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37 Lorraine Fink: Then and Now Leon Family Gallery August - September
Sentara Is One of the Nation’s Top 15 Health Systems Sentara Healthcare has been nationally recognized for excellence among the 15 Top Health Systems in 2021 by IBM Watson Health. This is the second time Sentara received this prestigious honor, which highlights top-performing U.S. health systems with excellent clinical outcomes, operational efficiency and patient experience. Winning health systems have demonstrated exceptional performance in quality outcomes, clinical efficiency and community value. This recognition would not be possible without our clinical teams, nurses, physicians, team members and leaders across the communities we serve.
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US Jews getting younger on average, massive religions survey finds
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Ron Kampeas
( JTA)—The median age of American Jews has dropped from 52 to 48 since 2013, according to a massive survey of Americans and religion, making Jews one of only two religious groups to grow younger on average. Every other religious grouping except for mainline Protestants tended to age during the same period, although a number remained on average younger than Jews. The median age for all Americans was 47, the survey found. The Public Religion Research Institute survey, published Thursday, July 8 was based on interviews with close to 500,000 people from 2013 until now. The survey, which said Jews comprise 1% of the population, also found,
unsurprisingly, that Jews “are primarily concentrated in the Northeast and areas around New York City.” A majority of Jews, 51%, live in suburban areas, 40% live in urban areas and just 8% live in rural areas. Politically, 44% of Jews identify as Democrats, 31% identify as Independent and 22% as Republican. Among counties, the highest concentration of Jews, 18%, was in Rockland County, New York, which has a large haredi Orthodox population; the same county was also seventh among the 10 most religiously diverse counties in the country. The counties with the 10 highest concentrations of Jews included six in New York, two in New Jersey and one each in Florida and Maryland. Jews were one of three groupings among which a majority had college
degrees: 58% of Jews, 59% of Unitarian Universalists and 67% of Hindus had degrees. The report’s findings on age largely align with an earlier study this year by the Pew Research Center, which put the median age for Jews at 49. The Pew study also found that Orthodox Jews had a younger median age (35) than Conservative (62) and Reform Jews (53). The report’s major takeaway is that a precipitous drop in recent decades among white Christians has stabilized, and the grouping seems settled at about 44% of the country. More than 80% of Americans identified as white Christians in 1976, NPR reported, and that proportion was at two-thirds in 1996. The number dropped below 50% in 2012 and was as low as 42% in 2018.
Israel becomes first country to offer a 3rd COVID vaccine dose Ben Sales
(JTA)—Israel has begun inviting immunocompromised adults to receive a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, as case rates in the country have risen again due to the spread of the Delta variant. Israel led the world in vaccinating most of its population early this year, and the country fully reopened as COVID
cases plummeted to a low of single digits during a few days in late May and early June. But cases have since spiked back up to more than 400 per day. In response, Israel is the first country in the world to approve a third dose of the vaccine as a booster shot, according to The Times of Israel. Earlier this month, Pfizer asked countries to approve a booster dose for those who have received a vaccine.
Upfront . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
JFS Employee Appreciation Celebration. . . . . . 34
Briefs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Jewish Life at BSV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
JDC cares for vulnerable citizens . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Temple Israel’s Mitzvah of the Month. . . . . . . . 36
Jewish athletes to watch at Olympics. . . . . . . . . 6
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Pam Blais recognized as Hometown Hero. . . . . 10
Lorraine Fink’s exhibition at Simon Family JCC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Special Section: Guide to Jewish Living. . . . . . 11 Camp JCC: great summer fun. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 The Wagners pledge support for Jewish future. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 SIA’s Class of 2021 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Who Knew?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 YAD goes to the Tides. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
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On the heels of the approval of the booster shot, the Tel Aviv-area Sheba Medical Center, Israel’s largest hospital, invited recipients of heart transplants to get a booster shot. A majority of Israelis are vaccinated. In addition to authorizing the booster shot, Israel also brought back an indoor mask mandate in an effort to curb rising infections.
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BRIEFS BIDEN KNEELS BEFORE ORTHODOX ADVISER TO ISRAEL’S PRESIDENT AFTER LEARNING SHE HAS 12 CHILDREN President Joe Biden has had four children of his own, but he is clearly impressed by mothers who raise more. In a meeting with Israel’s outgoing president Reuven Rivlin at the White House last month, Biden knelt before Rivlin’s bureau chief, a haredi Orthodox woman named Rivka Ravitz, in deference to the fact that she has 12 children. The news site Kipa.co.il reported on the moment, based on photos taken of the encounter by reporters accompanying the Israeli presidential delegation. Rivlin had mentioned to Biden that Ravitz, 45, a key adviser for years, runs a household of 13 in addition to her demanding job when the president knelt before her to express his admiration. Rivlin clasped his hands in apparent surprise as he and Ravitz looked down on Biden, who lowered one knee to the floor and bowed his head. Rivlin was replaced as president by Isaac Herzog, who headed the Jewish Agency. The trip to the United States was Rivlin’s last overseas trip as president. Ravitz’s father was born in the United States. She studied to be a teacher in Jerusalem and became a parliamentary aide to the late Avraham Ravitz, a haredi communal leader and former lawmaker in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. He was her father-in-law. She began working for Rivlin in 1999, when he was a lawmaker. (JTA) YANKEES MAKE JEWISH WOMAN BATGIRL 60 YEARS AFTER TURNING HER DOWN If Gwen Goldman had been named a batgirl for the New York Yankees and not been given the honor of throwing out the first pitch, it would have been enough. A retired social worker from Westport, Connecticut, Goldman, 70, got to be a batgirl at a Yankees game last month, 60 years after the team turned her down because she was a girl. General Manager Brian Cashman proffered the invite after hearing that she had been rejected for the position in 1961.
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Goldman still has the letter she received that year from then-GM Roy Hamey, who explained that “a young lady such as yourself would feel out of place in a dugout.” Goldman not only got a turn in the dugout, but threw out the first pitch, wore the classic Yankee pinstriped uniform, and met the players. “It just kept coming and coming,” she said of the honors, adding “dayenu,” the Hebrew word meaning that just one of the gestures would have been sufficient. (JTA)
BIDEN TAPS LA’S JEWISH MAYOR TO BE US AMBASSADOR TO INDIA President Joe Biden nominated Los Angeles’ Jewish mayor, Eric Garcetti, to be his ambassador to India. In announcing the nomination Friday, July 9, the White House emphasized Garcetti’s experience in leading an international city. Garcetti, 50, who was raised Jewish and attended Jewish summer camp, was a co-chairman of Biden’s presidential campaign and helped select his running mate, Kamala Harris. “As mayor, Garcetti oversees the busiest container port in the Western Hemisphere, the largest municipal utility in the country, and one of the busiest airports in the world,” the announcement said. “Garcetti co-founded Climate Mayors and led more than 400 U.S. mayors to adopt the Paris Climate agreement.” Garcetti said last December he would not seek a post in the Biden administration, saying he was needed in Los Angeles to lead it through the coronavirus pandemic and the unrest that engulfed American cities after a Minneapolis policeman murdered George Floyd in May 2020. Garcetti, whose term was due to end in December 2022, told The Los Angeles Times that his skills would be put to good use in India. “We can’t get our climate goals without India hitting its climate goals,” he said. “We can’t see the economy truly reopened to international commerce and tourism until COVID is under control. We’re all very closely connected.” A network of city mayors Garcetti leads, C40 Cities, has assisted India
in addressing two of its most pressing problems— meeting climate change challenges, and a resurgence of the COVID virus. Garcetti, first elected in 2013, is Los Angeles’ first Jewish mayor since 1878. He has Mexican heritage on his father’s side and Russian Ashkenazi heritage on his mother’s side. (JTA)
FACEBOOK PROVIDES HOLOCAUST EDUCATION IN 12 LANGUAGES— INCLUDING GERMAN Facebook is expanding its efforts to combat Holocaust denial by directing users to Holocaust education materials in 12 languages, including Arabic, Russian and German. Beginning in January, people who searched in English for information about the Holocaust or Holocaust denial were given a prompt to visit AboutHolocaust. org, a website that provides basic facts about the genocide and provides testimonies by survivors. The site is now available in several other widely spoken languages. The site is a project of the World Jewish Congress and UNESCO, the United Nations cultural organization. “It is essential that people all over the world have access to factually accurate information about the Holocaust,” UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said. “In the context of the global rise of misinformation, social media platforms have a role to play in combating false narratives and hate, and redirecting users to reliable sources of information.” The expansion of the Holocaust education site continues an about-face for Facebook that began last year, when the social media giant said it would ban Holocaust denial, after years of defending its distribution as a kind of misinformed but legitimate expression. The WJC has worked with Facebook on fighting Holocaust denial. Last year, before the policy change, the Anti-Defamation League co-organized a high-profile advertising boycott of Facebook to protest its approach to hate speech. (JTA)
AIPAC CANCELS 2022 POLICY CONFERENCE, CITING LINGERING PANDEMIC CONCERNS The American Israel Public Affairs Committee will not host a policy conference in 2022, the second consecutive year it has made the decision citing COVID-19 pandemic concerns. “The health and safety of our conference delegates is our top priority each year,” AIPAC President Betsy Berns Korn said in an email Monday, July 12. “Unfortunately, there are still too many questions that remain unanswered to move forward responsibly, and thus we have made the decision to cancel the 2022 AIPAC Policy Conference.” According to a source close to the pro-Israel lobby organization, the decision was made now because deadlines were looming to sign contractual agreements for conference space, hotels, and other amenities. With the pandemic not fully under control, and with reports of spikes in more deadly variants elsewhere in the world, the source said that the risks of mounting a conference were too great. “This decision may seem surprising as we appear to be entering a post-pandemic world,” Berns Korn said. “However, with uncertainty around the continued spread of COVID, we still have a fragile and uncertain path back to normal travel and mass gatherings.” AIPAC’s 2020 conference took place just as the pandemic accelerated and at least two of its participants were among the first to have contracted the virus. Another concern, the AIPAC source said, was that activists may not be able to fully access congressional offices on the last day of the conference, when thousands of activists lobby in person for a three-point legislative agenda based on what AIPAC’s staff have determined are the most pressing needs of the year. Unlike other Jewish groups, AIPAC this year opted not to run a conference online, instead focusing on a series of smaller online meetings throughout the year. The AIPAC sources said that some regional events may return to being in-person. (JTA)
YOUR DOLLARS AT WORK
Peace in Israel is fragile but support is stronger than ever Lisa Richmon
T
he pandemic surges and lulls before it rises again, but attacks on Israeli peace remains a front burner issue that never lets up. United Jewish Federation of Tidewater continues its partnership with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, known as The Joint or JDC. The Joint was founded in 1914, during World War 1, as the first Jewish organization in the United States to dispense large scale funding for international relief, just like programs created to aid Israel today. Money raised by JDC also funds programs that repair and rebuild some of the most distressed Jewish communities around the world. For 10 days in May, the world watched as sirens blared, rockets fell, and social unrest erupted across Israel. Amid that crisis, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and The Joint went to work as overseas partners, caring for the most vulnerable citizens and meeting their most urgent needs.
Eco farm in Israel.
JDC physical therapy visit in Israel.
“Thanks to the support from UJFT, JDC-developed programs touch one million of Israel’s most vulnerable in any given week,” says Sandy Katz, JDC’s senior director, Strategic Relations. “This partnership support knows no bounds; they know they have family ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with them when the next crisis hits, or the next siren sounds.” Meeting new challenges is part of that outreach. This latest flareup revealed the toll taken on Israel’s over-taxed social workers and mentors who are on call 24/7 to assist families and young adults with a wide range of needs. JDC, with the help of Tidewater’s Israel Emergency Fund, ensures support for these caregivers and social welfare professionals through a program called “Helping the Helpers.” Tidewater is working with JDC to meet the psychological needs of those living in crisis-affected areas along the Gaza border and in the city Lod, which was plagued by Arab-Jewish rioting. There, particularly among local schoolchildren, therapy and emotional support help them deal with the trauma, heal, and mend ties among neighbors. Financial concerns loom large for Israelis as the recent crisis exacerbated the pandemic’s economic toll. Located just three miles from the Gaza border, Kibbutz Magen serves as a pilot site for JDC’s Skill Up Initiative, which provides Israeli workers with the training and tools they need to advance their careers and provide for their families. It is just one of JDC’s employment initiatives which have benefitted more than 20,000 Israelis in the last year. Fabián Stark is a proud participant of Skill Up, where he received job training and now works at the solar energy factory located in the kibbutz. Throughout the pandemic, and in the face of constant threat of rockets, Skill Up remained open, so Israelis like Fabián wouldn’t have to
worry about employment and supporting their families. “I go to work despite all of this because this is what we decided,” says Stark. “We live here. And we will overcome this just like we have overcome many things in the
past. That’s the Jewish people.” This is part of a series of articles spotlighting local and overseas partner agencies that are beneficiaries of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s annual Community Campaign.
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JEWISH ATHLETES
Tokyo Olympics: All the Jewish athletes to watch The Jewish athletes competing this year—and there are many—are the products of inspiring journeys. There’s the fencer looking for redemption, Israel’s first Olympic surfer, one of the greatest canoe paddlers of all time, a teen track star para-athlete, and so many more.
Emily Burack
(JTA)—The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are finally happening, a full year after they were planned. And yes, they’re still being called the 2020 Olympics, even though they’re happening in 2021.
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The games run July 23 through Aug. 8; the Paralympics, Aug. 24 to Sept. 5. Here are some of the inspiring Jewish athletes to root for. Sue Bird, Basketball, USA Is Sue Bird one of the greatest Jewish athletes of all time? Perhaps. The basketball legend has won gold medals with the U.S. women’s basketball team in the last four—yes, four—Olympics. (The team has not lost at the games since 1992.) Bird, now 40, is back for her fifth, and likely last, Olympics. The child of a Jewish father and non-Jewish mother, Bird was born and raised in Syosset, Long Island. She’s been a basketball star since her debut for the University of Connecticut in 1998 and selection as the WNBA’s No. 1 overall draft pick in 2002 by the Seattle Storm. In her nearly 20 years as a pro, Bird has won four WNBA championships (including last year in the COVID-19 bubble) and is a 12-time All-Star. Bird also gained Israeli citizenship in 2006 in a basketball-motivated decision, so she could play for European teams. Linoy Ashram Rhythmic Gymnastics, Israel Israel’s best chance at winning a medal is 22-year-old Linoy Ashram. The Mizrahi and Sephardi gymnast (her father is Yemeni Jewish and her mother is Greek Jewish) is set to compete in her first Olympics after winning in the individual rhythmic category at the European Championships in 2020—the first athlete to take the gold medal in decades who was not from a former Soviet country or Bulgaria. Ashram has many firsts for her country: She’s the first rhythmic gymnast from Israel to win an individual all-around medal at the World Championships, the first to win gold in the World Cup series and the first to win a European AllAround title. Diego Schwartzman, Tennis, Argentina Diego Schwartzman is the highest-ranked
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Jewish tennis player in the world. Last year he broke into the top 10 for the first time, becoming the shortest top 8 player since 5-foot-6 Harold Solomon, also Jewish, in 1981. The Argentine’s listed height of 5-7 is called “one of the more generous measurements in professional sports”—he likely stands around 5-4 (the U.S. Open lists him at 5-5). Watching him go shot to shot with players that are over a foot taller is nothing short of remarkable. Nicknamed “El Peque,” or “Shorty,” the 28-year-old is set to play in his first Olympics. Schwartzman is open about and proud of his Jewish identity. Last year he wrote movingly on his family’s Holocaust history, and how his great-grandfather escaped a train car headed for a concentration camp and ended up in Argentina. Alix Klineman, Beach volleyball, USA Alix Klineman had played indoor volleyball for Stanford in college and professionally following her graduation in 2011. But in 2016, she failed to make the U.S. Olympic Volleyball Team and vowed to find another way to compete at the games. So, she switched to beach volleyball. Unlike indoor volleyball, which has teams with rosters selected by coaches, beach volleyball is a two-person sport dependent on your own results with a partner. Klineman teamed with two-time Olympian April Ross and they quickly rose in the rankings. They are entering the Tokyo Games with a world ranking of No. 2, with a more than solid chance of winning gold. Klineman, 31, was raised in Southern California in a Jewish family. In 2015, she was inducted into the SoCal Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Anat Lelior, Surfing, Israel Anat Lelior is Israel’s first—and only— Olympic surfer. Surfing is new to the Olympics, and only 20 men and 20 women will be competing this summer. Lelior, 21, qualified as the highest-ranked female surfer from Europe (Israel competes in continued on page 8
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JEWISH ATHLETES continued from page 6
European leagues). Lelior, who hails from Tel Aviv and served in the Israeli military, started surfing at 5, and by 12 she had won the Israeli national championships. Team Israel, Baseball, Israel The Cinderella story continues. In 2017, Israel’s national baseball team—which included several American Jewish players who became Israeli citizens to represent the country—surprised observers by placing sixth at the World Baseball Classic, an international tournament of the world’s best teams with wins over top squads from South Korea, Chinese Taipei, the Netherlands and Cuba. Israel was far from a top-10 powerhouse at the time, not even ranked in the top 10 teams in Europe. Along the way, the team ginned up enthusiasm for baseball in Israel and gave some under-the-radar Jewish players, many who had spent several years in the
minor leagues, new chances to shine. Oh, and there was that endearing mascot—a life-sized Mensch on a Bench. In 2019, Team Israel won the European Baseball Championship to qualify for the Olympics. The current roster is anchored by de facto captain Danny Valencia—who has Cuban and Jewish heritage—and Ian Kinsler, a former four-time MLB All-Star who made it to Israel on one of the last flights before COVID-19 shutdowns last year to earn his Israeli citizenship. Jessica Fox, Canoe slalom, Australia Jessica Fox is known as the greatest paddler of all time: She has 10 World Championship medals, including seven gold medals, and seven overall World Cup titles. Her parents, Richard Fox and Myriam Jerusalmi, also were Olympic canoeists—Myriam, a French-Jewish athlete, won bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Born in Marseille, France, Fox moved
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to Australia at 4, so her dad could take up a coaching position with the Australian Olympic team. Fox, 27, won silver in the K-1 slalom competition at the 2012 London Olympics and bronze in the 2016 Rio Games. In 2012, Fox became the second Australian Jewish athlete to ever win an Olympic medal.
Sally, who worked on the frontlines caring for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dershwitz grew up attending a Conservative synagogue in Natick, Massachusetts, and told Hillel International before the Rio Games that he considers himself a “proud member of the Jewish community.”
Eli Dershwitz, Fencing, USA Eli Dershwitz is returning to the Olympics for redemption. At the 2016 Rio Games, the Jewish saber fencer lost in the opening round. In 2021, he’s ranked No. 2 in the world and hoping to medal. Dershwitz, who started fencing at 9, would win back-to-back NCAA championships for Harvard in 2017 and 2018. Born and raised in Sherborn, Massachusetts, to a Jewish family, Dershwitz’s maternal grandparents are Holocaust survivors. He has a twin sister,
Jemima Montag, Racewalking, Australia Jemima Montag was perhaps destined for Jewish athletic greatness. Her parents, Ray and Amanda, met at the 1989 Maccabiah Games—the Olympics for Jewish athletes held in Israel—where Amanda was competing in the heptathlon and Ray was a cricketer. They hit it off on the flight home to Australia. Growing up, the Montags encouraged their daughters (Jemima is one of three) to try everything, from long jump to shot put to ballet. But for Montag, race walking just clicked. Montag soon became one of the best racewalkers in Australia, but after the World Youth Championships in 2015, she decided to step away from the sport. A family ski trip to Japan in 2017 reignited her competitive spirit. A year later, at the 2018 Commonwealth Games—a tournament of the Commonwealth nations, or the former territories under British control— Montag won gold in the 20km event. Montag credits her Holocaust survivor grandparents for her work ethic and resilience. When a training session or race feels tough, she thinks about them and reminds herself that “grit and perseverance are in my DNA.”
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Ori Sasson, Judo, Israel At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Or “Ori” Sasson won bronze in the men’s heavyweight judo competition and became a national hero overnight—not just for his skill but also his sportsmanship after one of his opponents, from Egypt, refused to shake his hand following a match. “Every boy and girl saw not only a great athlete but a man with values,” thenPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Sasson in a phone call. Sasson spent the pandemic year delay competing on Israel’s version of The
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JEWISH ATHLETES Masked Singer—his costume was a falafel sandwich—and finished third. This year, the Kurdish Jewish Sasson—now 30 is set to compete in the heavyweight competition and in the team competition, an addition to the Olympics judo lineup. Judo has been the pride of Israel’s Olympic fortunes, winning five of the nation’s nine overall medals Sagi Muki, Judo, Israel Sagi Muki made headlines when he befriended an Iranian judoka, Saeid Mollaei, who was forced to throw a match to avoid competing against an Israeli athlete. Mollaei fled Iran as a dissident and received refugee status in Germany. The story of their friendship is now being made into a TV show. But Muki, 29, is an Olympic medal contender in his own right. The half-middleweight judoka is a two-time Israeli national champion, a 2019 world champion, and the 2017 and 2018 European champion. Born and raised in Netanya, Israel, to a Yemeni Jewish family, he started focusing on judo when he was 8 years old. Maru Teferi, Marathon, Israel Maru Teferi, who was born in northwestern Ethiopia and immigrated to Israel with his Jewish family when he was 14, is the Israeli record holder in six distances, including the half marathon and the marathon. His fastest marathon time—is just 6 minutes off the world record. Now he’s set to compete in his second Olympics. This time he’ll be joined by his wife, Selamawit “Selam” Dagnachew Teferi. They’ll be the first married couple to represent Israel at the Olympics. Teferi, 28, met now-wife Selam while training in Ethiopia in 2012. Selam, 27, is not Jewish, but she moved to Israel in 2017 after the couple married and became an Israeli citizen. That made her eligible to represent Israel at the Olympics. Avi Schafer, Basketball, Japan Avi Koki Schafer is sometimes listed at 6-foot-10. With that height, you would think he has played basketball his entire life. But the Japanese Jewish athlete
didn’t get into the sport until he was 16. Just seven years later, the 23-year-old will be playing for Japan in the country’s home Olympics. Schafer, whose mom is Japanese and dad is Jewish American, grew up in Japan but spent his senior year of high school playing for Brewster Academy in New Hampshire before going on to play Division I basketball at Georgia Tech. He left his sophomore year to go pro in Japan and since 2019 has played professionally in his native country. “When I came back to Japan from the United States and decided to become a professional in Japan, I made the decision with an eye on the Olympics,” he said. “It is held in my home country and I want to show Japanese people what I can do.” Ezra Frech, Paralympics track and field, USA Ezra Frech is only 16 years old, but he’s already made a name for himself as a para-athlete. The Los Angeles native competes in the high jump, long jump and the 100m race. Due to a congenital abnormality, Frech was born with only one finger on his left hand, and he was missing his left knee and shinbone. At 2 he had surgery to remove the curved part of his leg, and had a toe attached to his left hand. By 9 he was on “Ellen” talking about his athletics and advocating for adaptive sports, and at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships, he was the youngest athlete in the world to compete at 14. “Everywhere you go, people don’t think you’re capable of what an able-bodied person can do,” Frech said. “I’ll go to my high school track meet and they don’t expect the one-legged kid to go out and win the competition. When I was younger it got to me, but now it’s a motivation and excites me that I have a chance to prove people wrong, to shock them and turn some heads.” His mom, Bahar Soomekh, is a Persian Jewish actress. She fled Iran with her family in 1979. His dad, Clayton Frech, left his job in 2013 to found Angel City Sports—to bring adaptive sports opportunities to Los Angeles.
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Maor Tiyouri, Marathon, Israel Israel has another marathoner in Maor Tiyouri. Like Teferi, this is Tiyouri’s second Olympics. For the women’s marathon competition, the Olympic standard—the time needed to qualify for the games—dropped 15 minutes, from 2 hours, 45 minutes to 2:29:30. For Tiyouri, that meant running 13 minutes faster than her personal best. “She made it—running 2:29:03 in April. Her grandparents are from Iran and Iraq, and she is proud to represent the
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Jewish nation. “Representing Israel, such a small country that has known so many hardships in the little amount of time she existed, is such an honor and a privilege,” Tiyouri said. Tiyouri will be joined by Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, a Kenyan-Israeli runner who gained Israeli citizenship through marriage in March 2016 and ran for Israel in the 2016 Olympics.
jewishnewsva.org | July 19, 2021 | JEWISH NEWS | 9
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TIDEWATER
Pam Blais is first-ever Only In America® Hometown Hero
T
he National Museum of American Jewish History held its inaugural Only in A mer ica ® Hometown Hero contest earlier this summer. Pam Blais. Tidewater’s Pam Blais was among the nominees and ultimately selected as the first ever Hometown Hero in the Museum’s Ed Snider Only in America® Gallery/Hall of Fame. Inspired by this year’s JAHM theme of supporting one another in the face of adversity, Blais’s accomplishments reflect her heritage, traditions, and values, and embody the ancient Rabbi Hillel’s famous quote, “If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?” Blais was nominated and chosen for the significant positive community impact she made during the COVID-19 pandemic with her initiative, the Pantry Box Project. She will be invited to participate in the museum’s annual Only in America® induction ceremony later this year. A registered nurse for 27 years, Blais understands firsthand the physical and emotional toll of emergency nursing. When the coronavirus pandemic began, she immediately thought of her former hospital coworkers. She wanted to bring them whatever they needed most, starting with masks, then meals. The response from the community was so strong that she expanded the meal service to other hospitals and first responders in Virginia Beach, Va., launching the Pantry Box Project to deliver snacks (something healthy with a sweet treat) and notes of encouragement (courtesy of Blais’s youngest daughter and her classmates) to exhausted hospital staff in need of a quick pick-me-up and moral support. One year later, the initiative is now a nonprofit organization which she helms to support frontline healthcare providers, doctors, nurses, and other critical personnel working during the pandemic, and especially
to serve their emotional and mental health needs. Most recently, Blais and her team were able to mobilize resources the week of June 28 for a Virginia Task Force FEMA team based out of Virginia Beach who were deployed to Surfside, Fla. to support the emergency effort there following the devastating building collapse. Blais and her team provided more than 200 nutrient-dense bars along with trail mix, peanut butter, and other pocket-sized snacks that will provide much needed rapid energy.
Blais was nominated and chosen for the significant positive community impact she made during the COVID-19 pandemic with her initiative, the Pantry Box Project.
“Their work is often treacherous, psychologically difficult, and painful, especially when there is loss of life,” says Blais. “Just like the 30,000+ meals we delivered to the frontline healthcare providers in Hampton Roads during the pandemic, we want to support and provide hope and encouragement to this team.” Blais notes that help is needed to build the pantry. “Every grocery store sells Clif Products! You can drop them off to us at 1232 Auburn Hill Drive, Chesapeake, Virginia 23320 and when we have enough to fill the storage unit we will deliver to them,” she says.
Jewish Living GUIDE TO
IN TIDEWATER
Supplement to Jewish News July 19, 2021 jewishnewsva.org | July 19, 2021 | Guide | JEWISH NEWS | 11
GUIDE TO JEWISH LIVING IN TIDEWATER
FIND IT
JEWISH HOLIDAYS 5780
Adults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
All holidays begin at sundown.
Arts and Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 25
RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS 5782
Beth Sholom Village . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Rosh Hashanah September 6–8, 2021, Jewish New Year
Camps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15, 17
Yom Kippur September 15–16, 2021, Day of Atonement
Cemeteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15, 16 Community Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Congregations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Disabilities and Inclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 20 Financial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Freda A. Gordon Hospice + Palliative Care of Tidewater . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Strelitz International Academy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Holiday Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Jewish Family Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Jewish Professionals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus . . . . . . 17
Sukkot September 20–22, 2021, Feast of Tabernacles Shmini Atzeret September 27–28, 2021, Eighth Day of Assembly Simchat Torah September 28–29, 2021, Celebration of the Torah Hanukkah November 28–December 6, 2021, Festival of Rededication, also Festival of Lights Tu BiShvat January 16–17, 2022, New Year for Trees Purim March 16–17, 2022, Story of Esther Pesach April 15–22, 2022, Passover Days of the Omer April 16–June 4, 2022, Seven weeks from the second night of Pesach to the day before Shavuot Lag BaOmer May 18–June 4, 2022, 33rd day of counting the Omer Shavuot June 4–7, 2022, Festival of Weeks, commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai
Rehabilitation Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Tish’a B’Av August 6–7, 2022, The Ninth of Av, Commemorates destruction of the two Temples
Senior Adults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Tu B’Av August 11–12, 2022, Jewish holiday of love
Services and Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Simon Family JCC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Social Services and Health Care . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
MODERN HOLIDAYS 5780 Yom HaShoah April 28, 2022, Holocaust Memorial Day
Tidewater Jewish Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Yom HaZikaron May 4, 2022, Israeli Memorial Day
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater . . . . . . . 14
Yom HaAtzma’ut May 6, 2022, Israeli Independence Day
Young Adults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Young Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Youth Programming and Organizations . . . . 17, 28
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GUIDE TO JEWISH LIVING IN TIDEWATER
C E L E B R AT E YO U R
Mazel Tov A T
Dear Readers,
E
ach year when we assemble the Guide to Jewish Living, I’m impressed again with all Jewish Tidewater offers. But, I’m not the only one.
A recent visitor to town, Gary Weinstein, whose 44-year-career in the nonprofit world included serving as CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas, expressed his own amazement at the activities and philanthropic commitment of our mid-size Jewish community. Weinstein was in Virginia Beach for a series of meetings and train-
R I S T O R A N T E I N S P I R E D
B Y
I T A LY
ing sessions for members of the community on non-profit growth. A Norfolk native who can’t recall not being immersed in the Jewish community in some fashion since my kindergarten days, I realize that at times I take for granted Jewish Tidewater’s dynamic community. When an outsider makes the same observation, however, it is indeed a reminder of how fortunate we are. The vibrancy of our community includes community agencies, congregations, schools, and niche organizations. Literally from cradle to grave.…we have vital organizations to guide, care, and celebrate with us throughout our journeys. For those who are already involved with our Jewish community, we hope you’ll use this Guide to make it easier to find a phone number or name to call. For those who aren’t involved, we hope you’ll use this Guide to make a connection. We have a congregation to suit nearly everyone’s comfort level and style of worship, several highly regarded schools, organizations that are social, social-justice- and mitzvah-focused, as well as those that are mission-focused. We have agencies that care for the elderly, keep members physically fit and intellectually strong, and offer camps
OPEN FOR
for our youngest members and places for our teens to meet. In other words, Jewish Tidewater has something for everyone and the ways to connect are within these pages.
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We hope that whatever stage you’re in, that you keep this section handy until replace it with the 2022 Guide for Jewish Living in Tidewater!
FAMILY STYLE MENU OPTIONS AVAILABLE Visit AldosVB.com for menus and online ordering, or call 757-491-1111 to place your order.
Also Serving Beer & Wine To-go Terri Denison Editor
L A
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S H O P P E S
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GUIDE TO JEWISH LIVING IN TIDEWATER
COMMUNITY RESOURCES UNITED JEWISH FEDERATION OF TIDEWATER/SIMON FAMILY JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater Simon Family Jewish Community Center 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 200, Virginia Beach, VA 23462 757-965-6100 JewishVA.org facebook.com/UJFTidewater info@UJFT.org Executive Vice President/CEO: Betty Ann Levin, BALevin@UJFT.org United Jewish Federation of Tidewater nurtures a dynamic, committed, inclusive, and caring Jewish community that is guided by its values and mission to support and preserve Jewish life. Nearly 1,400 generous community members donate each year to the UJFT Community Campaign. Funds are distributed to trusted Jewish agencies and institutions as part of a thorough allocation process. This model of communal giving assists Jewish agencies and organizations at home in Tidewater, in Israel, and in Jewish communities around the globe. UJFT cares for those in need, aids Jews in danger, enhances Jewish security, and promotes Israel. Gifts help UJFT partners provide healthcare, social services, Jewish cultural and educational programs, and initiatives that improve human relations. As a result, UJFT, as part of the Jewish Federations of North America, impacts Jewish lives around the world. The Simon Family Jewish Community Center serves the entire Jewish and greater Tidewater community—from infants to seniors. The Simon Family JCC offers a variety of health and wellness, cultural, and event-based activities and classes. It is a division of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Everyone is welcome, regardless of faith.
COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN Chief Development Officer: Amy Zelenka, 757-965-6139, AZelenka@UJFT.org UJFT holds an annual community fundraising effort each year to help meet the needs of Jews locally, globally, and in Israel. More than 100 local Jewish volunteers raise funds for the Campaign in partnership with a small staff of development professionals. Campaigners strive to engage all community members in discussions about Jewish values and concerns. In addition, the Federation seeks to provide opportunities to show donors how their support impacts beneficiaries at home and abroad, through events and missions. The Community Campaign runs from July 1 through June 30 of each year, in sync with the UJFT Fiscal Year. At the end of the campaign year, the UJFT board of directors allocates funds locally based on recommendations from the Finance Committee and to UJFT’s overseas delivery partners (American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee [JDC]; Jewish Agency for Israel [JAFI]; and World ORT) based on the recommendations of its Israel & Overseas committee. Donations to the Annual Campaign are welcome at any time, and can be made securely online at JewishVA.org/Donation.
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MEN’S DIVISION JewishVA.org/mens-cabinet Chief Development Officer: Amy Zelenka, 757-965-6139, AZelenka@UJFT.org UJFT’s Men’s Division is dedicated to engaging the community in support of the Federation’s Community Campaign. The Men’s Division is comprised of more than 40 volunteers who serve the Tidewater Jewish community by soliciting gifts of support. These volunteers help ensure funding is available for Jewish education, health and social welfare, the fight against antisemitism, enhanced security, emergency services, and crisis relief.
WOMEN’S DIVISION JewishVA.org/women facebook.com/JewishWomen757 Chief Development Officer: Amy Zelenka, 757-965-6139, AZelenka@UJFT.org The Women’s Division is the women’s fundraising arm of the Federation’s Community Campaign, providing the women of the community with opportunities for volunteerism and philanthropy at all levels. At the helm of the Women’s Division is the Women’s Cabinet, which meets regularly to learn what’s happening in the Tidewater Jewish community and the Jewish world and to put that knowledge to use informing donors as they engage in conversations around philanthropic giving. Members of the Women’s Cabinet serve as ambassadors and role models for women of all ages in the community, taking the lead in volunteer fundraising for the Women’s Division of the UJFT Community Campaign and reaching out to engage other women in the Jewish community through events and activities throughout the year.
ARTS + IDEAS Director: Jill Grossman, 757-965-6137; JGrossman@UJFT.org Leon Family Gallery Exhibits at the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus feature artists from around the globe and from around Tidewater. Artists may depict subjects of interest to Jews and Israelis, local (Tidewater) themes and more. Jewish Book and Film Festivals The annual Jewish Book Festival is a celebration of Jewish authors, books, and ideas which seeks to enrich Jewish culture by presenting themes that engage, educate, and inspire all people. With most events taking place in November of this year, ongoing opportunities will be available throughout the year. One of the longest-running Jewish film festivals in the country, the festival’s mission is to educate and engage Tidewater’s diverse communities, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, by presenting world-class film premieres, repertory cinema, and associated programs. These spectacular works are inspired by Jewish or Israeli history, heritage, and values— and can be appreciated by people from all backgrounds. Israel Fest Simon Family JCC and United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s biggest community event of the year, Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day), offers fun for the entire family. Featuring authentic Israeli food, art, jewelry, interactive exhibits, and activities, this celebratory day is open to the entire Tidewater community.
BE A READER (BEAR) JewishVA.org/BeAR BeAR Coordinator: Robin Ford, 757-321-2304, RFord@UJFT.org The Be A Reader (BeAR) literacy program of the Jewish Community Relations Council
GUIDE TO JEWISH LIVING IN TIDEWATER of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater was created more than 22 years ago as a community-wide effort to help at-risk, struggling readers acquire the skills and love for learning that lead to personal happiness and future success. BeAR works with Title I elementary schools across the region and pairs a volunteer mentor with a student for an hour each week to read, work on spelling and vocabulary, and provide students with a sense of stability. Since there is no shortage of children that require assistance, the program’s capacity is solely dependent on its number of volunteers and so volunteers are always needed to join the BeAR community to help children learn to read. Whether through volunteering, giving supplies, or donating, helping to make a difference in a child’s life offers its own rewards.
CHILDREN AND FAMILY PROGRAMS
CAMP JCC
JEWISH COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL
Director of Camp and Teen Engagement, Dave Flagler, 757-452-3182; DFlagler@UJFT.org Camp JCC provides children with an expansive and enriching day camp experience. This dynamic program allows every child to explore their interests and try new activities within a safe camp atmosphere. The programs are designed for ages two through eighth graders. CIT opportunities are offered for 9th and 10th graders. Summer camp runs mid-June through early August, with “Last Blast” camp sessions offered in the weeks between the end of regular camp and Labor Day. Camp JCC is more than just a summer program, with year-round opportunities for youth, including “Kids Night Out” which takes place monthly, beginning in October.
Camp JCC Program Manager: Sarah Cooper, 757-321-2306, SCooper@simonfamilyjcc.org Children’s programs include cooking and dance classes, gymnastics, soccer, and yoga, many of which are offered year round.
HAL SACKS JEWISH NEWS ARCHIVES JewishNewsVA.org news@UJFT.org Research, laugh, remember, and browse through the Hal Sacks Jewish News Archives, an online site to access past issues of the Jewish News since 1947. JewishVA.org/JCRC facebook.com/JCRCUJFT Chief Program Officer/Senior Director JCRC: Robin Mancoll, 757-965-6120, RMancoll@UJFT.org The Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater champions a thriving Jewish community locally, in Israel, and around the world and leverages the strength of the diverse and vibrant Jewish community to promote a just and democratic society by leading, convening, educating and advocating. The JCRC addresses issues of vital concern based on Jewish values, consensus, and respect for diversity, and builds bridges within and beyond the Jewish community. The JCRC offers numerous opportunities for engagement for the entire community
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GUIDE TO JEWISH LIVING IN TIDEWATER throughout the year, including Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day and the popular series, Israel Today.
JEWISH NEWS JewishNewsVA.org facebook.com/JewishNewsVA Editor: Terri Denison, 757-965-6132, TDenison@UJFT.org Published 20 times annually, Jewish News connects the Tidewater Jewish community with news of Jewish interest from local, national, and global spheres. The Jewish News is delivered to thousands of mailboxes each month, and reaches tens of thousands through its easy-to-navigate website. Electronic editions of Jewish News are available online.
KONIKOFF CENTER FOR LEARNING JewishVA.org/KCL Director of Jewish Innovation: Sierra Lautman, 757-965-6107 SLautman@UJFT.org Welcome to Tidewater’s hub for experiential Jewish education and engagement at United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Simon Family JCC. High-impact, innovative learning experiences that cover an array of interests and age groups are offered, including programs, classes, workshops, and symposium. The Konikoff Center for Learning engages, educates, equips, and inspires individuals to deepen their Jewish knowledge and connection.
PJ LIBRARY PJ Library Program Coordinator: Nofar Trem, 757-321-2334, NTrem@UJFT.org Something magical happens when parents sit down to read with their children. PJ Library sends free Jewish children’s books to families each month, sharing stories that can help foster conversations about important values and traditions. Families with kids ages six months through eight years old with Judaism as part of their lives—affiliated, unaffiliated, interfaith, or non-traditional—are welcome to sign up by visiting PJLibrary.org. Children from ages eight to 12 can select a new free book each month by signing up for PJ Our Way.
SENIOR ADULT PROGRAMS Director: Jill Grossman, 757-965-6137, JGrossman@UJFT.org Celebrations and fun activities with friendly company are offered for adults of all backgrounds at the Simon Family JCC. With a multitude of opportunities throughout each week, the program’s mission is to encourage senior adults to participate in educational, cultural, spiritual, fitness, and social programs to increase health, wellbeing, and connection to other individuals and the Jewish community. Limited transportation to JCC programs and events is available through Transportation Services from Jewish Family Service.
SHALOM BABY JewishVa.org/ShalomBaby PJ Library Program Coordinator: Nofar Trem, 757-321-2334, NTrem@UJFT.org Shalom Baby is an exciting gift bag delivery program made possible by a partnership between United Jewish Federation of Tidewater/Simon Family JCC and Strelitz Early Childhood Education Center and PJ Library. Whether this is a first or fourth child, birth, or adoptive, Shalom Baby wants to help parents celebrate the arrival by showering them with fun and relaxing gifts and helpful resources for Jewish babies.
SHALOM TIDEWATER JewishVA.org/ShalomTidewater 16 | JEWISH NEWS | Guide | July 19, 2021 | jewishnewsva.org
Donor Relations Manager: Ronnie Jacobs Cohen, 757-321-2341, RCohen@UJFT.org The Tidewater Jewish community is a hub of activity, spanning five cities: Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, and Suffolk. Shalom Tidewater offers a wealth of resources for newcomers to the Tidewater Jewish community to help everyone find their place whether affiliated or unaffiliated, Jewish by birth, Jewish by choice, or interfaith.
SOCIETY OF JEWISH PROFESSIONALS JewishVA.org/societyofprofessionals Donor Relations Manager: Ronnie Jacobs Cohen 757-321-2341, RCohen@UJFT.org The Society of Jewish Professionals (SOP) is dedicated to educational, social, and philanthropic activities, and provides opportunities to network, socialize, and become active through a financial commitment to the Community Campaign. Members also serve as role models for their colleagues, family, and friends, and provide funding for Jewish survival, welfare, and continuity. SOP is an evolution of the once separate groups Maimonides and Business & Legal Societies, whose members decided to merge in light of their common Jewish and communal interests, and to enjoy the programming and benefits. All healthcare, business, legal, media, real estate, entrepreneur, and service provider professionals are invited.
SPORTS, RECREATION, AND AQUATICS Athletics Director: Tom Edwards, 757-321-2308; TEdwards@UJFT.org A variety of aquatics, sports, recreation, athletics, and youth and adult athletic leagues such as basketball, tee ball, tennis, pickleball, and a swim team are offered at the Simon Family JCC. The JCC also offers children and adult swim lessons, lap lanes for fitness swimmers, and an outdoor waterpark.
THE HOLOCAUST COMMISSION HolocaustCommission.org facebook.com/holcommission Director: Elena Barr Baum, 757-965-6129, EBaum@UJFT.org The Holocaust Commission encourages teachers, students, and the community to apply the lessons of history to the moral decisions they make each day. The Commission offers programs, resources, and community events related to Holocaust education and remembrance. Dedicated volunteers from the community guide and foster the Holocaust Commission’s work. Among its many events and programs, the Holocaust Commission offers What We Carry, a multimedia program for schools, community, and military groups; a yearly community gathering for Yom Hashoah, the commemoration day of the Holocaust; the annual Elie Wiesel Writing and Visual Arts Competitions for students; the Ruthi Sherman Kroskin and Esther Goldman Awards for Excellence in Holocaust Education, and Biennial Educators’ Conferences. The Holocaust Commission’s website provides more information on how to participate in and support its various programs.
WELLNESS Director: Tom Purcell, 757-321-2310; TPurcell@UJFT.org The JCC has an expansive Fitness Center, three indoor pools, an outdoor water park, gymnasium, pickleball courts, and more, in a state-of-the-art facility. The JCC also offers more than 30 free group exercise classes weekly, including Spin, Pilates, Zumba, and Yoga. Members get discounts on Personal Training, as well as discounts on specialty classes and programs.
GUIDE TO JEWISH LIVING IN TIDEWATER
REBA AND SAM SANDLER FAMILY CAMPUS OF THE TIDEWATER JEWISH COMMUNITY
YOUNG ADULT DIVISION (YAD) AND YOUNG LEADERSHIP CAMPAIGN (YLC) JewishVA.org/yad facebook.com/YAD Young Leadership Manager: Matthew Kramer-Morning, 757-965-6136; MKMorning@UJFT.org The Young Adult Division of UJFT offers and promotes social, cultural, leadership, and philanthropic opportunities for young Jewish adults. Both YAD and YLC foster Jewish identity, involvement, and responsibility among young Jews in Tidewater, in order to sustain and enrich the vibrant Jewish community at home, in Israel, and around the world. YAD aims to cultivate relationships, build networks, and develop highly skilled leaders to ensure the future of the Jewish community. YLC seeks to engage young philanthropists and campaign advocates to educate and encourage their peers and others about the importance of Jewish community involvement and giving. YAD hosts a wide variety of programs throughout the year, including monthly happy hours, holiday parties, business networking, and Shabbat dinners. YLC spearheads the community’s annual fundraising phone-a-thon, Super Sunday. YLC and YAD recruit promising young members of the Jewish community for participation in their Hineni leadership development program, wherein future leaders learn about the Federation’s mission. They learn together, network, develop leadership skills, and most importantly, create community. Hineni fellows are invited to participate in a week-long, exclusive mission to Israel, heavily subsidized by the Tom Hofheimer Fund, and known as the Tom Hofheimer Young Leadership Mission to Israel.
5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462 757-965-6100 Facility Director: Glenn Saucier, GSaucier@UJFT.org
CAMPS CAMP JCC
Director of Camp and Teen Engagement; Dave Flagler, 757-452-3182; DFlagler@UJFT.org Camp JCC at the Simon Family JCC provides children with an expansive and enriching day camp experience. This dynamic program allows every child to explore their interests and try new activities within a safe camp atmosphere. The programs are designed for ages 2 through eighth graders. CIT opportunities are offered for 9th and 10th graders. Summer camp runs mid-June through early August, with “Last Blast” camp sessions offered in the weeks between the end of regular camp and Labor Day. Camp JCC is more than just a summer program, with year-round opportunities for youth, including “Kids Night Out” which takes place monthly, beginning in October.
YOUTH PROGRAMMING BBYO Director of Camp and Teen Engagement: Dave Flagler, 757-4523182; DFlagler@UJFT.org BBYO involves Jewish teens in meaningful Jewish experiences, guiding them into leadership positions that will last a lifetime. Teens meet weekly, on weekends, from September through June at the Simon Family JCC, and focus on community service and social action programs with their chapters, BBG (girls) and AZA (boys). The teens attend a variety of regional and national conventions.
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L' Shanah Tovah!
Ohef Sholom wishes you a Happy & Healthy New Year! • • • • •
Join us for live and streamed High Holiday services. Special virtual interactive services and activity packets for children. Adult study sessions. Visit ohefsholom.org/high-holidays for dates and times. All are welcome!
Founded in 1844, Ohef Sholom Temple is the oldest Reform Congregation in Tidewater. Call (757) 625-4295 for more information or go to ohefsholom.org. • Religious School • Family Programming • Toddler & Infant Activites
• Adult Education • Library & Archives • Gift Shop
530 Raleigh Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23507
jewishnewsva.org | July 19, 2021 | Guide | JEWISH NEWS | 17
GUIDE TO JEWISH LIVING IN TIDEWATER
GAN ISRAEL
Chabad House, 1920 Colley Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23517 ganizzy.org Director: Rashi Brashevitzky, 757-616-0770, rashibrashi@me.com Camp Gan Israel, “Gan Izzy” is part of the largest worldwide network of Jewish day camps. At Gan Izzy, campers’ days are filled with games, crafts, field trips, sports, swimming and more—all with a Jewish twist! Each day of Gan Izzy also includes prayers and a Jewish lesson delivered in a child friendly and relevant fashion. The Gan Izzy experience is filled with great spirit and a love for Jewish heritage—campers have been known to wait all year long to return to Gan Izzy and start the fun all over again!
CONGREGATIONS B’NAI ISRAEL CONGREGATION
420 Spotswood Ave., Norfolk, VA 23517 757-627-7358, fax 757-627-8544 bnaiisrael.org, office@bnaiisrael.org Rabbi Sender Haber ORTHODOX B’nai Israel Congregation is an exciting, family-oriented, full-service Orthodox synagogue in the heart of a diverse and dynamic Jewish community in the Ghent neighborhood of Norfolk. It offers daily morning and evening prayer services. The synagogue houses the Norfolk Area Community Kollel, BINA High School for Girls, and the Norfolk Community Mikvah. It is affiliated with the Orthodox Union and the National Conference of Young Israel. • Adult classes • Children’s programming • Teen programming • Weekly Kiddushes
CHABAD LUBAVITCH OF TIDEWATER/ CHABAD HOUSE
1920 Colley Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23517 757-616-0770, Fax 757-616-0772 Rabbilevi@chabadoftidewater.com www.chabadoftidewater.com Rabbi Aron Margolin, Rychel Margolin, Rabbi Levi Brashevitzky, Rashi Brashevitzky Established in 1979, Chabad Lubavitch of Tidewater is dedicated to increasing the awareness, knowledge, and observance of Judaism in Chesapeake, Hampton, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach, by reaching out to all Jews, regardless of age, affiliation, or level of observance. Chabad participants experience the joy and celebration, the intimacy and compassion, the wisdom, and knowledge that is inherent in Jewish life and learning. Chabad of Tidewater responds to both the material and spiritual needs of the Jewish community through classes, counseling, Shabbat and holiday celebrations, and innovative programming for children and adults. • CTeen and CTeen U • Women’s Rosh Chodesh Society • Jewish Learning Institute • Holiday guides • Meaningful and uplifting Shabbat and Holiday services for Youth and Adults • Jewish Art Calendar
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CHABAD VIRGINIA BEACH
Located at the Oceanfront 407-668-7875 www.jewishvabeach.org, Rabbi@jewishvabeach.org Rabbi Meir Lessof Chabad Virginia Beach offers Judaism in a joyful, genuine, and creative manner, providing engaging activities and programs for all ages in a warm and friendly atmosphere.
COMMODORE URIAH P. LEVY CHAPEL
Corner of Maryland Ave. and Gilbert St., Naval Station Norfolk 757-559-1836 Rabbi Gershon Litt gary.h.litt.ctr@navy.mil UNAFFILIATED The Commodore Levy Chapel is the oldest land based Jewish Chapel on a Naval Station in North America. Established in 1942 and named for Commodore Uriah Philips Levy in 1959, the Commodore Levy Jewish Chapel celebrated 50 years of service to God and Country in 2009. Access to worship services is available to Active Duty and Reserve Military, their dependents, military retirees, and Civil Service employees. Guests are allowed when accompanied by sponsors or by special permission from the Base Chaplain’s Office.
CONGREGATION BETH EL
422 Shirley Ave., Norfolk, VA 23517 757-625-7821 bethelnorfolk.com noelle@bethelnorfolk.com Rabbi Ron Koas Cantor Wendi Fried Rabbi Emeritus: Rabbi Arthur Ruberg Head of School: Dr. Eran Livni Executive Director: Pam Gladstone Congregation Beth El is the oldest Conservative synagogue in Virginia with more than 170 years of inspiring its congregation to live passion-filled Jewish lives through education and deep, vibrant community connections. The congregation provides a full educational program for all ages, diverse religious services and ritual moments, cultural events, and participation in social action projects within the Jewish community and beyond. Beth El holds daily morning and evening services, as well as weekly Shabbat services every Friday evening and Saturday morning. See website for times. Join the congregation for services and other events in-person and on Zoom. Email the office with any questions.
GUIDE TO JEWISH LIVING IN TIDEWATER
CONGREGATION BETH CHAVERIM
Temple.Office@bethchaverim.com Jim Hibberd, Cantorial Soloist Chad A. Bornstein, President, 757-477-3585 REFORM Founded in 1982, Beth Chaverim has been affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism since 1984. • Religious School • Services at Temple Emanuel at the beach and on Zoom • 7 pm Friday Night Services
KEHILLAT BET HAMIDRASH KEMPSVILLE CONSERVATIVE SYNAGOGUE
952 Indian Lakes Blvd., Virginia Beach, VA 23464 757-495-8510 kbhsynagogue.org, kbhsynagogue@gmail.com facebook.com/kbhsynagogue Chazzan M. David Proser CONSERVATIVE Kempsville Conservative Synagogue (Kehillat Bet Hamidrash) is a place for traditional, yet egalitarian, Jews to celebrate all things Jewish in a comfortable and inviting atmosphere. KBH was established in 1978 and is centrally located in Tidewater, not far from Town Center and the Sandler Family Campus in Virginia Beach. As a small congregation, members have the opportunity to play an active role in the life of the synagogue. The synagogue strives to provide opportunities for prayer, learning, socializing, celebrating life-cycle events, and supporting its local and greater Jewish and general community. Kehillat Bet Hamidrash (KBH) shares various activities with its programming partner, Temple Israel. • Shabbat and Holiday services • Adult clubs and classes • Shabbat experience for young families • Shared Religious School and Youth Programs Services and programs are offered in-person and via Zoom. Cntact the synagogue at kbhsynagogue @gmail.com for attendance protocols and/or Zoom information.
OHEF SHOLOM TEMPLE
530 Raleigh Ave., Norfolk, VA 23507 757-625-4295, fax 757-625-3762 ohefsholom.org, ed@ohefsholom.org Rabbi Rosalin Mandelberg Cantor Jennifer Rueben Interim Executive Director: Steve Kayer Religious School Director: Kitty Wolf Music Director: Charles Woodward Lawrence A. Forman, Rabbi Emeritus REFORM Founded in 1844, Ohef Sholom Temple is the largest and oldest Reform congregation in Tidewater. Services take place Friday nights at 6:30 pm and Saturday mornings at 10:30 am. Ohef Sholom Temple is committed to welcoming all who are in search of a spiritual
home, including interfaith families, LGBTQ, singles, and empty-nesters. A Union for Reform Judaism congregation, Ohef Sholom offers innovative worship, deep Torah learning, fosters meaningful relationships, and tikkun olam (bettering our world through social action). The congregation also has an extensive library. • Religious school for preschool through grade 10 • Programming for babies and toddlers, children, teens, and families • Intro to Judaism classes • Diverse adult study opportunities • Torah Study • Dynamic, musical worship • Social justice and social action initiatives • Library • Gift shop • Archives • Youth Groups • Men’s Club • Sisterhood
TEMPLE EMANUEL
424 25th St., Virginia Beach, VA 23451 757-428-2591 www.tevb.org, office@tevb.org Office manager: Gail Gogan CONSERVATIVE Temple Emanuel is a thriving oceanfront Jewish community located in Virginia Beach. It is intimate, accepting, and open to all. Temple Emanuel embraces the many ways to express Jewishness and spirituality, welcoming people of all family situations, ethnicities, and sexual orientations. Located at the beach, it offers a relaxed, informal atmosphere with creative worship services, as well as cultural programming for all. Religious School is cutting edge. Learn more about Temple Emanuel at www .tevb.org/about.
TEMPLE ISRAEL
7255 Granby St., Norfolk, VA 23505 757-489-4550, fax 757-489-3425 templeisraelva.org, TempleIsraelVA1954@gmail.com Rabbi Michael Panitz Executive Director: Nancy Tucker CONSERVATIVE/MASORTI Temple Israel is a vibrant, egalitarian, full-service synagogue that has served the local Jewish community for more than 67 years by meeting the spiritual, educational, life cycle, and social needs of its diverse membership. Through the fulfillment of mitzvot, it provides opportunities for meaningful Jewish living for its members. Temple Israel maintains a full schedule of joint programs with the Kempsville Conservative Synagogue and is a stakeholder with KBH and Congregation Beth El in the Patricia Sarah Ashkenazi Religious School and high-school level Midrashah, providing for the Jewish educational and social needs of children and teens. Adult education is one of the hallmarks of Temple Israel, including ongoing studies on a variety of topics, as well as adult bar and bat mitzvah classes. Temple Israel enthusiastically embraces tikkun olam (repairing the world) and values every individual’s unique participation. With a perspective embracing both tradition and the challenges of today’s world, Temple Israel welcomes innovative ideas and new voices into its family. The congregation is moving forward with an ambitious program of making its facilities more fully accessible. • Daily, Shabbat, and holiday worship services • Adult Clubs and Classes • Library • Gift Shop
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GUIDE TO JEWISH LIVING IN TIDEWATER
TEMPLE LEV TIKVAH (HEART OF HOPE)
The Church of the Holy Apostles 1593 Lynnhaven Parkway, Virginia Beach 757-617-0334 or 757-937-8393 Rabbi Israel Zoberman REFORM The newest Jewish congregation in Hampton Roads meets in The Church of the Holy Apostles in Virginia Beach. The church is the world’s only Episcopal and Roman Catholic congregation. Now, it is the only place in the world where Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, and Jews meet under one roof. Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman is the founder and spiritual leader.
TIDEWATER CHAVURAH
tidewaterchavurah.org Rabbi Cantor Ellen Jaffe-Gill Contact: Carol tidewaterchavurah1@gmail.com or 757-499-3660 REFORM TRADITION Tidewater Chavurah, is a “synagogue without walls” involved in Jewish fellowship that meets and prays in the Virginia Beach/Hampton Roads area. Founded in 1998, Tidewater Chavurah welcomes singles, couples, and families in interfaith marriages, people of all ethnicities, gender identities, and sexual orientations while remaining a small, vibrant, and friendly group. The Hebrew word, chavurah, means “fellowship.”
Tidewater Chavurah holds monthly Second Friday Shabbat and High Holiday services, using prayer books of the Reform movement. Rabbi Jaffe-Gill also leads holiday celebrations and facilitates Jewish-themed learning experiences.
EDUCATION BINA HIGH SCHOOL
425 Washington Park, Norfolk, VA 23517 757-627-BINA (2462), fax 757-627-2461 binahighschool.com, aharpaz@binahighschool.com Menaheles: Aviva Harpaz Norfolk’s first and only Orthodox Jewish High School for young women, BINA opened in 2007. The BINA experience enables each student to develop her love for Hashem, His Torah and the Jewish people. In a supportive and challenging academic environment, students are given the skills to excel in both Judaic and General studies. BINA’s knowledgeable and professional faculty foster a love of learning and pride in achievement. A BINA student is taught to be proud of her heritage, concerned for her community, and prepared for her future.
PATRICIA SARAH ASHKENAZI RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
Head of school: Dr. Eran Livni eran@bethelnorfolk.com, 757-625-7821 Patricia Sarah Ashkenazi Religious School is a partnership of Congregation Beth El, Temple Israel, and Kehilat Beit Ha-midras. The school’s primary goal is to prepare the young generation to carry on Judaism in the 21st century. The school has developed a pioneering Montessori-based program for students from three years old to 12th grade. Chaye Sarah (Sundays, 9 am–12 pm) introduces children from three years old through seventh grade to Torah, mitzvot, prayers and blessings, rituals, Hebrew, Israel, Jewish history, and more in multi-age classes and with hands-on Montessori-Judaica materials. United Hebrew School 2.0 is a midweek individual tutoring program which guides students to the deep meanings and beauty of liturgical Hebrew. The Community Midrashah (Sundays, 5:30–7:30 pm) invites teens from 8th through 12th grade to deal with real world questions of Judaism during weekly sessions. Almost all teachers and tutors are professional educators dedicated to their own continuous Jewish learning. An enthusiastic team of teenage assistants provides students with role models of how to grow up as young Americans Jews.
STRELITZ INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers congratulates
John M. Cooper on becoming the next President of Ohef Sholom Temple.
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Early Years and Primary Years Programs: Infants–Grade 5 Full-care and summer programs available Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23462 757-424-4327 strelitzinternationalacademy.org Facebook: Strelitz International Academy Instagram: strelitzinternationalacademy Head of School: Heather Moore, hmoore@strelitzacademy.org Director of Admissions: Carin Simon, csimon@strelitzacademy.org The Strelitz International Academy is the community’s progressive Jewish Day School
GUIDE TO JEWISH LIVING IN TIDEWATER welcoming students from all faiths from six weeks old through grade 5. SIA is the first Primary Years International Baccalaureate® Candidate School in the area. SIA students are guided by four core Jewish values: Kehillah (community), Kavod (honor), Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), and Torah v’Lishman (love of learning). Starting with the infant care program, Strelitz offers parents a nurturing and safe place to ensure the growth and development for their baby. The infant curriculum focuses on sensory activities and exploration, stories, songs, and floor time. As an International Baccalaureate® Candidate School, the Early Years students are seen as inquirers of the world around them. Students experience the joy of learning through hands-on activities and nurturing teachers. SIA students learn math and literacy skills, and experience Jewish holidays and global learning through books, arts and crafts, songs, games, and creative play. Primary Years (K-5) students are recognized for their strengths and benefit from small classes and individualized instruction when needed. Students thrive in a setting of a caring community of learners. The SIA curriculum includes Language Arts, Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, Jewish Culture, Hebrew, Music, Violin, Art, P.E., and more. Through its inquiry-led, transdisciplinary framework, the International Baccalaureate® Primary Years Program challenges students to think for themselves and take agency in their learning as they explore local and global issues and opportunities in real-life contexts. Graduates are ready to meet the challenges of today’s fast-paced world, as evidenced by their acceptance and seamless transitions into the top independent schools, International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program, and public school academies.
INSTITUTE FOR JEWISH STUDIES AND INTERFAITH UNDERSTANDING AT OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY
Old Dominion University 2024 Batten Arts and Letters, Norfolk, VA 23529 757-683-6816 odu.edu/al/institutes/ijiu, amilliga@odu.edu facebook.com/IJIUatODU Director: Amy Milligan, PhD The Institute for Jewish Studies and Interfaith Understanding (IJIU) is an interdisciplinary academic program at Old Dominion University dedicated to creating strong, inclusive learning experiences that deepen understanding of Jewish thought, history, and culture. IJIU sponsors research, academic programs, engagement activities, and collaboration with community partners to promote diverse Jewish perspectives about significant local and global issues, address antisemitic acts and other forms of hatred, and encourage dialogue between people of all faiths and beliefs.
NORFOLK AREA COMMUNITY KOLLEL 420 Spotswood Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23517 757-655-1836, nack@norfolkkollel.com, norfolkkollel.com Rosh Kollel: Rabbi Boruch Danziger Executive Director: Rabbi Gershon Litt Rabbi Shmuel Katz Rabbi Yehuda Brickman Rabbi Binyomin Greenbaum Rabbi Yakov Berkowitz Rabbi Yedidya Koven
Norfolk Area Community Kollel offers Jewish classes and programming regardless of affiliation or practice. Their philosophy is Torah-based and centers on gaining spirituality through personal growth through rich Torah heritage. The Norfolk Kollel offers programs at college campuses and high schools, as well as lunch and learn programs, “one on one” study sessions, and can “tailor-make” a Jewish education program for specific needs. The motto of the Kollel is “Inspiration Through Education.”
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GUIDE TO JEWISH LIVING IN TIDEWATER
TALMUDICAL ACADEMY
Yeshivas Aish Kodesh 612 Colonial Ave., Norfolk, VA 23507 757-623-6070, dwatyak@gmail.com Executive Director: Rabbi Shmuel Katz Judaic Principals: Rabbi Ezra Stettin and Rabbi Avrohom Weinreb General Studies Principal: David Rowzie Administrative Director: Debbie Wilson Yeshivas Aish Kodesh is geared toward the student striving for excellence in Limudei Kodesh and General Studies. The school aims to facilitate the spiritual, personal, and academic growth of talmidim, with an eye toward producing well-rounded bnei Torah. Yeshivas Aish Kodesh meets these goals with a full, balanced schedule. The curriculum features Gemara shiurim in both Iyun and Bekius, as well as regular classes in Chumash, Navi, Halacha, and Tefillah. Yeshivas Aish Kodesh offers a general studies program taught by state-certified instructors. Yeshivas Aish Kodesh’s facilities feature a Beis Medrash, state-of-the-art classrooms, a well-stocked library, and a recreation/work-out room. The students can participate in varsity and junior varsity basketball, as well as intermural football. The students have regular opportunities to participate in pick-up basketball games, swimming, ice skating, and other activities. Yeshivas Aish Kodesh views experiential learning as an integral part of the Yeshiva’s approach. Visiting and interacting with Gedolei Yisrael, an energetic Oneg Shabbos, a heartfelt kumzitz—ways in which the special ruach and warmth that characterizes Yeshivas Aish Kodesh is extended.
TORAS CHAIM OF VIRGINIA
3110 Sterling Point Drive, Portsmouth, VA 23703 757-686-2480 toraschaim.net Principal: Rabbi Yonah G. Lozar Assistant Princilpal: Andie Pollock Toras Chaim, now in its 20th year, provides Judaic and General Studies education for Tidewater’s Jewish children through eighth grade. Toras Chaim is dedicated to the belief that Jewish children and their families can join together to create a nurturing environment that fosters a love for Hashem, His Torah, and Jewish heritage. This school is firmly committed to help each child achieve academic excellence, enthusiasm for learning, and the reinforcement of their Middos. Toras Chaim attempts to balance academics, emotional development, and social skills. The school’s academic program guides students towards learning how to ask the right questions, think analytically, and apply their knowledge to life. Students not only learn the subjects, they live their subjects. Whether celebrating a Jewish holiday or building an ecosystem, at Toras Chaim, learning comes alive. Contact the school to learn why, “Toras Chaim is the School with a Smile!”
HILLEL AT OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY
757-559-1836, rabbilitt@oduhillel.org Director: Rabbi Gershon Litt Hillel is the home to the Jewish student community with social activities, educational events, and holiday celebrations on and off campus. Visit www.JewishVA.org/Hillel.
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WILLIAM AND MARY HILLEL
Shenkman Jewish Center PO Box 8795, Williamsburg, VA 23187 Director: Rabbi Gershon Litt, rabbilitt@wmhillel.org 757-559-1836 William and Mary Hillel is open to all Jewish students and is the Jewish organization at William and Mary. Hillel offers social, religious, cultural, and Israel related events, led by student leadership and professional staff. The Shenkman Jewish Center is the new home for W&M Hillel offering kosher meals, programs, and services.
FOUNDATION TIDEWATER JEWISH FOUNDATION
Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 200 Virginia Beach, VA 23462, 757-965-6111, foundation.jewishva.org President and CEO: Naomi Limor Sedek Vice President and CFO: Randy Parrish The Tidewater Jewish Foundation (TJF) serves the entire Tidewater Jewish community by securing endowments to ensure its future. Serving as Jewish philanthropic advisors, Tidewater Jewish Foundation helps connect philanthropists with needs. TJF helps those leaving legacy gifts maximize their impact in the areas of service they care about the most. TJF houses endowments to support synagogue life, summer camp experiences, the gift of building relationships with Israel, and Jewish educational opportunities. Founded in 1984, TJF has distributed more than $200 million in grants to Jewish and secular charitable organizations. Originally founded as a single endowment fund, TJF has grown to more than $125 million in assets, representing nearly 1,000 active charitable funds managed on behalf of individual donor advisors, the Federation, and more than a dozen local affiliate agencies and synagogues. TJF works closely with donors and their professional advisors to implement tax-advantaged charitable giving strategies that often involve multi-generational philanthropy. TJF leads the community’s planned giving efforts and brought the LIFE & LEGACY program to Tidewater. Through LIFE & LEGACY, TJF has helped secure the future of the Tidewater Jewish community with an estimated $20 million in future endowed commitments. TJF, through LIFE & LEGACY, transformed the philanthropic culture in the Tidewater community to support the principle that everyone, regardless of age, wealth, or affiliation, can make an enduring financial impact for future generations. The LIFE & LEGACY program is a partnership between eight local synagogues and Jewish agencies and is jointly funded by The Harold Grinspoon Foundation and TJF. TJF has strong relationships with area congregations, agencies, and organizations. TJF continues to secure legacy gifts in partnership with its affiliated organizations through LIFE & LEGACY and the Jewish Future Pledge, where community members are committing at least 50% of their charitable dollars in their estate to Jewish causes or to support the state of Israel. Other TJF programs include the Simon Family Passport to Israel, the Stein Family Scholarship, the B’nai Tzedek Teen Philanthropy Program, and the One Happy Camper Program. Additional TJF services include offering and managing donor advised funds, fund matching for charitable life insurance, charitable bequests, charitable trusts, reserved life estates, and charitable IRA distributions and designations. Anyone can be a philanthropist. Contact one of TJF’s philanthropic advisors to learn how to bring legacy dreams to reality.
GUIDE TO JEWISH LIVING IN TIDEWATER
SERVICES AND ORGANIZATIONS AMERICAN ISRAEL PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE (AIPAC)
Southern States Area Director: Doni Fogel 404-817-1636, dfogel@aipac.org The mission of AIPAC—the American Israel Public Affairs Committee—is to strengthen and expand the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of the United States and Israel. The national organization engages with and educates decision-makers about the bonds that unite the two countries, and how it is in America’s best interest to strengthen those bonds and help ensure that the Jewish state remains safe, strong, and secure. AIPAC is a bipartisan organization of U.S. citizens. A registered domestic lobby supported by private contributions, AIPAC does not receive direction or financial assistance from Israel, any national organization, or any foreign group. AIPAC is not a political action committee. It does not rate, endorse, or contribute to candidates. For more than 60 years, AIPAC has worked to make a difference, building a better tomorrow for the United States and Israel.
ADL (ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE)
Senior Associate Regional Director, ADL Washington, D.C. Regional Office: Meredith R. Weisel, 202-261-4610, mweisel@adl.org, adl.org ADL is a leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of antisemitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. ADL is the first call when acts of antisemitism occur. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education and fighting hate online, ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate. ADL has emerged as one of the most formidable anti-hate organizations because of its ironclad commitment to protecting the rights of all people regardless of their race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or level of ability. Since its inception, ADL has believed that America only would be safe for its Jewish people if it was safe for all its people—and that when it was truly safe for all its people, it also would be safe for its Jewish community. ADL’s work has expanded to address antisemitism across the globe. ADL works to protect all marginalized groups from the devastating impacts of extremism, reduce bias in individuals through education, and create an environment of laws and norms where all groups are treated fairly, and hate has no home. Recognized as one of ADL’s most innovative and effective offices, the ADL Washington, D.C. regional office serves the District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia, carrying out the mandate “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people…and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.”
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GUIDE TO JEWISH LIVING IN TIDEWATER
AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE (AJC)
Regional Office Director: Alan Ronkin 202-785-5475; washington@ajc.org; AJC.org Facebook.com/AJCGlobal Twitter.com/AJCGlobal American Jewish Committee’s Washington regional office serves as the local gateway to AJC’s global Jewish advocacy network. AJC reimagines what’s possible for the Jewish people, for Israel, and for the world. Through advocacy, education, and diplomacy, AJC Washington builds bridges to fight antisemitism, support Israel’s place in the world, and eradicate extremism and radicalism. AJC believes in American global leadership and promotes human rights and democratic values around the world.
B’NAI B’RITH OF TIDEWATER
Arnold Gamsey Lodge #1195 Officer: President: Wayne Martin, 757-855-0227 Financial Secretary: Jonathan Longman, 757-495-0119 Founded in 1843, B’nai B’rith is dedicated to building a strong sense of Jewish identity and unity within the Jewish community.
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24 | JEWISH NEWS | Guide | July 19, 2021 | jewishnewsva.org
BRITH SHOLOM CENTER OF VIRGINIA INC.
LeeAnne Mallory, secretary, 461-1150 or Brith.sholom1@gmail.com Brith Sholom Center of Virginia Inc. is a nonpolitical organization which aims to foster and perpetuate the spirit, ideals, and traditions of Judaism. Membership is currently 250. Applications for men and women 21 years and above are available for new membership. Activities include dinners, dances, trips, entertainment, and cultural events. Its philanthropic endeavor is to support Jewish education and community organizations that provide services, plus international groups that assist needy causes. Brith Sholom meetings take place on the first Sunday of each month (except July and August) at 11 am at Beth Sholom Village in Virginia Beach.
FRIENDS OF THE IDF
FIDF.org Jasmine Amitay, director, 757-371-2562, jasmine.amitay@fidf.org FIDF is a 501c3 not-for-profit corporation, established in 1981 by a group of Holocaust survivors. It is a non-political, non-military organization that provides for wellbeing of the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), veterans, and family members. FIDF is committed to providing these soldiers with love, support, and care to ease the burden they carry on behalf of the Jewish community worldwide. The organization offers educational, cultural, recreational, and social services programs, as well as facilities that provide hope, purpose, and life-changing support for the soldiers who protect Israel and Jews worldwide.
HADASSAH
hadassah.org Hadassah Southern Seaboard Region Sharon Goretsky, vice president, 757-535-9633 In New York in 1912, the first group of Hadassah was chartered after its founder, Henrietta Szold returned from Jerusalem. The second chapter of Hadassah was chartered in Norfolk, Va. One hundred and nine years later, Hadassah’s Norfolk-Virginia Beach chapter is re-energized and excited to serve all of Tidewater. Hadassah is the largest Jewish women’s organization in the United States. With more than 300,000 members, associates, and supporters across the country, Hadassah brings Jewish women together to affect change and advocate on critical issues such as medical care and research, women’s empowerment, domestic advocacy in the United States, and the security of Israel. Through the Hadassah Medical Organization’s (HMO) two hospitals, the worldrenowned trauma center, and the leading research facility in Jerusalem, Hadassah supports the delivery of exemplary patient care to more than one million people every year. HMO serves without regard to race, religion, or nationality and earned a Nobel Peace Prize Nomination in 2005 for building “bridges to peace” through equality in medical treatment.
HEBREW LADIES CHARITY SOCIETY
Representatives: Linda Samuels, 757-573-8788 Dorothy Spitalney, 757-639-2950 Hebrew Ladies Charity Society of Tidewater supports Jewish Family Service’s food and financial assistance programs.
GUIDE TO JEWISH LIVING IN TIDEWATER
JEWISH MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER
607 Effingham St., Portsmouth, VA 23704 757-391-9266, jewishmuseumportsmouth.org Administrator: Barbara Rossen The Jewish Museum and Cultural Center is housed in the beautifully restored Chevra T’helim Synagogue, the interior of which is a rare surviving example of Eastern European Jewish Orthodoxy. The Center offers lectures, exhibits, a summer music series, as well as school programs, adult programs, and tours.
ORT AMERICA
Abbie Laderberg, 757-497-7238 Facebook.com/Tidewater ORT ORT America supports vocational and technical training for Jews around the world. More than 300,000 students are enrolled in the ORT network of schools and training programs, which include comprehensive and vocational high schools, colleges, apprenticeship programs, and teacher training institutes. Like Tidewater ORT on Facebook.
JEWISH WAR VETERANS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Old Dominion Post 158 Adam Goldberg, Post Commander, 831-917-3996 Follow at: facebook.com/JWVPost158VA/ Join at: jwv.org/membership/explore-membership/ The oldest active Veterans organization in America, chartered in 1896 by an act of congress, the Jewish War Veterans brings together citizens of the USA with joint ties of a common Jewish heritage and the experience of serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. It is the organization’s goal to apply experiences in the military as civilians to “be of greater service to our country, our community, and above all to our fellow veterans.” JWV Post 158 works to instill the tenets of the National HQ’s mission within the local community by imparting true allegiance to the USA and love of country and flag, combating bigotry and darkness wherever originating and defending whomever it targets, preserving the spirit of comradeship to fellow veterans and their families, honoring the memory and shielding from neglect the graves of the community’s heroic dead, and most importantly to preserve the memories and records of those men and women of the Jewish faith who “did us proud by bearing the brunt of battle in the patriotic service of our great country.”
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN
Established nationally in 1893 and locally in 1905, NCJW is the oldest Jewish women’s organization in the U.S. The group’s educational and legislative efforts have helped bring about action in areas of concern to women and children. The local Endowment Fund functions as the Tidewater Council of Jewish Women under Jewish Family Service Foundation Philanthropic Fund Agreement. Donations may be made to the TCJW Fund through JFS, 5000 Corporate Woods Dr., Virginia Beach, VA 23462.
THE NORFOLK MIKVAH AND MIKVAH TAHARAS CHAYA
425 Washington Park 757-627-7358 or 757-277-4662 The Mikvahs serve the entire Jewish community. The Mikvah recently completed an exciting renovation and expansion to better serve the Jewish women of Tidewater. As part of the launch of the new mikvah facility, educational opportunities are being offered on the role the Mikvah plays in marriages and communities. To schedule an appointment for a conversion, call 757-627-7358. For more information, sponsorships, learning opportunities, and appointments for women, call or text Chamie Haber at 757-277-4662.
“My children LOVE going to religious school! That was not the experience I had growing up so I’m thrilled that the Jewish educa�on my boys are receiving is not only rich and purposeful but also enjoyable.” Becky F “We drive 45 minutes just to a�end this religious school. I love the warm atmosphere, the caring teachers and my children look forward to it each week! I feel very lucky to be part of such a kind, open-minded community. It feels like home.” Sarah D Temple Emanuel Offers Rich K-12 Learning, Free Early Years & Full Tui�on Scholarships as Standard jewishnewsva.org | July 19, 2021 | Guide | JEWISH NEWS | 25
GUIDE TO JEWISH LIVING IN TIDEWATER
SOCIAL SERVICES AND HEALTH CARE BETH SHOLOM VILLAGE
Skilled Nursing, Rehabilitation, Long Term Care, Memory Care, & Assisted Living David R. Abraham, Chief Executive Officer bethsholomvillage.com 757-420-2512 For more than 40 years, Beth Sholom Village (BSV) has served as the only nursing facility in Hampton Roads that embodies traditional Jewish values, customs, and traditions. BSV is a kosher facility that observes all major Jewish holidays and traditions. BSV is proud to serve residents and patients of all religions. Under the umbrella of Beth Sholom Village, falls Freda H. Gordon Hospice and Palliative Care, as well as Generations Home Health and BSV Transportation LLC. Professional affiliations exist with Jewish Family Service of Tidewater, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Glennan Center and Services, as well as ECPI University.
THE BERGER-GOLDRICH HEALTH CARE & REHABILITATION CENTER
6401 Auburn Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23464 757-420-2512, fax 757-424-0657 Administrator: Rebecca Moralez, RN, LNHA The Berger-Goldrich Health Care & Rehabilitation Center is a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility with a memory care unit. The Berger-Goldrich Health Care & Rehabilitation Center completed a major renovation in 2020. All resident and patient rooms now have a walk-in shower and an upgraded bathroom. The rehabilitation gyms have been expanded and upgraded, and the common and multipurpose areas have new and modern décor. The Berger-Goldrich Health Care and Rehabilitation Center offers: • A coordinated approach to care, including physical, occupational, and speech therapy in two state-of-the-art therapy gyms. One gym includes a practical kitchen for residents to relearn skills necessary for their return home. • Team of nursing personnel, therapists, social workers, and an activities department with certified activity therapists. • Dentist, ophthalmologist, and podiatrist care available on site. • Out-patient physical therapy department. • Kosher meals and snacks daily, and Sabbath and holiday services. • The Kantor Café. Open to the public, kosher; serves breakfast, lunch, and snacks. • Special Care Unit for residents with advanced dementia. • Beds certified for Medicare and Medicaid in private and semi-private rooms. • Excellent staff-to-resident ratio. • Hair salon with a full-time hairdresser. • Outdoor gardens, patios, and secure courtyards. • Auxiliary Gift Shop. The Berger-Goldrich Health Care & Rehabilitation Center is a recipient agency of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Tidewater Jewish Foundation, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, and BSHEV Foundation.
26 | JEWISH NEWS | Guide | July 19, 2021 | jewishnewsva.org
THE TERRACE AT BETH SHOLOM VILLAGE
1049 College Park Blvd., Virginia Beach, VA 23464 757-282-2384, fax 757-361-0151 bethsholomvillage.com Administrator: Allison Whiteman, LALA Seniors who are no longer able to live on their own, find a new lease on life at The Terrace at Beth Sholom Village. The Terrace, a Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Assisted Living Center, can accommodate 85 residents in 69 units. The Terrace provides gracious assisted living where residents can live comfortably in their own studio, one, or twobedroom apartment. Four levels of care are offered to assist residents with their activities of daily living in a secure and comfortable environment. Three kosher meals are served daily by the wait staff in the dining room, and snacks and drinks are always available in the Club Room. The activity calendar is filled with entertainment, outings, art programs, and a wide variety of in-house activities, including daily exercise. A caring staff provides scheduled transportation for shopping and doctor appointments. Licensed nurses attend to residents’ regular medical needs and are available for more urgent situations. The Memory Enhancement Unit allows residents with Alzheimer’s or dementiarelated illness to be as independent as possible within a safe and secure environment. This secure unit has 18 individual apartments, which surround a well-lit central atrium with areas designated for dining, activities, and relaxing.
JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE OF TIDEWATER
Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suites 300 and 400, Virginia Beach, VA 23462 Chief Executive Officer: Kelly Burroughs Administration: 757-321-2222 Counseling and Adoption: 757-459-4640 Personal Affairs Management/Guardian Program: 757-938-9130 Embrace Home Care: 757-489-3111; Fax 757-489-1958 jfshamptonroads.org Jewish Family Service of Tidewater, Inc. is a social service agency providing a continuum of solutions to those in need throughout Tidewater, regardless of religion or financial status. The Hebrew Ladies Charity Society began this work in 1865, which continued through the 1900’s until Jewish Family Service was established in 1946 and incorporated as Jewish Family Service of Tidewater, Inc., in 1969. The agency has earned a national reputation of responding to community needs by the creation and expansion of programs for children, youth, families, older adults, persons with developmental disabilities, and persons who experience chronic mental illness. JFS depends on the generosity of the Jewish and the broader Tidewater communities for support. Local funding sources include United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Tidewater Jewish Foundation, United Way of South Hampton Roads, and many generous foundations and donors.
ADOPTION Jewish Family Service is a licensed child placement agency offering services to guide families through the beginning of a family through adoption. Professional staff counsel birth parents and assist adoptive parents. Adoption Resources staff are cognizant of Virginia law and are experienced in working with attorneys and other agencies to facilitate parental placement adoptions and domestic adoption. Counseling services are offered to any family facing an unplanned pregnancy.
GUIDE TO JEWISH LIVING IN TIDEWATER CARE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM This program assists individuals and their families in assessing the medical, personal, and social service needs of older adults. By partnering together with the client and their families or legal guardians, JFS helps design long-term care plans that allow elderly people to remain in their own homes for as long as possible. Care managers address the practical needs of daily living with older adults. Programs include kosher Meals on Wheels, volunteer friendly visitors, senior companions, and transportation services.
Embrace Home Care also offers the services of a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who can help explore other areas of need for the older adult living at home.
OLDER ADULT SERVICES JFS helps ensure that older adults live with dignity and the greatest degree of independence possible. Agency professionals work closely with patients, families, healthcare providers, and other organizations to design comprehensive care plans to help meet the medical, social, nutritional, and recreational needs of older adults receiving support services through JFS.
COUNSELING FOR ALL AGES Life is full of transition and change. JFS recognizes that sometimes individuals and families need support and help to navigate these changes. JFS provides individual, couple, family, and group counseling services to people of all ages, regardless of affiliation. JFS offers grief counseling through the Dozoretz Center for Family Healing, a community resource center established to help people of all ages cope with the death of a loved one, family illness, relocation, divorce, separation, or remarriage. The Jessica Glasser Children’s Therapeutic Pavilion at JFS offers an engaging playtherapy room, which provides a comforting place for children and teens to learn to cope with life issues. Therapists are highly trained, master’s level, Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs), many of whom hold special training in grief, child/teen issues, family stress, and gerontology. JFS counseling services are covered by Medicare and Medicaid, and by many private health insurance companies. Services may be provided on a sliding scale fee basis to those without insurance who qualify.
FOOD AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE In Virginia, more than 170,000 families live below the poverty level. Many of these families are unable to obtain nutritious food. To combat this growing problem, JFS partners with the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia to operate a Community Food Pantry. Individuals and families, regardless of affiliation, can receive food assistance once a month. The Pantry is open Monday and Tuesday, 10 am to noon. Hunger happens in Jewish households, too. For Jewish individuals in need of kosher food, JFS operates its Milk and Honey Food Program. Financial assistance is available for Jewish families coping with unplanned financial debt and obligation. Case managers help with budgeting, financial planning, and payment arrangements. This program is made possible by the generosity of the Pincus Paul Fund of the Jewish Family Service Foundation and the endowment fund of Hebrew Ladies Charity Society, along with the support of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Individuals and families fund special projects, including holiday food baskets, Hanukkah gifts for children, grocery certificates, and assistance with utilities and rent. JFS receives food from many generous donors throughout the community. Families or organizations interested in a food drive or to bring food or other household supplies to support the pantry, should contact JFS. Restocking of shelves is always needed and assistance is always appreciated.
EMBRACE HOME CARE: PRIVATE DUTY SERVICES Embrace Home Care offers certified nursing assistants and nurse’s aides to provide services such as dressing, bathing, and personal, private care while hospitalized; transportation and accompaniment to medical appointments; and meal preparation, shopping, companionship, and family support. For more comprehensive care, Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) can provide medication administration, blood pressure monitoring, catheter care, diabetes management, tube feedings, and other services.
Family owned and operated since 1917
Chris Sisler, Vice President, Member of Ohef Sholom Temple, Board member of the Berger-Goldrich Home at Beth Sholom Village, James E. Altmeyer, Jr., President, James E. Altmeyer, Sr., Owner
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for a three-step Pre-Arrangement Guide or contact the Altmeyer Pre-Arrangement Center directly at 757 422-4000
Approved by all area Rabbis and Chevrah Kadisha Riverside Chapel • 7415 River Road Newport News • 757 245-1525
www.altmeyerfuneralandcremation.com jewishnewsva.org | July 19, 2021 | Guide | JEWISH NEWS | 27
GUIDE TO JEWISH LIVING IN TIDEWATER PERSONAL AFFAIRS MANAGEMENT/ GUARDIANSHIP & CONSERVATORSHIP The Personal Affairs Management (PAM) Program at JFS safeguards the personal and financial affairs of vulnerable, incapacitated adults with physical, cognitive, and/ or mental disabilities. Guardian and/or conservator services are provided based on court order. The PAM Program has been recognized as a Model Program by the Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging and is approved as a Regional Public Guardian and Conservator Program by the Virginia Department for the Aging and Rehabilitative Services. On-call case management is available 24 hours a day to improve clients’ quality of life and manage personal and medical care.
SPECIAL NEEDS JFS offers a variety of services to support persons with special or differing needs, and is grateful for funding for these services from United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, United Way of South Hampton Roads, and private donors who care about the social and emotional inclusion of persons with special needs. JFS offers these services for persons with special needs: • SIMCHA: This socialization and recreation group for Jewish adults with mental illness, offers cultural and recreational outings. • CHAVERIM: Cultural, social, and recreational opportunities are provided for Jewish individuals with developmental disabilities. • S PECIAL NEEDS CAMP: In cooperation with the Simon Family JCC, children with special needs are integrated into summer programs and activities, enabling them to participate with their non-disabled peers.
FREDA H. GORDON HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE CARE OF TIDEWATER
Administrator: Thomas Elder, RN CHPN 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 500, Virginia Beach, VA 23462 Office: 757-321-2242, hpctidewater.com, contact us@hpctidewater.com Freda H. Gordon Hospice and Palliative Care agency was formed in 2012. Hospice & Palliative Care of Tidewater’s vision is to exceed the expectations of its patients and families in providing outstanding care, and encourage patient choice resulting in improved quality of life. The hospice team is committed to providing comfort and dignity through physical, emotional, and spiritual support. As health professionals, HPCT is dedicated to educating the community about hospice benefits. HPCT offers a comprehensive array of services for adults who want to manage their end-of-life healthcare needs in their own homes, nursing home, or assisted living home.
YOUTH GROUPS BBYO
Jewish students: Rising 9th–12th grade Director of Camp and Teen Engagement: Dave Flagler, 757-452-3182, DFlagler@UJFT.org BBYO involves Jewish teens in meaningful Jewish experiences, guiding them into leadership positions that will last a lifetime. Teens meet weekly, on weekends, from September through June at the Simon Family JCC, and focus on community service and social action programs with their chapters, BBG (girls) and AZA (boys). The teens attend a variety of regional and national conventions.
NFTY: THE REFORM JEWISH YOUTH MOVEMENT
Mid-Atlantic Region—NFTY-MAR REFORM, nfty.org/mar, nftymar@urj.org Reform Jewish teens from North Carolina, eastern West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC, and far-eastern Tennessee comprise NFTY-MAR. Members come together for learning, fun, worship, community service, and fellowship to help young Jewish adults build and strengthen lifetime ties with each other and Reform Judaism.
CONGREGATION BETH CHAVERIM
Robin Herbol 757-692-9509 Beth Chaverim Youth Group (BEACHY) participates in NFTY-MAR events. For students in grades 9–12.
OHEF SHOLOM TEMPLE YOUTH
757-625-4295 OSTY Advisors: Robyn and Paul Weiner, ostyadvisors@gmail.com Ohef Sholom Temple’s Youth Group (OSTY) is for students in grades 8–12. JOSTY, the Junior Ohef Sholom Temple Youth group, is for 6th and 7th graders. Members participate in community service, regional, and national conventions, religious, and other “just-for-fun” events. Members also develop leadership skills, build community with each other and create lifelong memories. OSTY is affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism’s NFTY, the Reform Jewish Youth Movement.
CEMETERIES B’NAI ISRAEL CEMETERY Cromwell Road, Norfolk, Va., 757-627-7358
FOREST LAWN CEMETERY Granby Street, Norfolk, Va., 757-441-1752
GOMLEY CHESED CEMETERY
Shell Road near Frederick Blvd. and George Washington Highway Portsmouth, Va., 757-484-1019
HEBREW CEMETERY
Princess Anne Road and Tidewater Drive, Norfolk, Va., 757 441-2576
MIKRO KODESH Chesapeake, Va., 757-965-6100
PRINCESS ANNE MEMORIAL PARK 1110 North Great Neck Road, Virginia Beach, Va., 757-481-1097
ROSEWOOD MEMORIAL PARK CEMETERY 631 N. Witchduck Road, Virginia Beach, Va., 757-497-8925
WOODLAWN MEMORIAL GARDENS 6309 E. Virginia Beach Blvd., Norfolk, Va., 757-461-4054
WORKMEN’S CIRCLE Chesapeake, Va., 757-965-6100
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GUIDE TO JEWISH LIVING IN TIDEWATER
Judaism in the COVID era: What will be lost, gained and changed? Sam Sokol
This Q&A is adapted from one of eight mainstage conversations held at Z3 2020: Visions of a Shared Future, a virtual conference produced by The Z3 Project and the Oshman Family JCC of Palo Alto, California, aimed at reimagining Diaspora-Israel relations.
J
udaism has always been a social faith, centered on communal activity. However, the demands of social distancing and repeated lockdowns prompted Jews from across the religious spectrum to experiment with new models of engagement. This discussion on how the coronavirus altered ways in which Jews worship both collectively and personally has been condensed. It is adapted from a discussion featuring Dr. Micah Goodman, a noted author, The Wondering Jew and research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem; Sarah Hurwitz, President Barack Obama’s former speechwriter; and journalist Abigail Pogrebin, Stars of David. Pogrebin: Because of the pandemic, we’re weren’t allowed to do our Jewish thing these days, which basically means being together like we’ve all been raised, in the Jewish tumult of family, of ritual, of celebration. Can you describe the challenge? Goodman: I think people…of a digital age have a hard time spending time with themselves. It’s literally hard, harder for people, probably more than ever, just to sit down and to stare and to be bored, and to generate your own thoughts without any external stimulation. There’s a second thing that’s very hard for people, to communicate deeply with other people. Judaism is very good at building connections between people, families, communities, powerful relationships, relationships [that are] non-instrumental. I really hope that now that we’re yearning for the real thing, for Jewish connection from real family, for real community, for spending real time with each other, for finally stop[ping] communicating through technology. Maybe we’ll shut off our smartphones. Maybe we adapt to an
ancient Jewish idea of using Shabbat as a day of a digital sabbath, of a day where it’s just us and no distractions. Hurwitz: I think this has obviously been a time where we’ve had to seriously rethink a lot of our rituals, how do we do these things when we can’t actually be in the same room? In the era of COVID, we’re really rethinking how we gather, how we celebrate our holidays, our lifecycle rituals, everything from inviting people over to Shabbat to doing things on Zoom. That should be a really wrenching, powerful, transformative experience. I think it actually puts into kind of sharp relief what it means when we have rituals that we don’t really understand; when we kind of vaguely feel like cultural Jews, but don’t really know what that means. What I’m hoping is that this will spark a real yearning for Jewish literacy, some real understanding of the profound moral and ethical and spiritual and cultural lessons behind these holidays, because I don’t think people are going to continue to do Judaism just because they feel vaguely Jewish, or because Bubby was Jewish, or because of the Holocaust. Pogrebin: What does it mean to be able to be involved in Judaism in this moment without the structures we’re used to? Hurwitz: You know, many, many, many American Jews are not members of any kind of Jewish organization, a synagogue [or] any other Jewish organization. That’s actually quite common. And, you know, for those who do and [the connection] is well developed, that’s great. I do think there is a model of an on-ramp of understanding Jewish wisdom, of learning about what Judaism has to offer you to help you be a better person [and] lead a more meaningful life. And I think that can be a really good on-ramp for people who aren’t necessarily institutionally connected. Now, is that enough? I don’t think it is. I think community is central to Judaism. I don’t think you can necessarily do Judaism entirely absent from community, however you define community. Goodman: I’m gonna make the community argument now. And [over the]
past decade, two things are on the rise: 1, loneliness, and 2, a sense of tribalism. And it seems like there’s obviously a contradiction between the two, right? Now, loneliness, people feel unseen, anonymous. People, especially in the United States of America, feel like they have less best friends, [are] less connected to their own family, [have] less meaningful conversations with other people. Tribalism is on the rise, political tribalism where you’re trapped in a digital tribe that’s filled with two things: a very strong sense that you are right and a very strong sense that the other people from the other camp, it’s not that they’re wrong, it’s that they’re dangerous, and they’re threatening. I think developing community is the answer to tribalism, and the answer to loneliness. I think what Judaism always did at its best was form powerful communities. I think what rituals really do, it connects you to the other people that are practicing the ritual with you. It’s a glue that connects people together. Pogrebin: There are observers who have described the tikkun olamism of Judaism, meaning that for many people, that’s where they’re finding their identity or their connection to tradition or even to feeling Jewish. Do you see this happening and does it worry you? Goodman: I’ll speak about it as an Israeli. Israel is so different [from] America, and the kind of Judaism that is developing here is so different, [so] the challenges we have are very, very different. In Israel, Judaism is not something you have to fight for in order for it to be a part of your life. In Israel, even if we won’t translate it, or won’t make it exciting, it’s gonna stay there. Because in Israel, Judaism is in the air. Even if you don’t think about it, you’re breathing it in. For Israelis, our identity is chosen for us. It’s hard for us to escape it. For Americans, you have to choose it every day. Tikkun olam is a term from the Talmud, but the prophetic vision is that the way that Judaism can help heal the world is just being the best Jewish society you can be. And under the assumption that a country like Israel, if it elevates its
moral standards, it will be inspiring for other societies and other countries. So, for me, as an Israeli and as a Zionist, making the best Israel we can, building together the greatest Jewish state we can, that is tikkun olam because an exemplary society in Israel will be a role model for other societies in the world. Hurwitz: I’m all for Jews who are excited about the Jewish tradition of tikkun olam, tzedakah, social justice, but what I find is oftentimes, they just say ‘no, social justice is my Judaism,’ which is beautiful. But that’s also your Christianity, your Islam or Buddhism, you’re being a decent secular person, right? There’s nothing uniquely Jewish about social justice, about repairing the world. However, there is a very unique, distinctive and deep, vast body of Jewish laws that actually indicate a highly unique approach to social justice, to repairing the world. There is a distinctly Jewish approach that is different from other approaches. It is intricately laid out in Jewish law. Pogrebin: God is often missing from the conversation. What’s missing when we leave God, especially during a pandemic when people are searching for reasons? Hurwitz: I think what is just important for American Jews to understand, and we often don’t, is that Judaism is not just a religion. Judaism is a peoplehood. I can opt out of every tenant of Jewish religion, but I was born to Jewish parents, I’m still Jewish. Converted to Judaism? Still Jewish. I think one of my biggest frustrations is that there’s this basically epic, awkward silence around God and Judaism. I think that spirituality can really make Judaism come alive. So, what I wish was that more Jews realized, just the depth and the intelligence and the sophistication and the humility of our approach to God. I think if they did, Judaism would seem a lot more attractive to a lot of people. This article was sponsored by and produced in partnership with The Z3 Project and the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center in Palo Alto, California.
jewishnewsva.org | July 19, 2021 | Guide | JEWISH NEWS | 29
From top left: Danny & Shikma Rubin, Jody & Alan Wagner, Renée & John Strelitz, Carly & Hen Glikman, Jay & Jodi Klebanoff, and Laura & Fred Gross.
Securing the Jewish Future Add your name to the growing list of community members who have signed the Jewish Future Pledge. Calling on all Jews to commit half or more of their charitable giving in their estate plan to support the Jewish people and/or the State of Israel, the Jewish Future Pledge can help ensure that more than $600 billion is set aside for Jewish causes when wealth is transferred from this generation to the next. Sign the Pledge today to make a difference now and into the future! To get started or for more information: Naomi Limor Sedek, nsedek@ujft.org | 757-956-6109 30 | JEWISH NEWS | Guide | July 19, 2021 | jewishnewsva.org
CAMP JCC
Camp JCC: a great place to be a kid this summer S
miling faces and giddy laughter tell the story with absolutely zero words: Camp JCC 2021 is a resounding success. Days at Camp JCC are packed with activities that appeal to each age group and hit just about every interest. From fishing to golfing, swimming to singing (and shouting!), arts to creative play, stories to competitions, campers are busy, happy, and mainly go home tired. While most of the remaining weeks are filled for this year, a very few slots are open in the upper bunks. To learn more, contact Dave Flagler, director of Camp and Teen Engagement at 757-452-3182 or DFlagler@UJFT.org or go to www. campjcc.org.
Chris Fenley, lead specialist.
Tel Aviv Bunk and Jaffa Bunk spend day at the beach.
Camp Katan campers enjoy dress up day during Animal Adventure Week.
Matvei Working.
Lindsey Foer and Zack Sissel, Bat Yam counselors.
Shabbat “Chalk-the-walk” around Lake Sandler.
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TIDEWATER JEWISH FOUNDATION FIRST PERSON
I’ve pledged support for the Jewish future. Here’s why. Jody Wagner
A
s we begin to emerge from the upheaval of this past year, many of us are reflecting on our goals and values. For me, it’s the importance of participating in the Jewish community and supporting Jewish causes. I was raised in the tight-knit community of Beachwood, Ohio, where my school was 95% Jewish. My father, a Holocaust survivor, had made me aware of our historical trauma, and I appreciated being part of a vibrant Jewish community. However, everything was already established—I did not see a personal role to play. It was not until I was in law school and seeking an internship in Nashville, Tennessee that I encountered true antisemitism. I interviewed with a professional in
my field who, instead of treating me like any other candidate, made comments about my religion and assumed he already knew me based on my culture. At that moment, I suddenly became aware that many Jewish people were having similar experiences in their local communities. That encounter led me on a path of active engagement in Jewish Federations, first in Nashville and then in Virginia Beach. As my husband Alan and I began to raise a family and build our careers and businesses, I became increasingly aware of the importance of an active Jewish infrastructure. Organizations like Jewish Family Service do a heroic job of enabling social workers and home healthcare aides to support Jews in need, as well as assist those in the broader community. Other organizations, such as American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee dedicate
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their efforts to taking care of Jews in need throughout the world. In a different, but equally important way, organizations such as American Jewish Committee work on the frontlines of diplomacy and political relations to safeguard Jews all over the world. My support for these and other Jewish causes is aimed at Tikkun Olam, the Jewish concept of repairing the world, and of protecting the vulnerable. These are the Jewish values that I grew up with and that my husband and I worked to instill in our four children. But Jewish philanthropy is not only about furthering Jewish values. It is also about the survival of our communities. With fresh challenges upon us—from a pandemic to growing antisemitic sentiment—we need new, creative resources. Intermarried couples and unaffiliated Jews require programs that meet their unique needs and provide support during lifecycle events. Likewise, some Jewish communities that once had thriving synagogues and community centers are now in need of vigorous outreach to the younger generation.
When we support Jewish organizations, we are helping our own families and friends—guaranteeing that our grandchildren will continue to enjoy the warm embrace of Jewish peoplehood. I’m grateful that our local community has ample Jewish educational opportunities, summer camps, and outreach programs. I want to make sure other families have this support and benefit in this way. When we support Jewish organizations, we are helping our own families and friends, guaranteeing that our grandchildren will continue to enjoy the warm embrace of Jewish peoplehood. Perhaps it is my penchant for thinking ahead that makes me so enthusiastic
Jody and Alan Wagner
about Jewish Future Pledge, an initiative that calls on all Jews to pledge that half or more of the charitable giving in their will to support the Jewish people and/or the State of Israel. When I became aware of the Pledge, I knew that it was a natural choice for my family. Alan enthusiastically agreed even before I finished explaining! We were already planning to include Jewish charities in our wills and signing the Jewish Future Pledge was an opportunity for us to start a conversation with our children and put our commitment in writing. I want to encourage others to sit down and have a conversation about committing to the Pledge. Doing so does not mean you cannot donate to your alma mater or to other worthy causes; nor does it mean that you cannot leave generously for your own children. It just means that you also select Jewish causes that speak to your soul and earmark funds for them. Whatever you decide to do, I think the first step is realizing you can make an impact, that you can help ensure Jewish communities stay strong and viable into the future. You can accomplish some of this in your lifetime and some as part of your legacy. As I think back to my past and look forward to the future, I want to share this message with others. Claiming our Jewish identity is just the beginning. To keep our heritage alive for generations to come, we must also be passionate givers.
STRELITZ INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY
Strelitz International Academy’s successful year concludes with graduation Carin Simon, Admissions Director
A
s the Strelitz International Academy graduates ascended the stage on June 8, 2021 for their special graduation ceremony, parents and supporters cheered with joy. The 2020–2021 school year commenced with an unsettled beginning of the global pandemic, and graduation signaled the light at the end of the tunnel. Parents beamed with pride and smiles of gratitude knowing that their students had been in the best place possible—Strelitz International Academy—with friends and the support and guidance of the school and nurturing teachers. In her opening remarks, Heather Moore, head of school, thanked the community for their support, which helped to ensure the success of the school year. “Our goal for this school year was to provide in-person instruction for all SIA students while ensuring the health and safety of our entire school community. We have been so fortunate this year and it is clear, our adherence to health mitigation strategies and recommendations from the CDC and VDH have kept our children and school personnel healthy and safe at school,” said Moore. “I could not be more proud of our school. Thank you to our incredible community of teachers, staff, parents, and
Heather Moore speaks to the graduates.
students for working together to create a successful school year! And today we are able to come together to celebrate the Class of 2021!” Moore concluded. In their final essays, the graduates reflected on learning about the global pandemic, elections, democracy, and the importance of community service and social action. Fifth grade students also recognized how much they have grown and matured during their time at SIA. As an IB Candidate School®, students learn through inquiry, research, and reflection. Fifth graders complete a special exhibition highlighting the growth outlined in their final school essay. During the graduation ceremony, each student was recognized with one or more special awards highlighting their talents and contributions to their class community. The SIA graduates will take with them all of the love and wisdom they have received during their time at the school as they proceed with confidence to middle school and beyond. For the fall, SIA graduates will attend the following middle school programs: Cape Henry Collegiate, Great Neck Middle School, International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program at Plaza Middle School, Kempsville Middle School, Lynnhaven Middle School, and Old Donation School.
Ben Amitay.
SIA Class of 2021.
For information on enrollment or to schedule a tour, contact Carin Simon, admissions director, at csimon@strelitzacademy.org or 757-424-4327 • Only schools authorized by the International Baccalaureate can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org
••Mission Statement from the IB The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.
Amelia Portnoy receives her diploma.
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JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE
JFS recognizes and honors employees D
ue to COVID, Jewish Family Service held a small, socially distanced ceremony in the Fall 2020 to recognize employees for reaching their tenure year. The following individuals were congratulated for their years of dedicated service: Recognized for 30 Years • Nancy Engel, Executive Administrative Assistant Recognized for 25 Years • Dorothy Salomonsky, Personal Affairs Management Program Director Recognized for 20 Years • Irina Kvitko, Fiscal Billing Representative • Lloyd Clements, Personal Affairs Management Clinical Manager Recognized for 15 Years • A mid Gilkes, Personal Affairs Management Guardian Representative • Nikcole Sales, Personal Affairs Management Guardian Representative Supervisor Recognized for 10 Years • Gail Andrews, Personal Affairs Management Administrative Assistant • Deborah Lubaton, Personal Affairs Management Banking Supervisor • Brenda Parson, Personal Affairs Management Trusts & Assets Legal Assistant • Arnold Unterbach, Licensed Clinical Social Worker Recognized for 5 Years • Lisa Benjamin, Director of Accounting & Finance • L aura Majka, Personal Affairs Management Tax Assistant • Carole McQueen, Embrace Home Care/ Care Watch Assistant 2020 Home Care Worker of the Year: M. M. Newton Silva
S
hower with Appreciation was the theme of this year’s Jewish Family Service Employee Appreciation Celebration held on June 16. JFS pays tribute each year to its employees and honors those reaching specific levels of longevity. “Last year, during the pandemic, the agency was not able to hold a big ceremony to thank the staff. We are so happy to be able to see everyone gathered together again!” said Sue Graves, JFS director of development. Kelly Burroughs, JFS CEO, provided a historical review of JFS during numerous “unprecedented” times in history: “Unprecedented is a word that we heard so often to describe 2020—that these were unprecedented times; and in many ways they were. However, the pandemic really brought to light things that we all know very well through our work at JFS. We know about loniness, fear, anxiety, the feeling of helplessness and despair. Our jobs during the pandemic were to help bring hope and a sense of stability to people who count on us every day. That is not unprecedented at JFS.”
if we continue to show genuine kindness and empathy for one another, we will carry on the traditions of those who came before us, and we can pull through anything.
Burroughs also noted other times in history in which the agency rose to meet the challenges of the times, such as rolling bandages for the Red Cross to send to the warfront in 1912 and playing a key role in the resettlement of Holocaust survivors and other refugees from World War II. “The agency has consistently helped people in times of need,” she said. “At the time, these were all
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unprecedented events” said Burroughs, “and throughout it all, there was a common thread—to help others that are less fortunate than ourselves,” said Burroughs. “This continues through to today, and throughout the pandemic. You are carrying on a tradition that will continue into the future: you are all part of this wonderful legacy where kindness counts.” Jan Ganderson, director of nursing, recognized Marcie Wesner as the 2021 JFS Home Care Worker of the Year. Wesner has worked for JFS for 17 years, caring for many patients, some for several years. “Marcie has always provided her patients with the loving, caring support that makes her an exemplary aide,” said Ganderson. “One patient described Marcie as always steady, unassuming, quiet, but always there—‘a presence in his life that was truly invaluable.’” JFS’ Executive Leadership Team also recognized employees from each department for their longevity. The following employees were honored for their years of dedicated service to JFS: Recognized for 25 Years • Kim Stites, Director of Operations Recognized for 20 Years • A lla Gean, Clinical Services Case Manager • Sue Graves, Director of Development • Marina Tidwell, Personal Affairs Management Financial/Administrative Assistant Recognized for 10 Years • Sentera Cook, Embrace Home Care Scheduler Recognized for 5 Years • A ndrei Niazdoimin, Personal Affairs Management Staff Accountant • Jonathan Harris, Personal Affairs Management Trust & Assets Assistant • K imberly Larocco, Personal Affairs Management Administrative Assistant Accounting • Bob LeBlanc, Clinical Services Driver Burroughs closed the ceremony by saying, “There are stresses and challenges that we have endured and will continue to endure
Kelly Burroughs, JFS CEO, welcomes JFS employees to the annual Employee Appreciation Celebration.
Rabbi Batya Glazer delivers the D’Var Torah.
throughout the next stages of 2021. None of us know what it will look like as we emerge from this pandemic. But we do know one thing for sure—that if we continue to show genuine kindness and empathy for one another, we will carry on the traditions of those who came before us, and we can pull through anything.”
JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE
Jan Ganderson, director of nursing, recognizes Marcie Wesner as the 2021 Home Care Worker of the Year.
Kelly Burroughs recognizes Sue Graves, director of development, for 20 years of dedicated service.
Jan Ganderson recognizes Sentera Cook, Embrace Home Care Scheduler (not pictured) for 10 years of dedicated service. Accepting the award is her mother, Shela Cook, PAM Guardian Representative Supervisor.
Dorothy Salomonsky and Kelly Burroughs recognize Marina Tidwell, PAM financial/administrative assistant (center), for 20 years of dedicated service.
Kelly Burroughs and Dorothy Salomonsky recognize Kim Larocco, PAM administrative assistant accounting (left), for five years of dedicated service.
Kelly Burroughs recognizes Kim Stites, director of operations, for 25 years of dedicated service.
Kelly Burroughs and Dorothy Salomonsky recognize Andrei Niazdoimin, PAM staff accountant/case manager (left), for five years of dedicated service.
Alla Gean, is recognized for 20 years of dedicated service by Kelly Burroughs and Debbie Mayer.
Kelly Burroughs, Debbie Mayer, Kim Stites, and Anne Kramer, board president.
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Bob & Augusta Live Forever As philanthropists and volunteers, this Virginia Beach couple supported important causes in Hampton Roads. Although Bob Goodman passed away in 2006 and Augusta Goodman in 2017, they help others today because of the charitable bequest they entrusted to the Hampton Roads Community Foundation. Today, their four children carry on Bob and Augusta’s legacy through donor-advised funds that let them recommend grants to help nonprofits do their best work. Thanks to their generosity, Bob and Augusta will forever make life better in their home region. Learn how easy it is to leave your mark on the future by ordering a free bequest guide. Adding Charity to Your W or IRA ill
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guide to the ple of charitab asure and prom ise le bequest s
Inspiring Philanthro py. Chan ging Lives .
www.leaveabequest.org (757) 622-7951
BETH SHOLOM VILLAGE FIRST PERSON
Jewish life at Beth Sholom Village Rabbi Adam Ruditsky
B
eth Sholom Village is not just a long-term care facility or rehab, an assisted living or memory care, but it is a Rabbi Adam Ruditsky dwelling place for Jewish life. At least that was so for Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, z’’l, who said: “A test of a people is how it behaves toward the old. […]the affection and care for the old, the incurable, the helpless is the true gold mines of a culture.” Caring for “the elderly” at Beth Sholom is a garden that we have been given the opportunity to tend to daily. The values of our care go beyond our religious practices, both to Jews and non-Jews alike, but the foundation of our conduct is universal. We learn in Pirkei
Avot that the world stands and endures on justice, truth, and peace—universal human qualities—and here at Beth Sholom Village, while we are certainly guided by the words of Pirkei Avot, our world also stands and endures on the pillars of Chesed, Aychut, and Kavod. In many ways, these three pillars of our Jewish values capture the true ikar, or the very essence of who we are. Chesed, or care, is what we provide our residents. The Chesed of Beth Sholom Village is provided with the highest level of aychut, or quality. From the medical and non-medical interdisciplinary teams to the heavy lifting of our environmental, dietary, and maintenance staffs, let alone our administration, each and everything we do reflects the highest level of quality (or aychut), even more so based on those who are under our care. But the foundation of both, without question, begins
with Kavod, showing dignity to all people regardless of their differences, religiously or otherwise. True Jewish values! Another Jewish value we stand upon is Tzedakah, which we normally associate with the giving of money. While giving is certainly important in order for a place like Beth Sholom Village to function and care for our community, we also freely give of our time, talents, hearts, and minds. Thank you for allowing us to take care of moms and dads, brothers and sisters, family, and friends. Thank you for being partners with Beth Sholom Village, as together we stand as a Jewish community because our aging population is indeed, “the true gold mines of a culture.” Rabbi Adam Ruditsky is director of Religious Services at Beth Sholom Village.
TEMPLE ISRAEL
Mitzvah of the Month at Temple Israel provides help to many throughout the community
T
emple Israel participated in another successful Mitzvah of the Month in June by conducting a Jewish Family Service food drive titled, “Bare Necessities.” Members of the congregation donated money, food, and products that families need to survive the summer. Throughout June, extremely generous benefactors brought their contributions or called in monetary donations that enabled the congregation to fill an entire room at Temple Israel with basic necessities, as well as allowed it to purchase 220 pounds of chicken, 100 pounds of hamburgers, and 60 pounds of lunch meat. Their philanthropic participation assured that those in need—including children and families—could receive Temple Israel’s help anonymously, which is significant about supporting Jewish Family Service.
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On Tuesday, June 29, Jody Laibstain and Bob LeBlanc from Jewish Family Service went to Temple Israel, along with Marissa Simon, Melissa Eichelbaum, and Andi Eichelbaum, to load six SUV’s with the food and non-perishable items. Nancy Tucker and Corey Whitten also helped load the vehicles. Each month, the temple chooses a Mitzvah of the Month, under the guidance of Norman Soroko, vice president of Outreach and Community. ”I would like to thank Steven Legum, Lorna Legum, Nancy Tucker, Mark Solberg, Anthony Wilson, Richard and Valerie Yanku, Shannon Ponnak, and our security Guard, Sargent DJ for their help,” says Soroko.
During July, the congregation adopted Granby Elementary School on Newport Avenue and is collecting school supplies for the K through fifth grade so when the students return to school in September, they will have an abundance of school supplies.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
CALENDAR JULY 28, WEDNESDAY Summer Music Series at the Jewish Museum and Cultural Center (JMCC). The third performance of the 2021 season of the Zelma G. Rivin Wonderful Wednesdays Summer Music Series will be solo guitarist Sam Dorsey, who has performed with the Virginia Symphony, Virginia Opera, Virginia Stage Company, and the Virginia Beach Symphony. Tickets are $25 at the door, but can be purchased in advance for $20. There is a $25 discount when purchasing the entire series. For information and to purchase tickets, visit www.jewishmuseumportsmouth.org. AUGUST 8, SUNDAY Sunday Fun Day at the Simon Family JCC. This is the final Sunday Fun Day of 2021! Pack the family into the car and head to the JCC for a fun-filled afternoon of music, swimming, and a sweet, cool treat. Sunday Fun Days are FREE and open to JCC members, synagogue members, SIA families, and Camp JCC families. 2:00 pm. For more information, contact Dave Flagler, director of Camp and Teen Engagement, at Dflagler@ujft.org. AUGUST 14, WEDNESDAY Summer Music Series at the Jewish Museum and Cultural Center (JMCC). The fourth performance of the 2021 season of the Zelma G. Rivin Wonderful Wednesdays Summer Music Series will be the Alma Ensemble Chamber Trio. Flutist, Sarah Wardle Jones; pianist, Erica Sipes; and clarinetist Michelle Smith Johnson comprise this ensemble, which prioritizes performing music by women composers. Tickets are $25 at the door, but can be purchased in advance for $20. There is a $25 discount when purchasing the entire series. For information and to purchase tickets, visit www.jewishmuseumportsmouth.org. AUGUST 27, FRIDAY End of Summer Shabbat Dinner and Pool Party. Join PJ Library in Tidewater to celebrate with an End of Summer Shabbat Dinner and Pool Party at the Simon Family JCC’s outdoor waterpark. Enjoy a selection of exciting activities for both kids and adults. 5:00 pm. Shabbat blessings and dinner start at 6 pm. To purchase tickets, visit JewishVA.org/PJLibrary, or contact Nofar Trem, PJ Library program coordinator, at ntrem@ujft.org. SEPTEMBER 14, TUESDAY 33rd Annual Bob Josephberg Classic Golf Tournament to benefit Strelitz International Academy. Register by September 3. Played at Bayville Golf Club, Virginia Beach. 10:30 am registration opens; 12 pm tee-off. Golfer registration includes greens fees; on-course kosher lunch, snacks, and beverages; and after play awards reception with a kosher dinner. To play or donate a sponsorship, register at www.strelitzinternationalacademy.org/support-us/annual-golf-tournament or contact Carly Glikman at cglikman@strelitzacademy.org or 757-424-4327.
Lorraine Fink’s artwork to return to the Simon Family JCC in a retrospective exhibition August–September Robyn Sidersky
L
orraine Fink: Then and Now, featuring artwork created by Lorraine Fink over the last several decades, will be on display in the Leon Family Gallery at the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community throughout August and September. The Norfolk artist has had her work on display at the Slover Library, Chrysler Museum, Virginia Museum, Hermitage Museum, Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Perrell Art Gallery at Norfolk Academy, and the Baron and Ellin Gordon Art Galleries at Old Dominion University. Fink, 96, has been recognized with numerous honors including the Virginia Watercolor Society’s Purchase Award at the College of William & Mary, The Miniatures Juror’s Choice Award at the Hermitage Museum, a Tidewater Painting Award at Virginia Beach Arts Center, and inclusion in a two-year traveling Smithsonian exhibition
from the Virginia Museum. Her work has previously been displayed in the Leon Family Gallery. The upcoming exhibition begins August 1. For more information on the Lorraine Fink: Then and Now exhibit, or about the Leon Family Gallery, contact Jill Grossman, Arts + Ideas director, at Jgrossman@ujft.org or 757-965-6137.
Send submissions for calendar to news@ujft.org. Be sure to note “calendar” in the subject. Include date, event name, sponsor, address, time, cost and phone.
Rosh Hashanah in the Aug. 23 issue of Jewish News To advertise, call 757-965-6100 or email news@ujft.org.
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WHO KNEW? BASEBALL PHENOM JACOB STEINMETZ BECOMES FIRST KNOWN ORTHODOX PLAYER DRAFTED INTO THE MLB Rob Charry
( JTA)—The Arizona Diamondbacks drafted Long Island, New York native Jacob Steinmetz 77th overall in the third round of the Major League Baseball draft on Monday, July 12. He’s the first known observant Orthodox player to be picked in the league’s draft. MLB.com ranked the 17-year-old as the 121st best major league prospect, so he was chosen far earlier than expected. Steinmetz, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound pitcher, spent the past year at ELEV8 Baseball Academy in Florida, honing his mound skills while attending The Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway
in Long Island via Zoom. His fastball has reportedly reached as high as 97 miles per hour. Steinmetz keeps kosher and observes Shabbat, but he also pitches on the Sabbath. To avoid using transportation on Shabbat, he has booked hotels close enough to games that he can walk to them, the New York Post reported. Starting pitchers in the big leagues only pitch every five days, so his schedule could theoretically be planned to skip Shabbat. Steinmetz comes from an athletic family—his father, Elliot, played basketball at Yeshiva University and is now the New York school’s basketball coach. He had coached the team to record success before the pandemic.
IT’S A WRAP
Take YAD out to the ballpark!
Y
oung Adult Division (YAD) donors to United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Annual Campaign made their way to Harbor Park to see the Norfolk Tides take on the Gwinnett Stripers on Sunday, June 27. The young adults enjoyed the game, were thanked for their past commitments to the community, and had the opportunity to consider and make their 2022 gifts to the Annual Campaign. In the end, the Tides won over the Stripers 4 to 2! GO TIDES!
SNAKES AT A KIDDUSH: AN ISRAELI MUSEUM IS CELEBRATING ITS BABY PYTHONS WITH A TRADITIONAL CEREMONY Gabe Friedman
(JTA)—Shayna and Cuddles are unlike many new parents in Israel, in that they are pythons. But that doesn’t mean their offspring won’t be feted in a traditional way. Israel’s Biblical Museum of Natural History held a public kiddush on Friday, July 9, to celebrate the first baby snakes that have emerged from a crop of 38 eggs that Shayna, a 12-foot albino Burmese python, laid several months ago. “Waiting and watching has been an incredible experience and opportunity to share more about these amazing creatures, and there is no more fitting way to celebrate their entrance to the Biblical Museum of Natural History, than with a traditional, haimish Kiddush!” said Rabbi Natan Slifkin, the museum’s director and founder, in a press release announcing the event. It’s the first time that the museum, which Slifkin opened in 2014, has held a kiddush, the celebratory Jewish ceremony associated with Shabbat services and festive occasions. The event will include refreshments; an opportunity for visitors to meet Shayna, Cuddles and their babies; and a lesson about Jewish perspectives on snakes. Slifkin is an Orthodox rabbi who has published multiple books on the intersection between animals, zoology and Torah, such as “Sacred Monsters: Mysterious and Mythical Creatures of Scripture, Talmud and Midrash” and “In Noah’s Footsteps: Biblical Perspectives on the Zoo.” His works have been banned in some haredi Orthodox communities over his views on evolution.
ELIE KLIGMAN BECOMES SECOND ORTHODOX BASEBALL PLAYER DRAFTED INTO THE MLB IN 2 DAYS Gabe Friedman
Top left to bottom right: Margo Jacobson, Allena and Neil Anglen, Dave Flagler, Nina Kruger, Rachel Kane, Robyn Weiner, and Ilana Davlin.
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(JTA)—It has now become a doubly historic Major League Baseball draft. The Washington Nationals selected Elie Kligman with their final and 20th round
pick on Tuesday, July 13, making him the second observant Orthodox Jewish player ever drafted into the league—and the second in two days. The Arizona Diamondbacks picked 17-year-old Long Island, New York native Jacob Steinmetz 77th overall on Monday, July 12. According to MLB.com, Kligman, 18, has moved towards becoming a catcher but has also played shortstop and thrown the ball 90 miles an hour as a pitcher. (The pitcher Steinmetz has reportedly touched as high as 97 miles per hour.) Kligman switch-hits as well, meaning he can bat righty or lefty, a skill that boosts his future value. The Las Vegas native is also more observant than Steinmetz. While Steinmetz plays on the Jewish Sabbath— albeit in walking distance of his hotels on the road, so he does not have to use transportation—Kligman does not. “That day of Shabbas is for God. I’m not going to change that,” he told The New York Times in March. His father Marc is a lawyer and licensed baseball agent, and he represents his son. Marc Kligman was traveling with Israel’s baseball team, currently on a pre-Olympics road trip full of exhibition games across the Northeast, when he heard the news. He shared it with the players on one of their buses. The Times reported that Kligman’s recent switch to playing catcher could be in service of his professional goals. Even the best at the sport’s most physically demanding position are often given at least one day a week off—opening up the possibility that Kligman could line up his days off to be during Shabbat, from Friday night through Saturday evening. Despite the excitement of being drafted, Kligman will likely look to first play at a Division I college program before a professional career, his father told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “Here’s a kid who won’t put God second,” Marc Kligman told the Times. “But he believes that the two can coexist. He’s got six days of the week to do everything he can to be a baseball player, and if colleges and Major League Baseball aren’t inclined to make any changes, then we’ll take what we can get.”
OBITUARIES STUART ARNOLD BLUM VIRGINIA BEACH—Stuart Arnold Blum, 62, passed away on July 7, 2021. Stuart was born to Stanley and Marilyn Blum on November 25, 1958 in Brooklyn, New York. Stuart is preceded in death by his wife, Jaime Spiegel-Blum and his mother, Marilyn Blum. Left to cherish his memory are his children, Ian Spiegel-Blum and wife Elizabeth and Noah Spiegel-Blum; father, Stanley Blum; brother, Dr. Michael Blum and wife Benita; girlfriend, Christina Brennell, and many friends including his Olive Garden Family. A graveside service was held for Stuart at Forest Lawn Cemetery. Services were officiated by Rabbi Israel Zoberman. MORTON L. BRESENOFF RALEIGH, N.C.—Morton L. Bresenoff was born on January 10, 1929 in New York, N.Y. and passed away on July 5, 2021. Graveside service was held at Raleigh Hebrew Cemetery. Brown-Wynne Funeral Home. JANET A. RESH VIRGINIA BEACH—Janet A. Resh peacefully passed away on July 3, 2021, in Virginia Beach, Virginia surrounded by her loving family. Janet was born in Washington, D.C. on March 24, 1923 to Jacob and Anne Sterman. Upon graduating from High school, Janet worked in the war effort as a secretary for the government during WWII. During this period, she met her future husband, David. Dave and Janet were married on December 20 1942. In 1952, following Dave’s service in the Korean war, they moved to Norfolk where they established their roots within the Hampton Roads community. Very quickly Janet developed life-long relationships while highly active in the founding of Temple Israel. It was her unabated love and devotion to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren that would be her greatest life achievement. Janet was predeceased in death by her husband, David Resh; her son, Michael Resh; her two sisters, Beatrice Deane and Violet Bazer and her brother, Alan
Sterman. Left to cherish her memory are her brother, Sidney Sterman of Washington D.C.; daughter, Lorie Resh of Virginia Beach; and sons Alan Resh (Sharon) of Norfolk and Robert J. Resh (Julie) of Virginia Beach. She is also survived by nine loving grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. A graveside service officiated by Rabbi Israel Zoberman was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery. Condolences may be left for the family at www.altmeyerfh.com.
Southside Chapel • 5033 Rouse Drive Virginia Beach • 757 422-4000
Chris Sisler, Vice President, Member of Ohef Sholom Temple, Board member of the Berger-Goldrich Home at Beth Sholom Village, James E. Altmeyer, Jr., President, James E. Altmeyer, Sr., Owner
Maestas Chapel • 1801 Baltic Ave. Virginia Beach • 757 428-1112
• Family owned and operated since 1917 • Affordable services to fit any budget
Chesapeake Chapel • 929 S. Battlefield Blvd. Chesapeake • 757 482-3311
• Advance funeral planning • Professional, experienced, caring staff • Flexible burial options
Denbigh Chapel • 12893 Jefferson Ave. Newport News • 757 874-4200
• Flexible payment options Approved by all area Rabbis and Chevrah Kadisha Riverside Chapel • 7415 River Road Newport News • 757 245-1525
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