Oct 23, 2017 Jewish News by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater

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10 Campaign Kickoff with Israel Today

23 Jeff Flax plays in the Maccabi Transatlantic Cup Golf Matches

32 Tidewater Limmud Sunday, Nov. 12

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Two Supreme Court cases Jews are watching closely Ron Kampeas

WASHINGTON ( JTA)—The Supreme Court is in session with a bench of nine justices, so expect more momentous decisions after nearly a year of caution. Now that the high court is back to its previous equilibrium—four solid liberals, four solid conservatives and one wavering conservative—expect all eyes to be focused on the waverer, Anthony Kennedy. And after a relatively quiet season, owing to the absence of a ninth justice following the death in February 2016 of Antonin Scalia, a conservative icon, Jewish groups are on alert as well. The new judge, Neil Gorsuch, appears to be comfortably slipping into Scalia’s slot. The return to a conservative majority, with Kennedy an occasional swing vote, worries liberal Jewish groups and heartens right-leaning ones, mostly Orthodox. Here’s a look at two of the cases and where Jewish groups are. Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission Jack Phillips, a Colorado baker, refused to bake a wedding cake for Charlie Craig and David Mullins in 2012, saying that to do so would violate his religious beliefs. The couple took him to the state’s Civil Rights Commission, which ruled that he could not turn away gay couples. A state court upheld the ruling; now it’s

at the Supreme Court. Last month, a prominent ally joined Phillips: the Trump administration. Jewish groups are filing friend-of-thecourt briefs on both sides of the case, with an array of Orthodox groups siding with Phillips. The Anti-Defamation League and the Reform movement are siding with the couple. ADL has already been involved with the case at the state level. The group says it urged the court to “reject arguments that religious or moral disapproval is a legitimate basis for discrimination against minority groups.” The National Jewish Commission on Law and Public Affairs, a group helmed by the father-daughter legal team of Nathan and Alyza Lewin that often represents Orthodox groups, is backing the baker. It cites in its amicus brief Talmudic prohibitions on assisting others in carrying out “avodah zarah,” or prohibited acts. Agudath Israel of America, which signed on to the Lewins’ brief, filed its own separate friend-of-the-court briefs in a reflection of the importance of the case for the Orthodox. Oral arguments, the equivalent of tea leaves for Supreme Court watchers, have yet to take place, so it may be too early to speculate on how the court will split. One possible clue: Kennedy wrote the decision in 2015 that codified gay marriage as legal.

Contents

Quotable

Up Front. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

BeAR off to a great year’s start. . . . . . . . . . . . 29

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

KBH’s Scholar-in-Residence has wide reach. 30

Torah Thought. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

What’s Happening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Israeli intelligence discovers Russian U.S. hack. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Anti-Semitism across the globe. . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Jewish Book Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mazel Tov. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Who Knew?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

UJFT Campaign kickoff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Special Section—Mazel Tov

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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 Sandy Goldberg, Account Executive Heather Sterling, Account Executive Marilyn Cerase, Subscription Manager Reba Karp, Editor Emeritus United Jewish Federation of Tidewater John Strelitz, 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. © 2017 Jewish News. All rights reserved. Subscription: $18 per year For subscription or change of address, call 757-965-6128 or JewishNewsVA email mcerase@ujft.org.

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Gill v. Whitford Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg says this case, involving redistricting, is among the most important facing the court this session, and an array of Jewish civil liberties group that signed on to an amicus brief agree. The case addresses redistricting by the Wisconsin State Legislature in 2011 that created a situation in which, the ADL says, “Republicans would be able to maintain a 54-seat majority (of the 99 Assembly seats) while only garnering 48 percent of the statewide vote, while Democrats would have to get 54 percent of the vote to capture a majority of the seats.” That poses a threat to American democracy, according to a brief filed on behalf of a number of civil liberties groups, three of them Jewish: the ADL, the American Jewish Committee and the National Council of Jewish Women. Marc Stern, the general counsel for the American Jewish Committee, says a far-reaching ruling could finally crack the epidemic of gerrymandering, which has plagued Democratic-led states as well, like California and Maryland. Court watchers say the four liberal judges will likely remove redistricting powers from the legislature, while the four solid conservatives will uphold the legislature’s right to go about its business without federal interference. Oral arguments have taken place, but Kennedy—the swing vote—did not show his hand.

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Briefs Amazon expanding in Israel Amazon is expanding in Israel, setting up Alexa Shopping teams in two cities. The company will open research and development groups in Haifa and Tel Aviv with a total of 100 employees at the start, the Israeli business daily Globes reported. Alexa is a digital personal assistant developed by Amazon that allows users to shop online using voice commands. Amazon said in an announcement that it is seeking to hire scientists, software engineers and product managers for the two offices. The company recently hired Eyal Itah, former Microsoft Israel development director, as general manager of the Alexa Shopping engineering team, and Yoelle Maarek, who was the former research director at Yahoo! and ran its Haifa development center, as vice president of worldwide research. Amazon has been active in Israel for the past several years. In early 2015 it purchased the Israeli cloud computing company Annapurna Labs. (JTA) Adelsons, Sands Corp. establish $4 million fund for Las Vegas shooting victims Billionaire philanthropist Sheldon Adelson and his doctor wife, Miriam, and Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands Corp. have established a $4 million relief fund in memory of the victims of the mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip. Half the money will come from the Sands Cares corporate giving program and the other half from the Adelson Family Foundation. The money will be contributed to organizations providing aid to victims and their families, and to support crisis and disaster response, the Adelson-owned daily Las Vegas Review Journal reported. “No amount of financial resources will erase this terrible tragedy or bring back those who lost their lives because of it,” a statement from the Adelsons said. “To honor the memories of those lost, we must help rebuild the lives of people impacted and provide much-needed support to the organizations helping in that effort. “Las Vegas is our home and on behalf of every single Las Vegas Sands team member and the Adelson family, we

pledge to do everything we can to bring our community together, provide support for the victims and their families, and ensure Las Vegas remains the strong and vibrant city it has always been.” The Oct. 1 shooting attack on a country music festival from a hotel room at the Mandalay Bay hotel left 59 people dead and more than 500 wounded. The gunman killed himself as police closed in on the hotel room. Days after the attack, the Adelsons met with President Donald Trump at the White House, where they reportedly discussed how to help the victims of the shooting. (JTA)

Islamic State claims responsibility for Sinai rocket attack on Israel The Islamic State claimed responsibility for two rockets fired from the Sinai Peninsula at southern Israeli communities. The terrorist group’s official news agency, Amaq, said Monday, Oct. 16 that the long-range rockets fired the previous night were targeting Israeli Air Force jets flying in the area, Ynet reported. There were no injuries or damage in the first attack from Sinai on Israel since May 23, when President Donald Trump was visiting the area. “The fighters confronted Israeli jets that flew above the state and targeted the Eshkol compound with two Grad rockets,” the statement said, according to Haaretz. Eshkol refers to the Eshkol Regional Council located near the Gaza border. The rockets triggered a Code Red alarm for Israeli communities near the border with Gaza. The Islamic State also claimed responsibility for attacks in northern Sinai that left six Egyptian soldiers dead. (JTA) Halloween costume company removes Anne Frank outfit An online costume company removed a Halloween costume of Holocaust diarist Anne Frank from its U.S. and European websites. Holloweencostumes.com, whose website is run by the Minnesota-based company Fun.com, pulled the costumes earlier this month after a backlash on

4 | Jewish News | October 23, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

social media. The costume, which can be seen on social media in screen grabs, included a long sleeve blue button-up dress, a brown shoulder bag and a green beret. The company described Frank as a World War II hero and an inspiration, adding that “we can always learn from the struggles of history.” “There r better ways 2 commemorate Anne Frank. This is not one,” Carlos Galindo-Elvira, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League in Arizona, said in a tweet. “We should not trivialize her memory as a costume.” Company spokesman Ross Walker Smith in a tweet apologized “for any offense” the costume caused. “We sell costumes not only for Halloween season, such as school projects and plays. We offer several types of historically accurate costumes—from prominent figures to political figures, to television characters,” he tweeted. “We take feedback from customers very seriously. We have passed along the feedback regarding this costume, and it has been removed from the website at this time.” (JTA)

Spanish newspaper regrets discussion of British soccer club’s ‘Jewish origin’ A Spanish newspaper wrote that soccer fans hate the British team Tottenham Hotspurs because of their “Jewish origin,” spurring condemnation from British soccer clubs. Marca, a Madrid-based daily sports paper, published the article ahead of a Champions League match between the Spurs and Real Madrid. “Their Jewish origin has made them into a club hated by rival fans,” the article said, in part. “But in their 135 years of existence they have always had style and great players.” In a clarification issued after publication, senior reporter Enrique Ortega wrote: “That ‘hatred’ that Tottenham suffers is very focused on the radical and racist groups that are hiding in the social mass, especially Chelsea and West Ham.” “I regret the confusion that has been created in this respect,” he added. “The intention was not to damage the image of Tottenham, a club we respect, value…and

we do not want to serve as a speaker to these racist minorities who use any pretext to expand their hate messages, which we reject head-on.” The Tottenham team responded in a statement. “We are astonished that a publication such as Marca, which presents itself as an alleged source of professional journalism, has seen fit to publish such an article which is blatantly wrong and wholly distasteful,” it wrote. Chelsea and West Ham also released statements blasting the article’s assertion. Chelsea said the article made “wide-ranging, inaccurate and appalling accusations.” West Ham called the article “unfounded, offensive and wildly inaccurate.” The Spurs were popular among Jewish immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Fans often call themselves the “Yid Army,” though the league has since banned the term as offensive. (JTA)

German court again convicts Holocaust denier Ursula Haverbeck, 88 Ursula Haverbeck, a well-known historical revisionist and neo-Nazi, was convicted again of Holocaust denial. Haverbeck, 88, was sentenced in a Berlin district court to six months in prison, Deutsche Welle reported. In January 2016, she said at an event in the German capital that the Holocaust did not occur and there were no gas chambers at the Auschwitz concentration camp, which she said was a labor camp. Haverbeck said she will appeal the conviction. Holocaust denial is illegal in Germany. Haverbeck is scheduled to go on trial in the western German town of Detmold for the third time after twice being convicted of incitement to hatred there for denying a genocide of the Jews during World War II. She has been convicted and sentenced to prison on several other occasions for writing articles denying the Holocaust and incitement to hate, but has appealed all the decisions and not spent any time in jail. The German media have dubbed her the “Nazi grandma,” according to Deutsche Welle. (JTA)

Anne Phillips’ Couture

Torah Thought

Lech-Lecha (Genesis 12:1–17:27)

oah was destined to be neither the father of the Jewish people nor the founder of our faith. Though the most righteous in his corrupt generation, he failed to reach out and save human lives besides those of his family. Thus, the rabbis who were aware of Noah’s disturbing limitations in the terse, yet pregnant Biblical text, turned to instructive and illuminating Midrashic fancy. They suggested that while building the ark of survival, Noah did warn the people to take heed and mend their ways—but to no avail. The flood itself was conceived of as an educational process to gradually and urgently awaken human repentance and transformation, with God’s desired goal of averting a colossal disaster. Abraham was chosen to begin the chain of Jewish living, learning, laughing, and loving, for he proved to possess, unlike Noah, that healthy dose of surging chutzpah and passionate compassion that challenges even, and particularly the Most High, when necessary. This confrontational response for the sake of heaven and earth, has allowed Jews to heroically transcend limiting boundaries, smashing every age’s idols of stifling and dehumanizing convention. Abraham and Sarah were refugees and immigrants from Mesopotamia, the cradle of Western Civilization—today’s Iraq and Syria. Restive rebels on a journey that would profoundly impact humanity, they left behind an advanced culture, but one that could not satisfy their religious quest and creative aspiration. Imagine Abraham’s moral outrage and righteous indignation at today’s seven-year-old war

in Syria with half a million dead citizens including many children, the barbaric bombing of Aleppo, and the plight of millions of Syria’s people and refugees! The thundering divine call, charge and command to Abraham, echoing still, LechLecha, to venture forth from his familial and familiar environment—physically, spiritually, and psychologically—both pushed and permitted him to depart from the world he had inherited in order to usher in a new one of his own making. In doing so he was indeed rewarded with becoming a blessing for no less than the entire human family. Not an easy transition, with pain as well as promise. Isaac was ultimately spared, along with his progeny, on the altar of the then-practiced pagan custom of child sacrifices, because his father dared embrace—in spite of his background and not without divine intervention—the precious, yet precarious gift of life. The members of our first family of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Isaac, and Ishmael proved to be complex individuals with opposing agendas. Their very touching humanity reflects the revolutionary and courageous approach of our sacred literature to be faithful to reality’s truth. But the flawed humaneness of our heroes, as well as our own, becomes a noble opportunity and a caring invitation to discover the divine potential within them, and us, to grow and change and mature. God’s fulfilled offer was that all the members of Abraham’s fractured family facing the threat of fratricide would be blessed, each in a distinct and unique way with restored dignity and hope while tragically with lasting and troubling historical consequences. This conflicted foundational legacy remains our covenantal Jewish bond and awesome human challenge to turn violence into vision, hurt into healing, adversity into advantage, trial into triumph, and blemishes into blessings. —Dr. Israel Zoberman, founding rabbi of Congregation Beth Chaverim

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Nation

Israeli intelligence reportedly discovered Russian hack into US classified documents

sraeli intelligence discovered that Russian hackers were using antivirus software to steal classified information from the United States, the New York Times reported. The antivirus software is made by a Russian company, Kaspersky Lab, that is used by 400 million people worldwide, including officials at about two dozen American government agencies. The discovery led the Department of Homeland Security last month to order all federal executive branch agencies to stop using Kaspersky products, giving agencies 90 days to remove the software. Classified documents reportedly were stolen from a National Security Agency employee who had improperly stored them on his home computer, which used Kaspersky antivirus software. It is not known what other information was gleaned by the Russian operation, according to the Times. The Wall Street Journal reported that Russian hackers had stolen classified materials from a contractor using the Kaspersky software on his home computer. But the role of Israeli intelligence in discovering the hack and the Russian hackers’ use of Kaspersky software in a larger search for American classified information were not previously reported, according to the Times. The Times reported that the National Security Agency, the White House, the Israeli Embassy, and the Russian Embassy would not comment for its story. Kaspersky Lab denied any knowledge of or involvement in the Russian hacking. The intelligence came from Israel’s 2014 hack into Kaspersky’s corporate systems, which was discovered by the company a year later and publicly reported, though it did not name Israel as the culprit. The company’s report did state, however, that the program was similar to the Duqu virus, which allows the

hacker to eavesdrop on conversations and steal electronic files. Duqu was attributed to the inventors of Stuxnet, the computer worm that set back Iran’s nuclear program by several months or years by affecting some of its computer systems and centrifuges used to enrich uranium after it was released in 2010. Stuxnet was reported to be a joint project of Israel and the United States.

The role of Israeli intelligence in discovering the hack and the Russian hackers’ use of Kaspersky software in a larger search for American classified information were not previously reported.

The Times reported that Israeli intelligence officers told the NSA that they uncovered evidence that the Russian government hackers were using the access to U.S. officials’ computers through the Kaspersky antivirus software to search for American government classified programs and providing any information to Russian intelligence. Israeli intelligence gave the NSA evidence including screenshots and other documentation, the newspaper reported, citing unnamed sources. (JTA)

Global surges of anti-Semitism

Students from all-girls Catholic school post photos of Jews vs. Nazis beer pong

tudents from an all-girls Catholic high school in Kansas City will not be expelled after photos of them playing Jews vs. Nazis beer pong appeared on social media. Alumni and parents from St. Teresa’s Academy called for the teens to be expelled for the off-campus incident, which did not take place during school hours. The photos on Snapchat and other social media show the girls standing in front of a table pouring beer into cups arranged in the shape of a swastika with the caption “Girls night,” the Kansas City Star reported. St. Teresa’s told the Star that it had conducted an internal investigation and

determined that the students had been drinking underage. The school confirmed that it had disciplined the students but did not disclose how. “Unfortunately, as with high schools all across the country, we deal with underage drinking on a regular basis,” the school’s president, Nan Bone, wrote in a post on the school’s Facebook page. Bone said that the school and its administration “condemn discrimination of any kind.” In August, a student from a private school in Atlanta was expelled and four others suspended after they posted a photo showing them playing the Jews vs. Nazis beer pong game. (JTA)

KKK drops anti-Semitic fliers in Florida neighborhoods to recruit members

he Ku Klux Klan dropped anti-Semitic and racist fliers in Jacksonville, Florida neighborhoods in a recruiting pitch. The fliers contain a phone number linked to a recording that attempts to recruit members. One flier reads: “He who fights the Jew fights the Devil,” citing the Nazi

children’s book publisher Julius Streicher, and shows a good Jew as one with a bullet in his forehead. Another says “Smash Jew Communism.” The racist fliers threaten AfricanAmericans who are caught “making eyes” at white women. (JTA)

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Anthony Scaramucci Twitter account asks how many Jews were killed in the Holocaust WASHINGTON (JTA)— A Twitter account associated with Anthony Scaramucci, the colorful figure who was briefly President Donald Trump’s communications director, withdrew and apologized for a tweet surveying how many Jews people believed were killed in the Holocaust. “This poll was put up by @lancelaifer without consulting @Scaramucci who is traveling in London,” the Scaramucci Post account said Tuesday, Oct. 17 with a screen capture of the offending tweet. “The poll has been taken down.” The original tweet asked, “How many Jews were killed in the Holocaust?” and offered multiple choices: “Less than one million, between 1–2 million, between 2–3 million, more than 5 million.” The historical figure, 6 million, was not offered.

The screen capture showed that within an hour of posting, 4,776 people had responded, with 68 percent answering more than 5 million, 21 percent saying less than 1 million and the rest split between the other two options. Two tweets followed: “This is @ lancelaifer and I apologize if anyone was offended by the Holocaust poll,” one said. Another said, “The intent of the poll was to highlight ignorance of the basic facts of the Holocaust. I take full responsibility for it.” The original tweet drew widespread outrage. “What the actual f— is this, @ Scaramucci?” tweeted CNN anchor Jake Tapper, who is Jewish. Laifer, has founded several capital management firms, as has Scaramucci.

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Lee and Bernard* Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival offers something for everyone in November

Next Gen Judaism, a Jewpanese Love Story, Essential Israel, Jewish Heritage, and Yiddish Stories Wednesday, November 1–Monday, November 20

uthors from around the nation are headed to Tidewater for the annual celebration of Jewish writers, books, and ideas, otherwise known as the Simon Family JCC’s Lee and Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival. The two-week-long festival offers an opportunity to engage with talented Israeli, Jewish, and non-Jewish authors about their latest books, as well as a chance to peruse the latest titles making the top Jewish booklists. The Simon Family JCC, as a member of the Jewish Book Council, a group that supports more than 120 member organizations across North America, including JCCs, synagogues, Hillels, Jewish Federations, and cultural centers—gives more than 250 authors a platform for sharing their books each year. The program connects authors with their readers and promotes Jewish culture through Jewish book events. More than 100 different books by prominent and emerging authors will be featured in a popup bookstore in the Simon Family JCC’s Cardo. Works from the genres of fiction, memoir, young adult, self-help, and children—all with a focus on one of the many aspects of Jewish and Israeli life—will be available for sale. From a celebrated mindfulness expert to the stories of the Forward, the 2017 festival will highlight a wide range of authors with regards to age, background, and experience.

8 | Jewish News | October 23, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

Next Generation Judaism Rabbi Mike Uram Sunday, November 5, 5 pm

the semi-fictional multi-cultural love story of German-Jewish Levi Strauss, who traveled to California to start a new life during the Gold Rush, and another immigrant, a young woman from Japan named Aya. In partnership with PJ Library. Dinner included. Tickets: Children-$8/$6 JCC member; Adult-$11/$9 JCC member; Family $32/$25 JCC member.

Adam’s Animals

abbi Mike Uram, director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Hillel, kicks off this year’s estival with an in-depth look at ways young people are reinventing Jewish community, Jewish prayer, Jewish service, and Jewish learning. Next Generation Judaism, a 2016 National Jewish Book Award winner, is “…for any leader who feels stuck, who knows that the world is changing faster than the organization can change, and is asking how to keep up,” says Rabbi Uram. “Each chapter is a practical tool to help leaders think differently and act differently.” Babysitting available with pre-registration.

Levi and Aya

Shoshana Banana Wednesday, November 8, 5:30 pm

Rabbi Barry Schwartz Sunday, November 12, 10:30 am Congregation Beth El

ith lush illustrations, this fun read-aloud book tells the story of creation, as told in the first chapter of Genesis. Adam’s Animals focuses on Adam’s task—naming the animals. An array of fascinating, and perhaps unfamiliar, animals are presented in alphabetical order, a menagerie of fantastical, but real beasts. Adam gives a name to every animal from the aardvark and the aardwolf to the bandicoot and the bondo, and all the way to the zebra and the zebu, but he is at a loss for words when he meets someone who looks a lot like him...only a bit different. In partnership with PJ Library.

uthor Shoshana Banana will lead children and parents in a denim decorating craft adventure following a reading of her book, Levi and Aya. For young readers, the book explores

Have I Got a Story for You Ezra Glinter Sunday, November 12, 1-5 pm

Essential Israel, which examines a wide variety of complex issues and current concerns in historical and contemporary contexts to provide readers an intimate sense of the dynamic society and culture that is Israel today. This unique and innovative collection offers solid background on Israel’s history, politics, culture, and possibilities for the future.

On the Sickle’s Edge

Neville Frankel Sunday, November 19, 10:30 am Ohef Sholom Temple

Part of the CRC, Simon Family JCC, and community partners’ Israel Today series. Babysitting available with pre-registration.

Hot Mess to Mindful Mom

ccording to Kirkus Reviews, Have I Got a Story for You “…is a crucial act of preservation: by archiving and translating into English this wealth of fiction, Glinter has helped to ensure the legacy of the Forward and its many brilliant contributors.” The Forward’s critic-at-large, Ezra Glinter leads readers through tales of wartime novellas, avantgarde fiction, and satirical sketches about immigrant life in New York featured during the Forward’s 120year history. Glinter’s visit is in conjunction with Tidewater Limmud. $18 for Tidewater Limmud. (See page 32.) Babysitting available with pre-registration.

Essential Israel

Rachel Fish Tuesday, November 14, 7:30 pm

any Americans are ill prepared to engage thoughtfully in the increasingly serious debate about Israel, its place in the Middle East, and its relations with the United States. Rachel Fish, co-editor, leads a discussion on her book,

Ali Katz Wednesday, November 15, 11 am

ack in Tidewater by popular demand, Neville Frankel brings his newest novel inspired by his personal family history. On The Sickle’s Edge is a multi-generational Jewish family saga, told through the voices of three compelling characters: a novel of assimilation, resilience, and cultural identity. Part historical fiction, part political thriller, and part love story, it is steeped in Russian history and Jewish heritage. “Neville Frankel’s ability to combine historical insight and human passion is spellbinding,” says author Pamela Katz.

uthor of Hot Mess to Mindful Mom and meditation expert, Ali Katz shares how to deal with stress in one minute or less with small and simple tweaks. With humor, grace, and an extremely relatable manner, Katz provides the tools to return to center and balance with simple, accessible, and research-based tools. She also explains how she incorporates these tools in her own life, leaving anxiety and tension behind in favor of calm and peace.

Sponsored by Lawrence Steingold with brunch sponsored by Sharon and Bill Nusbaum.

As Kelley Beckham of ModernMom says, “I truly believe she gave me valuable information and techniques I can use to grow deeper and become a little bit better each and every day.”

All events are free, open to the community, and take place at the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus, unless otherwise noted.

In partnership with Jewish Family Service. Lunch included. Tickets: $12/$8 JCC member.

The Lee & Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival is presented in partnership with Jewish Book Council. Visit SimonFamilyJCC.org/BookFestival for event details or to RSVP (required) or contact Erin Dougherty, director of cultural arts, at edougherty@ simonfamilyjcc.org or 757-321-2341.

Babysitting available with pre-registration.

The Lee & Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival offers a chance for the Jewish community to explore the world of Jewish literature. Join in the conversation by attending an event with the authors or by spending time exploring the many titles for sale at the Simon Family JCC.

*of blessed memory

jewishnewsva.org | October 23, 2017 | Jewish News | 9

tidewater

United Jewish Federation of Tidewater celebrates the new Campaign year and Israel @70 Community Relations Council’s 7th annual Israel Today series also begins

he kickoff of the 2018 Annual Campaign of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater was held Tuesday, Sept. 12 on the Sandler Family Campus. Leaders from synagogues, Jewish agencies, and the UJFT board of directors attended, as well as cabinet members, solicitors, and community supporters. The evening began with a festive cocktail hour where guests toasted past campaign achievements and discussed their excitement for the coming year. In his opening remarks, John Strelitz, board president, reflected on the role that Federation plays and the impact that it has locally and around the world, including the life-saving aid Federation provides through its overseas partners— the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI). Through the dollars generated by its annual campaign, the Federation feeds hungry elderly in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union; ensures that Jewish teens have access to Jewish summer camp and Jewish education programs; and that Jews living under threat (anywhere in the world) have the chance to make Aliyah to safety in Israel. At home the Federation’s campaign funds the local Jewish agencies that make Tidewater’s community the strong,

vibrant, and caring community that it is. It provides JCC summer camp scholarships for families who require assistance; social programs for the community’s seniors; counseling and home health services on a sliding fee scale for those seeking assistance from Jewish Family Service; and access to Jewish education for the youngest to the oldest members of the community. In addition to the regular role of the campaign, it also provides emergency assistance to those, Jewish and non-Jewish, impacted by natural disasters—most recently, support for victims of hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Strelitz closed his remarks with a call to action, encouraging all in the room, and the community-at-large, to get involved with the campaign—to give and to ask others. Next to the podium, Laura Gross, chair of the Campaign, provided a detailed recount of the 2017 campaign, acknowledging that several factors contributed to a down campaign last year. She noted the impact the decreased giving has, saying, “a down campaign means [an] inability to meet the needs of frail, elderly Jews in the former Soviet Union…or to meet the growing needs of emerging young Jewish leaders who are seeking the training that will enable them to strengthen their Jewish communities…or to meet

Israel Today The Israel Today series is brought to this community by the community, and offers points of connection for everyone—whether through Israeli art, music, politics, education, or any other way that resonates. The Community Relation Council’s 7th annual Israel Today series is in partnership with the Simon Family JCC and all of Tidewater’s synagogues, Jewish agencies, and organizations. The CRC has also partnered with all five of Tidewater’s Higher Education Institutions—Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University, Virginia Wesleyan University, Regent University, and Tidewater Community College, as well as national agency partners including AIPAC, the American Jewish Committee, ADL, Jewish National Fund, and the Friends of the IDF.

10 | Jewish News | October 23, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

the needs of Hillels on the campuses of colleges and universities around the Commonwealth who are dealing with issues of growing anti-Israel and anti-Semitic sentiment. Finally, it means an inability to fully meet the requests of our local agencies.” Gross stressed the importance of turning the campaign around and David Hazony and Scott Kaplan. expressed her own Society members—young donors giving excitement for the 2018 campaign. She $1,000+ to the annual campaign, and to highlighted the additional importance of reach out to young Jewish adults living on long-term support for the community the periphery of the Jewish community, through the Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s “to simply ask them to participate…to tell Life and Legacy program, encouraging all them that they have value.” Rubin’s hope to explore the possibility of leaving a is that they will ultimately become an legacy. integral part of the community. Gross then spoke on a very personal Rubin then introduced the evening’s level about her daughter Rachel now living guest speaker, who also happened to be in Israel, and about her own new apprecithe first speaker for UJFT Community ation for the pressures and joys that take Relations Council’s 7th annual Israel Today place each day in the Jewish state. Gross speaker series, David Hazony, executive shared her enthusiasm for Israel turning director of The Israel Innovation Fund, 70 and for the celebrations which will take former managing director of The Israel place throughout the year in honor of that Project, and editor of its magazine, the milestone. Tower. Danny Rubin, this year’s Young In his discussion, Hazony talked Leadership Campaign (YLC) chair, about the shift in Jewish identity taking brought his own youthful enthusiasm shape among American Jews today and to the stage. Rubin talked about having the importance of intergenerational Jewish grown up in this Jewish community, unity. “Jewish identity has evolved to benefiting from the various agencies that where people don’t really know what the define it, and now finding himself not answers are,” he said. “We need to get just a son, but a husband and father-and to the core of what it really means to a leader in the community. Rubin brought be Jewish.” A lively Q and A followed greetings from the YLC and noted that he Hazony’s remarks, touching on the various and the Cabinet were eager to start the ways that American Jews express Zionism; campaign season. Their goals for the year the different values of young people under are: to grow the number of Ben Gurion

tidewater

Ed Karotkin, Ron Spindel, Linda Spindel, Betsy Karotkin, and Bobby Copeland.

Greg and Ashley Zittrain.

30 and how to “meet them where they are,” as well as the imperative of instilling Jewish pride in the next generation. Janet Mercadante, Women’s Cabinet Campaign chair, closed the evening by reiterating the importance of Campaign, reminding the community to answer the phone when their solicitors call. “As we power-up the 2018 Campaign and a Year of Celebrating Israel,” said Mercadante, “I hope that you, too, will be inspired. I hope you will jump at the chance to meet with your Federation solicitor when he or she calls to set up a lunch or a coffee date. I Babbi Bangel and Ronnie Cohen. hope you will say “Hineni!”—Here I am! when one of our community professionals call asking for your help with the campaign. I hope you will share you passion for community.” Mercadante closed by wishing all a “Happy, Healthy New Year with blessings of every kind.”

Rick Mercadante, Janet Mercadante, Amy Zelenka, and Marcia Samuels.

Rabbi Jeff Arnowitz and John Strelitz.

Ron Kramer, Bobby Copeland, John Strelitz and Harry Graber.

Amy and Kirk Levy.

Bern Glasser, Andrea Karelitz, Eliot Weinstein, Shawn Lemke, Ashley Lemke, Danny Rubin, Alex Gottschalk, and Rabbi Levi Brashevitzky.

jewishnewsva.org | October 23, 2017 | Jewish News | 11

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Kosher winery partially reopens as Northern California wildfires still burn

agafen Cellars, the only kosher winery in the Napa Valley and Sonoma, partially opened after sustaining heavy damage in the wildfires raging throughout Northern California. The winery’s tasting room reopened last week. Several buildings and virtually all of the winery’s agricultural equipment were destroyed in the fire. And while one of the winery’s 12 acres of vineyards was burned, the grapes already had been harvested. The inventory remained intact. Most of the hundreds of wineries in the region were forced to close in the first days of the fires. There have been at least 41 deaths reported from the area’s wildfires and more than 80 people remain missing. The fires have burned over 217,000 acres and

destroyed more than 5,700 homes and other structures. Damage estimates have topped $3 billion. The Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, The Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties reported that as of Oct. 16, the nine synagogues in the path of the fires were unharmed, as was the JCC of Sonoma County. Two members of the Jewish community are confirmed dead, including a past president of Congregation Shomrei Torah in Santa Rosa. Twenty-six families at one Santa Rosa synagogue and seven families at another synagogue are known to have lost their homes. Synagogues are helping provide the families with meals. The Israeli humanitarian group IsraAid providing supplies and grief counseling, according to the federation. (JTA)

Officials spot ‘miracles’ amid ashes of Jewish camp in Northern California SAN FRANCISCO (J. The Jewish News of Northern California via JTA)— Administrators of a Jewish summer camp destroyed by a wildfire in Northern California toured the site for the first time, finding “miracles” amid the devastation. Although most of Camp Newman’s buildings were lost in the North Bay Area wildfires, camp officials said an entrance gate, prayer books and prayer shawls survived the flames, along with an iconic wooden Star of David that overlooks the Union for Reform Judaism camp from a rocky perch. The camp’s executive director, Ruben Arquilevich, and other camp officials visited the fire-ravaged site for the first time on Friday, Oct. 13 and were shocked by the scene even before they arrived. Arquilevich said the road to the camp had featured “scenery filled with blue skies and green trees and grass, and the first part has always been a neighborhood with a couple of hundred homes.” “But as we drove through that neighborhood, all we saw were homes burned to the ground.” Arquilevich’s spirits were raised, however, when he saw that the giant gate to

the camp, inscribed with the words “May you be blessed as you go on your way,” was standing. He was further relieved when the visitors found that a pair of Torah arks created by former camp artist-in-residence Helen Burke had survived. One had been dubbed the “Little Ambassador.” The group made the 15-minute hike to the 6-foot Star of David, at which campers traditionally scream “I love being Jewish!” The wooden symbol was completely untouched, surrounded by hundreds of yards of blackened brush. The bimah of an amphitheater was heavily damaged, and all the nearby sheds were charred—“except for this one shed that contains our sacred texts and our prayer books and the tallitot,” Arquilevich said. “It was completely intact,” he said. “We all just about broke into tears there because the tallitot were safe. That was just another miracle and just so moving.” Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, which owns and runs the 480-acre camp east of Santa Rosa said officials are determined to hold camp in 2018. About 1,400 children attend Camp Newman each summer.

Mazel Tov Supplement to Jewish News October 23, 2017

Mazel Tov

Traveling for memorable experiences Terri Denison

our separate studies from Cornell University indicate that the secret to happiness is to spend money on experiences, not things. In fact, according to an article in Forbes, research at San Francisco State University found “people who spent money on experiences rather than material items were happier and felt the money was better spent. The thrill of purchasing things fades quickly, but the

joy and memories of experiences, from epic adventures to minute encounters, can last a lifetime.” It stands to reason then, that celebrating a milestone with a trip—with family, friends, or as some choose, solo—has been gaining in popularity for years. Destination weddings, b’nai mitzvah, birthday, and anniversary celebrations are not so unusual anymore. And, then there are those who travel to immerse themselves in a completely

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Mazel Tov unfamiliar place. For these curious explorers, Andrew Nusbaum, founder of Nuz Travel, is ready with a trip that will yield incredible lasting memories of oncein-a-lifetime experiences. Nusbaum’s travel bug began in 2006 when he spent several weeks in Peru volunteering at an orphanage. Then, in 2009, he went to India on an Operation Smile mission. Ultimately, he spent one year there, working with the Tidewater-based non-profit. His affection for the country and its people grew and he found himself returning year after year. Wanting to share India with his then girlfriend, Nusbaum arranged a trip that focused not only on the country’s sites and culinary delights, but also on “keeping her safe, healthy, and happy,” he says. The trip was terrific, even though the relationship didn’t last, he notes with a wry smile. “I got the idea of doing this with others,” says Nusbaum, and so, a business was born. With less than 10 people per trip, Nuz Travel emphasizes “connecting people through fun and meaningful experiences.” As such, each trip is tailor-made. “As the group forms, we incorporate the desires and preferences of the participants. The trip, then, becomes more of a visit than a tour,” says Nusbaum. “We have a lot of conversation before someone registers.

Travelers really should have an adventurous mindset. “Nuz Travel provides a trip that’s completely different because it is experience-based,” says Nusbaum. “For example, we have some dinners in people’s homes,” he says, integrating the travelers into the actual culture of the country, not just at tourist attractions. Of course, trips also hit the more famous highlights, such as the Taj Mahal and Goa (the beach) in India. “Ultimately, it feels like we’re traveling like a family,” says Nusbaum. The “we” is because Nusbaum leads each trip. Guides are hired for portions of the journey, and other times some of Nusbaum’s friends in the country of travel serve as hosts. Currently, Nuz Travel focuses on two destinations: India and Peru—both personal favorites of Nusbaum. Everything is included in the trip’s fare—air, tours, admissions, meals, gratuities, and accommodations, which tend to be in luxury hotels. A portion of the fee (which varies, but ranges between $6,300 and $6,800, per person) in India goes to support a school, and in Peru, that same amount goes to support an orphanage. It shouldn’t be a surprise that Nuz Travel is committed to charitable contributions. After all, Nusbaum has volunteered on more than 10 Operation

Travelers at Goa, a state in western India within the coastal region, known for beaches, sand, and spirituality.

Smile missions, served on the Simon Family JCC board and currently works with Tallwood High School’s Israel exchange program for the school’s Global Studies Program. A life-long Ohef Sholom Temple member, he helps out there, too. And, of course, he continues to work at

S. L. Nusbaum where he concentrates on new acquisitions. “I’m just passionate about getting people to travel the world,” Nusbaum says. “We make India and Peru stress free,” he says. Everything is vetted, including the food.

MEDITERRANEAN SALAD The Nuz Travel itinerary took the group to Elephanta Island in Mumbai Harbour, east of Mumbai, India.

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

jewishnewsva.org | October 23, 2017 | Mazel Tov | Jewish News | 15

Mazel Tov

Talk about memorable proposals…

Stephanie Guld accepts Max Wagner’s proposal after skydiving in Suffolk, Va.

Terri Denison

This is the end of the story Max Wagner popped the big question to Stephanie Guld after popping out of a plane. Yes, after skydiving! Spoiler alert: She said yes.

Backing up to the BBYO beginning Stephanie grew up in Richmond, Va. where, when she was 15 years old and a member of Cohen BBG, she met a guy, Max, also 15, from Virginia Beach. He was a member of Old Dominion AZA. They were friends, BBYO buddies, who spent some time together at Virginia Council events. Stephanie concentrated most of her extra hours as a teen on competitive dance teams, however, so they didn’t see each other that often.

The Social Media connection

Eight years later, the two re-connected on social media. He was back in Virginia Beach; she was working in the

16 | Jewish News | Mazel Tov | October 23, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

fashion industry in New York City. They messaged, then texted, then spoke on the phone, and FaceTimed. Max decided it was time to meet in person, so he asked Stephanie if he could fly to New York City to take her on a proper date. She agreed. Max booked a flight a month in advance. Two weeks later, he asked if he could come earlier, on February 13. She responded, “Are you making me your Valentine?” Two weeks after that first date, he returned to NYC on the original flight.

The move

For most young professionals, it’s not easy to leave Manhattan. “I love New York with all my heart,” Stephanie admits, but then quickly adds, “But I love Max more.” Since Max is in his second year of medical school at EVMS and unable to relocate, Stephanie packed up and moved. Fortunately, Stephanie was able to transfer her marketing skills from the fashion world to the position of

director of sales and marketing for Jody’s Popcorn. “My parents moved from Richmond to Raleigh, Max’s family is here, and this is a better quality of life. Now, I get to spend time with people I love!” she literally exclaims.

The surprise date

“Stephanie would always bring up the idea of skydiving,” says Max. “I, on the other hand, have never been keen to the idea of skydiving.” Still, he made plans. On Labor Day weekend, Max, 25, told Stephanie, also 25, they were going on a surprise date, so she dressed for a Sunday bunch. He, however, packed a bag with the outfit he knew she’d need. “I thought, ‘Go big, or go home’ with the proposal, and I really wanted to catch her off guard, so I took her to Skydive Suffolk,” says Max. Hoping for the best, he purchased the package that included photos and videos.

Mazel Tov “I was so excited that this was what we were doing,” recalls Stephanie, that she suspected nothing more. “I figured I would get engaged or die trying,” says Max, and so they went up 15,000 feet, two miles above the clouds. And, then, he jumped. Once on the ground, he waited for Stephanie to arrive. “That seemed to take forever,” he recalls. With ring in hand, Max ran to where Stephanie was landing, and as soon as she was on firm ground, he dropped to a knee and asked her, “Do you want to be with me forever?”

Already a family affair In the midst of her acceptance and jubilance, Stephanie asked Max if her mom knew what was happening, as she had tried for years to talk her daughter out of

the idea of jumping out of a plane. At that point, their four parents, Natalie and Michael Guld and Jody and Alan Wagner, along with three close friends, appeared. “This was the best day of my life thus far!” Stephanie states with absolute clarity.

Two takes on the jump “I loved it. It was so cool.…an awesome experience. I would do it again!” says Stephanie. How about Max? “Nope.”

The next beginning of Stephanie and Max’s story The couple plans for a wedding in December 2018. Wagner promises the event will be grounded…with no skydiving skills required.

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jewishnewsva.org | October 23, 2017 | Mazel Tov | Jewish News | 17

Mazel Tov

Planning a Bar or Bat Mitzvah? It’s a perfect time to join the B’nai Tzedek Teen Philanthropy Program the Jewish community locally, in Israel, and around the world and decide where to send their 5% each year. he Tidewater Jewish Foundation has Parents, grandparents, friends, and a special program for teens—parrelatives who know of a young person ticularly for those celebrating their bar or about to become a bar or bat mitzvah bat mitzvah. are requested by TJF to convey the The B’nai Tzedek Teen Philanthropy information about this program to these Program encourages teens to become students. Some b’nai mitzvah students involved in tzedakah by establishing their may even request that donations be made own fund for charitable giving—proto their fund in their honor. This is a viding teens a chance to play a part in great opportunity to help make a special improving the community and the world. occasion even more meaningful. How it works B’n a i Tzedek The teen donates at least empowers teens to take $250 to the Tidewater ownership of their own Jewish Foundation (TJF) philanthropy, and hopeto establish a fund in his Tidewater Jewish fully encourages them to or her name. TJF will Foundation become philanthropists match that gift with will match for life. another $250 for a starta gift of $250 ing fund balance of at to begin a fund. For information on how least $500. Each year, to participate in the B’nai fund holders can grant Tzedek Teen Philanthropy 5% of their fund to a Program, contact Barb Gelb Jewish charity of their at 757-965-6105 or bgelb@ choice. Participants can ujft.org. learn about the needs of Barb Gelb

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Mazel Tov BSV nurse wins statewide award

obin Gordon has been named the 2017 Director of Nursing of the Year by the Virginia Health Care Association-Virginia Center for Assisted Living (VHCA-VCAL). This award recognizes an individual who demonstrates clinical expertise and leadership in providing quality long-term care in the Commonwealth. Director of Nursing at The Terrace at Beth Sholom Village, Gordon’s clinical leadership and knowledge of assisted living standards has helped BSV consistently attain above average survey results, including a recent three-year license following a zero deficiency survey in 2015, and only one non-nursing deficiency in 2016. Her approach to training and resident and family engagement endear her to all at The Terrace. David Abraham, chief executive officer of Beth Sholom Village, says, “We are extremely proud of the award Robin has received. We already knew she was deserving of this honor because her work reflects it daily. The residents enjoy working with her and family members have come to count on her guiding the nursing staff to provide outstanding care. This award makes it official.” “Robin demonstrates professionalism and dedication with the staff, residents, and families through her positive attitude,

respect, and kind and caring attitude. No issue or problem is too big for her to handle,” notes Lisa A. Cohen, president of Beth Sholom Terrace board of directors. Gordon joined Beth Sholom Village in 2008. She takes the Robin Gordon time to get to know residents’ likes, dislikes, and medical needs. They consider her a “go to person” when an issue arises that needs management’s attention. She also plans regular in-service training events, guided the implementation of a new employee appreciation program, and helps families navigate difficult decisions about using hospice and palliative care when the time is right. Gordon is active in community organizations including the Alzheimer’s Association. She currently serves VHCA-VCAL as the Tidewater District director and chair of the VCAL committee. She was recognized at the annual VHCA-VCAL Awards Banquet, held this year in Richmond, on September 13.

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TEL AVIV (JTA)—In this tiny country, there are only so many places to have a wedding. Or so you would think. But a growing number of Israelis are creating one-of-a-kind outdoor weddings from the ground up. In some cases, they even start with the ground. “We brought in bulldozers for one couple,” says Ori Fuks, an Israeli wedding producer. “They wanted to get married on an avocado farm, so we built them a parking lot.” “Nature weddings,” as they are sometimes called, are an increasingly popular option for young Israeli couples seeking unique nuptials. In recent years, an industry has emerged around the bespoke outdoor events, offering an alternative to the traditional wedding hall blowout. Shani Maaman, a 31-year-old hightech worker from Jerusalem, and her husband-to-be, Ran, were determined to do their wedding themselves. With the help of Israeli wedding blogs and Facebook groups, they spent months planning and preparing a wedding they felt reflected who they are. Unlike some couples, Maaman and her fiance did not start from zero. Instead they converted a biblical tourism center, called Genesis World, into a bohemian desert getaway with Bedouin-style tents and cushions, billowing macramé decorations and a caravan of camels on hand. A DJ played world music-inspired beats late into the night. “Nature weddings have become common, but I know that our wedding was very, very special,” Maaman says. “The nice thing about the place was that because it’s not for weddings, it doesn’t feel commercialized. They don’t charge you for every little extra. If you want another area to chill out, they give it to you no problem.”

Fuks says many young Israelis have become dissatisfied with the “copy and paste” approach of wedding halls, which they see as inauthentic. Having grown up working in two such venues owned

$40,000 average cost of nature wedding.

by his family, in 2009 he started his own company called Bloom, which specializes in nature weddings at sites with little to no infrastructure. “Young Israelis want their wedding to be their own,” he says. “They want to feel like they’re hosting you in their own home. That’s why we come and say, anything you want, we can create it.” Fuks lets couples customize nearly every aspect of their wedding, starting with the location. In addition to the avocado farm, he uses forests, deserts, vineyards and fields. Last year he threw a wedding in a pallet factory. He works with suppliers to bring in the desired amenities, like generators for electricity, a kitchen and bar, a sound system, lighting, restrooms, tents, and flowers. Immediately after the event, everything is dismantled. No infrastructure can stay in place, Fuks says, because he rents the properties from private owners and may or may not have the required permits. Fortunately, he says, he has never had a wedding shut down. Fuks says business has grown steadily

Mazel Tov over the years to about 30 weddings a year, mostly in the relatively sunny months between March and October. At the same time, he says he has seen his competitors in the nature wedding industry proliferate, from just a couple eight years ago to as many as 10 experienced competitors and countless upstarts today. A saleswoman at one of Israel’s poshest wedding halls says the growing popularity of nature weddings has not cut into her clientele. But speaking on condition of anonymity to protect her job, she says she expects that to change in the near future. Among her Tel Aviv friends, she says, wedding halls are already out of style. “People want their wedding to make them feel special,” she says. “But this industry is all about money. You spend money you don’t have, and we make money. In a couple years, everyone will be planning their own weddings.” However, nature weddings are not necessarily less expensive. Fuks says his average wedding costs about $40,000, which is at the high end of the national average, according to a 2015 survey. Maaman’s $25,000 wedding is at the low end. Lira Wieman, the owner of LW Events, says nature weddings are nothing new for her clients, who include Israel’s rich and famous. Nearly three-quarters of the weddings she does are in nature, she says. In May, she produced a high-profile desert wedding for model Shlomit Malka and

actor Yehuda Levy. “They wanted a Burning Man-style event,” Wieman says, referring to the American countercultural festival. “It was crazy—three days on an isolated ranch with a 24-hour DJ party.” To some extent, Maaman’s wedding—which was also Burning Man inspired—was countercultural, too. Like a growing number of Israelis, she and her husband eschewed the Chief Rabbinate, the Orthodox authority that controls Jewish marriage in Israel. They opted for a secular humanist rabbi, and because only an Orthodox rabbi can perform a wedding in Israel, they have yet to be officially married. Maaman says they plan to eventually marry abroad and have the union recognized by Israel’s secular bureaucracy, or to enter a common law marriage—two increasingly popular options. She says their motivation for not going through the Chief Rabbinate was more personal than principled. They wanted to do the wedding on a date that is forbidden by Jewish law and, more important, to have an egalitarian ceremony. Under the macrame huppah, Maaman joined her husband in the traditional concluding ritual of breaking a glass in memory of the destruction of Jerusalem. “We’re not like ‘anti’ people,” she says. “What guided us was making it our wedding, fit to us. We did what we needed to do.”

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(Kveller via JTA)—I took a poll of my friends when I was pregnant. We run in an observant crowd in Manhattan, and most of our friends have the kinds of names you’d find multiple times over at your Jewish summer camp: Adams and Davids, Elianas and Yaels. My husband and I both have normal “American” names, so I asked them, “Did you mind having a ‘Jewy’ name? As a doctor/lawyer/whatever the heck you are now, working in a secular world, do you wish you had changed it?” Most of them said yes. They minded. They wished they could change it. Some of them already had. Yaakovs went by Jacob at work, Rivkas had called themselves Becca at school. They were planning to give their kids normal, English names, so their progeny could actually tell their names to the Starbucks baristas without subsequently spelling them out. But I did it anyway. My son, Yonatan Chaim, was named for his two paternal great-grandfathers, Yosef and Chaim. Still, we hedged our bets: On his birth certificate, we wrote Jonathan, encouraged by our friends who told us that they were glad to have “American” versions of their names to fall back on. At the hospital, the postpartum nurse asked us what we were going to name him. “Well, we can’t really tell you because we’re Jewish, so we aren’t announcing it until the bris.” “It’s OK,” she replied. “I won’t ruin the surprise, and it’s not like you really know me anyway. So just tell me!” So we told her (after making her promise to pretend like we hadn’t if our parents asked). She looked at us, confused. “Interesting. Yoh-nee?” I cringed. The cringing continued. I joined a new mom group, where the leader insisted on calling my child “Yawnee” every Tuesday. My boss said he was going to buy me one

of those cute colorful name stools as a baby gift, and asked what he should write on it. He gave me a weird look when I answered. I started trying to change my answer based on how I gauged my audience. The cab driver inquired about the baby’s name? “Jonathan.” The receptionist at the pediatrician when I was checking him in? “Jonathan.” But when my friend’s grandma asked me the baby’s name at shul, I proudly answered, “He’s Yoni.” She exclaimed, “That’s my nephew’s name!” When I told my Israeli friend the name we had chosen, she responded, “Great choice! It’s one of my favorite names.” At moments like these, I remembered why we had chosen the name in the first place. I had asked my husband nine months earlier, why shouldn’t our kid’s name be Jewish if everything else in our lives was? For our family, Judaism is our defining factor. Our friends, our choice of neighborhood, our meals, our weekend activities, even my husband’s profession —they are all deeply intertwined with our Judaism. We are part of a tribe, and our membership is all-encompassing. Shouldn’t our child be named to match? We’re into parenthood now. He received more than a few personalized baby gifts with his name spelled incorrectly. And I haven’t come to terms yet with how I feel about the direction we chose for the name. I’m both proud and embarrassed, excited and awkward. A couple of days ago, a fellow associate at my law firm asked me what I had named my baby. “We call him Yoni,” I told her. “It’s Jonathan in English, but Yonatan in Hebrew, so Yoni for short.” “Cool!” she responded. Progress. Abbie Pappas is a lawyer, rebbetzin and kid/ dog mom living in Manhattan. You can follow her on Instagram at @Stay_At_Work_Mom.

Mazel Tov

Maccabi Transatlantic Cup Golf takes Jeff Flax to England

welve Jewish American golfers went to battle with 12 Jewish British golfers using their clubs—their golf clubs, to be clear. These top amateur golfers played in the 22nd Maccabi Transatlantic Cup Golf Matches Sep. 12 through Sep. 15. Virginia Beach resident, Jeff Flax, was one of 12 golfers from across the United States selected to play on the American team. Held every two years, the matches are sponsored by Maccabi USA and were organized by Jeff Fleishman of Williamsburg and Jay Blumenfeld of New Jersey. This year, the matches were played at the Dyrham Park Country Club in Elstree, England. The “Ryder Cup Format” consisted of 36 holes on each of the

Players and their wives, with Jeff and Mona Flax of Virginia Beach at left.

first two days, wherein the format was four-ball and alternate shot matches, followed by singles matches in the final day. While the rivalry was competitive, the Brits were gracious hosts. At dinners in the evenings, the men and their wives enjoyed discussions about golf, cultural differences and similarities, Judaism, and more golf. The Americans played their best, but the Brits proved to be a bit younger and stronger and took home the coveted trophy earning the mazel tov. In 2019, the matches will be played on this side of the pond, when the Americans hope to bring the cup home, and receive the mazel tov!

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jewishnewsva.org | October 23, 2017 | Mazel Tov | Jewish News | 23

Mazel Tov Our 91st Season

Easy Apple Pie Cookies Recipe Sheri Silver

(The Nosher via JTA)—I never understood the “double crust” pie. I mean, even the flakiest, most tender crust is satisfying enough as a single layer, in my humble opinion. But streusel topping? Now we’re talking. And streusel topping is as much the star as the filling and crust are in these charming, bite-sized apple pie cookies—perfect for Thanksgiving and all of your fall celebrations. After all, how often do you hear Mazel Tov! not followed by, Let’s eat!? This is a foolproof and easy recipe, made even simpler with the use of refrigerated pie crust. But feel free to switch things up. These cookies would be just as delicious with a shortbread, puff pastry, or even crescent roll base—so use whatever you like. The key is to cut the circles slightly larger (about ¼ inch) than

the base of your muffin tin, so that the edges come up a bit and hold the filling in place. Unlike a traditional pie, these keep beautifully for a few days, allowing you to get a jump on your baking. Best of all, they’re a no-mess, no-slice, no-utensil dessert that will add a special touch to your table. And I’m not saying you SHOULD serve these with the tiniest scoops of vanilla ice cream. But I’m not saying you shouldn’t. Sheri Silver writes the Donuts, Dresses and Dirt blog, http://sherisilver. com, where she shares her passions on baking and cooking, gardening and shopping.) The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at www.TheNosher.com.

Apple Pie Cookies

Nov. 3- Nov.26

Ingredients

Directions

For the streusel

Make the streusel

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the

¾ cup flour

streusel ingredients in a bowl, breaking up any large clumps,

¼ cup light brown sugar

and spread onto your baking sheet. Set aside to dry (can be

¼ cup white sugar

made a day ahead; store covered at room temperature).

½ teaspoon cinnamon pinch of kosher salt

Make the filling Combine the filling ingredients in a saucepan and cook over

For the filling 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced

Cook for 5–10 minutes, until the apples are slightly softened.

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Remove from heat, drain the liquid and cool completely (may

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

be made a day ahead; store in the fridge).

juice from one lemon

Preheat oven to 350 F; grease and flour a 12-cup muffin tin or

pinch of kosher salt

Rapture, Blister, Burn Jan. 12, 2018 - Feb. 4

medium heat, stirring until the mixture comes to a simmer.

½ teaspoon cinnamon 1 store-bought refrigerated pie crust, at room temperature

Death of a Salesman March 9, 2018- April 1 A Little Night Music May 18, 2018- June 10 24 | Jewish News | Mazel Tov | October 23, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

line with parchment paper cups. Unroll your pie crust and use a glass or cookie cutter to cut circles that are slightly larger— about ¼ inch—than the base of your muffin cups (I used a 2½-inch cutter). Place the circles in the bottom of each muffin cup, pressing gently along the sides and bottoms. Spoon some apple filling into each crust and top with the streusel. Bake cookies for 20 minutes, or until streusel is golden brown. Cool completely in tins on a wire rack. Serve immediately or store, covered, for up to 3 days.

Mazel Tov Conservative movement doubles down on intermarriage ban, but urges communities to welcome couples NEW YORK (JTA)—The Conservative movement will maintain its ban on rabbis performing interfaith marriages while seeking to welcome couples who are already intermarried, according to a new letter signed by the movement’s four leaders. The letter, published last week and addressed to the centrist movement’s clergy, educators and leaders, follows a summer when a few prominent Conservative rabbis announced that they would begin officiating at intermarriages. It does not represent a change in the movement’s policy or practice of Jewish law. “We affirm the traditional practice of reserving rabbinic officiation to two Jews,” the letter reads, adding that the movement’s leaders “are equally adamant that our clergy and communities go out of their way to create multiple opportunities for deep and caring relationships between the couple and the rabbi, the couple and the community, all in the context of welcome and love that extends well before the moment of the wedding and well beyond it too.” The letter was written by Rabbi Bradley Artson, dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles, and co-signed by Arnold Eisen, the chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary; Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, CEO of the Conservative Rabbinical Seminary; and Rabbi Steven Wernick, CEO of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. Since 2000, more than 70 percent of non-Orthodox Jews have married non-Jewish partners, according to the Pew Research Center’s 2013 study of American Jewry. The other major Jewish denominations in the United States are split on the issue: the Reform movement allows intermarriage and the Orthodox prohibits it. Conservative Judaism aims to maintain fealty to traditional Jewish law while remaining relevant to the modern world. Its rabbis are prohibited from officiating at

or attending intermarriages, but recently the movement has taken steps to welcome intermarried couples both before and after the wedding. This year, the movement’s synagogues voted to allow non-Jews as members. But several of the movement’s rabbis have begun officiating at intermarriages, arguing that the movement has not gone far enough in embracing the spouses of many young Jews. Last December, Rabbi Seymour Rosenbloom of Philadelphia was expelled from the Rabbinical Assembly umbrella group for performing intermarriages. In June, the Conservative-ordained clergy at B’nai Jeshurun, an influential, nondenominational New York synagogue, announced that they would begin performing intermarriages. So did Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie, who heads the experimental congregation Lab/Shul in New York. Conservative leaders responded at the time by reaffirming their opposition to intermarriage while pledging to respect and welcome intermarried couples. “We believe—and the data confirm— that by far the most effective path toward building a Jewish future is to strengthen Jewish identity, beginning with the Jewish family,” read a June statement from the Jewish Theological Seminary. “This is also the path which Torah and tradition command. JTS will in coming months expand our efforts to welcome all families, including those that are interfaith, to explore Judaism together with us.” The letter echoes that language. “We all know that intermarriage is a loving choice people make in an open and accepting society,” Wernick told JTA. “As rabbis and leaders, we also have a commitment to Jewish law and Jewish marriage. How do we create a language that acknowledges both of these realities as well as a commitment to welcome those Jews and families to journey Jewishly on this path?”

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Mazel Tov

Will you marrow me? Boca Raton, Fla.—What wedding gift do you give the couple that doesn’t need anything? In this case the groom, Bill Begal, chairman of the board of Gift of Life Marrow Registry (www.giftoflife.org), and his bride, Kira Epstein, decided that in lieu of a wedding registry, they would make the marrow registry the centerpiece of their wedding festivities. Their wedding date coincided with International Good Deeds Day, a worldwide day of giving to others. Founded in Israel in 2007, this day of service now attracts 1.5 million participants in 75 countries. Begal is the founder and president of Begal Enterprises, a national disaster restoration company based in Rockville, Md., and Epstein is a real estate agent at Washington Fine Properties, Washington,

D.C., named by Real Trends in 2016 as one of “America’s Best Real Estate Agents.” “My fiancé and I never wanted to receive gifts; we always wanted to do something amazing,” says Begal. “There is nothing more amazing than saving someone’s life. Each of us has the power within us to save someone with blood cancer, but the only way you’ll ever get that miraculous chance is by joining the registry so the transplant centers can find you.” While some of the 330 wedding guests were already on the registry, many others opted to take the opportunity to swab their cheeks and join as well. The couple asked friends, family, and business acquaintances to either join the registry and/or donate money to Gift of Life to

sponsor the $60 cost of lab testing each swab kit. To date they have received nearly $32,000 which will process 530 kits for the non-profit, which receives no government funding. The bride and groom’s decision even attracted the media, with a Washington,

patients must rely on public registries to find a donor, but just two percent of the population is currently part of the registry. The more donors who register, the more lives can be saved.

Photograph courtesy of Washington Hebrew Congregation.

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26 | Jewish News | Mazel Tov | October 23, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

D.C. TV news crew arriving to cover their wedding at Washington Hebrew Congregation. Gift of Life was founded when the organization’s CEO and Founder Jay Feinberg needed a donor in the early 1990s to cure leukemia and there was no match for him in the registry. Begal actually flew to Russia to locate the Feinberg family’s ancestral home and test 500 potential donors in the area. “Bill is very passionate about saving lives, even to the point of going halfway around the world to help me,” says Feinberg. “His wedding day is no exception: he wears his passion for Gift of Life on his sleeve.” Marrow registries are needed because family members are only a match about 30 percent of the time. Seventy percent of

Will any of the couple’s wedding guests be called upon to save a life? Through the Begal- Epstein Donor Circle (www.giftoflife.org/begalstein), every donor who is sponsored by the funds collected and every donor who swabbed at the wedding are tracked in real time. “We’ll get an email if any of our wedding guests or sponsored donors are called to give bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells and save someone with blood cancer,” says Begal. “For 10 years, 20 years, 30 years, and way after I’m gone, amazing things are going to be done.” Gift of Life Marrow Registry can be part of any family event. To learn more, call 561982-2900 or visit www.giftoflife.org.

Mazel Tov Kiev’s new JCC celebrates marriage of elderly couple who met there KIEV, Ukraine (JTA)—Less than a year after it opened, this city’s American-style Jewish community center celebrated the first wedding by a couple who met here: a 68-year-old woman and a 72-year-old man who fell in love during dancing class. Maya Serebryanaya and Valeriy Utvenko registered at City Hall as husband and wife after meeting several months ago at Halom, the community center that opened last year in downtown Kiev with funding from the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, or JDC. “When we saw each other in Halom, we understood we’ll be together and we

were waiting for Wednesday and Friday because every week both of us went to Halom for those programs,” Utvenko says. Both he and Serebryanaya had been married, but their spouses died. Serebryanaya moved in with Utvenko after he fixed up his Kiev apartment where he had lived alone, according to Anna Bodnar, the director of Halom. “Their relationship came as a surprise to me, actually,” Bodner says. “I thought they were just friends.” Although the couple are the first to wed after meeting at Halom, interaction at its spacious offices helped formed at least

one more couple—two septuagenarians who met under similar circumstances. Kiev, where at least 100,000 Jews live, has several Jewish community centers, but nearly all of them are built around synagogues or Jewish community offices. Re-creating the success of Odessa’s Beit Grand American-style JCC, which opened in 2008, Halom is the first purely

cultural center for Jews of all ages in Kiev. “In Halom we love to dance, watch concerts, take part in city tours of Jewish places and of course communicate with our friends here,” says Serebryanaya, adding that she “would not have even dreamed” of getting married before she began frequenting Halom.

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Mazel Tov Marc Zuckerberg posts photo giving century-old kiddush cup to daughter (JTA)—Amid criticism over Facebook allowing advertisers to target users based on anti-Semitic information, Mark Zuckerberg posted a photo on his social network of himself giving his baby daughter a kiddush cup that he said was a century-old family heirloom. The Jewish Facebook co-founder and CEO posted a photo on his social network last month of himself holding Max while she drank from the cup, which he said belonged to her great-great-grandfather, also named Max. Nearby is a marble kitchen counter topped with two lit Shabbat candles and challah under a white cover. “For shabbat tonight, we gave Max a kiddush cup that has been in our family for almost 100 years. Her great-great-grandfather Max got it after our family immigrated here and it has been passed down through our family ever since,” Zuckerberg wrote in the post. ProPublica, an investigative site, reported last month that Facebook’s advertisement algorithms generated categories including “Jew hater,” “How to burn jews,” and

“History of ‘why jews ruin the world.’” The categories let advertisers target search users by what phrases they type into the query field. Facebook removed the categories after being alerted to their existence and said it would seek to prevent such categories from popping up for potential advertisers. Last fall, ProPublica reported that advertisers could use Facebook’s targeting to exclude certain races, or what the social network called “ethnic affinities,” from housing and employment ads, a potential violation of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Facebook, which assigns the updated term “multicultural affinity” to certain users based on their interests and activities on the site, no longer allows it to be used in ads for housing, employment or

Marc Zuckerberg

credit. Also, it was reported that both Google and Twitter similarly allowed the sale of ads tied to racist and bigoted keywords. Both companies apologized and said they had taken steps to fix the problem. Max, whose full name is Maxima, is two years old. Her sister, August, was born in August. In a Facebook post in December, Zuckerberg said he was once an atheist but now believes that “religion is very important.” The post came after he wished his followers a “Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah” on Dec. 25, 2016. Zuckerberg’s wife, Priscilla Chan, practices Buddhism.

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it’s a wrap A great start to a new year for BeAR

he Be A Reader literacy program kicked off the 2017-2018 school year with a welcome breakfast and meeting on Monday, Sept. 18 for nearly 50 new and returning volunteers. Gail Flax, program chair and founder, spoke about the program and BeAR captains talked about their experiences and best practices. “We have wonderful kids, and you will just fall in love with them,” said Lynnhaven Elementary BeAR captain and parent Demetrious Gooden. “They want to learn, they want to read. You’ve just got to love kids.” Be A Reader, commonly referred to as BEAR, is a literacy program through United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Community Relations Council. BEAR’s main goal is to help at-risk second grade students in Tidewater public schools acquire the reading skills they need for

Gail Flax, chair and founder of BeAR.

future success. Each week, volunteers read one-on-one for an hour with a child at one of the participating schools. For more information on BEAR, including ways to get involved, contact Wendy Weissman at wweissman@ujft.org or 757-965-6107.

Gal Gadot speaks Hebrew while hosting SNL G al Gadot, making her debut as host of “Saturday Night Live,” spoke Hebrew, kissed cast member Kate McKinnon and portrayed a Bosnian woman going on a blind date with O.J. Simpson. Gadot opened with a monologue in which she switched to Hebrew to address her friends and family in Israel watching the show aired live in the Jewish state for the first time. “Hi everyone, I just wanted to let you know that this might be a big mistake,” she said in Hebrew in a message subtitled in English. “The writers here clearly know nothing about Israel. In every sketch they had me eating hummus. I mean, I love hummus, but there’s a limit. They are very nice, but not very intelligent. I think they think that I am the real Wonder Woman. So in short, wish me luck.” Playing the Bosnian woman, the character apparently did not see much news

from the United States during the war in her country and thus knew little about Simpson’s past and his recent release from prison. In another sketch, Gadot portrays Kendall Jenner in a sendup of her new reality show as she gets lost in her own home. Gadot also returns as Wonder Woman at home on the island of Themyscira, when it is visited by lesbians who are disappointed to learn that none of the beautiful women who live on the island are lesbians. Gadot offers to “kiss one of you and see if I feel something,” leading to a smooch with McKinnon that has gone viral on social media. Two days before “SNL,” Gadot appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, where she tasted a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, for the first time, on camera. (JTA)

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it’s a wrap Rabbi Jason Rubenstein’s multi-faceted visit to KBH reached many

The community choir, comprised of members of Beth El, Temple Israel, and KBH at Selichot services. Alene Kaufman

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’ve studied Rav Hutner before, but never like that,” says Rabbi Arthur Ruberg, rabbi emeritus of Temple Beth El. That is just one reaction after learning with Rabbi Jason Rubenstein at a pre-Selichot learning session, Saturday, Sept. 16, at Kehillat Bet Hamidrash/Kempsville Conservative Synagogue. Rabbi Rubenstein, Dean of Students and Alumni at Yeshivat Hadar, was the Scholar-in-Residence for Shabbat at KBH on September 15 and 16, and continued to share his talent for teaching and deep level of Judaic knowledge with the communities of the four Tidewater Conservative Synagogues. His topic, Remembering, Forgetting, and Repenting, was based on the work of Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner on the Resurrection of Memory. The participants remained engaged in the learning session and continued to talk about it in the reception that followed. Catering chairs for the weekend, Rona Proser and Judy Saperstein, and their

committee provided a sumptuous array of desserts enjoyed by all. Selichot services began following the social period. For about 20 years, the four congregations have gathered annually for Selichot services. A collaborative effort of the synagogues and clergy members of the community, Chazzan David Proser of KBH welcomed worshippers and clergy alike. Participants, in addition to Chazzan Proser, included Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz, Rabbi Marc Kraus, Rabbi Michael Panitz, Rabbi Arthur Ruberg, Cantor Elihu Flax, Cantor Wendi Fried, Cantor Larry Tiger, and Cantorial soloist Jennifer Peters. The community choir comprised of members of Beth El, Temple Israel, and KBH added so much to the spirituality of the prayers. The Scholar-in-Residence Shabbat, followed by Rabbi Rubenstein’s participation in Selichot, was made possible through funding by United Jewish Federation, Tidewater Jewish Foundation, and Simon Family Foundation. The board and members of KBH express grateful appreciation for their support.

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Quality. Experience. Trust.

what’s happening Congregation Beth El commemorates Kristallnacht Thursday, Nov. 9, 6:30 pm, Beth El “Evil does not need your help, only your indifference.”

hese are the words of Holocaust survivor Hanns Loewenbach, z’l—and he would know—as he was in his hometown of Berlin the night of Nov. 9, 1938 and witnessed the flames, arrests, and terrors of Kristallnacht. Commemorating Kristallnacht—A Rally Cry For the Future, will feature a string quartet performance arranged by Rebecca Brown, chairman of the board of Symphonicity, and performed by Howard Horwitz, Lei Lei Berz, Lily Berz, and Leah Rosenberg. The music evokes themes of alarm and war that morph into sounds of liberation and freedom. Hanns Loewenbach’s important story of survival as told through his What We Carry film will follow the musical presentation. Loewenbach died in 2012 at age 96. His eyewitness account of Kristallnacht and the Holocaust will continue to inspire audiences through the What We Carry film made by Los Angeles film makers Amber Howell and Janice Engel, commissioned by UJFT’s Holocaust Commission. Kristallnacht marked the first instance in which the Nazi regime incarcerated Jews on a massive scale simply on the basis of

their ethnicity. It represented a turning point in Nazi anti-Semitic policy. Historians have noted that after the pogrom, the passivity with which most German civilians responded to the violence signaled to the Nazi regime that the German public was prepared for more radical measures since most remained silent…plagued with fear and indifference. The evening will conclude with brief messages of hope and peace and a call to action to never be complacent where and when human rights are denied. HUBB (Hands United Building Bridges) founders Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz and Reverend Antipas Harris will lead the charge. This program is free and open to the public. Join the community to zachor—remember, and unite in peace. RSVP appreciated, but not required, to Noelle@bethelnorfolk.com or 757-625-7821. Beth El is located at 422 Shirley Avenue in Norfolk. This program is sponsored in part by the Tidewater Jewish Foundation and the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.

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Tidewater’s 3rd Annual Great Big Challah Bake Thursday, Oct. 26, 7 pm Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus

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Amy Lefcoe, Brenda Kozak, Debra Yarrow, and Linda Samuels at Challah Bake 2016.

n 2013, on the Thursday evening before the first Shabbos Project in Johannesburg, South Africa, 2,500 women gathered to share in the joy and tradition of making challah. The Shabbos Project’s goal is to unite Jews around the world to keep and share in one complete Shabbat each year. As a lead up event, The Great Big Challah Bake is a celebration of the tradition of making challah for Shabbat. Transcending all differences in ideology and affiliation, language and culture, the Challah Bake brings Jewish women together to share in a meaningful moment with thousands of other women worldwide. Join more than 150 women from across Tidewater to participate in the mitzvah of making challah together. Women of all ages are invited to attend. A donation of $5 is suggested. RSVP is required as space is limited. Visit www. JewishVA.org/challah-bake or call Melissa Eichelbaum, Simon Family JCC program department associate, at 757-231-2304.

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We hope you will join us to honor those who have served our country, and continue to serve, with true dedication and bravery. Brunch will be served. RSVP to Ann Swindell at aswindell@ujft.org or (757) 965-6106 by Friday, November 3rd.

jewishnewsva.org | October 23, 2017 | Jewish News | 31

what’s happening Tidewater joins International Limmud movement

Still uncertain about Limmud?

Sunday, Nov. 12, 1–5 pm Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus

immud (H ebrew for “learning”) promotes global Jewish unity by offering an inclusive cross-communal space for Jews of all ages and backgrounds to meet, learn, volunteer, and build community. Since its’ founding in 1980, the Limmud movement has worked to foster a lively and varied approach to Jewish learning. Limmud is committed to harnessing the energy of people from across the Jewish community—of all ages, all religious affiliations, and none—and from across the world. Founded in the United Kingdom, Limmud festivals of learning have spread to 84 communities in 44 countries on six continents. In 2016 alone, its 4,000 volunteers produced 74 Jewish learning festivals throughout the world, drawing more than 35,000 participants. And, now, for the first time, the Tidewater Jewish community joins the international Limmud movement, bringing together local Jews of all persuasions and affiliations, or “un-affiliations” to create and celebrate Jewish learning and living. Offering a space for Jews to craft their own Jewish experiences, explore their connections to Jewish ideas and tradition, and meet people who share their curiosity and enthusiasm, the Simon Family JCC is committed to harnessing the energy of people from across the Jewish community to take a break from busy everyday life and explore religion and culture.

It’s important to note, Limmud expects something from everyone. The cost is the same for attendees and presenters, $18. No one is compensated for teaching, lecturing, or performing and everyone is expected to contribute by learning and discussing. “The Limmud movement empowers individuals to value their personal commitment to Jewish learning and to celebrate their knowledge by sharing it with their fellow community members. Join us,” says Harry Graber, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater executive vice president. Tidewater Limmud is presented in coordination with the Hampton Roads Board of Rabbis and Cantors, Global Day of Jewish Learning, as part of the Simon Family JCC’s Lee and Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival, with support through a grant from the Tidewater Jewish Foundation. With the start of Tidewater Limmud, Tidewater’s Jewish community becomes part of one global community, focusing on the spirit of inclusion, creativity, and passion for all things Jewish. Help start a new tradition of learning in Tidewater, and join more than 35,000 others around the globe in this new festival of ideas.

immud Michigan offers the following explanation. So, what is Limmud? Limmudniks say: • An organization dedicated to Jewish learning in all its variety. • A place to craft your own Jewish identity. • Jewish learning without limits. • An “unexpected” Jewish festival. • A Communiversity.

And, who is Limmud for? Limmudniks say: • It is for anyone and everyone who asks the questions: • What about Judaism speaks to me? • Where do I find meaning and purpose in my practice? • What is being Jewish really all about? Limmudniks say: • All those answers are right. So just come. You’ll get it when you’re in it.

Attend or present at Tidewater Limmud by signing up to do either, at a cost of $18 by visiting www.simonfamilyjcc. org/limmud or by contacting Melissa Eichelbaum, Simon Family JCC’s program department associate, at 321-2304 or MEichelbaum@ujft.org. The deadline for registration is Friday, Nov. 3. While the deadline has passed for presenters to submit a proposal, some slots may be available. Contact Melissa Eichelbaum ASAP.

Author Ali Katz brings mindfulness to Tidewater Wednesday, Nov. 15, 11 am, Simon Family JCC Erin Dougherty

li Katz is a mindfulness guru. Her mission is to inspire people across the globe to leave stress and guilt behind and to embrace a life full of balance, presence, and joy. Katz began her journey when she realized that as a mother of two young boys and two adorable pups, as a committed wife, runner, and yogi, she was so exhausted, she didn’t have the stamina to take care of her family, or herself, the way she wanted. Then, at 34, Katz was stricken with cancer. “It was a massive wake up call to take better care of myself, to make myself a priority, and to make sure that I

was going to be around for my kids and to see them grow up,” she says. Katz became a certified meditation teacher, life coach, parenting coach, motivational speaker, and author and began incorporating the tools she learned into her everyday life. Through this process, Katz worked to create balance and find the patience to allow herself to be her best possible self, which also allowed her to be the best mom she could be. Through a partnership between the Simon Family JCC’s Lee & Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival and Jewish Family Service, Katz will speak about the tools she has gained and how to use them to beat stress in one minute or less.

32 | Jewish News | October 23, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

“Everyone has different ways of living a healthy life, but Ali Katz has it down to a science…Hot Mess to Mindful Mom leaves you with a feeling of hope and a feeling that if Ali can do it, so can I, because you see that she practices what she preaches,” says Just Vibe Houston. Tickets are $12 for potential JCC members and $8 for current JCC members and include lunch. For more information or to RSVP, visit simonfamilyjcc.org/JewishBookFestival or contact Erin Dougherty, director of cultural arts, at 757-321-2341. *of blessed memory

Ali Katz

what’s happening

Bill’s

Will

First Person

What I’ve learned from listening to my audience Sunday, Nov. 19, 10:30 am, Ohef Sholom Temple would love the book if they read it—isn’t that enough? Apparently not. To ensnare an audience, to bring them into my world, I have to do more than the traditional, “Tell them what you’re going to tell them. Then do the telling. Then tell them what you’ve told them.” First, it turns out, I have to tell them what’s in it for them. Let them know upfront what gifts I have to offer. It had never occurred to me that, in speaking, I would be able to give gifts to members of my audience, and I struggled to articulate what I thought I was giving. But the process put me in the minds of my listeners—and suddenly, I discovered an unexpected parallel. I write in the first person, which allows me to see through the eyes of my characters, to speak in their voices, to feel their emotions. By asking why my listeners might want to come and hear me, I was putting myself in their shoes, looking at myself through their eyes and hearing my voice through their ears. It turned out that living through my characters had prepared me perfectly for listening to my audience. And as I listened, something remarkable took place. I forgot that I was speaking to a crowd of strangers. My unease disappeared. The anxiety I felt before every speaking engagement dissolved. It was difficult to identify and put into words what I thought my listeners might get out of my presentation. But by going through that process, I developed a different relationship with them. I was no longer a speaker talking to them about my process, my story, my book. Instead, I became someone who, in sharing with

them something about my own story, was interested in connecting them to their own histories, and to reigniting whatever connection they might feel to their own past. At speaking engagements, people who’ve read On the Sickle’s Edge still approach me to share how much they loved the story, how it put them in touch with their own past, their own family history. But there is a new twist. Now, many in my audiences, whether they’ve read the book or not, tell me that my talk has inspired them to learn more about their own family history. I’ve given them a sense of how important it is to share family stories with the generations on our heels. I believe deeply that as we travel further in time from the decisions our ancestors made—decisions that caused them hardship and sacrifice, yet made our lives possible—the less connection we have to the sense of purpose that might give us meaning when we experience difficult times in our own lives. That’s a story worth telling, and one that everyone should hear.

The process

put me in the

Neville Frankel Neville Frankel, author, On the Sickle’s Edge

’ve been speaking to many diverse groups lately about the writing of my recent novel, On the Sickle’s Edge. As I refined my talk, a most wonderful speech coach—let’s call her Nancy—offered me some advice. It turned out to be brilliant. “You’re a natural storyteller,” Nancy said. “But to connect with your readers the way you want to, you have to be able to answer a particular question. Why would anyone want to give up an hour of their time to drive to an auditorium or a hall somewhere, perhaps in the rain, to listen to you? If that person asked you what she was going to get out of your talk, what would you say? And what’s the call to action? What do you want to inspire your listeners to do when they go home after your presentation?” Hard questions. I responded with indignation, which I was smart enough not to verbalize. But why, I wondered, should I have to justify my speaking? Isn’t it enough that I’ve written a book people love? That puts them in touch with their emotions, that makes them laugh and weep? That I’ve created characters whose lives they care about? If they loved the book—or

minds of my listeners.

Join Frankel at Ohef Sholom Temple as part of the Simon Family JCC’s Lee & Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival and be inspired to find your own journey. To RSVP, visit simonfamilyjcc.org/ JewishBookFestival or contact Erin Dougherty, director of cultural arts, at w757-321-2341. Event is sponsored by Lawrence Steingold with brunch sponsored by Sharon and Bill Nusbaum. Reprinted with permission from NevilleFrankel.com. *of blessed memory

Said a Lot About H1m.

What Does Your Will Say About You? Norfolk businessman Bill Goldback valued good health and

great arts performances. Before he died in 2007, Bill arranged for a Hampton Roads Community Foundation bequest to provide grants for performing arts and medicine in Hampton Roads. Goldback grants have helped the Virginia Symphony, The Hurrah Players, The Free Foundation and St. Mary’s Home do excellent work. Thanks to Bill’s generosity he will forever help people in his home region. Connect your passions to the future by ordering a free bequest guide. Learn how easy it is to leave a gift for charity.

www.leaveabequest.org. (757) 622-7951

jewishnewsva.org | October 23, 2017 | Jewish News | 33

what’s happening Leon Family Gallery

Part One

Sandler Family Campus What’s up now and next

Israel Today: Innovative Voices of the 21st Century, Dr. Rachel Fish

Erez Kaganovitz: Humans of Tel Aviv

Tuesday, November 14, 7:30 pm Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus Wendy Weissman, assistant director CRC

r. Rachel Fish, Ivy League educator, documentarian, and activist, will discuss her latest book, which she co-edited with Ilan Troen, Essential Israel: Essays for the 21st Century, next month in Tidewater. Her presentation is part of the Israel Today series and the Simon Family JCC’s Lee and Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival. A compilation of essays describing the cultural, political, and historical landscape of Israel, the unique collection in Essential Israel helps answer questions about the country’s complicated makeup. At 25, Fish was named as one of the the Forward’s 50 most influential American Jewish leader. Currently associate director of the Schusterman Center at Brandeis University, Fish completed her doctoral degree in 2013 in the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department, also at Brandeis. The Community Relations Council recently spoke with Fish. Community Relations Council: What sparked the idea for the compilation of essays? Fish: I was regularly contacted by a variety of practitioners and people in the field of Jewish communal work who would ask “how do I build a program and have a conversation around Israel?” There’s really no comprehensive volume of material that provides a framework for understanding Israeli history, society, and what it means to be literate about Israel in the 21st century—that’s what propelled us to engage in the process. Together with Ilan Troen, we wanted to figure out, what does one need to know about Israel in the 21st century? What animated that in the past doesn’t necessarily resonate today with this generation, so we felt we needed to revisit that question. We brought together individuals who are

experts in the field in a variety of disciplines to figure out what they needed in order to transmit knowledge to their particular community of learners. We began working with these individuals and asked them to write accessible and digestible essays in their particular areas of expertise—geography, economies of Israel, the histories of the peace process, origins of Zionism, perceptions of Israel on the world stage— and workshopped those essays so that we could create these foundational texts, but ensure that they were written for a broad audience. CRC: You’ve said that even people who think they know what’s going on in Israel should read Essential Israel. Why? Fish: The value is that you hear from a multiplicity of voices, not one particular opinion or disciplinarian. They believe in asking questions and want to engage in critical examination of their content, but they’re looking at it with different lenses—from their own experiences—and it influences how they then examine the content of Israel. Also, because this is not a historical, chronological text, it allows people to think in a non-linear way about Israeli history and society, culture, and the particular climate in Israel in relation to the context in which it lives. These chapters can really be read as stand-alone, so it allows people to pick and choose and really open it up from all sides. CRC: What are some of Israel’s challenges as a Jewish and democratic state in the 21st century? Fish: Important aspects of Israel’s constitution are that it will be a democracy and also have a Jewish character. When David Ben-Gurion and leaders were establishing the state of Israel, they didn’t imagine that a Jewish character meant a religious

October

Dr. Rachel Fish

character. For them, having a Jewish state did not mean having a halachically bound state, it was not a theological state. This was not a contradiction either—having a Jewish state and a democracy—it felt that they could actually co-exist with one another. In the 21st century, the tension between those two—particularism and universalism, Jewishness and democracy—is a very real tension. It’s not a new tension, and it’s not unique only to Israel; however, it is a tension that Israel, because it is the only Jewish state, must grapple with and can’t hide from. Those challenges include: What is the role of religious leadership? How does a minority relate to the character of a Jewish state? What does it mean for a minority to hear in the national anthem the yearning for Zion, except they also yearn for a piece of this territory that is not at all referred to as Zion? Those complexities are very real, but don’t have to be a negative. It does mean that Israeli leadership has a responsibility to have serious, meaningful conversation around those challenges because they’re not going away in the 21st century, but rather are more likely to increase over time. Part Two of this interview will appear in the November 6 edition of Jewish News. For more information or to RSVP (required) for this free and open to the community event, visit JewishVA.org/ IsraelToday. *of blessed memory

s the h u m a n behind the Humans of Tel Aviv, photographer Erez Kaganovitz showcases the bright and inclusive cul- David, born in Kerem ture of Israel. HaTeimanim 75 years ago. Kaganovitz wants his photographs to show a different side of Tel Aviv, saying. “I always told myself that if I was able to show the world the real people who live here, they would understand that there are no war crimes or apartheid state, but a multi-cultural state that respects human rights.” A selection of Kaganovitz’s photos and the stories behind them are on display and are available for purchase. All proceeds benefit the Simon Family JCC.

Amit Shimoni: HIPSTORY November el Avivbased artist Amit Shimoni’s Hipstory series depicts world leaders and cultural icons A(len)bby Road by Shimoni. from David Ben Gurion and Mahatma Ghandi to Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill portrayed as 21st century “hipsters.” The idea to modernize portraits of historic figures struck Shimoni when he searched for images of well-known people, but all he found were black and white, faded photographs. Pieces from Shimoni’s Hipstory series will be on display and are available for purchase. All proceeds benefit the Simon Family JCC.

For more information about the Leon Family Gallery or to suggest ideas for future exhibits, contact Erin Dougherty, cultural arts director, at EDougherty@simonfamilyJCC.org or 321-2341.

34 | Jewish News | October 23, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

what’s happening

Calendar October 27, Friday through October 28, Saturday Tidewater Shabbat Project 2017. Begins with Friday night services at B’nai Israel at 5:55 pm and concludes with Carlebach Havdalah under the stars at 7:15 pm. For more information and to register for the Friday night dinner, go to tidewatershabbatproject.com. October 30, Monday Bruce Smith, local football legend and NFL Hall of Famer, shares stories of his summer 2017 trip to Israel. Free. RSVP required. JewishVA.org/touchdownIsrael or contact Melissa Eichelbaum at 757-321-2304 or meichelbaum@ujft.org. 7:30 pm.

Robert Kraft, New England Patriots owner, along with Bruce Smith and other NFL Hall of Famers at the opening of the Kraft Family Sports Complex in Jerusalem.

Touchdown, Israel! with Bruce Smith Monday Oct. 30, 7:30 pm, Sandler Family Campus Melissa Eichelbaum

hile being a Pro Football Hall of Famer comes with many perks, Bruce Smith had a different kind of opportunity when he traveled to Israel with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft in June. Born and raised in Norfolk, Smith fell in love with football after a friend encouraged him to join the junior varsity team at Booker T. Washington High School. From there, Smith went on to become one of football’s greatest legends. He was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2005, and into the College Football Hall of Fame as a Virginia Tech Hokie in 2006. In his first year of eligibility, the former Buffalo Bill was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009. Smith holds the NFL career record for quarterback sacks with 200. Along with his wife Carmen, Smith and 18 other Hall of Famers were part of a goodwill mission, led by Kraft, to spread American Football in Israel with the opening of the Kraft Family Sports Complex in Jerusalem. Kraft took the trip participants

to many holy biblical sights including the Kotel (the Western Wall), the Jordan River (where Jesus is believed to have been baptized), and to meet with leaders from the region, including some from the West Bank and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. After returning from Israel, Smith said, “it was very enlightening and moving to discover that while fiercely proud of, and faithful to their own heritage and traditions, the Jewish people are so humbly respectful of the Christian and Muslim faiths that also abide in the sacred region.” Smith will share his personal stories of the people he met, sites he toured, and football played in the land of Israel, when he speaks at the Sandler Family Campus. Joel Rubin, chairman of the board of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, will moderate the conversation with Smith. Questions will be taken, time permitting. For more information or to RSVP (required) visit JewishVA.org/touchdownIsrael or contact Melissa Eichelbaum at meichelbaum@ ujft.org or 321-2304.

Tidewater Jewish Foundation

Simon Family Passport to Israel Fund helps local teens get to Israel

he Simon Family Passport to Israel Fund, providing grants for trips for teens to Israel, is now accepting applications. The program’s purpose is to provide funds to enable and encourage Jewish students (ages 13–18*) to participate in an Israel trip experience. The program will fund up to 50%

of eligible expenses and is administered by Tidewater Jewish Foundation. For more information, visit www.jewishva. org, or contact Barb Gelb at bgelb@ujft.org. Applications are due Nov. 15, 2017. (*Students over 18 may apply, but they must indicate why a Birthright Israel trip will not meet their needs at this time.)

NOVEMBER 1–20 The Lee and Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival. Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus. For more information, contact Erin Dougherty at 757-321-2341 or edougherty@simonfamilyjcc.org. See page 8. November 5, Sunday Brith Sholom meeting at 11 am, preceded by board meeting at 10 am at Beth Sholom Village. Meeting followed by a deluxe Kosher brunch at noon with Andy Fox from Wavy TV 10 speaking on the upcoming election. Bring non-perishable food items for annual food drive. $3 for members ($5 at the door); $10 for guests; free if exploring for possible membership. Contact LeeAnne Mallory, 757-461-1150 or email Brith.sholom1@hrcoxmail.com. November 10, Friday Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s 8th Annual Veteran’s Day Service at the Sandler Family Campus. Join TJF for this community event to honor those who have served the USA, and continue to serve. Service and brunch to be held in the Fleder Multipurpose Room, 9:30 am. Free and open to the community. Honor a veteran with a paver in the Jewish War Monument. Contact Ann Swindell at aswindell@ujft.org or 757-965-6106 to RSVP or for more information on the Jewish War Monument. Tidewater Chavurah’s second Friday of the month Shabbat service at the home of Hal and Elaine in the Great Neck Meadows area of Virginia Beach.7 pm. The service will be led by Rabbi Ellen Jaffe-Gill. A “congregation without walls,” events are held in members’ homes or at other locations. An Oneg will follow. For event information and location address, email carita@verizon.net or dlqt@cox.net or call 499-3660 or 468-2675. Check out www.tidewaterchavurah.org or Tidewater Chavurah Face book page for upcoming events. November 12, Sunday Limmud, an international day of learning brings the community together to exchange ideas at the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus. 1–5 pm. For more information or to RSVP, visit simonfamilyjcc.org/limmud or contact Melissa Eichelbaum at 757-321-2304 or meichelbaum@ujft.org. See page 32. November 14, Tuesday Israel Today featuring activist, ivy-league educator, and documentarian Rachel Fish. Fish sheds light on the nuance of Israel’s internal and external conflicts and encourages exploration of debates on key issues embedded in a richly evoked sociohistorical context. Free. Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus. For more information, contact Melissa Eichelbaum at meichelbaum@ujft.org or 757-321-2304. See page 34. November 19, Sunday Brith Sholom Thanksgiving Celebration at Beth Sholom Village. 5:30 pm. All of the regular Thanksgiving fare with all the trimmings. Come Gobble to you wobble. Entertainment by Herman Dumas (Neil Diamond impersonator). $10 for members and $20 for guests. Contact LeeAnne Mallory at 757-461-1150 or email at Brith.sholom1@hrcoxmail.com for reservations. December 3, Sunday BINA’s Gift Bazaar at 420 Spotswood Avenue, Norfolk. Vendors and craft booths will sell their goods. Variety of gift items, kids’ items, jewelry, and more. A generous portion of the proceeds will be donated to BINA High School. 11 am–4 pm. *of blessed memory 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.

jewishnewsva.org | October 23, 2017 | Jewish News | 35

obituaries Martin H. Handelsman Virginia Beach—Martin Hugh Handelsman, USMC, ret., 79, died on Monday, Oct. 9, 2017 in his home with his loving family by his side. A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., he was the son of the late Jean Agronick Handelsman and Joseph Handelsman. Martin had retired from the U. S. Marines as a Captain for 21 years, having served in Vietnam. He had retired as co-owner of T-N-T Treasures, Virginia Beach. Left to cherish his memory is his wife of 36 years, Shirley Levine Handelsman; three sons, Michael C. Handelsman (Denise), Aaron Lewis (Colette), and Shayne Lewis (Tabitha); two daughters, Katherine Lang and Jo Ellen Jean Handelsman (Angel Aquilar); 11 grandchildren; and four great grandchildren. A funeral service was conducted in the Norfolk Chapel of H. D. Oliver Funeral Apts. with Rabbi Michael Panitz officiating. Burial followed in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice. Online condolences may be offered at www.hdoliver.com. Lloyd Bailey Gill Norfolk—Lloyd Gill died on October 8 in her home. She worked as a reporter before marrying and raising a family. Lloyd loved tennis and played until age 90. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church for over 60 years. She is survived by her son, Spencer Gill (Rabbi Ellen Jaffe-Gill) and a daughter. A memorial service was held at the First Presbyterian Church of Norfolk.

Capt. Allan L. Mandel, USN Ret. Norfolk—Retired Navy Capt. Allan Lee Mandel, 78, a native of Denver, Colo., passed away on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017 at Commonwealth Senior Living, The Ballentine, Sweet Memories. He was preceded in death by his parents, Oscar and Minnie Mandel, of Denver. He is survived by his loving wife, Eileen Dorsey Mandel; his brother, Dr. Mickey J. Mandel, of Denver, five children; Randy Howard Mandel, of Denver, Andrea Mandel Starr, of Glen Allen, Va., Jeffrey Brian Mandel, of Charlotte, N.C., Jason C. Lee, of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and Courtney Lee Kellogg, of Norfolk, and 10 loving grandchildren. Allan’s children and grandchildren cherish him as a devoted and doting father and grandfather. Allan graduated from the University of Colorado and received his MBA from Michigan State University. He was commissioned as a naval officer in 1961 at Newport, R.I. Allan and Eileen were married on July 2, 1983 at Ohef Sholom Temple in Norfolk. At that time, Allan was the director of contracts at Norfolk Naval Supply Center and Eileen was office manager for then U.S. Congressman Bill Whitehurst. Allan used to say he married Eileen in order to cease all the “congressional letters” he was receiving at his office. In truth, it was a match made in heaven. Allan was a true patriot, and was so proud to serve his country. Early in his 23 years as a Navy Supply Corps officer, Allan served in the Vietnam War. Among his numerous military awards, Allan received the meritorious service medal,

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Navy commendation medal, and Vietnam service medal including a bronze star. He was stationed in Groton, Conn., Hawaii, Norfolk, and in Spain where he “ran with the Bulls in Pamplona.” Allan also served under Adm. Hyman Rickover, “father of the Nuclear Navy.” After retirement from the Navy, Allan managed contract negotiations for several defense contract companies in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. After his “final” retirement, Allan enjoyed giving tours aboard the Battleship Wisconsin in downtown Norfolk. Allan loved sailing, walking on the beach, seafood, favorite sweets, and talking about his favorite NFL team, the Denver Broncos. He was especially proud of his children and grandchildren. A funeral service was conducted by Rabbi Israel Zoberman at H.D. Oliver Funeral Apartments. Internment with military honors will be held at Arlington National Cemetery at a date yet to be determined. Donations may be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Association (Lbda.org, or the Wounded Warrior Project, (www.woundedwarriorproject. org). Online condolences may be offered to the family through www.hdoliver.com.

the Holocaust when his father convinced 200 people from their neighborhood to travel to Kazan in eastern Russia, away from the advancing Nazi army. He later escaped in 1974 with his family from Russia, due to anti-Semitism and lack of artistic freedom, first to Rome and then to New York. In the forward to a book on Klionsky’s work, Wiesel, for whom Klionsly sculpted his Nobel Prize medal, wrote: “A painter on the theme of return or of memory, or both, Marc Klionsky offers us multiple faces that have haunted his past and ours. One has only to see them to understand his journey from Leningrad to Manhattan. One has only to study them to recall the events which they incarnate. For Marc Klionsky, the mystery of endurance as well as transformation is in the human face.” “What is fear in the time of the Gulag if it is not the countenance of an old man who looks sullen and undeceived? What is the hopeless sorrow of Jewish victims during the Holocaust if it is not the face of an ageless and nameless man or woman, whose horizon is crowded with phantoms visible to him or her alone?” Klionsky is survived by his wife of 58 years, Irina; two daughters; four grandchildren; and a sister.

Marc Klionsky, master portrait painter

arc Klionsky, a Soviet-Jewish émigré to New York who gained worldwide prominence painting portraits of such eminent figures as Golda Meir and Elie Wiesel, has died. Klionsky, who died last month at 90, became the youngest artist to have his paintings exhibited in the renowned Tretiakov Gallery in Moscow. His works have been exhibited around the world, including throughout Europe and in Israel, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Along with Meir, the late Israeli prime minister, and Wiesel, the late Nobel laureate, Klionsky painted portraits of musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie and B.B. King, and industry titans such as Dr. Armand Hammer, among many others. Klionsky, a Russia native who was the son of a master printer, trained in Russia’s best art schools and began working as an artist in his early teens. His family escaped

Russian-Jewish pianist dies on stage

he celebrated Russian-Jewish pianist Mikhail Klein collapsed and died on stage while performing his own composition in his hometown of Irkutsk. Klein, who in 1987 was awarded the prestigious title of Honored Artist of Russia, reportedly died of heart failure at the foot of a grand piano of the Irkutsk Philharmonic Orchestra earlier this month before a crowd of hundreds, according to an official of the Siberian city, which sits near the border with Mongolia. He was 72. He was playing This is all Russia, a jazz composition that he wrote featuring fragments of several famous Russian songs, before he collapsed. “I was sitting in the front row and, seeing that Mikhail Leonidovich was ill, ran up to him,” the head of the city department of culture, Vitaly Baryshnikov, told RIA Novosti.

obituaries The family of Hal Sacks wishes to thank our great community of friends for all the generous love and support in his memory. Two of the city’s most prominent physicians could not revive Klein with cardiac massage. Klein was a member of the Irkutsk Philharmonic for 45 years, all while living in the city, the orchestra wrote in an obituary mourning his death. Known in Russia and beyond for his renditions and interpretations of works by Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Brahms and other great composers, Klein also was a prolific jazz composer and enthusiast. With his “fanatic devotion to the arts,” the obituary said, he “brilliantly represented Russian musical art in many cultural and educational activities” locally and abroad. The obit also noted his passion for sports and loyalty to his friends. (JTA)

My five-year-old confronts death Avram Mlotek

(Kveller via JTA)—We pulled up to the funeral parlor and our five-year-old, Ravi, skipped along the stairs. My partner, Yael, and I exchanged glances. We had wondered when was early enough to bring Ravi to her first funeral, but with her cousins in abundant attendance and her grandmother’s specific request that she come, we acquiesced. Her grandmother’s brother had died and Ravi hasn’t been shy when it comes to asking questions about mortality. “Is God dead?” Ravi asked us on a car ride home from camp over the summer. Sure, Ravi is a rabbi’s kid—but isn’t five a bit early for Nietzsche? “Why do you ask?” I punted. “Just wondering.” As you do. When we told her that her great-uncle had died and if she understood what that meant, she nodded. “Like bubbe,” she noted, her great-grandmother.

Ravi was too young to attend her great-grandmother’s funeral, but she was a bubbly toddler at shiva, walking around her apartment. Now the toddler had grown a few years. Her younger brother, Hillel, was home with my mother, and here she was not only toddling around but skipping. Ravi sat quietly during the service, drawing pictures on a pad we brought for her, mostly uninterested in family speeches or memorials. She stood when we stood. She sat next to her older cousins. She was a big kid. Later, arriving at the cemetery, Ravi was fascinated. “Is Uncle Louis really in the box?” she asked. “How did he get there?” Yael patiently explained the ancient practice of tahara, the ritual cleaning of the deceased, to our kindergartner. “First they make sure the body is clean and dressed in white clothes,” Yael explained. “Are they comfy?” Ravi interjected. Right. Ravi followed the casket, the aron, closely as we made our way to the graveside. She watched carefully as the rabbi explained the procedure and the adults started shoveling. “When is my turn?” she wanted to know. “When do the kids get to shovel?” Even with her energetic interest, the mood was subdued. Did she understand this was a goodbye? (She did later say to me she wouldn’t get to play with Uncle Louis’ toys since she would need to ask his permission first. She wouldn’t be able to because she said curtly “he’s dead.” There’s nothing like visiting a cemetery to feel humbled. Just days earlier in synagogue we read the Book of Ecclesiastes, where King Kohelet wrote the following: “For in respect of the fate of man and the fate of beast, they have one and the same fate: as the one dies so dies the other, and both have the same life-breath… both go to the same place; both came from dust and both return to dust.” Certainly, cemeteries are humbling, witnessing the eternal resting places of people who have passed and history beheld to tombstones. But going to a cemetery with my kids, that’s a whole other type of humbling.

This sad occasion happened during Sukkot, which Jewish tradition offers is a time of rejoicing. It’s the time of harvest and bounty, when the sages prescribed Ecclesiastes to be read. Yet at the peak of our joy or perhaps pride, we remember whence we came, lest we forget our own humility and humanity. To my 5-year-old, though, mortality isn’t quite as meaningful as we are. Yes, Ecclesiastes offers, “There is a time for everything.” But for children, time bears no hold on reality. It’s Sukkot eve and we put Ravi to bed, telling her if she goes to sleep nicely I’ll bring her to the sukkah later, to sleep on a blow-up mattress. “How long will you be?” she asks. “An hour? A minute? A second?” I smile because she doesn’t grasp the difference between these markers and that, for now, is truly wonderful. —Rabbi Avram Mlotek is a co-founder of BaseHillel.org.

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mazel tov to Engagement Leah Mostofsky on her engagement to Eli Krischer of Brooklyn N.Y. Leah is the daughter of Rabbi Sholom and Tehilla Mostofsky. The couple plan to get married on December 25, 2017 in Lakewood, N.J. They will live in New York. Mazel Tov submissions should be emailed to news@ujft.org with Mazel Tov in the subject line. Achievements, B’nai Mitzvot, births, engagements and weddings are appropriate simchas to announce. Photos must be at least 300k. Include a daytime phone for questions. There is no fee.

who knew? Ben Kingsley playing Adolf Eichmann in film about Nazi’s capture by Israel BUENOS AIRES, Argentina ( JTA)— Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley is in Buenos Aires filming a Hollywood movie about the capture of Adolf Eichmann by Israeli agents. Kingsley, a British actor, is starring in Operation Finale, which chronicles the notorious Nazi’s life as Ricardo Klement living in the Argentine capital after World War II and the Mossad operation to capture him. Chris Weitz, a producer and writer known for Rogue One in the Star Wars series, is the director. Filming will last one more month in greater Buenos Aires area. A Mossad unit led by Peter Malkin captured Eichmann in May 1960; he was executed in Israel in 1962. Malkin will be played by the GuatemalanAmerican actor Oscar Isaac. Matthew Orton wrote the screenplay. Tony Award winner Michael Aronov will play another Mossad agent, Zvi Aharoni. Kingsley, who won an Oscar for his 1982 portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi, has played Moses for TV (1995); Itzhak Stern in Schindler’s List (1993); Otto Frank for Anne Frank (2001); and Simon Wiesenthal in Murderers Among Us (1989). The Man Who Captured Eichmann, a 1996 film starring Robert Duvall, was based on the book Eichman In My Hands written by Malkin with Harry Stein. Argentina was a haven for Nazi war criminals after World War II, including Joseph Mengele and Erich Priebke. One month ago the country presented to Israel tens of thousands of documents

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from the World War II era, some of them related to Nazi war criminals.

Israeli computer scientist, opera director born to Israelis win MacArthur ‘genius’ grants

n Israeli computer scientist and an American opera director born to Israeli parents were among the winners of this year’s MacArthur Foundation “genius” grants. Regina Barzilay, 46, is a computational linguist based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology whose work includes training machines to understand different languages. Her research helped decipher part of the semitic Ugaritic language by mapping it onto Hebrew, a linguistic relative. Yuval Sharon, 37, whose Israeli parents moved to Chicago when he was born, is the founder and artistic director of The Industry, a Los Angeles-based production company. His productions are often nonconventional, such as Invisible Cities, a 2013 adaption of an Italo Calvino novel staged at Union Station in Los Angeles. His 2015 production of Hopscotch: A Mobile Opera for 24 Cars took place in locations throughout the city. The winners of the award from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation each receive a $625,000 grant in recognition of “extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits.” Past Jewish recipients include The Wire creator David Simon, novelist Ben Lerner and visual artist Nicole Eisenman. (JTA)

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