Mazel Tov! Supplement to Jewish News February 5, 2018 jewishnewsva.org | February 5, 2018 | Mazel Tov | Jewish News | 15
Mazel Tov Dear Readers,
L
ife offers myriad opportunities to celebrate—we just have to seize them. Take Tidewater’s own Dr. Steven Warsof. An esteemed EVMS Professor of
Obstetrics, who in addition to treating patients and teaching students, has found time several times a year to travel to Israel to teach Israeli medical students. Last month, Warsof was recognized as an honorary member of the Israeli Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology. We think that deserves a hearty Mazel Tov! You can read about his work on page 23. And, then there’s Caleb Peck, a recent Bar Mitzvah, who took the opportunity of his milestone to establish a B’nai Tzedek Teen Philanthropy Fund through Tidewater Jewish Foundation. Mazel Tov to Caleb on his Bar Mitzvah and for being a mensch at such a young age. When you read the article on page 25, you’ll see just how young. The article on page 18 about how one family celebrated a baby naming, while also honoring her great-grandfather’s memory, is a warm full-circle story. On the other extreme from the baby naming, we’ve got an entertaining piece about a 90-year-old great grandmother who is a new model for JDate. She says she is “eager to help others find love.” This one is sure to make you smile. I did. Page 21. Of course, there’s much more…such as articles on Jewish Oscar nominees, Kosher. com’s first year success, and a great new Jewish appetizer cookbook I found at Decorum (by reading Jewish News, I might add!), among others. These articles are reminders that a milestone isn’t always required to have a reason to celebrate. Whether it’s an acknowledgement for good work, finding a terrific new book, or getting beyond an illness, it’s always good to say (or hear) Mazel Tov!
CELEBRATING 29 YEARS OF GREAT DINING!
Terri Denison Editor
Offering locally sourced seafood and produce daily. Reserve our private dining room for all of your special events.
La Promenade Shoppes | 1860 Laskin Road, Virginia Beach, VA 757.491.1111 | AldosVB.com
Visit us on the web jewishnewsva.org Follow us on Facebook JewishNewsVA
16 | Jewish News | Mazel Tov | February 5, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org
Mazel Tov A little book with big Jewish appetizer ideas Terri Denison
B
ack in December when I was reading Jewish News (not much of a surprise there, I know!), an image in the advertisement for the Gift Shop at Decorum caught my attention. It was of a small book, Little Book of Jewish Appetizers. I had one within a few days. The book really is little…measuring 7.5 x 5.5 inches. The expression, “good things come in small packages” aptly applies here. Cookbook author Leah Koenig has produced an unusual collection of 25 mostly easy-to-prepare starters that she says are “perfect for noshing.” Divided into two chapters: Fresh, toasted, pickled and Cooked, fried, baked— the book is beautifully organized with introductions to each recipe that include nuggets of material. For example, there’s a
piece on pickles at the turn-of-the20th-century in New York’s Lower East Side, and just before the recipe for Moroccan Orange and Black Olive Salad, a few sentences on Moroccan cuisine and Moroccan Jewish homes. The introductions are fun, interesting and concise. In fact, all of the text strikes an easy-going conversational tone. Between the two chapters is a four-page spread
called the Jewish Cheese Plate. This section includes background information on various cheeses, simple directions for enhancing some, how to present others, and then, for the person who absolutely has no time to cook, a list of what to simply put on a cheese plate, where the only work might be a little cutting. At the back of the book, in a section called Pairing Ideas,
Koenig makes suggestions for grouping the recipes for various occasions…cocktail or Hanukkah parties, for example, or those “surprise visitor” snacks. Finally, just before the Index, an Ingredient Glossary and Sources section provides addresses, websites, and other recommendations for where to obtain good quality ingredients. And, then, there are the beautiful photographs to demonstrate just how those appetizers are supposed to appear. All of this in 136 small pages. The Little Book of Jewish Appetizers is the first in a collection of Jewish themed cookbooks by Koenig. I’m looking forward to the next and am grateful Decorum not only stocks the first in the series, but advertised it as well. Terri Denison is editor of Jewish News. She can be reached at tdenison@ujft.org.
Invite Einstein Bros. Bagels to your wedding or bar/bat mitzvot! We can cater to any size group and deliver fresh-baked bagels, delicious egg sandwiches, fresh-brewed coffee & so much more to your home, office or anywhere.
EBCATERING.COM 1.800.BAGEL.ME (1.800.224.3563)
1148 Volvo Pkwy. • Chesapeake, VA 23320 • 757.410.3646 Franchise Location • Locally Owned & Operated
jewishnewsva.org | February 5, 2018 | Mazel Tov | Jewish News | 17
Mazel Tov Our daughter’s baby naming gave us this amazing chance Adina Newman
(Kveller via JTA)—When planning for my then newborn son’s welcoming ceremony, the process was fairly straightforward. He would have a bris eight days after his birth, which would require space at our local synagogue and a person to perform the circumcision—in our case, the coveted mohel/doctor combination. Throw in some close friends and family and a spread of bagels, lox, and kugel, and you have yourself a straightforward, happy occasion, a simcha. Fast forward a little over two years later. We’re having a girl! Fortunately for the meticulous planner in me, I already had a name ready from the first go-around with my son, so that was one less headache. Her first name would be after a great man, my grandfather, known as Papa. Although my memories of Papa are hazy because he passed away when I was just four, I grew up with the lore of his presence shared by everyone who knew him. He was a character, known for colorful sayings that expertly towed the line between crude and hilarious, who had a penchant for driving fast and the ability to take a nap anywhere. He possessed a tremendous love for his family and friends—a feeling, I saw, that was mutual. The fact that Papa was the only person whom my cousins all named a child after is testament to just how legendary he was in our clan, and I would soon be able to join this club. But although I had a name, I didn’t have a clue as to how we would welcome our newborn daughter into the world. A baby-naming ceremony for a daughter, or a brit bat, is so much more open-ended than a bris. Should we do something small the next Shabbat? Wait a month? Eighty days based on when tradition teaches women were able to make sacrifices at the Temple after giving birth? Too many options! Around 20 weeks pregnant and panicking in typical Type A fashion,
18 | Jewish News | Mazel Tov | February 5, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org
I called my mother, the only person privy to her future granddaughter’s name. “Why don’t you do it up here, in Maine?” my mother offered. “You could have it on the anniversary of Papa’s bar mitzvah.” I weighed the option. Celebrate my daughter in my grandfather’s synagogue on the anniversary of his important Jewish milestone? The very same place where I was not only named as a baby, but was also where I was married? Although rare, I believe there are some moments in life that comprise a sense that the universe is working in your favor. This was one of those moments; this was foreordained or, as we say, bashert. When she was born, I shared the date with my family and friends, surprised and touched that almost all my close family members were willing to take time out of their busy lives, travel north, and celebrate. Wanting to ensure I was taking every opportunity to make the event resonant, I chanted both Torah and haftarah, just like my Papa had done almost 100 years prior in the very same synagogue for his bar mitzvah. This way, my daughter’s baby-naming ceremony symbolized coming full circle. Together with family and friends, we welcomed my daughter into our community and fulfilled a tradition in the most meaningful way imaginable. And of course, the morning’s events would not have been complete without enjoying a kiddush luncheon complete with lox, bagels, and kugel. Adina Newman has blogged for Moment Magazine, written poetry for several online and print publications, and is working on her dissertation. Kveller is a thriving community of women and parents who convene online to share, celebrate and commiserate their experiences of raising kids through a Jewish lens. Visit Kveller.com.
Mazel Tov These bar-mitzvah kids already are Jewish philanthropists Ben Sales
SAN FRANCISCO (JTA)—Lyla Maymon and Jane Shvartzman went to interview officials last year at the Larkin Street Youth, a local organization fighting homelessness among young people, to see if their programs were worthy of a philanthropic grant. Maymon and Shvartzman asked all the right questions, like what percentage of the group’s budget was used for overhead and how it planned to spend the money. They had looked up its financials on GuideStar, a database of nonprofit files. So, perhaps not surprisingly, the two 13-year-olds were irked when the official giggled and rolled her eyes at them. “She didn’t think of us as a serious thing,” Maymon says of the staffer. “She was giggling at some of the questions even though it was pretty serious.”
It might have been because Maymon and Shvartzman were in seventh grade at the time, and they were offering several hundred dollars from their bat mitzvah money. The two teens are students at the Brandeis School of San Francisco. At this community Jewish day school in an upscale residential neighborhood, the seventh graders become a mini-charity of sorts: Rather than depositing their bar and bat mitzvah checks into the bank, the kids and their parents agree to take the money they would have spent on each other’s gifts and collectively donate it. Each year, the bar/bat mitzvah class takes its pool of money—generally around $30,000—and allocates it to some 20 nonprofits in the Bay Area, with causes ranging from medical research to Jewish LGBT advocacy. The kids vote on the top five groups. Those charities receive
$5,000 each, with the rest divided among the remainder of the organizations. While remarkable, these young do-gooders are far from alone: Teen philanthropy is a growing trend in the Jewish community. According to the Jewish Funders’ Network, U.S. Jewish teens gave more than $1 million in total during the 2015–16 school year. “That’s a reflection that teens are continuing to develop their identities,” Briana Holtzman, the director of the Jewish Teen Funders’ Network, an umbrella for programs like the Brandeis School’s, says. “They can give to the Jewish community and they can serve those outside of the Jewish community. There’s a real focus on the conversation, on challenging our teens to grapple with who they are.” At the Brandeis School, which has run this program for about 30 years, the goal is to teach the kids the value of charity
and make giving part of their lives from an early age. Jody Bloom, the Judaic studies teacher who runs the program, says it’s an especially valuable lesson for 13-yearolds, who can be consumed by obsessions over appearances, school or their latest crushes. Learning about the work of aid organizations, she says, makes them realize those problems aren’t so bad. “It really helps the kids put things in perspective,” Bloom says. “They don’t see the need that’s out there when they’re in the school. When they go out in the world and see what’s needed, they feel so grateful for what they have.” The charity program, called Tzedek —Hebrew for “justice”—takes up the bulk of the seventh-graders’ Judaic studies classes, which meet three times a week for about an hour. In the first semester, continued on page 24
TJF’S B’nai Tzedek Teen Philanthropy Program
am
n
P
o Pr
g
e Te
1. Create a B’nai Tzedek Fund with a minimum gift of $250 to the Tidewater Jewish Foundation (TJF) 2. TJF will MATCH your gift with $250 3.
I TZED ’NA E B
K
All it takes is ONE Bar/Bat Mitzvah, and you can make a difference for the rest of your life!
h il a
n t h ro py
Create your OWN FUND, make your OWN CHOICES, and GROW as a Jewish philanthropist! Join us and Make a Difference Today! Contact Barb Gelb, Director of Philanthropy at 757-965-6105 or bgelb@ujft.org for more info!
philanthropy noun • phi • lan • thro • py • [fi-lan-thruh-pee] 1. The effort or inclination to increase the well-being of humankind, as by charitable aid or donations. 2. Love of human kind, in general. jewishnewsva.org | February 5, 2018 | Mazel Tov | Jewish News | 19
Mazel Tov Meet the 90-year-old great-grandmother who is the new face of JDate Elaine Durbach
WHIPPANY, N.J. (New Jersey Jewish News via JTA)—If Bea Slater had ever been
a shrinking violet, her sudden celebrity might be uncomfortable. At 90, the great-grandmother has her image plastered on billboards and bus shelters up
CERTIFIED ORGANIC 100% PLANT-BA SED KOSHER SUSTAINA BLE MADE FROM SCRATCH COLD-PRE SSED
LEARN MORE AT WWW.FRUITIVE .COM VB | NFK | DC
20 | Jewish News | Mazel Tov | February 5, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org
and down Manhattan and in Brooklyn. There’s even one on the roof above Junior’s, the famous cheesecake place. Along with three other women nearly as old as she, she has become the face of JDate, the Jewish matchmaking site. They’re not poster girls for senior dating. Rather, JDate is promoting their images to suggest that it is “yentas” like them who are working out the site’s algorithms to find that perfect match. One ad, featuring Slater hard at work on a laptop, reads “Her dreidel game is filthy. But her code is clean.” (Translation: She’s a great dreidel player, and even better at writing computer code.) The “Powered by Yentas” concept came from copywriter and standup comedian David Roth, who produced the campaign with Hogarth Worldwide for JDate’s parent company, Spark Networks SE. Roth says grandmothers have labored forever to ensure that young Jews meet and procreate in order to sustain the tribe. “Bea was an instant star,” he says. “She has one of the most expressive and comedic faces I’ve ever seen. We had an embarrassment of riches—so many funny photos of Bea to choose from. She was hilarious on set and an absolute delight to work with.” Slater, not a coder though a savvy computer-literate social media user, is taking her celebrity status in stride, loving every aspect and eager for more. Chatting in her home in Springfield, N. J., where she has lived for 65 years, she talks more readily about her family (two sons, Mitch and Jeff Slater; a daughter, Diane Bedrin; four grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren), but is content to answer questions about how she is enjoying her newfound fame. “When my picture is up in the subway, then I’ll really be a star,” she says. Though she has never modeled professionally—and the last time she did any acting was in eighth grade—posing came easily. Slater, who grew up in West Philadelphia, was a much-pictured
daughter of a photographer. She became a photographer herself when she grew up, at least until she turned her focus to raising her kids. Almost every wall in her home is adorned with family photos, assembled and collaged by her father and, after he passed away, by her husband Jack, who died in 2009. In November, a friend mentioned to her son Mitch that JDate was trying to find older women for a marketing campaign. He told his older brother, Jeff, a marketing executive, who initially dismissed the idea, sure their mom wouldn’t be up for it. But the younger brother, a financial adviser, called back Jeff within minutes to let him know that not only did he decide to broach the subject with their mother, but Bea had agreed on the spot. “I said, ‘You never know…’”—which happens to be her response to virtually every question. It’s a principle she applies to herself as well as those around her. A few years ago, Slater persuaded her granddaughter Fanny Slater to enter TV personality and celebrity cook Rachael Ray’s “Great American Cookbook Competition.” Slater was in the audience when Fanny was named the winner, and in February, both grandmother and granddaughter will appear on The Best Thing I Ever Ate, a show on the Cooking Channel. A few months ago Mitch, who has a wide circle of friends in showbiz, including Bruce Springsteen and his cohort, arranged for his mother to introduce Steve Van Zandt (of the Boss’s E Street Band) and his band, Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul, at a concert on Staten Island. She admitted to being nervous standing alone in the spotlight (with the protective Mitch hovering nearby). “I didn’t want to disappoint Steve,” she recalls. Later, to her astonishment, Slater was mobbed by fans who wanted to take selfies with her. Slater was chosen by the Donna Grossman Casting Agency. Speaking for continued on page 21
Mazel Tov JDate —continued from page 20
Grossman and her team, Paul Bernstein says they auditioned approximately 40 women, though many more applied. They were looking for “authentic Jewish grandmothers in their late 80s to 90s,” Bernstein says, and Slater and her co-stars stood out because of “their heart, their humor, style. They all had their own chutzpah and heimishe feel.” The photographs for JDate were taken by Randal Ford, a sought-after commercial photographer. Some 60 years ago, Slater and her husband helped co-found their synagogue, Temple Shaarey Shalom, the Reform congregation near her home. It was a big part of their and their children’s lives. Going on without Jack was a challenge, Bea acknowledges, and many of her friends are gone, too, or not as youthful as she is.
Still, she attends the temple’s Renaissance Club, drives (though not at night) and keeps up an active social life. And now she’s auditioning for other advertising campaigns. Asked what Jack would make of her celebrity, Slater laughs. “He’d have said, ‘Do you know what you’re getting yourself into?’ He was much more conservative than me,” she says. As for using JDate herself, she is adamant that she has “absolutely no interest in meeting anyone. I’d never find anyone as good as what I had.” But like so many Jewish grandmothers, Slater is eager to help others find love. “There should be more money next time, though,” she adds, with exactly the kind of twinkle in her eyes that got her the JDate gig in the first place.
WINTER’S LAST GASPS
Diet slimming down Sherman the overweight hedgehog
Sale
50-70% OFF
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Sherman the overweight hedgehog, who was put on a diet at a zoo in Israel, has lost about onetenth of his body weight. Sherman weighed 3.5 pounds, double the average weight of a normal hedgehog, when he was taken in by the Ramat Gan Safari outside of Tel Aviv in November. The Safari announced that Sherman has lost 0.33 pounds. Sherman is one of 10 hedgehogs that were found waddling through the streets in Israel. They had eaten so much, mostly cat food left on the streets for
strays by softhearted Israelis, that they had problems curling into balls to defend themselves against predators. All of the hedgehogs were put on food and exercise regimens, with plans to get them trim enough to release by the summer. They were fed cat food, but in smaller doses, and their diets were supplemented with fruits and vegetables, the Jerusalem Post reported last month. And the food was placed far from the animals, forcing them to walk to their meals.
EVERYTHING FOR WINTER SWEATERS • OUTERWEAR SPORT COATS • SPORT SHIRTS SUITS • DRESS SHIRTS • TIES DENIM • COURDEROY The Palace Shops•Norfolk 306 W. 21st St. 627-6073
Authentic Menswear Since 1917 TheQualityShops.com
Hilltop East•Virginia Beach 1544 Laskin Rd., Ste. 216 428-8615
jewishnewsva.org | February 5, 2018 | Mazel Tov | Jewish News | 21
Mazel Tov Oscar nominations 2018: Five Jewish takeaways Gabe Friedman
I
f one thing jumps out about the nominations for the 90th annual Academy Awards, it’s the lack of big Jewish headlines to be plucked from them. The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro’s latest
fantasy-tinted film, about an amphibian creature housed in a government laboratory, led the pack with 13 nominations. Nevertheless, here are the Jewish nominations and storylines from another year of great cinema. Call Me By Your Name gets four
Authentic
Crafted
Timeless
Norfolk | 757.625.7292 819 Granby Street Virginia Beach | 757.333.4666 980 Laskin Road Outer Banks | 252.441.6728 900 S. Croatan Highway
exoutlet.net OUTLET PRICES Furniture | Decor | Gifts 22 | Jewish News | February 5, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org
nominations. Call Me By Your Name is the biggest Jewish triumph in this year’s nomination slate. The film, an adaptation of Egyptian-born Jewish novelist Andre Aciman’s book of the same name, traces a romance between two young Jewish men in 1980s Italy and is full of Jewish themes. It garnered nominations for best picture, lead actor (Timothée Chalamet, who is Jewish), adapted screenplay and best original song (Mystery of Love, written by indie rocker Sufjan Stevens). Was James Franco snubbed after #MeToo backlash? A few months ago, the Jewish actor was considered a shoo-in for the best actor category. His comedic performance in The Disaster Artist as Tommy Wiseau, the eccentric (that word might be generous) director of the real film The Room—considered by some to be the worst film of all time—was almost universally hailed by critics. He won a Golden Globe for the role last month. But last month, the Los Angeles Times published an article with accounts of five women who accused Franco of sexual misconduct. While the best actor category is loaded with talent this year (from Denzel Washington to Gary Oldman), multiple headlines called Franco’s exclusion a response to the misconduct reports—and a snub. Israel’s best film didn’t make the cut. Foxtrot, an Israeli drama about the aftermath of a military tragedy, had been on the shortlist for best foreign language film after winning a prestigious prize at last year’s Venice International Film Festival, stoking hopes for what could have been Israel’s first Oscar win. In the Fade, a German drama that centers on a neo-Nazi murder story and won a Golden Globe in this category, didn’t make the final Oscar
list either. Surprise! Two Jewish industry legends are nominated yet again. Yes, Daniel Day-Lewis has won the best actor award three times already—but he announced last year that he is retiring, so this might be our last chance to see the Jewish actor grace us with his presence at an awards night. The iconic method actor is nominated for his performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread, in which he plays a famous dressmaker. Steven Spielberg’s latest film, The Post—a drama about the Pentagon Papers starring perennial Spielberg collaborator Tom Hanks—is up for best picture. That seemed inevitable, but the one relative surprise here is that Spielberg didn’t get another coveted best director nomination. He was passed over for talented newcomers Greta Gerwig and Jordan Peele, in addition to del Toro, Anderson and Christopher Nolan (for Dunkirk). It was another good year for a pair of Jewish composers. For the prolific Jewish composer Hans Zimmer, 2017 was business as usual. He wrote or co-wrote scores for three films, including one for Dunkirk that earned him an Oscar nod. Benj Pasek, one half of the musical duo behind the score for the Broadway hit Dear Evan Hansen and the lyrics of La La Land, added to his rapidly growing legend with a nomination for best original song for This is Me from The Greatest Showman—a musical about P.T. Barnum. (JTA)
Mazel Tov Dr. Steven Warsof appointed honorary member of Israeli Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology
E
VMS Professor of Obstetrics, Dr. Steven Warsof, was made an honorary member of the Israeli Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology for his long-standing volunteer efforts at the Azoraeli School of Medicine of the Galilee at Bar Ilan University in Sfat Israel. The award was presented to Warsof by Prof. Eitan Lunnenfeld, president of the Israeli Ob-Gyn Society on Tuesday, Jan. 3, at the Israeli Ob-Gyn Annual meeting in Tel Aviv. Since 2012, shortly after the opening of Israel’s fifth medical school in Sfat, Warsof has taught Israeli medical students on a voluntary basis. He has travelled to Sfat three to four times per year for one to two weeks of intensive medical student teaching both at Ziv Hospital in Sfat, as well as at Poria Hospital in near-by Tiberias. During these sessions, he leads a series of lectures and seminars on various topics in High Risk Obstetrics, as well as takes Israeli students on morning rounds. Warsof was also awarded “Teacher of the Year” in 2013-14 at Bar Ilan University School of Medicine.
Warsof has also been instrumental in initiating the Bar Ilan Univ- EVMS student exchange program. For the past five years, two to three Israeli medical students have travelled to EVMS, and two to three EVMS medical students have travelled to Sfat for a four-week, fourth year elective in advanced obstetrics. This program has been fully funded by generous donors from the Tidewater Jewish community. The program was recently been extended in an international signing ceremony for an additional five years through 2023. Warsof says that this task has been “one of the most rewarding professional
Noga Ganor, chief of communications and public relations at Faculty of Medicine Bar Ilan Univ; Adi Litmanovich, chairperson of medical students’ association; Inbar Ben Shacher, chairman Ob-Gyn Department at Ziv Hospital; Ran Tur-Kaspa, Dean of Faculty of Medicine BIU; Steven Warsof, award recipient; Moishe Ben Ami, vice Dean of Student Affairs BIU and chairman Ob-Gyn Department Poria Hospital; and Noam Reshelbach, Associate Dean, Administration Faculty of Medicine for BIU.
and personal experiences of my career “—combining his love and passion for obstetrics, Israel, and his family in Israel. Professor Inbar Ben Shacher, chairman of the Department of Ob-Gyn at Ziv Hospital, nominated Warsof for this award, which was endorsed by Professor
Roni Maimon, chairman of the Ob-Gyn Society at Assaf HaRofeh Hospital in Tel Aviv, as well as the incoming president of the Israeli Ob-Gyn Society. To learn more about his program, Dr. Warsof can be reached by email warsofsl@evms.edu.
A VENUE ON THE WATER Charter a deck — or full ship — for a picture-perfect bar or bat mitzvah.
Our new charter yacht, Virginia Elite, offers complete customization.
Start planning today. SpiritCruises.com | 866.445.9283 Steven and Lisa Warsof at awards ceremony.
jewishnewsva.org | February 5, 2018 | Mazel Tov | Jewish News | 23
Mazel Tov bar-mitzvah kids —continued from page 19
Daily Specials* through April 2018 *Specials available for dine in only.
Monday
"Dine for a Cause"
Each Monday through April, we are donating 10% of our total sales to a different non-profit.
Happy Hour • 5-9pm At the bar
Monday–Saturday Earl Bird Specials 5-6:30pm
Tuesday–Friday
Happy Hour • 5-7pm
the students hear a weekly lecture from a local aid organization about its work. This school year, the speakers ranged from Jewish Vocational Services, which helps the unemployed, to the Homeless Prenatal Project, which aids parents of poor children. Several current seventh-graders said they especially appreciated a lecture from Gene Goldstein-Plesser, an official at Keshet, the Jewish LGBT advocacy organization. The talk included a cartoon unicorn whose body was used to explain the ideas of gender and sexuality. The heart, for example, corresponded to physical and emotional attraction, while a thought bubble with a rainbow was meant to symbolize how one thinks of their own gender identity. “We’re in San Francisco, so we know a lot of gay and lesbian people,” Noa Marks says. The program kicks into high gear in
the spring. The students pair off according to areas of interest — fighting racism, for example, or promoting animal welfare — and then choose one nonprofit they want to research. The organization doesn’t need to be Jewish but must be local because Bloom wants the kids to visit the group and get to know its work. They go to the nonprofit and interview a senior employee before presenting the organization’s work to the rest of the class. Although the students come from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds, the K–8 school exudes affluence. The campus consists of connected buildings for its 400 children, with open-air walkways and courtyards featuring bright basketball courts and playgrounds. Kids sprawl in the hallways typing on MacBooks and sitting on couches with coffee tables. A bowl of fresh apples for the taking sits on a table in a first-floor hallway. Tuition this year is about $31,000—slightly more for eighth-graders—with about 30 percent of
At the bar
Tuesday
Half Price Wine • 5-9pm
Wednesday
3 Course Dinner for $30
Thursday
MAZEL TOV! CELEBRATE AT BC WITH FARM-TO-PLATE SALADS
Date Night $50 Dinner for 2
Includes Appetizer, Salads, Entrées, and a Bottle of Wine.
Friday
Free Focaccia
Sunday
2 for 1 Entrées
Buy one entrée and get a second entrée of equal or lesser value for free. 910 Atlantic Avenue Virginia Beach, VA 23451
757-422-6464 ilgiardino.com
Norfolk | Virginia Beach | Chesapeake | Williamsburg | Richmond | Ashburn BakersCrust.com
24 | Jewish News | Mazel Tov | February 5, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org
families receiving financial aid. The kids say the philanthropy program helps them see beyond their own material comforts. “I went to a public school [previously], and this wasn’t a thought,” says Avital Daly, regarding charity work. “It was like, keep yourself safe and do what you need to do. Helping other people wasn’t as important as helping yourself. It’s a good feeling to help people.” The students also do a range of charitable activities, from volunteering at a home for the elderly to reading to underprivileged second-graders. In class, they look at Jewish texts on giving – like Maimonides’ seven levels of charity, which instructs Jews on how best to help the poor, with teaching someone a trade the highest ideal. And they discuss the dilemmas inherent in philanthropy, like whether it’s better to give locally or globally, and whether Jews have a special responsibility to give to Jewish causes. As they approach their second semester, this year’s seventh-graders appear divided on that issue. “Non-Jewish help centers and Jewish help centers both do the same stuff,” Amelia Lifsitz says. “If you’re a Jew, you might feel more comfortable at a Jewish organization.” “Organizations that don’t label themselves with a religion or race are more likely to have everyone get help from them,” Natalie Heller counters. “If there was a Jewish organization, someone who’s Christian would feel like, ‘Oh, I’m not welcome here.’ But Christian people need that help and Muslim people need that help.” About a quarter of the groups that receive money end up being Jewish, according to Bloom. But, she points out, supporting Jewish (or non-Jewish) causes isn’t the point. She wants kids to understand that part of coming of age as a Jew means taking responsibility for the people around you. “What does it mean to be a member of the Jewish community?” she asks. “The obligation of everyone [is] to do justice. It’s not just giving money, it’s giving your time. It really impacts them in a way they haven’t felt before and they realize how much they can give.”
Mazel Tov Caleb Peck establishes B’nai Tzedek Fund to continue helping homeless people Barb Gelb
T
aking action to help others is not new for Caleb Peck. His mom, Stephanie, tells the story of when Caleb was three years old he saw a homeless person and was genuinely concerned about why there wasn’t a place for him to live. He used to say that when he grows up he wants to be “rich enough to buy a hotel so homeless people have a place to live.” The plight of the homeless stayed on his mind until he was nine years old and saw a commercial for a company that would allow him to design a t-shirt to promote and raise money for his cause. Caleb immediately wanted to do this to help the homeless. He did and ultimately raised $2,000 for the Norfolk Emergency Shelter Team (NEST) program at Congregation Beth El.
It was a special moment when I got to see how much money I made and was able to give to a charity and see it make a difference.
Along with his family, Caleb also serves as a volunteer for NEST and likes to engage the participants—even starting a festive conga line on one occasion. And while volunteering is important, Caleb
Cardona
wood works, LLC
Caleb Peck
understands that fundraising is essential. “It was a special moment when I got to see how much money I made and was able to give to a charity and see it make a difference,” he says. While Caleb enjoyed his bar mitzvah a few months ago, especially getting to spend time with cousins and relatives who are scattered around the country, he says he is relieved that he doesn’t have to spend the time preparing for it anymore. “I like to hang out with my friends, and I play basketball, soccer, and lacrosse, so I was really busy.” Given his prior involvement in philanthropy, it was natural for Caleb to start a B’nai Tzedek Teen Philanthropy Fund through Tidewater Jewish Foundation when he became Bar Mitzvah. Caleb says he intends to use his fund to continue to help homeless people through the NEST program.
CWW-JN Ad2.375x5.375_3-16.indd 1
3/23/16 10:02 PM
The B’nai Tzedek program encourages teens to become involved in tzedakah by establishing a philanthropic fund in their name. Contact Barb Gelb at bgelb@ujft.org or 757-965-6105 to learn more about establishing a fund.
jewishnewsva.org | February 5, 2018 | Mazel Tov | Jewish News | 25
Mazel Tov More than 9 million page views in Kosher.com’s first year (JAN 25, 2018, Bayonne, NJ)—It began one year ago with a big idea, a passion for food, and a dedication to creating a place for the ultimate kosher conversation. Sure, the team was optimistic. But nobody expected that kosher.com would skyrocket quite so high, so quickly. One year later, the kosher.com community—with more than nine million page views—is celebrating the stellar success of this comprehensive resource for kosher recipes, food shows, learning, and conversation. “We enthusiastically entered this venture not knowing what was in store,” Chanie Nayman, the site’s editor-in-chief, says. “We knew it would be well-received, but I think the instant success of the site was a shock, even to us! People loved being able to search the magazine archives from all their favorite sources, they loved the new exclusive recipes we created for the site, and they loved the original videos and shows. We are so proud of the amazing content we have to offer just one year after launch.” With thousands of recipes, unique and original cooking shows, articles and how-to guides, kosher.com has something for everyone. Its massive, fully-searchable library lets users filter by holiday, type of cuisine, ingredient, level of difficulty, and even by chef. They can also search by dietary choices such as vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, or dairy-free. There’s a menu generator to create a customized meal for any occasion, and a forum where users can ask the experts, share recipes, and exchange tips. Nayman notes that the site quickly became a haven for many popular food personalities—and a great place to get to know the chefs who have a following in magazines, cookbooks, or social media. Leah Gottheim, Kosher.com vice president, says the best part of the job is when people tell her that kosher.com makes their lives easier. “I love when parents
tell me they got new recipes from our site that their picky families loved. They tell me their younger kids love to watch the videos, and then the older kids join them in the kitchen and everyone cooks together, making the recipes they just learned, and they’re confident that all the content is kosher. It really makes me happy to hear!” Fast facts and figures • Sessions this year: 1.8 million+ (37% of whom are new users) • Users who stay on the site for 30 minutes or more per session: 60,256 • People who have visited the site 200+ times: 47,058 • Users who access the site on mobile devices: 54.35% • Most popular social media portal: Facebook Over 11,000 users • Instagram followers: Nearly 15,000 • Email Subscribers: 20,000 • Most popular holiday: Passover, with 82,479 sessions in one week • Busiest day: Tuesday, April 4, 2017
TOP PICKS Most Popular Recipes 1. Faked Ziti 2. Last-Minute Miami Ribs 3. Very Basic Potato Latkes 4. Caramelized Chicken 5. Smore Brownie Pie 6. Roasted Potato Bake 7. Passover Tiramisu 8. G eneral Tso Chicken and Cauliflower 9. Chicken & Broccoli 10. D elmonico roast with red wine onion glaze Most popular search terms • Gluten free main dishes (9,799) • Chicken (8,929 searches) • Salmon (7,297)
26 | Jewish News | Mazel Tov | February 5, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org
Yes, it’s 100% edible! Kosher.com celebrates its one-year anniversary with more than nine-million page views. It is the premier website for anything and everything kosher, including recipes, how-to videos, and kosher cooking celebrities.
• Passover (5,629, and Pesach 2,566) • Gluten free desserts (4,098) • Cookies (3,354) • Brisket (3,319) • Soup (3,088) Most-watched videos • Jamie Geller’s The Secret of the Epic Delmonico Steak at Prime Grill in Employees Only • Esty Wolbe’s Faked Ziti in Easy Does It • Naomi Nachman’s Lotus Biscoff Cookie Butter Bars in Sunny Side Up • Yussi Weisz of Snaps Kosher, Kugel Just Like Bubby Used to Make in Shabbos with Yussi • Impossible Feat: Stopping at Just One of These Peanut Butter Toffee Bars in Short Cuts by Mishpacha Family Table Most popular articles • The Ultimate Chanukah Menu • A ll the Recipes You Need This Sukkot • The Complete Nine Days Recipe Roundup • 41 Non-Product Pesach Recipes • Sugar Free Recipe Roundup Top Instagram post Ester Ottensoser’s Chanukah craft with Twizzlers Top Facebook post 4 Ways to Impress With Your Round Challah Skills
Celebrity chefs, movers, and shakers weigh in • Naomi Nachman: “Being part of a team that champions kosher and supports each other is amazing. I love everyone I work with and they inspire me every day to be a better cook.” • Renee Muller: “I love hanging out on the couch with my kids and kosher.com. We watch one video after another and always end up getting hungry.” • Heshy Jay: “What I like about Kosher.com is the flavor and style it brings into our home!” • Yussi Weisz: “The best thing about Kosher.com is that when my wife calls me asking what I’m making for Yom Tov, I can just tell her, ‘Go on kosher.com and check out all the recipes!’” Lessons learned • Everyone wants new ideas for chicken and salmon. • Many readers love recipe roundups for menu inspiration. • In the Lifestyle space, Kosher.com staff’s holiday recipe roundups dominated. Kosher.com Birthday youtube/9aXFKlzEJOU
Video:
https://
Thank You
Thank you to the following donors for securing the Jewish future through legacy gifts to the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and the Simon Family Jewish Community Center. There are times when the purity of the intent and the virtue of the effort do not prevent errors from occurring. I hope that the impacted donors listed below will accept my heartfelt apologies for the mistakes made in the listing of their names in the last edition of the Jewish News. May the example you set inspire others to create their own Jewish legacy. ~ Harry Graber, Executive Vice President, UJFT “I did not find this world desolate when I entered it. My ancestors had planted for me before I was born. So do I plant for those who will come after me.” ~ The Talmud PERPETUAL ANNUAL CAMPAIGN ENDOWMENT (PACE) Anonymous (3) Helen & Warren Aleck Janice J. Aleck Susan Alper Jody Balaban Helen Jayne & Melvin Barr* Dolores & Alan Bartel Bernice & Percy Brill* Aaron Busch* Jeffrey Chernitzer Todd Copeland Mark Dreyfus Bronia Drucker Barbara Dudley Mary & William Feldman Hyman Fine* Karen & Mathew Fine Mona & Jeffrey Flax Alan Fleder* Kristy & Adam Foleck Jodi & Jack Frieden Beverly G. & Alan M. Frieden Leonard Frierman Penelope & David Gallo Sydney Gates* Barb Gelb & Kenny Weinstein Victor Goodman* William Greene* Frederic Gross Steven Harwood Denise & Jason Hoffman Abbey Horwitz Nancy & Edwin* Jacobson Bernard Jaffe* Carol & Joel Jason Phyllis & Arthur Kaplan* Erica & Scott Kaplan Warren Karesh
Edward Karotkin Jay Klebanoff David Konikoff Ron Kramer Irwin Kroskin Adel & David Kruger* Sue Kurtz Howard Laderberg* Mavolyn B. & Sanford L. Lefcoe* Corrie Lentz Kirk Levy Richard Lombart Janet Mercadante Jerrold Miller Alyssa & Jonathan Muhlendorf Nancy & Charles Nusbaum Joan Nusbaum* Pincus Paul* Erinn & Felix Portnoy Julian Rashkind* Sharon A. & Gene D. Ross Joanne & Phillip S. Rovner Judith & Robert Rubin Leon R. Sarfan Helen* & Buzzy Schulwolf Ronald Spindel John Strelitz Sandy Tabachnick Jody & Alan Wagner Nancy & Alvin Wall Lisa & Steven Warsof Amy Zelenka Betty* & Henry Zetlin Dorothy Zimmerman
LION OF JUDAH ENDOWMENT (LOJE)
SIMON FAMILY JCC ENDOWMENT (JCC)
Anonymous (1) Bonnie Brand Stephanie Calliott Ann Copeland Anne Fleder Esther Fleder* Gail Fleder Helen Gifford* Amy Ginsburg Hara Glasser-Frei Laura Gross Fay Halpern* Brenda Horwitz Lee Jaffe* Sheila Josephberg Eileen Kahn Mimi Karesh Betsy Karotkin Jodi Klebanoff Sofia Konikoff Cynthia Kramer Alma Laderberg* Phyllis Lannik Telsa Leon* Amy Levy Karen Lombart Martha Mednick-Glasser Laura Miller Eleanor Rashkind* Judy Rubin Annie Sandler Toni Sandler Terri Sarfan Deborah Segaloff Annette Shore* Cheryl Sloane Linda Spindel Jane Stein Joyce H. Strelitz* Randi R. Strelitz Sylvia Yavner
Roslyn & Michael Barney Dolores & Alan G. Bartel W & P Berlind* Barbara Levinson Breit* Joseph Dozoretz* Steven Eichelbaum* Robert M. Epstien* Thelma Fantuch Hyman Fine* Fannie & Milton* Freidman Jake F. Friedberg* Laura & Frederic Gross Estelle & Bert Hornstein* Jaffe Family Carol & Joel Jason Mimi & Warren Karesh Janet & Jeffrey Kramer Avalon S. Krukin* Alma & Howard Laderberg* Ezra Landres* Corrie Lentz Jacob Leon* Amy & Kirk Levy Linda & George Metzger Nancy & Charles Nusbaum Pincus Paul* Mollie & Sam Robbins* Doris & Martin Rosen* Sharon & Gene Ross Judith & Robert M. Rubin Terri & Lonny Sarfan Estelle Hornstein Shiffman* Bertha Goodman Snyder* Frances Stanton* Paul Tavss* Miriam & Harry Weisberg* Phyllis & Samuel Weisberg* Adam White Harriett & Samuel* I. White
The United Jewish Federation of Tidewater (UJFT) and the Simon Family JCC are proud partners of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s (TJF) LIFE & LEGACY™ program. To find out how easy it is to make YOUR LEGACY™ gift, contact either Dusty Heist-Levine, UJFT Director of Development at 754-965-6136 or Barb Gelb, TJF Director of Philanthropy at 757-965-6105.
Names in orange represent individuals who participated through the LIFE & LEGACY™ Program in 2017. *Of Blessed Memory LIFE & LEGACY™ is jointly funded by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and the Tidewater Jewish Foundation. jewishnewsva.org | February 5, 2018 | Jewish News | 27