Jewish News - June 12, 2023 v2

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Published 20 times a year by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.

Celebrate Community with the 2023 Biennial

Wednesday, June 14, 6:30 pm, Sandler Family Campus

In our Jewish community, we seize every opportunity to honor our past as we plan for the future. We remember our past leadership throughout our community who set the bar for high achievements for contributing time and resources to make the world a better place. We reflect on our challenges and opportunities as we install future leadership. We do it together as we celebrate the strength of our community. . . a vibrant Jewish Tidewater.

We hope that you will join us on Wednesday, June 14 for United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s and Simon Family JCC’s 2023 Biennial Meeting and celebration. What better place to come together than under the Marty Einhorn Pavilion, which has become the setting for multi-generational occasions in our community over the last year?

Laura Geringer Gross has steered our community with passion and diligence over the last two years, as we continued to build upon our strong base established by our past leadership and worked to engage future generations. She will pass the gavel to David Leon, who grew up in Tidewater and learned about leadership from his family’s examples.

A concise program will begin at 7 pm and include recognition of both outgoing and incoming leadership, as well as special community acknowledgments and awards. We will continue the tradition established two years ago, of honoring volunteer leaders throughout the many agencies, schools, and synagogues in Jewish Tidewater with the Joseph H. Strelitz Community Service Awards.

May we go from strength to strength.

Betty Ann Levin Executive Vice President/CEO

United Jewish Federation of Tidewater/Simon Family JCC

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June 26 Health Care June 9

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September 4 Rosh Hashanah August 18

September 18 Yom Kippur September 1

October 16 Legal September 29

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– page 6

We call on our Jewish communities to seize this historic moment and build on this new strategy to ensure that the fight for Jewish safety is a fight for a better and safer America.

About the Cover: Barbara Dudley, Laura Gross, Julie Platt, Jodi Klebanoff, and Betty Ann Levin at UJFT Women’s luncheon. Photograph by Mark Robbins.

BRIEFS

CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour apologizes for saying killing of British Israelis happened in a ‘shootout’

The CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour apologized on Monday, May 22 for saying in April that the killing of three British Israelis happened in a “shootout.”

Amanpour was referring to the shooting of three members of the Dee family, who were killed in a West Bank terror attack in early April by a Palestinian gunman. Maia and Rina Dee, ages 20 and 15, respectively, were killed, and their mother Lucy, 48, later died of her wounds.

Soon after the attack, Amanpour said on screen that the Dee daughters “were killed in a shootout, and now the mother has died of her injury.” She made the comment amid a recounting of recent violence between Israelis and Palestinians, which has escalated this year.

Honest Reporting, a pro-Israel media watchdog, tweeted to Amanpour, “you owe a grieving family an apology.”

Rabbi Leo Dee, the husband, and father of the victims, said he was considering suing CNN for $1.3 billion, according to the Jewish Journal. The next day, Amanpour apologized on air.

“During that live interview, I misspoke and said that they were killed in a shootout instead of a shooting,” she said. “I have written to Rabbi Dee to apologize and make sure that he knows that we apologize for any further pain that may have caused him.”

Gil Hoffman, Honest Reporting’s CEO, said that he hopes other journalists who saw his group’s complaint and Amanpour’s apology will be “careful to be completely accurate when they file their own reports.” (JTA)

Israeli minister: Elon Musk is ‘an amazing entrepreneur and role model’

Israel’s foreign minister disavowed his ministry’s condemnation of Elon Musk for saying progressive Jewish megadonor George Soros “hates humanity.”

Now, a second Israeli minister — who oversees the government’s efforts to combat antisemitism — has gone further in defending Musk, the billionaire owner of Twitter whose Soros comments have been condemned by multiple Jewish watchdogs as antisemitic.

who is at the center of multiple antisemitic conspiracy theories, to a comic book villain. Watchdog groups including the Anti-Defamation League said Musk’s statements encourage antisemitism. Musk later criticized the ADL in another tweet.

Chikli’s statement places him at odds with another segment of Israel’s government. David Saranga, a senior official at Israel’s Foreign Ministry, criticized Musk’s tweets, in a post that was retweeted by his ministry’s official account. (Foreign Minister Eli Cohen later disavowed the retweet, saying, “There will be no more tweets like this.”)

“The term ‘The Jews’ rose to the list of trending topics on Twitter following a tweet with a whiff of antisemitism by none other than the owner and CEO of the social network, Elon Musk,” Saranga wrote. “Musk’s tweet immediately led to a flood of antisemitic conspiracy theories on Twitter.”

Chikli appears to count himself among the set of rightwing Jews who believe that criticism of Soros, a leading donor to the Democratic Party who has furthered progressive causes worldwide, is not necessarily antisemitic.

“Criticism of Soros – who finances the most hostile organizations to the Jewish people and the state of Israel is anything but anti-Semitism, quite the opposite!” Chikli wrote. (JTA)

Austrian police charge 2 men after Hitler speech plays on public train’s loudspeakers

Austrian authorities are searching for two men suspected of blaring a recording of Hitler’s voice and a series of “Heil Hitler” and “Sieg Heil” chants on a public train for about 20 minutes last month.

Vienna’s chief rabbi was on the train and told CNN that the recording started with “strange music, snippets of conversation, and laughter which suddenly turned into a Hitler speech played louder and louder.” The rabbi, Schlomo Hofmeister, tweeted that he was disturbed at how long it took for the train’s conductors to shut off the recordings.

Police said that the men were not employees of the ÖBB, Austria’s federal train service, but that they infiltrated the intercom system via a key that all employees have. Officials believe the suspects played other sounds — a “nonsensical, confusing mix” of children’s songs — on other trains around Vienna the previous week.

train, called the incident “very scary.”

“No conductor, no one came, there was no one to see. We were alone with this madness. ‘Who is driving this train now?’ I asked myself,” Schmidt, who works for the Austrian newspaper Der Standard, told CNN. (JTA)

Protester with Israeli flag storms stage at Waters concert in Frankfurt

Aman rushed the stage and unfurled an Israeli flag at a Roger Waters concert in Frankfurt on Sunday, May 28 in protest of the former Pink Floyd front man’s continued criticism of Israel.

Video circulating on social media showed a group of fans chanting “Am Yisrael Chai” (“The people of Israel live”) while the protester makes it to the main stage, where he lasts a few seconds before security guards chase him away.

Berlin police had been investigating Waters over a costume he has been wearing at concerts for years that includes a long black trench coat with a red armband. Some say the outfit is reminiscent of a Nazi officer uniform and a glorification of the Third Reich, which is outlawed in Germany.

A Berlin police spokesman said that the findings of their investigations would come over the next three months.

Waters, one of the leaders of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel, has come under intense scrutiny during his current tour, after the cities of Frankfurt and Munich unsuccessfully attempted to block him from performing.

Representatives from those cities, along with German-Jewish communal leaders and several Jewish organizations around the world, argue that Waters’ criticism of Israel crosses the line into antisemitism. The screen at Waters concerts frequently shows a pig-shaped balloon emblazoned with the logo of an Israeli armaments firm.

Before Waters’ show in Frankfurt, local Jewish groups and politicians gathered for a protest outside the venue hosting the performance, the Festhalle. In November 1938, around 3,000 Jews were taken to the building, where many were beaten before being sent to concentration camps.

Israeli citizens see Elon Musk as an amazing

“As Israel’s minister who’s entrusted on combating anti-Semitism, I would like to clarify that the Israeli government and the vast majority of Israeli citizens see Elon Musk as an amazing entrepreneur and a role model,” tweeted Amichai Chikli, a member of the right-wing Likud Party who also serves as minister of Diaspora affairs.

Chikli’s statement came two days after Musk compared Soros, a billionaire and Holocaust survivor

on Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan vor was on the train and “one can only imagine how

The two suspects have been charged by Austrian authorities. Austria, which was the birthplace of Adolf Hitler, has strict laws against pro-Nazi statements and Holocaust denial.

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted that at least one Holocaust survivor was on the train and “one can only imagine how they felt.”

Journalist Colette Schmidt, who was also on the

Protesters read aloud the names of Jews who were later rounded up on Kristallnacht, the “Night of Broken Glass” that many point to as the start of the Holocaust, in 1939. Frankfurt Mayor Mike Josef said, “Hatred of Jews is to be condemned everywhere in our city,” according to the German dpa news agency.

Waters has also enraged critics by juxtaposing the names Anne Frank and Shireen Abu Akleh on the screen at his recent concerts. Abu Akleh was killed on an assignment in the West Bank last year, and the Israeli military apologized last month for her death, after admitting that she was likely hit by fire from an Israeli soldier during a raid.

The Polish city of Krakow canceled a Waters concert last year, after the British rocker came out in support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (JTA)

JEWISH TIDEWATER

History, archives, and events at Jewish Museum & Culture Center

Allan Zeno

The only site of its type in Tidewater, the Jewish Museum & Culture Center (JMCC) is housed in a former synagogue, Chevra T’helim, a building constructed more than 100 years ago in Portsmouth.

The original congregation was established in the early 20th century by Jewish immigrants from eastern Europe. The synagogue’s architecture reflects this geographic orientation. A bima (raised platform) is situated at the far end of the sanctuary with an elevated reading table centered in the middle. The balcony, originally for women, makes available seating for a total of 200 people. This special congregation existed in a vibrant manner for many years, celebrating lifecycle events and Jewish holidays – serving the religious and spiritual needs of the Jewish community. In recent decades, however, congregants moved to the suburbs and across the Elizabeth River and the congregation declined. With no congregation, the building fell into disrepair.

Interested in both Jewish history and the Tidewater Jewish world, some concerned citizens focused on restoring this treasure to its former glory. Through a combination of local funds and government assistance, the roof and HVAC were replaced and the interior painted, bringing Chevra T’helim back to life as the Jewish Museum & Culture Center.

As such, JMCC offers a wide variety of enjoyable Jewish-themed educational and entertainment opportunities. In addition to touring the site itself – and learning about the history of those who created it – JMCC stores archival materials of various Jewish community activities. It also offers such stimulating programs as:

Wonderful Wednesdays: Four-part music series

Annual Silent Auction with a gourmet Italian buffet

Lecture Series

2nd Annual Daffodil Planting Project

Berkley: The Heart of a Neighborhood

Lecture Series

Saturday Night Cinema Series

July/August 2023

August 27, 2023

Fall/Spring 2023-2024

October 2023/March 2024

November 2023

Winter/Spring 2023-2024

January 2024

The Jewish Museum & Culture Center is located at 607 Effingham Street in Portsmouth.

These exciting, ticketed programs are all open to the public. Contact Barbara Rossen at 757391-9266 or at www.jewishmuseumportsmouth.org for additional information.

Forever Helping Others

Biden plan to combat antisemitism demands reforms across the executive branch and beyond

Ron Kampeas

WASHINGTON (JTA) — President Joe Biden unveiled a multifaceted and broad strategy to combat antisemitism in the United States that reaches from basketball courts to farming communities, from college campuses to police departments.

“We must say clearly and forcefully that antisemitism and all forms of hate and violence have no place in America,” Biden said in a prerecorded video at the plan’s preentation on Thursday, May 25. “Silence is complicity.”

The 60-page document and its list of more than 100 recommendations stretches across the government, requiring reforms in virtually every sector of the executive branch within a year. It was formulated after consultations with more than 1,000 experts, and covers a range of tactics, from increased security funding to a range of educational efforts.

The plan has been in the works since December, and the White House has consulted with large Jewish organizations throughout the process. The fi nished document embraces proposals that large Jewish organizations have long advocated, as well as initiatives that pleasantly surprised Jewish organizational leaders, most of whom praised it upon its release.

Among the proposals that Jewish leaders have called for were recommendations to streamline reporting of hate crimes across local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, which will enable the government to accurately assess the breadth of hate crimes. The proposal also recommends that Congress double the funds available to nonprofits for security measures, from $180 million to $360 million.

One proposal that, if enacted, could be particularly far-reaching — and controversial — is a call for Congress to pass “fundamental reforms” to a provision that shields social media platforms from

liability for the content users post on their sites. The plan says social media companies should have a “zero tolerance policy for hate speech on their platforms.”

In addition, the plan calls for action in partnership with a range of government agencies and private entities. It says the government will work with professional sports leagues to educate

things like more [security] grants and more resources for the Justice Department and the FBI,” says Nathan Diament, the Washington director of the Orthodox Union. “But it stretches all the way across things that the Department of Labor and the Small Business Administration can do with regard to educating about antisemitism, that the National Endowment of the

fans about antisemitism and hold athletes accountable for it, following instances of antisemitic speech by figures such as NBA star Kyrie Irving or NFL player DeSean Jackson.

The government will also partner with rural museums and libraries to educate their visitors about Jewish heritage and antisemitism. And the plan includes actions to be taken by a number of cabinet departments, from the Department of Veterans Affairs to the USDA.

“It’s really producing a whole-of-government approach that stretches from what you might consider the obvious

Humanities and the President’s Council on Sports and Fitness can do with regard to the institutions that they deal with.”

An array of Jewish organizations from the left to the center-right echoed those sentiments in welcoming the plan with enthusiasm, marking a change from recent weeks in which they had been split over how the plan should define antisemitism. Still, a handful of right-wing groups blasted the strategy, saying that its chosen definition of antisemitism diluted the term.

Despite the relatively united front, there are elements of the strategy that may stoke broader controversy: Among a

ANTISEMITISM

broad array of partner groups named in the plan is the Council on American-Islamic Relations, whose harsh criticism of Israel has led to relations with centrist Jewish organizations that are fraught at best. The call to place limits on social media platforms may also upset free speech advocates.

Biden recalled, as he often does, that he decided to run for president after President Donald Trump equivocated while condemning the neo-Nazis who organized a deadly

Some of the initiatives in the plan focus less on directly confronting antisemitism and more on promoting tolerance of and education about Jews. The Biden Administration will seek to ensure accommodations for Jewish religious observance, the accompanying fact sheet said, and “the Department of Agriculture will work to ensure equal access to all USDA feeding programs for USDA customers with religious dietary needs, including kosher and

What to Do When You Feel Guilty

march in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017.

“Repeated episodes of hate — including numerous attacks on Jewish Americans — have since followed Charlottesville, shaking our moral conscience as Americans and challenging the values for which we stand as a Nation,” Biden wrote in an introduction to the report.

The administration launched the initiative last December, after years during which Jewish groups and the FBI reported sharp spikes in antisemitic incidents. The strategy was originally planned for release at its Jewish American Heritage Month celebration last month, but was delayed, in part because of last minute internal squabbling over whether it would accept a defi nition of antisemitism that some on the left said chilled free speech on Israel. Some right-wing groups were deeply critical of the new strategy for not accepting that defi nition to the exclusion of others.

Rabbi Levi Shemtov, the executive vice president of American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad) praised the breadth of the plan, and said the delay seemed to produce results.

“The White House has taken this very seriously. The phrase that something is still being worked on can often be a euphemism for a lack of concern,” he says. “In this case, it seems to have resulted in an even more comprehensive and hopefully more effective result.”

halal dietary needs.”

Jonathan Greenblatt, the AntiDefamation League CEO who was closely consulted on the strategy, says promoting inclusion was as critical as fighting antisemitism. “Is FEMA giving kosher provisions after disasters going to solve antisemitism?” he asks. “No, but… it’s an acknowledgement of the plurality of communities and the need to treat Jewish people like you would any other minority community, and I think I’m very pleased to see that.”

In the months since Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish, convened a roundtable to launch the initiative, the Biden administration has pivoted from focusing on the threat of antisemitism from the far-right to also highlighting its manifestation in other spheres — including amid anti-Israel activism on campuses and the targeting of visibly religious Jews in the northeast. Those factors were evident in the strategy.

“Some traditionally observant Jews, especially traditional Orthodox Jews, are victimized while walking down the street,” the strategy said in its introduction. “Jewish students and educators are targeted for derision and exclusion on college campuses, often because of their real or perceived views about the State of Israel.”

The proposal that may provoke controversy beyond American Jewry is the Biden Administration’s calls to reform

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We must say clearly and forcefully that antisemitism and all forms of hate and violence have no place in America.

the tech sector, which echo bipartisan recommendations to change Section 230, a provision of U.S. law that grants platforms immunity from being liable for the content user’s post. Free speech advocates and the companies themselves say that if the government were to police online speech, it would veer into censorship.

“Tech companies have a critical role to play and for that reason the strategy

contains 10 separate calls to tech companies to establish a zero tolerance policy for hate speech on their platforms, to ensure that their algorithms do not pass along hate speech and extreme content to users and to listen more closely to Jewish groups to better understand how antisemitism manifests itself on their platforms,” Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, Biden’s top Homeland Security adviser, says. “The

president has also called on Congress to remove the special immunity for online platforms and to impose stronger transparency requirements in order to ensure that tech companies are removing content that violates their terms of service.”

In the weeks before the rollout, a debate raged online and behind the scenes amid Jewish organizations and activists about how the plan would defi ne antisemitism. Centrist and right-wing groups pushed for the plan to embrace the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working defi nition. Among its examples of anti-Jewish bigotry are those focusing on when Israel criticism is antisemitic, including when “double standards” applied to Israel are antisemitic.

the Israeli ambassador to Washington, Michael Herzog.

“I would like to congratulate the Biden administration for publishing the first ever national strategy to combat antisemitism,” Herzog wrote on Twitter. “Thank you, @POTUS, for prioritizing the need to confront antisemitism in all its forms. We welcome the re-embracing of @TheIHRA defi nition which is the gold standard definition of antisemitism.”

Some center-right groups like B’nai Brith International, StandWithUs and the World Jewish Congress, praised the strategy while expressing regret at the inclusion of Nexus. Right-wing groups, such as the Republican Jewish Coalition and Christians United for Israel con-

Advocates on the left say those clauses turn legitimate criticism of Israel into hate speech; instead, they pushed to include references to the Nexus Document, a defi nition authored by academics that recognizes IHRA but seeks to complement it by further elucidating how anti-Israel expression may be antisemitic in some instances, and not in others. Others sought to include the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, which rejects IHRA’s Israelrelated examples.

In the end, the strategy said the U.S. government recognizes the IHRA defi nition as the “most prominent” and “appreciates the Nexus Document and notes other such efforts.”

A number of the centrist groups pressed for exclusive reference to IHRA, including the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Those groups praised the strategy and focused only on its embrace of IHRA. So did

demned the rollout.

RJC says Biden “blew it” by not exclusively using the IHRA defi nition. The Brandeis Center, which defends pro-Israel groups and students on campus, says the “substance doesn’t measure up.”

Groups on the left, however, broadly praised the strategy. “We call on our Jewish communities to seize this historic moment and build on this new strategy to ensure that the fight for Jewish safety is a fight for a better and safer America for all,” says a statement from six left-leaning groups spearheaded by Jews For Racial & Economic Justice.

Greenblatt says it was predictable that groups on the left would take the win and that groups on the right would grumble — but that it was also beside the point. IHRA, he says, was now U.S. policy.

“This document elevates and advances IHRA as the way that U.S. policy will be formulated going forward and across all of the agencies,” Greenblatt says. “That is

This document elevates and advances IHRA as the way that U.S. policy will be formulated going forward and across all of the agencies.

The Florida mom who sought to ban Amanda Gorman’s poem says she’s sorry for promoting The Protocols of the Elders of Zion

Andrew Lapin

(JTA) – Months before a Miami-area mother persuaded a local school to restrict access to an Amanda Gorman poem, she was posting antisemitic memes on her Facebook page.

Now, Daily Salinas is apologizing for one of those things — and unrepentant about the other.

“I want to apologize to the Jewish community,” Salinas told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency on Wednesday, May 24. She was saying sorry for a Facebook post she shared in March offering a summary of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a notorious antisemitic forgery written more than a century ago in Russia.

“I’m not what the post says,” Salinas says. “I love the Jewish community.”

The post came to light after the Miami Herald identified Salinas as the Miami Lakes, Florida, mother who petitioned her children’s school to ban students’ access to

the Gorman poem. Gorman read the poem, called The Hill We Climb, at President Joe Biden’s inauguration.

Salinas also petitioned the school to restrict children’s books about the Black poet Langston Hughes and about Black and Cuban history. After a committee reviewed her challenges, the Miami-Dade County school district opted to restrict all but one book about Cuba from grades K-5, while leaving them available to middle school students.

Salinas challenged the Gorman poem — which she says she hasn’t read in its entirety — on the grounds that it contains “indirect hate messages.” The review committee said it “erred on the side of caution” in deciding to limit students’ access.

The Miami Herald did not mention Salinas’ social media activity. But after the story about her was published, a left-wing group, Miami Against Fascism, called attention to a Facebook account it identified as hers. The account,

Continued on page 10

JEWISH TIDEWATER

which JTA reviewed, features a flood of political posts reflecting right-wing ideologies — and the antisemitic Protocols

Salinas’ post about the Protocols included a list of steps depicting how “Jewish Zionists” would achieve world domination. The graphic included stages such as “Place our agents and helpers everywhere,” “Replace royal rule with socialist rule, then communism, then despotism,” and “Sacrifice people (including Jews sometimes) when necessary.”

Reached by JTA, Salinas that the post about the Protocols was hers and apologized for it, saying she hadn’t read it beyond the word “communism.” Salinas said her aversion to communism stems from her Cuban identity. She added that English is not her first language.

“I see the word ‘communism,’ and I think it’s something about communism,” she said. “I didn’t read the words.”

Salinas said that her heart became “tight” with pain when she thought that people would see her as antisemitic for sharing the Protocols post. After speaking with JTA, Salinas deleted the post.

Salinas said she was speaking with JTA after declining to talk with other media outlets so that she could apologize. She said she is Christian and added, “We are super protective of the Jewish people.” She added that she has Jewish friends and is a fan of the Israeli Netfl ix series Fauda

She said the books about Cuba that she challenged “don’t tell the whole story about Cuba, communism, the dictators, their people that are dying and trying to come to America.” The significant population of Spanish-speaking immigrants from countries with a history of communism, many of whom tend to be politically conservative, has played a growing role in the region’s culture wars.

Salinas’ Facebook feed reflects the kinds of right-wing memes that continue to circulate widely, although she tells JTA that she did not post everything on it herself. Miami Against Fascism also shared video of Salinas with the Proud

Boys, a far-right group with ties to antisemitic activists, as well as a video of her attending a school board protest last year with Moms For Liberty, a “parents’ rights” group active in pushing for book removals across the country. Such groups have been instrumental in leveraging laws signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that enable parents to challenge the presence of any book in school libraries. In some instances, those challenges have led to the removal of books about the Holocaust and Jewish culture.

Salinas says she was not a member of either group and says she had just been in attendance at protests where they were both present. A Moms For Liberty media representative also says Salinas is not a member of the group and, “We denounce antisemitism in all its forms.”

Asked why she wanted the books removed in the first place; Salinas says she had just been expressing her “opinion” that they did not “support the curriculum” but declined to elaborate.

She says she had only read parts of the books. “They have to read for me because I’m not an expert,” she says. “I’m not a reader. I’m not a book person. I’m a mom involved in my children’s education.”

A representative of the school district tells JTA that “no literature (books or poem) has been banned or removed,” and that “it was determined at the school” that Gorman’s poem was “better suited for middle school students.” In publicly available meeting minutes, the review committee said the “vocabulary” of Gorman’s poem was “determined to be of value for middle school students,” and similarly that the “content and subject matter” of the Hughes poems were determined to be for middle school readers. The district did not respond to JTA’s queries about Salinas’ Facebook activity.

Gorman said on Twitter that she was “gutted” by the removal in Salinas’ children’s school. “Often all it takes to remove these works from our libraries and schools is a single objection,” she wrote.

They have to read for me because I’m not an expert. I’m not a reader. I’m not a book person.

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Conservative movement OKs vegetarian and vegan restaurants without kosher supervision

Jackie Hajdenberg

(JTA) — For years, a subset of Jews who eat only at kosher-certified restaurants have bent the rules by taking advantage of a growing trend: fully vegan eateries.

Now, a ruling issued by the Conservative movement has given that practice its official imprimatur, declaring that Jews may eat at vegetarian or vegan restaurants that don’t have kosher supervision.

In practice, the ruling’s target audience is small. Most Jews who eat only in certified kosher restaurants are Orthodox and pay little if any attention to Conservative opinions on Jewish law. According to a 2020 survey by the Pew Research Center, 17% of Jews identify as Conservative and only a fraction keep kosher at home. Even fewer adhere to the strict dietary laws when they dine out.

But the ruling does represent a change in how the Conservative movement approaches one of the core elements of traditional Jewish life. It comes as an increasing number of Americans are going meatless and amid a broader reckoning over what counts as kosher, now that products such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Pork, which are plant-based and contain no animal products, are available in grocery stores.

“It has been the case for a number of years already that many people, making a judgment of their own, have begun to eat at vegan restaurants, looking at them and seeing no obvious kashrut problems,” says Rabbi Avram Israel Reisner, the ruling’s lead author.

A study by Dror Fixler, an Israeli religious Zionist rabbi and physicist, also concluded several years ago that Jews may eat in a strictly vegan restaurant, as long as they refrain from consuming vinegar, which could be non-kosher. The ruling also comes after the Conservative movement updated its Passover guide, permitting Jews to purchase certified gluten-free products ahead of the holiday, as long as they were also oat-free.

Previously, the movement deemed that Conservative Jews who keep kosher should eat only at restaurants under kosher

supervision. But the 38-page ruling, issued last month, says that without any meat products, many of the concerns surrounding kosher observance are rendered moot. The decision was voted on by 20 of the 25 members of the committee, the vast majority of whom voted in favor.

Without meat, there can be no mixing of meat and milk, the ruling says, and there is also no possibility of eating non-kosher foods such as pork. Even though the vast majority of kosher supervisors say cheese needs certification, the ruling permits eating at vegetarian restaurants on the grounds of a prior Conservative ruling stating that animal rennet is not prohibited.

The ruling is explicit in that it does not apply to restaurants that serve meat or fish but otherwise have vegetarian options, because there is still the risk of cross-contamination of un-kosher foods.

“The requirement to eat only kosher is not one of health or physical purity, but one of Godliness and the observance of mitzvot,” the ruling concludes. “While there are some levels of risk which the halakhah prohibits undertaking, we have argued that eating in an unsupervised vegan or vegetarian restaurant where government oversight exists, and restaurants are generally concerned with their reputations does not overstep that boundary.”

The document adds that ancient rabbinic prohibitions on the consumption of bread baked by non-Jews were instituted primarily to prohibit social interactions with non-Jews.

“The prohibitions are social and unrelated to any concern of kashrut,” the decision says of the ancient ban. “We see ourselves and our gentile neighbors as equal members of society and reject social discrimination that holds us separate from those of other religious persuasions.”

The ruling notes that one of the reasons for the intricacy and strictness of certain kosher laws is to prevent intermarriage. Reisner says that the new openness to vegan and vegetarian dining does not signal a loosening of the

prohibition on interfaith marriage.

“The Conservative movement has for some time been moving away from edicts to maintain social separation, arguing a more

humanist position about the desirability of good relations with all of our compatriots,” Reisner says. “Now, that is not the same as to say that it approves of intermarriage.”

Local Relationships Matter

As the Chief Executive Officer at the Peninsula Foodbank, she believes the Foodbank not only distributes food but is also the spokesperson for those who otherwise don’t have a voice.

“There are so many low income individuals who haven’t received any benefit from the recovering economy and those who because of their life circumstances need help every now and then. We are there to help ensure their voices are heard.”

“Since 2004, when I started with the Foodbank and got to know Payday Payroll, I have always felt that Payday has been involved and helped to build it’s business through positive support for others in the community, both non-profits and start up businesses. I particularly appreciate the generosity that Payday has shown to the nonprofits in our community.”

MEET: Karen Joyner

"Recently my mother required 12 hour per day personal care assistance. On short notice, Changing Tides Home Care provided the necessary assistance. They have been responsive to my mother's needs and have kept the family informed by telephone, text and portal. I am very pleased with their services.”

-Andrew H. Hook, President of Hook Law Center

Memorial Day Commemoration at the Sandler Family Campus.

Terri Denison

Acommunity Memorial Day Weekend observance in appreciation of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for America’s freedom, took place on the morning of Thursday, May 25 in front of the Jewish War Veterans Flagpole on the Sandler Family Campus. The event was hosted by the Board of Rabbis and Cantors of Hampton Roads and the Jewish War Veterans (Post 158).

Local Navy Jewish Chaplains, Rabbi Yoni Warren, BCC, Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps and Rabbi Aaron Kleinman, CDR, CHC, USN, planned the event, with Rabbi Warren serving as emcee.

The packed program included welcoming remarks from Vice Admiral Herm Shelanski, USN (Ret.) and Betty Ann Levin, executive vice president/CEO, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Area rabbis participated by reading poems and prayers, and area cantors led attendees in song and prayer.

The keynote speaker, Rabbi Mitchell Schranz, CDR, CHC, USN-Ret., delivered an emotional and inspiring talk about Memorial Day – his early recollections of the holiday as a young boy in the Bronx, N.Y., where Veterans solemnly marched in parades – as well as the true desires of Gold Star Families and of Veterans – not to be treated as political props, but to make certain the United States is a good nation fi lled with good people. Rabbi Schranz also spoke of his personal dreams for a peaceful nation and world, so that those who have given their lives for their country have not died in vain.

Rabbi Warren closed the event with noting the importance of the military to Tidewater and that both he and Rabbi Kleinman grew up in the area.

Rabbi Mitchell Schranz, CDR, CHC, USN-Ret. delivers the keynote address.

Rabbi Yoni Warren speaks about the close ties between Tidewater and the military.

David Proser reads the Memorial Prayer.

Cantor Jennifer Rueben chants El Malei Rachamim, the Memorial Prayer.

JEWISH TIDEWATER

Women draw inspiration from Julie Platt, JFNA chair

Amy Zelenka

In the beautiful Rodriguez room at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach, more than 50 women from the Jewish community celebrated the approaching end of a very successful 2023 United Jewish Federation of Tidewater Community Campaign and witnessed the biennial turnover of leadership in the Women’s Division.

Platt, chair of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) board. JFNA is the umbrella organization for 146 Jewish Federations (including UJFT) and more than 300 Network communities across North America, representing more than 300,000 donors and supporting a wide range of programs and services for Jewish communities in North America and around the world.

to the Netanyahu government’s proposed judicial changes. JFNA was invited by both Netanyahu and opposition leader Yair Lapid to discuss the proposals. And they made their position clear.

Platt spoke of the incredible work being done to address the situation in Ukraine, citing statistic after impressive

Betty Ann Levin, UJFT executive vice president, welcomed everyone and introduced the featured speaker, Julie

Platt brought greetings from JFNA and talked about the work taking place with Federation partners to address the most pressing issues facing the global Jewish community. She started by discussing the current situations in Israel – both the rocket attacks from Gaza and the ongoing judicial controversies, noting that JFNA, for the first time in its history, took a public stance on Israeli politics – in opposition

During the recently held JFNA General Assembly in Israel (celebrating Israel’s 75th birthday), participants – in a show of solidarity with the vast majority of Israeli citizens who likewise oppose the proposed Judicial changes – stood shoulder to shoulder with Israelis on Israel’s Memorial Day (Yom HaZikaron) and on Independence Day (Yom Ha’atzmaut). For the first time ever, JFNA made the decision NOT to hold its own ceremonies for GA participants, but rather to participate in existing neighborhood programs, memorial events, and celebrations throughout the country.

statistic of the life-saving services, food, and medical supplies that UJFT and JFNA have been able to deliver to the Jewish communities of Ukraine through its Emergency campaigns and overseas partners. Platt also spoke to the great numbers of both Ukrainian Jews and Jews from the Former Soviet Union who’ve made Aliyah to Israel since the outbreak of the war in February of 2022.

Joan London, Shelly Simon, Rachel Feigenbaum, Susan Eilberg, Renee Strelitz, and Annie Sandler

Anne Fleder and Esther Diskin

JEWISH TIDEWATER

“For the first time in the history of the Jewish people,” Platt emphasized, “when a war broke out in Europe, every single Jew who needed rescue was saved, and every Jew who wanted to go to Israel was brought to Israel.”

She spoke of the plans in place and continuously being refined to address the scourge of rising antisemitism and to ensure that every Jewish community who wants or needs, has access to security training and resources through the Live Secure campaign. Tidewater was an early participant in this undertaking and continues to enhance security, using the combined funding of local donors and JFNA matching funds.

Platt cited a statement made by her professional counterpart, Eric Fingerhut, CEO of JFNA, in his testimony before the U.S. Congress: “The ability and confidence of our community to participate in Jewish religious and cultural life depends on feeling safe – safe to attend synagogue, safe to drop our children off at the Jewish Community Center for pre-school or day camp, safe to walk down the street wearing

visibly Jewish head coverings and clothing, safe to gather in groups to celebrate, to mourn, to support our brothers and sisters in the State of Israel, and safe to be active in the life of our communities, our campuses, and our civic associations.”

Finally, Platt talked about the imperative of encouraging the next generation of future Jewish community leaders to get involved and to deepen their involvement, offering up the resources of JFNA to assist them. “Our overarching mission,” she said, “is to ensure that Jewish communities flourish, that they are safe, caring, welcoming and inclusive, educated and engaged, involved in our broader civic life, and deeply connected to Israel and to the global Jewish people.” She thanked the women in the room and the rest of the community for being “the kind of Jewish community of which all of us—across the country and around the world—can justly be proud.”

Barbara Dudley, Women’s Cabinet chair, then took the podium, and in her last official act as chair, installed the members of the Women’s Cabinet

Executive Committee for a two-year term, including Betsy Karotkin as chair; Barbara Dudley, immediate past chair; Robin Mancoll as education chair, and Deborah Casey, Kim Fink, and Amy Lefcoe as at-large members.

Betsy Karotkin, newly installed chair, presented Dudley with a gift of appreciation from the Cabinet for her term of service. Karotkin cited a few highlights from Dudley’s past two years of leadership. “The Women’s Campaign, with nearly 500 individual donors, raised a total of over $3 million during the past two years, representing more than 30% of the overall campaign total. It also saw 33 new milestone givers:

2 new emerald Lions of Judah (at the $25,000+ level of giving); 2 new sapphire Lions (at the $18,000+ level); 7 new ruby Lions ($10,000+); 4 new Israel@50 Lions ($7,500); 10 new Lions of Judah ($5,000+); 3 new Tikva donors ($3,600+); 2 new Chai Society donors ($1,800+) and 5 new Golda Givers ($1,000+).

Karotkin then spoke of her personal journey to Women’s Cabinet chair,

recalling her path from Jewish summer camp to Temple Emanuel Sunday School, to UJFT Holocaust Commission chair, to Jewish communal professional at the UJFT (with a long list of mentors she picked up along the way). After leaving the Federation to take care of her mother, Karotkin reentered Jewish leadership through her involvement at Congregation Beth El, ultimately becoming president. And in a sort of full-circle loop, she now finds herself back at Federation, at the helm of the Women’s Cabinet, looking forward to working alongside the dedicated women who serve on the cabinet.

Laura Gross, UJFT president, closed the lunch with thanks to all for coming and supporting, thanks to UJFT’s professional staff, and reminding all to attend the UJFT Biennial Meeting on Wednesday, June 14 at the Sandler Family Campus.

For more information on the Women’s Division of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, or to get involved in Women’s Cabinet, contact Amy Zelenka at azelenka@ujft.org.

Barb Gelb, Carin Simon and Leora Drory

Barbara Dudley, Carol Brum, and Ellen Hundley

Ellen Hundley, Robin Mancoll, and Debrah Casey

New Women’s cabinet Chair Betsy Karotkin with Bonnie Brand. Julie Platt with Barbara Dudley, Laura Gross, Jodi Klebanoff, and Betty Ann Levin Julie Platt with Annie Sandler

Jewish Tidewater’s Graduates

Terri Denison

Graduation season began again this year with plenty for Jewish Tidewater’s graduates and their families to celebrate.

The pomp and circumstance that surround most graduations provides a time to recognize achievements, formally bid goodbye to a treasured educational institution, and move on to life’s next chapter.

For parents, the feeling of witnessing their children’s successes can be summed up as one dad wrote in an email as simply and emphatically “So proud.” For graduates, there’s often a mix of excitement, sadness, and guarded anticipation for the future. And, this year, for the Jewish Tidewater community, there’s much to collectively feel proud of and celebrate – with so many graduating from respected schools, earning impressive degrees, and planning rewarding futures.

Jewish News next steps.

Got a Jewish graduate?

If your graduate is not included here, please submit their information by June 20 for the July 17, 2023 issue. Include: Graduate’s name, school, achievements, what’s next, and parents’ name.

Email to: news@ujft.org. Be sure to put GRADUATE in the subject line.

Touro College of Dental Medicine

in Valhalla N.Y.

Dental degree

Next: Residency in pediatric dentistry in SUNY at Stonybrook.

Shelley is the wife of Naftali Amsel, mother of 8-month-old Leora Amsel, daughter of Mona Smith, and grand daughter of Gerald J. Friedman, of blessed memory.

GRADUATION

Graduating with honors with a 4.8 GPA, member of the National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, English National Honor Society, president of the Spanish National Honor Society and part of the finance club.

Awarded Rookie of the Year her first-year lifeguarding at age 16.

Next: Virginia Tech to study Aerospace Engineering

Durant is the daughter of Dr. Allison R. Ashe, and granddaughter of Michel and Marilyn Ashe.

University of Miami

Next: Brianna is pursuing a career as a pro dancer and going to nursing school.

Brianna is the daughter of Shaye and Glen Arluk

Dylan Arluk

First Colonial High School

Graduating with Honors

Next: Dylan is committed to running Track at Wesleyan University in Connecticut.

Dylan is the son of Shaye and Glen Arluk.

Madison Arluk

First Colonial High School

Graduating with Honors

Next: Madison will attend Wake Forest University.

Madison is the daughter of Shaye and Glen Arluk.

Tidewater Collegiate Academy

Next: Tidewater Community College

Kaden is the son of Ken and Mara Bates.

Graduating Cum Laude, Micah won the William Wadsworth Dey Jr. memorial award, given to a senior boy for excellence in the study of mathematics; the Arthur A. MacConochie Award, presented to a senior boy for excellence in original writing; and the Bible Award-Valedictory Award/John H. Ingram Memorial Award, for the senior boy who has maintained the highest scholastic average during his last four years. He also was an EDI Fellow and the Broadcast Team Captain.

Next: Tufts University

Micah is the son of Elena and Gary Baum.

University of Virginia School of Law

Next: Hunter will be working at a law firm in Florida.

Hunter is the son of Beryl and Steven Brown.

Rachel “Shelley” Smith Amsel DDS

Brianna Arluk

Durant Leah Parker-Ashe

Frank W. Cox High School

Kaden Bates

Micah Baum Norfolk Academy

Hunter Brown

Shelby Brown

University of Virginia

Graduating with Distinction

Next: Shelby will attend law school next year

Shelby is the daughter of Beryl and Steven Brown.

GRADUATION

Ava Goldman

First Colonial High School

Graduate with honors

Next: Virginia Tech

Ava is the daughter of Stacey and Todd Goldman, the sister of Lainey, and the granddaughter of Bill Haines (of blessed memory), Sandy Haines, and Ray and Judy Goldman.

Tatyana Calloway

Salem High School

Visual and Performing Arts Academy (VPAA)

Tatyna graduated with honors. Next: The pre-med program at Virginia Commonwealth University to obtain a BSN.

Tatyana is the daughter of Hilary Truman.

Sadie E. Eilberg

The Hill School

Pottstown, Pa.

Next: Sadie will attend Lafayette College in Easton, PA.

Sadie is the daughter of Donna and Seth Eilberg and granddaughter of Susan and Jim Eilberg

Hailey Foer

James Madison University

Degree in Early Childhood Education.

Next: Hailey will return to JMU next year to earn her master’s degree. Hailey is the daughter of Tammi and Jerry Foer.

Cox High School

Next: Elizabeth will attend University of Virginia as an Echols Scholar. She also was a Jefferson Scholar finalist.

Elizabeth is the daughter of Laura and Keith Goldstein.

Drew Goodove

Ocean Lakes High School

Next: Drew will attend Duke University. Drew is the son of Amy and Scott Goodove.

Andrew Gross

Tulane University

Andrew was awarded the Stellar Tulane Academic Award and Tulane Leadership Medallion.

Next: Medical School at Tulane School of Medicine

Andrew is the son of Dr. Michael and Kim Gross.

Elizabeth Rachel Goldstein

Norfolk Academy

Team Captain of Norfolk Academy

Baseball Team

Next: Jack is committed to play baseball at Sewanee | The University of the South Jack is the son of Dr. Michael and Kim Gross.

GRADUATION

Kellam

Honor Graduate

Next: Molly will major in criminology at Christopher Newport University Molly is the daughter of Jeff and Stephanie Lichty.

Princess Anne High School

International Baccalaureate Program

Matthew was a member of National Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, National Science Honor Society, Debate Team, Leadership Workshop Staff, Buddy Basketball, and PA Senior Class Cabinet.

Next: University of Virginia

Matthew is the son of Nancy and Phil Helman.

Oscar F. Smith High School

International Baccalaureate, National Honors Society, Section Leader, Oscar Smith Marching Tigers and Varsity Swimming

Next: University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health

Rachel is the daughter of Shayna and Peter Jankell.

Norfolk Academy

An Honor Roll graduate, Olivia is a highly accomplished, pre-professional ballet dancer.

Next: Olivia will attend the University of Georgia where she was awarded the Classic Scholarship. She will continue her dance training and intends to double major.

Olivia is the daughter of Gina and Michael Levy.

Norfolk State University

Carly graduated Summa Cum Laude with a master’s degree in social work.

Next: Carly plans to be a Juvenile Probation Officer.

Carly is the daughter of Ann and Mark Marcus and the granddaughter of Pam Gladstone and Arty Gladstone of blessed memory.

Next: Max will attend Tulane University. Max is the son of Amy and Daniel Miller.

Washington & Lee University

Riley is a three-time NWCA Scholar All American and medaled in 2022 Maccabiah Games (wrestling).

Next: Riley will attend graduate school at Johns Hopkins University.

Riley is the son of Stacy and Russell Parker.

Jack Gross

Matthew Helman

Rachel Jankell

Olivia Levy

Molly Lichty

High School

Carly Marcus

Max Miller

Cox High School

Riley Parker

First Colonial High School Legal Studies Academy

Honor Roll, National Honor Society, and Varsity Field Hockey.

Next: James Madison University

Lynn is the daughter of Stacy and Russell Parker.

GRADUATION

University of Virginia

Payton obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Global Development Studies in 2022.

In May, she graduated with a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Virginia Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy.

Payton has accepted a junior consultant position with the ReefPoint Group in the Washington D.C. area.

Payton is the daughter of Laurie Grant-Stredler and Jeff Stredler.

Caleb Peck

Norfolk Academy

Varsity Tennis Captain, Varsity Basketball Captain, Horizons Yearbook editor-inchief, Reach/Interact Treasurer

Next: University of Maryland

Caleb is the son of Stephanie and Paul Peck.

Josh Rubin

Georgia Institute of Technology

Josh earned a Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering-Highest Honors.

Next: Master’s Program in Electrical Engineering, Internship at Bose

Josh is the son of Kim and Bruce Rubin.

James Madison University

Nicholas graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Statistics

Nicholas is the son of Jennifer and Steve Sabatino.

Caleb Tall

George Mason University

Caleb earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Global Affairs with concentrations in Global Governance and Human Security.

Next: Caleb plans to pursue a career in national security.

Caleb is the son of Rebecca and Jeff Tall.

Ilana earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Allied Health.

She was a Division 1 Lacrosse player.

Next: Ilana plans to pursue a career as a physician assistant.

Ilana is the daughter of Rebecca and Jeff Tall.

Norfolk Academy

Next: Lehigh University

Julia is the daughter of Jill and Brian Wainger and granddaughter of Kathy and Jerry Kantor and Patti and Jules Wainger.

Lynn Parker

Nicholas Sabatino

Payton J. Stredler

Ilana Tall Radford University

Julia Morgan Wainger

GRADUATION

Coming soon in Jewish News

Health Care – June 26 (Deadline: June 9)

Seniors – July 17 (Deadline: June 30)

Guide to Jewish Tidewater – August 14

(Deadline: July 28)

To advertise, call 757-965-6100 or email sgoldberg@ujft.org. Be

the first to see Jewish News

Go to JewishNewsVa.org/subscribe and register to get the paper emailed to you on the Friday prior to the publication date.

John Weber Williamson Great Bridge High School

John is a Summa Cum Laude graduate, a member of the Marching Wildcats, District Band, Jazz Ensemble, NHS, FBLA, and the 2023 Stein Scholarship recipient.

Next: Old Dominion University to study Cognitive Psychology.

John is the son of Valeria and Matthew Williamson.

Sam Zelenka Virginia Tech

Sam earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Property Management.

Next: Sam is working for S. L. Nusbaum. Sam is the son of Amy and Frank Zelenka.

JEWISH TIDEWATER

The Janet Gordon Annual Mah Jongg Day & Luncheon 2023: Another huge success!

Amy Weinstein

The largest annual fundraising event in support of Beth Sholom Village saw yet another round of changes in 2023:

• Another postponement from fall 2022 to spring 2023, due to a resurgence of the pandemic – for those charged with the care and safety of senior adults, it felt as though it may never end; and

• Another venue change – this year moved to the Sandler Family Campus. The Mah Jongg Committee felt strongly that if it could not yet host this annual event at Beth Sholom Village, at least it could take place within the walls of the Jewish community campus. Finally – the long awaited and successful reemergence of the Mah Jongg tournament took place on Sunday, April 23. Some things that haven’t changed, despite the tumult

of the last several years:

• The generosity of Lead Luncheon Sponsor Daniel Gordon, and the joy that his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren bring to the event every year;

• One hundred percent of the proceeds of the day benefitting residents at Beth Sholom Village and helping to bridge the gap between the actual cost of care and insurance and medical reimbursement; and

• The incredible support of the entire community – through sponsorships, raffle item donations, and Mah Jongg mavens who attend and play all day. BSV cannot thank them enough for

spending the time to help the residents.

Many volunteers made certain the tournament took place: Those on the Mah Jongg Committee who prepped for this event throughout the year; Tournament Moderators Annette Mand and Marlene Rossen; Auxiliary Gift Shop volunteers who created a one-of-a-kind boutique shopping experience in the Cardo of the Sandler Family Campus; and the staff of Beth Sholom Village who executed the event fl awlessly.

As trends in senior healthcare change daily and costs continue to rise, the need for community support will also continue to increase – BSV thanks the participants and donors for their contributions to The Janet Gordon Annual Mah Jongg Day & Luncheon today and in the future.

Mah Jongg Tournament! Marcy Mostofsky, Lori Tabakin and Sandra Collins.

Debbie Smith, Catharine Ruditsky, Laura Goldstein and Rebecca Tall.

Barbara Gordon, Shelley Saunders, Daniel Gordon, Randi Saunders, Ethan Simon, Sydney Simon, Steven Saunders, Lynne Saunders, Mark Gordon, and Molly and Avery Simon.

Dana Patish, event co-chair; Joan Johnson, committee member; and Rachel Abraham, event co-chair.

– through sponsorships, raffle item dona-

in the Cardo of the Sandler Family Campus; and the staff of Beth Sholom Village who Luncheon today and in the future.

Thank you to BSV Sponsors

Lead Luncheon Sponsor ($5,000+)

Daniel and Janet* Gordon Philanthropic Fund

Year of the Rabbit Sponsors

($1,000+)

APC Paper Company - ProAmpac

Altmeyer Funeral Homes

Beskin Divers Insurance Group

Buckingham Strategic Wealth (Jeff Chernitzer)

Friedman Associates

Harbor Group International

Table Sponsors ($300+)

Rachel and David Abraham

Alperin Law

Stephanie and Randall Banks

Brith Sholom Center of Virginia

Sharon and Mark Goldner

Jeri Jo and William Halprin

Jewish Family Service of Tidewater

Dana and Larry Patish

Strelitz International Academy

Contributing Sponsors ($150+)

Auxiliary of Beth Sholom Village

Karen and Mark Gilbert

Laura and Keith Goldstein

Barbara Gordon

Joan and Ken Johnson

Martha Kline

Elayne Littman

Janet Menia

Tina and Doug Moses

Catherine and Rabbi Adam Ruditsky

Laure and Richard Saunders

Larry and Leslie Siegel

Fay and Charlie Silverman

Rebecca and Jeffrey Tall

Thank you to BSV Raffle

Donors

Auxiliary Gift Shop

Beach Hardware

Bear Paw Jewelry

Beth Sholom Village

Cinema Café

Cold Pressed Café

Congregation Beth El Sisterhood Gift Shop

DryBar

Edible Arrangements

Fresh Market

Gilbert Eyecare

Isabelle K Jewelry

Jody’s Popcorn

Lemon Cabana

LWSS Family Dentistry

Mainstream Boutique

McDonalds Garden Center

Michael Michele Nail Spa No Frill Grill

Nothing Bundt Cakes

Ohef Sholom Temple Judaica Shop

Pure Barre

Sandfiddler Café

Scentsy

Simon Family JCC

SoupLove

Stuart Nachman Private Collection

Sweetwater Cuisine

The Krupnick Family

The Royal Chocolate

Tupelo Honey Café

United Jewish Federation of Tidewater Virginia Zoo

Thursday, June 29 7:00 pm

Who Knows One? is a hilarious show that has become a cultural hit in the Jewish community, reuniting old friends and creating new ones with an innovative game that combines Six Degrees of Separation and Jewish Geography. Now the creator of Who Knows One? is bringing the live show experience to Ohef Sholom Temple! Come see how we’re all connected to each other and share a few laughs along the way - and maybe even be a part of the show yourself!

The cost is $18/adult; $50/family includes childcare. Admission includes wine & beer.

Use QR Code for details and to RSVP

Annette Mand and Marlene Rossen

Karen Gilbert and Rachel Krupnick.

Larry Siegel, chairman of the board of BSV, and David Abraham, BSV president & CEO.

Leaving a Legacy in Jewish Tidewater

Jewish Family Service’s 19th Annual Run, Roll, or Stroll crosses another finish line

JFS staff report

Almost 400 runners, rollers, and strollers participated in Jewish Family Service of Tidewater’s 19th Annual Run, Roll, or Stroll on Sunday, May 7 at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront at 31st Street Park.

use of our legacy has to be taught to each succeeding generation. One must give his or her all to enhance the spirit of belonging, leading, and giving back to our community. The more effort we put into these endeavors the larger reward we will receive.

Our Philanthropic Fund gives us personal satisfaction and allows us the means to perpetuate our traditions.”

Bert and Lois Nusbaum’s* Donor Advised Fund established an unrestricted fund for Ohef Sholom and enabled their children to continue their philanthropic legacies through their own Donor Advised Funds, supporting multi-generation philanthropy. Define your legacy with a gift to endow the Jewish community so future generations have the opportunity to embrace our shared heritage and the values you hold dear.

“We could not have asked for better weather and a better turnout for our big race day,” says Anne Kramer, JFS board president.

“The board members and volunteers play an integral part every year in making Run, Roll, or Stroll a success and we are so thankful to have a board that is excited to come out and show their support,” says Brooke Rush, JFS director of development.

This year’s festivities brought fun for all ages with a balloon twister, face painter, and photo booth, as well as raffles and giveaways.

“The best part of Run, Roll, or Stroll is watching kids and their families having fun and coming together,” says Kelly Burroughs, JFS CEO. “We love seeing Team Tiger from Strelitz, who continues to be our biggest team year after year, come out laughing and in friendly competition. Some of these kids we have watched grow up – seeing them each year cross the finish line.”

Pop Up Shabbat:

Run, Roll, or Stroll is made possible because of the Spring Into Healthy Living Sponsors who include many community partners such as TowneBank, Sentara, S.L. Nusbaum, Merit I.T. 2.0, Wilbanks, Smith, & Thomas Asset Management, LLC, and Changing Tides. Individual sponsors include most notably, the Gold Sponsors, Lisa and Mark Delevie, Richard S. Glasser Family Foundation, Dozoretz Family Fund, Lawrence Steingold, and the Silver Sponsors, Stephanie and Paul Peck and Ann and Robert Copeland.

“The work JFS does is not possible without the support of our generous donors at all levels.

Their generosity and acts of chesed helps those in the community everyday who have nowhere else to turn for general support, food, financial assistance, a ride, counseling, care for a loved one, or a kosher meal,” says Burroughs. “We use events like Run, Roll, or Stroll to bring the community together for fun and fellowship to celebrate not only the work we do right here in Hampton Roads, but also to thank the hundreds in the community that make it possible.”

For information on Jewish Family Service and how to donate to its mission, visit www.jfshamptonroads.org.

Gather new friends at the Shabbat Table

Contact us for your free guide: tj f i nfo@ujft.org | 757-965-6111 foundation.jewishva.org

Pop Up Shabbat is in search of a few new hosts. This ongoing Shabbat dinner series — organized by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Young Adult Division (with a generous gift from the Richard Glasser Family Foundation) — brings Jewish young adults together for Shabbat dinner. Visit the website and click to either host a Shabbat dinner or attend a Shabbat dinner. (Hosts will be reimbursed up to $25 per guest for food costs.) Recent hosts have had as few as six guests, or as many as 20. It’s up to the host.

JewishVA.org/PopUpShabbat

“The

- Bert & Lois Nusbaum*

Strelitz International Academy’s fifth graders take lessons to heart

Rashi Brashevitzky

Research, learning, and action were all on display at Strelitz International Academy’s fifth grade exhibit on Tuesday, May 23. Since SIA is an IB® World School, the fifth graders document their learning, research, and action and present it at the Primary Years Program exhibition.

Using Chumash (Torah text study) and science as a springboard, the fifth graders jumped into a study of Tzeddakah (charity), food insecurity, and an inquiry into how to help people who are hungry in Hampton Roads. The fifth graders began their journey with a conversation with a community member who grew up food insecure. After hearing about this person’s experience, the students met with a community expert who discussed the different ways in which Tzeddakah can be given – and from there, the students jumped into action.

The fifth graders visited the garden at the Fred Heutte Center in Norfolk where they learned that the thousands of pounds of produce grown there are donated to the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia. The class helped the master gardeners with weeding and planting and even harvested some produce to take back to school, using it to prepare Thanksgiving dishes for a family served by Jewish Family Service.

Students continued their study of Tzeddakah and food insecurity and looked for additional ways to help the community. When studying the different blessings for foods, the students decided to make chopped salads to donate to ForKids in

South Norfolk. The fifth graders delivered the salads and got a tour of the ForKids family shelter. When these young students learned about the great need to feed families and the lack of fresh fruits and vegetables, the fifth graders resolved to do even more.

The fifth graders created a slideshow with information about food deserts, food insecurity, and ForKids. Then, they visited students in the younger grades to share the information. The entire SIA community was invited to donate fresh fruits and vegetables for a Produce Drive. ForKids was grateful when the students delivered more than 650 pieces of fresh produce.

Being on the campus with Jewish Family Service, the fifth graders were eager to help close to home. After meeting with Debbie Mayer and Jody Laibstain of JFS and learning about the food pantry program,

the students offered to help. The fifth graders visited the food pantry numerous times to help sort through donations and stock shelves, as well as to help food pantry customers shop. The students also noted which items were running low and organized a food and supply drive, filling the food drive buckets more than once. The fifth-grade class also had the opportunity to take donor funds given to JFS and shop for two carts of food, paper, and hygiene products.

As the end of the school year neared, these students wished to help one more

time, so they held a lemonade and bake sale, raising more than $500 in just one day. The money was used to purchase bread, peanut butter, jelly, bananas, and potato chips for the needy.

At the Fifth Grade Exhibition, the students presented posters on their research and learning and shared about their journey with all students, parents, and visitors. Finally, participants were invited to help make lunches for those in need. Each class had a different job in the process that culminated in making 100 lunches that were donated to Ghent Area Ministry to be distributed to the many people they serve.

Strelitz International Academy is the community’s Jewish Day School and International Baccalaureate® World School for infants through grade 5. For more information, contact Ally St. Pierre, admissions and marketing manager, at 757-424-4327, ext. 4188 or astpierre@strelitzacademy.org.

Gianna Eaglin and Elijah Perry participate in making bagged lunches for Ghent Area Ministry.

ForKids chef Teresa Licato with fifth grade student Adielle Uduaghan.

Knitters needed to keep the elderly warm,

year

round

Tuesdays, 10 am – 12 pm

Rescheduled: Two-time

Peabody award-winning producer of 60 Minutes: Ira Rosen in Tidewater

Tuesday, August 1, 12 pm, Sandler Family Campus

Elka Mednick

Joel Rubin

Know someone who knits or crochets? Or someone who wants to learn so they can help keep others warm? Is it you?

Sherry Rabinowitz, a PhD whose expertise was discovering and treating child abuse victims, will instruct those who don’t already have the skills. So will any of these other retirees: business owner Alison Palmer, veteran volunteer Jane Rosenman, RN Lynn Bell, or teachers Anne Maurer and Annette Mand.

On Tuesdays, these women gather at the Simon Family Jewish Community Center to make shawls, scarves, and lap blankets with

donated yarn. The final products are primarily for indigent nursing home residents.

“We love knitting, we enjoy helping other people, and being with each other,” says Rabinowitz.

“We have room for more volunteers,” says Jody Laibstain, who oversees this program for Jewish Family Service.

Laibstain says “you don’t have to be a woman, Jewish, or a JCC member to be in this little club.” Just email her at jlaibstain@ jfshamptonroads.org, and let her know you’re coming. “Dr. Sherry will get you on the sticks in no time.”

Ira Rosen, the acclaimed 60 Minutes producer and author of Ticking Clock: Behind the Scenes at 60 Minutes, will speak at the Simon Family JCC on August 1. The event was originally scheduled for May.

Rosen is a renowned journalist, producer, and author who has worked on some of the most significant stories in modern history. During his time at CBS News, he played an essential role in covering major events such as the Gulf War, the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the killing of Osama bin Laden.

His latest book, Ticking Clock, is an inside look at the groundbreaking news program that has been a staple of American television for more than 50 years. Rosen shares stories from his time working on 60 Minutes and offers insights into the personalities and events that have made it such a beloved institution.

In addition to his talk, attendees will have the opportunity to ask Rosen questions and get copies of his book signed.

Tickets are $12 ($6 for those 55 years of age or older) and include lunch. Bundle tickets, including lunch and a copy of Ticking Clock, are available for $27 through July 25.

For tickets or information about other upcoming events, visit JewishVA.org/BookFest, or contact Hunter Thomas, director of Arts + Ideas at UJFT, at HThomas@UJFT.org.

This event is presented as part of the Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival, which is held in coordination with the Jewish Book Council, the longest-running organization devoted exclusively to the support and celebration of Jewish literature.

CALENDAR

JUNE 14, WEDNESDAY

To Boldly Grow: Finding Joy, Adventure, and Dinner in Your Own Backyard with Tamar Haspel. Journalist and self-proclaimed “crappy gardener” Tamar Haspel demonstrates that raising or gathering food is not as hard as it seems. Haspel will take attendees on a journey as she reveals that a connection to what people eat can change the way they think about food –and themselves. Presented by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Simon Family JCC’s Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival. 12 pm. Online and free. Registration required. For more information and to register, visit JewishVA.org/BookFest or contact Hunter Thomas at HThomas@UJFT.org.

Biennial meeting for United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Simon Family JCC. Installation of officers and recognition of award recipients. Sandler Family Campus. 6:30 pm. 757-965-6100.

JUNE 15, THURSDAY

Monthly Moon Circle. The Konikoff Center for Learning of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater hosts a tradition that spans thousands of years: a monthly holiday known as Rosh Chodesh, meaning “head of the month.” Breathing new life into one of Judaism’s best kept secrets, come together for self-reflection and rituals to help connect with this ancient legacy, learn from Jewish wisdom and embrace the unique spiritual energy of each month. 6:45 pm. For more information and to register, visit JewishVA.org/KCL or contact Sierra Lautman at SLautman@UJFT.org

JUNE 19, MONDAY

JCC Book Club. June’s book discussion is Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Established in 2008, The JCC Book Club has reviewed more than 190 books, poems, and short stories. Join in. Meets on the third Monday of the month, 1:30-3:00 pm. In-Person in the new Joe Fleischmann Lounge or via Zoom. To RSVP, email Sherry Lieberman at joeann124@aol.com.

JUNE 21, WEDNESDAY

JCC Seniors Club. The Silver Tappers will entertain with song and dance after the Seniors Club meeting and luncheon. The Seniors Club meets on the third Thursday of the month, 12 – 2 pm. Membership is $15 annually; lunch is $6 monthly. For more information and to RSVP, contact Robin Ford at rford@ujft.org.

JUNE 29, THURSDAY

Who Knows One? Ohef Sholom Temple presents the innovative game show that combines Six Degrees of Separation and Jewish geography. $18; $50 per family. Includes wine and beer. 7 pm. For more information, 757-625-4295 or www.ohefsholom.org.

JULY 9, SUNDAY

Sunday Fun Day. Join PJ Library in Tidewater at the Sander Family Campus outdoor waterpark for Sunday Fun Day. Pack the sunscreen and towel and enjoy an afternoon of fun under the sun with music, water toys, and a free snow cone from KONA ICE. Kosher hot dogs and hamburgers poolside will be available for purchase. 1-4 pm. For more information and to register, visit JewishVA.org/PJ or contact Nofar Trem at NTrem@UJFT.org.

AUGUST 1, TUESDAY

Ticking Clock: Behind the Scenes at 60 Minutes with Ira Rosen Writer and producer Ira Rosen reveals the intimate, untold stories of his decades at 60 Minutes, America’s most iconic news show. Presented by the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Simon Family JCC’s Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival. 12 pm. $12 admission, $6 for ages 55+ (lunch included). $27 for lunch and signed book. Special pricing for lunch and book ends July 25. For more information and to register, visit JewishVA.org/BookFest or contact Hunter Thomas at HThomas@UJFT.org.

Jewish News Friends

Contributions to Jewish News help make it possible for the paper to be sent to every known Jewish household in Tidewater, as well as to maintain the paper’s online presence.

Each contribution is appreciated.

Friends of Jewish News

Marilyn Holzsweig

Rachelle Luna

Frederick Buxbaum

Peter Przyjemski

Walter Fenska

In Honor of - Debbie Burke and Terri Denison

Jack Fox

In Memory of - Marilyn Goldman

Terri and Steve Budman

Donations listed are as of May 30, 2023. To donate, go to www.JewishNewsVA.org/donate/ or mail a check to Jewish News, 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Virginia Beach, Va. 23462.

Thank you!

2023: Simon Family JCC Day Camp Employment

Looking for wonderful place to work? Try Camp JCC !

At Camp JCC, energetic and passionate staff provide a safe and positive learning environment for campers. Previous summer day camp work expe-rience and/or experience working with children helpful.

Excellent Career Experience for

College students, high school students (rising Juniors, Seniors) or graduates, or for those looking to work in recreation, education, or social work. All positions serve as role models for campers and each other.

Now Hiring… for the following positions:

Sr. Counselors (High School Graduates or 18 years old)

Junior Counselor (High School Rising Junior and 16 years old)

Specialists ( Activities: Sports, Music, Arts, etc.)

Special Needs Shadow Counselors •Administrative Assistant Camp Nurse ( RN or LPN)

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience

For more information, contact:

Taftaleen Hunter, Human Resources Director

Applications available at www.simonfamilyjcc.org

Submit completed application to: resumes@ujft.org or by mail

UJFT/Simon Family JCC

Attention: Confidential: Human Resources

5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 200 • Virginia Beach, VA 23462

Staff Orientation: June 11-17; Camper/Counselor Meet & Greet: June 19

Last Blast Camp (Post Camp) August 14 - 25

Barbara (Bobbie) Koonan Krampf

VIRGINIA BEACH – Barbara (Bobbie) Koonan Krampf, 89, passed away on May 21, 2023 in a local hospital.

Bobbie was born in Norfolk on March 15, 1934, and was the oldest child and only daughter of the late Max and Martha Ungar. She was also preceded in death by her first husband, Jack Koonan, and her second husband, Joesph Krampf, as well as two brothers, Phillip and Myron Ungar, and a son-in-law, Gregg Madnick. She was a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, and friend who dedicated her entire life to her family and that was most important to her. She attended Blair Middle School and was a 1952 graduate of Maury High School. She worked as a bookkeeper at ARCO Hardware for many years, and later was the manager of Memory Lane Old Time Photos at the Virginia Beach oceanfront.

Bobbie is survived by her three

children, Ira Koonan and his wife Lisa, Beth Dorsk and her husband Barry, and Elyn Madnick; six grandchildren, Chad (Maria), Justin (Erin), Mitchell, Sarah Ann (Kyle), Jake (Olivia), and Jamie (Matt); five great grandchildren, Layla, Lilly, Jack, Sawyer, and Greyson, with two on the way; and two sisters-in-law, Pam Ungar and Toby Grim, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A graveside service was held in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Norfolk with Rabbi Rosalin Mandelberg officiating. Online condolences may be made to the family at hdoliver.com.

Eleanor Barbara Lenox

VIRGINIA BEACH – Eleanor Lenox, lovingly known to some as Ellie, passed away on May 7, 2023, at the age of 87 at her home at the Terrace at Beth Sholom Village in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Born on February 27, 1936, in Worcester, Massachusetts, Eleanor lived a life defined by her roles as wife, mother, grandmother, and volunteer.

Eleanor grew up in Worcester in an orthodox Jewish home. She was quite athletic in her younger years, enjoying sports such as tennis, ice skating, and bowling. She married her husband, Seymour Lenox, on Thanksgiving Day, 1957. Seymour passed away a mere month before what would have been their 55th wedding anniversary. Throughout their marriage, they stuck with each other through good times and bad, adopted their only son, moved from their home in Massachusetts to Virginia when the U.S. Navy consolidated their Atlantic Fleet home ports to Norfolk, reared their son together as amazingly wonderful parents.

During these years, Eleanor worked in secretarial support for an architectural firm, customer service for an oil company, and finally with a pharmaceutical company. At each position, she found a way to make friends and to make those to whom she provided services laugh and smile. While working these jobs, she also found the time to serve as a den mother for a Cub Scout troop, to drive her son and his friends to various school events and extra-curricular activities (and sat through many of those excruciatingly painful band concerts, club events, and debate tournaments without muttering a complaint – at least none that her son could hear), and always ensured that her son was well fed, the latter trait being one that she had a very difficult time relinquishing, even to her dying day. Eleanor was the type who would give you the proverbial shirt off her back.

She and Seymour retired together and enjoyed their time as grandparents to their three grandchildren, often getting on the floor and playing with them and helping them build with blocks and Legos. During her retirement, she continued her dedication to serving those around her. Her

passion for helping others led her to spend over three decades volunteering at Beth Sholom Village, a Jewish, faith-based nonprofit organization providing a continuum of care to those of all faiths through rehabilitation, memory care, and skilled nursing services, as well as graduated assisted living for older members of the community. At Beth Sholom, Eleanor gave over 10,000 hours of her time, first feeding residents and then becoming one of the founding members of the gift shop there.

Eleanor’s focus on her Jewish faith and the values it teaches was a cornerstone of her life. She found great joy in attending services and participating in religious activities. While today it is common for 13-year-old girls to become Bat Mitzvah, that was not the case in 1949. But at 74 years old, she worked hard to learn Hebrew and read from the Torah on her Bat Mitzvah in October of 2010 at Congregation Beth Chaverim, where she was one of the founding members and served in multiple positions.

When she realized the time had come to move from her house in Virginia Beach of 47 years, there was only one place she would consider going – Beth Sholom Village, where she kept an apartment for over two years and where she passed away peacefully in her sleep.

Eleanor is preceded in death by her mother Edith Sigel, father Charles Sigel, husband Seymour Lenox, and brothers Irving and Morton Sigel. She is survived by her son Bradford Lenox and wife Cheryl Woodard-Lenox, as well as her grandsons Jacob, Adam, and Benjamin Lenox.

She will be forever remembered by her family and friends for lending her helping hand wherever it was needed and perhaps as much as anything for her wicked sense of humor. She was loved by all who knew her.

A graveside service took place at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens in honor of Eleanor’s life. Although we mourn her passing, we find solace in the memories that she leaves behind and the impact she had on our lives. Eleanor’s kindness, dedication, and love will never be forgotten. Contributions to Beth Sholom Village (https://bethsholomvillage.com/donate/ ) in her memory would be a wonderful way to remember her.

May the Source of Peace send peace to all who mourn, and comfort to all who are bereaved.

Sam Zell, Jewish billionaire whose media purchase tarnished a legendary career

Andrew Silow-Carroll

(JTA) — Sam Zell, a Chicago real estate magnate and son of Holocaust survivors who led a tumultuous leveraged buyout that bankrupted the Tribune media company in the early 2000s, died Thursday, May 18. He was 81.

Before buying the Tribune Co. in 2007, the billionaire was known for his gift for reviving moribund companies. He developed an office-tower company that he sold to the Blackstone Group for $39 billion in 2007. His firm also invested in manufacturing, travel, retail, healthcare, and energy. He pioneered the use of REITs, real estate securities that trade like stocks on the major exchanges.

But Zell appeared to lose his magic touch in 2007 after buying the Tribune company and its assets, which included televisions stations, the Chicago Cubs baseball team, and major newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times. The company foundered in what Zell himself called the “deal from hell,” and fi led for bankruptcy in December 2008, one year after Zell took the company private in a heavily leveraged $8.2 billion deal. Although the deal took place at a time of declining fortunes in the media industry, Zell’s personal leadership and decision to saddle the company with debt were widely blamed for the failure.

“The ‘grave dancer’ of real estate development was now the ‘grave digger’ of the newspaper world,” a Forbes columnist wrote at the time.

Zell was a major donor to Jewish causes, including the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center in Israel, the Israel Center for Social and Economic Progress, the American Jewish Committee, and the Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School, named for his father, in Chicago. (Its alumni include former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and actor Ike Barinholtz; a Jewish high school in the Chicago area is named for Zell’s mother Rochelle.)

According to a 2007 profi le in the

Forward, Zell would regale campers as a Jewish summer camp counselor with tales of his parents’ escape from the Holocaust. According to his 2017 autobiography, Am I Being Too Subtle? Straight Talk From a Business Rebel, Zell’s parents, then known as Ruchla and Berek Zielonka, escaped from Poland at the onset of the Nazi invasion and embarked with their two-year-old daughter on a circuitous, 21-month journey that took them through Lithuania, Russia, and Japan before they made it to the United States. They travelled on transit visas supplied by Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat in Vilnius who saved thousands of Jews.

Zell was born on Sept. 28, 1941, in Chicago. He graduated in 1963 from the University of Michigan, where he was also a member of the Jewish Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity. He managed student housing apartments as an undergraduate and founded his chief investment vehicle, Equity Group Investments, in 1968.

“Sam Zell was a self-made, visionary entrepreneur. He launched and grew hundreds of companies during his 60-plus-year career and created countless jobs,” Equity Group Investments said in a written statement. “Although his investments spanned industries across the globe, he was most widely recognized for his critical role in creating the modern real estate investment trust, which today is a more than $4 trillion industry.”

Zell was married three times. His survivors include his wife, Helen, three children and nine grandchildren.

Zell credited his own drive to the lessons he learned from his parents. In his memoir, he recalls seeing footage of the concentration camp atrocities that his parents escaped.

“Those unforgettable images were my introduction to the Holocaust,” Zell wrote. “Looking back, I can see that they accelerated my maturity and gave me a sober awareness of the world. That fi lm also went a long way toward helping me understand my parents’ orientation toward life — why they pushed so hard and were

so determined for their children to succeed. Economic success had been critical in securing their freedom. They had escaped

Poland in part because they had the means to do so — my father’s prescience in storing away money.”

Sisler, Vice President, Member of Ohef Sholom Temple, Board member of the Berger-Goldrich Home at Beth Sholom Village, James E. Altmeyer, Jr., President, James E. Altmeyer, Sr., Owner

Annual Fishing Derby reels ‘em in

More than 75 people were busy having fun casting bait into Lake Sandler for this year’s Fishing Derby on Sunday, May 21. With perfect weather and 40 prizes and raffle items, plenty of smiles were caught along with the fish. The

largest fi sh of the day, a 4 lb., 3 oz. largemouth bass, was caught by six-year-old Raleigh Anglen. Many of the anglers had never visited the Sandler Family Campus before the Fishing Derby, which is spearheaded each year by Tom

1 Josh Rivera with a raffle prize he won.

2 Neil and Raleigh Anglen with the biggest fish of the day.

3 Caleb and Donnie Bailey.

4 Bill Pucher with Nina and Liam Kruger.

5 Jeffrey and Cairo Walden with Cairo’s raffle prize winnings.

Edwards, Simon Family JCC’s athletic director.

More than $300 was raised for the JCC Sports and Recreation Department, which has youth and adult programming throughout the year.

6 Tom Edwards weighs a catch.

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