30
INSIDE
www.jewishnewsva.org
Southeastern Virginia | Vol. 54 No. 20 | 21 Sivan 5776 | June 27, 2016
Simon Family JCC wraps up month with
2 Israel Today wraps up series
12 Turning prayers for Orlando into action
Israel Fest
Golf Tournament
Biennial Meeting
—page 21
—page 30
—page 23
22 Fluffy friends at Strelitz
Senior Living 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 200 Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462-4370 Address Service Requested
Non-Profit Org. US POSTAGE PAid Suburban MD Permit 6543
26 Hebrew Academy of Tidewater Class of 2016 Supplement to Jewish News June 27, 2016
The Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater thanks the 2015–2016 Israel Today Community Partners for their generous support: Simon Family Foundation
Annual Israel Today Forum celebrates five years
Beth Sholom Village Nicole Farrar
B’nai Israel Congregation Chabad Lubavitch of Tidewater Congregation Beth Chaverim Congregation Beth El Freda H. Gordon Hospice & Palliative Care of Tidewater Hebrew Academy of Tidewater Jewish Family Service of Tidewater Kehillat Bet Hamidrash Norfolk-Virginia Beach Chapter of Hadassah Norfolk-Virginia Beach Chapter of ORT America ODU Hillel Ohef Sholom Temple Simon Family JCC Temple Emanuel Temple Israel Tidewater Jewish Foundation UJFT Business and Legal Society UJFT Holocaust Commission UJFT Maimonides Society UJFT Men’s Campaign UJFT Women’s Cabinet UJFT Young Adult Division Patricia and Avraham Ashkenazi Ann and Bobby Copeland Family Barbara and Noel Dudley Lois and Barry Einhorn Lori and Michael Glasser Kathy and Jerry Kantor Betsy and Ed Karotkin The Lefcoe Family Arnold Leon Rose & Kurt Rosenbach Annabel & Hal Sacks Miriam & Bob Seeherman Bite Restaurant & Catering Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce
A
nother successful year of expert speakers and engaging dialogue concluded Wednesday, May 11 when Matti Friedman, former Jerusalem Bureau reporter and editor for the Associated Press visited Tidewater to share his take on mainstream media malfunction in the international press. Friedman’s two-day stay included addresses to leaders in the local Jewish community, Virginia State legislators, and wider audiences via media such as Christian Broadcasting Network and WHRV’s Hearsay with Cathy Lewis. The signature event for each Israel Today speaker is a Community Forum that takes place at the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus during the evening. Friedman’s topic drew a crowd of more than 200 as moderator Kim Simon Fink asked Friedman about reporting from Israel. Earlier speakers in the forum’s fifth season, Olga Meshoe (March 2, 2016) and Josh Kram (November 18, 2015), also shared valuable information and personal insights. Meshoe, founder of the South Africanbased, Christian organization DEISI (Defend, Embrace, Invest, Support Israel) spoke about her work advocating for Israel and voicing opposition to the BDS Movement. Describing her family’s personal experience of South African apartheid, Meshoe also spoke in a variety of contexts and encouraged her audiences to become educated about what life is really like in Israel and to share, through personal relationships, the truth about Israel’s significant contributions to global society. Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz served as moderator for the community Israel Today event that capped her visit. Kram, executive director for the Middle East Commercial Center and director of the U.S.-Israel Business Initiative for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, kicked the season off by addressing the need for a
Rubin Communications Group The Spindel Agency
2 | Jewish News | June 27, 2016 | jewishnewsva.org
strong commercial relationship between the U.S. and Israel. Kram maximized his one-day stay in the area by speaking over lunch with the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, visiting Cape Henry Collegiate for a conversation with their Global Scholars and participating in a dinner discussion with representatives from the Muslim and Jewish communities—all prior to his community Israel Today event at 7:30 pm. His focus included sharing the success stories of Israel’s many cutting-edge innovations and model business practices, as well as future opportunities for economic growth between Israel, the U.S. and throughout the Middle East. Kram’s community event was moderated by Danny Rubin. This year’s Israel Today forum reached audiences totaling more than 2,500 and thousands more through local and international media. Sponsored by the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and 40 Community Partners, including synagogues, businesses, organizations, foundations, and individuals, the series has experienced strong participation and growth each year, none of which would be possible without support from its partners. Harry Graber, UJFT executive vice president, says “Five years ago when CRC started “Israel Today” all of us at the UJFT were excited about the idea and confident that the program would succeed. However, we did not imagine the heights that it has achieved, the number of people it has reached and the influence it has had on its ever widening audience. We have grown to eagerly anticipate every year’s program offering with incredible excitement and we expect 2016–17 to be the best ever.” For more information about the CRC and next year’s Annual Israel Today Series, visit www.JewishVA.org/CRC or email crc@ujft.org.
Kim Simon Fnk and Matti Friedman.
Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz and Olga Meshoe.
Danny Rubin and Josh Kram.
Jewish news jewishnewsva.org
upfront
Published 22 times a year by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.
Confusion in headline on Donald Trump Harry Graber, Executive Vice President United Jewish Federation of Tidewater
A
nti-Semitism is a vile expression of the most primitive formation of the human condition. Throughout our history, it has cost the Jewish people millions of lives, caused unspeakable damage to our families and communities and offered monumental challenges to our psyches and spirit. It has cost us the destruction of our historic Temple on two occasions and now once again rears its ugly head to support Israel’s enemies. It has challenged us as a people to be aware of the subtle manifestations of the ideology so that we may meet it well armed at its nascent phase. We will also not use the charge lightly, as we are a people that need not hide behind it, nor do we want to dishonor the memories of those who actually suffered greatly because of it. Finally, we want to identify ideologies and actions that, while not
targeting Jews, contain the same discriminatory cancer found in anti-Semitism. We published an article in the last edition of the Jewish News entitled, “Donald Trump’s anti-Semitism Controversies: A Timeline.” It was distributed by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and written by Uriel Heilman, both often used and reliable sources. The content of the article is disturbing as it contains terrible examples of Trump supporters acting as ant-Semitic trolls and subsequent debate as to whether Trump is responsible for a minority of his supporter’s unacceptable opinions and actions. I realize in hindsight that a glance at the headline, or maybe even a brief reading of the article would have one believe that there is a clear conclusion that Donald Trump is an anti-Semite. It was not our intent to have the reader leave with that conclusion and some may say that is not our responsibility. However, our responsibility is to be responsible so we will be vigilant about reporting anti-Semitism when we see it.
Hebrew U jumps to No. 17 in ranking of top Asian universities
T
he Hebrew University of Jerusalem ranked No. 17 in a new ranking of Asian universities—the highest-rated Israeli university on the list. The university’s placement in the 2016 Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings released Monday, June 19 represented an eight-spot jump from the previous year. The Hebrew University also was the highest-rated university in the Middle East. “To emerge as Israel’s number one university and 17th across the entire continent of Asia is a major achievement
and something to be celebrated,” said Times Higher Education Rankings Editor Phil Baty in a statement provided to The Hebrew University. “Hebrew University has shown particular strength in research impact—our analysis demonstrates that its research is pushing the boundaries of knowledge and is being cited globally.” The ranking of Asia’s 200 top universities judges the institutions on the basis of 13 criteria, including teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. The National University of Singapore
Contents Israel Today celebrates five years . . . . . . 2 Up Front. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Briefs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Hal Sacks Jewish News Archives. . . . . . . 6 Election 2016 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Brett Pomerantz is Stein Family College Scholarship recipient . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Area mayors sign AJC ad . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 AJC Global Forum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Turning prayers into action. . . . . . . . . . 12 Senior Living . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 JCC Golf Tournament. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Confirmation at Beth El. . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
topped the list, followed by the same country’s Nanyang Technological University and Peking University in China. Israel placed six universities among the top 100, making it the second-largest number from a Middle Eastern country behind Turkey with seven. The other Israeli schools were Tel Aviv University, ranked No. 20; the Technion Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa (36); Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan (67); Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (79), and the University of Haifa (87). (JTA)
Quotable Beth El hosts golf-a-thon. . . . . . . . . . . . Israel Fest 2016. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Falafel wars in Paris. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . What’s Happening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Camp JCC begins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mazel Tov. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Simon Family JCC Biennial. . . . . . . . . . Special Section: Senior Living
22 23 24 25 26 26 27 28 30
QR code generated on http://qrcode.littleidiot.be
Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 200 Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462-4370 voice 757.965.6100 • fax 757.965.6102 email news@ujft.org Terri Denison, Editor Germaine Clair, Art Director Hal Sacks, Book Review Editor Sandy Goldberg, Account Executive Mark Hecht, Account Executive Marilyn Cerase, Subscription Manager Reba Karp, Editor Emeritus Sherri Wisoff, Proofreader United Jewish Federation of Tidewater Jay Klebanoff, President Alvin Wall, Treasurer Stephanie Calliott, Secretary Harry Graber, Executive Vice-President www.jewishVA.org The appearance of advertising in the Jewish News does not constitute a kashrut, political, product or service endorsement. The articles and letters appearing herein are not necessarily the opinion of this newspaper. © 2016 Jewish News. All rights reserved. Subscription: $18 year For subscription or change of address, call 757-965-6128 or JewishNewsVA email mcerase@ujft.org.
Upcoming Deadlines for Editorial and Advertising Issue Date Topic Deadline July 18 Legal Matters July 1 Aug. 15 Guide to Jewish Living July 29 Sept. 5 Home Aug. 19 Sept. 19 Rosh Hashannah Sept. 2 Oct. 3 Yom Kippur Sept. 16
Candle lighting
“To me—and in my experience, to many other Jews—praying with my feet and working for tikkun olam, or repairing the world, is the only way to effectively pray.” —page 12
Friday, July 1/25 Sivan Light candles at 8:09 pm Friday, July 8/2 Tammuz Light candles at 8:07 pm Friday, July 15/9 Tammuz Light candles at 8:05 pm Friday, July 22/16 Tammuz Light candles at 8:00 pm Friday, July 29/23 Tammuz Light candles at 7:55 pm Friday, August 5/1 Av Light candles at 7:48 pm
jewishnewsva.org | June 27, 2016 | Jewish News | 3
Briefs Jewish migrants preferred to Muslims in Europe, British study finds The prospect of Jewish immigration raised the least amount of opposition among respondents to a British survey about attitudes to immigration. A study conducted by the Centre for Social Investigation at Nuffield College in Oxford found that 7 percent of British people would allow no Jewish migrants into the United Kingdom, while 17 percent would allow no Muslims, The Jewish Chronicle reported. Thirty percent said they would not welcome Roma immigrants. Researchers used data from the most recent European Social Survey, published in 2015. The survey of more than 1,500 adults from at least 30 countries is conducted every two years; the most recent survey contained questions on immigration, according to The Jewish Chronicle. In the survey, opposition to immigration—and by Jews in particular—was the lowest in Britain among the countries. Ten percent of respondents said they would bar Jews from immigrating, while 25 percent would bar Muslims. Lindsay Richards, co-author of the report, said Britons felt most welcoming to Jews given their longstanding presence in the country, as well as their historical persecution, The Jewish Chronicle reported. She added that the local population was more receptive to professional people arriving in the country than unskilled laborers, who they regarded as a threat to jobs, housing and public services. (JTA) Rhode Island approves antiboycott legislation Rhode Island’s General Assembly approved legislation that would prohibit the state from contracting with companies that engage in boycotts of allies of the United States, including Israel. The Anti-Discrimination in State Contracts Act was passed June 16 by the Rhode Island House in a 63-4 vote and “in concurrence” two days later by the state Senate. Gov. Gina Raimondo is expected to sign the legislation making it law. Several states have passed anti-BDS
legislation, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and South Carolina. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently signed an executive order opposing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. In total, 21 states have taken up anti-BDS legislation. The Rhode Island legislation states: “A public entity shall not enter into a contract with a business to acquire or dispose of supplies, services, information technology, or construction unless the contract includes a representation that the business is not currently engaged in, and an agreement that the business will not during the duration of in the boycott of any person, firm or entity based in or doing business with a jurisdiction with whom the state can enjoy open trade, and/or the boycott of any public agencies, entities or instrumentalities of the jurisdiction with whom the state can enjoy open trade.” Rep. Mia Ackerman, a Democrat, introduced the bill in May. “Today’s interdependent global economy requires that trade policy be developed both at the national and state level,” she said at the time. “One of our greatest trading allies is the State of Israel, the only democratic, non-discriminatory country in the Middle East.” (JTA)
Girl, 11, killed when tree falls on cabin at Jewish camp in Indiana An 11-year-old girl was killed Tuesday, June 21 when a tree fell on a cabin at a Jewish camp in Indiana. In the accident at Camp Livingston in Bennington, a healthy tree was struck by lightning during a severe storm and fell on a cabin where campers were sleeping, the camp said in a statement. The camper was seriously injured and died of her injuries after emergency services arrived. No other campers or staff were injured. Grief counselors from Cincinnati arrived at the camp hours later to assist campers and staff in dealing with the news, according to camp officials. Every child at camp was scheduled to call home. One of the dead girl’s siblings also was at the camp, WKRC Cincinnati reported. The girl is from Columbus, Ohio, according to the news station.
4 | Jewish News | June 27, 2016 | jewishnewsva.org
Campers are from Midwestern cities such as Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky. (JTA)
Man shoots himself in the leg at iconic Zabar’s in NYC A man waiting in line at Zabar’s, a mecca for Jewish foodies on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, accidentally shot himself in the leg. The gun in the waistband of his pants discharged at the Zabar’s cafe on, June 14 according to local reports. The man, identified as being 48 years old, fled the store and later took himself to a local hospital. He was taken into police custody for questioning. It is not known if he was carrying the gun legally. The New York Post reported that the man had planned to rob the store, which specializes in smoked fish and gourmet food. (JTA) Albany kosher cheese maker charged with defrauding investors The owner of a kosher cheese business in Albany, New York, has been charged with fraud. Lawrence Rosenbaum, 64, of Albany, was arraigned for allegedly promising high returns and shares of stock to investors in his Saratoga Cheese Corp., a kosher and halal cheese business. He never developed the production lines or facilities for which he solicited the money, the local ABC affiliate reported. Rosenbaum also is accused of writing checks to himself from the business accounts and using some of the investment funds to pay for an apartment with his mistress in Costa Rica.. He is charged on 27 counts including grand larceny, securities fraud and tax fraud. Rosenbaum pleaded not guilty; he is being held on $200,000 bail. Rosenbaum allegedly looked for investors for a plant to process the cheese and create alternative bio-energies from the manure from his milk-producing cows. The $40 million cheese factory announced in 2008 was slated to be built in the Cayuga County Industrial Development Agency industrial park. He ran his business from
the porch of his Albany home. In 2009, Rosenbaum spoke to Chabad. org of his plans to use the cheese business as a base to “found a yeshiva, revolutionize the national kosher and halal cheese industry, and establish a Jewish community in the New York countryside.” In 2014, Rosenbaum told an interfaith gathering in Morristown, New Jersey, that his production of cheeses for the Jewish and Muslim markets was part of an effort he called Cheese for Peace. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in state prison. (JTA)
Belgian church bells chime Israeli anthem for President Rivlin One of Belgium’s largest Catholic churches played the Israeli anthem on its bells in honor of a visit by the president of the Jewish state, Reuven Rivlin. Hatikvah rang for the first time ever from the bells of Antwerp’s majestic Cathedral of Our Lady, prompting an astonished Rivlin to exclaim to Antwerp Mayor Bart De Wever: “This is a real welcome!” Rivlin, who arrived in Antwerp as part of his four-day visit to Belgium and European Union institutions, remarked with a smile to De Wever that the melody is actually based on a piece titled Moldau composed by Bedrich Smetana, a 19th-century Czech composer. During his visit, Rivlin made several references to the deadly attacks in Belgium by Islamist terrorists that took the lives of 32 victims on March 22. “Today we know that there is a link between anti-Semitism against Jews and jihadi terror that kills innocent people of all religions,” Rivlin said in a joint news statement at the end of his meeting in Brussels with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel. “We must not wait for anti-Semitism to become terror; we must fight it from the beginning, together.” Israel, Rivlin added, “is concerned by the activities” in Belgium of the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. “The cooperation between us is significant—especially in the area of trade,” Michel said. “We appreciate Israeli innovation, and the drive for education and academic development.” (JTA)
Jewish News ad : June 21, 2016 — FINAL 3/8 Vertical is: 4.875”w x 8.125” h
People who attend religious services live longer, new study suggests NEW YORK (JTA)—All those people urging you to go to synagogue more may have a point. A study suggests that people who consistently attend religious services may live longer than those who don’t. In an article published in the June issue of JAMA Internal Medicine, four Harvard University researchers analyzed data collected from 75,534 women over 16 years, between 1996 and 2012. They found that those who attended more than one religious service each week had a 33 percent lower risk of premature death. Twice-weekly attendance corresponded to a 26 percent lower risk, and less than once a week meant 13 percent lower risk. “Religion and spirituality may be an underappreciated resource that physicians could explore with their patients, as appropriate,” the study concluded. Of the 75,534 women who self-reported information, the majority were Christian; 1,700 were Jewish. “Because of the [comparably] small number it would be difficult to look at them separately and see if the results
differ [for Jews],” the study’s senior author, Tyler VanderWeele, an epidemiology professor at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, says. But VanderWeele points to an article from 2007 focused solely on Jews that echoes his findings. The study of 1,811 Jewish Israeli men and women over the age of 70 found: “Synagogue attendance is seen to promote survival mainly through its function as a source of communal attachment and, perhaps, as a reflection of spirituality as well.” The Harvard study statistically ruled out the possibility of reverse causation— that healthy people go to church more than unhealthy people. Some variables, including social support and a tendency not to smoke, contributed to the correlation between religious service attendance and longevity, but didn’t account for it. “This suggests that there is something powerful about the communal religious experience,” VanderWeele told The New York Times. “These are systems of thought and practice shaped over millennia, and they are powerful.”
Ease into extraordinary comfort.
THE INNOVATORS OF COMFORTTM
The moment you feel the comfort of Stressless® is the moment you’ve started to live comfortably. You’ll feel the difference in our patented comfort technologies, like the Plus™-system, which adjusts the lumbar support and headrest to give you perfect support in any position. Nestle into the ultimate comfort of Stressless and see just how extraordinary your body and mind feel.
Ease into a FREE ottoman or recliner accessory with purchase of select Stressless seating through August 22*
* See store for details
Stressless is proudly endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association.
“Biblical sheep” heading to Israel with help of El Al, Canadian couple TORONTO (JTA)—A rare breed of sheep said to be descended from Jacob’s flock referenced in the Bible will be shepherded to Israel with the help of a Canadian Jewish couple and Israel’s national airline. El Al announced recently that it will “heavily subsidize” the costs of shipping the so-called biblical sheep “from a major North American airport.” The announcement came several months after the Agriculture Ministry in Israel approved the importing of the flock, which is subject to quarantine in Canada and Israel. The flight is expected to take place in late August or early September. The project is the brainchild of Gil and Jenna Lewinsky of British Columbia, owners of the Jacob sheep, which are said
to be descended from the patriarch’s flock noted in the Book of Genesis. The sheep are said to be unique for their horns, numbering two to six. They are the only animals in the world to have the biblical description of speckled skin, spots on their wool, and bands on their ankles and knees, the Lewinskys said in a crowdfunding campaign they launched for their organization, Friends of the Jacob Sheep. As of Monday, June 20, the couple has raised $470 to help offset costs. The Lewinskys believe the sheep must “return” to Israel to fulfill biblical prophecy. They cite Rav Amram Vaknin, a mystic rabbi living in southern Israel who says he has visions predicting the future. Vaknin “has said that the Jacob Sheep
301 West 21st Street, Norfolk, Va Monday thru Saturday 10-6
n
must return to the Land of Israel to help with the Geula (redemption)!” according to the Lewinskys. The deal was brokered by Israel’s embassy in Ottawa, which last month publicly offered its support to the effort. In February, Israel’s ambassador to Canada, Rafael Barak, visited the family’s farm in Abbotsford, about 40 miles east of Vancouver, and reportedly witnessed the birth of a lamb. The flock currently consists of 113 animals—18 adult rams, 62 adult ewes and the rest lambs. All will be settled on
n
757.623.3100
n
decorumfurniture.com
Thursday & Friday till 8
n
Sunday Noon-5
the Golan Heights. The Lewinskys say the sheep are extinct in Israel. They believe the animals came with Jacob through Canaan to Egypt, then with the Exodus to North Africa, and from there to Spain, England and then to North America. “It will be the first time since biblical times that the Jacob sheep will be reintroduced to the land of Israel again,” they said.
jewishnewsva.org | June 27, 2016 | Jewish News | 5
from the hal Sacks Jewish News Archives
June 23, 2006 The Florence Melton Adult Mini-School held a graduation ceremony for 23, the second largest class to graduate from the school since its inception in Tidewater.
June 21, 1996 Jody Wagner, a partner in the law firm of Kaufman and Canoles, was installed as president of Jewish Family Service of Tidewater at the agency’s 50th Annual meeting.
PATTY SUTTON
Senior Registered Client Associate
TODD WEST
Senior Vice President-Investments
JASON HOFFMAN
First Vice President-Investments
June 6, 1986 Dr. Gary Rubin, after 14 years at Old Dominion University, assumed the position of assistant executive director of United Jewish
Our goal as your financial advisors is to help you formulate and implement your family’s wealth management strategy. Whether it’s retirement planning, family philanthropy or the transfer of your wealth to your next generation, your future is our priority and job number one. Please call us to set an appointment to learn more about how we can help you and your family.
Federation of Tidewater.
June 18, 1976 A Torah was to be presented aboard the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in a special ceremony. This was “the only Torah afloat in the U.S. Navy.” A special ark was constructed aboard the Nimitz and the chaplain’s flag was to be flown on the ship on the Sabbath and on holy days.
June 1, 1966 The Norfolk Section of the National Council of Jewish Women made the first payment on a $1,000 heart-monitoring machine to be used by Norfolk General Hospital during surgical procedures.
June 1, 1956 The Norfolk Jewish Community Council was authorized by its board
208 Golden Oak Court, Reflections III, Suite 300 Virginia Beach, VA 23452
757-431-6322 direct • 800-446-8096 toll free 757-298-5185 fax
© 2009-2015 Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC. All rights reserved.
6 | Jewish News | June 27, 2016 | jewishnewsva.org
of directors to borrow $64,000 from local banks to send to the National United Jewish Appeal to aid the Jewish Agency in Israel. The National United Jewish Appeal asked all Jewish communities in the U.S. to borrow proportionate amounts “so that Israel may have maximum funds at this crucial time in its history.”
To browse or search the Jewish News Archives, go to www.jewishnewsva.org and click on archives.
Election 2016 Republican Jews call Bernie Sanders’ Israel critics ‘today’s Democratic Party’ WASHINGTON (JTA)—The Republican Jewish Coalition released internet videos attacking Democrats by going after Israel critics on the party’s platform drafting committee. The three ads target, respectively, Cornel West, a philosopher who backs the boycott Israel movement; Rep. Keith Ellison, (D-Minn.), who has been critical of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians, and James Zogby, the president of the Arab American Institute. All three were named to the committee by Sen. Bernie Sanders, (I-Vt.). Each 30-second ad, backed by sinister music, features quotations attributed to its subject—only West is seen speaking —and accuses him of being “stridently anti-Israel.” Each finishes with a shot of a smirking Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee, while the narrator says, “It’s today’s Democratic Party.”
“As the presumptive Democratic nominee, it is up to Secretary Clinton to maintain the bipartisan consensus on Israel and to do so she must denounce anti-Israel voices in her party like James Zogby, Cornel West and Congressman Ellison,” an RJC statement quoted its director, Matt Brooks, as saying. Clinton’s appointees to the committee, and the expert witness she sent to testify to the committee, pushed back against the main Israel-related demand advanced by West, Zogby and Ellison: that the platform refer to Israel’s control of the West Bank as an “occupation.” Of the three men targeted by the RJC, West has been most strident in his criticism of Israel. Zogby is a longtime Democratic Party operative who has for years helped shape language on the Middle East in the party platform. In the 1990s, he partnered
with pro-Israel figures to promote investment in the Palestinian economy in the wake of the Oslo peace process, although that venture collapsed in 1997 in mutual recriminations. Ellison, who is close to Minnesota’s Jewish community, assiduously notes the need for Israel’s security whenever he presses for Palestinian rights. “I don’t blame the Israeli Prime Minister for his concerns,” Ellison wrote this month on the Huffington Post website, arguing for a more assertive push for Israeli-Palestinian peace. The Huffington Post piece, written just after he returned from a tour of the region, was also critical of some Israeli security measures. “As the world knows, the Jewish people barely survived genocide,” he wrote. “My visit to Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust
Remembrance Center, was a sobering reminder of how essential Israel’s security is. I can understand the fear. But higher walls, more arms, and curtailing people’s rights will not lead Israel to security.” The National Jewish Democratic Council, responding to the ads, took aim at Donald Trump, who has been criticized for his broadsides against minorities and at the outset of his campaign said he would be neutral when brokering Israeli-Palestinian peace. Calling Trump “racist, sexist and bigoted,” the council said: “As they oppose the only consistently pro-Israel nominee in this race, this is going to be a tough year for RJC—all while more and more of their people stand with Israel and strengthening the US-Israel relationship by abandoning Trump.” Trump recently said he leans toward Israel and has sworn to protect it.
jewishnewsva.org | June 27, 2016 | Jewish News | 7
Election 2016 OP-ED
Why Jewish moms are celebrating with Hillary Margot Slade
NEW YORK (JTA)—It happened all at once and not to me alone. There was Hillary Clinton, in her June 7 victory speech, honoring her mother’s memory; saluting her daughter, Chelsea; paying tribute to herself for raising such a child, and claiming her party’s nomination as the “milestone” it is. “I really wish my mother could be here tonight,” Clinton said. “I wish she could see what a wonderful mother Chelsea has become and could meet our beautiful granddaughter, Charlotte. And of course, I wish she could see her daughter become the Democratic Party’s nominee for president of the United States.” I suddenly understood why I identify with Hillary Clinton, and why that’s important to me and to other older Jewish women— her contemporaries. It has little to do with the details of our careers; even less with politics or party affiliation. It has nothing to do, in my case, with our shared Wellesley alumna status, and won’t necessarily translate into “likeability” (how I hate that word) or votes. It has everything to do, I believe, with several tenets of Jewish tradition and culture that became the warp and weft of our lives and, it now seems to me, that of Hillary Clinton. “Vindicated,” “valued,” “affirmed.” I’ve spoken with an admittedly unscientific
sampling of women in the past few days —baby boomers from across the Jewish and political spectrums, plus the most spiritually Jewish non-Jew I know. They include married and un-; with kids and none; only children and those with siblings. They all heard that moment in Clinton’s speech as mutual appreciation —“a kindred spirit giving herself and us our due,” as one woman said—for a job well done in the pivotal family role we’ve played. By that we mean not simply assuming the matriarch mantle without question and devoting ourselves to in-law, parent, sibling, spouse or child—even those with whom we have shaky relationships. We mean doing so without a sense of sacrifice or regret; without allowing our debtors to know that they’re in our debt. “We didn’t feel as if we were sacrificing anything,” said another woman. Rather, we were playing an important role that Judaism has traditionally valued. She was recalling when her kids needed to be the center of one parent’s life and knowing that she would be that parent. Yet another noted that as with Clinton, the former secretary of state, U.S. senator and first lady, it’s usually been outsiders who have declared us silent sufferers. Younger women, in particular, often seem troubled reconciling our sense of fulfillment as partners and spouses, daughters and mothers with our passionate pursuit
Tell our advertisers you saw it in
Jewish News It makes them smile! 8 | Jewish News | June 27, 2016 | jewishnewsva.org
of a feminist agenda. We lack resentment, except toward family members who assume that we want to shoulder these responsibilities alone. Why we don’t routinely disabuse them is a curious question. Perhaps we’re afraid they’ll say no. Otherwise parading pride in our handiwork or suggesting to the care-given that we have martyred ourselves on their account would undo all that we accomplished. Which is one of several reasons I think we, like Clinton, have stayed mum on this subject. (The other being we think it’s nobody else’s business.) What words can we use that won’t translate into lifelong guilt and “you owe me” or the debilitating message that “I made you what you are” for people we’ve nurtured to stand on their own? None, as Clinton clearly knows. Dominique Browning, author of Slow Love: How I Lost My Job, Put on My Pajamas, and Found Happiness, wrote in a recent New York Times essay: “At the end of the Brooklyn rally, she and Bill clasped each other tightly, and I choked up at the durability of that bond.” So did many of my contemporaries who believe that Hillary Clinton’s silence on that subject, while she loudly advocated for children’s health care, gun control and other social justice issues, was a sign of strength, not weakness. It signaled the value she accords her role
– and thus ours—in these kinds of family relationships. Clinton’s Brooklyn speech also testified to her kinship with an ancient Jewish moral imperative that Hillel the Elder declared and our mothers taught by example: “If I am not for me, who will be for me? And when I am for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?” (Pirkei Avot 1:14) Hillel was exhorting us to advocate for ourselves (no one, after all, will fashion our lives for us), but to be ever mindful of the kind of selves for whom we’re advocating: those whose actions isolate them from others, or whose actions embrace others to benefit family, community and society at large. Channeling Hillel, Clinton told the Brooklyn crowd: “My mother believed that life is about serving others. And she taught me never to back down from a bully, which, it turns out, was pretty good advice.” It was the prompt I needed, another spark of mutual recognition that Hillary Clinton has tried to live that life and follow her mother’s advice—as have we all. —Margot Slade is the founding senior editor of Lawdragon Campus, the law student division, website and online service for Lawdragon, Inc., a leading legal media company.
Employment Oppor tunities at Strelitz Early Childhood Education Center TEACHER POSITIONS The Strelitz Early Childhood Education Center is now accepting applications for full time lead teacher positions in the preschool program. We are seeking engaging, inspiring and innovative individuals to implement an integrated general and Judaic studies curriculum for three- and four-year-olds. Background knowledge in Jewish values, culture, tradition and religion is an advantage and preferred. Applicants must hold a four year degree, preferably in early childhood education. At least one year’s experience in early childhood education is necessary. Please submit a cover letter and resume to: Lorna Orleans at lorleans@strelitzearlychildhood.org
Brett Pomerantz is recipient of 2016–2017 Stein Family College Scholarship of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation
T
he annual Stein Family College Scholarship of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation was awarded this month to Brett Pomerantz, a Hebrew Academy of Brett Pomerantz Tidewater graduate, as well as a recent graduate of Western Branch High School in Chesapeake. The four-year scholarship for a Jewish student in Tidewater is for up to $10,000 per year. When he was not volunteering as a Marshal Ambassador for new students to the high school, volunteering as part of National Honor Society or tutoring other students in mathematics, Brett could usually be found with the Technology Student Association (TSA), where he served as vice-president, treasurer, and most recently, as president. He says he has thoroughly enjoyed his involvement and leadership in TSA, and that it’s a tremendous value-add to the school because it, “gives opportunities for people to express themselves through technology.” When not at school, Brett spent time volunteering around the Jewish community. Highly active in BBYO, Brett has served as leader of Jewish Involvement, fundraising chair, and recruitment/ member involvement chair. For many years, Brett has also volunteered when his synagogue, Congregation Beth El, has hosted the Norfolk Emergency Shelter Team (NEST). “I think volunteering at NEST is fun. It’s a good thing to do, to help people who aren’t as fortunate as I am,” he says. Brett is looking forward to spending his fifth summer at Capital Camps in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, where he will be a cabin counselor for third through fifth grade campers.
In the fall, Brett will enter the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, with plans to study mechanical engineering. He says he is looking forward to connecting with friends from Tidewater who are also Tech students, and is very excited for the numerous opportunities for engineering internships. Brett is also eager to get hands-on experience and learn from those already excelling in the field of mechanical engineering, and is confident Virginia Tech is the best place to do just that. “I want to study mechanical engineering because it’s like the Swiss Army Knife of engineering. You need to know a lot of things about many things—I need to know electrical, nuclear, civil engineering components to be successful in mechanical engineering. I want to focus on robotics because robots are awesome. I want to be able to build anything from scratch to help solve problems,” he says, The Stein Family College Scholarship was established in 2009 in memory of Arlene Stein who did not complete college because of financial hardship. Jerry Stein, her beloved husband, passed away in 2014. The Tidewater Jewish Foundation works closely with the Stein Family in administering this generous scholarship to a deserving Hampton Roads teen. Prior recipients of the scholarship include Morgan Conley (Brandeis University ’13), Eric Smith (University of Virginia ’14), Marissa Arager (George Mason University ’15), Avi Malkin (College of William and Mary ’16), Dinar Yusufov (James Madison University ’17), Amanda Gladstone (Virginia Tech ’18), and Dana Cohen (Virginia Tech ’19). To learn more about the scholarship, contact Amy Weinstein, director of development at TJF, at 757-965-6105 or aweinstein@ ujft.org.
“WHEN LOCAL BUSINESS THRIVES, WE ALL SUCCEED.” Rob Shuford, Jr. President & CEO
Old Point is 100% committed to this community. We all live, work, and shop in Hampton Roads. We know your family. We know your business. You matter to us.
Local Matters to Us OldPoint.com 757.728.1200 #localmatterstous
Member FDIC ©2016 Old Point National Bank
Visit us on the web jewishnewsva.org
Follow us on Facebook JewishNewsVA jewishnewsva.org | June 27, 2016 | Jewish News | 9
$1,000,000,000 Offering Area mayors are signatories
GWG Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, purchases life insurance policies sold in the secondary marketplace. GWG Holdings, Inc. is offering L Bonds, which are publicly registered, non-traded corporate debt, currently offered at the interest rates and maturities set forth below. Minimum Investment: $25,000 Maturity Term From Purchase Date
Annual Interest Rates
6 Month
4.25%
1 Year
5.00%
2 Year
6.50%
3 Year
7.50%
5 Year
8.50%
7 Year
9.00%
Interest Payment Options: Monthly | Annually
To obtain a Prospectus contact Jeff Geraci FINANCIAL CONSULTANT 905 Welch Circle Virginia Beach, VA 23452 757-574-6765 or contact GWG Investor Relations toll-free at (877) 494-2388 Securities offered through Intervest International Equities Corporation, Member FINRA/SIPC: 1980 Dominion Way, Ste 202, Co Spr, Co 80918 (719) 592-9299 Jeff Geraci and International Equities Corporation, are not affiliated with Emerson Equity, LLC or Hollding, Inc.
This advertisement does not constitute an offer to sell, nor a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein. Such an offering is made only by means of a Prospectus. The Prospectus provides a full description of the business and a comprehensive listing of risk factors. An investment in L Bonds may be considered speculative and subject to a high degree of risk, including the risk of losing your entire investment. Securities are being offered on a best-efforts basis on behalf of GWG Holdings, Inc., by Emerson Equity, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC, managing broker dealer for the Issuer. GWG and Emerson Equity are not affiliated entities. GWG Holdings, Inc. 220 South Sixth Street, Suite 1200, Minneapolis, MN 55402. Issuer prepared material.Copyright 2015. GWG Holdings Inc. All Rights Reserved.
AJC ad highlights U.S., European Mayors United Against Anti-Semitism
A
two-page American Jewish Committee (AJC) ad in the June 6 issue of the Wall Street Journal listed the 508 U.S. and European mayors and municipal leaders who have signed on to its Mayors United Against Anti-Semitism initiative, pledging to combat the rise of anti-Semitism. “Bravo to those urban leaders from cities, big and small, across the U.S. and Europe, for their courage, conviction, and commitment,” said AJC CEO David Harris of the 189 European mayors from 31 countries, including 26 of the 28 EU member states, and the 319 mayors from all 50 states and the District of Columbia who have so far joined what could be the most far-reaching transatlantic campaign of its kind ever against anti-Semitism. “Only a few European mayors refused to sign, disappointing as their stance obviously was,” Harris added. The AJC initiative, calling on mayors to publicly address and take concrete actions against anti-Semitism, was launched last July, following AJC’s groundbreaking strategy conference, “A Defining Moment for Europe,” held in Brussels in May 2015. “Anti-Semitism is not compatible with fundamental democratic values,” the Mayors United statement asserts. “As mayors and municipal leaders, we have a special responsibility to speak out against
the growing menace of anti-Semitism.” The Mayors United statement emphasizes that “in a world of global communications where anti-Semitic ideas can and do spread quickly, the impact of the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe does not stop at Europe’s borders.” It affirms a core set of principles, including the condemnation of anti-Jewish hatred in all forms; rejection of the notion that anti-Semitic acts may ever be justified by one’s view on the actions or existence of the State of Israel; a declaration that anti-Semitism and any other prejudices due to religious differences are inconsistent with core American and European values; and the belief that the promotion of mutual understanding and respect among all citizens is essential to good governance and democratic life. The signatories, including Mayor Will Sessoms of Virginia Beach, Mayor Paul Fraim of Norfolk, Mayor Alan Krasnoff of Chesapeake, and Mayor Linda Johnson of Suffolk, pledge to work within and across U.S. and European communities to advance coexistence, and affirm that anti-Semitism is incompatible with fundamental democratic values. To view the Wall Street Journal ad or to learn more about AJC and the Mayors United Against Anti-Semitism initiative, visit www.AJC.org.
Tell our advertisers you saw it in
Jewish News It makes them smile! 10 | Jewish News | June 27, 2016 | jewishnewsva.org
Tidewater Delegation at the 2016 AJC Global Forum* Jody and Alan Wagner
Beatriz Amberman
Rabbi Rosalin Mandelberg
Sally and Steve Herman
Rev. Joel Palser, CBN
Tom Mansbach
Helen and Dan Sonenshine
Robin Mancoll
*see page 11
AJC Global Forum celebrates 110 years of Jewish advocacy at Global Forum in Washington
T
he American Jewish Committee (AJC) Global Forum in Washington, D.C., the advocacy organization’s signature annual event, brought together more than 2,600 participants from across the United States and 70 countries. This year’s Global Forum marked 110 years since AJC’s founding, and the attendance at the early June event was the highest in the agency’s history. “Our annual Global Forum is a unique, energizing, highly informative experience, a must for engaged Jewish advocates,” says AJC CEO David Harris. U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice, European Union Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini, and Mexican Foreign Secretary Claudia Ruiz Massieu were the headliners for the event’s World Leaders Plenary. Among the other world leaders who spoke during the 48-hour conference were Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Corker (R-TN); MK Isaac Herzog, chair of the Zionist Union and head of the opposition in the Israeli Knesset; Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer; Ilir Meta, Speaker of the Albanian Parliament; and Katharina von Schnurbein, the European Commission’s coordinator on combating anti-Semitism. Yossi Klein Halevi, Senior Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, kicked off the Forum with an address on the Jewish World of Tomorrow, followed by a panel discussion with Jeffrey Goldberg, national correspondent for The Atlantic; Richard Haas, president of the Council on Foreign Relations; and Julia Ioffe of Politico. For the seventh annual AJC Global Forum “Great Debate,” U.S. Representative Steve Israel (D-NY), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (2011-2015), and Republican strategist Dan Senor, author of Start-Up Nation, made the case for which political party Jewish voters should favor in this year’s elections. Confronting rising anti-Semitism was addressed by MP John Mann of the British Labour Party, recipient of AJC’s Jan Karski
Award in 2009, and the mayors of Baltimore, Md., Newton, Mass., and Thessaloniki, Greece, three of the 508 U.S. and European mayors who signed AJC’s Mayors United Against Anti-Semitism statement. Boaz Bismuth of Israel Hayom, Herb Keinon of The Jerusalem Post, Amir Oren of Haaretz, and Dana Weiss of Israel TV Channel 2, all leading Israeli journalists, discussed the future of the Jewish state. Three college students shared their experiences confronting the BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) movement against Israel on campus. The ongoing mistreatment of Israel at the UN was explored by Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon in conversation with AJC CEO David Harris. Former Israeli Ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor also participated in several sessions. In addition, a special highlight each year for AJC Global Forum attendees is the opportunity to engage with top officials directly in a series of private dinners. This year, there were more than 40 such dinners with ambassadors from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. AJC Global Forum attendees participated in informational and training sessions before leaving for advocacy sessions on Capitol Hill. In addition, more than 130 college and university students attending the AJC Global Forum convened for an afternoon of workshops dedicated to their particular concerns. “We were so excited to see the growth of our Tidewater delegation,” says Alan Ronkin, director of AJC’s Washington Regional Office. “As the Jewish people face unprecedented challenges, we need everyone to work collectively toward our common goals. I look forward to visiting the community this year to engage more and more people in our important work.” AJC’s 2017 Global Forum will take place June 4–6 at the Washington Hilton Hotel. First time participants can attend the conference with a 50% discount by using
discount code AJCFirst when signing up at www.ajc.org/register2017. Check out www.AJC.org for more information on the Global Forum, or to learn how to
get involved with AJC, contact Robin Mancoll, director of the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, at RMancoll@ujft.org.
Spring into Summer Styles
ilbert Eyecare excellence in eyewear
Eyecare NORFOLK
Full scope eyecare including Pediatric Optometry
www.GilbertEyecare.com
220 W. Brambleton • 757-622-0200
VIRGINIA BEACH
1547 Laskin Road • 757-425-0200
Hampton Roads’ leader in eyecare for 45 years! jewishnewsva.org | June 27, 2016 | Jewish News | 11
first person
Turning prayers for Orlando into action Madeline Budman, NCJW Legislative Intern
O
n the Sunday morning following the Capital Pride Parade in Washington, D.C., I slept in and woke up with glitter still on my face. Stickers and Madeline Budman handouts I had collected while I marched with National Council of Jewish Women and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism at the festivities were scattered around my room. My afterglow from this celebration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender nonconforming, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) community was cut short as soon as I turned on my phone.
When I first saw the news, the Washington Post was reporting 20 dead in an Orlando gay nightclub; by the time I had gotten out of bed and made breakfast, the number had risen to 49 dead and 53 wounded, making it the deadliest mass shooting in American history. Numb with shock, I thought back to the rainbow-filled and joyous celebration that had taken place just the day before. Unable to process the horror of this shooting, I did what most people of my generation tend to do: I posted my thoughts on Facebook, concluding with the line, “Praying for the victims and their families.” What followed was the loudest, rawest outcry against religion that I have ever seen on social media. Dozens of posts filled my newsfeed with messages such as,
Ruth’s will said a lot about her. What does your will say about you? As a “pink lady” Ruth Goodman accumulated more hours than any other volunteer at the Norfolk hospital where she greeted visitors. Before she died in 1995, Ruth
arranged for a bequest to the Hampton Roads Community Foundation to give good health to the community she and her husband Victor loved. This year 17 students are studying to become physicians, pharmacists and other medical professionals thanks to scholarships generated by Ruth’s generosity. Many more Goodman Scholars will follow every year forever. Writee your prescription for a better future by ordering a free bequest guide. Learn how easy it is to leave a gift for charity. Call 757-622-7951 or visit leaveabequest.org.
•
www.leaveabequest.org. (757) 622-7951
12 | Jewish News | June 27, 2016 | jewishnewsva.org
Goodman Ad 2014 – Jewish News: 4.875” x 5.375”
Kate Friedman, Madeline Budman and Julia Alford, NCJW Legislative Interns, at the Capital Pride Parade in Washington, DC.
“Please, keep your prayers,” and “Prayers won’t do anything to stop homophobia and gun violence.” My Facebook friends were not unique in their outrage. On Monday, June 13, some members of the House of Representatives made waves when they protested a moment of silence for the victims of the Orlando massacre. In an interview that Monday, Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) expressed his frustration: “‘Thoughts and prayers’ are three words that cost you nothing. I’m sick of it. Show some courage.” I understand Rep. Himes’ and others’ frustration. Words, social media posts, and moments of silence can be empty, especially when those expressing their sympathies have not previously moved on issues of gun violence and LGBTQ justice. Yet, I was surprised by this response, because I have a different understanding of prayer. As an intern at NCJW, my social justice work is guided by Judaism, and I cannot separate the two. When I say that I am praying, I mean that I am ready to take action. In the voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965, Jewish theologian Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel famously reflected, “When I marched in Selma, my feet were praying.” To me—and in my experience, to many other Jews—praying with my feet and working for tikkun olam, or repairing the world, is the only way to effectively pray. On Wednesday, June 15, I saw that leaders in the Senate began to pray effectively with their filibuster to address gun violence. Showing courage, and interrupting the regular business of the Senate, they turned thoughts and prayers for the
victims of the Orlando massacre into action. Religion and prayer can be a source of healing and comfort after yet another instance of gun violence and a hate crime against the Latino and LGBTQ communities. Prayer becomes problematic when it is used as an excuse for complacency. Instead, we should follow the lead of the members of Congress who spoke out and stood on the Senate floor for nearly 15 hours. We cannot pray away the violence and hate in our world with mere thoughts alone; instead, our prayer must incite us to action, lead us to march in the streets, and do the holy work of advocating for justice for all. Join me in praying through action for the victims and families of the Orlando shooting, and for all LGBTQ members of our communities. Here are some ways to take action: • Tell your lawmakers to co-sponsor the Equality Act to ensure federal protection against discrimination for every individual regardless of sexual orientation, gender or gender identity. • Learn more and educate your community about the Equality Act and the positive impact it would have for LGBTQ individuals, using NCJW’s talking points and frequently asked questions at www. ncjw.org. • Find more resources for ways to respond in the wake of the shooting in Orlando at www.Keshetonline.org. Madeline Budman is a member of Ohef Sholom Temple and a student at Georgetown University. This blog post first appeared on the National Council of Jewish Women’s website.
Senior Living
Supplement to Jewish News June 27, 2016
Se n ior L i v i ng Published 22 times a year by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.
Judith L. RosenbLatt, P.L.L.C. attoRney & CounseLLoR at Law
Dear Readers,
Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 200 Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462-4370 voice 757.965.6100 • fax 757.965.6102 email news@ujft.org
Have you heard about the elderly ladies in Florida who had their
• Family Law • Divorce • Property Settlement • Child Custody • Estate Administration • Guardian ad Litem for Incapacitated Adults
mahjong game stopped by police for illegally gambling? Sounds
Terri Denison, Editor Germaine Clair, Art Director Hal Sacks, Book Review Editor Sandy Goldberg, Account Executive Mark Hecht, Account Executive Marilyn Cerase, Subscription Manager Reba Karp, Editor Emeritus Sherri Wisoff, Proofreader
ridiculous, but true! The piece about these women is on page 20. Our Senior Living section offers articles that run the gamut, from the silly about the women in Florida, to the dismal about some seniors in
Jay Klebanoff, President Alvin Wall, Treasurer Stephanie Calliott, Secretary Harry Graber, Executive Vice-President www.jewishVA.org
Israel who are forced to go without necessities because of income. And that pretty much sums up being a
1206 Laskin Road, Suite 101 • Virginia Beach, Virginia
senior in 2016…there is no norm,
757-428-6021 • JRosenblatt@jlrlawfirm.com
no standard lens to view the senior
The appearance of advertising in the Jewish News does not constitute a kashrut, political, product or service endorsement. The articles and letters appearing herein are not necessarily the opinion of this newspaper.
status. And, so, we offer articles on a range of topics. For instance, on
Consider the Reverse Mortgage Standby Line of Credit as a Retirement Tool.
page 18, a partnership between
© 2016 Jewish News. All rights reserved.
Beth Sholom Village and Eastern Subscription: $18 year For subscription or change of address, call 757-965-6128 or email mcerase@ujft.org.
Virginia Medical School for a study on the effect of music on memory is highlighted. Laine Rutherford’s article about
Did you know? A Reverse Mortgage line of credit has a guaranteed growth rate and no payments.
seniors at the JCC’s Yiddish Club on page 15 is not only fun, it is informative. Want to join? It’s free!
QR code generated on http://qrcode.littleidiot.be
Of course, we have others that include tips on talking to aging loved
Upcoming Special Features
ones about driving and strategies to stand up to improve health. It’s all within these pages.
Call today for details.
Sept. 5
Reverse Division Regional Manager
Southern Trust Mortgage, LLC is proud to be an Equal Housing Lender - NMLS 2921. This ad is not provided or approved by HUD, FHA or other government agencies.
14 | Jewish News | June 27, 2016 | jewishnewsva.org
July 18
Topic Legal Matters
Deadline July 1
Aug. 15 Guide to Jewish Living July 29
Chris Fanney
NMLS 144509 Mobile 757-581-8067 Ofce 757-217-3309 cfanney@southerntrust.com
Issue Date
Sept. 19
Oct. 3
Terri Denison Editor
Home
Aug. 19
Rosh Hashannah
Sept. 2
Yom Kippur
Sept. 16
Se n ior L i v i ng
Seniors find naches (joy) and mishpocha (family) at JCC’s Yiddish Club
Laine M Rutherford
We actually had assignments for that one—and some of the things rlene Kessel’s boom box is they came in with were so bad, large and awkward, but it has like ‘you should be pregnant with a CD player in it and the porcupines!’” speakers are loud, so for the past Since Kessel began leading the three months Kessel has shlepped it club’s meetings, attendance has up to the second floor of the Simon grown from about 15-20 seniors to Family JCC. as many as 35, with some traveling The player is integral to the current from Beth Sholom Village, in wheelfocus of discussion for the 30 or so chairs, with their aides. participants of the JCC Seniors’ Yiddish Michele Goldberg, JCC Cultural Club, which meets on the last Thursday Arts director, says seeing the growth of every month. Music, specifically and popularity of the Yiddish Club songs sung in Yiddish by performers is heartwarming and exciting. such as Mandy Patinkin or the Barry “The club provides an outlet Sisters—and the lyrics to the tunes, where our Jewish seniors can conprinted in a handout—are the basis Yiddish Club leader Arlene Kessel, right, nect to their past, where they can of conversation and discussion for the with participants Abbott and Kitty Saks. learn, where they can share their hour, or two, that the club meets. own knowledge, and where they can kibitz and shmooze “Not everyone understands all of the words, but they with their peers.” get the gist of it—and that’s enough for us to talk about,” Kessel allows the club members to set the pace, says Kessel. “Sometimes we’ll sing, or discuss why the determine the discussion topics, and then she plans songs are so sad, and sometimes we’ll even dance.” accordingly. And although she’s an active volunteer with Kessel is the maven (expert) who took over the club Temple Emanuel and the Holocaust Commission, she when former JCC senior director Sherry Lieberman says that coming to the Yiddish Club is the highlight of retired two years ago. her month. “I had been coming to the club at the request of my “We always start with a word, and they tell me what good friend Kitty Saks, and really enjoyed myself,” says they think it means—of course they all know—but rarely Kessel. “When Sherry was leaving, she said ‘I’m so sorry, do they agree,” Kessel says. I don’t want to see this group disband,’ and I didn’t want “The magical thing is that all of these words trigger to either—so I agreed to take over.” memories and adventures and relatives who aren’t around Kessel was a natural to lead the group. A retired anymore. They just light up when they share these stories teacher, she’d taught German for 38 years at Lynnhaven and I learn so much! Middle School in Virginia Beach, and can read and under“I find this experience so humbling, and so rich. We’re stand Spanish and French. She taught herself Yiddish as listening to each other and we’re laughing and we’re smila young child, after listening to her mother speak to her ing. I wonder, if not for this club, who would listen to grandmother on the telephone and wanting to understand them and hear these stories?” what they were saying. The JCC Yiddish Club is free and open to all seniors. “For me, it was a puzzle—trying to detect the words Arlene Kessel, a real mentch (good person), says a and their meanings, and I just picked it up,” she says. familiarity with some Yiddish is helpful, so participants “Yiddish, though, is not just a language, it’s a culture, don’t feel meshugenah (crazy), and won’t be verdreht and so at our meetings we may focus on books, or music, (confused). Have a nosh (snack) beforehand to fuel your or what I’d like to introduce next—food and cooking,” chutzpah (courage) to speak up, and know that it’s okay says Kessel. to kvell (burst with pride), a bissel (a little). “We’ve traded books back and forth—we laughed Call 757-321-2341 or visit www.simonfamilyjcc.org for together as we read Yiddish with Dick and Jane one week— more information. and for a couple of weeks we brought in Yiddish curses.
A
18 Yiddish words to know …and use today Alter cocker . . . . . . . old fuddy duddy Bubbela . . . . . . . . . . darling Dreck . . . . . . . . . . . . worthless Farblondzhit . . . . . . . confused Fermisht . . . . . . . . . . shaken up Haymish . . . . . . . . . . friendly Macher. . . . . . . . . . . big wig Nebbish . . . . . . . . . . unimportant person Nudnik . . . . . . . . . . . a pest Plotz. . . . . . . . . . . . . to burst Shanda. . . . . . . . . . . a scandal Shlemiel . . . . . . . . . . dimwit Shmata. . . . . . . . . . . a rag, or old dress Shvitz. . . . . . . . . . . . sweat Shmutz. . . . . . . . . . . dirt Shpilkes. . . . . . . . . . . nervous or jumpy Tuches. . . . . . . . . . . rear end Yenta . . . . . . . . . . . . a busybody The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research describes Yiddish as a language that has been spoken by Ashkenazi Jews (Eastern European) and their descendants for 1,000 years. Before World War II, an estimated 11 million of the world’s 18 million Jews understood Yiddish, and a majority used it as their primary language and means of communicating with one another. Between the effects of the Holocaust and assimilation, that number dipped considerably. Far fewer speak the language today. However, it is taught in colleges and universities, many words have been incorporated into popular culture (klutz, bagel, tchotchke) and its essence is prevalent in everything from cooking and music to films and literature. Visit www.yivo.org for a wealth of Yiddish resources.
Yiddish Club meetings Thursday, June 30, 1 pm Room 238, Simon Family JCC Meets the last Thursday of every month
Free
jewishnewsva.org | June 27, 2016 | Senior Living | Jewish News | 15
Hampton Roads Retina Center was
Se n ior L i v i ng
established in 2002, by Jon M. Adleberg, M.D., to provide specialized retinal care
Talk about driving:
for the greater Hampton Roads area. We care for a myriad of diseases that affect the eye. The most common of which are: Diabetic Eye Disease and Age- Related Macular Degeneration. Our offices are equipped with advanced imaging for retinal diseases, including Spectral Domain OCT, ophthalmic ultrasound, and fluorescein and ICG angiography.
plan ahead to help keep seniors independent, safe on the road
A
new scratch on the bumper or
LetsTalkAboutDriving.com. The pro-
avoiding activities that require
gram offers free resources and tips to
leaving home are often the first signs
help families build a roadmap with their
that families should talk with their aging
senior loved one for limiting or stopping
parents about driving. Unfortunately,
driving when the time is right. These
those conversations do not happen
resources include an interactive Safe
enough.
Driving Planner to help families assess
A new survey by Home Instead Inc.,
their senior loved one’s driving habits
franchisor of the Home Instead Senior
and provide tools to help older adults
Care® network of franchise offices
drive safely, consider options for driv-
that provide in-home care services to
ing reduction or cessation, and identify
seniors, found that 95 percent of the
alternative transportation options.
757-436-0011 • www.retinadoc.net
surveyed seniors have not talked to
“The ability to drive gives seniors the
828 Healthy Way, Suite 200, Virginia Beach • 516 Innovation Drive, Suite 101, Chesapeake
their loved ones about driving, though
freedom to do what they want, when
nearly one-third (31 percent) say that a
they want—and we want to respect that
recommendation from family or friends
independence,” says Steve Secondino
that they transition from driving would
of the Home Instead Senior Care office
make them reconsider driving.
serving Norfolk. “Proactively talking
D o YO U b e lieve yo u r tir e d , a ch y, h e avy-fee l i n g le g s a r e n o r m a l ? AFTER
BEFORE
DR. NICHOLS CAN MAKE THIS PROBLEM GO AWAY! Virginia Beach Location 401 N. Great Neck Road. Ste 121 Virginia Beach, VA 23454
No hospital. No Stitches. No Downtime. Show off your legs this summer! Suffolk Location 1500 Breezeport Way Ste 100 Suffolk, VA 23454
Call now to start loving your legs again!
(855) 838-8346
Center for Vein Restoration is nationally recognized as the leader in the treatment of varicose veins and spider veins. Our physicians and clinical teams are dedicated to relieving leg pain, treating the vascular cause of severe leg wounds, and eliminating unsightly veins. And with nearly all procedures covered by insurance, we offer more treatment options than most other vein clinics.
FEEL BETTER.
LIVE BETTER. LOOK BETTER. www.centerforvein.com
16 | Jewish News | Senior Living | June 27, 2016 | jewishnewsva.org
“As adults, we don’t hesitate to talk
about driving with seniors allows
to our teenage children about driv-
them to take an active role in deciding
ing, but when we need to address
when and why their driving should be
concerns with our own parents, we
reduced or eliminated, while keeping
drop the ball,” says Elin Schold Davis,
Hampton Roads area families safe on
occupational therapist and project coor-
the road.”
dinator for the Older Drive Initiative of
Nearly 90 percent of aging adults
the American Occupational Therapy
rely on their cars and driving to stay
Association. “We know that discussing
independent, according to the survey.
driving with aging loved ones reduces
Though many seniors 70 and older are
their discomfort around limiting or
able to drive safely into their later years,
stopping their driving. Often, families
it is critical for families to have a plan
just need to know how to start the
in place before a medical or cognitive
dialogue.”
condition makes it no longer safe for
For many seniors, the idea of giving up driving sparks feelings
their senior loved one to get behind the wheel.
of anger, anxiety and loneliness. To
“Physical and cognitive changes,
help families navigate these sen-
such as those caused by Alzheimer’s
sitive conversations about driving
disease, changes in vision or medi-
cessation, the Home Instead Senior
cation usage, can put older adults in
Care network has launched a new
jeopardy on the road,” adds Schold
public education program, Let’s Talk
Davis. “Many drivers can continue to
About Driving , available at www.
drive safely as they get older, but it’s
SM
Se n ior L i v i ng important for families to work with
after an incident occurs behind the
their loved ones to create a roadmap
wheel. This may be a sign their loved
that explores new technologies and
one needs assistance maintaining their
solutions, while planning ahead. The
independence in and outside of the
solution may not be to stop driving
home,” says Laura Bousman, owner of
completely, but could include adding
the Home Instead Senior Care offices
senior-friendly safety features to the car
serving Chesapeake and Virginia
or taking a safety class.”
Beach. “Our hope is that by having
Family caregivers can look for sev-
these discussions and knowing the
eral potential warning signs that their
potential warning signs in advance,
senior may be losing the confidence or
we can help ensure seniors and their
ability to drive, such as unexplained
families stay safe and independent on
dents, trouble turning to see when
their terms.”
backing up, increased agitation while driving, and riding the brake. “We often receive calls from families
Thank You, for Voting Us
To access the Safe Driving Planner, or to view other program resources and tips, visit www.LetsTalkAboutDriving.com.
Ten warning signs that seniors may be unsafe drivers on the road 1. Mysterious dents. If an older adult can’t explain what happened to his or her car, or there are multiple instances of damage, further investigation is needed to understand if there’s been a change in the senior’s driving abilities. 2. Trouble turning to see when backing up. Aging may compromise mobility and impact important movements needed to drive safely. Fortunately, newer vehicles offer back-up cameras and assistive technologies that can help older adults continue to drive safely.
THE PILOT
THE PILOT
READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS
READERS’ CHOICE AWAR
OF 2016
OF 2016
NORFOLK
NORFOLK
3. Confusing the gas and brake pedals. Dementia can lead to a senior being confused about how his or her car operates. 4. Increased irritation and agitation when driving. Poor health or chronic pain can trigger increased agitation that may, in turn, lead to poor judgment on the road. 5. Bad calls on left-hand turns. Turning left can be tricky and dangerous for older
GOLD
THE PILOT
GOLD
THE PILOT
READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS
READERS’ CHOICE AWAR
OF 2016 SILVER
OF 2016 SILVER
drivers, and many accidents occur where there is an unprotected left turn (no turning arrow). 6. Parking gone awry. Difficulty parking, including parallel parking, could cause damage to an older adult’s vehicle as well as to those around it. 7. Difficulty staying within the lanes. If you’ve spotted a driver zigzagging along the road, it could be a sign that fatigue or vision problems are making it difficult
NORFOLK
THE PILOT
READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS
NORFOLK
THE PILOT
READERS’ CHOICE AWAR
to stay on course. 8. Delayed reaction and response time. Aging slows response times which may create a situation where an older adult may cause an accident or be unable to respond quickly enough to prevent a crash. 9. Driving the wrong speed. Driving too fast or too slow may be indicators that a
The Talbot on Granby OF 2016 6311 Granby Street BRONZE NORFOLK Norfolk, VA 23505
OF 2016
BRONZE NORFOLK
(757) 451-5100
driver’s judgment may be impaired. 10. R iding the brake. Riding the brake could be a sign that a driver no longer has confidence in his or her skills.
jewishnewsva.org | June 27, 2016 | Senior Living | Jewish News | 17
Three agencies with one common purpose:
C aring for Y ou.
Se n ior L i v i ng
Eastern Virginia Medical School partners with Beth Sholom Village for Music and Memory study
B
Jewish Family Service of Tidewater provides skilled home healthcare, in-home personal care, counseling, and a continuum of social services. Beth Sholom Village offers outstanding short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, and assisted living. Freda H. Gordon Hospice and Palliative Care of Tidewater provides hospice care to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of patients and their families.
JFS Home Health Care
757-489-3111
www.jfshamptonroads.org
757-420-2512
OF
TIDEWATER
Thousands of Israeli elderly go without food, medicine or heating
JFS Home Health Care
www.bethsholomvillage.com
Hospice & Palliative Care
reactions to music. The BSV staff will then give each participant an iPod loaded with music which is familiar to that person. Family members are consulted to determine participants’ favorite music. Based on the subjects’ reactions and mood changes, the need for certain medications may be reduced, and the individual’s quality of life may improve. Once the initial results of the study are analyzed, more residents at Beth Sholom will be eligible to participate in the Music and Memory program. The work at Beth Sholom Village occurs against a universal background of research and very positive results from expanded music therapy programs for individuals with dementia or Alzheimers. Beth Sholom Village seeks volunteers to assist the residents in the Music and Memory program. To volunteer, call 757-420-2512 and ask for Josh Bennett, Recreation Therapy director.
Survey
Beth Sholom Village
F R E DA H . G O R D O N
eth Sholom Village, in partnership with Eastern Virginia Medical School, will begin a study with 20 BSV residents using monitoring equipment and headphones to determine the effect of music on the biorhythms and behavior patterns of those with some cognitive impairment. The study aims to investigate how those living with dementia or Alzheimer’s can benefit from music therapy. The study will be led by Hamid R. Okhravi, MD, of EVMS. The group therapy sessions will be facilitated by Becky Watson, a board certified music therapist. Watson has extensive clinical experience in conducting music therapy programs for older adults living with dementia. Volunteers are needed to sit with the residents for several hours each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday over a six week period. Each participant will be outfitted with a monitor called an Actigraph which will record various
HPCT
757-321-2242
www.hpctidewater.com
18 | Jewish News | Senior Living | June 27, 2016 | jewishnewsva.org
J
ERUSALEM ( JTA)—Thousands of elderly Israelis give up food, medicine or heating because they cannot afford to pay for them, according to a survey earlier this year. Some 18 percent of Israeli elderly go without home heating and about 20 percent give up basic goods in order to pay for heating, according to the study by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. The survey of a representative
sample of 400 elderly, aged 65 and older, was conducted through the Geocartography Institute. The survey also found that 12 percent of elderly Israelis give up using hot water at least three days a week for financial reasons; 12 percent give up medication or medical care because of financial constraints; and one in seven gives up food for financial reasons. The survey also found that one in seven elderly report feeling lonely on a daily basis.
Se n ior L i v i ng
Stand up to improve health
WE TAKE PRIDE IN EXCEEDING YOUR EXPECTATIONS.
Tom Purcell
T
o sit or stand—that is the question that many ponder considering the latest data on how remaining seated during long periods of time can be hazardous to an individual’s health. In fact, studies show that sitting for long periods of the day can lead to being overweight and developing heart mindful about moving and making it a disease, cancer, diabetes, and even pretop priority. mature death. When standing, keep shoulders The body is meant to move throughback and aligned. Use stomach muscles out the day. Two to stay straight. Slightly bend centuries ago when the knees to ease pressure agriculture employon the hips, and use quality ment was 90 percent shoes that offer good support. of the work force, And what shouldn’t one people engaged in When standing, do? Don’t stick that chest out. proper movement Instead, try to keep the chest throughout the grab your hands perpendicular to the ground. day, not to mention Don’t stand in the same posiphysical exercise. lightly behind tion for long periods of time, Spring forward to and don’t wear high heels today, smack dab in you to pull your when standing for long perithe middle of the ods of time. electronic age that shoulders and A weekly strength and keeps people from flexibility program can help moving and using chest up to create the aging body correct and physical traits to get maintain good posture as good posture. This work done. well as a better quality of So what’s the life. Remember, the body will simple act will solution? Make it weaken unless it is taken care a habit to get up of through a consistent struckeep you mindful and move around tured routine. to promote circulaof your posture. tion as well as to —Tom Purcell, fitness and increase energy. membership director at the Don’t spend long Simon Family JCC, has decades periods throughout of personal training and fitness experithe day in the same seated position. ence. He can be reached at TPurcell@ Keep track of steps per day with a SimonFamilyJCC or 757-321-2321. pedometer or a fitness tracking device. Half the battle of the bulge is being
Quick tip
DESIGN LIGHTING MAINTENANCE OUTDOOR LIVING ENHANCEMENTS
GroundsGuys.com/Virginia-Beach 757.301.2304
We Salute Our Veterans.
Thank You
for Your Service. We listen. We love. We care. We serve.
Commonwealth Assisted Living appreciates the sacrifices our military men and women have made for this country and we are honored to care for those who have given so much for us.
To show our gratitude, we are offering veterans a special savings of $2,500 on their first month’s rent through Independence Day 2016! The Ballentine – Norfolk | 757-347-1732 Churchland House – Portsmouth | 757-517-0340 Commonwealth Assisted Living at Hampton | 757-707-8091 Commonwealth Memory Care – Norfolk | 757-785-0830 Georgian Manor – Chesapeake | 757-644-3825 Kings Grant House – Virginia Beach | 757-347-2752 Leigh Hall – Norfolk | 757-347-1251
www.CommonwealthAL.com jewishnewsva.org | June 27, 2016 | Senior Living | Jewish News | 19
.
Retire BIGGER
Relax by the Water
Se n ior L i v i ng
LAKE SMITH
or smaller
Ready for you to enjoy! This all brick home overlooking serene Lake Smith is bright andWishart up-to-date. 1204 Lake $879,000 New roof and windows. Sometimes when you have more time to do Custom neighborhood the things you like, you need more space in convenient to all of which to do them. Hampton Roads.
5113 Crystal Point Drive $539,900
5001 Cypress Point Cir.
he United Jewish Federation of
T
ago, when the title to the properties
Tidewater fills many roles in the
were transferred to the Federation, with
community—some are fun and quite
the help of several volunteers. The plan
visible, others are more solemn and less
for the transfer was actually hatched in
noticeable, but no less important.
2000. Jewish leaders in Portsmouth had
5113 Crystal Point Drive
$150,000
Easy Living • First floor condo with no steps to enter • 3 Bedrooms • Golf, tennis, and swimming available.
Janet Frenck, GRI • 757-439-4039
It is in this quieter role that the UJFT
become concerned that the cemeteries
recently began operating in Portsmouth.
would fall into disrepair as the Jewish
Earlier this spring, the organization
population in Portsmouth declined.
took over the maintenance and opera-
That’s when UJFT came to the rescue
tions of the Gomley Chesed and Chevra
and an agreement was reached whereby
T’helim Cemeteries, on Shell Road near
the cemeteries would be maintained into
Frederick Blvd. and George Washington
perpetuity. In addition to these cemeteries, UJFT
Hwy.
Howard Hanna William E Wood 757-439-4039 1321 Laskin Road, CRB, GRI Janet VirginiaFrenck, Beach, VA 23451 janetfrenck@williamewood.com janetfrenck@howardhanna.com William E. Wood & Associates 1321 Laskin Road • Virginia Beach
Will your money retire before you do? Laurent Abitbol, Agent Registered Representative Bus: 757-416-7500 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Mon - Thurs 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Fri 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sat
UJFT fulfills caretaker role for Portsmouth’s Jewish cemeteries
The sooner you start investing, the more likely you are to reach your longterm goals. Ask me about State Farm Mutual Funds . Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. CALL ME TODAY. ®
®
Before investing, consider the funds’ investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. Contact State Farm VP Management Corp (1-800-447-4930) for a prospectus or summary prospectus containing this and other information. Read it carefully. Securities are not FDIC insured, are not bank guaranteed and are subject to investment risk, including possible loss of principal. AP2013/03/0938 State Farm VP Management Corp. One State Farm Plaza, Bloomington, Illinois 61710-0001. Neither State Farm nor its agents provide investment, tax, or legal advice. 1101413.4
With the financial assistance of the
provides maintenance for two other local
Gomley Chesed Cemetery Fund, which
Jewish burial sites: Workmen’s Circle
is now managed by the Tidewater Jewish
Cemetery and Mikro Kodesh, both in
Foundation, UJFT provides a crew to
Chesapeake.
take care of the grounds, headstones,
Contributions to help maintain the
fences, and lighting. The organization
Portsmouth cemeteries are welcome.
also assists with reserving spaces and
Call Randy Parrish at 757-965-6104, or
assigning plots in the Jewish burial site.
mail a check, payable to Gomley Chesed
The cemeteries, which date back to
Cemetery Fund, in care of the Tidewater
the late 1800s, were associated with
Jewish Foundation at 5000 Corporate
the Portsmouth synagogues of the same
Woods Dr., Suite 200, Virginia Beach,
names; Chevra T’helim closed in the
VA, 23462.
1980s and Gomley Chesed held its last
For more information about any of
service in 2014. Gomley Chesed’s ceme-
the cemeteries the UJFT maintains, email
tery committee continued to superintend
Glenn Saucier, gsaucier@ujft.org, or call
the two cemeteries until a few months
757-961-6100.
Four elderly Jewish ladies busted for weekly mahjong game (JTA)—Four elderly Jewish women playing mahjong in Florida may not sound like a crime—but that’s what was alleged last fall in the city of Altamonte Springs. Lee Delnick, Bernice Diamond, Helen Greenspan and Zelda King—aged 87 to 95—had their weekly game interrupted by police who stopped them from playing in their usual spot, the Escondido Condominium clubhouse, on suspicion that the group was illegally gambling. King told the Heritage Florida Jewish News that a
20 | Jewish News | Senior Living | June 27, 2016 | jewishnewsva.org
“troublemaker” in the building had alerted authorities to their weekly game. The ladies were told by the Escondido property manager to “lay low” for weeks until the issue sorted itself out. “This is ridiculous!” King said. “We haven’t played in the clubhouse for weeks! We have to go to each other’s homes to play, and not everyone lives in Escondido. It is an international game and we are being crucified!” As it turns out, there is no ordinance in Altamonte
Springs against mahjong gambling. The Heritage Florida Jewish News reported that Florida’s gambling laws allow certain “penny-ante games,” or games through which a winner wins $10 or less. The bubbes’ mahjong game, which caps the winner’s earnings at a steep $4, falls within the confines of the law. King told the Heritage Florida Jewish News that the ladies can now laugh about the whole affair at their mahjong games in the condo clubhouse.
Low scores, high morale, make JCC Golf Tournament one of the best
T
The weather was ideal—low humidity, a light breeze, and temperatures in the 70s, and the course was in beautiful condition. The 80 players knew they were contributing to a worthy cause. So whether participants were scratch golfers or once-a-year players, morale was high and smiles plentiful. Funds raised through tournament fees, raffle ticket sales and generous sponsors helped push the JCC past the $500,000 goal for the year. Direct beneficiaries from this day of competitive fun are children and teens who participate in Simon Family The Miller Group Team—Bill Miller, Jerry Miller, Chris Safrit and Eric Miller. JCC programs. The golf tournament ensures scholarships and funding are available for youths attending Kids Connection before and after school enrichment program, Camp JCC and the camp’s shadow program for young people with disabilities, the Kid Fit health and nutrition program, and teen programming. The winners of this year’s PayDay Payroll Resources Team—Steve Kayer, Chris Mabe, tournament were Ryan Glick, Andy Kline and Tom Canone. he Simon Family JCC’s 6th Annual Presidents’ Cup Golf Tournament, held on June 6 at Heron Ridge Golf Club in Virginia Beach, was a success, across the “leader” board.
Yuri Vaid, Casey Costello, and Brian Knight. Their names will be engraved on the impressive Presidents’ The winning foursome: Brian Knight, Yuri Vaid, Ryan Glick Cup trophy, along with and Casey Costello. the previous winners. To see more photos from the Golf One of the most memorable moments Tournament, visit www.fb.com/SimonFamilyJ. of the day occurred during the putTo learn more about the Simon Family JCC, ting contest, when members of the and how to participate in programs or help same foursome—Ian Holder and John support the JCC’s mission, visit www.simonVoorhees—both sunk their balls with a familyjcc.org or call 757-321-2337. single putt, leading to raucous cheers from Photography by Gaby Grune those watching and numerous high-fives.
Barry Einhorn, Marty Einhorn, Gene Ross, John Strelitz, Sandra Porter Leon, and Adam White, all past presidents.
The Beth Sholom Village Team
Matt Nusbaum, Miles Leon, Nathan Jaffe and Ben Leon.
Putting Hole-in-One winners: Ian Holder, David Hadder, Scott Kelsey and John Voorhees. jewishnewsva.org | June 27, 2016 | Jewish News | 21
it’s a wrap
first person Confirmation at Beth El
Beth El hosts successful “Annual Golf-a-Thon”
Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz
Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz
T
he Confirmation, 10th grade year of studies at Beth El is both intellectually and emotionally challenging. Students spend the year exploring the idea of Jewish identity and self-determination. With the concept that no Jewish person is a perfect balance of religious, national and cultural connection, students spend the year exploring these and other facets of what it means to be Jewish with an eye towards what might interest them most as Jewish adults. The curriculum is designed to help them make the transition from Jewish children who are told what it means to be Jewish, to Jewish adults who have to decide what that means themselves. This year presented a unique challenge to our students. For various reasons, this was a class comprised of only three students. Each student was therefore invested with a tremendous amount of responsibility for the success of the learning endeavor. Class only met when all three could be present (we only had to cancel one class) and the seminar-style of the class required all three to actively engage at all times and be willing to share some very deep and personal self-refection. The students did not disappoint and the results were extraordinary. In some ways, the smaller group made it one of our best Confirmations yet, and it was a delight for Cantor Wendi and myself to teach. Each student produced a Jewish Identity Statement. The result not only exposed the breadth and depth of the students’ knowledge, but also their deep connection to their Judaism. Lily Berz wrote, “Three main ways I have practiced Judaism throughout my life are in the form of service, learning, and attending religious services. Religious
E
Cantor Wendi Fried, Jamie Alperin, Lily Berz, Evan Gordon and Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz.
services have been a constant I have been able to count on, and no matter where I am, a familiar tune will connect me to those around me.” Jamie Alperin said, “Cantor Wendi and Rabbi Arnowitz reassured me that it’s perfectly normal to not know who you are right now and that I have plenty of time to figure it out. They also taught me that asking questions are a big part of being Jewish, that it’s okay to be confused and that confusion will motivate me to search for the answers, ask questions, and learn more.” Evan Gordon added, “Judaism unites people, brings them all into one place and joins them together. Even more beautiful is that although there are undoubtedly conflicting views of Judaism in this gathering, we are still a community, still united and still willing to help one another at a moment’s notice. We are all still Jewish, we are all still one Jewish community. I plan to carry this value with me for the rest of my life.” We are exceptionally proud of our Confirmation class and are excited to see the Jewish future in their hands.
ight intrepid golfers set out on the course at Virginia Beach National to take on 36 holes of golf or more on May 25 with a mission to raise money for Jewish education and youth programming at Beth El. The day was beautiful, the golf was plentiful and the amount raised was significant. Each player found per-hole sponsors willing to pledge between $1 and $10 per hole or those willing to donate a fixed amount. The participants got pledges from literally dozens of friends of Jewish education. The foursome of Bob Lehman, Nathan Benson, Eric Joffe and Andy Klein played 36 holes, while Gigi Fried, Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz, Jason Hoffman and Alex Pomerantz played 41. Together they raised more than $15,000 with the award for superstar fundraiser going to Lehman who single handedly raised more than $6,000.
Nathan Benson, Andy Klein, Bob Lehman and Eric Joffe.
Alex Pomerantz and Nathan Benson helped plan the event. Last year, the tradition began with just four golfers. The extra foursome this year enabled the event to raise twice as much for the cause. Next year, Beth El is looking forward to adding another foursome and raising even more for the all-important cause of insuring the next generation of American Jewry through education.
Fluffy friends at Strelitz
Diana Smith’s two-year-old class at the Strelitz Early Childhood Education Center took care of some chicken and turkey eggs this past spring. The children helped keep the eggs warm and were excited to meet their new animal friends when they hatched.
22 | Jewish News | June 27, 2016 | jewishnewsva.org
it’s a wrap Through all the clouds and rain, Israel Fest brought the sun Gaby Grune
T
he Simon Family JCC didn’t allow the rumors of showers to rain on their parade for the 2016 Israel Fest. In fact, on Sunday, June 5, when the festival began at 11 am, the day brightened for all who attended. In place of sunrays and clear skies, the roof of the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus sheltered each and every patron. Artisan booths, music, food, games, crafts and more filled the building with the scents, sounds, and sights of Israel. Israeli artist Moshe Monzon felt a sense of genuine culture that day. “I have been to many festivals, and I tell you this one was the largest and nicest. They really captured the authentic sound of Israel. Sometimes I go to a festival and it does not feel like Israel, but they did it—100 percent!” he says.
The outdoor climbing wall.
More than 1,600 visitors poured into the JCC to visit Israel without leaving Hampton Roads. The many activities and games included raffles, prizes, ping-pong, painting, air hockey, balloon animals, caricature portraitures, rock climbing and a bouncy house. Melissa Stern, who won the Edible Arrangement raffle, was delighted by her experience. “I was kind of shocked,” she says of her reaction to winning the bouquet. “It was my birthday as well, and we went to Israel Fest last minute and my daughter suggested we do the raffle. We all entered, and I won. It was great!” Stern says her 12-year-old daughter enjoyed the new additions at this year’s Israel Fest, specifically the wide range of food options and the inflatable rock wall. Stern has come to Israel Fest year after year, and one thing brings her back each time: “I like to support Israel; we have Moshe Monzon, family there, and I have never Israeli artist. been there, but one day I will go. Israel Fest is a great way to support and visit Israel,” she says. By 4 pm, the festivities were drawing to a close, but bits of Israel still lingered at the JCC. Monzon and his wife prolonged their stay for two more days to share their artistic creations and culture with the rest of the Tidewater community. To see more photos from Israel Fest, visit www.fb.com/simonfamilyj.
Danny, Joel and Niv Rubin.
Naty Horev, JCC cultural arts specialist.
Nehorai Hilel.
jewishnewsva.org | June 27, 2016 | Jewish News | 23
tips on Jewish trips
Cnaan Liphshiz
PARIS (JTA)—On a crowded sidewalk in the French capital, Yomi Peretz exchanges jokes and backslaps with customers who are waiting in a 20-yard queue in the rain to enter his falafel shop. This chummy interaction comes naturally to Peretz, a tall enthusiast of boxing and poker who owns and runs l’As du Fallafel (The Falafel Ace), one of the bestknown eateries in Paris. But working the crowd also serves a commercial purpose. “I do it to keep up morale in the queue,” Peretz says. “They may be waiting here for 20-30 minutes and if they lose hope, they’ll go away.” Opened in 1979 by his parents in the old Jewish quarter of the Marais, the Falafel Ace is an institution distinguished by its international reputation and the fact that it has kosher certification. It is a Marais must-see thanks to its listing in travel guides and countless reviews in local and international media—including The New York Times, which wrote about Peretz’s eatery in 2006. The Ace is so busy it has two lines: for take-out and table seating. But this incontestable popularity isn’t enough for Peretz. In recent years, the Ace has played hardball with a smaller competitor, Mi-Va-Mi, across the way on Rosiers Street. Since opening in 1998, Mi-Va-Mi has struggled in the Ace’s shadow. Its owner, Martine Ouaknine, decided to open on Shabbat and subsequently lost her kosher certificate. So Peretz bought the space recently from where Mi-Va-Mi operates and is refusing to extend her lease beyond July. Ouaknine is fighting the eviction. Mi-Va-Mi has petitioned a Paris administrative court for a stay, citing its 18-year history at its current address and
laws designed to protect businesses from hostile takeovers. “They won’t get rid of us so easily,” says Ouaknine, speaking to a visitor in her half-empty restaurant as she gestures at the growing line across the road at the Ace. “There’s a fight, but it’s not over customers. We’re fighting to survive, they’re fighting to get rid of us just for the heck of it. We’re certainly no threat to them.” The court case is ongoing. Peretz declined to discuss the Mi-Va-Mi fight in any detail. “A competitor down the road, you can live with,” he says. “But a competitor right in front of you is annoying. All I can tell you is that there’s no war. We’re too busy making a living here.” Peretz interrupts the interview to ask two young ladies walking down the street if they are interested in lunching at the restaurant. When they answer they had already eaten, he assures them that their figures are “gorgeous enough to afford a second lunch,” but they walk away giggling. ”I should be wearing a red clown nose with all the nonsense I’m doing here,” he remarks with a smile. But Peretz attributes the popularity of his restaurant not to his clowning or PR, but to a “secret mix of spices, which we buy in Israel and mix here.” Among the Marais’ kosher eateries, the Ace’s success is unusual. Once home to thousands of Ashkenazi Jews, the Marais, or the 4th arrondissement, once had dozens of kosher restaurants and shops. During the 1970s, most of the Jewish residents and businesses left, cashing in on rising prices for real estate. They were replaced by non-kosher businesses that could turn a greater profit from the constant flow of tourists in part because they remained open on Shabbat.
24 | Jewish News | June 27, 2016 | jewishnewsva.org
Terri Denison
Falafel wars in Paris: Who’s got the better balls?
Mi-Va-Mi in the Marais.
One of the restaurants barely hanging on is the prosaically named Kosher Pizza, owned by Moshe Benjamin Engelberg, who is widely regarded for his thincrusted pies. Like many vendors of Jewish food in the Marais, Engelberg says he relies heavily on tourists from Israel and the United States. “Few French Jews live here,” he says. “It’s not like when I was a young man and there were four kosher restaurants on every corner.” But both the Falafel Ace and Mi-Va-Mi have Parisian regulars who swear by their merits. One Ace lover says it has “more atmosphere,” while a Mi-Va-Mi supporter said the falafel there “is lighter and fluffier than the Ace’s.” During the lunch rush, ushers join Peretz on the sidewalk, handing out numbers. And on very busy days, the ushers demand payment in advance from patrons still standing in line. Only the disabled and elderly are allowed to wait inside, out of the rain or sun, for their number to be called. The walls of the crowded restaurant carry photos of celebrities during visits to
the Ace. The list includes Lenny Kravitz, Benjamin Netanyahu and former regular Natalie Portman, who still comes here when she’s in Paris with her France-born husband. Inside the Ace, a staff of 12 tends to about 15 tables so closely positioned that the waiters need to raise their arms to pass between. The bill arrives unsolicited after 20 minutes. Unusual for a French eatery, neither deserts nor coffee are on offer. “This whole circus is actually quite annoying,” says Henry Sultan, a Parisian Jew who comes to the Ace with his 75-year-old mother, Eugenie. “But my mother says it’s the best and cleanest because it’s kosher, so we endure.” Over at Mi-Va-Mi, the atmosphere is fundamentally different. Soft-spoken and slightly introverted, Ouaknine patiently explains to a customer why some falafel balls are green on the inside—that’s the Lebanese variety, which is Mi-Va-Mi’s specialty—and why others, of the Egyptian kind, are yellow, as at the Ace. “Ours is a family atmosphere, and we’ll stay here as long as there’s a demand for that,” she says.
what’s happening Shabbat Service with Tidewater Chavurah Friday, July 8, 7 pm
T
idewater Chavurah is looking forward to holding its second Friday of the month Shabbat service with Rabbi Ellen Jaffe-Gill leading the service at the home of Hal
and Elaine in the Great Neck Meadows area of Virginia Beach. A “congregation without walls,” events are held in members’ homes or at other locations. Everyone is invited. For event information and location address, email dlqt@cox.net or carita@verizon. net or call 468-2675 or 499-3660. Go to www.tidewaterchavurah.org.
Wonderful Wednesdays concert series honors Zelma Rivin
T
he Jewish Museum & Cultural Center’s Wonderful Wednesdays concert series is dedicated this year to the museum’s founder Zelma Rivin. Rivin started the Wonderful Wednesdays Summer Music Series to invite the community to the historic Jewish museum. This year’s series includes Lee Jordan-Anders and Chuck Woodward on July 6; Dramtreeo on July 20; Bart Kuebler on August 17; and Ambrosia Quartet on August 31. Lee Jordan-Anders and Chuck Woodward Wednesday, July 6, 7:30 pm Two of the region’s favorite pianists, Lee Jordan-Anders and Chuck Woodward, team up for Plaisirs de l’été. The program features piano duets from French composers Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Francis Poulenc and Georges Bizet. The Jewish Museum & Cultural Center is located at 607 Effingham Street in Portsmouth. Tickets are $20 or $75 for the series and can be purchased at www.jewishmuseumportsmouth. org or by calling 757-391-9266.
A DAY OF PERFECTION Chuck Woodward
28th Annual Hebrew Academy of Tidewater Konikoff Center of Learning Golf Tournament Tuesday, August 30, Bayville Golf Club 4137 First Court Road, Virginia Beach Registration—10:30 am Tee off—12 noon, shotgun start To register or sponsor, contact: Patti Seeman, director of development, 757-424-4327, pseeman@hebrewacademy.net or online at https://www.hebrewacademy.net/hat-golf-page .
Holiday Inn & Suites North Beach vboceanfrontnorth.com
757.419.3668
jewishnewsva.org | June 27, 2016 | Jewish News | 25
Join Our Team!
Calendar
ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
July 6, Wednesday Wonderful Wednesdays with Chuck Woodward and Lee Jordan-Anders at Jewish Museum & Cultural Center. Tickets are $20 or $75 for the series and can be purchased at www.jewishmuseumportsmouth. org or by calling 757-391-9266. See page 25.
Position Available Sales experience a must • Media sales, a plus • Flexible hours • Great earning potential
•
If you are an ambitious, high-energy, self-starter with good people skills, this might be the job for you!
JULY 31, SUNDAY Torah Study for Skeptics, first of a free ongoing series of study sessions led by Rabbi Ellen Jaffe-Gill. 6–8 pm. For location and more information, call Rabbi Ellen at 757‑464‑1950 or email rabbicantorejg@gmail.com.
Interested?
August 30, Tuesday 28th Annual Hebrew Academy of Tidewater Konikoff Center of Learning Golf Tournament. Bayville Golf Club. Registration 10:30 am. Tee Off 12 noon Shotgun start. To register or sponsor, contact: Patti Seeman, director of development, 757-424-4327, pseeman@hebrewacademy.net or on-line at https://www.hebrewacademy.net/hat-golf-page.
Jewish News
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.
Contact Taffy Hunter, Human Resources director, at 757-965-6117, resumes@ujft.org or submit resume to Attention: Human Resources 5000 Corporate Woods Drive Virginia Beach, 23462
Camp JCC off to a splashing start
Danny Kline President
Andy Kline CEO
All Services. All Local. Payroll, Taxes and W-2s • ACA Compliance and Reporting Web Based Time and Attendance • NCS Background Checks Employee Loans • Pay As You Go Workers Comp Insurance • HR Support Center Employee Self Service Online • Merchant Services • VISA Debit Payday Cards
Monday, June 20 was the first day of Summer and the first day of Camp JCC. Campers routinely say swimming is one of their favorite camp activities, and children who stay for the entire day get swim instruction twice. These young campers sat on the edge of the pool to introduce themselves to the swim instructors before
Contact us today at 757-523-0605 or www.paydaypayroll.com 26PD-ad-JewishNews-QtrColor-102815.indd | Jewish News | June 27, 2016 |1jewishnewsva.org
10/28/15 2:56 PM
jumping into the water one at a time.
mazel tov to
Hebrew Academy of Tidewater Class of 2016 Dee Dee Becker
T
he Hebrew Academy of Tidewater celebrates the many accomplishments of its students throughout the years. The school also supports them through important academic and social challenges and nurtures them as they grow and develop throughout their elementary years. One of HAT’s most favorite rites of passage is graduation. As always, this year’s commencement ceremony held on Wednesday, June 8, did not disappoint. Proudly dressed in their caps and gowns—and ginormous smiles!—the candidates presented their parents with roses and then took their Back row: Ellie Debb, Shalom Brashevitzky, and Elijah Arnowitz. places on stage for the cer- Front row: Cooper Poorman, Ofek Newman, and Liora Kaplan. Not pictured: Ilana Becker. emony. After the Pledge of Allegiance, Star Spangled school and your community.” Banner and Hatikvah, a D’var Torah and Moore then imparted advice to furclass speeches were presented, as well ther prepare them for middle school: as a heartwarming video of the graduat• Study hard. Everything won’t ing class, followed by awards and other always come easily and it shouldn’t. presentations. Head of School Heather Work hard, ask for help, keep trying, and Moore also offered some memorable persevere. “Sometimes the hardest things parting words (excerpt): in life are the things most worth doing.” “You have worked hard and accom• Get involved. Find activities, clubs plished much in your time here. You or sports to join that you are interested have learned to read and write, become in and get involved. Don’t worry about proficient in math, learned how to think whether your friends are interested in like scientists, and learned about physthe same activities. You will meet new ical fitness, art and music. You learned friends who share the same interests and the principles of loving kindness, charyou will have fun along the way. ity, and the ethical treatment of people • Be courteous and respectand the earth around us, based upon the ful towards adults, your peers and teachings of the Torah and Jewish histowards yourself. Good manners and tory. You have also made new friends and a respectful attitude will go a long way learned from many wonderful teachers. in life. Most importantly, you have worked hard Moore asked the students to stand, to become knowledgeable as individuals turn their tassels and proudly proand knowledgeable of your Jewish hernounced them graduates of the Hebrew itage—to be responsible and respectful Academy Class of 2016. people who are good citizens of your
ADVERTISE IN
e d i u GJewish
2016–17
2016 to
Living
IN TIdewaTer
Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater Delivered inside the August 15 Jewish News
The Guide lists Jewish organizations, their activities and contacts. The Guide will have • A 12-month shelf life • A limited number of advertising pages • Web links and social media presence
All ads are full color Place your ad in the homes of 15,000 readers. 757 965-6100 or www.jewishnewsva.org
The boards of directors of
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and the
Simon Family Jewish Community Center announce the appointment of
Andrew Weinberg as
Chief Operating Officer He will also continue in his role as
Chief Financial Officer
jewishnewsva.org | June 27, 2016 | Jewish News | 27
The Woodlands
obituaries
Virginia Beach’s Premiere Jewish Garden
Private · Secluded · Dignified Your need may be years, even decades in the future. By planning now, you protect your family from the uncertainty, stress, and expense of making final arrangements.
The Woodlands at Princess Anne Memorial Park 1110 North Great Neck Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23454 757-481-1097 · www.princessannememorialpark.com
We are pleased to announce
The Kaufman-Feldman Financial Group of BB&T Scott & Stringfellow
Offering a combined 93 years of financial expertise to you and your loved ones on issues such as: ¡ Portfolio management ¡ Income stability ¡ Tax-advantaged investing
¡ Estate planning considerations ¡ Capital preservation strategies ¡ Risk reduction through diversification
Edward W. Banyai Norfolk—Edward Warren Banyai, 92, passed away on Monday, June 13, 2016. A native of the Bronx, N. Y., Mr. Banyai and his wife moved to Norfolk in 1993. He was the son of the late Arpad and Rose Grunwald Banyai and was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years, Corinne Marie Molinelli Banyai. Mr. Banyai was a decorated Army combat veteran of World War II and served his country with the 82nd Airborne Division and the Office of Strategic Services. Following the war, he became aware of the injustices toward his fellow veterans fighting for their rights and later marching with Martin Luther King. Mr. Banyai also completed his education after the war, becoming a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. He then became a union organizer for the International Ladies Garment Workers Union retiring after a storied career of 35 years. An avid gardener and walking enthusiast, Mr. Banyai, with his wife, loved to stroll through the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. He was an ardent supporter of Israel giving his time and effort to many causes. Ed Banyai is survived by his children, Diane Banyai of Westchester, N. Y. and David Banyai and his wife Jody Mazur of Norfolk, his grandchildren Danny Ible and David Ible and his wife Molly Hanisch and great-grandson Kai. A memorial service was held at Temple Israel with Rabbi Michael Panitz
officiating. Memorial donations to the Temple Israel Education Fund or the Norfolk Botanical Gardens. H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts. Online condolences may be sent to the family at hdoliver.com. Elliot M. Juren Norfolk—Elliot M. Juren, 70, passed away June 7, 2016 after a lengthy battle with brain cancer. Elliot was born in Portsmouth, Va., and was the son of the late Ben L. Juren and Lillian Reuben Juren. He graduated from Maury High School and received his BA in English from Old Dominion University. He served as an Army combat radio operator during the Viet Nam War. After working in advertising, in 1978 Elliot bought a tiny storefront on Colley Avenue and created Elliot’s Restaurant, which served the community for 20 years. He expanded this original restaurant three times and, with characteristic foresight, in 1988 purchased the building and directed a complete Art Deco makeover. This earned an Architectural Design Award from the Norfolk Design Review Committee. The Ghent Business Association, of which he served a term as president, called him a “pacesetter for the definition of Historic Ghent.” Of Elliot’s many remarkable attributes, his beloved irreverent humor is what defined him and what people loved about him. His ability to remember his many hundreds of customers, and their families, and his ability to joke and banter with them, is legendary. After retiring from Elliot’s, he
NORFOLK MONUMENT Tidewater’s Largest
Company
Outdoor Memorial Display & Indoor Showroom GRANITE MARBLE BRONZE Joseph Feldman Senior Vice President Financial Advisor
Tina Cordrey Assistant Vice President Client Service Associate
Ted Kaufman Vice President Financial Advisor
500 E. Main St., Suite 300, Norfolk, VA 23510 ¡ 757-446-6800 ¡ BBTScottStringfellow.com BB&T Scott & Stringfellow is a division of BB&T Securities, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. BB&T Securities, LLC, is a wholly owned nonbank subsidiary of BB&T Corporation. Securities and insurance products or annuities sold, offered, or recommended by BB&T Scott & Stringfellow are not a deposit, not FDIC insured, not guaranteed by a bank, not guaranteed by any federal government agency and may lose value.
28 | Jewish News | June 27, 2016 | jewishnewsva.org
Experts in Hebrew Lettering
Specialized Artwork, Full Scale Layout for Approval, On-Site Lettering, Cleaning & Restoration
Rock of Ages
Authorized Dealer, Susan E. Jaworski
2640 Cromwell Road, Norfolk, VA 23509
8537608
obituaries wondered if he could pull off one more success story—and he did. In 2000 he opened Elliot’s Fair Grounds Coffee Shop and devoted another 10 years to growing its popularity. Elliot’s charitable work spanned many years. A weekly volunteer at Beth Sholom Home, he conducted the Thursday afternoon religious service. He served on various committees at Congregation Beth El, and in his later years, served three weeks in the Israeli Army on a civilian volunteer program. In his business career he did quiet favors for employees and colleagues alike. He helped those who needed help, whether it was a financial need, the creation of a job, or a post midnight ride home. Seeking nothing in return, he allowed his deed to speak his honor. Elliot was writing his memoir when he became ill. It is packed with the retelling of personal memories from his army years and from 30 years of running businesses on Colley Avenue in Ghent. Told in his entertaining, humorous style, it remains unfinished. Or, maybe, in its own simple, unedited way, it is perfectly complete. Survivors include his wife of 42 years, Gail Juren, two sons; Alex and Max Juren, a brother Harold and his wife Jeanette, a sister Eleanor Snyder and her husband George and many nieces and nephews. Elliot made everything better—for his family, for his friends, for his community. Not a day will pass that he will not be remembered and missed by so many. A funeral service was conducted at Congregation Beth EL in Norfolk by Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz, Cantor Wendi Fried and Rabbi Arthur Ruberg. Burial was at Forest Lawn Cemetery. Memorial donations in Elliot’s memory may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.hdoliver.com. Patricia K. Wisoff Norfolk—Patricia Kelsay Wisoff, beloved wife for 65 years to Dr. Carl Peter Wisoff, passed away in her home in Norfolk, Va. surrounded by family on Monday, June 13, 2016—just shy of her
86th birthday. Born amid the great depression, the onset of the great plains dust bowl drought, and the darkening troubles that would lead to another devastating world war, Patty entered the world with an indomitable and joyous hope, spirit, optimism and curiosity that would sustain her and the others whose hearts she touched for decades to come. Her adoptive parents, Imogene Kelsay and Ora Kelsay of Loveland, Ohio raised her after her mother died at childbirth and instilled in her those happy, friendly Ohio mid-western sensibilities that defined her life outlook and gave her voice its distinctive sing-song quality. Her favorite word was “wonderful,” a label she used to describe everything from a gorgeous view to an interesting insect. She loved to read about everything, to cook for everyone and to dance to music from every culture and corner of the world. In 1950, as a young nursing student at the age of 20, she met her soul mate Carl outside a movie theater in Cincinnati, Ohio. Three months later they were married and the rest, as they say, is history. Together they nurtured an enduring and ever deepening love and respect for each other that no Disney fairytale could begin to replicate. They lived happily ever after, raising four children, spoiling seven grandchildren (Whitney, Samantha and John Napolitano; Keano Rich; Sari Wisoff; Jeffrey James and Michael Wisoff) and traveling the world, enjoying the sights, foods, music and art of every culture and tradition. Pat’s life, in her own words, was “wonderful.” Wonderful, full of wonder, is how Pat saw the troubled world into which she was born. And it is how anyone who got to know her came to see her. The mark she left on this world makes it a better and even more wonderful place for those of us and our families that she left behind, including husband Carl Wisoff of Norfolk, daughters Sherri Wisoff and Wendy Napolitano of Virginia Beach, sons Brandon Wisoff of San Rafael, California and Jeff Wisoff of Pleasanton, California. We are eternally honored and grateful to have shared our lives
with such an amazing and extraordinary woman. H. D. Oliver Funeral Apts. Donations in her memory may be made to Vanguard Landing, a proposed community for adults with special needs, or another charity of the donor’s choice. The memorial was private. Online condolences may be made at www.hdoliver.com.
SouthSide Chapel 5792 Greenwich Rd. Virginia Beach 757 422-4000
Family owned and operated since 1917 M aeStaS Chapel 1801 Baltic Ave. Virginia Beach 757 428-1112
Chris Sisler, Vice President, Member of Ohef Sholom Temple, Board member of the Berger-Goldrich Home at Beth Sholom Village, James E. Altmeyer, Jr., President, James E. Altmeyer, Sr., Owner
CheSapeake Chapel 929 S. Battlefield Blvd. Chesapeake 757 482-3311
• Affordable services to fit any budget • Advance funeral planning • Professional, experienced, caring staff • Flexible burial options
denbigh Chapel 12893 Jefferson Ave. Newport News 757 874-4200
• Flexible payment options www.altmeyer.com
Approved by all area Rabbis and Chevrah Kadisha
Riverside Chapel 7415 River Road Newport News 757 245-1525
jewishnewsva.org | June 27, 2016 | Jewish News | 29
Simon Family JCC Biennial Meeting honors the hard work of many, focuses on future collaborations Danielle Kavan
T
he 2016 Biennial Meeting of the Simon Family JCC took place on Wednesday, June 15. During the meeting, outstanding community accomplishments were acknowledged, awards were presented, a president bid his farewell, and a prospective president explained that the JCC-initiated merger with the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater was why he was not taking office. Marty Einhorn, outgoing JCC president, gave a state of the Center address following Rabbi Rosalin Mandelberg’s uplifting D’var Torah, focusing on change. After thanking the professional staff and lay leaders for making the JCC great, Einhorn highlighted the JCC’s most recent accomplishments—Camp JCC’s waiting lists and the largest Israel Fest crowd to date, just to name a few. He also acknowledged the fitness center’s ongoing struggle
Harry Graber presents The JCC Service Award to Jaime Brathwaite.
to bring in new members and pointed to the partnership with Town Center Fitness’ owner Tom Purcell as a ray of hope. After detailing a few fun childhood stories about the JCC—working in the snack bar and riding his bike to the former location on Newport Avenue— Einhorn explained how important his role as president for the past two years was to him on a personal level: “Thank you for challenging me to be the best that I can be. It’s been an honor.” Terri Sarfan, a past JCC president, thanked Einhorn for his quiet, thoughtful leadership, countless hours of work on the merger, Strelitz Early Childhood Education Center reconfiguration, and quantified the growth the JCC has seen under his leadership. “Marty, you worked really hard on fundraising this year, and under your leadership, we have surpassed a half a million dollar mark in fundraising for the JCC, which is a huge feat for one agency in the Tidewater community,” said Sarfan. The awards presentation at the 2016 Biennial included The David and Sylvia Krug Award for Outstanding Service to the Simon Family JCC, presented to Sandra Porter Leon; The Thomas L. Hofheimer Humanitarian Award, presented to Dana Cohen and Kitty Saks; The Joseph “Buddy” Strelitz Community Service Award, presented to the Hampton Roads Community Foundation; The Jewish Programming Award, presented to Terri Denison and the Jewish News Team; The JCC Youth Award, presented to Evan Roesen; The Mary & Avalon S. Krukin Award for Senior Adults, presented to Bernice Greenberg; and The JCC Service Award, presented to Jaime Brathwaite. Each award winner received a standing ovation for their incredible
30 | Jewish News | June 27, 2016 | jewishnewsva.org
Marcia Hofheimer presents The Thomas L. Hofheimer Humanitarian Award to Dana Cohen and Kitty Saks. Marcia Hofheimer, Kitty Saks, Tonie Wilkins, Marty Einhorn and Dana Cohen.
service, but the roar of the crowd was a bit louder for Jaime Brathwaite’s more than three decades of service as he took the stage. In Harry Graber’s speech indicating why Brathwaite was nominated for the award, he repeatedly noted how much everyone who has crossed paths with Brathwaite loves him for his kind, patient, and thoughtful demeanor. David Leon, prospective president, had the honor of addressing the JCCUJFT merger, first noting that the merger was a JCC initiative. “A number of us had been discussing the challenges facing the JCC over the last few years. In particular, the overlap and duplication of programing between the JCC and Federation was an obvious issue. From first-hand experience and surveys taken, many people who step foot on the Sandler Family Campus often have no idea which agency is sponsoring any of the many events and programs they’re attending,” Leon explained. “We convened a restructuring
Marty Einhorn presents The David and Sylvia Krug Award for Outstanding Service to the Simon Family JCC to Sandra Porter Leon.
Evan Roesen receives The JCC Youth Award from Howard Roesen.
Jay Klebanoff presents The Mary & Avaion S. Krukin Award for Senior Adults to Bernice Greenberg.
Harry Graber presents The Joseph “Buddy” Strelitz Community Service Award to Deborah DiCroce of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation.
committee made up of current, past and future leadership of both agencies to start the process of discussing, debating, researching and planning the best way to move forward.” Leon said the team contacted other communities that have previously gone through similar mergers, including Louisville, Austin and Phoenix. “Our long term goal is to provide a vibrant community for our all our members and ensure a thriving Jewish community for our children and grandchildren,” said Leon. Jay Klebanoff, UJFT president, thanked the crowd for attending the last JCC Biennial meeting and dismissed the group. Photography by Laine M. Rutherford.
154-20151118-262780
Some things in life really can be as simple as they used to be As the world around us becomes more complex, Wall, Einhorn & Chernitzer, P.C., can give you peace of mind. The team at Wall, Einhorn & Chernitzer, P.C. believes that it’s the personal relationships that make the difference. Offering a full range of tax, accounting and business advisory services, we take the time to understand and address our clients’ unique and individual needs.
We are an established part of the Hampton Roads Community We seek to be your trusted partner We treat you with respect, honesty and integrity We deliver superior service through hands-on solutions
Linda Spindel presents The Jewish Programming Award to Terri Denison and the Jewish News Team. Linda Spindel, Mark Hecht, account executive; Germaine Clair, art director; Terri Denison, editor; Marilyn Cerase, circulation.
150 West Main Street l Norfolk, Virginia l 23510 l 757.625.4700 l www.wec-cpa.com
jewishnewsva.org | June 27, 2016 | Jewish News | 31
Redi Carpet - VAB - 12.5.14.pdf 1 12/5/2014 4:53:43 PM
Make your house a home
Come by and visit one of our expert flooring consultants and view thousands of samples of Carpet, Hardwood, Ceramic Tile and more!
very pleased to have new “I was carpet all in one day. It looks
C
M
Y
CM
great. Wish I had done it sooner! I will definitely recommend Redi Carpet to others.
MY
CY
CMY
K
-K. Rigney, Home Owner
(757) 481-9646
32 | Jewish News | June 27, 2016 | jewishnewsva.org
�
2220 West Great Neck Road | Virginia Beach, VA 23451 www.redicarpet.com