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Southeastern Virginia | Vol. 60 No. 12 | 25 Adar II 5782 | March 28, 2022

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Security training for the Jewish community

Assisting Jewish refugees in Budapest

28 BBYO’s Hamantaschen Bake: a delicious success

—page 10

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38 NADIV goes to D.C.

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

In rare show of unity, all 25 Jewish House Democrats blast Amnesty director’s comments on Israel

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Ron Kampeas

WASHINGTON (JTA)—All 25 Jewish Democrats in the House, a fractious caucus that rarely unanimously agrees on issues of Jewish interest, signed onto a statement slamming recent comments by Amnesty International’s U.S. director, who said he believes polls showing overwhelming U.S. Jewish support for Israel are inaccurate.

“As Jewish Members of the House of Representatives, we represent diverse views on a number of issues relating to Israel.

However, we are in full agreement that Mr. [Paul] O’Brien’s patronizing attempt to speak on behalf of the American Jewish community is alarming and deeply offensive,” the statement released earlier this month reads.

In an address first reported by Jewish Insider, Paul O’Brien defended Amnesty’s recent report designating Israel as an “apartheid” state. Someone at the event, at the Women’s National Democratic Club in Washington D.C., asked him about a 2020 Ruderman Family Foundation poll that showed eight in 10 American Jews identify as “pro-Israel.” The poll is commensurate with findings of multiple polls over the years.

“I believe my gut tells me that what Jewish people in this country want is to know that there’s a sanctuary that is a safe and sustainable place that the Jews, the Jewish people can call home,” he said, a status short of a Jewish state, which O’Brien had said in the same address Amnesty rejected.

“We are opposed to the idea—and this, I think, is an existential part of the debate—that Israel should be preserved as a state for the Jewish people,” O’Brien had said earlier in his comments.

O’Brien tweeted that his remarks were removed from context, although he did not dispute the contents of the quote. “I did not and Amnesty takes no position on the legitimacy of any state,” he said.

Such unanimity is rare among Jewish Democrats, especially on issues of Jewish import. For example, Reps. Elaine Luria of Virginia and Dean Phillips of Minnesota have condemned comments by fellow caucus member, Ilhan Omar, as antisemitic, while Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois has joined with Omar to combat antisemitism. Luria and Rep. Josh Gottheimer spearheaded a letter saying they would likely oppose any bid by the Biden administration to reenter the Iran nuclear deal, while Reps. John Yarmuth of Kentucky and Alan Lowenthal of California have decried former President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the deal as catastrophic.

Jewish staffers on Capitol Hill who watched as the Amnesty statement accrued the names of every Jewish member told JTA they were amazed to see the members overcome differences large and small.

The only Jewish members of the House missing from the statement were its two Republicans, David Kustoff of Tennessee and Lee Zeldin of New York. Spokesmen for each said they were not approached to sign onto it.

A staffer involved in shaping the statement, requesting anonymity to speak freely, said the feeling was that each side should take care of offenses on its own side, and statements by a liberal group like Amnesty International would be on the Democratic side of the ledger.

The staffer said Republicans should work to isolate and condemn those in their party who make statements offensive to Jews, singling out Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Paul Gosar of Arizona. Republicans have condemned remarks

by Gosar and Greene and others but have resisted imposing penalties on them.

“We’re trying to set an example for our Jewish Republican colleagues,” the staffer said.

Up Front. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Briefs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Assisting Jewish refugees in Budapest. . . . . . . . . 6 Zelensky asks Jerusalem to be potential negotiations site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 NYC Rabbis visit Polish border with Ukraine. . . 9 Security training for Jewish Tidewater. . . . . . . . 10 Zelensky ignites debate over Ukraine’s role in Holocaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 RJC PAC endorses Senator Ron Johnson. . . . . . 12 Ketanji Brown Jackson talks about Black-Jewish alliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Special Section: Passover 5782. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

TJF grant helps fund CNU’s Holocaust Remembrance event. . . . . . . . . . . 27 Operation Hamantaschen at Sunday Fun Day. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 BBYO holds hamantaschen bake. . . . . . . . . . . . 28 B’Tayavon: Pesach delights from Shari Berman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Book Review: The Serpent Papers . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Camp JCC—Summer is within reach. . . . . . . . 32 What’s Happening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 NADIV raises funds and awareness. . . . . . . . . . 38

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Friday, April 1/29 Adar II Light candles at 7:09 pm

“Not much is more important than the security of our community.”

Friday, April 8/7 Nissan Light candles at 7:16 pm Friday, April 15/14 Nissan Light candles at 7:22 pm Friday, April 22/21 Nissan Light candles at 7:28 pm

—page 10

Friday, April 29/28 Nissan Light candles at 7:34 pm Friday, May 6/5 Iyar Light candles at 7:40 pm

jewishnewsva.org | March 28, 2022 | JEWISH NEWS | 3

BRIEFS AIPAC DEFENDS ITS ENDORSEES, INCLUDING THOSE WHO QUESTIONED BIDEN’S ELECTION In response to criticism of its first slate of political action committee endorsements, the AIPAC lobby told its activists that it would continue to cultivate politicians of all stripes, even those who questioned the most recent presidential election based on false claims, citing what it calls deadly threats faced by Israel.

“We have friends who are pro-choice and pro-life, those who are liberal on immigration and those who want to tighten our borders, and yes, those who disagree strongly on issues surrounding the 2020 presidential election,” said the message AIPAC sent on Friday, March 16.

AIPAC launched its first-ever PAC in December and earlier this month unveiled its first 120 endorsees, including 37 Republicans who refused to affirm Joe Biden’s election on Jan. 6, 2021. Their votes came after insurrectionists embracing the same false theories led a deadly riot at the Capitol. Their inclusion on the AIPAC endorsement list spurred sharp criticism from pro-Israel Democrats.

“This is no moment for the pro-Israel movement to become selective about its friends,” the message added. “Israel faces nuclear threats from Iran’s rulers and terror tunnels built by Hezbollah and Hamas. An international movement seeking to isolate and demonize the Jewish state continues to make inroads, especially here in the United States.”

Also on the endorsement list are 27 Democrats who voted “yes” to approve the Iran deal in 2015, an inclusion that raised eyebrows among longtime Republican AIPAC supporters. The deal, being renegotiated to allow for the United States’ reentry into the agreement, trades sanctions relief for a rollback of Iran’s nuclear activity. Israel’s government argues that the accord is too light on Iran and enables their sponsorship of terrorism in the Middle East. (JTA) SANDY KOUFAX STATUE TO BE UNVEILED AT DODGER STADIUM Jewish baseball legend Sandy Koufax will be immortalized with a statue at Dodger Stadium this summer.

The Hall of Fame pitcher will join his

trailblazing teammate Jackie Robinson, whose bronze statue was unveiled in the centerfield plaza in 2017. Artist Branly Cadet, who made the Robinson statue, also created Koufax’s sculpture.

The Los Angeles Dodgers had announced the Koufax statue in 2019, with its unveiling originally planned for the summer of 2020. The new ceremony will be held June 18 prior to a game against the Cleveland Guardians. The first 40,000 ticketed fans in attendance will receive a replica of Koufax’s statue.

Dodgers President and CEO Stan Kasten announced the new date, saying fans entering the centerfield gates would now be “greeted” by Robinson and Koufax.

“Not only are both of these Hall of Famers part of our rich Dodger history, they are also continuously inspiring sports fans everywhere,” Kasten said.

Koufax, now 86, became the youngest player to enter baseball’s Hall of Fame when he was inducted in 1972 at the age of 36. That same year, the Dodgers retired Koufax’s jersey number, 32, alongside Robinson’s iconic 42, which is retired across the sport.

One of the best pitchers in baseball history, Koufax was a member of four World Series championship teams, winning two World Series Most Valuable Player awards.

Koufax also won a National League MVP and three Cy Young awards during his 12-year career with the Dodgers.

Koufax posted a career record of 165-87 with a 2.76 earned run average, 2,396 strikeouts, 137 complete games, and 40 shutouts. He was the first pitcher to throw four no-hitters.

Among Jewish fans, Koufax is best known for a game he did not pitch. Game 1 of the 1965 World Series fell on Yom Kippur, and Koufax famously declined to play. (JTA)

UN NONPROFIT: ISRAEL IS WORLD’S 9TH HAPPIEST COUNTRY Israel is the ninth happiest country in the world, according to the World Happiness Report, a project of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

Israel has moved slowly up the rankings in recent years, going from No. 14 in 2020 to No. 11 in 2021. The report, which

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is celebrating its 10th anniversary, says it factors a country’s GDP, social support, life expectancy, “freedom to make life choices,” citizen generosity and perceptions of corruption into its ranking.

The U.N. is known as a harsh critic of Israel, singling it out with continual condemnations and more critical resolutions than any other nation. Its Sustainable Development Solutions Network was founded in 2012 to advance U.N. sustainability, anti-poverty, and industry goals around the world.

Each country’s response to COVID-19 was also a factor in the ranking, the report noted. Israel was one of the first countries to successfully vaccinate a large percentage of its population.

“Deaths from COVID-19 during 2020 and 2021 have been markedly lower in those countries with higher trust in public institutions and where inequality is lower,” the report reads.

As usual, the Nordic countries held their spots at the top of the list, with Finland ranking as the happiest country in the world for the fifth year in a row.

Denmark, Iceland, and Switzerland placed in the top four, with the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Sweden and Norway the only others ahead of Israel. (JTA)

SINGAPORE TO OPEN EMBASSY IN ISRAEL AFTER 57 YEARS OF TIES Singapore will upgrade its presence in Israel from consulate to embassy, in the latest move reflecting thawing relations between Israel and Muslim countries.

Israel and Singapore forged diplomatic ties in 1965 and have enjoyed friendly relations for decades. Israel sells Singapore defense equipment and has had an embassy in the country since 1968.

However, Singapore, mindful of its huge Muslim-majority neighbors, Malaysia and Indonesia, has sought to keep the ties out of the public eye. The Times of Israel reported that Israel’s defense minister, Benny Gantz, visited the country last year but kept it quiet out of deference to Singapore.

Now, Singapore is openly boasting about its Israel relations. Vivian Balakrishnan, the Southeast Asian citystate’s foreign minister, made the embassy announcement Monday, March 21 in

Jerusalem where he was meeting with Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid. The embassy will be in Tel Aviv.

The advent of the Abraham Accords normalizing ties between Israel and four Arab nations, brokered in 2020 by the Trump administration in its final months, has eased the stigma of open ties with Israel among nations sensitive to Muslim sensibilities.

Since the launch of the Abraham Accords, not only has Israel normalized ties with the United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Morocco, and Bahrain, it has improved existing diplomatic relations with Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey. The Biden administration is committed to expanding the Abraham Accords, one of its few areas of agreement with the Trump administration.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett paid a surprise visit to Egypt on March 21 where he conferred with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and UAE’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. (JTA)

ASSAILANT KILLS 4 IN STABBING ATTACK IN BEERSHEBA, ISRAEL An assailant killed four people at a shopping mall in Beersheba, Israel, on Tuesday, March 22 in what Israeli authorities are describing as a terrorist attack.

The man injured at least one other person in the attack in the southern city Israeli reports said.

The attacker hit a cyclist with his car, killing the cyclist, then exited his car at the mall and stabbed three people to death before being shot to death by a bus driver. The dead included three women and a man. Police are searching for a suspected second assailant.

Kann News, a government-run news station, said the attacker was an Israeli citizen and a Bedouin. The Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist groups praised the attack but did not directly claim responsibility.

Kann reported that there have been repeated calls by Islamist terrorist groups for knifing attacks on Israeli citizens in recent weeks. The Jerusalem Post reported that this was the third stabbing attack in Israel in a week. (JTA)

jewishnewsva.org | March 28, 2022 | JEWISH NEWS | 5

WAR IN UKRAINE YOUR DOLLARS AT WORK

JCC Budapest assists refugees

D

evastated by what is happening in Ukraine, the reality in Hungary is that there is a lot to do.

As of March 14, more than 250,000 Ukrainians have made their way to Hungary; most refugees arriving are women, children, and seniors (many elderly are disabled), and most are showing up without extra pairs of clothes and basic necessities to get through each day.

Ukrainian men are required to stay in Ukraine and fight—families are separated and completely broken, the reality for new Ukrainian refugees is terribly painful.

While the Hungarian government has made steps to help Ukrainian refugees, the real work is being done by NGOs and civilians. Each day, hundreds of people are putting their day jobs to the side and volunteering: Rushing to the railway stations to help with travel coordination and accommodation, hosting refugees in their own homes, and doing anything and everything they can to help.

NGOs are experiencing massive pressure. And, of course, it was never a question for the JCC in Budapest to do its part. Since the war started, the JCC Budapest team has been working around the clock to help its Ukrainian friends.

Here is a summary of what the JCC has done so far.

The JCC has initiated cooperation between Jewish organizations that are active in Hungary. The goal is to organize

and coordinate the efforts of the Jewish community, to make it more efficient, which has resulted in the cooperation of more than 50 organizations to help its Ukrainian Chaverim. This coalition is led by the JCC and includes JDC (American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee), MAZSIHISZ (The Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities), the Jewish Agency for Israel, and the WJC (World Jewish Congress).

Results of the cooperation so far include: • Helping refugees at the HungarianUkrainian border travel to Budapest or another country of their choice.

• After arriving in Budapest, the refugees are provided with accommodation in hotels, community shelters, or in the homes of community members.

• Information desks were established throughout the city, at the hubs where refugees are most likely to arrive in large numbers.

• A network of almost 100 volunteers, some of whom are brand new volunteers and some who have been helping in various programs or partner organizations.

• A website was created—jewsforukraine.hu—to organize information for refugees and provide opportunities for the people who want to offer help.

Besides initiating a broader coalition, the JCC’s most significant role is in coordinating and managing the cross-organizational volunteer network of the community, including channeling in all the smaller NGOs and private individuals, creating a central resource database of the entire community and serving as a dropoff point for multiple organizations collecting donations.

MAZSIHISZ and Akos Nagy Mazsihisz/Kinneret Photo the JCC Budapest also Ukrainian girl arriving at Keleti railway station, Budapest March 13.

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Akos Nagy Mazsihisz/Kinneret Photo

The Hungarian Jewish community’s information desk at the Keleti Railway Station.

jointly organized an event “Prayers and Songs” a charity concert for Ukraine and all those suffering. All benefits will be spent on aid for these Ukrainian friends.

What is happening within the JCC? As housing refugees is getting harder each day, the JCC has been transformed to temporarily house refugees free of charge.

The JCC also provides help to several partner organizations collecting donations; serving as a drop-off point and helping promote their efforts to reach a wider audience. Three ongoing campaigns are: • Adománytaxi (DonationTaxi) collects necessary items and ships them to Transcarpathia.

• Hashomer Hatzair collects donations for people who decided or had to stay in Ukraine. They send weekly transports with donations to sealed-off cities in

Ukraine.

• A community member, Nelli Teszter collects donations for the Ukrainian Jewish families in Budapest. The families can come into the JCC building and collect any items they need.

The JCC also hosted a program for its local community, “Thoughts about the Ukrainian Crisis”—an educational lecture

by Ungváry Krtisztián (member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences) to better understand the current situation.

United Jewish Federation of Tidewater supports the JCC Budapest.

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.

WAR IN UKRAINE Russian Jewish oligarchs step down from board of Genesis Group, the Jewish philanthropy they helped found Asaf Shalev

(JTA)—Russian billionaires Petr Aven, Mikhail Fridman, and German Kahn have stepped down from the board of Genesis Philanthropy Group, a major funder of Jewish causes founded by the trio, after they were sanctioned by the European Union and the United Kingdom.

The billionaires are among the oligarchs targeted by Western sanctions over their longstanding ties to the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the crackdown on Russian businessmen and financial institutions has given rise to uncertainty among Jewish charities that have increasingly come to rely on them for funding in recent years.

Genesis announced the trio’s departure on Friday, March 18 in a widely distributed email. Signed by Genesis chairman Gennady Gazin and CEO Marina Yudborovsky, the announcement praises the Russian billionaires for their record of supporting Jewish philanthropy and makes no mention of the sanctions against them.

“Since our founding, Mikhail Fridman, Petr Aven and German Khan have been the drivers of our ability to strengthen Jewish engagement around the world, and each is personally, deeply passionate about a bright Jewish future,” the announcement says. “In order to assure the ability of GPG to stay true to its mission and build on the foundation we have created over the past 15 years, all three have resigned from the board of directors.”

According to Genesis, the resignations will not affect a recent pledge of $10 million for humanitarian relief in Ukraine.

“We have the necessary financial resources on hand to ensure that the below announcement will not impact those grants or any of the other commitments we have already made,” the announcement said.

The relief money from Genesis will help pay for food distributions, evacuation

efforts, and elderly and orphan care in Ukraine being provided by organizations including the Jewish Agency for Israel, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, and the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine, as well as local Jewish groups.

Genesis also funds a wide variety of Jewish initiatives in the United States, Israel, and around the world.

The group’s website lists nine “flagship” grantees, including Hillel, Moishe House, Birthright, Limmud, PJ Library, and Yad Vashem.

The resignations will not affect a recent pledge of $10 million for humanitarian relief in Ukraine.

The organization is perhaps best known for establishing the Genesis Prize, an annual $1 million award, dubbed “the Jewish Nobel,” given to prominent Jewish figures. The award is administered by the separate Genesis Prize Foundation.

Unlike many charitable foundations, details about Genesis’ finances are not publicly available because it is not chartered as a U.S. nonprofit, which would require it to file annual disclosure forms with the IRS. Two new board members will replace the Russian billionaires who resigned: Sanford Cardin and Yisrael Goldschmidt.

Cardin is the CEO of Our Common Destiny, an initiative backed by the Israeli government that is dedicated to “increasing mutual understanding between Jews living in Israel and the Diaspora.” He is also a former president of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, a major funder of Jewish causes, including the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Goldschmidt owns Kikar Hashabbat Media Group and is a member of the board of patrons of the Conference of European Rabbis.

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WAR IN UKRAINE After searing speech to Israeli lawmakers, Zelensky again points to Jerusalem as potential negotiations site Shira Hanau

(JTA)—After a searing speech in which he criticized Israel’s government for not providing more robust aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky again raised the possibility that Jerusalem could serve as the site for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, calling it “the right place to find peace,” if peace becomes possible.

“The prime minister of Israel, Mr. Bennett, is trying to find a way of holding talks. And we are grateful for this. We are grateful for his efforts, so that sooner or later we will begin to have talks with Russia, possibly in Jerusalem,” Zelensky said in his nightly address Sunday, March 20, according to a translation by Reuters.

Zelensky’s more moderate tone regarding Israel’s position in the conflict came just a few hours after his speech to Israel’s Knesset. In that earlier speech, Zelensky made another request for military assistance from Israel and criticized Israeli

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s government for trying to maintain relations with both Ukraine and Russia. He also compared the “final solution” the Nazis sought to impose on the Jews to Russia’s ambitions for Ukraine.

The speech, and particularly the Holocaust analogies, raised hackles among Israel’s lawmakers, some of whom pushed back on social media. Bennett himself pushed back against Zelensky’s use of the Holocaust analogy.

But he also signaled that he was not judging the Ukrainian president harshly.

“His country and his people are in a very severe war,” Bennett said at a conference hosted by the Israeli newspaper Ynet, according to The Times of Israel. “Many hundreds of dead, millions of refugees.

I cannot imagine what it is like to be in his shoes.”

Bennett also commented on the progress of Israeli-mediated talks between Ukraine and Russia, saying there were still “very large” gaps between the two countries on a number of issues.

Holocaust survivor who lived through 4 Nazi camps killed in Ukraine by Russia strike Gabe Friedman

( JTA)—A 96-year-old non-Jewish Holocaust survivor who lived through four different Nazi concentration camps was killed Friday, March 18 in a Russian airstrike on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.

The Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation announced Borys Romanchenko’s death on Twitter on Monday, March 21.

“Survived Hitler, murdered by Putin,” Ukraine’s foreign minister tweeted Monday, March 21.

Romanchenko’s former concentration camp uniform, which he wore through stints at the Buchenwald, Peenemünde,

8 | JEWISH NEWS | March 28, 2022 | jewishnewsva.org

Dora and Bergen-Belsen camps, featured a red triangle. That symbolized that he was likely either a political prisoner or a gentile who assisted Jews, among other non-Jewish categories.

Romanchenko was at one point vice president of the Buchenwald-Dora International Committee and worked “intensively on the memory of Nazi crimes,” the Buchenwald and MittelbauDora institute said. He attended multiple ceremonies that commemorated the liberation of Buchenwald, one of the Nazis’ largest death camps.

His granddaughter told the institute that he was at home when his building was hit by Russian fire.

WAR IN UKRAINE

New York City rabbis bear witness to the catastrophe—and compassion—on Ukraine’s border Julia Gergely

(New York Jewish Week)—Nineteen local rabbis returned from a brief trip to Poland’s border with Ukraine earlier this month, shocked by the burdens facing Jewish refugees fleeing Russia’s war on Ukraine.

“It was very overwhelming to see the magnitude of human suffering,” Rabbi Rachel Timoner, the senior rabbi at Park Slope’s Congregation Beth Elohim, told the New York Jewish Week. “People are in shock. What we saw were women and children who had left everything they had, who had left their homes, their communities and their loved ones, and in many cases, their husbands, fathers and sons. They had no idea where they were going to sleep, had been traveling for days and days, and were cold, hungry, and thirsty.”

During the three-day mission, the clergy distributed supplies, determined how best to help organizations working to aid refugees, and heard personal stories from those who have fled Ukraine in recent weeks.

During the mission—which was organized by UJA-Federation New York—the rabbis visited shelters, clinics, soup kitchens, and Jewish organizations on the ground. The institutions have been operating around the clock to help Ukrainian refugees who have fled to Poland since the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24.

On Monday, March 21, UJA-Federation announced a new round in emergency funding, bringing its grants to help Ukrainians to $8.1 million since the start of the war.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the number of Ukrainian refugees in Poland has already surpassed two million.

“Multiply [what we saw] by hundreds of thousands and millions of people,” said Timoner. “It’s very overwhelming to see that and so, to be there amongst colleagues, who were also trying to bear

witness and committed to coming back to sharing what we saw to garner support for aid, that felt very meaningful.”

All of the rabbis reached by the New York Jewish Week noted the magnitude of suffering. And while some in the wider Jewish community have questioned the efficacy of such short-term missions, the rabbis who went to Poland spoke about the necessity of bearing witness to the tragedy and of amplifying the need for humanitarian aid for refugees.

Rabbis were asked by UJA on Tuesday, March 7 if they would be able to go on the trip the following Saturday evening. They had only a few hours to decide.

“I knew that there would be power in showing up,” said Rabbi Rachel Ain of Sutton Place Synagogue. “I also knew that, in this case, not only would I be showing up, but I would be able to understand and amplify the message and the situation on the ground that we might not be seeing in the news, because it’s hard to get personal stories.”

Some of the rabbis shared such personal stories on their social media throughout the trip. Timoner posted on Instagram about Katya, who said goodbye to her husband and left Ukraine with her sons, ages 4 and 9, as the fighting intensified. After three days waiting in the cold, the trio arrived in Poland, though they hope to continue to Israel where Katya’s mother lives.

“The idea that we could bring any kind of material aid to refugees or to people suffering in Ukraine was an obvious yes, even though I knew our impact would be very small,” said Timoner. “Just the idea of being able to have any impact at all and being able to offer any little bit of help was compelling.”

In the days leading up to the trip, Timoner put a call out to her congregation to donate items like diapers, feminine hygiene products, and women’s and children’s underwear. Within just three days, Timoner had collected six large bags of supplies to restock the refugee

centers they visited. “For us to bring actual supplies and not money was what they needed,” she said. “They couldn’t get them otherwise.”

The group visited with organizations in the field that have been working with the UJA-Federation, the American Joint Distribution Committee and the Jewish Agency for Israel to provide aid to refugees. The group also met with Jewish community leaders in Poland, including Rabbi Michael Schudrich, the Chief Rabbi of Poland; Jonathan Ornstein, the executive director of the JCC Krakow, and Tzvi Sperber, the director of JRoots, which organizes trips for young Jews to visit places of Jewish heritage, including many in Eastern Europe.

Though the cohort witnessed firsthand the suffering experienced by refugees at the border, many of the rabbis returned stateside with messages of hope.

“It is impossible to describe the look on the faces of bewildered women and children crossing a border with almost next to nothing,” wrote Shaul Robinson, the senior rabbi at Lincoln Square Synagogue, in a message to his congregation. “But I can also say it is impossible to describe the look on their faces when they realize that there are people waiting for them.”

“Despite it all, that’s a message of Judaism: We always hold out,” said Ain. We always remember the sadness; we break the glass at a wedding, we boo at Haman’s name, we leave unpainted corners of new houses recognizing that not everything is fixed in the world.”

“But we do under the context that tomorrow can be better than today,” she added. “And in the meantime, we need to be partners, with God and with each other, in making a better world.”

Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz of Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun on the Upper East Side also remarked on how meaningful it felt to witness so much Jewish aid during a European refugee crisis. “One of the most powerful moments was greeting a group of 40 Ukrainians

who were about to get on a bus to the airport, and on their way to Israel,” he said.

“It was a reminder that unlike 80 years ago, Jewish refugees always have a home.

It was inspiring to see how the global Jewish family is there for them.”

When asked whether they serve only Jews, they said, “Selection is what they did 80 years ago here. We do not do selection. We serve all people.”

On her social media, Timoner took photos of Israel’s “Rescuers Without Borders” tent, which she described as being the first tent refugees see when they enter Poland at the Medyka border.

“When asked whether they serve only Jews, they said, ‘Selection is what they did 80 years ago here. We do not do selection.

We serve all people,’” she wrote.

“When there is great evil in the world, sometimes it brings out great goodness,” Timoner told the New York Jewish Week.

“We didn’t just witness evil and the effects of evil, we witnessed the beauty of what human beings are capable of in their generosity and in their caring, and that was inspiring.”

jewishnewsva.org | March 28, 2022 | JEWISH NEWS | 9

TIDEWATER

Security training for the Jewish community Terri Denison

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he continued threat to Jewish institutions throughout the nation prompted the formation of Secure Community Network in 2004 as the official homeland security and safety initiative of the organized Jewish community in North America. Dedicated to securing synagogues, and all Jewish institutions—JCCs, camps, and especially those who congregate within—the group offers training on a variety of topics.

In fact, Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker of Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, the victim of January’s terrifying hostage crisis, credited his training with Secure Community Network in his ability to know the correct time and how to facilitate a safe escape for his congregants and himself.

“Not much is more important than the security of our community,” says Betty Ann Levin, UJFT’s executive vice president/CEO. To better protect the Jewish community who worship and attend area synagogues, day schools, and other Jewish agencies in Tidewater, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater with support from a Tidewater Jewish Foundation community impact grant, joined with the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond and United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula to partner with Secure Community Network to enhance local security programs in 2020.

Secure Community Network was established under the auspices of the Jewish Federations of North America (UJFT’s national umbrella agency) and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

SCN strives to enhance the safety and security of those within 147 Federations, the 50 largest Jewish non-profit organizations

in North America, and more than 300 independent Jewish communities.

For a couple of days last week, meetings and trainings were offered

by UJFT in partnership with SCN and the FBI Norfolk Chapter of InfraGard at the Sandler Family Campus for all members of all faiths of the Jewish and greater Tidewater communities. InfraGard is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and members of the private sector for the protection of U.S. Critical Infrastructure. More than 500 people attended the various sessions over the course of two days.

“During these two days, to have Representative Elaine Luria, Attorney General Jason Miyares, local FBI and law enforcement representatives at the Sandler Family Campus to collaborate on best practices and lessons learned has been incredibly valuable for both our Jewish and broader community,” says Levin.

The trainings covered a variety of issues and topics including the introduction of FBI Public Outreach programs, an active shooter victim prevention and

10 | JEWISH NEWS | March 28, 2022 | jewishnewsva.org

situational response briefing, a conversation about the intersection of hate crimes and a welcoming community, stop the bleed courses, and more.

The FBI agent leading one session emphasized that “until you’re in a situation, you don’t know how you’ll act.” That’s why it is “so important to have a plan” he said again and again.

“The importance of these trainings cannot be overstated,” says Levin. “We are grateful that we were able to provide them for our community.

“Our partnership with SCN is critical in today’s world. It builds on the relationships that UJFT has established… primarily through our Jewish Community Relations Council,” says Levin. “We hope that all of our constituent agencies benefit from what SCN, as well as our relationships with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, other faith communities and elected officials provide—relationships that we continue to build and enhance.”

To learn more, contact Robin Mancoll, at Rmancoll@ujft.org or go to securecommunitynetworks.org.

Local Relationships Matter

WAR IN UKRAINE Zelensky offers new details about his family’s Holocaust history, igniting debate over Ukrainian Holocaust memory Philissa Cramer

(JTA)—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky‘s great-grandparents died when the Nazis burned their village, he said in an interview on CNN Monday, March 21.

Speaking through a translator with Fareed Zakaria, Zelensky said, as he has many times before, that his grandfather and his grandfather’s brothers all entered the Soviet Red Army, and only his grandfather survived.

He also offered details about what happened to his grandfather’s parents that have not previously been reported in English.

“His father and his mother were killed in a terrible fire. The Nazis set ablaze the entire village where they lived and where my grandfather was born,” he said.

Zelensky did not name the village. But massacres by fire were part of the Nazi army’s playbook in Ukrainian territory and elsewhere. In one well known case, the village of Koryukovka was burned in 1943 after its residents were shot in retaliation for partisan activity based there; the Jews of Koryukovka had largely been deported and murdered already.

Zelensky also did not mention the Holocaust or the fact that his grandparents were Jewish, even as Zakaria asked him to comment on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “denazification” agenda as “somebody who is of Jewish descent.”

Instead, he talked about “the war.”

“When Russians are telling about neo-Nazis and they turn to me,” he said, “I just reply that I have lost my entire family in the war because all of them were exterminated during World War II.” Jews from the former Soviet Union said Zelensky’s way of speaking about his family history was not surprising.

“Soviet policy after the war was one narrative: the Soviet people suffered greatly. The government would not acknowledge that the Nazis targeted the Jews specifically for extermination. They punished Soviet Jews who did not toe the party line,” Alex Zeldin, who was born

in the Soviet Union and goes by Jewish Wonk online, wrote in a Twitter thread that has been shared thousands of times.

“As a result of Soviet persecution and limiting the distribution of information about the Holocaust, later generations of Soviet Jews came to understand their family history as part of the war, even if it didn’t sound like other experiences (e.g., why did Jews have to hide?),” he added.

Zelensky’s speech reflected his strategy of devising pleas for support that are tailored to each of the countries he addresses.

Zelensky’s interview with Zakaria—in which he relayed that he has “distant relatives” in the United States, Poland, and Israel—came a day after he addressed Israeli lawmakers, some of whom were rankled by Zelensky’s characterization of Ukrainians as having saved Jews during the Holocaust.

While 2,673 Ukrainians have been recognized by Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial and museum, for their efforts to save Jews, Ukraine was also the site of notable collaboration between locals and their Nazi occupiers in the effort to murder Jews.

Zelensky’s speech reflected his strategy of devising pleas for support that are tailored to each of the countries he addresses. Both Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid indicated that while they did not agree with Zelensky’s characterization of Holocaust history, they also were prepared to cut him slack because of the desperate situation his country faces.

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NATION

RJC PAC endorses Ron Johnson, senator blocking advancement of Deborah Lipstadt as antisemitism monitor Ron Kampeas

WASHINGTON (JTA)—The Republican Jewish Coalition’s affiliated political action committee is endorsing the reelection campaign of Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, who has so far blocked the Senate from confirming Deborah Lipstadt, President Joe Biden’s pick to be antisemitism monitor.

Lipstadt, an Emory University professor, is one of the world’s leading Holocaust scholars. A broad array of Jewish organizations, some with strong ties to Republicans, have lambasted the delay at a time of concern about rising antisemitism.

Johnson was the only current senator and only candidate for Senate among the

14 endorsements that Republican Jewish Coalition announced Monday, March 21.

“We never make decisions based on what outside individuals or organizations think,” Matt Brooks, RJC’s CEO said in a text. “He’s been a strong ally and has stood with the Jewish community over the years and we will work hard to support his reelection.”

Johnson’s record has included supporting numerous Republican-backed pro-Israel resolutions and bills in Congress.

It has also included defending those who breached the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection. On a talk show last year, he said the Jan. 6 rioters, who sought to stop Congress from affirming Joe Biden’s presidential election and who

injured some 140 police in a deadly insurrection, did not pose a threat and “loved their country.” Had the protesters been associated with Black Lives Matter, he said, he would have been concerned.

Those comments drew substantial criticism, including from Lipstadt, who tweeted that his position was “white supremacy.” Johnson has in turn cited Lipstadt’s tweets when using his prerogative as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to block debate on her nomination.

The other RJC endorsements include nine incumbents and four newcomers in races for the U.S. House of Representatives.

A big focus of the 2022 election will be whether former President Donald Trump continues to hold sway on the party.

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The RJC list straddles both pro-Trump Republicans, such as Nicole Malliotakis of New York and Andy Harris of Maryland, and those who have criticized him, including Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Peter Meijer of Michigan.

In the pro-Israel community, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s affiliated PAC has come under criticism for endorsing Republicans who voted against affirming Biden’s presidential win on Jan. 6, 2021, the day of the insurrection.

Johnson has taken a lead role in the Senate in perpetuating Trump’s false claims that the election was marred by fraud.

This is the second round of endorsements for the RJC’s PAC in the 2022 cycle; the PAC endorsed five House incumbents last April.

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NATION

Ketanji Brown Jackson brings up a Black-Jewish civil rights alliance in confirmation hearing Ron Kampeas

WASHINGTON ( JTA)—Whether he meant to or not, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz gave Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee, an opportunity for a breather in the middle of a contentious day of confirmation hearings on Tuesday, March 22.

Cruz, who spent most of his 30-minute questioning session trying to corner Jackson on issues such as critical race theory, asked what Jackson meant when she says she praises the “social justice” values that are exemplified by the private school her children attend.

In her response, Jackson said she was proud to serve as a board member—and opened up about the school’s origins as a Jewish-Black civil rights alliance.

“Georgetown Day School has a special history that I think is important to understand when you consider my service on that board,” Jackson told Cruz.

She went on: “The school was founded in 1945 in Washington D.C. at a time at which by law there was racial segregation in this community. Black students were not allowed in the public schools to go to school with white students.

Georgetown Day School is a private school, that was created when three white families—Jewish families—got together with three Black families and said that despite the fact that the law is set up to make sure that Black children are not treated the same as everyone else, we are going to form a private school so that our children can go to school together.

“The idea of equality—justice—is at the core of the Georgetown Day School mission.”

Georgetown Day School’s history page on its website notes that it was founded in 1945 by seven—not six—families, and that it was the first integrated school in the nation’s capital, but does not add detail.

There appear to be at least three Jewish, or partly Jewish, families involved in its founding: Edith Nash (née Rosenfels),

who was a Jewish poet married to Philleo Nash, an anthropologist and a senior official in Democratic administrations, whose daughters attended the school; the parents of Arthur Goldschmidt, who became a noted scholar of Middle East history; and the parents of Judith Martin (née Perlman) who launched the famed “Miss Manners” etiquette column.

“The idea of equality— justice—is at the core of the Georgetown Day School mission.”

The school sustained a Jewish flavor.

Nash, who went on to become the school’s

second director, once recalled that in the 1950s, the school had an annual Seder Lunch, a parent-student event to mark Passover. Next month, the school’s calendar features Passover Freedom Assemblies for the entire lower and middle schools.

The school’s most influential director, Gladys Stern, who led the establishment from 1975-1996, was also Jewish.

The school, which is on spring break, did not return a request for comment.

On Monday, March 21, the first day of her testimony, Jackson credited her Jewish high school debate coach, the late Fran Berger, with instilling her with confidence and making her believe she could succeed as a lawyer. Jackson also credited Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, who is Jewish, for whom she clerked and whom she would replace.

Ketanji Brown Jackson.

jewishnewsva.org | March 28, 2022 | JEWISH NEWS | 13

Forever Helping Others

NATION

Congress provides historic funding for Israel’s security Includes supplemental funding for Iron Dome Missile Defense System and Israel Relations Normalization Act

U

Architect Bernard Spigel died in 1968, leaving a legacy of homes, schools, and other buildings he designed.

Today, Spigel Scholars are designing buildings of their own.

A scholarship that Bernard’s daughter, LucySpigel Herman, created at the community foundation to honor him helps future architects pay for their education.

.S. Congress has provided historic funding for Israel’s security and other key provisions in the omnibus funding bill for Fiscal Year 2022. The measure supplies more than $4.8-billion for America’s democratic ally—which importantly includes $1-billion in additional funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.

Last year, Israel endured an onslaught of more than 4,300 rockets fired by Iranian-backed terrorists in just over 11 days.

Fortunately, Iron Dome intercepted more than 90% of the rockets headed toward population centers, greatly minimizing civilian casualties.

The measure also includes the Israel Relations Normalization Act of 2021, which supports and seeks to expand the recent peace and normalization agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. The bipartisan bill recognizes that these agreements have the potential to transform the region and enhance the prospects for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

The measure provides $3.8-billion to Israel under the fourth year of the 2016 U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This includes $3.3-billion in security assistance and $500-million for U.S.-Israel missile defense cooperation.

Other important provisions include: • L anguage denouncing the new discriminatory Commission of Inquiry targeting Israel at the United Nations Human Rights Council.

• A first-ever direct appropriation for U.S.-Israel agriculture cooperation in the amount of $1-million.

• $2-million in funds for the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation supporting U.S.-Israel cooperative energy programs.

• $2-million in funding for U.S.-Israel cooperative efforts related to border security, maritime security, biometrics, cybersecurity, and video analytics.

• A doubling of funding to $4-million for U.S.-Israel health technology cooperation.

• $50-million for Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act. • $47.5-million for U.S.-Israel anti-tunnel technology cooperation and $25-million for counter-UAS (unmanned aerial systems) cooperation.

• $5-million for refugee resettlement in Israel.

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In a release, AIPAC noted its appreciation of the strong bipartisan leadership of many members of Congress who had a role in securing these provisions, including Sens. Charles Schumer (D-NY), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Richard Shelby (R-AL), Chris Coons (D-DE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Jon Tester (D-MT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), John Hoeven (R-ND), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Patty Murray (D-WA), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), John Kennedy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Rob Portman (R-OH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Todd Young (R-IN), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Jim Risch (R-ID), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Jack Reed (D-RI) and James Inhofe (R-OK), and Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Steve Scalise (R-LA), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Kay Granger (R-TX), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Hal Rogers (R-AL), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Tom Cole (R-OK), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Michael Simpson (R-ID), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Ann Wagner (R-MO), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), Peter Meijer (R-MI), Greg Meeks (D-NY), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Grace Meng (D-NY), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Norma Torres (D-CA), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), Adam Smith (D-WA) and Mike Rogers (R-AL).

Key Provisions of the Israel Relations Normalization Act: Endorses the recently concluded peace agreements— known as the Abraham Accords—between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.

Mandates the formulation of a government-wide strategy to expand and strengthen the Accords.

Identifies and pushes back against government-sponsored efforts in several Arab League countries to discourage and retaliate against their own citizens who engage in people-to-people relations with Israelis.

Passover 5782

Supplement to Jewish News March 28, 2022 jewishnewsva.org | March 28, 2022 | Passover | JEWISH NEWS | 15

New Year Discover New Options

Passover Dear Readers,

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his might be the year that we all get to dust off most of our Haggadahs, and maybe even polish the silver as we return, hopefully, to some more

traditional Seders. While last year’s smaller outdoor Seders were a welcome step forward from the previous year’s more isolated Zoom events, gathering around a table inside is, well…tradition!

A desire for tradition, however, doesn’t mean that it’ll be so. Two years of interruption, continued concerns about COVID-19’s next path, and the war in Ukraine are all (among other related issues) bound to have an impact on how we celebrate Passover 2022. As such, Jewish News asked area rabbis to share not, “Why is this night different from all other nights?” But rather, “Why is this year different than the last two years?” Their responses begin on page 18.

Our annual listing of local Passover events and services—primarily with synagogues—starts on page 21. If you’re looking for a Seder to attend, in-person or via Zoom, myriad options are available.

In addition to the re-telling of the story of Exodus, Passover seems to be almost as much about the food…what can be eaten or not. This section offers a recipe for Fladla on page 25 and just outside the section, Shari Gutterman Berman offers two of her favorite Passover dishes on page 30.

Where to shop for all of the Pesach ingredients, where to ‘break Passover,’ as well as some catering options can be found among our advertisers. Please check them out.

Whether virtual or with friends and family, we hope you are able to celebrate Passover exactly how you prefer.

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Chag Pesach Sameach…and stay safe!

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Passover

Ma Nishtana or Why is this year different?

I

nstead of asking, “Why is tonight different from all other nights?” the first of the traditional four questions asked by the youngest child at the

Seder, Jewish News asked local rabbis, “Why is Passover this year different from the last two years?” With the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and plenty of political discord, their responses are thoughtful, rabbinic, and

We’ll be back.

Rabbi Sender Haber

M

y uncle, whose presence extends the seder by a generation, will be back. Our guests, who might otherwise not have a seder, will be back. Memories of our proudly Jewish brothers and sisters fleeing Communist Russia will also be back.

Most importantly, we will all be back with a new appreciation for the ability to breathe, to congregate, and to celebrate our collective freedom to live fulfilled and G-dly lives.

Rabbi Sender Haber, B’nai Israel

hopeful.

Rabbi Sender Haber.

Passover, 5782: Something old, something new Rabbi Michael Panitz

Virtual Second Seder Saturday, April 16

6:00 pm

Wiggles & Giggles:

Sammy Spider’s Passover Shapes Sunday April 3

10:30 am

To find out more about these events and to follow us on social media, use this QR code.

F

or the past two years, COVID-caused changes to our patterns of public interactions dominated the experience of celebrating Pesach—much of it “going virtual.”

That is partly still the case, but this year feels like a cautious step back towards earlier norms. At Temple Israel, we are bringing back our popular “matzah brei bake-off” as the kiddush luncheon after services on the second day of Passover, Sunday, April 17.

Still, you never just recapitulate the past.

(If you did, my out-of-date neckties would suddenly be in fashion again!) The heightened level of police security at all of our functions and the remaining public health measures Rabbi Michael Panitz. that we still have in place remind us that today is always a balance of tradition and change. This is true for life in general, and therefore, it is also true for our religious lives.

Rabbi Michael Panitz, Temple Israel.

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18 | JEWISH NEWS | Passover | March 28, 2022 | jewishnewsva.org

Passover B”H If not me, who will do? If not now, when?

Rabbi Ari Oliszewski

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hag HaPesach is a Jewish holiday that asks us to think. During Pesach, we need to look forward and to see how we’ll continue.

Of course, it does not happen in an easy way because we need to answer: “Ma Nishtana HaLaila Hazeh MiKol HaLeilot?” What in this night is different from the other nights? And maybe, this year, the question needs to be: what on this is different from the last two? Or what has changed from two years ago?

I’m sure that a lot of things have changed, not only in the world, but also in our lives. We know COVID forced us to change, to pay attention to different kinds of things that in the past we didn’t care about… face masks, alcohol, washing hands more often, vaccines, etc. Many things came into our lives to stay.

Many things help us answer: MaNishtana? Too many things ISHTANU, have changed. And with these changes, came out some feelings. We felt like slaves with all the rules. But now, after two years of living within a pandemic world, we can say: We are almost free from the virus, we are almost free to return to our “normal” Rabbi Ari Oliszewski lives.

But we know that if we don’t take care of ourselves, the others, the world, we may find ourselves in a new virus again, into a new slave mode, and living again in isolation.

Pesach gives us a new opportunity to think about who we are. Where are we going? And, what are our dreams?

We have the opportunity to answer the questions this year, and also, we have the chance to “change the world into a better place to raise our children.” The tools are in our hands, and as Pirkei Avot says: “If not me, who will do? If not now, when?”

Rabbi Ari Oliszewski, Temple Emanuel

jewishnewsva.org | March 28, 2022 | Passover | JEWISH NEWS | 19

Passover Fear receding like the Sea of Reeds Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman

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his Pesach is different from the previous two given that finally the fear and anxiety of the pandemic plague are prayerfully receding, like the waters of the Sea of Reeds before the fleeing Israelites who glimpsed at last that divine freedom was within reach. Not unlike the Ukrainian refugees of all ages whose dangerous Exodus from Pharoah Putin’s suffocating grip ought to evoke our compassion, admiration, and support.

Those remaining behind to resist the aggressors are surely included, led by inspiring Jewish Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman.

President Zelensky. The surviving Israelites were taught by true leader Moses that the ultimate response to their long enslavement was to reestablish their fractured lives and threatened peoplehood in a sacred context of fulfilling Mitzvot, honoring the God of Freedom and Responsibility.

So are we, the pandemic’s survivors, to reengage with renewed vigor and purpose in missed communal structures that bind and bond us to each other, the best within us and our embracing heritage of lasting values and ideals that the gift of liberty safeguards and enhances.

May Shalom’s blessings of healing, hope, and harmony be the portion of all of God’s children at these challenging crossroads again of plaguing tyranny of dictator and disease.

Wishing you a Chag Kasher V’ Sameach!

Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman, Temple Lev Tikvah

The youngest at the seder table will have another question to ask Helping you with your selections since 1975.

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Rabbi Ron Koas

O

n Passover, the youngest person at the table asks this question four times: “What makes this night different from all other nights?” This year, he or she will add one more question: “Why is Passover this year different from the last two years?”

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s Seder will be different from the last two years because the Seder is a communal tradition and in the last two years amid the coronavirus pandemic, we couldn’t gather together and celebrate the holiday. Large gatherings of people around a table Rabbi Ron Koas. sharing food and drinks wasn’t allowed. Most families had to isolate themselves, and extend the rituals to others through a virtual platform. This year we will be back with our families and friends. I personally will be in Israel with my family celebrating the Seder.

Rabbi Ron Koas, Congregation Beth El

Passover Why is this Passover different from the past two years?

Rabbi Rosalin Mandelberg

Passover in Jewish Tidewater Passover begins at sundown on Friday, April 15 Area Synagogues plan both in-person and ZOOM events to celebrate the holiday.

O

n the one hand, we have much for which to be grateful. The miraculous creation of vaccines and their efficacy in combatting COVID-19 have made it possible to share Seder with our loved ones freely. However, the death and distraction being waged against the innocent people of Ukraine remind us that we are far from realizing the Haggadah’s prayer of freedom for all people. There is much work to be done in our community, nation, and world to reach the promise of “Next Year in Jerusalem”—of the ultimate redemption of Jews and of all God’s children.

Rabbi Rosalin Mandelberg, Ohef Sholom Temple

Beth El

Rabbi Rosalin Mandelberg.

Morning services will be held in-person as well as streaming. All evening services will be streaming.

Erev Pesach Friday, April 15, 5:45 pm Shabbat Pesach Saturday, April 16, 9:45 am and 5:45 pm Sunday, April 17, 9:45 am and 8:15 pm Thursday, April 21, 5:45 pm Friday, April 22, 9:45 am and 8:15 pm Shabbat Pesach/Yizkor Saturday, April 23, 9:45 am (arrive

by 10:45 am and bring your Yizkor book) and 8:15 pm For more information, contact 757-625-7821 or visit www.bethelnorfolk.com.

B’nai Israel Friday, April 15 (14 Nisan)— Fast of the First Born Fast Begins 5:10 am Daf Yomi 6 am Shachris 7 am Siyum Following Shacharis Last Time to Eat Chametz 10:30 am Burn Chametz before: 11:48 am continued on page 22

jewishnewsva.org | March 28, 2022 | Passover | JEWISH NEWS | 21

Passover continued from page 21

Candle Lighting 7:22 pm Mincha/Kabalas Shabbos/Maariv 7:20 pm Seder: Approximately 8:20 pm Chatzos 1:05 am Shabbos, April 16 (15 Nisan) 1st Day of Pesach Shachris 8:45 am Daf Yomi 6:15 pm

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Shachris 8:45 am Daf Yomi 6:30 pm Mincha 7:30 pm Class Maariv / Havdala 8:22 pm Friday, April 22 (2 1Nisan) 7th Day of Pesach Shachris 8:45 am Daf Yomi 6 pm Mincha 7:15 pm Maariv 7:28 pm Candle Lighting 7:28 pm Shabbos, April 23 (22 Nisan) 8th Day of Pesach Shachris 8:45 am Yizkor approximately 10:30 am Daf Yomi 6:20 pm Mincha 7:20 pm Neilas Hachag Maariv / Havdala 8:28 pm

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Services will be held at KBH. Shabbat Pesach Saturday, April 16, 10 am Sunday, April 17, 10 am Friday, April 22, 10 am Shabbat Pesach/Yizkor Saturday, April 23, 10 am For more information and for current COVID protocols, contact kbhsynagogue@ gmail.com.

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Community Seders at the Chabad House.

Friday, April 15 Saturday, April 16 For more information or to RSVP, email rabbilevi@chabadoftidewater.com.

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for a three-step Pre-Arrangement Guide or contact the Altmeyer Pre-Arrangement Center directly at 757 422-4000

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Wiggles & Giggles: Sammy Spider’s Passover Shapes Sunday, April 3, 10:30 am Virtual Second Seder Saturday, April 16, 6 pm For more information, contact 757-625-4295 or visit www.ohefsholom.org.

Temple Emanuel All Passover services, listed below, will be in‑person, as well as on Zoom. No masks are required if proof of full vaccination, including the booster, is on file in the Temple office. Those who are not vaccinated are asked to wear a mask at all times while in the building.

Shabbat Pesach Saturday, April 15, 10 am Sunday, April 16, 10 am Friday, April 22, 10 am Shabbat Pesach/Yizkor Saturday, April 23, 10 am For more information, contact office@tevb.org or 757-428-2591 or visit www.tevb.org.

Temple Israel Services Friday, April 15, 5:30 pm Saturday, April 16, 9:30 am Sunday, April 17, 9:30 am Held in-person, featuring a Matzah Brei bake off between Rabbi Panitz, Lawrence Fleder, and Valerie Yanku.

Services will be in-person and live streamed.

Masks and proof of vaccination are required. For more information or to RSVP, contact templeisraelva@aol.com or 757-489-4550.

Temple Lev Tikvah Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman will hold a Zoom Seder Friday, April 15, 6:30 pm.

For more information, call 757-617-0334.

Tidewater Chavurah Communal seder Saturday, April 16, 6 pm at the home of Rabbi Ellen Jaffe-Gill and Spencer Gill. The seder is open to Chavurah members and prospective members.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Rabbi Ellen at rabbicantorejg@gmail.com or 757-464-1950 or visit www.tidewaterchavurah.com or on Tidewater Chavurah’s Facebook page.

Attendees must be vaccinated against Covid-19. Masks are optional.

Passover PJ Library offers free downloadable Passover recipes for kids

Plus, new and free books, family-friendly Haggadah, podcasts, and fresh-baked ‘Matzah Mania Guide’ to help families celebrate Passover 2022

A

trusted resource for Jewish families in more than 35 countries who receive their free books each month, PJ Library is offering fresh reading, audio stories, and tasty treats for families celebrating Passover this year, April 15 to 23.

In the United States alone, more than 240,000 children are receiving new books this month, each providing a carefully curated selection of age-appropriate reading related to Passover. This year, families will also receive a colorful illustrated Matzah Mania foldout which includes recipes for homemade matzah, matzah trail mix, and matzah pizza lasagna, ideas for serving a seder grazing board, as well as culturally inclusive information about seder traditions and the Four Questions—printed in English and Hebrew.

Families will also find PJ Library co-branded Yehuda Matzos boxes at the supermarket. Each package will include information about how to sign up to receive free books for children from birth through age eight. And, PJ Our Way allows kids ages nine and through 12, to select and review books on their own each month.

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Kids cook Free Passover recipes for kids include frittatas, fruit-based breakfast balls, Matza Brie, frozen ice cream, home-made matza, cauliflower pizza, Passover rolls, mini kugels and more. The recipes are available at:https://pjlibrary.org.

For more ideas to entertain the kids during the eight-day Passover holiday, consider these new PJ Library offerings.

Passover podcasts Two new Passover-themed episodes of the PJ Library Presents podcast network launch in April. These new podcasts bring Jewish traditions, culture, holidays, and values to life through engaging audio storytelling.

On April 4, Kiddo Learns about Passover will be the latest Afternoons with Mimi audio story; and Humpty Dumpty and the Passover Feast will be the newest tale in the Beyond the Bookcase series. Families may listen to the 2022 NAPPA Award-winning podcasts on all major streaming sources. More information is available at: https://pjlibrary.org/ podcast.

Family-friendly Haggadah One of the leading sources for family friendly Haggadahs across the United States and beyond with its colorful and kid-friendly illustrated In Every Generation: A PJ Library Family Haggadah, PJ Library has shipped more than 675,000 individual Haggadahs to more than 110,000 PJ Library families for free since 2018.

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may purchase the printed Haggadah via Amazon.) A digital version may be downloaded in five languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and French.

This Haggadah is filled with songs, blessings, and explanations and is available as a free printable PDF from https://pjlibrary. org/haggadah.

Passover Hub: Stories, songs and books PJ Library is also updating its Passover hub with new book lists and dozens of fresh ideas and resources for families,

3/18/22 1:40 PM

including stories, songs, games, activities, recipes, and printables.

About PJ Library The Harold Grinspoon Foundation created this program to make it easy for families to add Jewish connections to reading time. The books, activities, and many other free resources offered by PJ Library help families enjoy more Jewish culture, values, and traditions at home and in their communities. To find out more about PJ Library in Tidewater or to sign-up kids aged 0-12, contact Nofar Trem at ntrem@ ujft.org or visit pjlibrary.org.

jewishnewsva.org | March 28, 2022 | Passover | JEWISH NEWS | 23

Passover

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These Passover pancake noodles are better than matzah balls Everything you need to know about fladla (including a recipe).

Liz Susman Karp and Natalie Gorlin

L

ast April, as the pandemic raged in my area, I opened my front door to my dear friend Natalie, who literally threw at me from a distance a plastic sandwich bag containing her family’s cherished Passover tradition: flädla.

Less commonly known than the universally beloved matzah ball, these Passover egg noodles are made from a thin crepe that’s coiled and cut into strips, over which steaming broth is poured. Natalie’s family recipe was handed down from her mother’s tante Ilse, who emigrated from Germany in 1939 post-Kristallnacht.

Ask around about flädla and, like the history of any good noodle, you’ll discover the topic covers a lot of ground.

Flädla, also spelled flädle, didn’t start off as a Passover food, but evolved into a dish that reflects the ingenuity and frugality of Jewish Eastern European cooks, who repurposed leftover dough or pancakes into noodles.

Noodles were a significant part of the Ashkenazi diet. In medieval times, Europeans began boiling dough in water rather than baking or frying it. In the Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, Gil Marks writes that noodles were predominantly used in soup and that some cooks cut up matzah meal blintzes into the liquid. No name was ascribed to that noodle or dish.

Recipes for Passover noodles are included in numerous Jewish cookbooks, notably June Feiss Hersh’s compilation of recipes from Holocaust survivors titled, Recipes Remembered: A Celebration of Survival, illustrating how deeply ingrained the dish was in people’s memories.

Sometimes called lokshen, the Yiddish word for noodle, the recipes use matzah meal or potato starch, and always the same method of frying a thin crepe and cutting it into strips.

Pinpointing when, where, or who first adapted these noodle ribbons for the holiday is a challenge. “What is most fascinating to me,” says Gaby Rossmer,

coauthor with her daughter, Sonya Gropman, of The German-Jewish Cookbook, “is how these food traditions travel. They do follow routes. You can see it, but you can’t tell exactly which one came first, which came second.”

Many Jews, like Natalie’s ancestors and Rossmer, lived in southern Germany; in the Swabian region, pancakes are known as flädle. The recipe has been handed down over generations; tradition dictates the crepes be thin and crispy. Flädlesuppe was a popular dish, but “never for Passover,” says Rossmer. She was a year old when she came to America from Bavaria, but fondly remembers frequently frying flour crepes with her father; the goal was always to have enough left over to make flädlesuppe.

The noodles are a key component of a comparable, popular Austrian soup called frittatensuppe, or pancake soup, which is always made with beef broth, says Nino Shaye Weiss, a blogger at JewishVienneseFood.com and Jewish food guide in Vienna. There, the crepes are called palatschinken; cut up they’re referred to as frittaten. “Jews do seemingly love them as they cannot live the eight days of Passover without them,” he comments, adding that frittaten for Passover are simply known as Peisachdike lokshen (kosher for Passover noodles).

Legend has it that frittatensuppe may have originated in 19th century Austria to feed Austrian, French, and Italian diplomats secretly meeting during the Congress of Vienna. One participant was Conte Romano de Frittata, whose coachman prepared the pancake. Frittata comes from the Italian word friggere, to fry; perhaps suggesting that the dish was named after the coachman’s employer. However, the only similar Italian-Jewish recipe I could find was for Minestra di Sfoglietti Per Pesach, a soup containing noodles of baked dough, in The Classic Cuisine of the Italian Jews by Edda Servi Machlin. If the story is true, the dish did not make its way back to Italy.

Passover

Wishing you peace and happiness at Passover

Holocaust survivor Cecile Gruer, 86, is known as her family’s chef. She movingly recalls eating flädla in 1946 at the first Passover she celebrated with her family in an Austrian displaced persons camp after they were reunited. Then a teen, she watched her mother prepare the noodle as her mother had done in Hungary. Greuer makes flädla year-round, using potato starch, matzah meal, or quinoa or almond flour for gluten-free relatives. Sometimes she’ll just mix egg and water, essentially an omelette. Gruer suggests adding any herb, such as dill or cilantro, to heighten

the soup’s flavor. She continues these traditions because, she says, “You do not want to break the chain.”

Gruer’s and Natalie’s families enjoy their flädla in chicken broth with matzah balls. The Lubavitch sect, who follow the custom of gebrokts and don’t eat any dish where matzah can touch liquid, have just the noodle in their soup, says Leah Koenig, author of The Jewish Cookbook.

Gruer confides she doesn’t like chicken soup. How does she eat her flädla? She laughs. “I would have it on the plate!”

FLADLA INGREDIENTS 4 eggs, separated

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¾ tsp salt ¼-½ cup (to taste) chopped chives 4 Tbsp potato starch ¼ cup of chicken broth oil

DIRECTIONS Separate the eggs and add the salt to the yolks.

Mix chives and potato starch in with the egg yolks. Add as much chicken broth as is necessary for the mixture to be the consistency of pancake batter.

Beat egg whites until stiff and add to yolk mixture (mix occasionally while cooking batches to avoid separation).

Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan and add enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan. Fry like a crepe, and remove from pan. Lay fladla on paper towels to absorb any excess oil.

Let cool, then roll each crepe and cut into thin strips. Fladla can be made a few days in advance and refrigerated.

RobertK

Fladla.

Serve in hot soup and enjoy.

jewishnewsva.org | March 28, 2022 | Passover | JEWISH NEWS | 25

Leaving a Legacy in Jewish Tidewater

Passover Growing up in Iran, I thought the whole country celebrated Passover Aylin Sedighi-Gabbaizadeh

I am a Holocaust survivor. My husband and I lost our entire families during the war. The people of the United States and this community have restored my faith in humanity and provided a safe environment in which to raise our wonderful children.

Norfolk has become my home.

Based on everything I have experienced, it is my obligation to be charitable both globally and to my community. There is nothing more important than good deeds and respect for others.

- Bronia Drucker*

Bronia Drucker* established a Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowment gift to UJFT. What will your legacy be?

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.

* of blessed memory

Contact us for your free guide: tjfinfo@ujft.org | 757-965-6111 foundation.jewishva.org

G

rowing up in Iran, I never truly appreciated the difference between Spring Cleaning, New Year’s, and getting ready for Passover. The Jewish holiday takes place almost simultaneously with the Persian New Year, known as Nowruz, when the entire country engages in a frenzy of preparations.

Nowruz (A New Day), which marks the beginning of spring, is Iran’s most festive and colorful holiday. Persians, Jews, Muslims, Zoroastrians, and even Bahais all purchase new clothes, make traditional cookies, and engage in 12 days of celebrations.

These celebrations include setting a special table, known as a haft-seen, that consists of various items signifying renewal, luck, and blessings. The seven S’s, as they are known, would take their ceremonial places on the same number of plates: sabzeh (a green plate of grown wheat); seeb (red apples); samanoo (a wheat-based dish); senjed (a fruit of the lotus tree); seer (garlic); serkeh (vinegar); and sekkeh (coins laid in water). No table would be complete without swimming goldfish, an elaborate mirror to reflect joy to the viewer, hand-painted eggs, and a holy book.

Where our Muslim neighbors placed a Quran on their haft-seen table, we placed a Torah or a siddur. Where our Muslim neighbors sprouted wheat, we grew lentils, given the proximity of the secular holiday to Passover, when we removed wheat from our homes.

For years I believed Passover to be the beginning of the Jewish calendar because it was synonymous with all things new and a promise of starting afresh. Given the mild climate of the country, by the time the holiday came around, cherry blossoms were in bloom and the aroma of jasmine flowers filled our noses.

Just as the entire country went into full spring-cleaning mode for the national holiday, Jews scoured their homes of

26 | JEWISH NEWS | Passover | March 28, 2022 | jewishnewsva.org

forbidden hametz, or leavened products.

In our home, all the closets would be emptied and reorganized. All the rugs would be taken into the yard and washed in hot, soapy water in order to rid even the tiniest morsel of hametz. I knew Passover was close when my grandmother dug out her larger-than-life-size iron pot and started the process of kashering every item in her kitchen in boiling water.

My grandmother told me stories of stuffing her mattress and blankets with clean cotton — something I was thankful we no longer had to do. Nonetheless, the tasks were still endless, and everyone in the family was involved in the process.

Given that there were no kosher-forPassover shops (or even kosher shops), every cake and cookie had to be made from scratch, a task that entailed the washing, drying, and blending of all the needed nuts. The week before the holiday, the aroma of roasted nuts would fill the house, and the sweet smell of homemade cookies couldn’t summon the holiday fast enough. Given the lack of kosher products, we hardly consumed any dairy for the eight days, our diets consisting of eggs, meats, and, according to Iranian Jewish custom, rice.

Our Muslim neighbors, too, were busy cleaning, readying themselves for the coming of spring. A Muslim family with whom we were particularly friendly would come over each Passover for a taste of matzah, saying how they looked forward to it all year. My father’s co-workers knew it was an auspicious time of the year for him and wished him especially well as he took a holiday for the Seders. In the market and in the streets, though, we kept quiet about our Passover preparations.

We did not discuss details with strangers and those with whom we did not feel a connection.

The Seder itself brought its own associations and customs. At the end of each ritual meal, as we bid farewell to yet another holiday and sang “Next Year in Jerusalem,” the words had a deep

significance for us. Our Seder table became quieter with each passing year, with so many family and friends already gone to other promised lands. We each wondered out loud when our turn would come to leave a country that treated us like second-class citizens, when we would find security and peace in other lands.

In the market and in the streets, though, we kept quiet about our Passover preparations.

Over time, our entire extended family fled to Israel and the United States. My immediate family was the last of our clan to finally pick up and leave, in September 1990.

The story of Iran’s ancient Jewish community unfolds over more than 2,700 years, back to when the Jews were exiled from Jerusalem through to today, after most members of the community have relocated throughout the world. Today there are fewer than 10,000 Jews left in Iran, the largest Jewish community in the Middle East outside of Israel.

My Passover experience here is vastly different than the one I grew up with.

Every year as I put away one set of dishes and bring out my Passover ware, I feel a pang of guilt at how easy it is to get ready for the holiday compared with what my mother and grandmother had to do in Iran. The shelves of the supermarkets here are filled with kosher-for-Passover cookies, cakes, chocolates, sweets, and dairy products. One could almost forget that we are experiencing a holiday that celebrates the Jews’ escape from slavery.

But I am forever grateful for the freedoms that I have been granted here, and to celebrate this most auspicious holiday alongside so many of our people.

TIDEWATER JEWISH FOUNDATION

TJF Community Impact Grant helps fund CNU’s first-ever Holocaust Remembrance event

CNU students perform their production of Brundibár during CNU’s Holocausts Remembrance.

Thomas Mills

I

n the fall of 2021, Christopher Newport University decided it was time to expand its growing Jewish studies program and outreach. For the first time in its history, CNU presented its own Holocaust Remembrance and over the course of two weeks, the university hosted a variety of events to remember the genocide of European Jews during World War II. “It was our privilege to host these powerful lectures, museum exhibitions, film presentations, and performances,” says Jamilia Shipman, senior director of Foundation, Corporate, and Special Giving Programs at CNU. The culminating event of CNU’s Holocaust Remembrance was a dual opera production of Hans Krása’s children’s opera, Brundibár, featuring the Virginia Children’s Chorus. This was immediately followed by a new, 40-minute chamber opera with the libretto based on the late Pulitzer Prize winner Elie Wiesel’s play, The Trial of God. “Our students and faculty had been working on this production since 2019, and…a number of alumni also assisted with this production,” says Shipman.

“Additionally, we received permission from

Elisha Wiesel to use his father’s play for the performance.”

The Tidewater Jewish Foundation Community Impact Grant of $10,000 helped CNU cover the costs associated with hosting these events and included support for travel for guest lecturers, museum exhibitions, costumes, and fees associated with rehearsals.

“Christopher Newport is grateful for the support received from Tidewater Jewish Foundation in support of this very special moment in the history of our university,” says Shipman. “We received very positive feedback from students on campus. Members of the community were also impressed with the production and shared their appreciation with members of our faculty and staff.”

“Over the past few years, the Jewish community has seen a growth in antisemitism and Holocaust denial around the world,” says Naomi Limor Sedek, president and CEO of Tidewater Jewish Foundation.

“We are pleased to continue providing grants to those seeking to educate others about the Holocaust and its continued impact and lessons for the world.”

CNU’s Holocaust Remembrance was years in the making. In the spring of 2019, CNU announced the establishment of a Jewish Studies program on campus. The university appointed Dr. Richard Freund, a world-renowned archaeologist, historian, and explorer, to lead the program.

“Dr. Richard Freund engaged faculty, students, and the Hampton Roads community in lectures, conferences, and special events to increase our knowledge

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and appreciation of Jewish faith, history, and culture,” says Shipman.

That outreach and education paid off for CNU’s Holocaust Remembrance.

According to the university, more than 1,700 people attended the dual opera Brundibár and The Trial of God performance. An estimated 2,500 people participated in the two-week event.

“I am certain that our students’ lives— minds and hearts—were forever changed

by this experience,” says Dr. Mark Reimer, director of Music and Distinguished Professor of Music at CNU. “May they learn from the human tragedy the operas presented. May that learning inform the rest of their lives as they move into our world as leaders committed to honoring and protecting human life and dignity, and ending the horror of genocide.”

jewishnewsva.org | March 28, 2022 | JEWISH NEWS | 27

IT’S A WRAP Operation Hamantaschen joins forces with Sunday Fun Day Nofar Trem

P

J Library in Tidewater, in partnership with Strelitz International Academy and Camp JCC, gathered with the community at the Sandler Family Campus for a Purim celebration on Sunday, March 13.

Dressed in colorful costumes ready to

Curtis family.

participate in Operation Hamantaschen, families received everything they needed to make their own hamantaschen cookies. The kids rolled out their own dough, filled it with their favorite concoctions, and shaped the cookies into the familiar triangle shape of Haman’s hat.

While the cookies were baking and cooling, families gathered in the gym and Zone to enjoy a special Purim-themed Sunday Fun Day filled with activities, crafts, games, tunes, and more. Each family prepared a mishloach manot or gift basket, with half of the cookies they made for a military family in the community.

“My family truly enjoyed yesterday’s event, it really put us in the spirit for Purim!” says Gabi Kocerha, PJ Library in Tidewater parent connector.

“Every detail was well thought out and put together­ . There were activities for every age group.”

Bates Family.

28 | JEWISH NEWS | March 28, 2022 | jewishnewsva.org

BBYO hosts a successful Hamantaschen Bake Dave Flagler

T

idewater BBYO held their first ever in-person Hamantaschen Bake on Sunday, March 6.

Hosted by the Arluk family, BBYO teens crafted their hamantaschen from scratch to hot-out-of-the-oven. Both traditional ingredients, such as raspberry and apricot jams, and less traditional choices such as Hershey’s kisses, milk and white chocolate chips, butterscotch morsels, and caramel were utilized for some interesting

filling combinations.

After enjoying tasting their creations, the teens departed with their homemade hamantaschen to share with friends and family while expressing that this event must happen again next year.

To learn more about BBYO or other ways that teens can get involved in the Tidewater Jewish community, contact Dave Flagler, director of Camp and Teen Engagement at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, at DFlagler@ UJFT.org or 757-452-3182.

Dylan Arluk and Micah Baum measure ingredients for mixing the dough.

The next Sunday Fun Day will take place during the Yom Ha’Atzmaut community celebration at the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus on Sunday, May 1. For more information, go to JewishVA.org/IsraelFest.

To learn more about PJ Library in Tidewater, visit JewishVA.org/ PJLibrary or Contact Nofar Trem, PJ Library Program coordinator, at ntrem@ujft.org.

Ellery Wetzler, Alex Prince, Abigail Perry, and Lizzy Goldstein measure ingredients.

jewishnewsva.org | March 28, 2022 | JEWISH NEWS | 29

B’TAYAVON

B’Tayavon is equivalent to French’s Bon Appetit.

In Jewish News, B’Tayavon is where locals share favorite recipes.

This issue features one of Shari Gutterman Berman’s favorites.

Pesach for four generations Shari Gutterman Berman

I

have such fond memories of sitting around the table at my parents’ home for the seder.

My mom was a phenomenal cook who put her heart into the dishes she made. She didn’t just serve chicken soup, she made matzah meal cream puff swans that floated in it!

When I learned fully how to “make Pesach,” I realized that with all the work that goes into cleaning and preparing, it wasn’t always feasible to serve soup with floating beautiful swans. However, I was determined to combine some of my mom’s favorite Pesach recipes with new ones I had learned.

This year, we will have four generations at our house for Pesach—my husband and I, my parents, our son and daughter-in-law, Ben and Yael, and our beautiful, new granddaughter Ahuva Leora. Yael and I always have a great time cooking together. There’s something magical that happens when you spend time cooking with your kids—even when they’re adults. Yael makes the yummiest Pesach brownies I have ever had. They are totally addictive, Flourless Chocolate Cake. so beware!

For years, I thought the only gefilte fish was the kind you buy in a jar that seems to defy an expiration date. Then I tried some delicious fish that friends made for Shabbos and realized what I had been missing. I combined several elements from their wonderful dishes and came up with an easy, yummy recipe that takes the gefilte fish right out of that murky jar water and on to center stage where it belongs.

A dessert I make at Passover and year-round was adapted from Hip Kosher by Ronnie Fein. I made a few changes to create a simpler version of Fein’s Flourless Chocolate Cake.

This recipe is easy, delicious, and gluten-free.

My advice for people making Pesach meals is to keep it simple.

You would be surprised at how many of your favorite recipes can be used just by simply swapping out a few ingredients. By keeping cooking simple, it’s possible to focus on one of the most meaningful parts of Pesach—fulfilling the mitzvah of telling the story of the Exodus to your children at the Seder. After all, isn’t that what Pesach is really all about?

Zesty gefilte fish.

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Shari Gutterman Berman is the chef owner of Cater 613.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE INGREDIENTS 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon instant coffee 1 cup unsalted margarine 5 eggs ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 Tbsp. cold coffee

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a disposable 9”x13” pan with parchment paper and spray pan with non-stick spray.

2. Put the chocolate, instant coffee powder and margarine in a pot on low and cook until the chocolate has melted, stirring occasionally to blend ingredients completely.

Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

3. Combine the eggs, sugar, and cocoa powder in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer set at medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until well blended. Add the chocolate mixture and cold coffee and blend them in thoroughly. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

4. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out with a few chocolate crumbs clinging to the sides.

5. When the cake is completely cooled, use your favorite cookie cutter to cut out the shapes of cake you want to serve. (I use a circle and plate it with fresh blueberries.)

ZESTY GEFILTE FISH INGREDIENTS Frozen gefilte fish loaf

4. Place the gefilte fish in the pan.

Olive Oil

5. Brush with olive oil and then season with the spices.

Paprika, Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder

6. Bake for at least 1 hour.

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray a loaf pan with non-stick spray. (You can use a 9 x 13 pan and make 3 loaves at a time.)

3. Remove the wrapper and paper from the frozen gefilte fish.

7. Allow to cool before slicing and serving.

Notes: The gefilte fish will puff up during baking and then “deflate” as it is cooling. To check for doneness, put a toothpick in the center and make sure it comes out clean.

I bake mine for up to 1½ hours as my family likes it

BOOK REVIEW

Close to home Reviewed by Steve Budman

The Serpent Papers Jeff Schnader The Permanent Press, March 2022 ISBN: 978-1-57962-648-8 302 pages, $29.95

I

Steve Budman.

recently finished reading The Serpent Papers, a new novel about the Vietnam era by Jeff Schnader, a local retired physician and EVMS professor turned author.

And I can’t stop thinking about it.

College life in America during the peak of the Vietnam War and the student protest movement is the platform on which this tale is based—but the novel’s themes go far beyond.

At a glance, the story appears to be a memoir. But Jeff Schnader. instead, it is historical fiction, heavily informed by Schnader’s background. The result is a coming of age story, full of beautifully drawn complex characters, love as well as angst, surprising twists, dark moments, and ultimately, growth and hope.

I can’t stop thinking about it because I was a student at the University of Maryland during this period, when Schnader and his protagonist, J-Bee, were at Columbia University.

Schnader has painted a full panorama of this late hippy period, including the struggle between the placid peaceniks, the extreme leftist war protesters, the khaki-and-button-down conservative students and the university establishment.

All together, he accurately depicts the conflicting cultures and highly charged emotional atmosphere of the time.

Composed in a straightforward and flowing style, the writing is dotted throughout with elegantly graceful passages of prose. The novel is succinctly resolved in a breathtakingly beautiful flourish of Schnader’s pen.

The Serpent Papers brought all of the

late ’60s to early ’70s feel back to me—in a very visceral way, since my raw unsettled experiences at College Park were very much the same as Schnader’s re-created time at Columbia. Now, when friends ask what my college years were like, I will tell them to read Schnader’s book.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting the author for coffee. An expected 30-minute chat turned into a two-and-ahalf hour conversation.

My first irrepressible question was why did a good Jewish doctor/author make his lead character a Catholic boy from Norfolk?

It turns out that Schnader, who later moved to Norfolk, grew up on Long Island in a neighborhood that had been predominantly Irish Catholic, but became Jewish as the previous residents fled. Schnader says it was more interesting to him to expand on the Catholic experience.

Still, Jewish characters, and more importantly, Jewish values are strong subtexts of Schnader’s novel. I’m not going to reveal any spoilers, but one of my favorite characters is a Jewish war hero who becomes a sort of a wise man on the mountaintop figure for J-Bee. Schnader, like the main character, in a desire to help and give back to those who sacrificed, worked for many years in the VA hospital system. Like J-Bee, he hopes for peace, but also works to heal the survivors of conflict as he strives to heal a divided nation.

Schnader talks the talk, and more importantly, walks the walk. He may be reached through his website: www. jschnaderauthor.com.

Steve Budman is a commercial photographer who is an occasional contributor to Jewish News of photographs, wine reviews, and now book reviews. He may be reached at steve@ stevebudman.com.

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WHAT’S HAPPENING

CAMP JCC

It’s in the air…summer is within reach

The Guiding Hand: The Barr Foundation Collection of Torah Pointers March 24–August 14, Chrysler Museum of Art

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Dave Flagler

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ith Passover near, hints and subtle moments are ‘in the air’ that suggest Camp JCC is just around the corner.

Sure, the warmer weather makes everyone think about getting back outside as the dream of an outdoor swim becomes closer to reality. But, as it is possible to gather more frequently, the excitement of camp moments begins to permeate more and more conversations.

Familiar Camp JCC faces were seen regularly during this winter’s basketball season when Wednesday evenings and Sundays filled the Cardo and gymnasium with laughter and excitement. And now, JCC Spring programs such as Little Ninjas Self Defense, Mad Science, Soccer Shots, Dive-In Movies, and Sunday Fun Days are in full swing amd filled with camp friends.

The monthly Kids Night Out is also operating again, bringing back many counselors (and campers) who are enjoying evenings with friends and talking about the exciting things to come at this summer’s Camp JCC sessions. (Upcoming Kids Night Out dates are April 9 and May 21.)

The winds are bringing warmer air, and Camp JCC is almost here.

Noah Bernstein navigates through a challenge during a group game. Also pictured are Hazel Mitzner, Elijah Berusch, and Lochlan Hoover.

To learn more about Camp JCC, or to hear about year-round opportunities for teens in the community, contact Dave Flagler, director of Camp and Teen Engagement, at DFlagler@UJFT.org or 757-452-3182.

32 | JEWISH NEWS | March 28, 2022 | jewishnewsva.org

he extensive collection of Torah pointers assembled by Clay Barr is the first exhibition of Judaica at the Chrysler Museum of Art in several decades. Approximately 150 Torah pointers, or yads, from the Barr Foundation collection are included in the months long exhibit. The yads range in size from a few inches to more than two feet in length.

“I am so keen for as many people as possible to see what I have spent 27 years assembling,” says Clay Barr. The collection is in her late husband, Jay Barr’s memory.

“I was inspired by his gift to Beth El in January of 1994, six months prior to his death, of two antique Torah pointers he had purchased at Sotheby’s in New York City. Losing him at such a young age and determining to honor him in perpetuity, like an epiphany, I had the thought of building a yad collection.”

Originally, Barr says she “emulated Jay’s choice by purchasing antique pieces.”

However, before too long in the project, recalling their shared love of art and the many contemporary artists they had befriended in their years together, her focus shifted to encouraging the creation of outstanding Judaica by artists working in a variety of fields.

The Barr Collection contains works by jewelers, sculptors, furniture makers, craftspeople, glass blowers, and ceramicists, among others.

Seth Michael Carlson, (American) Polyhedra Torah pointer, 2018 Silver and gold Lent by the Barr Foundation

Vicki Ambery-Smith, (British b. 1955) Rotunda at the University of Virginia torah pointer, 2020 Silver, red gold, amber and tanzanite stones Lent by the Barr Foundation

Many opportunities are planned for guided tours. In addition to contacting local synagogues, contact the Chrysler Museum or go to www.barrfoundationyads.com to see some examples of the collection.

India Elephant torah pointer, 1800s Silver Lent by the Barr Foundation

WHAT’S HAPPENING OST’s Young Adult D’Bar Torah presents Karen Baum Gordon, author Monday, April 11, 6 pm, Ohef Sholom Temple

Congresswoman Elaine Luria and Bruce Smith to be special guests on Unorthodox podcast

K

Thursday, April 7, 7:30 pm Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art

aren Baum Gordon, author of The Last Letter: A Father’s Struggle, a Daughter’s Quest, and the Long Karen Baum Gordon.

Shadow of the Holocaust, will discuss second and third generation Holocaust Survivors and what that means for the future.

Born a German Jew in 1915, Rudy Baum was 86 years old when he sealed the garage door of his Dallas home, turned on the car

ignition, and tried to end his life. Karen Baum Gordon, his daughter, began an effort to understand the sequence of events that led her father to that dreadful day. The book explores not only her father’s life story, but also the stories and events that shaped the lives of her grandparents—two Holocaust victims that Rudy tried, but could not save.

Signed books are available for purchase for $18. However, it is not required to read the book in order to attend the event.

RSVP at reservations@ohefsholom.org. Note in the RSVP if you would also like to purchase a book.

In[HEIR]itance Project presents EXODUS: Homecoming May 5 and 6, 7:30 pm; May 7, 2:30 pm Attucks Theater

W

hen Unorthodox records live in Tidewater next month, Congresswoman Elaine Luria will be the Jewish guest, and former NFL Hall of Famer Bruce Smith will be the Gentile guest. Each of the podcast’s shows features a Jewish and a Gentile guest, affectionately referred to as the ‘Jew and Gentile of the Week.’

Unorthodox is the flagship podcast from Tablet Magazine, the daily online magazine of Jewish news, ideas, and culture. The show premiered its 300th episode last December.

Mark Oppenheimer, Liel Lebovitz, and Stephanie Butnick, the show’s hosts, are visiting Tidewater for a live recording of Unorthodox hosts Mark Oppenheimer, Liel Unorthodox as part of Tidewater Together, Lebovitz, and Stephanie Butnick. presented by the Milton “Mickey” Kramer Scholar-in-Residence Fund of the Congregation Beth El Foundation, in partnership with the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Simon Family JCC’s Lee and Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival.

Admission is $18 or $30 including a copy of the hosts’ book, Newish Jewish Encyclopedia.

Special bundle of admission and book ends March 30. Seating is limited and advance tickets are required. Tickets may be purchased at www.JewishVA.org/TidewaterTogether.

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his brand new play, Exodus: Homecoming, is debuting as part of the Virginia Arts Festival 25th Anniversary Season at the Historic Attucks Theatre.

Inspired by the inherited Exodus narrative, this funny and thought-provoking drama re-imagines the seven cities as an intergenerational family and explores the hidden (and not so hidden) struggles of the 757, and how the cities are trying to work together as they reckon with a rich and complex regional history.

The In[HEIR]itance Project is a national arts organization that helps disconnected communities navigate challenging civic conversations through the co-creation of a new piece of theater. This play was created through conversations with hundreds of Hampton Roads citizens, as well as through explorations of the book of Exodus and in-depth research with leading local scholars, professors, and community leaders.

Facilitated in partnership with Hands

United Building Bridges and United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, this project was made possible by the generosity of the Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah, the Hampton Roads Community Foundation and Virginia Humanities, the Helen G. Gifford Family Foundation, and a community grant from Tidewater Jewish Foundation, as well as local donors.

Bruce Smith, 2011.

Congresswoman Elaine Luria.

Tickets are being sold in a “Pay What You Can” model and 100% of the box office proceeds will go to local artists and arts organizations working with teens in the community. Purchase tickets at https:// secure.vafest.org/inheiritance/.

jewishnewsva.org | March 28, 2022 | JEWISH NEWS | 33

WHAT’S HAPPENING Dr. Al Munzer to speak at Yom Hashoah Wednesday, April 27, 6:45 pm, Congregation Beth El In-person as well as live streamed on www.facebook.com/holcommission

T

he annual community Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, will feature Dr. Al Munzer as the guest speaker.

Munzer was hidden as a child in the Netherlands by an Indonesian family and

their Muslim nanny whom he knew as his mother until he was four years old and was reunited with his true mother. Munzer lost his father and two sisters to the Nazis.

Munzer and his mother immigrated to the

United States, and now this retired lung specialist is a volunteer docent at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Winners of 2022 Elie Wiesel Student Competitions in writing and visual art, as

well as the 2022 Educator Award winners will be announced.

For more information, go to https://holocaustcommission.jewishva.org.

FIRST PERSON

Hope Richmond Ballet performs Sunday, April 24, 4:30 pm, Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center, Virginia Wesleyan University Elyse Tapper Cardon

I

t is in divine moments when I know for sure—art is an essential element of life. It is also in these moments I am reminded of the light from all the stars—the little ones and big ones.

One of the brightest stars I know is the Richmond Ballet, named The State Ballet of Virginia in 1990, back when I danced with the company. Ever since, Richmond Ballet has taken on the mission of being Virginia’s professional dance company and so much more.

This company, representing all of Virginia, has made an impact around the world, country, and the Commonwealth, including Hampton Roads. Over these past four decades, Richmond Ballet has brought their expertise to local theaters and schools.

From the highly acclaimed Nutcracker, a variety of repertory shows and lecture demonstrations, to the amazing Minds in Motion program, which gives fourth grade students the opportunity to experience movement, dance, and performance.

Since 2010, Minds in Motion has also been sending teaching artists to Israel, where the education system is divided.

Jewish students learn in Hebrew, while Arab students learn in Arabic. Even though the children often live near each other, they rarely meet. Minds In Motion Israel fills the need for positive connection by using the universal language of movement.

By partnering Jewish and Arab schools

from neighboring communities in a shared residency, Minds In Motion Israel is able to cultivate relations not only between Jewish and Arab students, but also between their teachers, schools, and broader communities. Our community proudly supports this amazing program through the generosity of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.

In April, it won’t be necessary to drive to Richmond to see the Richmond Ballet perform a fantastic show, but rather just a short drive to Virginia Wesleyan University’s Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center.

The first piece on the program is one near and dear to my heart, Allegro Brilliante, choreographed by George Balanchine, music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. This is a piece of choreography I will never forget.

Just saying that, I can picture the eight of us dancers getting ready, gathered around center-stage. Someone would count the ‘four sets of eight’ out loud so we would all be exactly together on the first sauté arabesque. The curtain rises on us already moving, as if to say, “hello, step right in…we have been dancing this whole time!” My trusted dance partner, Brett Bonda, now Richmond Ballet’s managing director, and I loved dancing this dynamic ballet together. I especially love how the music builds and builds. At the end, it’s like the grand finale of fireworks. It is a wonderfully captivating piece and one of

34 | JEWISH NEWS | March 28, 2022 | jewishnewsva.org

the reasons I wanted to be a company dancer at Richmond Ballet.

Not all companies have the rights to perform George Balanchine’s work.

The show also includes Three Preludes, choreography by Ben Stevenson, OBE, music by Sergei Rachmaninoff. This piece explores the evolution of a couple’s love in an intimate ballet setting.

The third piece is a pas de deux from Vestiges, choreography by Colin Connor, music by Michael Nyman, where two dancers display their undeniable connection, reminiscent of a moth to a flame.

A gorgeous piece from Ma Cong, the ballet’s new associate director entitled Glare, concludes the program. Cong’s undeniably emotive signature movement, along with an extraordinary score by David McAlmont and Michael Nyman, are the base for this powerful work that reflects the human experience and, I dare say, where the company shines brightest.

Two years ago, when the world shut down, Richmond Ballet pivoted quickly and did not go dark. They found ways to keep everyone working—no small feat. The dancers worked in small pods, trained, and performed in masks, offered dozens of in-person shows with virtual ticket options, and so much more. Their mission is to awaken and uplift the human spirit and

they took that to heart the past couple of years, never swaying and staying on point (pun intended). The phones were ringing off the hook, due to so many other dance companies needing advice on navigating the unprecedented pandemic season.

The company is comprised of elite dancers from around the world who have helped earn Richmond Ballet critical acclaim. Dance/USA says Richmond Ballet is “a jewel among U.S. dance companies,” while The Washington Post calls it “a company to which dance fans everywhere ought to pay attention.” In addition to the professional company, the Ballet also trains and educates more than 800 students annually in the School of Richmond Ballet.

There is just something about coming together in a theater to share a transformative human experience, filling all our senses, filling us with hope. And I think it goes without saying, we could all use some of that right about now.

The show on Sunday, April 24 is presented

by Towne Bank. Open-seating tickets can be purchased at: www.richmondballet. com/goode.

Presented by the Milton “Mickey” Kramer Scholar-in-Residence Fund of the Congregation Beth El Foundation

Tidewater Together

CALENDAR MARCH 24—AUGUST 14

The Guiding Hand: The Barr Foundation Collection of Torah Pointers will be on display at the Chrysler Museum of Art’s first exhibition of Judaica in several decades. www.barrfoundationyads.com or 757-664-6200. See page 32.

MARCH 28, MONDAY

Society of Professionals (SOP) exclusive event with Josh Kross, creator of Unorthodox Podcast, Tablet magazine’s leading international flagship podcasts. “The Power of Communication: Reaching the Broadest Audience.” 6 pm. This will be a zoom event. The link will be sent after RSVP. For information on this or other SOP exclusive events or to RSVP, contact Ronnie Jacobs Cohen at rcohen@ujft.org or 757-321-2341.

MARCH 30, WEDNESDAY

Jewish Women Artists. The Konikoff Center for Learning, in partnership with Jewish Art Education presents this program which examines the various art forms created by female painters, sculptors, printmakers, and photographers. Their art reflects their unique life experiences and reflects the culture and times in which they lived. Free and open to the community. Includes lunch. 12 pm. Offered online and in-person at the Sandler Family Campus Pre-registration required. For more information or to register, contact Sierra Lautman at SLautman@Ujft.org or 757-965-6107.

APRIL 3, SUNDAY

Janet Gordon Annual Mah Jongg Tournament, hosted by Beth Sholom Village, will be held at the Hyatt Place Virginia Beach Town Center. This year’s event will only feature a Day of Play and Luncheon. Special prizes will be awarded throughout the event and 100% of the day’s proceeds directly benefit Beth Sholom Village. For more information, to register, or become a sponsor, visit www.bethsholomvillage.com/donate.

APRIL 7, THURSDAY

Congresswoman Elaine Luria and Bruce Smith will be special guests when UNORTHODOX visits Tidewater for a live recording of their popular podcast at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art. 7:30 pm. Seating is limited and advance tickets are required. Tickets may be purchased at www.JewishVA.org/TidewaterTogether. See page 33.

UN^ORTHODOXL I V E !

THURSDAY, APRIL 7 7:30 PM AT VIRGINIA MOCA

$18 / $30 with signed book, Newish Jewish Encyclopedia Dishing on all-things-Jewish with equal parts profundities, profanities, snarkiness, and sincerity, podcasters Stephanie Butnick, Liel Leibovitz, and Mark Oppenheimer invite YOU to a live taping of their hit podcast, Unorthodox.

Advance tickets recommended, limited seating. Book bundle price ends March 31.

jewishva.org/TIDEWATERTOGETHER

APRIL 12, TUESDAY

Simon Family JCC’s Annual Senior Seder is back and open to all seniors in the Tidewater community. Chazzan David Proser of KBH Synagogue will lead participants in a fun, engaging, and abbreviated service followed by a delicious traditional Passover meal. Tickets are $10. Space is limited. Registration deadline is April 7, 2022. To register, visit the JCC front desk or visit www.

JewishVA.org/Seniors or call 757-321-2304.

Join Our Team!

APRIL 27, WEDNESDAY

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Reading of the Names, sponsored by Congregation Beth El’s Men’s Club, will take place via zoom. For more information or to reserve a time, email Beth El Men’s Club President, Howard Horwitz at hhorwitzintune@yahoo.com.

Yom Hashoah at Congregation Beth El. Also available via livestream on the Holocaust Commission Facebook page. Dr. Alfred Munzer is the guest speaker. 6:45 pm. For more information, email info@holocaustcommission.org. See page 34.

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.

Simon Family JCC’s Annual Senior Seder is back

Position Available Sales experience a must • Media sales, a plus • Flexible hours • Great earning potential

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Tuesday, April 12, 12 pm, Sandler Family Campus

T

he beloved annual model Passover Seder is open to all seniors in the Tidewater community. Chazzan David Proser of KBH Synagogue will lead participants in a fun, engaging, and abbreviated service followed by a delicious traditional Passover meal.

Tickets are $10. Space is limited. Registration deadline is April 7, 2022. To register, visit the JCC front desk or go online at jewishva.org/seniors.

For further information on this event or other senior activities, contact Robin Ford at rford@ ujft.org or 321-2304.

If you are an ambitious, high-energy, self-starter with good people skills, this might be the job for you!

Interested?

Contact Taffy Hunter, Human Resources director, at 757-965-6117, resumes@ujft.org or submit resume to

Jewish News

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jewishnewsva.org | March 28, 2022 | JEWISH NEWS | 35

OBITUARIES JANICE ANTEN CHATTANOOGA, TENN.—After a life well-lived, Jan Anten passed away peacefully in Chattanooga, Tennessee in the early morning hours of February 27, 2022.

Though born in Boston, Jan spent most of her life in Norfolk, Virginia, where she worked as a school librarian until she retired. She then traveled the world with a circle of close friends, including Kitty Wolf-Steinberg, Paula Russel, and Gert Pontes. When on her home turf, Jan volunteered as a docent at the Virginia Zoo and was an active member of her synagogues, Temple Sinai and Ohef Sholom.

Jan was a cherished mom, grandmom, and great grandma to her large and loving family, including her three daughters: Esther (David) Lubliner of Arizona; Stephanie (Tom) DiPalma (California);, and Jayne (Jonas) Worsham of Tennessee; along with 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

A celebration of Jan’s life will be scheduled later. The family requests donations be sent to Welcome Home to Chattanooga, a non-profit beloved by Jan. MARK HAROLD BARR NORFOLK—Mark Harold Barr, age 71, died tragically in a car accident on March 10, 2022 in transit between his family home of Norfolk, Va. and his new home in Boynton Beach, Fla. Mark was predeceased by his parents Jack Barr and Yvonne “Bobby” Barr. He leaves behind to cherish his memory his three children: Matthew (Terri Ash), Noah (Laura), and Rachel Malka Barr, as well as his first grandchild, Julia Barr and his former wife and friend, Terri Colby Barr.

Sharing in the grief of the loss are his siblings, Susan Barr and Jeffrey Barr, and Jeffrey’s former wife, Dr. Lisa Barr and their family.

Mark leaves behind an expansive group of cousins and lifelong friends from everywhere he landed. Mark loved gathering people around him; he was a consummate host.

After graduating from Granby High School and Bradley University, Mark followed in his father’s footsteps to lead Barr Construction Company and Mark Barr Companies. Mark was known

for his generous nature and had many favored charities including Beth Sholom Village, Congregation Beth El, and Strelitz International Academy.

Mark recently moved to Boynton Beach looking forward to living his best life. And he did just that.

The funeral service was held in Congregation Beth El with interment in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Memorial donations may be sent to the charities mentioned above. Online condolences may be offered to the family at hdoliver.com.

RUTH FELDSTEIN GOLDBERG VIRGINIA BEACH—Ruth Feldstein Goldberg, 87 of Virginia Beach, passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 19, 2022.

Born in Pittsburgh, Pa., March 21, 1934, she graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Business Education. She taught business courses at business schools and high schools throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Virginia. She taught Sunday School at Ohef Sholom Temple. Along with her husband, she operated The Pappagallo Shop at Lynnhaven Mall, Le Promenade, Regency Square; The 6th Street Marketplace. She also helped run the Beth Sholom Gift Shop.

She loved to travel around the world with her husband, family, and friends. Ruth was an athlete and loved to play softball, swim, play racquetball, and dance. She enjoyed playing Maj Jongg, Mexican Train, listening to music, Broadway shows, movies, and gardening.

She cherished all of the times that she spent with her children, grandchildren and friends.

She was the daughter of Julia and Louis Feldstein of blessed memory. She is survived by her husband of 66 years, Joseph R Goldberg and her sister Jean (Stan) Bernstein. Her three children, Marilyn (Bob) Johns, grandchildren, David, Julie, and Ginger Johns. Michael Goldberg (Kathleen Mooney), grandchildren, Ryan, Megan (West Boyd) and Evan Goldberg. Mark Goldberg (Fanya Seagull), grandchildren, Celia & Shawn Goldberg.

Send donations to Beth Sholom Village or Ohef Sholom Temple Religious School.

Her husband and family want to thank everyone that gave her such loving care at

36 | JEWISH NEWS | March 28, 2022 | jewishnewsva.org

the Beth Sholom Village and particularly in the memory unit.

A graveside service was held at Woodlawn Cemetery in the King David section. Altmeyer Funeral Homes.

JUDITH LEVIN PORTSMOUTH—Judith Lewis Levin, 77, of Portsmouth, Virginia died peacefully and comfortably Friday afternoon, March 18, 2022, surrounded by her loving family.

She was born February 1, 1945, in Worcester Massachusetts, the daughter of the late Sherman S. and Anne H. Lewis.

Judi was predeceased by her son Jay Daniel Levin, and loving husband of 53 years, Richard N. Levin. She is survived by her son, John David Levin (Ellen); grandchildren, Nathan P., and William T. Levin; brother, David J. Lewis (Joann); and numerous nieces and nephews, greatnieces and nephews, and cousins.

Judi met the love of her life, Richard, in High School before heading off to American University. Soon thereafter, they were married and having a family.

Judi was a dedicated wife and mother. As the boys aged, she began to sell real estate and successfully helped her cherished clients with that big purchase for decades.

Family was everything to Judi and she loved her two grandsons, Nate and Will, to the moon and back. She loved yoga, the beach, and golf, but had a very special spot in her heart for Naples, Florida and all the great friends she made there.

Sadly, Judi was diagnosed with cancer and, while tragic, hardly her last act.

All of her strength, determination and love for life and people allowed her to continue to thrive. One of her favorite and most meaningful trips occurred during this time, a trip to Israel for Nate’s Bar Mitzvah. A crowning achievement coming after the cancer diagnosis and the unexpected loss of Richard.

Judi’s radiant smile and kind heart balanced out her immeasurable strength and courage. Her positive attitude was everything.

A graveside service was held at Gomley Chesed Cemetery, 3603 George Washington Highway, Portsmouth, Virginia. Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.

CHRISTINE “CHRIS” OHLSTEIN VIRGINIA BEACH—Christine “Chris” Ohlstein of Virginia Beach passed peacefully at 2:34 am on March 2, 2022 after a brief illness, surrounded by her family.

She was a nurse and then a nurse practitioner, as well as a volunteer with the Health Department during the pandemic, which was consistent with her heartfelt desire to help the sick and suffering. Her ultimate dream was to acquire a large amount of land in order to create a refuge for unwanted, abused, and neglected animals. Her home was always shared with dogs.

She fiercely loved her family and her very wide circle of friends. She also loved the New England Patriots. At times it was hard to know which she loved more.

She is survived by her husband, Jim “James”, her daughter, Katelyn of Virginia Beach, two stepchildren whom she loved like her own, Jeff of Brooklyn N.Y. and Laurie of Washington DC, her parents, Maurice and Teresa Caron of Lowell, Mass., her sister Priscilla Durand and her husband, Paul of Lowell, Mass., brother Richard and his wife, Kim of Pelham, N.H., brother Roger and his wife, Elaine of Lowell, Mass., many nieces and nephews, as well as several great nieces and great nephews, and, of course, too many friends to name. She was predeceased by her brother, Paul Caron.

A graveside service took place at Colonial Grove Memorial Park, officiated by dear friend, Rabbi Israel Zoberman.

Consider a donation to her favorite charity, Hope for Life Rescue, https:// www.hopeforliferescue.com/donate.

CHAIM KANIEVSKY, HAREDI ORTHODOX RABBI KNOWN AS ‘PRINCE OF TORAH,’ SHIRA HANAU (JTA)—Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, the powerful leader of Israel’s haredi Orthodox community has died.

Kanievsky was 94 and died after collapsing at his home in Bnei Brak, the center of haredi life in Israel.

The son of a major rabbi with familial connections to numerous famed rabbinic dynasties, Kanievsky seemed to be destined for a position of power from a young age. But the scholarly rabbi rose to new heights during the coronavirus pandemic

OBITUARIES as Israel’s government struggled to contend with numerous outbreaks in the haredi Orthodox community. Kanievsky, whose words were mediated through his grandsons, became a key leader in persuading haredi Orthodox Israelis to comply with government lockdowns.

Born in Poland in 1928 into a family of well-known rabbis, Kanievsky began studying as a young boy in Bnei Brak at the yeshiva of his uncle, Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz, then one of the most important Jewish legal authorities in Israel.

Kanievsky, who spent most of his life in Bnei Brak, departed from yeshiva life only briefly, when he served in the Israeli army during the country’s war of independence. He became a major authority on all matters of Jewish law, authoring several books of Jewish legal writings.

For years, Kanievsky would answer dozens, if not hundreds, of Jewish legal questions via small postcards on which he would inscribe his answers in tiny

handwriting.

He would also receive visitors in his home who would seek his guidance on areas of Jewish law and with questions about all aspects of their lives.

And during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kanievksy became an important figure in Israel’s battle with the coronavirus, representing haredi autonomy from the rest of the Israeli public as he, at times, instructed haredi yeshivas to remain open despite Israeli health ministry rules requiring them to close.

In October 2020, Kanievsky himself tested positive for COVID-19 but recovered and resumed public life.

After vaccines became available, Kanievsky broke with some in his community by urging widespread vaccination.

He received death threats in late 2021 after opining that children should be vaccinated against the virus.

Kanievsky was largely considered a moderate on matters of Jewish law, according to Zalcberg; in 2016, for

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example, he ruled that medical marijuana was kosher for Passover. But, Kanievsky became known for at least one extreme position on a matter of Jewish law and culture. In 2012, Kanievsky ruled that one who owns an iPhone, by which he meant any smartphone, must burn it, even if he needs it for business.

The rabbi was immediately mourned by his followers and by Israeli leaders.

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“Despite his greatness in the Torah and in public, the rabbi made sure to always receive every person with an open heart and light eyes,” said Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in a statement.

Kanievsky’s wife and the mother of his eight children, Batsheva, died in 2011. He was buried on Sunday, March 20 in the largest funeral in Israel’s history with as many as 1 million mourners.

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www.altmeyerfuneralandcremation.com jewishnewsva.org | March 28, 2022 | JEWISH NEWS | 37

JEWISH TIDEWATER

NADIV raises funds and awareness Matthew Kramer-Morning

I

t has been a banner year for United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s NADIV Young Men’s Giving circle.

Moving out of the pandemic, the group’s membership has climbed to 37 members—all active and donating into the giving circle. Plus, the men made another fantastic push for the March Madness Bracket Challenge which helps raise money for the group and for Jewish Tidewater.

Last month, the group participated in a 38-hour mini mission to Washington D.C. where members heard from a number of internationally known speakers, bonded through an evening out, and learned about and toured the historic Sixth and I synagogue in downtown Washington, D.C. The mission culminated with a meaningful process for the participants to learn about different programs in Tidewater’s community and decide how funding those

March Madness Bracket Challenge This year, NADIV raised more than $6,000 with its March Madness Bracket Challenge.

Special thanks to all of this year’s sponsors:

Tidewater Home Funding as our Title Sponsor Final Four Sponsors • The Hometown Advantage Real Estate Team • Calliott, Demeter, and Harrell • Town Center Office Suites • The Rox Express

Elite Eight Sponsors • Mid Atlantic Eyecare • Rubin • Remedy Professional Placements • Family Vision Care • Learner’s Minyan at B’nai Israel

38 | JEWISH NEWS | March 28, 2022 | jewishnewsva.org

programs matched with the group’s philanthropic values.

NADIV’s decision on what to fund is made with much input and discussion from the group. Back in December, over Zoom, the men discussed their priorities when thinking about giving. They shared what they thought was important, types of impacts, quality vs quantity, and narrowed down six collective priorities. Those six priorities were then sent to every member of NADIV who was not in the discussion, and through their feedback, Education rose to the top of the giving priorities, with Israel, Disabilities and Inclusion, Poverty and Social Services, and Jewish Peoplehood taking close seconds and thirds. After those results were examined, the group reached out to Federation community partners who focus on education in their missions. NADIV received back six funding opportunities for upcoming programs and projects in Jewish Tidewater.

During the D.C. Mini Mission, participants took ‘deep dives’ into these Federation partners and programs, and through a new and meaningful process, discussed and chose two of the programs to fund. The participants were split into six committees, each examining one of the submitted programs. In addition to studying the program, they were presented with the survey informaIn front of Sixth and I: Top row: David Small, Brandon Rothschild, tion for that program. Each committee then presented Michael Rosauri, and Ryan Benton. Second row: Tim Thornton, Edo their program to all of the participants and shared the Mor, Michael Richlen, and Adam Fox. Third row: Danny Rubin, David Calliott, Avidan Itzhak, Nathan Strelitz, and Jacob Strelitz. Bottom committee’s thoughts from their discussion. After the row: Michael Yaary and Matt Kramer-Morning. presentations, a discussion took place on the overall results from the survey and the feedback from members not on the trip. The group then submitted a ballot on the bus which was added to the results from the survey submitted by members not on the trip.

Ultimately, the two programs selected were the Hillel Kemach Leadership program and Strelitz Learning Lab. These programs will be funded 50/50 by the proceeds that are collected by NADIV’s giving circle through donations to the group and the money NADIV mission participants on the Rox Charter Bus. raised through NADIV’s March Madness Bracket Challenge.

For more information on NADIV, contact Matthew Kramer-Morning, UJFT Young Leadership Campaign director at 757-965-6136 or mkmorning@ujft.org.

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