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2021 Campaign offering limited-time matching incentive during week of Thanksgiving Amy Zelenka
T
he 2021 Community Campaign of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater has come out strong, raising more than $3.4 million in its first four months. In a year which promises to be exceptionally challenging for Jewish Tidewater’s agencies, programs, and community members, successful fundraising is an imperative. In recognition of the community’s need for quick and successful fundraising, an anonymous donor has provided an incentive grant to match ALL increased gifts made during Thanksgiving week. From Tuesday, November 22 through Giving Tuesday, December 1, the grant will match all increases (of any size) dollar-for-dollar. This match will apply on gifts made to the 2021 UJFT Community Campaign, as well as those directed to the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund of the Tidewater Jewish Community. So, a donor who increases his or her gift from say $250 to $300 will be matched dollar-for-dollar on the $50
An anonymous donor has provided an incentive grant to match ALL increased gifts made during Thanksgiving week.
increase. Their gift will therefore add $350 to the 2021 campaign. The greater the increase, the greater the impact on
the campaign. And in a year like this one, the community can use every single extra dollar it can raise. “We are incredibly grateful to our grantor for these incentive funds, and we hope that anyone in the community who has not yet had an opportunity to make their 2021 pledge of support will do so on or before Dec. 1, when the clock runs out on this match,” says Betty Ann Levin, UJFT executive vice president/CEO. For more information, call Amy Zelenka, campaign director at 757‑965-6139. Gifts may be made over the phone with Amy Zelenka; online at Jewishva.org (click United Jewish Federation of Tidewater then “Give Now” at the top of the screen); or by writing a check to UJFT and mailing it to: United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Attention: 2021 Campaign, 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 200, Virginia Beach, VA 23462. Tidewater’s Jewish agencies, programs, and community members will thank you for caring enough to support them through the 2021 Community Campaign.
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Candle Lighting
Quotable
Contents
Friday, October 30/12 Cheshvan Light candles at 5:51 pm
Briefs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
TJF: Giving opportunities during COVID-19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
UJFT’s Second Sunday, December 13, 2020. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Lee and Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Poll finds most American Jews to vote for Biden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
What’s Happening. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
the opportunity to give tzedakah
FBI warns Jewish institutions: possible violence on Election Day. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Matthew Kramer-Morning: Young Leadership Campaign manager. . . . . . . . 28
in support of the Jewish
Jewish groups protect voting access . . . . . . 10
Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
community we love?”
Special Section: Salute to the Military. . . . . 13
Tom Purcell places first in JCC 100-day Summer Fitness Challenge. . . . . . . . . . . 30
Upfront: Match for Giving Tuesday. . . . . . . . 3
Pandemic doesn’t slow down Brith Sholom. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
“Is there a more generous gift one can give another than
Friday, November 6/19 Cheshvan Light candles at 4:44 pm Friday, November 13/26 Cheshvan Light candles at 4:39 pm Friday, November 20/4 Kislev Light candles at 4:34 pm Friday, November 27/11 Kislev Light candles at 4:31 pm
—page 5
Friday, December 4/25 Kislev Light candles at 4:30 pm
jewishnewsva.org | October 26, 2020 | Jewish News | 3
BRIEFS Ruth Bader Ginsburg to get a statue in Brooklyn The late Jewish Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is getting her own statue in her native Brooklyn. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo named the members of a commission this month that would oversee the installation of a statue honoring Ginsburg, who died last month. Cuomo said in a statement that the statue would be somewhere in Brooklyn, the New York City borough where she grew up. “Her legacy as a jurist, professor, lawyer, and scholar will endure for generations and we are honored to erect a permanent statue in memory of Justice Ginsburg,” Cuomo said. “Lord knows she deserves it.” The New York Times reported that there are a number of other initiatives to honor Ginsburg, including a bronze statue to be erected next year at a Brooklyn development. New York City last month named a municipal building in Brooklyn for Ginsburg. Among the 19 people Cuomo named to the commission are Ginsburg’s daughter and two granddaughters; Irin Carmon, the Jewish journalist and Ginsburg biographer who helped make popular Ginsburg’s late-in-life sobriquet, Notorious RBG; Nina Totenberg, the Jewish NPR judiciary reporter who was a close friend of Ginsburg’s; and a number of her former clerks. Cuomo also named five honorary members of the commission, including Hillary Clinton, Ginsburg’s colleague on the Supreme Court bench Sonia Sotomayor, and Gloria Steinem, the pioneering Jewish feminist. (JTA) Following Facebook, Twitter will now ban Holocaust denial Twitter will now ban posts that deny the Holocaust. Bloomberg News reported this month that a Twitter spokesperson said posts that “deny or distort” violent events including the Holocaust would be banned.
Twitter is the second major social media network to ban Holocaust denial. Facebook announced that it would ban posts that deny or distort the Holocaust, two years after Mark Zuckerberg said Holocaust denial should be allowed in the name of free speech. “We strongly condemn anti-Semitism, and hateful conduct has absolutely no place on our service,” the Twitter spokesperson said. “We also have a robust ‘glorification of violence’ policy in place and take action against content that glorifies or praises historical acts of violence and genocide, including the Holocaust.” The moves come as social media networks make a series of moves to crack down on hateful content ahead of the presidential election, and as activists have called on social media companies to do more to combat hate and misinformation. Facebook also recently banned content related to the QAnon conspiracy theory, as well as a range of hateful posts including those that say Jews control the world. YouTube likewise banned QAnon content, and Twitter removed thousands of QAnon accounts this summer. Twitter has taken an especially tough stance on disinformation recently, appending warnings to tweets by President Trump sharing false information, violent content, or conspiracy theories. The network also recently blocked an unsubstantiated article about Joe Biden from the New York Post, before saying similar content would be allowed with a warning attached. (JTA)
Poland will end its kosher and halal meat export industry in 2025 Poland’s senate passed a law that will end its $1.8 billion kosher and halal meat export industry in 2025. Religious communities will still be able to slaughter meat without prior stunning, as is required by Jewish and Muslim law, as long as the meat is not for export. A vote this month approved the law that was introduced last month in the government’s lower house and was originally intended to go into effect in 2022.
4 | Jewish News | October 26, 2020 | jewishnewsva.org
Poland has about 20,000 Jews and a similar number of Muslims. The bulk of its many kosher and halal slaughterhouses produce meat for export. Critics say that killing animals without stunning them is cruel; proponents of the practice say it is relatively painless. Polish farmer and meat producer unions successfully fought to have the law postponed in connection with the economic crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Rabbi Menachem Margolin, the head of the Brussels-based European Jewish Association, which has lobbied against the Polish legislation, has argued that Poland is a major provider of kosher meat to the rest of Europe and beyond. Margolin called the amendment delaying the bill “encouraging” but said his organization will continue to fight for the scrapping of the legislation. (JTA)
of right-wing conspiracy theories that veer into anti-Semitism. Republican officials and activists, as well as far-right extremists and conspiracy theorists, regularly assert with scant or no evidence that he is secretly funding, or in control of, a broad array of liberal causes, or otherwise out to undermine the United States government. He is among the top funders of Democratic candidates, but is not the largest giver. The idea that rich Jews are conspiring to secretly control world leaders is an age-old anti-Semitic stereotype. Thomas has a history of sharing falsehoods from The Great American Movement Facebook page. In the past, she has shared false posts from the page accusing Democrats of committing voter fraud, calling California a “war zone” and claiming that Barack Obama wiretapped the Trump campaign. (JTA)
Supreme Court justice’s wife says George Soros’ family ‘is really running the Democrat Party’ The latest prominent American to advance conspiracy theories about Jewish philanthropist George Soros is Ginni Thomas, a conservative activist and the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Ginni Thomas shared a meme on Facebook claiming that Soros’ family is “evil” and “really running” the Democratic party. The meme, first posted by a rightwing page called, The Great American Movement, shows a compilation of photos of Democratic figures posing with children of Soros, the JewishAmerican hedge-funder and Democratic megadonor. The Democrats include Sen. Kamala Harris, the vice presidential nominee; Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi; and Hillary Clinton, the 2016 presidential nominee. A caption reads, “Who is really running the Democrat Party?… The Soros family. The original post also says, “George Soros is training his family to carry on his evil legacy.…” Soros has become the leading avatar
Tik Tok removes channel of Jewish extremist group Lehava The video-sharing social network Tik Tok removed the channel of Lehava, a far-right Israeli group that opposes Jewish-Arab coexistence and gay relationships. The group is led by Benzi Gopstein, who was banned from running in Israeli elections last year as head of the right-wing Jewish Power party due to anti-Arab statements considered incitement to racism. Tik Tok first took down three of Lehava’s videos and then completely removed the channel after receiving complaints about its content. The channel was permanently blocked over “repeated violations of our community conduct regulations,” Tik Tok said in a statement, according to the Lehava website. Gopstein told Israel National News that his attorneys are “checking into” filing a lawsuit against Tik Tok. “You can find every evil on Tik Tok, but somebody who talks a little about Judaism and about not assimilation— this, Tik Tok decided to close,” Gopstein said. Lehava also has been banned from Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. (JTA)
annual campaign
Federation seeks to capture lightning in a bottle with second community phone-a-thon in December Sunday, December 13, 10 am–1 pm Amy Zelenka
W
hat does an organization do when the success of a new program exceeds its wildest imagination? Well, that’s an easy question to answer… REPEATS IT! Or at least try to come as close as possible to “capturing that lightening in a bottle.” On the second Sunday of December (also the third day of Hanukkah), United Jewish Federation of Tidewater will aim to duplicate the success of it quasi-virtual September Super Sunday, by holding another community-wide phone-a-thon, appropriately named SECOND SUNDAY. Anyone wishing to volunteer to call fellow community members on Sunday, December 13 between 10 am and 1 pm can sign-up on Jewishva.org/Second-Sunday. Campaign staff will assign volunteers donor prospects to call from home. As the callers report-in their successes throughout the day, UJFT will keep a running tally of total gifts closed and dollars raised, which will be shared periodically on UJFT’s Facebook page. Volunteer campaign workers with regular assigned cards can also use this day to make their remaining calls. And, those who’ve already completed their assignments can get a few new ones to call. Hanukkah is the quintessential gift-giving holiday in the Jewish calendar. The hope is that holding SECOND SUNDAY during Hanukkah will tap into this spirit of giving, and that those who are asked will respond generously and with a glad heart. For the volunteer callers, one need only ask this: Is there a more
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generous gift one can give another than the opportunity to give tzedakah in support of the Jewish community we love? SECOND SUNDAY aims to provide a spirited, energetic community day, where all can ask, all can give, and all can feel good at the end of it. One might even call it “the Federation’s Hanukkah gift to the community,” and of course it is “the community’s Hanukkah gift to the Federation.” Look for more details on SECOND SUNDAY in the next issue of the Jewish News as well as in emails from the UJFT and JCC and by visiting JewishVa.org. For questions about SECOND SUNDAY or to make a gift to the 2021 Community Campaign of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, contact Amy Zelenka, campaign director, at 757-965-6139 or give online at JewishVa. org (click on United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, then “Give Now” at the top of the screen).
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election 2020
Poll finds American Jews set to vote overwhelmingly for Joe Biden Ron Kampeas
(JTA)—Jewish voters are set to vote 75% to 22% for Joe Biden, according to a poll by the American Jewish Committee.
The poll released Monday, Oct. 19, shows the Democratic nominee expanding his support among Jewish voters from a 67–30 split in a poll last month and it includes other signs that President
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Donald Trump is faring poorly among Jewish voters. Trump’s record on bigotry may be the animating factor in his poor performance: Asked which candidate in the Nov. 3 presidential election would better handle anti-Semitism, respondents produced identical results, with Biden scoring 75% and Trump 22%. The survey was conducted by SSRS, Sept. 9–Oct. 4, reaching 1,334 American Jews by phone; some respondents would have answered questions after Trump once again equivocated when asked to condemn white supremacists in the Sept. 29 debate with Biden. The poll has a margin of error of 4.2 percent. Biden, the former vice president, has made Trump’s record on bigotry a central focus of his overall campaign and particularly of his Jewish campaign. Biden launched his campaign in April 2019 saying that he was coaxed into running by Trump’s failure to unequivocally condemn a deadly white supremacist march in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017. The AJC poll shows Biden besting Trump on every other issue including handling the coronavirus pandemic, 78%–19%; combating terrorism, 71%– 26%; and uniting the country, 79%–15%. Trump fares poorly even on those issues he has sought to draw strong contrasts with Biden: dealing with Iran, 71%–27%; handling crime, 72%–24%, and strengthening U.S.-Israel relations, 54%–42%. A central plank of the Trump campaign’s campaign in the Jewish community has been his decision to pull out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which Trump has repeatedly emphasized was finalized when Biden was serving President Barack Obama as vice president. Another plank has been Trump’s closeness to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump has moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, cut funding to Palestinians, recognized Israel’s claim to
the Golan Heights, advanced an IsraeliPalestinian peace formula that would allow Israel to keep chunks of the West Bank, and most recently, brokered a normalization deal between Israel and two Gulf Arab nations. Trump has expressed frustration that his Israel decisions have not garnered greater support in the Jewish community. Another sign in the poll that Trump has alienated Jews is that just 16% of respondents admitted to voting for him in 2016; exit polls at the time showed 24% voting for him. The gap suggests that some respondents might have convinced themselves that they never voted for Trump. The poll showed Jewish voters tend to rank foreign policy low on their list of priorities heading into the voting booth: The top two ranked issues are the pandemic and health care, at 26% and 17% respectively, with foreign policy ranked last among six issues, at 5%. The other issues respondents were asked to rank were the economy at third, 13%; race relations at fourth, 12% and crime at fifth, 6%. David Harris, the American Jewish Committee CEO, identifies a number of areas of concern for his group, which seeks to achieve a consensus among American Jews to better represent them to overseas governments and in international forums. One is the gap between Orthodox Jews, of whom the poll showed 74 percent favoring Trump, and others in the community. “For those of us in the Jewish world who want to focus on unity, on outreach, on bridge-building within the Jewish community, I think this is a very compelling reminder of how wide some of the differences are,” he says. Other concerns, Harris says, include the seeming gap between American and Israeli Jews, who overwhelmingly approve of Trump, and the shrinking interest in foreign policy among American Jews.
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election 2020
Jewish security officials have a message for election day: Be prepared for violence Ben Sales
(JTA)—On Thursday, Oct. 15, the FBI had a message for Jewish institutions across the country: Prepare for the possibility of violence on Election Day. That was the main takeaway from a webinar hosted by the Secure Community Network, which coordinates security for Jewish institutions across the country. Current and former federal officials told the Jewish leaders in attendance that, as of now, there are no known threats to Jewish institutions on Election Day. But Jews should still prepare for the possibility of violence on Nov. 3 or afterward. “We have not identified any specific threats relative to domestic violent extremists or international terrorist organizations,” said Calvin Shivers, assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. But he added, “The nation remains poised for potential volatility, in regard to not only the election but I think just a lot of things that are going on in the country.” Shivers said that in addition to its usual election monitoring activities, the FBI is establishing a national command post specifically to address potential civil unrest. The webinar was hosted specifically for the hundreds of Jewish institutions— like synagogues, schools, or community
centers—that either serve as polling places or are located near them. Less than three weeks from election day, federal and state officials have been warning of a rising tide of extremism that could crest into a wave of violence, especially if there’s an ambiguous result or if the preferred candidate of rightwing extremist groups, President Donald Trump, appears to be losing. Over the past several years, and in particular since the shooting in Pittsburgh, synagogues across the country have taken steps to increase their security through armed guards, cameras, or other measures. Synagogues were particularly vigilant when (during non-pandemic times) their buildings would be crowded for the most important services of the year. Brad Orsini, who served as the Pittsburgh Jewish community’s director of security during and after the 2018 synagogue shooting there, said that in terms of the potential threat, Jewish institutions should view Nov. 3 with the same degree of seriousness as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. “Treat this election season like the High Holidays,” said Orsini, who now serves as the Secure Community Network’s senior national security advisor. “Although we have no credible threats, we know the temperature of the country right now. We need to prepare as
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We want to have a plan, that if we have to quickly shut down, that we do so. if something bad could occur.” John Cohen, the former counterterrorism coordinator for the Department of Homeland Security, said the current environment is one in which extremists may “seek to disrupt the election or use the election season as an opportunity to incite violence.” “Some who are running for office today have incorporated into their political playbook a spread of conspiracy theories and divisive narratives, from their perspective to aid their political opportunity, but can also have the effect of inspiring destructive or violent behavior,” he said. Cohen described a “multi-year rise in violent extremist violence,” that includes an increase in hate crimes and other criminal activity by white supremacists and anti-government extremists. “I can’t think of a time since 9-11 where I have had more concern about security issues associated with polling sites or the election generally,” he said. “There’s a segment of America who view this election as ‘rigged’ or at risk of being stolen, prompting calls in conspiracy and extremist circles for poll watchers and even violence both during the election and after the voting has concluded.” Orsini said Jewish institutions need to take concrete actions before Election Day to prepare for the possibility of unrest if they’re near polling stations. “If you’re not a polling station and some type of civil unrest occurs, we need to be prepared to close our building, shutter our facility if something bad happens,” he said. “We want to have a plan, that if we have to quickly shut down, that we do so.”
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Election 2020 Registration, lawyers and patience: How Jewish groups are protecting voting access in 2020 Ron Kampeas
(JTA)—If you’re in Arizona or Florida and a 585 area code pops up on your phone, you might want to answer: It could be a Jewish volunteer in Rochester, New York, whose mission it is to help you vote. The Greater Rochester Jewish
Federation is one of a number of local and national Jewish organizations endeavoring to make sure eligible voters—Jewish and not—get to the polls. The organizations are for the most part tax-exempt and by necessity nonpartisan, but the virtual thumbtacks on their maps coincide with battlegrounds where
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Democrats have pushed back against what they say are Republican efforts to diminish minority turnout. “The goal is really to register disenfranchised voters, specifically minority communities where access to proper information on voting access, to voter education, all the stuff that you need to be informed, and really to vote in general is really at an all-time low,” says Sarah Walters, the federation’s community relations director. Volunteers are trained to explain how to safely mail in votes, where President Donald Trump and his associates have sowed distrust in the method through false claims of fraud. They are suing to expand early voting opportunities where Republicans are shutting them down. Where Trump is asking acolytes to watch polls, Jewish groups are training volunteers to de-escalate confrontation at polls. Where Trump says he wants the election called Nov. 3, Jewish organizations are telling voters that a wait is likely because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the umbrella body for public policy groups, has helped Jewish Community Relations Councils in eight states—Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin— partner with “All Voting is Local,” a voter registration project run by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “We’re committed to the protection of people and the right to vote,” says Melanie Roth Gorelick, JCPA’s vice president. “But it’s a fine line to walk this year because of the extreme partisan nature of the landscape.” Here are some of the protective measures Jewish groups are taking ahead of Election Day. Registering de-registered voters Republican-led states have in recent years removed from the rolls voters who have not voted for several successive elections. Democrats and voting rights activists say that because turnout is traditionally lower among minorities and people living in poverty, the action amounts to
disenfranchisement. National and local Jewish organizations are partnering with voting rights groups to tell voters in states who may have been stricken off the rolls how to get back on. The Rochester federation partnered with Reclaim the Vote, a project of Center for Common Ground, a voting rights group. (The Reform movement also has partnered with Reclaim the Vote.) Walters says that 150 Jewish volunteers in her city have trained so far to reach deregistered voters in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. “You’ve got a script right in front of you that is county-specific and person-specific with all the information they need to figure out if they’re registered,” Walters says. “If they believe that they are registered—in many cases people have registered before but have been removed from voter rolls for not voting enough—you’re making sure that they know how to check that and if they aren’t registered, you’re making sure they have the resources they need to find out that they’re eligible to register.” Mitigating suppression by increasing turnout The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism wants an “overwhelming” turnout, says its director, Rabbi Jonah Pesner. “It erodes the possibility of the attempts to either delegitimize” the election “or targeted suppression,” Pesner says. “If there is an overwhelming turnout of lower-income communities and communities of color, then that will mitigate against a lot of what will be attempts at voter suppression, like if you close polling places.” The pandemic means door-knocking is not the option it was in past elections, so Reform volunteers have used electronic means to reach voters, through texting and apps. “We had originally set as our goal 250,000 voter engagements,” Pesner says. “We’ve engaged 350,000 and we’re on track to get to half a million by Election Day.” The outreach is strategic, Pesner says, citing as an example the RAC chapter in
Election 2020 Chicago. Illinois, solidly Democratic, does not pose a disenfranchisement threat, so the local Reform Jewish activists consulted with longtime allies in Black churches. They joined efforts to reach voters in neighboring Wisconsin, which is a critical swing state, and where Republican legislators have sought to inhibit mail-in voting and have limited polling places. Bringing out the lawyers Pesner’s RAC is also recruiting lawyers to join a project run by the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law to be on call until Election Day to report attempts at voter suppression. “The hotline has already become almost overwhelmed with calls,” says Pesner. “And obviously the Reform community is uniquely positioned to deliver lawyers.” Sheila Katz, who directs the National Council of Jewish Women, is also recruiting lawyers and others to watch polls.
“We’re working to get people to polling locations that have a particular level of expertise and training to be able to advise people on their rights,” she says. “Lawyers are definitely highly preferred as people we want on the ground. But we have training that will be available to any person who wants to make sure that they’re available to be able to let people know what their rights are.” Lawyers for the Anti-Defamation League have joined an effort led by Common Cause in Texas to overturn an order by Gov. Greg Abbott to limit ballot drops to one station per county. “Limiting the number of drop-off sites available to absentee voters reduces the options Texans have to participate in the 2020 election without risking their health,” Cheryl Drazin, the vice president of ADL’s central division, says. Encouraging Election Day volunteering The Lippman Kanfer Foundation for
Living Torah is encouraging Jewish organizations to let staffers take Election Day off to volunteer as poll workers, and providing training for de-escalation should they encounter attempts to disrupt voting. The program is called Free and Fair: Our Duty to Democracy, on Tuesday. Aaron Dorfman, the foundation’s president, says it was working with Over Zero, a group that combats “identity-based violence.” The training involves connecting volunteers from faith communities and establishing lines of communication if there is a threat, which is increasingly understood as a potential outcome during this election. “If there are instances of violence around Election Day they’re prepared to connect with local law enforcement of elected officials and other faith leaders,” he says. “They can think and strategize together and respond collectively.” The ADL has published a guide for state and local officials to identify possible
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Sending wish-you-were-voting postcards The Jewish federation in Buffalo, New York, is getting volunteers to write postcards to the voters in the states designated by the Reclaim our Vote project, which cites studies that have found that handwritten appeals on the back of colorful postcards spur 25% of recipients to reregister. “Every county has specific texts that you’re allowed to use and they handwrite postcards, and they’re given an address to send,” says Mara Koven-Gelman, the federation’s community relations director. Deborah Cohen, a retired psychiatric nurse who is a congregant at Buffalo’s continued on page 12
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sources of extremist violence ahead of time. “It’s a toolkit or reference for state and local officials who are confronting the challenge of the potential for threats motivated by extremism,” says Steve Freeman, the ADL’s vice president for civil rights.
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Congregation Shir Shalom, initiated the postcard writing, drawing in 50 of her fellow congregants. Koven-Gelman says the effort has spread throughout the community and has reached “students and grandparents, people trying to make a difference.” Addressing challenges facing the young and old Hillel, the international organization that works with college students and young adults, has revamped its MitzVote campaign for the pandemic era, launching a website that helps students homebound by the pandemic figure out how and where to register to vote. Two years ago, West Wing star and Jewish Twitter celebrity Josh Malina starred in a MitzVote get-out-the-vote video. This year, he’s joined by several other prominent (but youth-oriented) Jews in promoting MitzVote’s “Schmear Campaign,” which aims to convince college-aged voters that casting a ballot during the pandemic is as easy as toasting a bagel. Hillel is not alone in targeting college students, who may face unique challenges in being able to vote because many are not living where they expected. Pesner says students in the Reform movement are amping up the student-to-student texting network they established after the mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida in 2018. “We’ve got this massive text to text campaign of students holding their peers accountable,” he says. At the same time, Jewish groups are giving special attention to elderly voters, as well, who may also face unique obstacles in casting their ballots. “I’m especially concerned that Jews who are sitting at home, who plan on voting, don’t become intimidated because they think there’s going to be rowdy people at the polling sites, that it makes them stay home,” says Ronald Halber, who directs Greater Washington’s Jewish Community Relations Council. Getting out the party vote Not all of this year’s election efforts are
about safeguarding the vote. Partisan Jewish organizations are doing what they do every cycle: focusing on getting the vote out, especially in swing states where the margin between the winner and loser is likely to be narrow and Jewish voters could potentially influence the result. As the contours of the election have become clearer, Democrats are laboring in more states than Republicans. Matt Brooks, the Republican Jewish Coalition director, says his organization had reached more than 410,000 “likely Trump and persuadable” voters in Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Arizona, Georgia, and Michigan, all swing states where Jewish voters could make a difference. Meanwhile, the Jewish Democratic Council of America has made 100,000 calls and sent 120,000 texts to Jewish voters in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The hope is to reach 500,000 voters by Election Day. Bend the Arc, the Jewish social justice movement that has endorsed Joe Biden and other Democrats, has exceeded its target of reaching 250,000 Jewish voters and is now extending its phone and text campaign to non-Jews in swing states, reaching 725,000 so far, says CEO Stosh Cotler. Urging patience, despite possible delays Efforts to ensure a smooth Election Day and weeks leading up to it may not be enough to safeguard this year’s vote. Jewish groups will join public information campaigns counseling patience in the face of Trump’s stated intention to see the vote as done on the evening of Nov. 3. (Prognosticators have suggested that the count might initially favor Trump and then swing to Biden once mail-in votes are counted.) “We know that many of the votes won’t be counted on Nov. 3, and perhaps a decision will not be made and we need people to be patient, to let the process happen, we want people to be peaceful,” says Melanie Roth Gorelick, senior vice president at the Jewish Council for Public Affairs.
12 | Jewish News | October 26, 2020 | jewishnewsva.org
JFS finds new superpowers to help individuals dealing with Isolation 2020 Lisa Richmon
P
andemic isolation affects everyone differently. It’s human kryptonite. Nobody is immune because there is no antidote for the great equalizer—the need for human connection. Since 1946, Jewish Family Service of Tidewater has been fighting isolation-induced illness, anxiety and depression, as a transition partner to vulnerable members of the Jewish community. JFS funding provides a lifeline to Jewish families and individuals experiencing financial hardship as well as those living with developmental disabilities. Add COVID to the mix, where the activity bus is shut down, and the agency’s need to be creative superheroes combating isolation, increases tenfold. Special needs call for special people. Maryann Kettyle has been the Special Needs Case Manager for JFS since 2012. Kettyle recently lost a client who passed away in the hospital alone and scared. Her biggest comfort is knowing they made arrangements for his brother to be with him on the day he passed. “We had a very unique relationship,” says Kettyle. “He had a big personality. I worry about the group getting back together and feeling that loss.” Some of her clients, who are under 60 when they start working together, age up and stay with her for years. Kettyle wears a lot of hats. She is a job and interview coach, facilitator who helps people apply for food stamps and fill out other necessary forms, and a caring soul who helps combat agonizing loneliness with long phone chats. She also acts as a patient advocate who will interact with medical professionals on a client’s behalf. This is especially helpful in the season of telehealth, an additional pandemic-produced challenge for everyone, not just someone with special needs, or their caretakers. When performing certain tasks like writing a resume or applying for Affordable Care, Kettyle allows space for people to master what they can and if they hit a wall, they feel her presence. I tell them, ‘You can
do this and I’m here to help you. If you get stuck, we can talk it through,’” says Kettyle. Recently, she assisted a patient with a telehealth appointment, and was able to communicate on her behalf to the doctor, resulting in an appropriate prescription. “Many have lost employment and insurance and won’t be returning to those jobs. I will help them demystify Affordable Care and tell them, ‘call me and we can do it together on your computer’ if they have connectivity. Some clients don’t have wifi or money to pay for it. They don’t have a computer so I use remote access to JFS server. I fill it in for them and get the tracking number so the local agent can contact them directly.” “I am so impressed by the stupendous support for the Jewish community,” says Kettyle. “Three clients passed away due to COVID. JFS helped with financial support for burial, and emotional support while they were ill. We called every day and talked to them.” Kettyle’s positivity is safely spreading to the upcoming Hanukkah Children’s project which will look completely different than past events where people gathered and hugged with gratitude. “This year people are not comfortable going into stores or picking up gifts so we’re doing a Gift Card drive. I hope it will be fruitful, and that donors feel just as good giving in this way.” A lot of my clients have teenage kids and when they get a Starbucks gift card for a latte or hot chocolate, they feel just like other kids, and for that moment their cup is full.” This is part of a series of articles spotlighting local and overseas partner agencies that are beneficiaries of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s annual Community Campaign.
Salute to The Military Supplement to Jewish News October 26, 2020 jewishnewsva.org | October 26, 2020 | Veterans | Jewish News | 13
Military Observing Veterans Day Dear Readers,
V
eterans Day will be observed on Wednesday, November 11 this year. I say ‘this
SERVE. PROTECT. SUPPORT.
year,’ because it is the only federal holiday that is actually marked on its date—
not on a Monday to extend the weekend with parties and extra time to shop or travel. Perhaps this respect shown for Veterans Day (originally known as Armistice Day) is because of whom the day honors…military veterans who have served in the United States Armed Forces who were discharged ‘under conditions other than dishonorable.’ It is a day to show appreciation to the men and women of our nation who spent a
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portion of their lifetime committed to the protection of the United States of America, including plenty of proud Jewish Americans. This section offers articles not only about U.S. Vets and Active-Duty Military, but also a couple of pieces about Jewish service members in Germany and in Israel. The article on page 15 about Jewish chaplains training at Maxwell Air Force Base offers a
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14 | Jewish News | Veterans | October 26, 2020 | jewishnewsva.org
Military Chaplains train at Maxwell Air Force Base Elizabeth Kratz
(JNS)—The weeks before, during and after Shavuot this year were unlike any other for two northern New Jersey rabbis. Rabbi Ezra Frazer of Teaneck and Rabbi Yitzchok Lerman of Rutherford spent the holiday in Montgomery, at Maxwell Air Force Base. Instead of spending the nights and days teaching Torah in quiet study or enjoying cheesecake with family, they, along with 400 other Air Force officer candidates, sat in flight rooms participating in officer training exercises, marching and running with their squadrons, going over military policy and conducting wargames. Later, they even went out into the field, sleeping in shipping containers, fulfilling their operational roles during a mock-national disaster. The approximately eight-week officer-training course was one of the final steps in their appointments to the chaplaincy of the U.S. Air Force Reserve. Frazer will spend summers in the foreseeable future working as a chaplain at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., while Lerman has been assigned to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Based on education level and years of work experience, Frazer, who also holds a Ph.D., is entering the Air Force Reserve as a captain; Lerman’s rank is first lieutenant. Frazer is a Chidon (Bible Quiz) youth champion, a former coordinator of the youth Chidon for the Jewish Agency and a longtime Jewish-studies teacher who now works at the Heschel School in Manhattan. Lerman is the rabbi of Congregation Beth El in Rutherford and the Chabad of the Meadowlands, N.J. He also teaches at the Rabbinical College of America in Morristown. Frazer grew up in Teaneck; Lerman in Brooklyn, N.Y. Both found there was so much new material to learn. “I was reminded of when I first learned how to drive, when I felt like my brain was going to explode until I realized what to focus on. There
was so much new terminology and by the time the term came around again, I already forgot what it meant,” says Frazer. With about 400 people going through officer training, there were 80 to 90 people in each squadron and then each was further divided into a flight of 16 people, who spent all their time together. A total of 11 men and 5 women were in Frazer’s flight. “I came to feel my flight was my family there. We were all on the same floor in the dorm and had our classes all together in the flight room,” he says. Frazer expressed gratitude that his roommate assisted him with his religious accommodations, including handling money for his cafeteria meals in advance on Shabbat and Yom Tov. Religious accommodations in the Air Force are honored as long they don’t impact one’s performance—the mission comes first. Maj. Holly Hess, an Air Force media relations representative, explained that in deployed environments, kosher (and halal) food in the form of Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) are provided by the government. “This is also true for the specific dietary needs during Passover. There are protocols in place for airmen who are directed to eat at dining facilities—these are typically airmen who live in the dorm rooms on base—to request a religious accommodation waiver. In this instance, once approved, the member would be paid a meal allowance to purchase their own food instead of being required to dine at the dining facility,” she says. Frazer noted that he went to great lengths to not overburden his fellow officers with his observances but also compensated when he felt he needed to. “I made a lot of effort to study in advance and did very well on the first test, showing them that my keeping Shabbat was not a barrier. It was a very good feeling,” he says. Both chaplains described how they used pamphlets or paper instead of computers on Shabbat during class time. “All computer-related assignments I was able continued on page 16
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Military continued from page 15
to complete before or after Shabbat,” says Lerman. Lerman had applied for and received a waiver to keep his beard and wear his kipah (Frazer wore his all the time as well). “Each week, one person is chosen to be the squadron commander. I was chosen our fifth week there to be the squadron commander. It was a tremendous kiddush Hashem [sanctification of God’s name]. We had a seven-and-a-halfmile run being led by a bearded Jew!” relates Lerman. During the first full week of training, Frazer’s flight gave out call signs, often a term of endearment or a play on one’s name. They can also be a reminder of an embarrassing mistake someone made in training, or an inside joke of some kind. “My call sign is “Rabbi.” I really saw it as a sign of warmth and affection,” says Frazer.
10,000 Estimated Jews in the U. S. military
Finding enough kosher food to eat on a very active military base in Alabama was, quite literally, no picnic. “Kosher food was my biggest challenge,” says Lerman. Frazer added that the Air Force required that service members march into the cafeteria as part of their training; they do not look left or right and have only 10 minutes to eat. “At some point, a medic noticed I was struggling to keep kosher and not getting enough to eat. She took me to the cafeteria when it was not a scheduled meal time so I could find out what was there that was kosher.” At some point, his instructor located some kosher-for-Passover meals of chicken and potatoes. “The Air Force provided kosher MREs, and the kitchen staff went out of their way to assist me by making me a fresh salad for lunch daily. For the first four weeks, I would eat tuna, protein bars, MREs and
the salad for meals,” recounts Lerman. “I kept kosher protein bars in the religious accommodation room, and I had a special dispensation to eat in the flight room because I kept kosher. No one else on my flight was allowed to eat in the room. “I felt bad about this and wanted to make sure people were okay with it and understood why. At some point, part of a group activity was providing real, meaningful feedback to one another. I got feedback from my flight members, saying, ‘Stop apologizing, we want you to be healthy’.” “Friday night I would make kiddush on a small bottle of grape juice that I brought with me—wine isn’t allowed on base—and had a meal of some matzah that I also brought with me,” says Lerman. He described how he threw a “Fridaynight kiddush” the last Shabbat of training, which several chaplains from other faith groups attended, as well as many Jewish airmen and women. “We had a Jewish woman ‘light’ the candles— electric because fire wasn’t allowed.” The Jewish Welfare Board estimates that there are 10,000 Jews in the U.S. military, and 50,000 military family members. However, Hess noted the Air Force has only 1,105 Air Force members who have self-identified as Jewish, though she indicated that self-identification for faith groups is voluntary. Of 515 active duty chaplains in the Air Force, 18, serving in either active or reserve capacities, are Jewish, she says. Chaplains are tasked with serving a unique role—not as social workers, but assisting service members with their religious needs and serving as confidential counselors. Rather than providing social services, they can provide assistance to service members experiencing personal or interpersonal issues at work. “The chaplain is the one person in the military who will not report a person to his or her commander. People benefit from having that one person they can go and let everything out to, to provide words of encouragement, without getting them into trouble,” says Frazer. “We can also update the leadership on morale of the unit and can share
16 | Jewish News | Veterans | October 26, 2020 | jewishnewsva.org
impressions regarding demoralization. The commander can make adjustments in how they assign tasks or pace, based on the chaplain’s advice.” The military chaplain’s role is threefold, according to Rabbi Irving Elson, the former Deputy Chaplain of the Marine Corps, who now serves as vice president of JWB’s Jewish Chaplains Council, a program of the JCC Association of North America. Chaplains first provide services and religious accommodation to people of their own faith; then they facilitate the religious needs for service members of other faiths; and third, they provide pastoral care to all who need it. “We are spiritually based, but not faith-specific, when serving those of other faiths,” says Elson. “They become great representatives of American Jewry.” Pastoral care, including caring for the morale and welfare of young people often far from home, is a job in great demand in the armed services. Elson explained that one of the roles of the JWB—an agency that serves as a go-between representing the American Jewish community to the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs—is to be an “ecclesiastical endorser.” They work with prospective chaplains to review their rabbinic credentials, and provide recommendations and endorsements to the military. “These two young rabbis are really the tip of the iceberg. The military rabbinate is one of the best-kept secrets of American Jewry,” says Elson. While Frazer worked with the JWB, Lerman’s ecclesiastical endorser was the Florida-based Aleph Institute, led by Rabbi Sholom Ber Lipsker and Col. (ret.) Sandy Dresin. Elson says that Frazer and Lerman were among seven other Jewish chaplains who entered military service this year. “There is a tremendous shortage of military rabbis. We would love to talk to any ordained rabbi who would be interested in serving in the military chaplaincy. If, today, I had 50 or 75 rabbis apply, I would be able to take them all. That’s how far behind we are,” says Elson. The financial benefits of serving in the military, even as a reserve chaplain, are not inconsiderable. “They say reserve
The military is something you join as part of your ideals, but it’s also a good career opportunity. provides full-time benefits with part-time employment,” says Frazer. Reservists are eligible for a particular version of military health insurance, a part of their pension program, and the military pay scale is publicly available. There is a scaled housing allowance as well. “The military is something you join as part of your ideals, but it’s also a good career opportunity. The military recognizes in a country where there is no draft; this is something people are doing voluntarily. There are also jobs that will give them skills to use in the civilian sector as well. It’s helping people, but also a career that people can be proud of doing,” he explains. For Frazer, serving as an Air Force chaplain is not something he considered doing several years ago, but as a dayschool rabbi and teacher, he does have availability in the summers and was considering what kind of work he could take up as a second career. “I was taken by the idea of doing something different that would give back to the country at large. America safeguards our religious freedom, and a big part of what you are doing as a chaplain is ensuring religious accommodation,” he says. Lerman says he was attracted to the role because there are very few Jewish chaplains in the Air Force and a need for many more, and he has a background in mentoring and consulting, in addition to running a traditional Chabad House and programs through Chabad of the Meadowlands. “We cater to Jewish people, but also to everybody, for counseling and teaching,” he says. “We with our heritage as Jews should be among those in the service, helping others.”
Military HBO Max to air Yom Kippur War drama Valley of Tears, Israel’s biggest-budget TV series ever Curt Schleier
(JTA)—HBO Max has bought the rights to Valley of Tears, a drama about the 1973 Yom Kippur War that is being touted as Israel’s biggest-budget TV series to date. The 10-part series depicts the war through the eyes of young soldiers through four different plot lines. No premiere date has yet been announced. It stars Lior Ashkenazi, familiar to international audiences from his role in Israel’s acclaimed film Foxtrot and his work opposite Richard Gere in Norman: The Moderate Rise And Tragic Fall Of A New York Fixer. There is significant talent behind the scenes as well: It was created and co-written by Israeli-American writer Ron Leshem, who wrote HBO’s Euphoria, and Amit Cohen, who wrote the popular Israeli thriller series False Flag. The pair are also already at work on another Israeli series called Traitor, a thriller currently in post-production.
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Military
Thank You Veterans The Tidewater Jewish community honors all those who have served
In remembrance of local veterans who have passed in the last year: Maurice Sidney Spivak US Army/US Naval Reserves
Allen Joseph Gordon US Army/US Air Force
Richard Leonard “Dick” Staub US Coast Guard
Alfred William Lehman US Navy
Richard B. Emanuel US Army Air Corp
Howard Morton Weisberg US Army Air Force
Jacob Cohen US Army Air Corp
Dr. Morris Victor Shelanski US Naval Reserve
Henry J. Abraham US Army
Robert “Bob” G. Liverman US Army Air Corps
Irvin “Buddy” Holzsweig US Army
Dr. Warren G. Karesh US Army
Bertrum Norman Legum US Army
Lorence “Ozzie” Roger Osmunson, III US Navy
Jack Burt Jacobson US Coast Guard Lawrence Herbert Coleman US Army Reserve Herbert Katz US Army Dr. Ronald I. Dozoretz US Navy Leo S. Simon US Navy Barry Steven Comess US Coast Guard Seymour D. Glanzer US Air Force
Top Guard earns recognition for hiring veterans
T
op Guard Security is celebrating its 24th year in business and is the Commonwealth of Virginia’s largest woman-owned employer. The 1,000+ employee firm provides uniformed unarmed and armed private security officers to both commercial and government properties. Governor Ralph Northam recognized Top Guard with the Virginia Values Veterans program’s (V3) 2020 Governor’s Award for Hiring the Largest Number of Veterans. Top Guard received the same recognition for hiring veterans across the Commonwealth in 2017. The firm’s founder, Nicole Stuart, is the granddaughter of a U. S. Army/ Air Corps veteran who served in the
Indo-China Theater in World War II and retired as a U. S. Air Force Senior Master Chief. Top Guard has also been recognized for its unwavering support of the National Guard and Reserve by the Employer’s Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) with its prestigious “Seven Seals” Award, along with several Patriot’s Award recognitions for account manager’s support of officers fulfilling their service commitments. In addition, Top Guard has been selected as a Most Valuable Employer— Military Award by civilianjobs.com for supporting veteran and military spouse employment.
Dr. Irvin J. Coin US Army David Metz US Army Marvin Kuriloff US Army Norman Charles Shroyer US Air Force Stanley Irwin Goldberg US Air Force Herman Weisberg US Navy
Mazel Tov on your retirement after 32 years of service.
List updated as of October 8, 2020
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18 | Jewish News | Veterans | October 26, 2020 | jewishnewsva.org
Military
Lawmakers urge VA chief to remove swastika from German POW gravestones at military cemetery Marcy Oster
( JTA) Lawmakers from two House committees called for the removal of gravestones from a military cemetery that are inscribed with Nazi symbols and sentiments. The four lawmakers sent the bipartisan request to Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie in a letter. They include the top Democrat and the top Republican on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. Two tombstones among 140 for World War II POWs at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas, are marked with a swastika inside a German cross and inscribed, “He died far from his home for the Führer, people, and fatherland.” Another gravestone in the military cemetery in Salt Lake City is marked with a swastika. There are an estimated 860 World War I and II-era German POWs buried in 43 cemeteries across the United States. “Allowing these gravestones with symbols and messages of hatred, racism, intolerance, and genocide is especially
offensive to all the veterans who risked, and often lost, their lives defending this country and our way of life,” the lawmakers wrote. “It is also a stain on the hallowed ground where so many veterans and their families are laid to rest. Families who visit their loved ones, who are buried in the same cemeteries with the Nazi soldiers whom they fought against, should never have to confront symbols of hatred that are antithetical to our American values.” “It is particularly troubling that VA’s refusal to replace these offensive headstones comes at a time when documented anti-Semitic incidents in the United States have reached a new high.” The lawmakers are Reps. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., and Kay Granger, R-Texas, the chairwoman and ranking member of the Appropriations Committee; and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., and its ranking member, John Carter, R-Texas, the chair and ranking member, respectively, of the military construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations subcommittee. In a previous request from Wasserman Schultz, who is among the most senior
Jewish Democrats in Congress, the VA responded that the headstones cannot be replaced because the National Historic
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last month, are in a facility constructed after the hospital came under fire during the Second Lebanon War in 2006. The wards will be staffed by about 100 members of the military’s medical staff, the IDF said in a statement. Medical personnel assigned to the wards have undergone training by Rambam staff, according to the IDF. The effort is part of the military’s Operation Tribe of Brothers to help battle the coronavirus pandemic.
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Military Rabbis can be military chaplains in Germany for the first time since the 1930s Joe Baur
BERLIN (JTA) — Rabbis can be military chaplains again in the German military for the first time since they were kicked out by the Nazis in the 1930s, nearly a century ago. The German Bundestag, or parliament, unanimously approved the move in a vote. “The first clergymen are expected to begin their ministry this autumn,” a statement by the Department of Defense. “Later, up to 10 pastoral workers of the Jewish faith are to serve in the German armed forces.” The decision completes a promise made at the end of 2019 by Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. A state contract was signed in December with the Central Council of Jews in Germany, modeled after similar state contracts with
the evangelical and Catholic churches. “Today at the Cabinet meeting, we sent an important signal to our Jewish soldiers,” Kramp-Karrenbauer said on Twitter. “After about 100 years, we will install a Jewish military rabbi in the #Bundeswehr again. A clear commitment: Jewish life is self-evident in our country.” About 300 Jewish soldiers serve in the German army abroad, according to the New York Times. “The military rabbis will play an important support role for Jewish soldiers,” says Central Council President Josef Schuster. “Particularly in times of growing anti-Semitism and the spread of conspiracy myths in society, this is an important step in supporting democratic attitudes among the soldiers.” As many as 12,000 Jewish soldiers died fighting for Germany in World War I, before the Nazis came to power.
JWB Jewish Chaplains Council® held its first-ever National Jewish Community Observance of Memorial Day NEW YORK—On Monday, May 25, JWB Jewish Chaplains Council®, a program of JCC Association of North America, spearheaded the first-ever National Jewish Community Observance of Memorial Day, a commemoration that was livestreamed on the JWB Jewish Chaplains Council Facebook page. The commemoration featured greetings to the Jewish community from senior ranking military officials, messages from bereaved families, prayers honoring the fallen heroes of all wars and conflicts involving American troops, and a performance by the United States Naval Academy Glee Club. Since 1917, JWB Jewish Chaplains Council, a signature program of JCC
Association of North America, has partnered with the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to meet the needs of the Jewish men and women who serve the United States in uniform by creating meaningful Jewish life for them. Through the recruitment and training of rabbis and lay leaders, JWB has created a global network of spiritual leaders to serve the brave men and women who in turn serve America. Facing continued change and uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is reassuring to know that some things haven’t changed: Jewish commitment to the United States of America and to the men and women who serve in the armed forces remain steadfast.
PHOEBUS AUCTION GALLERY
Jewish tidewater
Sunday, November 8 9:00 am
Pandemic doesn’t slow down Brith Sholom Rona Proser
B
efore March, Brith Sholom members met at Beth Sholom Village monthly for some camaraderie, an enlightening speaker, and a delicious breakfast. Every few months the members also enjoyed dinner and an evening of entertainment together. Sometimes they took bus trips to museums or other cultural outings. Then, the pandemic changed their lives. No longer able to meet in person, the decision was made to go virtual and keep everyone connected over Zoom. Rabbi Michael Panitz led the first Zoom meeting with an informative presentation on Pesach. The series continued with Congresswoman Elaine Lauria, who spoke about current legislative topics in Washington. In September, the group previewed the documentary, Nobody Wants Us, written and directed by Laura Seltzer Duny, a Newport News native. The film is the true story of how her great aunt and uncle helped Jewish refugees on the steamship Quanza remain in Norfolk rather than return to Germany in 1940. The documentary
was shown on WHRO-TV on October 1. For more information on this film, visit nobodywantsus.com. To add a little fun, Brith Sholom began sponsoring Zoom bingo games a few months ago. Winners received gift cards from a variety of local restaurants, grocery stores, or Amazon. These games will resume on October 25, November 22, and December 20 at 1 pm. All that’s needed to participate is to download the Bingo cards. On Sunday, November 8, 1–2 pm, the group is sponsoring a “Safe Drive Thru Food Drive” in the parking lot across from Beth Sholom Village. Donors may safely drop off nonperishable food items or make a monetary donation without getting out of their car. The next two general membership meetings will be Sunday, November 1 and Sunday, December 6 at 1 pm. Speakers will be announced at a later date. For more information on speakers or Bingo, contact Lee Anne Mallory at 757‑461‑1150 or Brith.Sholom1@gmail.com.
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Stein Family College Scholarship Apply from December 1 – March 1
VIRGINIA 2020 ELECTIONS Important deadlines Friday, Sept. 18, 2020—Absentee Voting Begins Monday, Oct. 12, 2020—Last day to register to vote online, by mail, or in-person at your registrar’s office Friday, Oct. 23, 2020—Last day to request an absentee ballot via the mail-in form
This annual college scholarship of up to $10,000 per
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020—Last day to request an absentee ballot via the online form
year is awarded to area Jewish students entering college. Applicants are evaluated on financial need,
Saturday, October 31, 2020—Last day to vote absentee in-person
Jewish/community
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020—Election Day! Friday, Nov. 6, 2020—Last day for mail-in ballots to be received by the registrar in order to be counted. Must be postmarked by November 3. For more information, go to https://ujft.salsalabs.org/vavotingresourceguide.
The Stein Family College Scholarship is dedicated in loving memory of Arlene Shea Stein who was unable to finish college due to financial hardship.
engagement,
and
academic
potential. To apply or for more information, visit jewishva.org/tjf-stein
jewishnewsva.org | October 26, 2020 | Jewish News | 21
Tidewater Jewish Foundation First person
Giving opportunities for you and your family during COVID-19 Naomi Limor Sedek
2
020 has been a tumultuous year, to say the least. As you and your advisors sit down to discuss year-end tax and charitable planning, there are several additional factors this year that can influence key decisions. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact virtually all aspects of the economy; and the upcoming election is bound to bring changes to Washington that could result in significant changes to the income tax and the estate and gift tax regimes. Differing tax agendas could bring significant changes either way: There are major differences between the tax agendas of President Trump and former Vice President Biden. The Trump tax plan for the second term revolves around making permanent several key provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, as well as a potential cut in the tax rate on capital gains and dividends. The Biden tax agenda contemplates re-imposing a top income tax rate of 39.6 percent above $400,000 and taxing capital gains and dividends at ordinary income tax rates for those taxpayers with incomes over $1
million.
CHARITABLE GIVING This year, charitable giving takes on new meaning and importance. In a time of social distancing and uncertainty, giving is now a primary way to care for one another and remain connected. Also important is the increased reliance on charitable giving for community organizations and the many families who are struggling to make ends meet. There are few times in history where we have needed each other more. Members of the Tidewater Jewish community, along with people across the globe, have risen to the challenge and are giving generously to care for others. As we near the end of the year and begin to evaluate personal finances, you may want to consider a handful of giving strategies to reduce your tax burden and make a greater impact. DONATE TO THE TIDEWATER JEWISH COMMUNITY COVID-19 EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND The COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund provides support for cherished community
22 | Jewish News | October 26, 2020 | jewishnewsva.org
institutions and helps ensure our most vulnerable community members have the resources needed to navigate these unprecedented times. A joint effort between United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Tidewater Jewish Foundation, to date, the Fund has distributed more than $100,000 to assist vulnerable populations, agencies, and synagogues. Additionally, TJF donor advised fund holders have made more than 40 distributions to help meet COVID-related needs. Dollars have gone to area congregations, provided personal protective equipment for Beth Sholom Village and Jewish Family Service (JFS), helped JFS provide financial assistance for individuals in need, assisted the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and JFS Food Pantry combat rising food insecurity, and supported day schools’ preparations to reopen safely. These needs will continue.
CREATE A DONOR ADVISED FUND (DAF) A Donor Advised Fund is an excellent way to set aside dollars that you plan to distribute over time rather than all at once. This is a particularly valuable tool
if you are concerned about capital gains tax from non-recurring events or transactions and/or if you make multiple gifts to organizations throughout the year. For example, after the sale of a home, a donor may make a tax-deductible gift with some of those proceeds into a DAF and then use that fund to cover temple dues and annual campaign gifts over a number of years. In addition, a DAF streamlines the giving process and connects donors to expert philanthropic advisors. A DAF allows you to make charitable gifts into the fund at any time while retaining the ability to make distribution requests from the fund to charitable organizations of your choice (Jewish or non-Jewish). You may also name your child(ren) as successor advisor(s) to your family fund. This type of fund may be established by an individual, a couple, or a family. If you establish a new DAF through TJF with at least $7,500, TJF will match your gift with an additional $2,500, totaling $10,000 or more in your new fund. That’s an extra $2,500 with which you can make a difference.
Tidewater Jewish Foundation LEGACY MATCH LIFE INSURANCE PROGRAM Charitable Life Insurance is one of the most impactful (and underutilized) ways to make a gift. If you donate $5,000 or more per year (including synagogue dues) and are under age 65, this is an excellent philanthropic vehicle to consider. For example, a couple, both age 40, can make annual tax-deductible gifts of $1,753 for a period of 10 years to make a $250,000 gift to their community. Right now, TJF is offering a 35% match of premiums for specific types of policies. A Charitable Life Insurance Policy can help you make a greater gift than you ever thought possible. LIFE & LEGACY— A GIFT TO SECURE A JEWISH FUTURE LIFE & LEGACY is a program that helps individuals and families create legacy gifts, providing a permanent source of support for the Jewish causes they care about. These endowed gifts are already working to help care for our elderly, ensure local synagogues are able to keep its doors open for the next generation, feed the hungry, preserve Jewish identity, protect and strengthen Israel, and more. Legacy gifts are no longer exclusively for the wealthy. With this program, anyone can make a gift to ensure a strong, Jewish tomorrow. There are a variety of giving options available that can be tailored to meet your needs and help you achieve your philanthropic goals. In less than four years of the program, Tidewater Jewish organizations have secured 549 commitments totaling approximately $21 million in current and future endowed gifts. Tidewater LIFE & LEGACY partners include: Congregation Beth El, Strelitz International Academy, Ohef Sholom Temple, Beth Sholom Village, Jewish Family Service of Tidewater, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Temple Emanuel, Chabad of Tidewater, and Simon Family Jewish Community Center. OVER 70½? QCDS STILL AVAILABLE IN 2020 Thanks to the CARES Act, Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are waived for 2020. However, Qualified
Charitable Distributions (QCDs) remain available and offer tax benefits for donors older than 70½. The QCD, or charitable IRA rollover, is a special provision allowing certain donors to exclude from taxable income—and count toward their RMD in typical years—certain transfers of IRA assets that are made directly to public charities. In order for a gift to qualify for the charitable IRA rollover, the gift must be transferred directly from an IRA to a permissible public charity (such as TJF for the benefit of one or more organizations). Additionally, the gift must be completed during the applicable tax year. An individual taxpayer’s total charitable IRA rollover gifts cannot exceed $100,000 per tax year. A married couple may transfer up to $200,000. Many donors are using their IRA to fulfill their Life and Legacy commitments.
GIFTING OF APPRECIATED SECURITIES The end of year is a great time to consider a charitable contribution of long-term appreciated securities (stocks, bonds, and/or mutual funds that have realized significant appreciation). It is one of the most tax-efficient ways to give. Long-term appreciated securities with unrealized gains (they were purchased over a year ago, and have a current value greater than original cost) may be donated to a public charity (such as TJF) and a tax deduction taken for the full fair market value of the securities—up to 30% of the donor’s adjusted gross income. You may gift any appreciated securities directly to Tidewater Jewish Foundation into a current fund or create a new fund, such as a Donor Advised Fund to benefit one or more organizations now and in the future. Tax deductions may be received at the time of the gift of the securities and determine later which organizations you want to receive distributions from the fund. OTHER CHARITABLE PROVISIONS OF THE CARES ACT The CARES Act, enacted to provide COVID19 relief, contains a provision that enables the current deduction of up to 100 percent of adjusted gross income for cash gifts to charity, up from 60 percent (other than to donor-advised funds, supporting organizations, and private foundations). Individuals
considering large cash donations may find this one-year lifting of the adjusted gross income (AGI) limitation beneficial. In addition, and only for 2020, the CARES Act made a new deduction available for charitable deductions for those taxpayers who only take the standard deduction (those who do not itemize their deductions). The deduction is up to $300 per taxpayer ($600 for married couples) and this is an “above the line” adjustment to income that will reduce a donor’s AGI and thereby reduce taxable income. A donation to a DAF will
also not qualify for this new deduction. This information is not intended as tax, legal, or financial advice. Gift results may vary. Consult a personal financial advisor for infor‑ mation specific to your situation. To discuss any of these gifting options, specific goals and objectives, and to learn what is right for you and your family, contact Naomi Limor Sedek, Tidewater Jewish Foundation president & CEO at 757-965-6109 or nsedek@ujft.org.
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United Jewish Federation of Tidewater & the Simon Family JCC’s Lee and Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival 2020–2021*
*events shown only through November 10
All events are open to the community with RSVP or tickets required and will take place virtually until further notice. For more information about the Festival, to register, sponsor, or volunteer, contact Patty Shelanski at 757-452-3184 or Pshelanski@ujft.org or jewishva.org.
To register for events, go to Jewishva.org/bookfest Michael Ian Black author of A Better Man, in conversation with Meredith Jacobs, author of Just Between Us: Mother & Son Wednesday, November 4, 7:30 pm, free
Michael Ian Black is a multi-media talent who’s starred in numerous films and TV series, written and/or directed two films, and is a prolific author and commentator. Meredith Jacobs, Jewish Women International’s CEO, is an award-winning journalist and former editor-in-chief of Washington Jewish Week. She is the author and co-author of multiple books including The Modern Jewish Mom’s Guide to Shabbat: Connect and Celebrate—Bring Your Family Together with the Friday Night Meal.
Erica Katz is the pseudonym for a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and Columbia Law School who began her career at a major Manhattan law firm.
Gavriel Savit, author of The Way Back Sunday, November 15, 6:00 pm, free In partnership with Strelitz International Academy Alumni
Erica Katz author of The Boys Club Monday, November 9, 7:30 pm, free
Girl’s Night In! In partnership with the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Women’s Cabinet
F
A
Better Man is a poignant look at boyhood, in the form of a heartfelt letter from comedian, actor, father, Michael Ian Black to his teenage son before he leaves for college, and a radical plea for rethinking masculinity and teaching young men to give and receive love. Black explores the damage and rising violence caused by the expectations placed on boys to “man up,” and searches for the best way to help young men be part of the solution. In Just Between Us, advice, guidelines, and prompts by author Meredith Jacobs and her son pave the way to discussing everything exciting and scary about growing up, from friendships and school to positive masculinity. With plenty of free space to write, draw, or make lists, this journal will open the lines of communication and help strengthen mother-son relationships.
S
weetbitter meets The Firm in this buzzy, page-turning debut novel—already optioned to Netflix—about sex and power in the halls of corporate America. One of Buzzfeed’s Most Anticipated Books of 2020, Cosmopolitan’s Best Summer Reads of 2020, and New York Post’s 30 Best Summer Books. Alex Vogel has always been a high achiever. Accepting a dream offer at a prestigious Manhattan law firm she promises her sweet and supportive longtime boyfriend that the job won’t change her. Yet Alex is seduced by the firm’s money and energy. As her clients’ expectations and demands on her increase, she begins to question everything—including herself. She knows that reaching the top means playing by different rules. But who made those rules? And what if the system is rigged so that women can’t win, anyway?
or the Jews of Eastern Europe, demons are everywhere: dancing on the rooftops in the darkness of midnight, congregating in the trees, harrowing the dead, even reaching out to try and steal away the living. When the Angel of Death comes strolling through the shtetl of Tupik one night, two young people are sent spinning off on a journey through the Far Country where they will declare war on Death himself, and maybe—just maybe—find a way to make it back alive. An author and actor, Gavriel Savit’s award-winning writing for young adults has been featured on the New York Times Best Seller list and who has appeared on and off-Broadway, and on stages around the world.
Go to jewishva.org/bookfest 24 | Jewish News | October 26, 2020 | jewishnewsva.org
Presented in partnership with the National JCC Literary Consortium Mike Leven, author of Can’t Do It Yourself: How Commitment to Others Leads to Personal Prosperity
Why Did I Come Into This Room? with author Joan Lunden in conversation with Holly Firfer, CNN journalist
Thursday, October 29, 8 pm
Sunday, November 8, 8 pm Via Zoom, pre-registration required.
Tickets for this virtual event: $11 or $36 with book (includes shipping). A limited number of signed copies are available. Presented in partnership with the National JCC Literary Consortium
M
ike Leven, a storied hotel executive and respected Jewish leader, served at the helm of the Days Inn, Holiday Inn, Las Vegas Sands, and other noteworthy hospitality businesses and most recently as the CEO and chairman of the Georgia Aquarium. In his new book, Can’t Do It Yourself, Leven takes the reader on a journey through his life, from growing up in a multi-generational household with Russian immigrant grandparents in a close-knit Jewish community in Boston, to an executive for some of the most noteworthy hotel chains. Each chapter ends with 11 different lessons to live by in business and life.
Natan Sharansky and Gil Troy, authors of Never Alone, in conversation with Nadia Bilchik, media personality, author, and noted speaker Sunday, November 8, 1 pm
Tickets for this virtual event: $11 or $36 with book (includes shipping). Presented in partnership with the National JCC Literary Consortium
W
hy Did I Come into This Room? is a funny ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’ for the aging woman..… In her most candid and revealing book yet, acclaimed broadcast journalist, and Baby Boomer Joan Lunden delves into the various phases of aging that leave many feeling uncomfortable, confused, and on edge. Women in their 40s, 50s, 60s, or older will find plenty of helpful information to embrace—or at least prepare for—the inevitable. Through her poignant and often laugh out loud funny personal experiences, Lunden candidly shares her anxieties and breakthroughs and how she’s coping with the realities of aging. She’s talking about the good, the bad, and the ugly, elevating the conversation on topics often considered “taboo.” As Lunden says, “Aging ain’t for sissies…you better be prepared.” An award-winning journalist, bestselling author, motivational speaker, and women’s health and wellness advocate, Joan Lunden has been a trusted voice in American homes for more than 30 years.
Tickets for this virtual event: $6 or $36 with book (includes shipping). A limited number of signed books are available. Presented in partnership with the National JCC Literary Consortium
Dale Berra author of My Dad Yogi Tuesday, November 10, 8 pm Via Zoom, pre-registration required. Tickets for this virtual event: $11 or $24 with book (includes shipping). Presented in partnership with the National JCC Literary Consortium
I
n 1977, Natan Sharansky, a leading activist in the democratic dissident movement in the Soviet Union and the movement for free Jewish emigration, was arrested by the KGB. He spent nine years as a political prisoner, convicted of treason against the state. Sharansky fought for individual freedom in the face of overt tyranny, a struggle that would come to define the rest of his life. Never Alone reveals how Sharansky’s years in prison, many spent in harsh solitary confinement, prepared him for a very public life after his release. As an Israeli politician and the head of the Jewish Agency, Sharansky brought extraordinary moral clarity and uncompromising, often uncomfortable, honesty. With frankness, affection, and humor, Natan Sharansky and leading presidential historian and former two-time Israel Today expert, Gil Troy, offer profound insights from a man who embraced the essential human struggle: to find his own voice, his own faith, and the people to whom he could belong.
E
veryone knows Yogi Berra. The American icon was the backbone of the New York Yankees through 10 World Series Championships, managed the National League Champion New York Mets in 1973, and had an ingenious way with words that remains an indelible part of American’s lexicon. But no one knew him like his family did. My Dad, Yogi is Dale Berra’s chronicle of the unshakeable bond with his father and an intimate portrait providing a unique perspective on one of the great sports figures of the 20th Century. Dale Berra is a former Major League Baseball infielder who played from 1977 to 1987 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the New York Yankees, and the Houston Astros. He is one of the principles of LTD Enterprises, which maintains the brand and legacy of his Hall of Fame dad. jewishnewsva.org | October 26, 2020 | Jewish News | 25
Calendar
what’s happening Israel Today
Israel Story in Conversation with Eli Buli Executive Chief, Bustan Monday, October 26, 7:30 pm, free
“I
f you love something and work hard at it, you will always be successful,’” is Chef Eli (Aka Eli Buli) Buliskeria’s philosophy. Georgian born, he moved to Holon, Israel when he was three years old. From a young age, he learned the value of hard work, working often at the market with his parents. At 18, he served in the Israeli Army as a cook in the Combat Elite Unit. After experiencing the joy that his cooking brought to his fellow officers, Eli Buli realized “This is what I want to do.” Hard work, love for food, and strong beliefs Eli Buli came together to lead Chef Eli Buliskeria to New York City where he became executive chef of the pan-Mediterranean restaurant, Bustan, which has been rated by Open Table as one of the top 100 Neighborhood Gems in the United States. Ingredient list to cook along with Chef Eli Buli may be found when registering at JewishVa. org/IsraelToday. For information, contact Leigh Casson at lcasson@ujft.org or 757-321-2304.
Israel Today
Israel Story in Conversation with Etgar Keret, award-winning author and scriptwriter Thursday, November 19, 12 pm, free
J
oin the co-founders and hosts of Israel’s most popular podcast, Israel Story, for an intimate conversation with Etgar Keret and the Tidewater community. Equal parts Franz Kafka and Kurt Vonnegut, and suffused with inimitable and absurdist hilarity, Israeli writer Etgar Keret is a singular voice in contemporary literature. At once dark and delightfully comedic, his masterful short stories capture human experience in all of its inspiring beauty and perplexing shortcomings and bewitch readers with their surreal worlds. Born in Tel Aviv in 1967, Keret is a favorite author of Israel’s younger generation, as well as an international success for his short stories (Suddenly a Knock on the Door); his children’s stories (Dad Runs Away with the Etgar Keret Circus); graphic novels (Pizzeria Kamikaze); and short movies (Jellyfish). Keret’s books have been published in 31 languages in 35 countries. He has received numerous awards and in 2010, Keret was honored in France with the decoration of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He lectures at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Register today at JewishVa.org/IsraelToday. For information, contact Leigh Casson at lcasson@ujft.org or 757-321-2304.
26 | Jewish News | October 26, 2020 | jewishnewsva.org
Through DECEMBER 9 PLAYING IT SAFE: ‘SOCCER SHOTS’ PROGRAM STRIKES OUT AT THE SIMON FAMILY JCC. MONDAYS: Through–11/30/20: K-1st grade, 3:30-4:15 pm, 2nd - 3rd grade, 4:30- 5:15 pm. WEDNESDAYS: 10/7/20–2/9/20; 3-4 years, 3:30-4:00 pm and 4:15- 4:45 pm. With CDC guidelines in place, the soccer field is the SAFE place for Soccer Shots fall fun! Four eight-week sessions are open for the fall. Cost is $120 for members and $160 for potential members, including a jersey! Register at the JCC front desk or call 757-321-2338. For more information, contact Sarah Cooper at scooper@simonfamilyjcc.org. OCTOBER 13, 20, 27, NOVEMBER 10, 17, 24, TUESDAYs MODERN HEBREW: FROM BIBLICAL ROOTS TO EVERYDAY CONVERSATION A 6–week course at the Konikoff Center for Learning at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Class participants will learn the language starting with examples of how biblical root words morph into the contemporary Hebrew language. 12 pm on ZOOM. Contact Sierra Lautman, director of Jewish Innovation, slautman@ujft.org. OCTOBER 26, MONDAY Israel Story in Conversation with Eli Buli, Executive Chef, Bustan. 7:30 pm. Free. For more information and to register, contact Leigh Casson at 757-321-2304 or lcasson@ujft.org. See page 26. OCTOBER 29, THURSDAY Mike Leven, author of Can’t Do It Yourself: How Commitment to Others Leads to Personal Prosperity. Presented by UJFT and the Simon Family JCC’s Lee and Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival in partnership with The National JCC Literary Consortium. 8 pm. Tickets for virtual event are $11 or $36 with book. For more information or to register, contact Patty Shelanski at 757-452-3184 or pshelanski@ujft.org or jewishva.org. See page 25. NOVEMBER 3, TUESDAY Election Day! VOTE! For more information, go to https://ujft.salsalabs.org/ vavotingresourcesguide. NOVEMBER 4, WEDNESDAY Michael Ian Black, author of A Better Man, in conversation with Meredith Jacobs, author of Just Between Us: Mother and Son. Presented via Zoom. Pre-registration required. 7:30 pm. Free. For more information or to register, contact Patty Shelanski at 757-452-3184 or pshelanski@ujft.org or jewishva.org. See page 24. NOVEMBER 8, SUNDAY Natan Sharansky and Gil Troy, authors of Never Alone, in conversation with Nadia Bilchik, media personality, author, and noted speaker. Presented by UJFT and the Simon Family JCC’s Lee and Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival in partnership with The National JCC Literary Consortium. 1 pm. Tickets for this virtual event are $6 or $36 with book. For more information or to register, contact Patty Shelanski at 757-452-3184 or pshelanski@ ujft.org or jewishva.org. See page 25. Joan Lunden, author of Why Did I Come Into This Room? In conversation with Holly Firfer, CNN Journalist. Presented by UJFT and the Simon Family JCC’s Lee and Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival in partnership with The National JCC Literary Consortium. 8 pm. Tickets for virtual event are $11 or $36 with book. For more information or to register, contact Patty Shelanski at 757-452-3184 or pshelanski@ujft.org or jewishva.org. See page 25. Election detox hike with YAD. First Landing Park, Virginia Beach. For more information, contact Matthew Kramer-Morning at mkmorning@ujft.org. NOVEMBER 9, MONDAY Erica Katz, author of The Boys Club. In partnership with the UJFT’s Women’s Cabinet. Presented via Zoom. Pre-registration required. 7:30 pm. Free. For more information or to register, contact Patty Shelanski at 757-452-3184 or pshelanski@ujft.org or jewishva.org. See page 24. 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.
Election detox hike with YAD Sunday, November 8, 9:30–11:30 am First Landing Park, Virginia Beach
jewishnewsva.org | October 26, 2020 | Jewish News | 27
UJFT
Obituaries
New Young Leadership Campaign Manager at UJFT
M
atthew Kramer-Morning joined United Jewish Federation of Tidewater as Young Leadership Campaign manager this month. Originally from Northern Wisconsin, Matt Kramer-Morning has a diverse background in the professional Jewish world. Most recently, he served in a similar position in Indianapolis. His professional career has included work with Federations, Hillels, Jewish camping, and AIPAC and has spanned across the country including the Silicon Valley, Las Vegas, and Indianapolis Jewish communities. “Tidewater is a really interesting Jewish community,” says Kramer-Morning. “It’s smaller than Indianapolis, but with more engagement.” In fact, he notes that Tidewater’s smaller community raises more than $1 million more than Indianapolis. A lot of federations are pulling back from programming during the pandemic, notes Kramer-Morning, “but not this community, which is looking to engage young adults.” Impressed with how UJFT’s Young Adult Division has “powered through (COVID-19), thinking creatively how to meet in person, socially-distanced, and safe,” he says he’s looking forward to the
Matthew Kramer-Morning
“great program he’s coming into.” Kramer-Morning also lived in Israel for three years where he served in an IDF combat unit as a sharpshooter/sniper, and now holds dual citizenship in both Israel and the United States. In addition, he is close to completion of his master’s degree in Jewish Professional Studies and Non-Profit Management from the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership in Chicago. Kramer-Morning and his fiancée Nicole, say they are “both excited to move to Virginia and join the community!”
Adel Mazel Kruger Norfolk—Mrs. Adel M. Kruger, 93, passed away on Sunday, October 11, 2020. She was born to Sarah and Simon Mazel in Norfolk. Adel graduated from Maury High School before attending the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary, and obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Education from George Washington University. Adel was a proud member of the Jewish community, having been an active part of the Temple Israel sisterhood, a lifetime member of Hadassah, and a supporter of the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater. Adel volunteered her time for many organizations, and was a regular writer of letters to the editor. Adel was predeceased by her husband David, her parents, and brothers, Philip, Paul, and William Mazel. She is survived by a son, Evan Kruger and his wife Annie, a daughter, Sara Kruger, and six grandchildren; Maurice, Elka, Avi, and Seth Mednick, and Abraham and Joseph Kruger, and many nieces and nephews. Due to Covid19 the family chose a private service. Memorial donations can be made to Temple Israel in Norfolk, the Virginia League for Planned Parenthood, or a charity of your choice. Online condolences may be sent to the family through www.hdoliver.com. Ritty Baumgard Margulies Norfolk—Ritty Baumgard Margulies, 102, passed away on October 19, 2020, in Norfolk, Va. She was born in 1918 to Samuel and Sarah Siegel Baumgard. She was
preceded in death by her parents, her sister, Loyce Robinson, brother, Rabbi Herbert Baumgard, and her first husband, Fred Richter and second husband, Irving Margulies. She was a loving mother, wife, grandmother, and friend. She was a member of Temple Israel, its Sisterhood, and a lifetime member of Hadassah. Left to cherish her memory are her daughter, Beverlee R. Tiger and husband Lawrence, grandchildren Joshua (Shauna) Peters, and Jennifer Peters, and great grandchildren, Brooke and Layla Peters. She is also survived by Burke, Alfred, and Richard Margulies and their wives, children, and grandchildren. A graveside service was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery. Rabbi Michael Panitz officiated. Online condolences may be offered to the family at hdoliver.com. Memorial donations may be made to Temple Israel.
Sarah Blumenthal Zedd Yorktown, Va.—Sarah Blumenthal Zedd, 95, passed away on Thursday, October 15, 2020, in Yorktown, Va. She was the former owner, with her husband, of the A&B Market in South Norfolk. Born in Portsmouth, Va., she was the daughter of the late Morris and Bertha Rosenblatt Blumenthal. She was preceded in death by both her beloved husband, Stanley Zedd, and her daughter, Suzanne Molly Zedd. Sarah was a life-long member of B’nai Israel Congregation in Norfolk. Left to cherish her memory is her
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Obituaries granddaughter, Rosanne Z. Stupar and husband, Michael and great-granddaughters, Sadie and Aliyah, of Yorktown, (with whom Sarah resided); her son, Solomon, granddaughter Veronica Irwin (Craig) and great-grandchildren Zealand, Lila Rose, and Meadow, of Virginia Beach. A graveside funeral service was conducted in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to B’nai Israel Congregation, Norfolk. H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts. Online condolences may be sent to the family through www. hdoliver.com.
Bernard Cohen, who brought Loving v. Virginia to the Supreme Court Ron Kampeas
WASHINGTON (JTA)—Bernard Cohen, the lawyer whose volunteer gig with the ACLU led him to make history when he successfully argued that the Supreme Court should overturn laws banning interracial marriage, has died at 86. Cohen died on Monday, Oct. 12 at an assisted living home in Fredericksburg, Virginia, The Washington Post reported. He had Parkinson’s disease. Cohen was 29 in 1964 when Mildred and Richard Loving contacted the American Civil Liberties Union. Mildred Loving, who was Black and indigenous American, and Richard Loving, who was white, were criminally charged in Virginia for marrying. The couple avoided jail time by agreeing not to enter Virginia for 25 years. They moved to Washington, D.C., but they were homesick. Mildred Loving returned to Virginia, while Richard Loving remained in Washington. The ACLU assigned Cohen, who had a private law practice in Alexandria, Virginia, and Philip Hirschkop to the case. Both lawyers were Jewish. They worked the case through the Virginia state courts with the aim of getting to the Supreme Court. “I knew it was going to the Supreme Court,” Cohen told The Associated Press in 1992. “And I definitely thought there was something serendipitous about the fact that the case would be called Loving
vs. the Commonwealth of Virginia.” His strongest argument, Cohen told the court, was what Richard Loving had asked him to convey: “Mr. Cohen, tell the Court I love my wife and it is just unfair that I can’t live with her in Virginia.” Cohen, who went on to serve in the Virginia state legislature as a liberal Democrat, was born in Brooklyn in 1934 to immigrant parents. He is survived by his wife, two children and three grandchildren.
said his grandson Gil Radia, who said that confinement to his home in recent months due to the coronavirus pandemic did his grandfather “harm.” “Until the pandemic, he would go to the synagogue, even at the age of 116. He was a very modest man, which is why everyone loved him. But I guess the isolation at home contributed to his health
deteriorating,” Radia said. Sulayman, who his family says was born in 1903, immigrated from Yemen to Israel with his wife and four children in 1949. Two other children were born in Israel. Sulayman served in the Israel Defense Forces and worked in agriculture. His wife died several years ago at the age of 94.
Israel’s oldest man Marcy Oster
( JTA)—Israel’s oldest man, Shlomo Sulayman, has died at the age of 117. Sulayman died earlier this month with his family by his side, according to Ynet. He is survived by six children as well as “dozens of grandkids, great, and great-great grandkids.” Sulayman was living on his own and his mind was clear until the very end,
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Simon Family JCC
Type A. Plan B. Tom Purcell takes first place in the JCC 100-day Summer Fitness Challenge Lisa Richmon
F
Tom Purcell
or Tom Purcell, summer 2020 was the best of times and the worst of times. The pandemic continued to keep people away from their favorite sushi joints, hair salons, and gym-based training sessions. Purcell is Type A and Plan B. When it comes to fitness and his clients, the Simon Family JCC wellness director is unstoppable. Purcell was recognized as the winner of the national JCC 100 Day Summer Fitness Challenge. The entrants were
Live Classes at the Simon family JCC Stretch Class – Mondays at 9 am on JCC Facebook HIIT & Abs Class – Tuesdays at noon on JCC Facebook Stretch Class – Wednesdays at 9 am on JCC Facebook HIIT & Abs Class – Thursdays at noon on JCC Facebook *Members can take the class in person (JCC) or Facebook Live.
Visit http://www.simonfamilyjcc.org/reopening/ to learn more and register in advance for JCC fitness classes.
judged by how many people they train in 100 days. He topped the list with 155 sessions. “I’m honored that I CHALLENGE OFESSIONAL 2020 JCC PR was #1 in the Summer Fitness Challenge. This says more about my L TR AI NI NG — PE RS O NA 1S T PL AC E dedicated clients who ity Center wish Commun mon Family Je Si I’ve been working with n vi ar M d Marilyn an for years. I have the blessing each day to help improve lives, achieve goals, and have fun doing it. Purpose in life is very Classes in the gymnasium include important to me and I like Bootcamp, HIIT & Abs, Pilates, Zumba knowing that what I do matters to others Gold, Cardio Kickboxing, and more. around me,” says Purcell. Chair Yoga with meditation is offered at Training isn’t the only fitness activity The Zone. The Indoor Pool offers Water taking place at the JCC. A wide range of Fitness and Water 4 Arthritis. classes are currently offered virtually and The JCC offers free week-long passes LIVE for those who want to work out at for anyone to test the gym and a member home. Members can sign up to reserve referral program that can give current a spot in a wide variety of classes. “We members months off their dues for each have most of our LIVE classes held in the member they refer who signs up. Jaffe Gymnasium to practice proper social distancing,” says Purcell.
Tom Purcell
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