albert Einstein, Franz Kafka, Louis Brandeis, Gertrude Stein, Sarah Bernhardt, Martin Buber and Sigmund Freud. Two of the portraits were set to go on display in the upcoming “Becoming Jewish: Warhol’s Liz and Marilyn” exhibit at the New York Jewish Museum, scheduled to open on Sept. 25. It is not known when the fake portraits were swapped for the real ones, valued at about $350,000. One of the paintings was put up for auction at Bonhams auction house in Los Angeles, according to TMZ. Police have seized auction house records in order to help recover the portraits.

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Upcoming Deadlines for Editorial and Advertising Issue Date Topic Deadline October 5 Mazel Tov September 18 October 19 Home October 2 November 9 Holiday Entertaining October 23 November 23 Hanukkah November 6 December 7 Business November 20

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Briefs New $3 million initiative for intermarried outreach honors Michael Douglas The Genesis Prize Foundation and the Jewish Funders Network launched a $3.3 million matching grant program to fund an intermarried outreach initiative. The program launched August 31, in honor of 2015 Genesis Prize laureate Michael Douglas, aims to foster a culture of acceptance for intermarried families in the Jewish community. Avenues to Jewish Engagement for Intermarried Couples and their Families is expected to generate $3.3 million in funds once the matched gifts are approved. The focus of the program is to enhance opportunities for Jewish involvement available to intermarried Jews, their life partners and their children. Douglas, an Academy Award-winning actor, was awarded the Genesis Prize in Jerusalem in June for his commitment to Jewish values and the Jewish people. He pledged then to use the $1 million prize money to reach out to other Jews from intermarried families seeking a connection to the Jewish community, and announced grants to Hillel and the Jewish Funders Network for programs that reach out to intermarried children and couples. “As someone who is not always welcomed in the Jewish community because my mother was not Jewish, I want to make sure that all those who desire to connect with Jewish culture and heritage have that opportunity,” Douglas said in the statement. “This fund will allow many organizations to continue, or to initiate, important work to engage intermarried couples and their children.” (JTA) French chief rabbi calls for solutions for Mideast refugees The chief rabbi of France called on his country and the European Union to find solutions for the tens of thousands of immigrants streaming in from the Middle East. Rabbi Haim Korsia spoke of the immigrants—among them many refugees from Syria—at an annual ceremony in Paris’ Synagogue de la Victoire on Sunday, Sept. 6 in memory of approximately 76,000 Jews whom Nazi authorities and local collaborators deported to death camps in Eastern

Europe during the Holocaust. “France is a land of asylum and hospitality; France, the cradle of human rights, cannot ignore these women and men who fall at the gates of our borders, with the only hope—that of living,” said Korsia. “France, which radiates around the world through its values of humanism, universality and sharing, cannot be silent while facing the trial of its fellow human beings.” Stopping short of calling for France to offer asylum to the refugees, Korsia urged “civic and human burst, strong gestures from our country and the European Union, so that solutions can be found as quickly as possible.” Referencing French non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews or speak out against the Nazi genocide, Korsia also said, “We must be the Saliege and Theas, the Trocme and Boegner of our time and say, in memory of our dead and loyalty to our values. Migrants are our brothers in humanity.” In Brussels, Menachem Margolin, a Chabad rabbi and director of the European Jewish Association, called on other rabbis to join him on a solidarity visit to a refugee center in Brussels, where he and his staff intend to speak to people who left Syria and hand out food and other items. “European Jewry well remembers having to flee their homes empty-handed in our recent history,” Margolin wrote in a statement. “We must use those experiences and all possible tools at our disposal to help these migrants to build their own futures.” (JTA)

Ask Google: Who runs Hollywood? Answer: the Jews Google says it is fixing a bug wherein users who type “Who runs Hollywood?” end up with the following search result: “the Jews.” Google search results are the product of complicated algorithms that sometimes return unwanted or offensive results. Many consider the notion that the Jews run Hollywood to be offensive. “This has been flagged to us, we are working to get it removed as quickly as possible,” a Google spokesman told the United Kingdom’s Daily Mail. After news of the issue made headlines, the top Google search result for “Who runs Hollywood” became an article on the

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Re/code website titled “Please Don’t Ask Google ‘Who Runs Hollywood.’” (JTA)

Hungary, Bulgaria eye Israeli fences to keep out migrants Hungary and Bulgaria are looking into Israeli-designed fences to keep migrants from crossing their borders. Officials from both countries were exploring the possibility of erecting towering steel security fences along parts of their borders similar to Israel’s barrier with Egypt, Reuters reported. The report, which is based on an unnamed Israeli business source, comes amid an increase in the stream of migrants into Europe, mostly people fleeing Syria and other zones of conflict in the Middle East. Some 340,000 have crossed into the European Union in 2015. Bulgarian and Hungarian officials indicated that the report was correct. “I presume that such is the case because the cooperation between the (Israeli and Bulgarian) ministries of internal affairs and security is quite intensive,” Rayko Pepelanov, Bulgaria’s deputy ambassador in Israel, told Reuters. “I cannot give you any details right now, but I think that we have taken from the Israeli experiences as much as we can.” Hungary’s foreign affairs and trade ministry confirmed the existence of “ongoing Israeli-Hungarian negotiations on buying Israeli-designed border fences.” Both EU countries are beefing up their borders to deter migrants, many of whom are seeking to use them as gateways to wealthier countries further north and west, particularly Germany. A number of European Union officials have said the fences would not help to solve the crisis. Thousands have crossed the border into the European Union, sometimes reaching it by boat. Hundreds have died in maritime disasters and dozens choked to death while being transported across borders, tragedies that focused international attention on their plight. The Anti-Defamation League has issued a call for action by the international community on behalf of the refugees. “As Jews, we are particularly affected by the images of men, women and children forced to flee their homes to save themselves

only to find they are unwanted anyplace else,” Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL’s national director, wrote. (JTA)

SodaStream CEO: BDS put politics above Palestinian people SodaStream’s chief executive called the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement anti-Semitic and maintained that his company gave West Bank Palestinian workers good pay and benefits. In an interview with The Associated Press, two weeks before the West Bank factory is set to close, SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum said his company’s critics did not have a grasp on the situation on the ground at the factory. “It’s propaganda. It’s politics. It’s hate. It’s anti-Semitism. It’s all the bad stuff we don’t want to be a part of,” Birnbaum said. “SodaStream should have been encouraged in the West Bank if [the BDS movement] truly cared about the Palestinian people.” SodaStream, which produces soda-making machines for the home, announced last fall that it would close its West Bank factory in the face of international pressure from the BDS movement, which seeks to hurt Israel’s economy over its policies toward the Palestinians. The movement claimed that SodaStream discriminated against Palestinian workers and paid some less than Israeli workers. Hundreds of Palestinian workers from the factory could lose their jobs in the company’s transition to a new plant in the Negev region because Israel will not grant them all work permits for security reasons. Up to 600 Palestinians worked in the West Bank, and Birnbaum said only about 130 have so far been granted work permits. “All the people who wanted to close [the West Bank factory] are mistaken,” Ali Jafar, a shift manager from the West Bank told the AP. “They didn’t take into consideration the families.” The commute for West Bank workers will now be a two-hour bus ride to the Negev plant that involves an Israeli border security checkpoint. SodaStream’s revenue took a big hit in 2014. Birnbaum blamed the U.S. market’s movement away from sugary drinks, not the influence of BDS pressure. (JTA)

High Holidays 5776

Will Obama and Netanyahu reconcile next year? by Ron Kampeas

WASHINGTON (JTA)—Now that enactment of the Iran nuclear deal appears to be a sure thing, the profound and often personal disagreement between President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Iran is not about to go away. In the contemplative spirit of the Days of Awe, we canvassed the experts to recommend a way forward for the two leaders.

Stop the sniping and work out differences behind closed doors However you come at the U.S.-Israel rupture, pointing a finger at Team Obama or Team Bibi—or blaming both—there’s a consensus: Stop the public sniping. “Take a timeout,” says Joel Rubin, until recently a deputy assistant secretary of state and now president of the Washington Strategy Group, a foreign

policy consultancy. “You maintain the security relationships and you intensify them, so the security officials are made aware of what’s going on and are confident. At the political level, I don’t know what you can do to change the dynamic.” He adds, “The Israeli leadership will have to make a decision to stop attacking Obama.” Amon Reshef, a retired Israeli major general, says both leaders need to rise to their better selves. “Both parties, the United States and Israel, should change the course of the direction of diplomatic relationship,” Reshef says. “Both leaders are mature enough to behave not just as politicians but as leaders. They have to get together behind closed doors to come to some kind of agreement to move ahead.” Jonathan Schanzer, a vice president at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies,

says there is little the Obama administration can do in the near term to assuage Israeli nerves rubbed raw by the perception that Obama officials sidelined Israel during the Iran talks. “I know the administration has reached out to Israel to work together to combat Iran’s regional influence,” he says. “But the Israelis see the United States as playing the role of arsonist—and firefighter.”

Hey, remember Palestine? A year ago, the one significant outcome of the failed U.S. effort to broker IsraeliPalestinian peace seemed to be creativity in the epithets that Israeli and American leaders were lobbing at one another. An unnamed senior Obama administration official called Netanyahu “a chickenshit” in an interview last October with journalist Jeffrey Goldberg. The previous January, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe

Yaalon reportedly described U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry as “messianic.” Working together on peacemaking with the Palestinians as part of a broader regional peace may be a way out of the Iran-centered tensions, says Reshef, who heads Commanders for Israel’s Security, an assembly of former senior Israeli military officers who want Israel to advance a regional peace deal. “The best thing for Israel, a kind of historical opportunity, is to deal with the mutual relationship with the United States on the one side and with neighboring Arabs on the other side,” he says. In any case, a return to the Palestinian issue may be inevitable because of volatility in the Gaza Strip, says Tamara Cofman Wittes, director of the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution. “Israeli officials, both in the political continued on page 6

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High Holidays 5776 continued from page 5

establishment and at the security level, are concerned about the potential of another conflict,” says Wittes, who was a senior Middle East policy official in the State Department in Obama’s first term. “And there’s no military answer.” U.S. and Israeli officials could come together in the twilight of Obama’s presidency and consider a way out. “Is there a way to address the stagnation in Gaza in a way that can be a springboard toward Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation?” Wittes asks. Schanzer says the United States could show good will ahead of the U.N. General Assembly in September by making clear that Washington would stop any attempt by the Palestinians to gain statehood recognition in the world body and by intensifying opposition to the movement to boycott Israel. “That could help shore up support for Israel and let them know the United States is working with them on some key areas,” he says.

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A key feature of the U.S.-Israel relationship has been designated buddies: two people who are each as close to their bosses as to one another, and who always pick up when the other’s face pops up on the smartphone. That’s what Ron Dermer, the Israeli ambassador to Washington, was supposed to be when he arrived in the United States—Netanyahu’s right-hand man sent to forge close relationships with top Obama administration officials. It didn’t work out, to put it mildly. Dermer, who without telling the White House worked with Republicans to set up Netanyahu’s speech to Congress in March, is seen by the Obama administration as a partisan. Dan Shapiro, his American counterpart in Tel Aviv, is well regarded by the Israeli political establishment, but is also seen as too closely identified with the Obama administration. Ilan Goldenberg, until last year a senior member of the State Department team brokering the Israeli-Palestinian talks, suggests hiring wingmen not associated with the current debacle. He suggested national security advisers known to have worked well together in Obama’s first term, America’s Tom Donilon and Israel’s Yaacov Amidror.

“That would be a perfect start, an additional channel to add some sanity,” says Goldenberg, now a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

Stop throwing weapons at the region, start throwing ideas The Obama administration is pitching weapons upgrades throughout the region as a means of offsetting Iranian mischief, should the Islamic Republic feel empowered by the nuclear deal. Israel is nervous because although it, too, is due to get a bundle of goodies, it fears enhanced military capabilities among neighbors that in the past have been hostile. “What you have now is an effort to arm the Saudis and other Gulf states,” Schanzer said, “but it erodes Israel’s qualitative military edge”—the U.S. policy of keeping Israel better equipped and prepared than its neighbors. Goldenberg suggests collaborative regional efforts to combat terrorism and cyber attacks. Additionally, the Obama administration should show Israel it is invested in keeping Iran from arming Israel’s enemies, he says. “Every couple of years Israel stops ships with Iranian weapons on them, and takes pictures and sends them out to the world,” he says. “What if the U.S. were to send those pictures? It would send a signal to the Israelis and embarrass the Iranians.”

Get over yourselves, there’s more work to do The ongoing problems of the Middle East ultimately may be what forces back together the hard-heads who have fomented the U.S.-Israel crisis. The United States and Israel have common interests in Lebanon, Syria and across the region. The U.S.-Israel relationship—one that is between stable democracies with a shared interest in fending off Middle Eastern threats—is larger than any differences between Netanyahu and Obama, says Dennis Ross, Obama’s top Iran adviser in his first term and now a counselor at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “This issue is taking place in a reality where the region is in a place of turmoil and uncertainty, where the state system is under assault,” he says, referring to the Iran deal. “Whether it gets implemented or not, that remains true.”

IRAN nuclear Deal Obama in landmark Forward interview: Hezbollah will be a focus of post-Iran deal WASHINGTON (JTA)—A focus of security enhancement once the Iran nuclear deal goes through will be neutralizing Hezbollah’s threat to Israel, President Barack Obama said in a landmark interview with The Forward. “As soon as this debate is over, we will, I think, be able to invigorate what has been an ongoing conversation with the Israelis about how we can do even more to enhance the unprecedented military and intelligence cooperation that we have with them, and to see, are there additional capabilities that Israel may be able to use to prevent Hezbollah, for example, from getting missiles,” Obama said in the interview published last month—the first with the Jewish media since he became president. “Where Iran has been effective in its destabilizing activities, it’s not because it’s had a lot of money,” Obama said, countering criticism that the sanctions relief for nuclear restrictions deal that will unfreeze $50 billion in funds will increase Iran’s capacity for disruption. “It’s because they’ve effectively used proxies; it’s because they’ve invested in places like Lebanon for decades and become entrenched,” the president said. “And the reason we haven’t done a better job of stopping that is not because they’re outspending us. The reason is because we haven’t been as coordinated, had as good intelligence and been as systematic in pushing back as we need to be.” Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based militia, has stockpiled tens of thousands of missiles on Lebanese territory since its 2006 war with Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who vigorously opposes the Iran nuclear deal, has rejected Obama administration efforts to coordinate postdeal defense strategies regarding Iran, preferring to wait until he is certain that

Congress will not reject the deal. Republicans mostly oppose the deal, so there has been a concerted effort by both sides to win over Democrats, in part by appeals to the Jewish community, a key constituency of the party. Congress has until late September to consider whether to reject the deal reached July 14 between Iran and six major powers. Obama spoke on Friday, August 28, the same day he gave the Forward the interview, to a webcast jointly sponsored by the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. “This deal blocks every way, every pathway Iran might take to obtain a nuclear weapon,” said Obama during the 50-minute webcast, which was filmed live from the White House. “We’re not giving away anything in this deal in terms of our capacity to respond if they chose to cheat.” In addition to concerns about how Iran will spend its unfrozen funds, Netanyahu and other opponents, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, say the expiration dates for some of the deal’s components, in 10, 15 and 25 years, will leave Iran a nuclear threshold state. In his Forward interview, Obama said that tensions between the Israeli and U.S. governments surrounding the deal would not last. “People will look back and say as long as we implemented it with care and precision that it was the right thing to do,” he said. “The one thing I do want to make sure is that your readers and everybody who cares about the U.S.-Israeli relationship retain the understanding that I think is one of the foundations of this relationship, which is, is that this is not a partisan issue; the bipartisan support of Israel is critical to a strong U.S.-Israeli relationship.”

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IRAN nuclear Deal What America will offer Israel after the nuclear deal U.S. officials on what could be done after the deal is in place. The Israeli envoy to WASHINGTON (JTA)—The moment the Washington, Ron Dermer, has said that Iran nuclear deal becomes law, as seems Israel would be ready for discussions only increasingly likely given growing congres- after options to kill the agreement formally sional support for the agreement, the focus known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of of the U.S.-Israel conversation will shift to Action are exhausted. “We appreciate the support that we the question of what’s next. What more will Washington do to mit- have gotten from this administration, from igate the Iranian threat and reassure Israel this president, to enhance our security,” Dermer told USA Today in a July 27 interand other regional allies? For starters, President Barack Obama view. “And the discussion that we’ll have seems ready to offer an array of security about the day after, we’ll have to leave to enhancements. Among them are acceler- the day after.” Congress has until Sept. 17 to decide ating and increasing defense assistance to Israel over the next decade; increasing whether to allow the deal to proceed. The American Israel the U.S. military presence Public Affairs Committee, in the Middle East; stepwhich is leading the ping up the enforcement opposition to the deal, of non-nuclear related Iran argued in a memo that sanctions; enhancing U.S. U.S. pledges of post-deal interdiction against disyears until Iran is a security enhancements are ruptive Iranian activity in legitimized nuclearthreshold state inadequate. the region; and increas“The administration ing cooperation on missile has tried to reassure those defense. concerned by the dangerThere also will be an ous consequences of the emphasis on keeping any Joint Comprehensive Plan of the tens of billions of dollars to which Iran will gain unfettered of Action (JCPOA) in two ways: by pledgaccess through the sanctions relief from ing increased support for Israel and our Gulf allies and by vowing that it will reaching Iran’s proxies. Adam Szubin, the U.S. Treasury under- strictly enforce the deal,” says the memo, secretary charged with enforcing sanctions, which is headlined “Promises Cannot Fix made targeting Hezbollah a focus of his a Bad Deal.” “Neither approach will repair the deal’s fatal flaw: it legitimizes Iran as a meetings with Israeli officials last month. Once some nuclear-related sanctions nuclear-threshold state in 15 years.” Obama in an interview with the Forward on Iran are lifted—should Iran meet the requirements in the deal on nuclear restric- attached urgency to confronting Hezbollah tions—Washington will allocate greater and other Iranian proxies. Speaking of Israel, he said, “We can do resources to focusing on other sanctions unaffected by the agreement, including even more to enhance the unprecedented those related to backing terrorism, a senior military and intelligence cooperation that we have with them, and to see, are there U.S. official says. “We have a lot of that same personnel additional capabilities that Israel may be and resources we can devote to U.S.-specific able to use to prevent Hezbollah, for examsanctions on Iran—and not only Iran,” the ple, from getting missiles.” The emphasis on Hezbollah was approofficial says. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin priate, says Uzi Arad, Netanyahu’s national Netanyahu, not wanting to be seen as security adviser from 2009 to 2011. “The president on sensing a degree endorsing the deal while there’s still a chance Congress could scuttle it, has of urgency with Hezbollah sooner rather directed Israeli officials not to engage with than later is absolutely right,” Arad says, by Ron Kampeas

8 | Jewish News | September 14, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org

IRAN nuclear Deal noting the group’s role as an Iranian proxy in helping prop up the Assad regime in Syria. “It relates to the need to uproot and to neutralize the violent and anti-American and anti-Israel radical group. It is a matter of urgent joint concern.” Arad outlines a number of areas that would enhance Israel’s sense of security in a post-deal environment, including: • Maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region, even as the United States enhances the military capabilities of Arab Persian Gulf allies that, similar to Israel, will be seeking reassurances in the wake of the Iran deal; • E nhancing joint missile defense programs; • E xtending the defense assistance memorandum of understanding, which since 2008 has provided Israel with an average of $3 billion in defense assistance per year, for another 10 years (it’s set to expire in 2018), and delivering promised F-35

advanced fighter aircraft to Israel; • Enhancing joint civilian scientific research and development; • Delivering advanced bunker-buster bombs to maintain Israel’s deterrent edge should Iran cheat on or abandon the deal. “Israel should be given this special kind of ordnance so it could have a more effective military option in case of Iranian violations of the agreement,” Arad says, arguing that this would strengthen the agreement by creating a disincentive for Iran to cheat. • A “declaratory” component emphasizing U.S. longstanding commitments to Israel. • Making clear that the U.S. effort to stop the expansion of Islamist terrorism and extremism targets Iranian activities as well as those associated with the Islamic State terrorist group. Obama touched on many of these issues

in a letter he sent to Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., on Aug. 19. “It is imperative that, even as we effectively cut off Iran’s pathways to a nuclear weapon through the implementation of the JCPOA, we take steps to ensure that we and our allies and our partners are more capable than ever to deal with Iran’s destabilizing activities and support for terrorism,” Obama said in the letter, which was first obtained by The New York Times. The president specified four areas where cooperation would be enhanced: extending defense assistance for a decade, joint missile defense research, joint efforts to improve tunnel detection (following the advances made by Hamas in its 2014 war with Israel), and “strengthening our efforts to confront conventional and asymmetric threats.” The letter persuaded Nadler to back the deal and should be a salve to Israeli security officials, says Dan Arbell, a former deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy

in Washington. “If I were an Israeli bureaucrat right now in any of the related areas working around this, what the president provides in his letter is a pretty thorough list, which I think the Israeli defense establishment would be happy with,” says Arbell, who now lectures at American University. Persian Gulf allies would want the reassurances that Israel is receiving, as well, specific assurances of assistance in keeping Iran from meddling in Arab affairs, says Michael Eisenstadt, a longtime officer in the U.S. Army Reserve who served in the Middle East. Even with such assurances, Eisenstadt says, Gulf allies would remain concerned that the deal enhances Iran’s stature. “Weapons are Band-Aids on a hemorrhage,” says Eisenstadt, now a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “From the point of view of our allies in the region, we’ve contributed to a lot of the problem” by advancing the Iran deal.

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European Jews, mindful of risks, urge aid to refugees by Cnaan Liphshiz

( JTA)—When he looks into the tired eyes of the Syrian refugees now flooding Europe’s borders, Guy Sorman is reminded of his father, Nathan, who fled Germany for France just months before Adolf Hitler came to power. “He wanted to go to the United States. Visa declined. He tried Spain, same result. He ended up in France, neither welcome nor deported,” Sorman wrote in an Op-Ed in Le Monde in which he argued that Europe should learn from its abandonment of the Jews during the Holocaust and accommodate the stream of migrants pouring through its borders from the wartorn Middle East. Sorman’s view is not uncommon among European Jews, many of them living in societies still grappling with a sense of collective guilt for their indifference to the Nazi genocide—or complicity in it. At a Holocaust memorial event in Paris, French Chief Rabbi Haim Korsia urged Europe’s leaders to match the actions of non-Jews who saved Jews from the Nazis by welcoming Syrian refugees. Yet as many European Jews rush to the refugees’ aid in word and deed, some worry that letting them stay may further

contribute to the anti-Semitic violence driving Jews to leave Europe, much of it perpetrated by immigrants from the Middle East. Eager to exploit such fears, ISIS claimed in July that it had sent 1,000 fighters to infiltrate Europe as refugees. “Some of these new immigrants—the Syrians and Iraqis especially—have been taught to hate Jews,” Henri Gutman, president of the left-leaning Belgian Jewish cultural group CCLJ, wrote in an Op-Ed published Aug. 31 on the organization’s website. “We risk further increases in anti-Semitism.” While urging “generosity” toward the refugees, Gutman said Europeans must observe “imperatives of defense” against Islamism. The Central Jewish Organization of the Netherlands, where two elderly Holocaust survivors were hospitalized recently following an assault by robbers who appeared to be Middle Eastern immigrants, spoke to a similar tension in a statement from its chairman, Ron van der Wieken. While “aware that some Middle Eastern refugees harbor very negative feelings toward Jews…Jews cannot withdraw support from those in need and fleeing serious violence,” van der Wieken wrote. He urged

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Holland to devise a “charitable” refugee policy. Such tension even exists for some of the hundreds of Jews helping the refugees on the ground in Hungary, Austria, Italy and beyond. “As Eastern European Jews, we carry the knowledge of how it feels like to flee our homes,” says Zoltan Radnoti, the newly elected chairman of the rabbinical board of the Mazsihisz umbrella group of Hungarian Jewish communities. “Still, I help the refugees with fear that I am helping send danger to other Jews in Europe. I know some of the refugees may have fired on our [Israeli] soldiers. Others would have done so in a heartbeat. I know. But I am duty bound to help.” In Hungary, the main point of entry for a wave of refugees that authorities have only partially been able to check since its onset last month, approximately 150 Jews are involved in a relief operation mounted by local Jewish communities. Mazsihisz set

up three collection depots in Budapest Jewish institutions from which it delivered approximately half a ton of food, clothes and other necessities to migrants. The community also collected $5,000 to buy diapers, medicine and water. In Italy, the Jewish community of Milan threw open the doors of its Holocaust museum last month to accommodate homeless migrants from the Middle East and Africa. And in Brussels, Menachen Margolin, a Chabad rabbi and director of the European Jewish Association lobby group, is preparing to lead a delegation of rabbis this week to deliver food and nonperishables to the refugees. Such actions are part of a wider popular reaction in Europe to the migrant

problem. It’s an issue that has worried immigration authorities for more than 20 years, but the wars in Syria and Iraq along with instability elsewhere in the region brought the crisis to a head last month, as tens of thousands began pouring into the European Union from Serbia. In some cases, border guards were unable to stop the masses from crossing. In Hungary, authorities helped the masses move westward to wealthier EU countries, a policy consistent with rightwing Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s claim that the migrants are “a German problem” because that’s where the refugees “would like to go.” The move flouts EU rules that make refugees the responsibility of the first member state

“If there are but five righteous souls in that group, then we must do what we can to save them.”

continued on page 12

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they reach. Earlier this month, Germany vowed to absorb 500,000 refugees per year— far beyond the figure pledged by other members. Some 340,000 people have immigrated from the Middle East into Europe in 2015 alone, according to EU figures. Some of the volunteers were jarred into action by the image of Aylan Kurdi, a Syrian boy whose body washed up on a Turkish beach on Sept. 2. Aylan’s father was the only member of his family who survived when its boat capsized en route from Turkey to Greece. The gruesome sight followed the discovery the previous week of 71 bodies in a truck abandoned on an Austrian highway. But for Julia Kaldori, a Hungarianborn Jew who divides her time between Vienna and Budapest, the trigger was less shocking.

“I started seeing people convening at train stations in Budapest,” says Kaldori, the editor of Wina, the monthly publication of the Jewish Community of Vienna. “I began talking to some of them, and I couldn’t help becoming involved.” Kaldori says she is aware that statistically, Middle Eastern immigrants are responsible for most of the violence driving French Jews to leave in record numbers— nearly 7,000 in 2014 alone. But “when you look into their eyes, the refugee issue stops being a demographic issue,” she says. Kaldori hopes that having been helped by Jews, refugees with anti-Jewish views may reconsider. But Radnoti, the rabbi from Budapest, says he is less hopeful. Instead, he cites the biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah, the sinner cities that Abraham had pleaded with God to spare. “If there are but five righteous souls in that group,” Radnoti says, “then we must do what we can to save them.”

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Does Donald Trump know the difference between Hamas and Hezbollah? by Gabe Friedman

( JTA)—Donald Trump has called the Iran deal “terrible” in recent months. But in an interview on Sept. 3, the current Republican front-runner revealed some gaps in his knowledge of the Middle East. Trump spoke with Hugh Hewitt, a popular conservative radio host, who asked the real estate mogul some “commander-in-chief questions” about the region. When asked about the two militant groups, Trump said the difference between Hamas and Hezbollah does not matter to him yet. “[The difference] will [matter] when it’s appropriate,” Trump said. “I will know more about it than you know, and believe me, it won’t take long.” Hamas is a Palestinian Islamist organization based in the Gaza Strip. Hezbollah is a Shiite Islamist militant group and political party based in Lebanon. Both are avowedly committed to Israel’s destruction. Earlier in the interview, Trump confused the Quds force, an Iranian military group, with the Kurds, a Middle Eastern ethnic group. He thought Hewitt had implied that Gen. Qassim Suleimani, the head of the Quds force, was a Kurdish leader. “Oh, I thought you said Kurds, Kurds,”

Trump said. Next, Trump acknowledged not knowing who terrorist leaders Hassan Nasrallah of Hezbollah, Ayman al-Zawahiri of al-Qaida, Abu Mohammed al-Julani of al-Nusra Front or Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi of ISIS were. “Do you know the players without a scorecard yet, Donald Trump?” Hewitt asked. “No, you know, I’ll tell you honestly, I think by the time we get to office, they’ll all be changed…You know, those are like history questions. Do you know this one, do you know that one?” Trump said. When elaborating on the Iran deal, Trump said that a clause of the nuclear agreement could force the United States, a steadfast ally of Israel, to attack the Jewish state and defend Iran. “But do you know there’s a clause there that in theory, we’re supposed to help [Iran] fight Israel?” Trump said. Earlier in the day, Trump signed a pledge vowing not to run as a third-party independent if he does not receive the Republican nomination for president. In the meantime, it looks like he’ll have to do some brushing up on his foreign policy facts.

How much did Jeb Bush really do to rescue Ethiopian Jews? by Ron Kampeas

(JTA)—Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor running for the Republican presidential nomination, has been called out for exaggerating his role in the rescue of Ethiopian Jews in the 1980s. Bush takes credit on his campaign website for Operation Joshua, a U.S.-led transfer of Ethiopian Jews from Sudanese refugee camps to Israel in 1985. The website says: “In the 1980s thousands of members of the Jewish community had fled their homeland due to famine for a refugee camp in Sudan. Jeb, hearing of

the conditions in the camp and the persecution these Jews were suffering, suggested to Reagan-Bush officials that the United States had a duty to support a massive airlift. The resulting effort, Operation Joshua, made history when Israeli planes, with American support, brought these Jews to the homeland of the Jewish people, the State of Israel.” But Mother Jones magazine has dissected the claim and found it wanting in truthiness. Bush appears here to be referring to Operation Moses, the massive airlift that brought 8,000 starving Ethiopian Jews out

Election 2016 of Sudan. His actual role was in Operation Joshua, the follow-up American airlift that rescued 900 Jews left behind after bumbling Israeli bureaucrats made Operation Moses public. (Confusingly, after Mother Jones called the Bush campaign claim into question, the campaign changed the headline from “Operation Moses” to “Operation Joshua”— but left the text, describing Operation Moses, intact.) The younger Bush’s role in Joshua was relatively minor, Mother Jones said: There was already overwhelming pressure from Congress on the Reagan administration to rescue the remaining Jews, and Phil Blazer, the Jewish philanthropist who was leading advocacy for the Jews left behind, sought a meeting with Bush’s father, Vice President George Bush, who had a meeting scheduled with Sudan’s president. Blazer reached out to the elder Bush

through two interlocutors: movie producer Jerry Weintraub, a friend of the Bush family, and Ronald Krongold, a friend of Jeb Bush. Weintraub and Jeb Bush made calls to the vice president, who agreed to meet with Blazer and was moved to persuade the Sudanese president to allow the Jews to leave. From Mother Jones: “Blazer says he’s surprised that Jeb Bush hasn’t hyped this story more on the campaign trail. But how much credit can he claim? Congress was already leaning on the White House; others were calling for the Reagan-Bush administration to take action. ‘The way I look at it is that Jeb Bush and Jerry Weintraub were important in making the meeting between myself and the vice president happen,’ Blazer says. ‘They were involved. Who was the more important catalyst? I don’t know. But they were both involved.’”

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Call 757-452-6944. After the movie, the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions of medical professionals who specialize in Alzheimer’s and dementia, including Dr. Hamid R. Okhravi, Glennan Center at EVMS. In 2011, music legend Glen Campbell set out on an unprecedented tour across America, doing 151 spectacular sold out shows in 18 months across America. What made this tour extraordinary was that Glen had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He was told to hang up his guitar and prepare for the inevitable. Instead, Glen and his wife went public with his diagnosis and announced that he and his family would set out on a “Goodbye Tour.” This film documents this amazing journey. Presented by: Beth Sholom Village • EVMS Glennan Center for Geriatrics & Gerontology • Freda H. Gordon Hospice & Palliative Care of Tidewater • Jewish Family Service of Tidewater • Simon Family JCC

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jewishnewsva.org | September 14, 2015 | Jewish News | 15

BSV’s Terrace receives top report

he Terrace at Beth Sholom Village, an assisted living facility, earned a violation-free inspection report that resulted in a three-year license renewal. “We could not be prouder of Pam Guthrie, administrator, Robin Gordon, director of nursing and the entire team at The Terrace,” says David Abraham, CEO of Beth Sholom Village. “We are excited to continue providing the highest quality of care to our residents. Additionally, this is the second consecutive time that The Terrace has received a three-year license

when inspected for renewal. This achievement is currently held only by two other facilities in Hampton Roads.” The inspectors from The Virginia Department of Social Services walked into The Terrace unannounced on Tuesday, August 11, 2015, and left at the end of the day with a report of zero violations. A three-year license is issued to a facility with activities, services, management and overall performance levels that routinely exceed the basic care, program and services required by the minimum standards.

Read to a ‘Bear cub’

he BE A Reader or “BEAR” program is a literacy project that needs more volunteers to read to young children in the Tidewater public schools. Sponsored by the Simon Family JCC, BEAR operates during the school year. Children in first through third grades are helped to acquire the necessary reading and literacy skills to lead happy and productive lives. BEAR students who might be reading below grade level are referred by their teacher, principal

or reading specialist to work one-on-one with BEAR mentors. Each volunteer is a member of a team led by a volunteer captain and meets weekly for one hour with their assigned BEAR student, lovingly referred to as a BEAR cub. The BEAR program is a way to reaffirm one’s commitment to ‘tikkun olam,’ repairing the world—one child at a time. If interested in participating in this mitzvah opportunity, call 321-2304.

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he Business & Legal Society of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater recently launched the 2015–2016 Business & Legal Directory, a source for Jewish professionals in Tidewater. This online directory may be found by visiting JewishVA.org/businessandlegaldirectory. Featuring more than 80 professional services from members of the Business & Legal Society, the directory is online-only for easy access and can be downloaded or printed for convenience. “I am excited to be able to use the directory to find businesses in our community

that provide services that fit my needs,” says Jody Balaban, a member of the Business & Legal Society who also chose to be listed in the new directory. With the directory, it is easier to support local businesses, legal professionals and the Jewish community. The Business & Legal Society offers networking, social and philanthropic opportunities for Jewish professionals. For more information about being listed in the directory and membership in the Business & Legal Society, contact Alex Pomerantz at 757-965-6136 or apomerantz@ujft.org.

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in memoriam

Morton Goldmeier

March 4, 1924–August 25, 2015

Morty Goldmeier

driving force behind much of Tidewater’s Jewish community, Morty Goldmeier passed away on Tuesday, August 25 at age 91. In an interview with Karen Lombart for Jewish News in 2010, Goldmeier said, “The manner in which one chooses to live his life should be based on the lessons taught in synagogue. It is our responsibility to live with a moral Jewish compass and take Torah to heart.” And so, he spent decades as a volunteer in the Tidewater community on projects that benefited so many. Goldmeier traced some of the reasons for his commitment to Jewish communal life to the memories of the late 1930’s, when he was in high school and was excluded from certain fraternities and country clubs. “Jews simply were not allowed to be members,” he said. In 1943, an engineering student at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, (Virginia Tech), Goldmeier heard stories of the plight of European Jewry and enlisted in the service. First stationed in California as an army aviation engineer, he was transferred to Oxford, England. Under the command of a Jewish captain and an Irish motor

pool officer, the threesome jokingly called themselves “Steingold’s Flying Irish.” In January 1945, his company landed in France on D plus 20 and took its position 15 to 20 miles behind the frontlines. Each time the fighter landing fields were advanced, his outfit adjusted its position to continue to supply and repair the guns and other weapons needed by the aircraft. After graduating in 1948 from the University of Virginia, Goldmeier worked for Nachman’s Department Store in the accounting department, while his father work for Nachman’s as a buyer. In 1952, he answered an ad for a position as a Certified Public Accountant for Goodman and Company, an accounting firm started in 1932. His career with Goodman and Company continued for 38 years. As a past chairman, Goldmeier was proud the company grew to be one of the largest certified public accounting firms in Virginia. Also in 1952, he was a founding member of Temple Israel, rising through leadership—first as a treasurer and then later as vice president. In 1973, Sonny Lefcoe, then president of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, asked him to serve on the UJFT board as chair of the Beth Sholom committee to study the feasibility of building a nursing home in Eastern Virginia. Beth Sholom of Central Virginia, located in Richmond, acted as Tidewater’s nursing facility. To attend the board meetings, Goldmeier traveled to and from Richmond, often with Hal Sacks. Ultimately, he proposed that a separate nursing home be established in Tidewater. Once approved by UJFT’s board, Goldmeier worked with the Richmond staff to provide seed money for the project. While he focused on the financial aspects of the

18 | Jewish News | September 14, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org

endeavor, Robert C. Nusbaum donated his legal assistance. Together, they arranged for the facility’s partial funding to come from tax-free bonds. On Sept. 14, 1980, The Beth Sholom Home of Eastern Virginia opened on Auburn Drive with Goldmeier as the founding president. Hal Sacks recalls when Goldmeier chaired the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Annual Campaign in 1985. “At that time, the Beth Sholom Home and the Federation was having one of their recurrent spats,” notes Sacks. “Buddy Strelitz, Sonny Lefcoe, Tavia Gordon, Leonard Strelitz, Mickey Kramer and I (as Campaign director), crowded into the living room of the Goldmeier’s summer cottage and promised him that we would put our efforts to secure at least a 10 percent increase in major gifts (for the success of the Campaign), if he would cross over as our chairman and heal some of the wounds. “We had a great campaign, and in addition to a $180,00 second line for Israel Special Fund, returned our campaign to the levels it had not reached since the Yom Kippur War.” Goldmeier received many awards, including the Brotherhood Citation from the National Conference of Christians and Jews, Inc., the Thomas L. Hofheimer Humanitarian Award, an award from Israel Bonds and others. In 1978, the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants acknowledged his committee chairmanship of the Management of an Accounting Practice and in 1996, he was recognized for his outstanding support and leadership by the United Way of South Hampton Roads.

“In the time that I have known Morty in my 27 years in this Jewish community, first as executive director of Jewish Family Service, and now as UJFT executive vice president, I found him to be compassionate, intelligent and dedicated to the health and welfare of Jews, not only in Tidewater, but in Israel and around the globe,” says Harry Graber. “I always knew that Morty would make time for any question I would have and provide guidance so that I could be successful in my role for the community.” Still, with all the hours Goldmeier devoted to work and volunteering, “he found time to take off from work and race to the beach house on his children and grandchildren’s arrival days, take family trips, and most of all enjoy family gatherings on the Holidays,” says his son, Edward Goldmeier. “A glow would surround him and he basked in the joy of these visits. He would always make sure to toast to his pleasure at having his family together.” Julie Pastor, granddaughter, notes, “My Papa focused on the good things in life. He worked hard. He was successful, but not boastful. He was active and generous in his community. He had dear friends. He was an exceptional dancer. He was kind. He loved his wife and his family and told us all as much as possible. He taught us so much and gave us so much to aspire to.” Married to Bootsie for nearly 68 years, he was most proud of his three children, nine grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. Goldmeier carried the pictures of his great grandchildren inside his wallet. It was his nine grandchildren, however, who carried him on August 27, all of them serving as pallbearers.

found him to

be compassionate, intelligent and

dedicated to the

health and welfare of Jews.

s y a d i l o H h g i H 5776 Supplement to Jewish News September 14, 2015

High Holidays 5776

Dear Readers, W

hile the High Holidays seem to be

on the “early” side of the calendar this year, I had the feeling on my walk this morning that it was time. Maybe it’s a seasonal sensation…since kids are back in school, it’s dark when

Published 22 times a year by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 200 Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462-4370 voice 757.965.6100 • fax 757.965.6102 email news@ujft.org Terri Denison, Editor Germaine Clair, Art Director Hal Sacks, Book Review Editor Sandy Goldberg, Account Executive Mark Hecht, Account Executive Marilyn Cerase, Subscription Manager Reba Karp, Editor Emeritus Sherri Wisoff, Proofreader

I get up, as well as at dinnertime, or because plenty of brown leaves now cover the ground. Perhaps, however, I can attribute that feeling of preparedness for the holidays to what’s taking place in the Jewish world. Everyone’s getting ready…for the vote on

Jay Klebanoff, President Alvin Wall, Treasurer Stephanie Calliott, Secretary Harry Graber, Executive Vice-President www.jewishVA.org The appearance of advertising in the Jewish News does not constitute a kashrut, political, product or service endorsement. The articles and letters appearing herein are not necessarily the opinion of this newspaper.

Iran and what comes next, for the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s annual Campaign Kick-off, for an assortment of Jewish classes and cultural arts programs to begin, for 5776 to just get going.

Whatever the reason, I’m ready to enjoy some holiday meals, listen to beautiful and inspiring music, hear some intelligent and spiritual sermons, be with

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family (though I’ll miss my daughter who is away at college) and take the time to sit and reflect on just how good life is. I hope you are ready, too. On behalf of the Jewish News staff, best wishes for a new year of peace, health and happiness.

MEDITERRANEAN SALAD greens, shrimp, artichoke, mushrooms, radishes, feta, pepperoncini, sardine, white anchovy, beets, tomato, cucumber, chickpeas, egg, fresh herbs, red wine.

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High Holidays 5776

Passing the shofar—from generation to generation by Laine Mednick Rutherford

t three-years-old, Sam Sachs was visiting his grandparents’ house when he picked up one of his great grandpa’s (Rabbi Sam Sobel, of blessed memory) old shofars. “He just blew the roof off the house,” says his mother, Jenny Sachs. “For my entire life, I cannot get any noise to come out of a shofar. But he just does it!” Now six, Sam is the proud—and musically loud— owner of a new shofar. The animal horn, used for millennia as a call to prayer for the Jewish people, most memorably during the High Holidays, was a special gift from his mother and father, Matthew Sachs. They brought it to Sam following a mission trip to Israel in June with the Young Adult Division of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Sam brought his instrument to the Sandler Family Campus on September 4 to meet Marty Einhorn, the shofar blower, or ba’al tekiah, for Ohef Sholom Temple. The two took turns blowing into their horns, creating strong and clear sounds that welcomed the Sabbath and fascinated all who heard them play. Before parting, Einhorn taught Sam a blowing technique, encouraged him to practice, and invited the first grader to bring his shofar to High Holiday services at Ohef Sholom. The young man agreed, his excitement evident. The moment was nostalgic for Einhorn, who, along with mentoring other shofar blowers, also had an affinity for the shofar at a young age. Einhorn, president of the Simon Family JCC and managing shareholder of Wall, Einhorn and Chernitzer, a CPA and consulting firm in downtown Norfolk, shared his experiences as a shofar blower with the Jewish News:

to do the nine staccato notes--those can be very difficult also. What’s the feeling you get when you blow the shofar at the synagogue? Is it transcendental for you, or are you fully present? When I’m sounding the shofar, I am looking into people’s eyes. I am trying to connect. I believe that God is channeling this through me, to be perfectly honest with you. So I am just trying to be as relaxed as I can be, make sure that I’ve got lungs full of air, and I blow as well as I can. I feel, when I get the opportunity to blow the shofar at the service, that I have a tremendous blessing and a tremendous responsibility, because a lot of people see it as a highlight of the High Holidays. So I take it very, very seriously, and I try to inspire people and raise their spirits, especially on Yom Kippur, when it’s time for us to repent. I feel like I’m contributing to people’s spiritual experience. Visit www.JewishVA.org to see a video of Sam Sachs and Marty Einhorn blowing their shofars at the Sandler Family Campus.

Marty Einhorn with Sam Sachs.

Photographs by Joel Mednick.

How long have you been blowing the shofar? When I was a young boy, I always was amazed by the shofar, and always looked forward to that part of the services. I had an interest in it, and when I took up the coronet in the sixth grade, that is when I realized it was something that I wanted to do. I’ve been playing shofar since I was 11 years old. What is the most difficult shofar call for any shofar blower to play? Typically shofar blowers dread the tekiah gedolah. But also the teruah, where you have

Marty Einhorn and Sam Sachs at Sandler Family Campus.

Jewishnewsva.org | High Holidays | September 14, 2015 | Jewish News | 21

High Holidays 5776

Why Sandy Koufax sitting out a World Series game still matters 50 years later by Hillel Kuttler

WASHINGTON (JTA)—Jesse Agler was pretty talented as a catcher and pitcher in Little League, yet his parents benched him regularly. That’s because the Aglers had a no-baseball-on-Shabbat rule, one cloaked in sports royalty. “It was a source of frustration as a kid, but I appreciated later what they tried to do,” says Agler, a 33-year-old radio broadcaster for the San Diego Padres who grew up in South Florida. “It goes back to Koufax making the point about that day, that it’s not for baseball.” Agler was referring to the decision by Sandy Koufax, the star pitcher of the Los Angeles Dodgers, to sit out Game 1 of the 1965 World Series against the Minnesota Twins because it fell on Yom Kippur. Koufax

instead started Game 2 the next afternoon. The Dodgers lost both days, but won the championship in seven games. The mighty left-hander had dominated that regular season, leading the majors with 26 wins, a 2.04 earned run average, 27 complete games and 336 innings pitched— not to mention he also pitched a perfect game, set a 20th-century record with 382 strikeouts and earned the National League’s Cy Young Award. Koufax was the supreme pitcher of his generation and the greatest Jewish hurler ever, and his taking a stand occurred at baseball’s centerpiece event. It’s become the stuff of legend in American Jewry as an example of ethnic pride. “There was no hard decision for me,” Koufax said later in an ESPN documentary released in 2000. “It was just a thing of respect. I wasn’t trying to make a

statement, and I had no idea that it would impact that many people.” Intended or not, Koufax’s call continues to resonate 50 years later. While the decision was a personal one for Koufax, now 79, it represented a visible, even monumental, progression for Jews of his generation in claiming their place in this country. If a great athlete could proudly stand up as a Jew, the feeling went, we can, too. Koufax followed in the deep footprints of the previous generation’s American Jewish baseball icon, Hank Greenberg, who sat out an important game played by his Detroit Tigers during the 1934 pennant race that fell on Yom Kippur. “I think it was a matter of conscience with both of them,” says Larry Ruttman, author of the 2013 book American Jews and America’s Game. “Koufax was a huge star when he did it, and Greenberg in ’34

Sandy Koufax

wasn’t—but he was coming to be one.” Greenberg’s legend has faded a bit

Teri and I wish you an easy fast and that you and your family may be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life. May 5776 be one of peace for you, your family, and Israel. Congressman& Mrs.

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22 | Jewish News | September 14, 2015 | High Holidays | jewishnewsva.org

High Holidays 5776 because nearly a century has passed, Ruttman says. Koufax, by contrast, “remains so potent now because his playing days are still within living memory” for many fans. Koufax’s decision remains so profound, in fact, that a half-century later it still carries lessons for those raised neither with the sport nor in the United States. London native Alexandra Benjamin teaches a course on Jewish history during the semester-long Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim international high school program. In discussions about the sometimes disparate pulls of secular and Jewish culture, she returns time and again to the Koufax decision. “The reason the Sandy Koufax example works so well is that baseball is very much a part of American culture and he is Jewish,” Benjamin says. “At some point he had to make a choice. “So some guy stayed home from work and it was Yom Kippur—he’s not the only one, but he’s a public figure,” she adds. “Still today, that example is relevant, it works and it has impact.” In the summer of 1999, Benjamin chaperoned a British Jewish youth group visiting the United States, where they enjoyed a quintessential American experience: a baseball game at New York’s Yankee Stadium. Lunch involved buying food at the ballpark’s kosher hot dog stand. “It was mind blowing,” says Benjamin, because such availability is inconceivable at a British sports venue. She says the kosher hot dogs, like Koufax, demonstrated that enculturation and Jewish pride are highly compatible. At a recent Padres-Nationals game at Nationals Park, Carly Meisel, a former student of Benjamin, had Jewish values and baseball on her mind. The previous week, she and some friends had attended a game at Boston’s Fenway Park—on Jewish Heritage Night. Meisel, 18, was attending the Nationals’ game with approximately 50 other incoming freshmen at George Washington University. Among those waiting at the stadium’s kosher kiosk was Yoni KaiserBlueth, the kippah-clad executive director of the university’s Hillel. Kaiser-Blueth, 40, was born in Brazil, but quickly adopted baseball as a child in America. He grew up in Los Angeles, where,

unsurprisingly, Koufax’s legend was strong. “The takeaway is that you’ve got values, and choices to make in life. It resonates especially today because of the lack of relevancy of Judaism in some people’s lives,” Kaiser-Blueth says as he pumps mustard across his kosher sausage. “If you see an athlete—for better or worse a role model, make that choice—it can reverberate in their [the fans’] lives. Think of what Madonna did for kabbalah—she created a whole industry.” Apropos of Koufax, Kaiser-Blueth notes that every year at this time, his students raise concerns over school conflicting with the approaching Jewish holidays. The issue is acute this year, with all seven days falling during the week. Meisel expresses confidence in professors’ willingness to help her make up missed classes and coursework. She relates that surety directly to Koufax’s example. (Koufax, through his agent, declined JTA’s interview request.) “We’ll make it doable,” she says. “If he can miss a game, and everyone’s watching—it takes strength to do that. It’s a good example of what we can do in day-to-day life.” Koufax’s former catcher, Norm Sherry, made a different choice; he played on the High Holidays. As a teen, he had attended school and played basketball on those days, even though the overwhelmingly Jewish student body in Los Angeles’ Fairfax High School stayed home. Koufax “made the right decision,” says Sherry, who roomed with Koufax for road games in 1962, but in 1965 was a minorleague manager for a Dodgers’ farm team. “So many people followed him, who were in awe of him, and he was doing it for all [of them].” As it happens, Koufax sitting out Game 1 in the 1965 World Series also yielded one of baseball’s most famous quips. Don Drysdale, who would later join Koufax in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, replaced him on the mound that day. The Twins pounded Drysdale for six runs in the third inning on the way to an 8–2 victory. When Dodgers’ manager Walter Alston took the ball from Drysdale, the big righty reportedly said, “I bet you wish I was Jewish, too.”

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High Holidays 5776

The one day of the year I always felt Jewish by Lela Casey

(Kveller via JTA)—Growing up as the only Jewish family in town meant that we missed out on a lot of things. We didn’t go to Hebrew school, we barely acknowledged Shabbat and we had very little connection to the Jewish community. My Israeli mother did her best to give us a basis in Judaism, but since my dad did not have a Jewish background and there were no other Jews for miles around, being Jewish was more of an abstract concept than a way of life. But every year, when the air turned cooler and the leaves turned colors, something would change in our house. My mother would grow quieter, more solemn. Instead of laughing and scolding us in the kitchen, she’d be in her room poring over prayer books and muttering to herself in Hebrew. Even the air would feel heavier. On Rosh Hashanah, we’d pick a few apples from the old orchard behind our house. We’d dip them in honey, wish each other a Shana Tovah and go back to our lives. We knew it was an important day of festivities and new beginnings, but there was another day looming on the horizon. A day that carried with it such weight, such significance, that our apples and honey seemed like children’s games. Yom Kippur was the real deal, the day for which we prepared for months. Not by picking apples or decorating the house, but by searching into our very young souls and reflecting on what it meant to be a good Jew. Because Yom Kippur was the one day of the year that we would feel, with every fiber of our beings, what it really was to be

Jewish. We fasted, all of us, from the time that we were very young, starting at five or six. My mother never forced us, but it felt important and grown up and so, so Jewish. We’d spend the day reading our Hebrew dictionaries or illustrated Bibles, or even the Haggadahs that were hidden deep in my mother’s closet. Anything that felt Jewish would do. In the evening, we’d pile into the car wearing our nicest clothes (white, always white, to show purity). We’d huddle down with our growling stomachs and dry mouths and drive over 45 minutes to get to the closest synagogue, an unassuming building tucked in between the churches and bars that crowded town. A synagogue with beautiful stained glass windows and long empty rows of seats. A synagogue whose members were mostly over 60 years old. We’d listen to the rabbi’s prayers and nod our heads. We’d sit and stand and sing and say amen and pound our chests and smile at our neighbors and try to follow along with the words written in a language we couldn’t read or write. Deep down past our thumping hears and growling stomachs, deep down in our neshamas (souls), we felt what it was like to be Jewish, and it felt GLORIOUS! For many years, Yom Kippur was Judaism to me. It wasn’t until many years later that I experienced the playfulness of Purim and the joys of a community Shabbat. Since then, I’ve learned much more about Judaism. I have spent time in Israel and explored the option of living a more

High Holidays 5776 observant life. I’ve felt the overwhelming wholeness of faith and connection, and the isolating chill of doubt. When my children were small, I took great delight in cooking a Shabbat meal and lighting candles with them. But as they’ve gotten older, our busy schedules and their lack of interest have chipped away at this tradition. In recent years, Yom Kippur has sometimes felt more of an inconvenience than a solemn day of reflection and connection to Judaism. I still fast, but I haven’t taken the kids to services and none of them fast. I hardly ever feel “ready” for the holy day any more. When this summer ended, I thought about Yom Kippur with a sense of panic. Would I even feel Jewish this year? Would my children? Have I failed to create that connection for them that was so important to me as a kid? But then the fall came, and with it came some unexpected turns of events. I was offered a job teaching about Israel at the

local temple and my son decided that he wanted to go to Hebrew school. The last few weeks have been filled with apples and honey and endless conversations about kashrut. My son was bubbling with anticipation about hearing the shofar blow at his first Rosh Hashanah service, and all of my children have helped me to prepare my lesson about the holidays in Israel. As the air turns crisper and the leaves begin to fall, I feel it again. That soft pull in my heart, that heaviness in the air. Yom Kippur is coming. And this year I am ready. —Lela Casey is a mother of three children living in Bucks County, Pa. Being raised by a fiery Israeli mother and a gentle farmer in the middle of nowhere lent her a unique perspective on Judaism. She holds degrees from Penn State University and Rhode Island College. Besides contributing to Kveller, she has written several children’s books and young adult novels. This piece first appeared on Kveller, a 70 Faces Media company.)

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ADL security manual provided to Jewish institutions ahead of holidays

he Anti-Defamation League is providing U.S. Jewish institutions with an updated security manual for the High Holidays. The defense organization also is providing other resources and training to help Jewish institutions with their security preparedness. The new edition of ADL’s security manual, “Protecting Your Jewish Institution,” which is available on the organization’s website, provides information on topics including security planning; physical security and operations; relationships with emergency personnel; detecting surveillance; computer and data security; explosive threat response planning; active shooters; considerations for schools and summer camps; dealing with protesters; and crisis management. The manual was first published in 2003 and periodically is updated. “Unfortunately, in 2015, Jewish

institutions across the country still remain a potential target, which is why synagogues and Jewish communal facilities need to always be vigilant,” says Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL’s national director. “Jews should feel comfortable going about their daily lives and observing the holidays while still being aware and making security a priority.” Among the guide’s recommendations for security during the High Holidays: Connect with local law enforcement to discuss security and advise them of High Holiday schedules and special events; ensure that ushers understand that they play a critical role in security matters, and that they are familiar with suspicious activity indicators; establish procedures for controlling access into facilities; encourage staff, leadership and constituents to trust their instincts if they come across someone or something suspicious. (JTA)

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High Holidays 5776 Op-Ed

How synagogues can prioritize disability inclusion this High Holiday season or a lay leader understands the value of inclusion of all people and makes it a priority. If there ever was a time for lead(JTA)—With the High Holidays underers to step up to the plate and help their way, Jews all over the world are asking synagogues become more inclusive—to themselves how they can lead more welcome diverse people with varying abilmeaningful and moral lives. Synagogue ities and find a place for them in the community—it’s during the Days of Awe. Liz Offen, director of New England Yachad, an Orthodox Union-affiliated organization that works toward the inclusion of people with disabilities in Jewish life, says that the High Holidays seem almost designed to raise awareness of people with disabilities. “Every aspect of the high holiMuch of the focus of the day of Rosh Hashana, both in terms of time and energy, is on day experience is infused with rituals that prayer. At the center of the prayers is Musaf, and at the heart of Musaf there are three draw on the senses,” she says. “From the Much of the focus Much of the of the dayfocus of Rosh of the Hashana, day ofboth RoshinHashana, terms ofboth timein and terms energy, of time is onand prayer. energy, At the is on center prayer. ofAt the center of Muchvery of theunique focus ofblessings: the day of Malchuyot Rosh Hashana, both kingship), in terms of time and energy, is on prayer. At the (G-d’s Zichronot (G-d’s mindfulness of center us) of the prayers is Musaf, the prayers and atisthe Musaf, heartand of Musaf at thethere heartare of Musaf three very thereunique are three blessings: very unique Malchuyot blessings: (G-d’sMalchuyot king(G-d’s king food we eat, to the sound and vibrations of the prayers is Musaf, andand at the heart of(Historic Musaf there are three very unique blessings: Malchuyot (G-d’s kingShofarot and future role of the Shofar). the shofar, we are reminded of the varied ship), Zichronot (G-d’s ship), Zichronot mindfulness (G-d’s of us) mindfulness and Shofarot of us) (Historic and Shofarot and future (Historic role of and the future Shofar). role of the Shofar). ship), Zichronot (G-d’s mindfulness of us) and Shofarot (Historic and future role of the Shofar). ways people experience life.” Much ofus theas focus ofexplore the day ofwe Rosh Hashana, both main in terms of time and is three on prayer. At the center of JoinJoin we Join us asexplore the explore main themes the of these themes three ofenergy, these blessings, blessings, So how can congregations take advanus as we explore the main themes of these three blessings, Join us as we the main themes of these three blessings, the prayers is Musaf, andfind athow theexpression heart of find Musafexpression there three in very unique blessings: Malchuyot (G-d’s kingand how they and they in theareactivities the ofactivities the day. of the day. tage of this calling to become more inclusive and how they find expression in the activities of the day. and how theymindfulness find expression in the activities of ship), Zichronot of us) and Shofarot (Historic and future rolethe of theday. Shofar). ALL (G-d’s CLASSES ALL FROM CLASSES 8:15 FROM 9:00PM 8:15 9:00PM communities? ALL CLASSES FROM 8:15 - 9:00PM CLASSES FROM 8:15–9:00PM Join us as we ALL explore the main themes of these three blessings, The obvious answer is that they can and how they find expression in the activities of the day. implement best practices in making their Tuesday, Tuesday, Malchuyot: Malchuyot: OnMALCHUYOT: Rosh On Rosh we’re Hashana judged we’re on life, judged livelilife, On Rosh Hashana we’re judged onliveliALL CLASSES FROM 8:15 -we’re 9:00PM Tuesday, Malchuyot: OnHashana Rosh Hashana judged on life,on liveliphysical spaces more inclusive for people TUESDAY, hood, health, hood, and happiness. health, and So happiness. why don’t So we why ask don’t for it?! we ask for it?! AugustAugust 25 August 25 life, livelihood, health, and happiness. So why don’t 25 hood, health, and happiness. So why don’t we ask for it?! with disabilities. They can print books AUGUST 25 we ask for it?! with larger text, embrace hearing loop Tuesday, Malchuyot: On Rosh Hashana we’re judged on life, livelitechnologies to assist people who are hard Tuesday, Tuesday, health, and happiness. So why don’t we ask for it?! August 25 hood, Tuesday, Zichronot: Why Zichronot: am I being Why judged? am I being And judged? for what? And for what? of hearing, train ushers to recognize and Zichronot: Why am I being judged? for what? September 1September 1 ZICHRONOT: Why am I beingAnd judged? And for TUESDAY, September 1 assist people with disabilities, make every SEPTEMBER 1 what? part of the building wheelchair accessible, Tuesday, and establish an inclusion committee to Zichronot: Why am I being judged? And for what? Tuesday, Tuesday, September 1 Tuesday, Shofarot: What Shofarot: will you What hear will when you the hear Shofar when blows? the Shofar blows? continually expand inclusive practices. Shofarot: What will you hear when the Shofar blows? September 8September 8 September 8 SHOFAROT: What will you hear when the Shofar TUESDAY, The broader answer is that they can SEPTEMBER 8 blows? demonstrate leadership and work to create a Tuesday, Shofarot: What will you hear when the Shofar blows? powerful culture of inclusion among congreSunday, Sunday, Thirteen Attributes Thirteen ofAttributes Mercy: Why of Mercy: are there Why sothere many are there so many September 8 Thirteen Sunday, Attributes ofof Mercy: Why are so many attributes and attributes what does and each what does them each do? of them do? gants so that inclusion pervades all aspects of September 20 September 20 and what does each of them do? Why are September 20 attributesTHIRTEEN ATTRIBUTES OF MERCY: congregational life, and thereby change basic TUESDAY, there so many attributes and what does each of attitudes toward people with disabilities. SEPTEMBER 20 ALL CLASSES ALL WILL CLASSES TAKEThirteen PLACE WILL TAKE AT BNAI PLACE ISRAEL: AT BNAI 420ISRAEL: SPOTSWOOD 420 SPOTSWOOD AVE. AVE. Sunday, them do? Attributes of Mercy: there so many ALL CLASSES WILL TAKE PLACE AT BNAI ISRAEL:Why 420 are SPOTSWOOD AVE. Ed Frim, an inclusion specialist at For more Information For more or for Information any Questions, or for any Please Questions, email nack@norfolkkollel.com Please email nack@norfolkkollel.com attributes and what does each of them do? September 20Information or for any Questions, Please email nack@norfolkkollel.com For more United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, ALL CLASSES WILL TAKE PLACE AT BNAI ISRAEL says that true inclusion goes much deeper 420 TAKE SPOTSWOOD AVENUE, NORFOLK ALL CLASSES WILL PLACE AT BNAI ISRAEL: 420 SPOTSWOOD AVE. than making synagogue life accessible. For more Information anyquestions, Questions, please Please email For more information oror forforany emailnack@norfolkkollel.com nack@norfolkkollel.com “Inclusive congregations are mindful of everyone who is part of the community,” he says. “They establish a culture that takes for granted that all, including those with disabilities, have the right to fully participate as part of the congregation.” “It’s not just about training ushers to be welcoming to people with disabilities by Jay Ruderman

communities, too, are asking themselves how they can become more holy and inclusive communities. In my years of involvement with disability inclusion, I’ve observed that change often occurs because a rabbi, a professional

Make the Rosh Hashana Make Make thethe Rosh the Rosh Hashana Hashana Make Rosh Hashana Machzor an Open Book Machzor Machzor an Open an Open Book Book

Machzor Open Book Make thean Rosh Hashana Machzor an Open Book

26 | Jewish News | September 14, 2015 | High Holidays | jewishnewsva.org

and helping them find their way, it’s about turning the entire congregation into ushers, who seek to create a welcoming environment,” he says. Just as important as building a culture of inclusion is affecting a shift in attitude about how we think of disabilities. Rabbi Noah Cheses of Shaarei Shomayim Congregation in Toronto recalls an aha moment when his perspective on disabilities changed from seeing just the disability to seeing the whole person. A senior in high school had come to speak at a retreat Cheses was attending. The student had a muscular disorder that required him to be in a wheelchair. It was clear from the moment he began speaking that this charismatic young man was not defined by his disability. “He asked us to take out a piece of paper and make a list of [perceived] personal shortcomings…,” recounted Rabbi Cheses. “We were then instructed to introduce ourselves to the person next to us in the following way: “Hi, my name is X, and I have such and such …..” “For a moment, I felt what it was like to be identified by my personal limitations… as if my passions and talents were being overshadowed and pushed aside by something beyond my control.” It was that realization, among others, that motivated Rabbi Cheses to seek change in his congregation. The congregation made physical changes—among other things, it built an accessible ark—but the rabbi also sought to make spiritual changes and help his congregants experience the same aha moment that he had at the retreat. Indeed, it is these spiritual changes— viewing all of God’s people as bringing unique contributions to the world—that can turn a congregation from a collection of people to a holy community. This time of reflection and renewal provides the perfect moment for such a shift to take place. —Jay Ruderman is president of the Ruderman Family Foundation, which focuses on the inclusion of people with disabilities in society. The foundation is holding the 2015 Ruderman Inclusion Summit Nov. 1–2 in Boston. He’s on Twitter @jayruderman.

Jewish Holidays 5776

High Holidays 5776

Israeli rabbinical group to host 55,000 secular Jews for holiday services JERUSALEM ( JTA)—The Tzohar rabbinical organization will host more than 55,000 people at 295 locations throughout Israel for Yom Kippur services. In addition, the group for the first time will host the “Listening Together” shofar program for Rosh Hashanah in community centers and schools. Participants will be provided with a prayer book to make it easier to follow along, as well as with an explanatory pamphlet written by Tzohar about the customs, prayers and meaning of the High Holidays to help guide the participants throughout the services. “Going to a religious synagogue can be an intimidating and sometimes off-putting experience for someone who doesn’t

regularly attend or associate with that particular community,” said Rabbi David Stav, co-founder of Tzohar. “We have seen such an outpouring of desire for Jewish connection by the secular community, especially relating the High Holidays, that we knew something had to be done to accommodate them. By moving these important Jewish lifecycle events to neutral locations—such as community centers or event halls—it becomes more much inviting and accessible for anyone interested in connecting with their Jewish tradition.” The organization of religious Zionist rabbis started the Yom Kippur “Praying Together” program, which organizes the explanatory Yom Kippur services, 16 years ago. (JTA)

Rosh HaShanah. . . . . . Sept. 13–15, 2015

Yom HaShoah . . . . . . . . . May 4–5, 2016

Yom Kippur. . . . . . . . Sept. 22–23, 2015

Yom HaZikaron & Yom HaAtzmaut. . . May 10–12, 2016

Sukkot. . . . . . . . . Sept. 27–Oct. 4, 2015 Simchat Torah. . . . . . . . . Oct. 4–5, 2015 Hanukkah . . . . . . . . . . . Dec. 6–14, 2015 Tu BiSh’vat. . . . . . . . . . Jan. 24–25, 2016 Purim. . . . . . . . . . . . March 23–24, 2016

Lag BaOmer . . . . . . . . May 25–26, 2016 Shavuot. . . . . . . . . . . . June 11–12, 2016 Tishah B’Av. . . . . . . . . Aug. 13–14, 2016 Selichot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sept. 24, 2016

Passover . . . . . . . . . . . April 22–29, 2016

Rosh Hashanah 5776 Sunday, September 13, 2015

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High Holidays 5776

Beyond the bagel:

Breaking the fast with flair by Shannon Sarna

NEW YORK (JTA)—By the time the fast is over on Yom Kippur, the last thing you want to be doing is patchkeing in the kitchen to prepare lots of food. And as much as I can’t wait to shove a bagel and cream cheese with all the fixins in my face, I also like to enjoy something sweet, something salty and something a little fresh with my traditional post-fast carbs. I recommend preparing the quinoa salad ahead of time, and when the fast is

over, serve it on top of labne for an easy and healthful salad. The rich, sweet coffee cake challah can also be baked ahead of time. And the flavors of the custom dill lemon caper cream cheese will only intensify when you let them sit overnight in the fridge. Note: If you plan to make your own gravlax, you must start at least four days in advance of serving, or up to a week, otherwise the fish will not be ready to eat. —Shannon Sarna is the editor of The Nosher, a 70 Faces Media company.

Homemade Gravlax by Vered Meir

This recipe for homemade gravlax from California blogger is simple to make and presents beautifully on a platter. The first time I made this recipe I couldn’t believe how easy it was and why it had taken so long. It is the perfect accompaniment for your bagel platter after Yom Kippur or on top of latkes at Hanukkah. INGREDIENTS 2 pounds fresh center-cut wild salmon fillet, skin on ½ cup kosher salt ½ cup sugar 2 tablespoons peppercorns 2 teaspoons crushed juniper berries (can be purchased at Whole Foods, Fairway, or specialty food stores) 7–8 large sprigs fresh dill 1–2 shots of gin or vodka DIRECTIONS In a bowl, combine the salt, sugar, peppercorns, and juniper berries. Line a glass dish that will fit your salmon fillet with 2 large pieces of plastic wrap and sprinkle half of your salt and sugar mixture onto the bottom. Lay half of your dill sprigs down, then cover with your salmon fillet. Sprinkle the remaining mixture on top of the fillet, then cover with the remaining sprigs of dill and your shots of alcohol, and then wrap everything as tightly as you can in the plastic. Leave it in the dish, as the salt will create a brine for the fish. Refrigerate for 3 or 4 days, depending on the thickness of your filet. The lox is finished when the salmon’s hue has transitioned from pink to deep orange. Before serving, discard the dill and rinse the fillet of the brine, peppercorns and juniper berries. Slice thinly against the grain with a sharp knife. Serve with sliced lemon and capers. Variation: Try a layer of shredded raw beets on the non-skin side of your fillet before wrapping. After the lox is finished curing, each of your slices will have a purple or dark pink edge to it.

28 | Jewish News | September 14, 2015 | High Holidays | jewishnewsva.org

Lemon Dill Caper Cream Cheese Yield: 6–8 servings

What’s better than serving your bagels with capers and dill and slices of lemon? Adding them into one tasty homemade cream cheese to serve with your bagel spread. This can be made one or two days ahead of time. INGREDIENTS 12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 2 teaspoons lemon zest 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons whole capers, chopped roughly 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill Pinch of salt and pepper DIRECTIONS Add all ingredients to a bowl. Mix together until flavors are incorporated. Place in a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 24–48 hours until ready to serve. Garnish with additional dill if desired.

Red Quinoa Tabouleh with Labne

I was never much of a quinoa fan until I tried the red quinoa salad at Mish Mish in Montclair, N. J. I fell in love with the salad and have been re-creating my own version ever since. This is a refreshing and yet hearty salad to serve as a side dish. INGREDIENTS 1 cup red quinoa 1 teaspoon olive oil Water 8 ounces labne 1 large English cucumber or 2 Persian cucumbers, cut into ¼ inch pieces 1 large beefsteak or Jersey tomato (diced), or pint cherry tomatoes (halved) Juice of ½ lemon plus 2 teaspoons zest ¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley ¼ cup chopped fresh mint Salt and pepper to taste Additional extra virgin olive oil DIRECTIONS Rinse quinoa well. Place quinoa and 1¼ cups water, 1 teaspoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper into a small pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and cover again for another 5-10 minutes. Mix quinoa with cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon juice and zest, mint, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. This step can be prepared a day ahead and placed in the fridge. When ready to serve, spread labne all over A large plate. Top labne with the quinoa tabouleh. Drizzle with additional good-quality olive oil and an extra squeeze of lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Coffee Cake Challah Coffee cake is one of my weakness foods, and I love an indulgent slice after fasting on Yom Kippur. This year I decided to combine two of my favorite things to bake into one beautiful and delicious treat: coffee cake challah. This makes 2 large loaves, so it is enough to serve for a large crowd or freeze one to save for later. If you freeze one, wait to add glaze until you defrost it and are ready to serve. INGREDIENTS For the dough: 1½ tablespoons yeast 1 teaspoon sugar 1¼ cup lukewarm water 4½-5 cups all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur brand) ¾ cup sugar ¼ cup vegetable oil ½ tablespoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 large eggs

DIRECTIONS In a small bowl place yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar and lukewarm water. Allow to sit around 5–10 minutes, until it becomes foamy on top. In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, mix together 1½ cups flour, salt and sugar. After the wateryeast mixture has become foamy, add to flour mixture along with oil and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Add another cup of flour and eggs until smooth. Switch to the dough hook attachment if you are using a stand mixer. Add another 1-1½ cups flour and then remove from bowl and place on a floured surface. Knead remaining flour into dough, continuing to knead for around 10 minutes (or however long your hands will last). Don’t add more flour then the dough needs— the less flour, the lighter the dough. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with damp towel. Allow to rise 3 or 4 hours. To make the crumb topping: Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and sea salt in a large bowl. Add cold butter or margarine and mix using a pastry cutter until mixture resembles crumbles. Refrigerate until ready to use. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. After the challah is done rising, split the dough evenly in half.

For the crumb topping and filling: 1¾ cups all-purpose flour 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt 1½ sticks cold butter or margarine, cut into small pieces 1 cup chopped pecans 1 egg, beaten For the glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 4 tablespoons milk or almond milk

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Yield: 2 large loaves

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Divide each half into 3 pieces. Roll each piece into a snake and then flatten. Sprinkle crumb topping inside, then pinch sides up to close. Gently roll again to seal in filling. Repeat with all pieces and then braid, forming into a circle and pinching together each end of the braid. Repeat with second half of dough. Place each challah on a parchment paper (or silpat) lined baking sheet. Allow challah to rise another 30–60 minutes, or until you can see the size has grown and challah seems light. Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Brush on top of each challah. Top each challah with remaining crumb topping. Bake for 25–26 minutes, or until crumbs are golden brown. Allow to cool 10–15 minutes. Whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla and milk (or almond milk) in a small bowl. Drizzle on top of challah using small spoon.

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Jewishnewsva.org | High Holidays | September 14, 2015 | Jewish News | 29

High Holidays 5776

Inspirational start to the New Year at Campaign Kickoff

CAMPAIGN KICKOFF With special guest Jerry Silverman

SEPT. 17, 2015 6:45PM Sandler Family Campus

MEETING THE CHALLENGE. SECURING THE FUTURE.

he Jewish High Holidays are an annual reminder of what it means to be Jewish, inspiring personal growth and commitment, not just to one’s self, but to the greater Jewish community. A great motivator to start 5776 on a positive note, through awareness and action, can be found at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Annual Campaign Kickoff, a free event open to the community. Jerry Silverman, president and CEO of The Jewish Federations of North America, is the Kickoff’s special guest and featured speaker. As one of the world’s most well-informed Jewish communal professionals, Silverman will share his observations of the challenges facing North American Jews, as well as Jews around the world, what’s being done to meet those challenges, and where help is desperately needed. “Jews don’t have the luxury of ‘sticking our heads in the sand,’” says Jay Klebanoff, president of UJFT. “The more we are aware of the issues, the more prepared we will be to address them with intelligence, saykhel, and

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community resources. We are blessed as Jews in this community and in the United States with the freedom and ability to make a difference; to do otherwise would be a shande.” Campaign Kickoff marks the official start to the programs, conversations, and fundraising efforts which are part of the 2016 Annual Campaign. Funds raised during the Campaign season are used to support area Jewish agencies such as Jewish Family Service of Tidewater, scholarships for local schools and summer camps, and vulnerable Jewish populations abroad, in addition to many other programs and organizations. Scheduling the Kickoff for the beginning of the Jewish New Year makes sense, says Karen Jaffe, Campaign chair. With the combination of renewal and insight that comes during High Holiday observations and celebrations, and inspiration from Silverman and community members, Jaffe says anyone and everyone in the community can begin, right away, to help create a Jewish future. To RSVP for the Annual Campaign Kickoff, contact pmalone@ ujft.org, or call 757-965-6115. Visit www.JewishVA.org for more information.

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30 | Jewish News | September 14, 2015 | High Holidays | jewishnewsva.org

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Beth Sholom Village team at “Israel Fest” serves up delicious pareve food.

Ev e ry ye ar i n th e Ti dewate r Jewi sh c o m m un i t y…

We prepare Meals on Wheels packages for those in need.

It takes a village. Our Village. At our campus on Auburn Drive and throughout the community, we play a vital role in many aspects of Jewish life and for people of all ages. In the first of three special pages in the Jewish News, we look back on our accomplishments and ahead to the promise of a happy and healthy Jewish New Year.

We provide support to the Simon Family JCC, Hebrew Academy of Tidewater and other local schools and agencies.

How Our Village Makes an Impact • On the second Thursday of the month, we hold an Alzheimer’s support group, which is open to the public and free of charge. In the group, caregivers of loved ones suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia share advice, tips and mostly have the opportunity to be heard. • Every month, our dietary team prepares approximately 600 meals for Jewish Family Service so volunteers can deliver them to people in need. • For the past two years, we have staged a booth at the JCC’s popular “Israel Fest” and served a pareve meal with an Israeli theme. This year we sold out of our Mediterranean salmon! • Every year, we provide financial support to synagogues and schools in our community. Just a few of them include: Beth El, Temple Israel, Ohef Sholom, Bina High School, St. Matthew’s Catholic School and Hebrew Academy of Tidewater. When the community needs us, we always answer the call. Of course, that’s what being a Village is all about. L’Shanah Tovah!

A showing during the annual Jewish Film Festival was held at Beth Sholom.

(757) 420-2512

www.bethsholomvillage.com jewishnewsva.org | September 14, 2015 | Jewish News | 31

Jewish Summers

Tom Hofheimer Young Leadership Mission to Israel

The journey continues Final installment of a three-part series by Amy Weinstein

he Tom Hofheimer Young Leadership Mission to Israel took place June 22 until June 30. This Mission experience was so powerful, so emotional and so impactful that participants are still talking about it.

In their own words: “Our amazing trip to Israel inspired two important takeaways for me. First, Israel is the Jewish safe haven and we have a moral imperative to support her. “We heard from a young French teacher who experienced such a high level of threats and intimidation that she fled Paris and made Aliyah to Israel with the Jewish Agency for Israel’s help. She has settled into a new, but different life in Israel and hopes to bring her French family to resettle safely. Jews at risk around the world, or those who wish to live in a Jewish country, are welcomed and integrated with job and language skills into Israeli society. It was inspiring to see that firsthand. “A recurring message I heard on the trip is that every Jewish life matters. We heard about many people in Israel, the United States and international organizations going to great lengths to ensure a safe and thriving worldwide Jewry. That’s a message I feel I can bring back to Tidewater—that every dollar we give to our

Sam and Stephanie Steerman.

Federation, to Israel and to Jews in our own community matters and contributes to the wellbeing of our global Jewish community.” —Alyssa Muhlendorf “It was wonderful to visit Israel with my peers after we completed the two-year leadership program together. I hadn’t had that experience since I was a kid with camp friends! It was thrilling to talk to other participants who were experiencing Israel for the first time and to see the Mission through their eyes. “The Mission experience is a valuable program for our community; I am hopeful that it will be continued and built upon by the Federation and other Jewish agencies in Tidewater. The entire community benefits from the leadership program and the Mission, when participants come home excited to make a difference.” —Evan Levitt “I am still thinking about one Mission experience in particular. I was waiting for my ‘ah-ha’ moment that everyone talks about having while on this Mission...by the last day, I had resigned myself to the fact that it might not happen for me. Then, we arrived at Pardes Katz to visit the Matnas, where the children put on a rock and roll performance show for us. I saw hope and courage and confidence in their sparkling eyes! They were smiling and happy and proud. I felt as though they were singing to my heart. As a huge proponent, and former participant, of performing arts programs in schools, I know the difference it can make in their lives. I felt as though I could see the difference the Matnas programs are already making in the lives of these children, many of whom come from poverty-stricken homes. I could have spent all day at the Matnas in Pardes Katz.” —Stephanie Steerman

32 | Jewish News | September 14, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org

Ashley Zittrain, Jenny Sachs, Risa and Evan Levitt, Jonathan Muhlendorf, Jeff and Monique Werby, Erinn Portnoy, Greg Zittrain.

“Being at the Kotel on Erev Shabbat was nothing short of magical. It was hard to believe that I was standing at this holy, historic place. I said a silent personal prayer at the wall, then the women of the Hofheimer Mission shared prayers with and for each other. Finally we joined in song with a circle of hundreds of women from around the world. There were palpable threads connecting us to the Jews of the past and to all the Jews in the present. It was an incredible, life-changing experience!” —Monique Werby “For me, the entire Mission experience was wrapped in a surreal sense of openness. We experienced so many wonderful things that it is not possible for me to rank them in order of my preference. I will say this—the Mission experience was made great by the equal influences of the group, the guide and guest speakers and the setting—Israel. “Maybe it was that many of us had never been to Israel and were so amazed by the land? Perhaps we all just connected in the right place at the right time? Or maybe Israel is so enchanting that it does this to everyone who embraces her? I can’t pinpoint it—but the entire Mission was amazing. “My fellow travelers were open to new experiences and honest with each other, having

the courage to engage with each speaker with real questions and concerns, to soak up each

An investment in Tidewater’s Jewish community’s future from the Tom Hafheimer Fund board of directors:

he Tom Hofheimer Young Leadership Mission to Israel is a project of the Tom Hofheimer Fund. The mission is highly subsidized by the Tom Hofheimer Fund, and open to graduates of the Hineni! Institute for Leadership Development, powered by the Young Adult Division of the UJFT. This Mission experience is an investment in the future of our Jewish community—and we need your help to continue to offer this opportunity to Tidewater’s emerging leaders. This unique and life changing experience gives our local leadership a shared passion for Israel and her people, and an understanding of where and how our community fulfills its responsibility of tikkun olam. Please consider a gift to the Tom Hofheimer Fund—this is the perfect way to honor or pay tribute to a family member or friend. Visit jewishva.org/Hofheimer for more details.

Jewish Summers site and to be able to go with the flow that made this trip such a deep and meaningful experience. We gained a lot of confidence in each other, we gained an understanding of Israel’s place in the world, and we learned a lot about ourselves through this amazing gift. “The entire Hineni Leadership program and the Mission to Israel truly felt like a gift, and we are grateful to have had the opportunity.” —Shawn Lemke

Ashley and Shawn Lemke.

Greg Zittrain, Shawn Lemke, Ashley Zittrain, Jeff and Monique Werby at an Israeli brewery in the Golan.

Jonathan and Alyssa Muhlendorf.

Felix and Erinn Portnoy.

Roasting marshmallows after a long trek down the Jordan River.

Sam and Danielle Leibovici.

Monique and Jeff Werby.

Andy and Colleen Fox.

jewishnewsva.org | September 14, 2015 | Jewish News | 33

Jewish Summers

Tidewater trio takes on 2015 European Maccabi Games by Scott Katz

ore than 2,000 Jewish athletes from 36 countries gathered at the Waldbühne in Berlin for the 2015 Maccabi games last month. Three of those athletes— Jacob Konikoff, Evan Roesen and Wayne Simon—represented Tidewater. The games, which ran from July 27 to Aug. 5, featured 19 sports disciplines. Roesen and Simon brought their basketball skills to the court and earned gold medals, while Konikoff joined his teammates on the field for the soccer competition, playing five matches. Roesen and Simon decided to represent the United States in the European Maccabi games after competing in the JCC Maccabi games in Detroit last summer. “Wayne and I decided to apply, and we both earned a space in our age groups,” says Roesen. “It only happens every two

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years, so it was really a once in a lifetime opportunity.” That’s because the Maccabi games aren’t just about the sports. During the training camp prior to the trip to Germany, Simon says he and his teammates really focused on the game, but once they arrived in Berlin, they bonded with other Jewish youth through trips, tours and networking events. “Athletics took up several hours each

U. S. Soccer team.

day, but outside that I was able to meet people from all over the world. I learned about their lives, where our experiences differed and connected over common threads,” says Simon. Konikoff echoes Simon’s sentiments, “It was incredible to meet and spend time with other Jewish teens from all around the world. We had such similar interests even though we were all from different zip codes.”

During down time, participants enjoyed a performance by Matisyahu and toured Germany, including a sobering experience at Sachsenhausen concentration camp. “I definitely recommend the JCC Maccabbi program as well as the national Maccabi program. If you have the opportunity, take it. Nowhere else will you have an experience quite like it,” says Simon.

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he date was inscribed in blood like a fresh wound. August 20. Drop off Lucy to UVa. She’s your second born and last one home. She’s 18, confident, cool and so damn poised to go. All systems checked and ready to fly. I was consumed at work. I made sure of it. It’s called denial. I had briefs to write, an office to move, folks to hire. Jack did the ‘Dreaded Bed Bath & Beyond’ to buy all we already had in triplicate in our closets and attic to add to the landfills someday. Lucy wanted a new comforter. For some reason that was so

34 | Jewish News | September 14, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org

annoying to me. She subtlety reminded me she had chosen UVa while Zoe was hemorrhaging cash at NYU, so maybe I’d agree to spring the $58 for it. I relented. Why is there now a half-life to time? One year is now six months. She had her Bat Mitzvah two years ago it seemed. Prom was three weeks ago, right? Graduation yesterday! I’m losing precious slabs of moments. They peel away like earth in a landslide. I’d like just a little note in my outlook calendar that says “URGENT reminder: all that you once knew has changed in the past week so you must recalibrate regardless of any inclination to disregard this message!”

We did the drop off. Picture perfect. Roommate fantastic. Check. Dorm room with 14 foot ceilings and view of Blue Ridge mountains. Check. Comforter a hit. Check. Child left behind. Check. Gleeful smile on her face in rear view mirror. Check. We sit in tunnel traffic for an hour. No radio. Too many voices in my head already. My voices were saying we had raised an independent woman who got to start her own life now. We were ridiculously fortunate and she amazingly privileged. Maybe I will cry later. Of course I will. But today, on the drive home, I’ll just travel 65 to keep up. I don’t want to miss anything. Not one minute.

Jewish Summers

A French reconnection Michel C. Ashe, FAIA

never thought of myself as a child survivor until April 2011, when the Yom Hashoah guest speaker was Ruth Kap Hartz. It must have been an act of fate, “beshert,” that I met Ruth, herself a child survivor. When she spoke about her experience as a child, hidden in the south of France in the small towns of Arthes and St. Juery, I realized that we lived in the same towns between 1940 and 1945. We spoke, delved into our memories, and indeed forged a bond and became good friends. Ruth connected me with a wonderful man in France, Alain Fabre, who learned that some members of the families who hid my family, were still living in Arthes. Monsieur Fabre contacted those families and made arrangements for us to meet. And so, in early August, my wife, Marilyn, daughter Allison, granddaughters Jordan, Devon and Durant, and I traveled to France. It was an emotional and meaningful time for us all. After spending time in Paris, we flew to Toulouse, rented a car and drove through the countryside to St. Juery, where Monsieur Fabre and his wife greeted us at their home. Monsieur Fabre then escorted us to Arthes, where I was reunited with the families of the righteous gentiles, in particular Henri Lafon and Michel Dubec, who hid my family from 1940 through 1945. It was an overwhelming feeling to see these men with whom I played as a child, and whose families protected us. We cried and embraced. My French came back to me as we spoke. Walking the streets of Arthes, I was flooded with memories. Like many survivors, my parents spoke very little and reluctantly about their experiences during the war. However, with the help of other family members, my own memories, the story of my past, began to unfold. I was born in Paris in December 1939. Though my parents were born in Germany, my father considered himself French. In June 1940, Germany entered an undefended Paris, and France signed an armistice with Germany. In October 1940, a decree was issued for the arrest of foreign-born Jews. At that time, my mother was living with me in

Paris, as my father was “away.” Denounced by a neighbor, German soldiers arrived, but did not arrest my mother because she had a child, me. After August 1942, women and children were arrested and sent to concentration camps. In essence, my existence saved my mother’s life. Because my parents were active in the French Resistance and my father was “away,” (probably with the French Resistance), my mother knew to immediately leave Paris. With little in her possession except for me, she headed for safety in the south of France and found her way to Arthes, in the unoccupied zone, Vichy France. A hotbed of French Resistance, my father later joined her there. Arthes was a town of ordinary people who did an extraordinary thing. Those citizens, our neighbors, our friends, facing arrest, shame or even death, determined that what they were ordered to do— denounce Jews who were hiding and turn them over to the Vichy—was wrong. Knowing the consequences, they refused, and instead warned and hid us. Sixty-five years later, on an August day in 2015, standing in the Place Juares (the town square) in Arthes with my wife, daughter and granddaughters seemed surreal. My memories are vague, but I have recollections of the Place Juares: In the center of the Square was a large Crucifix. On one side of the Square was the apartment building, owned by the Lagreze family, where I lived with my parents. To rent to Jews without hesitation, was very brave of this family. On the other side of the Square was the Dubec family’s home, where my father had a tailor shop on the second floor. My father earned a living as a tailor, and according to Monsieur Dubec, sewed his first communion suit. Monsieur Dubec pointed out the exact room and window, which overlooked the square, that afforded my father a view when he worked. He showed my granddaughters the small space behind a false wall under the stairwell where my parents and I were often hidden from patrolling Germans or the Vichy police looking for Jews. On another side of the Square was the Blacksmith Shop, where my parents and I also hid. Michel Dubec reminded me of

one occasion that his father ran across the Place Juares to our apartment to tell my father that the Vichy police were coming to arrest us, that there was no time to get to the secret hiding place under the stairwell of his Mike Ashe and his parents, Paris, 1940. home. And so, we ran to the Blacksmith Shop, where Camille Igalens, the blacksmith, hid us in his shop. I have some memory of watching the Vichy police ransack our apartment and hearing the police chastise the informant because they could not find us. In the Place Juares, I remember an older man with a bushy mustache appearing every morning wearing an old WWI Army uniform, beating a drum, as he walked across the Square to the Crucifix. The drum cadence attracted everyone to listen. He would unroll a scroll and read the news. Little did I know that what he was reading was Vichy propaganda. When comparing memories with Ruth Hartz, she told me that he was a collaborator who threatened her family that unless they paid him, he would turn them in. After the war, I was told he was either killed by the Mike Ashe (center back) with Henri Lafon, Michel Dubec and Lucette Fedo. partisans or committed suicide. I remember playing with my friend, Henri (RiRi) Lafon, fishing on the Tarn River, playing marbles in the Town Square. The Lafon family knew we were Jewish, but welcomed us and never gave us away. At some time dur ing these years, as a very young boy, I was sent to a Catholic Convent/School in Arcachon, on the Atlantic Ocean, where I lived under the protection of continued on page 36

The Dubec’s home where the Ashe family hid.

jewishnewsva.org | September 14, 2015 | Jewish News | 35

Jewish Summers continued from page 35

these good Catholics for a year until it was safe for me to be returned to my parents in Arthes. The Place Juares that I remembered has changed. The Blacksmith Shop, Boulangerie and Maire are gone. However, the apartment where we lived, the Dubec home and the large Crucifix remain. A new town hall has been built. In the Town Hall, my family and I were formally greeted by the mayors of Arthes and St. Juery. I read in French a tribute and heartfelt words of gratitude to these good people, telling them that what they did for my family was a debt that could not be repaid. My granddaughters presented each family a small, engraved tray to the delight of these kind people. After a light reception, we drove to the neighboring town of Albi for lunch together. We enjoyed walking through old streets and over a 1,000-year-old bridge crossing the River Tarn, to a charming restaurant. It was a beautiful afternoon, which I will forever

treasure, before we had to say Au Revoir. My son Greg and his family visited Arthes one year ago in August 2014 and also had the privilege of meeting these wonderful people. In his emotional remarks to the same people, he cited a passage from the Talmud: “When you save one life, it’s as if you saved the whole world.” Indeed, because of the courage and compassion of these brave people, my parents had three additional children: my sister Nicole, who was born in France, sister Jacqueline and brother Steve who were born in the U.S. They all have children and grandchildren. Because of the courage and compassion of these people, I survived, and have lived a happy, healthy, successful life with Marilyn, my wife of 52 years, my son Greg and his wife Jordana, my son David and his wife Bethanie, my daughter Allison and her husband Forrest, and 11 grandchildren —Hannah, Sarah, Jeremy, Jordan, Deven, Durant, Tori, Trey, Hazel, Freddie, Henry. Who could ask for anything more? As a young child, not understanding

the dangers my family faced, I was not us a tour of Paris’ Shoah Memorial. Still, it was Monsieur Fabre who brought us fully aware that the very existence of all together. Monsieur Fabre is my family depended on the courAs not Jewish. The vice mayor of age, goodness, compassion and a young child, St. Juery, a journalist for the strength of these families, who local paper, and an activist, risked their own lives and not understanding Fabre says that members freedom to protect us. When the dangers my of his family were also mon ami, Michel Dubec family faced, I was not in the French Resistance was asked why they did this, he replied “It was the fully aware that the very in Arthes, Dept. of Tarn area, during the war. right thing to do.” existence of my family My family and I With assistance from Monsieur Alain Fabre and depended on the courage, honor the families Dubec, Lagreze, Lafon, Monsieur Claude Ungar goodness, compassion and Igalen who played such and his wife, we are in the process of preparing strength of these families, an important part in my survival. There are others personal testimony to nomwho risked their own whom I cannot remember. inate the Dubec, Lafon and lives and freedom to It was not until I was older Lagreze families as “Righteous that I began to understand Among the Nations” at Yad protect us. the magnitude of the actions of Vashem. The Ungars volunteer to the people of Arthes and realize help people pursue these nominathe debt I owed to all of them…a debt tions of French citizens. While in Paris, we had a wonderful lunch with Monsieur that can never be repaid. From the bottom of Ungar and his wife, after which they gave my heart I say Merci.

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Jewish Summers

Teens choose Jewish summers Josh Bensink

Ari Goldman

Program: Kutz Camp Affiliation: Union for Reform Judaism

Program: ILTC Affiliation: BBYO

ave you ever woken up from an amazing sleepover with your closest friends and said to yourself “that was the most fun I’ve ever had!”? Has it ever happened 26 times in a row? I had the pleasure of spending four and a half weeks with Josh Bensink (second from left) with this happening to me at the URJ NFTY-MAR board members at Kutz. Kutz Camp, NFTY’s summer home for Reform Jewish teens. Kutz is a NFTY leadership experience designed for teens looking for a challenging and exciting summer program that will enhance their skills in a specific area of interest such as the arts, leadership, Jewish studies, or the Mitzvah Corps program. As a participant, I had the amazing ability to choose my classes and create a schedule that best fits my needs. Being able to have so much freedom in my camp life made my experience more worthwhile. Kutz is where I have made my closest friends from across North America and around the world. The experiences I’ve had and the people I have met will stay with me throughout my entire life, and I can’t wait to see where they’ll take me. If home is where the heart is, then I left my heart in the rolling hills of Warwick, N.Y.—Kutz, my summer home.

Leah Cooper Program:BBYO Passport ILSI Affiliation: BBYO

ever in my life have I been excited to wake up at five in the morning. I mean, who would be? It’s early, cold, and requires copious amounts of coffee to handle well. But the three times I woke up at that hour in Israel led to some of Kaitlyn Kalfus, Camille Cooper, Jamie Katz, and Leah Cooper. my most meaningful days. The first was when my best friend, Jordan, and I snuck out of our hotel to watch the sunrise in Jerusalem, the second was to climb Masada before it got hot (luckily our next stop was the Dead Sea), and the final morning was spent praying and advocating with the Women of The Wall for equal rights. The International Leadership Seminar in Israel (ILSI) is the pinnacle summer program for teens in BBYO. Since freshman year I have done all the stops: CLTC, ILTC, and Kallah. I learned about leadership and discovered my own Jewish identity during these programs. But ILSI was something different. Waking up at five to see nothing but fog in the sky with Jordan, climbing Masada on a record hot morning, and being hit with sheckles from protesters (that we later donated to tzedakah) were all experiences I would have never had on my own. Though small, these tiny moments added up to create the most amazing Jewish summer I could have ever imagined!

his summer I attended BBYO’s Summer Experiences: ILTC. This is a three-week camp in the mountains of Pennsylvania designed to develop leadership skills and help Jewish teens like myself find our Jewish identities. Ari Goldman with friends. It was difficult terrain, mediocre food, cold, wet and absolutely incredible. There, among 250 other Jewish teens that I am proud to call my family, I discovered what it meant to be culturally Jewish. I learned that my identity is mine to choose. I was not taught how to be Jewish, but rather taught how to explore the idea of Judaism in my own way. My Judaism, much like my experience at ILTC, is what I make of it. I am proud of my Jewish faith because it is simultaneously individual to me, and shared among millions of others like me. So how was camp this summer? I guess you could say it was pretty good.

Deni Budman Program: Kutz Camp Affiliation: Union for Reform Judaism

utz does whatever it takes to get a message across and teach a lesson in an innovative way. For my third summer, I participated in a month-long minor for regional leaders where we learned new skills and how to bring them back to our NFTY regions. One day in the middle of camp, we Deni Budman (second from left) with NFTY-MAR board members at Kutz. sluggishly walked into the Beit Am to wait for the program to begin. Instructed to sit in a circle, one of the directors of Youth Engagement, Mike Fuld, sat down with us and told us he was about to give us a very important task which he would only state once so we must listen carefully. The room fell silent and he quietly announced, “You have exactly 1 minute. 60 seconds. Get in the pool. GO! 60, 59, 58…” We all looked around and there was a brief moment of sheer panic until one person stood up and started running. Shoes were thrown and phones were dropped in the last leg of the trip, and suddenly there were 30 fully clothed teenagers diving into the pool on the other side of camp. After splashing around and laughing at what we had just done, the instructors finally reached the pool and we discussed the importance of having fun as a leader and taking a leap of faith (literally). Finally, they said that you can never ask someone else to do something that you aren’t willing to do yourself and they jumped into the pool. This lesson really resonated with me and will stick with me forever. It was just one of the moments that makes Kutz so special. I really can call 46 Bowen Road, Warwick, N.Y. my home.

jewishnewsva.org | September 14, 2015 | Jewish News | 37

it’s a wrap Beth El Schmoozes at the Shore

or the fourth consecutive year, members of Beth El enjoyed another beautiful summer Sunday at the beach with the annual Schmooze at the Shore by playing in the sand, swimming in the bay, eating a tasty dinner, spending time with friends and meeting new people. It was an especially great opportunity to meet and welcome Cantor Wendi Fried, her husband Gigi and their three young boys. At the bay, attendees “walked on water” with an amazing sandbar, caught-up on each other’s summer adventures, built sand forts and some children tried riding the waves on a surf board. “Sandbars, the sand castles, the sand in my youngest child’s diaper. We had it all,” says David Ashe, who attended with his family. Shawn Lemke, the event chair, and his crew prepared the evening’s feast at a pavilion near the trails. The Beth El crowd swelled around the picnic tables as new arrivals joined the beach-goers for the cookout dinner. After all the swimming, playing, feasting, tree climbing, playground

Children of Beth El with Cantor Wendi and Rabbi Jeff Arnowitz.

activities, prizes and chatting, the evening ended with mincha and ma’ariv in the park. This event ranks high among Beth El events for many members who return each year. Bethany Prince and her family (including two dogs) attended and says, “the Prince Family always looks forward to the annual tradition of a beach day for the congregation. Each year, the attendance has increased. Beth El is working to become more then just shul—but a place where you can make connections.” Jody Wagner says, “The Schmooze at the Shore event was fabulous—the picnic site was filled with Beth El children and

Kids at the beach.

babies! The shore was definitely the place to be that Sunday!”

Local teachers attend conference at U.S. Holocaust Museum by Lynn Woods and Ellen Sullivan

here is a face behind every tragedy. A real family living in a neighborhood. A real person possessing a name. A real child clutching a toy. Teaching about the Holocaust is teaching about people. It is not just about dates and places and religions. It’s about people. Real people. This was the underlying principle of the 2015 Arthur and Rochelle Belfer National Conference for Educators at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) held in July and attended by English teachers Lynn Woods of St. Gregory the Great Catholic School and Ellen Sullivan of Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School. Woods and Sullivan received the 2015 Excellence in Holocaust Education Awards sponsored by the UJFT Holocaust Commission. The three-day conference focused on

38 | Jewish News | September 14, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org

challenges and strategies in teaching the Holocaust to middle and high school students. Attended by more than 150 teachers from across the U.S. and Canada, the conference was guided by knowledgeable and USHMM-trained high school teachers with practical experience, who taught about specific aspects of the Holocaust and offered ideas on teaching a range of books and videos to explore in the classroom. Lesson plans centered on the imperative of connecting students to historical events by focusing on individuals and their experiences before, during and after the Holocaust. They also expanded beyond the Holocaust and included discussions on the genocides in Sudan and Cambodia. One of the challenges in teaching the Holocaust to middle and high school students is getting them past the idea that it is a series of historical events from which

they can remain aloof. The possibilities for this are endless, and creative, hands-on lesson ideas were offered. Like the museum itself—which the teachers had full access to at any time—the focus is on real people within the series of historical events. Lessons can focus on well-known individuals such as Anne Frank and Elie Wiesel, or lesser knowns such as Nessie Godin, a survivor whose Identification Card is among the museum visitor selection options, and who spoke to the educators with candor and humor. What were their circumstances? How did they respond? What were their experiences and how did they feel about them? Exploring the events though the eyes, ears and hearts of individuals is the most effective way to teach the Holocaust, and gives future generations the best chance of following through with “never again.”

Book Review A refreshing, erotic and honest collection

texts represent good examples for his introductory explanation that writers are “embellishers, inventors… [and] exaggerators who[…] tell personal lies in order to The Greatest Jewish-American tell impersonal truths.” Thus, a story like Lover in Hungarian History My French Wife provides the pseudo-autobiMichael Blumenthal ographical frame, within which the author Etruscan Press, 2014 is free to mix fact and fiction, thereby turn218 pages ing personal and cultural differences time and again into amusing and enlightening ichael Blumenthal Dr. Frederick domestic scenes. has been called “one A. Lubich Being the son of German-Jewish refuof the natural poets of his generation” by no less than the late Irish gees, Michael Blumenthal’s first language poet Seamus Heaney, a winner of the was German and accordingly, references Nobel Prize in Literature. Blumenthal is the to German culture and history surface author of prize-winning novels as well as repeatedly. But when having the option between speaking German or Hungarian, several highly acclaimed books of poetry. In his introductory note to this col- his literary hero sojourning in Hungary rather speaks broken Hungarian lection of short stories, the author than fluent German, which the writes: “In my ‘real life’, I am, a narrator calls his fictional dopprofessor, pledged and comAlthough pelgänger’s “own, historically mitted to seeking and finding most of the tainted, mother tongue.” the truth as best as we Like Blumenthal who merely lawyerly humans authors’ literary spends his summers usucan…In my ‘other’ life, I am a writer, committed to heroes are beyond ally teaching in Budapest and enjoying his free another kind of truth.… What follows are works their midlife crisis, time in an artist colony on Lake Balaton, some of fiction, howsoever many of them are of his alter egos follow they may depend for their him—although more or genesis and some of their still restless and less under cover. details on actual occurCertainly the most rences and actual people full of longing. formative leitmotiv of the in my life, myself included. majority of Blumenthal’s texts What they are decidedly not… is the theme of aging satyrs who are mere autobiographical vignettes are haunted by the memories of their disguised as something else.” The author takes the reader to a variety youth, the halcyon days of “free love” of places, including Texas, Cambridge in in the 60s. Probably one of the most Massachusetts, Vienna, Paris and Israel memorable and emblematic impressions and time and again to Hungary. One of the author’s literary explorations are the recurring feature in these stories are refer- rows of prostitutes offering their services ences to prominent representatives of the along the touristic highway around Lake canon of Western literature such as Zola, Balaton. Identifying Hungary as the “home Byron, Dostoyevsky and Thomas Mann, to some eighty percent of the world’s porn as well as their various literary heroes actresses” these Hungarian fields seem to and heroines ranging from Anna Karenina be the Promised Land for all sex-starved and Madam Bovary to Hans Castorp in men hungry for erotic gratification. In a follow-up story titled “The Whores” Thomas Mann’s Magic Mountain, Hermione in D.H. Lawrence’s Women in Love and the author’s narrator continues to map Dostoyevsky’s Raskolnikov, one of his fic- this landscape of lust and lucre and in the process, reality begins to morph more and tional protagonists’ favorite characters. The obviously literary texts are inter- more into satirical graffiti, reminiscent of spersed with clearly autobiographical Nathanael West’s most famous novellas pieces which repeatedly describe the Miss Lonelyhearts and The Day of the Locust, author’s life with his French wife. These where Amercian dreams transmogrify into

Expressionist nightmares. Although most of the authors’ literary heroes are beyond their midlife crisis, many of them are still restless and full of longing, while others are resigned to the erotic eclipse of their lives, like the aging professor in the story They: an AntiRomance of whom we read: “He loved these late autumn afternoons—the air crispening, the light slanting toward melancholy and darkness.” Michael Blumenthal’s short stories certainly reflect and match the sexual passions in the fictional universe of Philip Roth, with whom he has been compared, but in addition, he also brings to his narratives the personal memories and experiences of Old World histories and their present realities. Refreshing in their erotic energy and satirical vibrancy, and last but not least, in their elegiac honesty, these stories represent a remarkable contribution to the understanding of modern man and his contemporary condition. —Dr. Frederick A. Lubich is professor of German at Old Dominion University.

Rabbi Ellen Jaffe-Gill

Newly appointed Rabbi of Tidewater Chavurah serving Tidewater’s unaff iliated Jews and spiritual seekers as

Lifecycle Officiant Jewish Educator & Tutor rabbicantorejg@gmail.com 215-359-7806

what’s happening Dennis Ross and Alan Dershowitz on the U.S.-Israel relationship Live via Satellite at Beth El — Sunday, Oct. 18, 7:15 pm by Rabbi Jeff Arnowitz

n a post-Iran deal world, after all of the turmoil and debate in Washington, D.C. and within the global Jewish community, one cannot help but wonder about the future of the U.S.-Israel relationship. While the rhetoric has at times been strident from those on both sides of the issue, all have consistently agreed that no matter the outcome, the future closeness of these closest of allies was never in jeopardy. So what will that look like in reality? Get answers from the experts as Congregation Beth El and the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater present Dennis Ross and Alan Dershowitz in a conversation with Ethan Bronner about the U.S.-Israel relationship past, present and future. The event will be broadcast live via satellite from the 92nd Street Y in New York City. Dennis Ross has been a direct participant in shaping U.S. policy towards Israel and the Middle East for nearly 30 years—first in the George H. W. Bush administration, then as Bill Clinton’s Middle East Peace envoy, and then as a special assistant to the president under Barack Obama. His new book about the history of

Dennis Ross

Alan Dershowitz

U.S.-Israel relations is Doomed to Succeed. Alan Dershowitz has been a consultant to several presidential commissions and has advised presidents, U.N. officials, prime ministers, governors, senators and members of Congress. His latest book is The Case Against The Iran Deal: How Can We Now Stop Iran from Getting Nukes? The moderator, Ethan Bronner, is the senior editor for international news at Bloomberg. This event is made possible through a grant from the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and the Milton Kramer Scholar-in-Residence Fund of Beth El. To attend and participate in this timely conversation on this most crucial issue, RSVP to Beth El at 757‑625-7821 or to noelle@bethelnorfolk.com. The cost is $5. Dessert and beverages will be served at 7:15 pm. The broadcast begins at 7:30 pm

Reading begins for Book Festival Henna House author: Tuesday, Nov. 10, 7 pm, Simon Family JCC

he annual “community read” book for the Simon Family JCC’s Lee and Bernard Jaffe* Jewish Book Festival is now available for purchase. Henna House is an evocative and stirring novel about a young woman living in the fascinating and rarely portrayed community of Yemenite Jews of the mid-20th century. Nomi Eve, the acclaimed author of The Family Orchard, writes as an enthralling story of a woman, her family, their community, and the rituals that bind them. Eve has had numerous stories and essays appear in The New York Times, Glimmer Train Stories, The Voice Literary Supplement, Conjunctions, and The International Quarterly. She teaches fiction writing at Bryn Mawr and lives in Philadelphia with her family. An actual henna artist will be showcased at the Book Festival to coincide with Eve’s presentation. “Henna House is an intimate family portrait and a panorama of history,” says her website. “From the traditions of the

Yemenite Jews, to the far-ranging devastation of the Holocaust, to the birth of the State of Israel, Eve offers an unforgettable coming-of-age story and a textured chronicle of a fascinating period in the 20th century.” “I really enjoyed this book,” says Anne Kramer, Book Festival chair. “It explores the diversity of the people (Muslim and Jews) in Yemen, and how they coexist.” “I loved the strong-willed main character Adela, daughter of a sickly father and traditional mother and an extensive tightknit family,” says Linda Peck, Book Festival committee member. “To avoid the dreaded Confiscator, a state official authorized to give Jewish orphans to Muslim families to raise as their own, Adela must be engaged at the ridiculous age of eight. “Her capers with her betrothed are delightful to read, but the magical part of the book occurs after her aunt moves to the village and introduces her to the art of henna,” says Peck. “At times I felt I was among the women watching the brides getting their arms and legs hennaed before their weddings.” The book is available at the JCC front desk. *of blessed memory

Glen Campbell’s I’ll Be Me Sunday, Oct. 11, 2 pm; Thursday, Oct. 15, 7 pm Sandler Family Campus

I The Mothers Circle Sundays, Sept. 27, Oct. 4, Oct. 18, 10 am–11 am

he second series of The Mothers Circle, free programming for women who were not raised Jewish, but are raising Jewish children, begins this month. The group will meet at Ohef Sholom Temple.

Free babysitting is available by advanced request. Contact Linda Peck at linda@ohefsholom.org or 625-4295 to RSVP or for more information.

40 | Jewish News | September 14, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org

n 2011, the music legend Glen Campbell set out on an unprecedented tour across America, thinking it would last five weeks. Instead, it went for 151 spectacular sold out shows over a triumphant year and a half. What made this tour extraordinary was that Campbell had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He was told to hang up his guitar and prepare for the inevitable. Campbell and his wife chose to go public with his diagnosis and announced that he and his family would set out on a “Goodbye Tour.” I’ll Be Me documents this amazing journey as he and his family attempt to navigate the wildly unpredictable nature of Campbell’s progressing disease using love, laughter and music as their

medicine of choice. Special appearances include Bruce Springsteen, The Edge, Paul McCartney, Blake Shelton, Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Taylor Swift, Steve Martin, Chad Smith, and Bill Clinton among many others. After the movie, the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions of medical professionals who specialize in Alzheimer’s and dementia, including Dr. Hamid R. Okhravi of the Glennan Center at EVMS. Both showings are free, but registration is required by calling 757-452-6944. The film is presented by Beth Sholom Village; EVMS Glennan Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology; Freda H. Gordon Hospice & Palliative Care of Tidewater; Jewish Family Service of Tidewater; and the Simon Family JCC.

what’s happening Stop & Shop…and support a great cause Jewish Family Service of Tidewater’s Helping Hearts project

Sunday, Oct. 11, 1–5 pm, Sandler Family Campus

ore than 25 direct sales and community vendors and crafters will participated in Jewish Family Service of Tidewater’s 2nd Annual Holiday Stop & Shop at the Sandler Family Campus. Among those displaying their wares will be Avon, In a Pikle, Pampered Chef, Premier Designs jewelry, Mary & Martha, Pink Zebra, 31 Gifts, Tastefully Simple, and Tupperware. Proceeds from vendor fees and door prize tickets will benefit JFS’ Helping Hearts project. Now in its 11th year, the Helping Hearts project provides indigent adults with gifts for the holidays. It’s hard to imagine spending a holiday alone, but sadly, many adults in Tidewater do just that. Dorothy Salomonsky, director of JFS’ Personal Affairs Management program, says, “Many of the recipients live off of $30 per month, and have little or no family or friends to see during the holiday months.

Holiday Stop & Shop

From Farm to Fork FRESH, LOCALLY GROWN SALAD GREENS NEVER ANY PESTICIDES & ALWAYS GMO-FREE TASTE THE DIFFERENCE in our salads! Try our Summer Kale & Cranberry Salad and our Baby Kale Caesar Salad!

Jewish Family service oF TidewaTer’s helping hearTs proJecT

This year, we hope to provide 1,000 adults with these gifts to let them know they are not alone and to spread a little cheer.” A number of the individuals served by this project are part of the JFS Personal Affairs Management (PAM) program for incapacitated adults. The event is free and open to the public. For a complete list of vendors and more details, visit www.jfshamptonroads.org/ miscellaneous-events.

www.bakerscrust.com

First Person

Kehillat Bet Hamidrash/Kempsville Conservative Synagogue supports Team Meyera Sunday, October 11, Neptune Park, Virginia Beach by Ailene Kaufman

ot only was she our mayor, she was our friend. She regaled us with stories of her life and political experiences; she celebrated Shabbat and holidays with us in the synagogue and in our homes. We celebrated and mourned with her. We admired her leadership and her love for her family and friends and we admired her for all she did for the city of Virginia Beach. And then, Alzheimer’s started to take the Meyera we knew away from us. Even in her diagnosis, the Honorable Mayor Meyera Oberndorf took the opportunity to ‘do good’ and, as she did throughout her life, make a difference. You may remember the newspaper articles about her personal battle with this dreaded disease and her willingness to wear a Virginia Beach Police Project Lifesaver’s bracelet in the hope that

others would do the same. In 2013, in honor of Meyera, 101 current and past city employees, including members of the Virginia Beach Police Department’s Project Lifesaver board and volunteers, formed Team Meyera in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. The team raised nearly $12,000. Members of Kempsville Conservative Synagogue/Kehillat Bet Hamidrash will join Virginia Beach Project Lifesaver in promoting Team Meyera to continue to “do good” in her memory at the 2015 Walk to End Alzheimer’s. The team hopes to raise $20,000 in Meyera’s memory, while raising awareness and providing funds for care, support, and research. To make a donation to support the team or walk with the congregation, go to https://act.alz. org/goto/teammeyera. For more information, email kbhsynagogue@gmail.com.

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Hilltop North Shopping Center • 757-422-0888 jewishnewsva.org | September 14, 2015 | Jewish News | 41

WHAT

Not raised Jewish but interested in learning more about raising children with Jewish traditions? Join The Mothers Circle! The Mothers Circle is a FREE 14-session course for mothers (or mothers-to-be) to explore Jewish practices and ethics. Open to women who are not Jewish or are Jewish by choice.

RSVP

WHERE

WHEN

Sunday mornings 10 - 11 am:

September 27 October 4 October 18

November 1 November 8

November 22 December 13

Babysitting is available upon request.

Ohef Sholom Temple, 530 Raleigh Avenue, Norfolk Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMothersCircleCoastalVirginia A program of

Linda Peck Ohef Sholom Temple

www.bigtentjudaism.org