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Southeastern Virginia | Vol. 53 No. 12 | 4 Adar 5775 | February 23, 2015
8 Date with the State 2015
Across Oceans and Generations A Jewish History of Tidewater, Virginia
22 CRC Israel Poster Contest
24 Documentary premier Sunday, March 8
Dr. Ofer Merin Sunday, March 15
—page 10
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upfront Poll: Americans want Obama-Netanyahu meeting, half say invite ‘inappropriate’ WASHINGTON ( JTA)—Nearly half of Americans think the invitation to Benjamin Netanyahu to speak to Congress was inappropriate, but more believe President Ba.rack Obama should meet the Israeli prime minister in Washington. The YouGov poll posted Wednesday, Feb. 11 showed that 47 percent of respondents said it was “inappropriate” for Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), the House speaker, to invite Netanyahu to speak March 3 without first consulting with the White House. Thirty percent of respondents found it appropriate. Still, 58 percent said Obama should meet with Netanyahu and 46 percent said their Congress member should attend. Obama has said he will not meet with Netanyahu because of the proximity of Israeli elections, and a number of congressional Democrats, who also were not consulted, have said they will not attend the speech. Nineteen percent of respondents were opposed to an ObamaNetanyahu meeting and 24 percent said their representative should not attend the speech. The survey of 1,000 adults was taken Feb. 4-8 and had a margin of error of 4.1 percent.
Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) became the third Jewish member of Congress to say he would not attend. Among the 28 Jewish members in Congress, 15 have said they will attend, although many of them regret the circumstances of the invitation. A Times of Israel poll showed 59 percent of Israelis registered an unfavorable opinion of Obama, while 33 percent were favorable to the president. Netanyahu registered 41 percent favorable and 54 percent unfavorable in the same poll. Asked whether they trust “Obama to ensure that Iran does NOT receive a nuclear weapon,” 72 percent said no and 21 said yes. Boehner wants Netanyahu to speak to Congress in part to rebut Obama’s claims that nuclear talks now underway with Iran are the best path to keeping it from obtaining a weapon, and Netanyahu says that is his main mission in Washington, otherwise praising Obama for preserving a strong U.S.-Israel relationship. Only 10 percent of Israeli respondents, however, said Iran was their main concern heading into the March 17 election. Economic issues was the main concern, with 48 percent of respondents listing it as a top concern. The Feb. 1–3 Times of Israel survey reached 824 Israeli voters and had a margin of error of 3.4 percent.
contents Up Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Jewish groups join call on Obama to stop marginalizing American Muslims WASHINGTON (JTA)—Three Jewish organizations joined 15 other interfaith groups to express concern that the White House is marginalizing American Muslims. Bend the Arc: a Jewish Partnership for Justice, the National Council of Jewish Women and T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call to Justice signed a Feb. 12 letter to President Barack Obama ahead of the upcoming White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism, which criticized the publicity for the upcoming summit as focusing only on Islamic extremists. “As you know, studies by the FBI and the Southern Poverty Law Center have shown that the overwhelming majority of terrorist incidents in the United States were committed by non-Muslims,” the letter said. The groups said that they were concerned about “focusing exclusively on Islamic extremists, which risks contributing to the marginalization of American Muslims.” The letter was spearheaded by the Interfaith Alliance, whose executive director is Rabbi Jack Moline, the former head of the National Jewish Democratic Council. “Unfortunately, no single religion has a monopoly on extremist violence,” Moline said. “The White House must make sure not to unfairly single out American Muslims as it seeks to confront violent extremism perpetrated in the name of any faith or ideology.”
quotable
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Retirement Special Section. . . . . . . . . 13
Friday, February 27/Adar 8 Light candles at 5:38 pm
Briefs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Blue Yarmulke Men of the Year. . . . . 21
“I tried my best to have
Torah Thought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
What’s Happening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
as much of a historical and
Friday, March 6/Adar 15 Light candles at 5:45 pm
Attack on Danish synagogue . . . . . . . . 6
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
community representation
Friday, March 13/Adar 22 Light candles at 6:51 pm
Anti-Semitism in Europe . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Mazel Tov . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
as possible.”
Friday, March 20/Adar 29 Light candles at 6:58 pm
Date with the State 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
A Jewish History of Tidewater . . . . . 10
Hamantaschen twists. . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Teens convene in Atlanta. . . . . . . . . . 12
February 20 March 6 March 20 April 3 April 17 May 1
—page 10
Friday, March 27/Nissan 7 Light candles at 7:04 pm Friday, April 3/Nissan 14 Light candles at 7:10 pm
jewishnewsva.org | February 23, 2015 | Jewish News | 3
briefs ADL to Urban Outfitters: Remove tapestry with Nazi-type design The Anti-Defamation League has urged Urban Outfitters to stop selling a tapestry with a design resembling the uniform that gay male prisoners were forced to wear in Nazi concentration camps. The ADL complained about the “insensitive” design of the tapestry, which features pink triangles over a gray and white pattern, in a letter to Urban Outfitters CEO Richard Hayne. “Whether intentional or not, this gray and white stripped pattern and pink triangle combination is deeply offensive and should not be mainstreamed into popular culture,” the ADL’s national president, Abraham Foxman, said in a news release. Prisoners in Nazi camps were forced to wear uniforms with inverted triangles of different colors. A pink triangle indicated that the prisoner was homosexual. Urban Outfitters has faced previous criticism from Jewish groups. In 2012, the retailer sold a T-shirt with a six-pointed star that resembled the Star of David patch worn by Jews in Nazi Germany. In 2008, the company sold a T-shirt with a picture of a Palestinian boy holding a machine gun between the words “Fresh Jive Victimized.” (JTA) Proposed congressional bill links BDS prevention, EU trade deal A proposed congressional bill links a U.S. trade agreement with the European Union to combating the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. The U.S.-Israel Trade and Commercial Enhancement Act introduced Tuesday, Feb. 10 will “leverage ongoing trade negotiations to discourage prospective U.S. trade partners from engaging in economic discrimination against Israel,” the Times of Israel reported. The bill, which was introduced by U.S. Reps. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) and Juan Vargas (D-Calif.), makes rejecting the BDS movement a prerequisite for moving ahead with a U.S.-EU trade plan that proponents say could be the largest free trade deal in history. While the measure does not establish any penalties for failing to reject BDS policies, it would prohibit American courts from enforcing rulings made by foreign courts against American companies solely for con-
ducting business in Israel. It would also monitor the BDS-related activity of foreign companies traded on U.S. stock exchanges. Roskam and Vargas are confident the bill has enough bipartisan support to advance it through Congress. “Today, an alarming number of countries within the European Union and beyond have embraced BDS as a form of economic warfare aimed to cripple Israel’s economy and demonize its very existence,” Roskam said. “These attacks not only threaten Israel but commercial relations across the globe.” (JTA)
Pew survey: Europe’s Jewish population has plummeted in recent decades Europe has lost more than half its Jewish population since 1960, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center. Approximately 1.4 million Jews live in Europe, down from the 2 million in 1991, according to the Pew survey, which came out Monday, Feb. 9. In 1960, some 3.2 million Jews lived in Europe. European Jews now account for about 10 percent of the world Jewish population, while in 1939, the 9.5 million Jews on the continent accounted for 57 percent of the world Jewish population. The number of Jews has decreased most in Eastern Europe and areas of the former Soviet Union, according to the survey report. Pew identifies multiple reasons for the postwar population decline, including immigration to Israel, intermarriage and other forms of cultural assimilation. The worldwide Jewish population of 14 million is still smaller than it was before the Holocaust, when it was over 16 million. (JTA) Muslim teacher quits French Muslim school citing antiSemitism, radicalism A Muslim teacher said he resigned from a French private high school for Muslims because of rampant anti-Semitism and radicalism among his students. Soufiane Zitouni, a former philosophy teacher at the Averroes high school in Lille, in northern France, revealed his reasons for quitting five months after starting there in a letter he sent to Liberation that the French daily published this month.
4 | Jewish News | February 23, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org
One pupil, he wrote, “one day had the nerve to tell me: ‘The Jewish race is cursed by Allah, many Muslims sages told me so.’” Zitouni wrote that anti-Semitic views were commonly expressed by other students as well, and that the faculty resented his criticisms against radical Islam. The school’s administration, for its part, told the local edition of the France 3 public television channel that they intended to sue Zitouni for libel. Zitouni’s troubles with the faculty, he wrote, began after he published an Op-Ed in Liberation directly after the Jan. 7 slaying by Islamists of 12 people at the Paris office of the Charlie Hebdo weekly for its lampooning of Islam and its prophet, Muhammad. Zitouni’s colleagues criticized him for writing “Today, the Prophet is Charlie, too” in protest of the murders. Several of Zitouni’s pupils told him that the journalists at Charlie Hebdo “had it coming,” he wrote in his letter. (JTA)
Madoff victims receive new payout totaling $355.8 million Victims of Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme will receive another $355.8 million, bringing the total recovered to over $10.5 billion, with more than $7.2 billion paid out. Trustee Irving Picard said the payout, which began last month, the fifth such payout, means that slightly over half of allowable claims have been paid in full. The payouts ranged from $431 to $57.1 million, with the average being $330,000, The Associated Press reported. Madoff victims lost about $17.5 billion of principal in the scheme. Picard said everyone with an allowable claim of less than $976,000 has been fully paid. He has filed more than 1,000 lawsuits against investment funds called “feeder funds” and former customers who took out more from Madoff’s firm than they put in, Reuters reported. Madoff, 76, is serving a 150-year sentence at the medium-security federal prison in Butner, N.C., for a scheme believed to be the largest of its kind in U.S. history. He pleaded guilty in March 2009. The scheme affected a disproportionate number of Jewish individuals and organizations. (JTA)
Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales named Dan David Prize laureate Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales will receive the Dan David Prize and $1 million for his contribution to the information resolution. Tel Aviv University announced the recipients of the international prize, which annually makes three awards for outstanding achievement in the categories of past, present and future time dimensions. Each award in a category is $1 million. Wales was recognized in the Present Time Dimension: The Information Revolution. His stated motivation for creating Wikipedia was to create a world “in which every single person on the planet is given free access to the sum of all human knowledge,” according to a statement from the prize committee. In the past category, Retrieving the Past: Historians and their Sources, Peter Brown and and Alessandro Portelli share the prize. Brown is a historian from the late antiquity period whose “groundbreaking studies have reshaped the way we understand social and cultural change,” according to the prize committee. Of Brown, the committee said his “studies of the interaction between private and collective memory have challenged the way we understand recording the past.” Three scientists—Cyrus Chothia, David Haussler and Michael Waterman—were awarded the prize in the future category of Bioinformatics. Chothia pioneered the understanding of the relationships between protein sequence, structure, function and interaction. Haussler was a leader in assembling the first draft of the human genome sequence and leads the development of the UCSC Genome Browser used worldwide for interpreting genome sequences. Waterman has contributed significantly to biological sequence analysis. The Dan David Prize is named for the late international businessman and philanthropist. The laureates, who donate 10 percent of their prize money toward 20 doctoral and postdoctoral scholarships, will be honored at a May 17 ceremony at Tel Aviv University. (JTA)
Torah Thought
Lee’s will said a lot about him.
Did Purim really happen?
I
t’s difficult to learn accurate history from the rabbis of the Mishnah and Talmud. “The early Rabbis did not save any historical sources besides the Bible for the biblical or post-biblical periods,” states Hebrew University Professor Moshe Herr. A perfect example of his point is the Persian (Achaemenid) period: The rabbis believe that it lasted 52 years because there were only three Persian emperors listed in the Hebrew Bible. In truth, based on countless other historical sources, we know that it lasted 220 years, and that there were 10 Persian emperors in all. Therefore, when it comes to evaluating the historical veracity of the book of Esther, which is set in the Persian period, we must do so with extreme caution. University of Maryland Professor of Biblical Studies, Adele Berlin, encourages us to think about the book of Esther in the context of what we know about the ancient world. Real Persian emperors needed to be strong and decisive, otherwise they would find themselves dead very quickly.
In contrast, our Achashverosh can barely decide what he wants to have for breakfast. Real Persian emperors did not choose their queens by beauty contests—they contracted their marriages based on crucial geo-political alliances—and needless to say, there are no records of Esther, or any other Jewish woman, being crowned the queen of Persia. Some historians have tried to identify Achashverosh with the historical Xerxes I, but real Persian emperors were absolute rulers—they could make or rescind any decree they wished. Our Achashverosh isn’t much more formidable than Toronto’s bumbling ex-mayor Rob Ford—stripped of his powers and left a mayor in name alone. You’ll find a truer depiction of the terrifying “God-King” Xerxes I in Frank Miller’s film “300” (2006) and its sequel “300: Rise of an Empire” (2014). It seems, therefore, that the book of Esther must be a work of historical fiction. Yet, I must confess that I love it dearly all the same because it depicts a world so much like our own! A broken world, in which the presence of God is veiled and we humans are forced to be God’s hands in mending it. When we perform the mitzvot of the festival—providing for the needy, giving food parcels to friends, hosting festive meals—we become those divine hands in the world. Did Purim really happen all those millennia ago? Probably not. Does Purim happen today? Yes, without a doubt. —Rabbi Marc Kraus, Temple Emanuel
Romney, Boehner and Bush to address Republican Jewish leaders
M
itt Romney, House Speaker John Boehner and former President George W. Bush will be among the speakers at the Republican Jewish Coalition leadership meeting. Romney, the Republican presidential nominee in 2012 who briefly considered a run this year, was announced as a speaker by the RJC. The conference will be held April 24–26 in Las Vegas. Boehner (R-Ohio) roiled some in Washington with his invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to
speak to Congress next month. The RJC is running an online petition drive supporting Netanyahu’s speech in the face of complaints from Democrats and the White House that Boehner did not consult them before issuing the invitation. The Bush and Romney talks will be closed to the media. The Washington Examiner reported that a number of likely presidential candidates will attend, including Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. (JTA)
What does your will say about you? Virginia Beach attorney H. Lee Kanter loved the arts and always leaped to his feet to shout “bravo” after cultural performances. Before he died in 2001, Lee arranged for a bequest to the Hampton Roads Community Foundation to provide grants for performing arts in Hampton Roads. Kanter grants have helped Virginia Arts Festival, Todd Rosenlieb Dance and the Virginia Symphony. Thanks to Lee’s generosity he will forever bring great performances to his home region. Connect your passion to the future by ordering a free bequest guide. Learn how easy it is to leave a gift for charity. Call 757-622-7951 or visit leaveabequest.org.
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jewishnewsva.org | February 23, 2015 | Jewish News | 5
Global surges of anti-Semitism
Denmark synagogue attack seen as ‘wake-up call’ by Cnaan Liphshiz
(JTA)—From the window of the Jewish Community of Copenhagen’s crisis center, Finn Schwarz can see his country changing before his eyes. Hours after the slaying of a guard outside the Danish capital’s main synagogue early Sunday morning, Feb. 15, two police officers toting machine guns were on patrol outside the center—a common sight in France, Belgium and other trouble spots for Jews, but which resistant authorities in Denmark had previously considered both excessive and unpalatable. “I think this attack was a wake-up call,” says Schwarz, a former community chairman who has lobbied the authorities for years, often in vain, for greater security. “What we have long feared happened and we will now see a changed Denmark. We have never seen this much security and
guns before.” The deployment of armed officers at Jewish institutions came within hours of a shooting at a Copenhagen cafe where a caricaturist who had lampooned Islam was speaking. One person was killed at the cafe in what Prime Minister Helle ThorningSchmidt called a terrorist attack. Later that night, Dan Uzan, a 37-yearold volunteer security guard, was with two police officers at the Great Synagogue when a gunman opened fire with an automatic weapon, killing Uzan and wounding the officers. The trio were standing guard over approximately 80 people who had gathered for a bat mitzvah celebration in a building behind the synagogue. Guests reportedly took shelter in the basement after the shooting and later were escorted out under heavy guard. The next morning, Danish police killed
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a 22-year-old man in a shootout who they said was a Muslim extremist responsible for both shootings. The shooter was later identified as Omar El-Hussein. Throughout the day Sunday, Feb. 15, heavily armed police officers remained deployed across the capital and beyond as authorities hunted for accomplices. The attack comes amid an escalation in anti-Semitic incidents in Denmark, including one this summer in which several individuals broke into a Jewish school just weeks after the conclusion of Israel’s seven-week conflict with Hamas in Gaza. No one was hurt in the incident, but some weeks earlier Jewish educators had instructed students not to wear yarmulkes or other identifying garments to school. “This reality and the attack hurt the Jewish community both by encouraging emigration and by forcing people to distance their children, for security reasons, from the Jewish community, its schools and institutions,” Schwarz says. Yet Danish authorities often resisted requests for greater security measures, an issue that Rabbi Andrew Baker raised last September during a visit to Denmark in his capacity as the representative for combating anti-Semitism of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Noticing the absence of the sort of security arrangements familiar in Paris and Brussels, Baker asked Danish officials whether they were worried about an attack on Jewish institutions. “The officials I met recognized the risks but said that Denmark had a ‘relaxed approach to security,’ as one interlocutor put it, and that having armed police in front of buildings would be too disturbing to the population at large,” says Baker, who also serves as director of international Jewish affairs for the American Jewish Committee. “I was taken aback because I never encountered in other countries this argument of rejecting security measures while fully acknowledging the threat,” Baker says. “I left knowing it was only a matter of time before I got the call.” Schwarz says authorities had improved
security around Jewish institutions after the slaying last month of four Jews at a kosher market near Paris. But he says there remains a gap of tens of thousands of dollars between the security funding sought by the community and what the government is offering. “I think the heavy security is good, but I’m also sad to see it because a Denmark where armed officers stand outside [the] synagogue doesn’t seem like the peaceful country I know and love,” Schwarz says. “But it’s necessary.” Denmark has approximately 8,000 Jews, according to the European Jewish Congress. EJC officials stress that the problem of Jewish security is not Denmark’s alone and called for continent-wide countermeasures, including legislation that provides national governments with improved tools to counter the threat. “We are dealing with a pan-European problem which is being dealt with individually instead of on a pan-European basis,” says Arie Zuckerman, a senior EJC official who oversees the group’s Security and Crisis Centre. “This is part of the reason our enemies are the ones that have the initiative.” EJC President Moshe Kantor is calling on the European Union to establish an agency devoted to fighting anti-Semitism. “European governments and leaders who in the name of upholding liberties refrain from acting effectively against terrorists are endangering those very freedoms because they are exposing them to the terrorists’ attacks,” Kantor says. Back in Copenhagen, Dr. Ilan Raymond, a Jewish physician and father of two, speaks of an uncertain road ahead. “What happened Sunday is a shock that will stay with us for a long time,” says Raymond, who learned of the attack while on vacation abroad when his 16-year-old son sent him a text message that read “I am alright.” The attack “will have a profound effect and may cause some to leave,” Raymond says. “It’s early days.”
Global surges of anti-Semitism Jewish radio station in Copenhagen taking break for security reasons
France’s prime minister appeals to Jews to stay
P
rime Minister Manuel Valls of France appealed to his country’s Jews to stay in the wake of a call by his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu for European Jews to move to Israel. “My message to French Jews is the following: France is wounded with you and France does not want you to leave,” Valls said Monday, Feb. 16 following a weekend that saw two deadly shootings in Copenhagen that mirrored two attacks in Paris last month. In the wake of the Copenhagen attacks, Netanyahu said in a statement, “To the Jews of Europe and to the Jews of the world, I say that Israel is waiting for you with open arms.” Also Netanyahu at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting said that a 180 million shekel ($46 million) plan will be submitted to the Cabinet encouraging the absorption of immigrants from France, Belgium and Ukraine. Valls said, “The place for French Jews
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is France. I regret Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks. Being in the middle of an election campaign doesn’t mean you authorize yourself to make just any type of statement.” Israeli national elections are scheduled for March 17. Valls also said that the threat of terror attacks remains high in France and that security measures would remain stringent for as long as necessary. France deployed 10,000 troops to protect Jewish buildings and other public sites in the wake of the two Paris attacks by Islamists last month that left 17 dead, including four Jewish men at a kosher supermarket. On Sunday, Feb. 15, it was reported that several hundred graves were vandalized at a Jewish cemetery in northeastern France. Valls on Twitter called the vandalism “a vile, anti-Semitic act, an insult to the memory” of the dead and vowed to find those responsible. (JTA)
A
Jewish radio station based in Copenhagen canceled its daily broadcast for security reasons following the deadly synagogue shooting in the Danish capital. The Danish Security and Intelligence Service, whose acronym in Danish is PET, shut down Monday, Feb. 16 after being told that broadcasting from its basement studio in the Norrebo neighborhood of Copenhagen was too dangerous, Radio Shalom host Abraham Kopenhagen told the Danish-language newspaper DR Nyheder, according to the Copenhagen Post. Kopenhagen said the station would be back on the air when PET tells them that it is safe. “We do not feel that it is too dangerous, but we respect the information we are given,” Kopenhagen told DR Nyheder. Kopenhagen said that PET offered to
protect the station while it was broadcasting, but Radio Shalom rejected the offer. “We must do as instructed, but we will not have police standing outside the door,” he said. “We would rather close down until it is quiet again. I do not know how long that will take.” The station’s programming includes local, international and Israel news, as well as cultural shows and interviews with prominent local and international figures. Meanwhile, as of press time, the Jewish school in Copenhagen opened under police protection. Carolineskolen has 200 students. Two policemen and a volunteer civilian guard were shot outside Copenhagen’s central synagogue after midnight Sunday, Feb. 15 while they provided security for a nearby building where a bat mitzvah party was taking place. The guard, Dan Uzan, 37, died later from his injuries. (JTA)
2/13/2015 4:10:30 PM
jewishnewsva.org | February 23, 2015 | Jewish News | 7
The 2015 Tidewater delegation arrives in Richmond for the CRC’s annual Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day.
Date With the State 2015 by Jeff Cooper
M
ore than 30 members of the local Jewish community traveled to the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond to be part of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Community Relations Council delegation for the annual Jewish Advocacy Day on Feb. 4. The Tidewater delegation joined with 150 Jews from around the Commonwealth of Virginia who were there to lobby on issues of concern to the Jewish community. Brad Lerner, one of the co-chairs of the CRC’s Legislative Action Committee, led the Tidewater delegation. The day began with addresses from the statewide elected officials Governor Terry McAuliffe, Lt. Governor Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring. These talks were followed by policy briefings from Chuck Lessin, vice chair of the Virginia Israel Advisory Board, Aimee Perron Siebert, the CRC of Greater Washington’s lobbyist, and Richard Samet, former CRC chair of the CRC in Richmond, the Richmond Federation’s current president and frequent testifier at the General Assembly. After the briefings, the Tidewater delegation met with all of the region’s elected officials or their legislative liaisons, 20 in all. Tidewater’s group of citizen lobbyists addressed a range of issues including social services and religious freedom. It also thanked its legislators for their continued support of the Virginia Israel Advisory
8 | Jewish News | February 23, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org
Board (VIAB) and education tax credits. Regarding social services, the group encouraged the Delegates to support a bill drafted by Chief Patrons Delegate Peace and Senator Hanger to increase funding for the Public Guardianship Program, a program through which organizations such as Tidewater’s Jewish Family Services’ Personal Affairs Management Program are able to provide guardianship and conservatorship to a number of incapacitated adults across Virginia. On the subject of religious liberty, the delegation asked legislators to oppose a bill currently being considered which would vastly expand the range of public venues in which sectarian prayer would be permissible. Legislators were thanked for their continued funding of VIAB and reminded of the incredible economic benefits this program has provided Virginia. The delegation also thanked legislators for their continued support of Education Improvement Scholarship Tax Credits which increases
Lt. Governor Ralph Northam and Betty Ann Levin, JFS executive director.
Brad Lerner, CRC Legislative Action Committee co-chair, Karen Fine, Rabbi Loiterman, Benyamin Yaffe, Del. Glenn Davis, Linda Samuels, and Harvey Eluto.
Andy Fox, Alyssa Muhlendorf, Fred Rose, Megan Zuckerman, CRC Chair, Leslie Siegel, Samantha Gordon, Sam and Danielle Leibovici, Eileen Colton, Louis Miller on their way to meet with their state legislators at Date With the State.
private school access for children in need. This program has enabled local Jewish Day Schools Hebrew Academy of Tidewater and Toras Chaim to provide more than 100 scholarships in the last three school years. The discussions with legislators were friendly and frank, and the group’s input was well-received by many Delegates and Senators. The Community Relations Council extended invitations to legislators to visit the Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community and plans to find opportunities for continued discussion between members of the General Assembly and Tidewater’s local Jewish community. Robin Mancoll, CRC director and Megan Zuckerman, CRC chair, made certain the trip was seamless and fun. The Date With the State has already been set for next year. Mark your calendars for Feb. 2, 2016 and email RMancoll@ujft. org with any questions or interest in participating.
Date With the State Comments 2015
“I really enjoyed ‘being part of’ the legislative process. The experience of meeting with delegates and senators, having them actively listen to us on issues important to us, with some being voted on that very day was empowering. It left me less jaded of the political process, and reinvigorated the faith in the system, even if things don’t work out the way I would like!” —Karen Fine “I thought it was a meaningful and challenging day. Although the issue of sectarian invocations at public meetings may not affect people’s daily lives to their core, it was interesting to learn why some elected officials feel that bringing “church” into “state” is justifiable, even if the result is exclusion of some minorities. Given the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and elsewhere, we must remain vigilant to educate and motivate our elected officials to promote a culture of inclusion.” —Brad Lerner, co-chair CRC Legislative Action Committee “This year I participated in the CRC’s Date With the State program for the first time. Although I follow politics through the media, I felt that I was unaware of the intricacies of the Commonwealth’s legislative process. While I might have opinions on matters, I was sure that my positions had already been considered and debated, and therefore I had little to contribute to this program. This was a very meaningful experience. Meeting the legislators I felt truly made a difference. As we discussed issues, I felt that we were creating new perspectives. Now that I see how the process works, I am more likely to write to senators and delegates, and I have a greater understanding of their process.” —Rabbi M. Loiterman M.Ed., Ph.D.
“This was my third experience with “Date with the State.” I enjoy spending the day with members of our Tidewater Jewish community, hearing from the Lt. Governor, Attorney General and Governor, and lobbying the state Delegates, Senators and legislative aids from Tidewater. Though our politics may differ, I feel like I am making a difference on Virginia Jewish Advocacy day.” —Barbara Dudley, co-chair CRC Israel Education and Advocacy Committee “Riding up to Richmond on a bus filled with the diversity of Tidewater Jewry was an important reminder of the fact that we may come from different movements and cultures, but we are all Jewish, and there are universal values that unite us together. None of the legislation we advocated for was about the Jewish people specifically – it was about the democratic values of freedom of speech and religion, and enhancing spending for the most vulnerable people in our society. This was a great opportunity to see how individuals banding together make a difference in our political system. I would encourage everyone to participate next year!” —Alyssa Muhlendorf “My experience in Richmond was exciting and very informative. It was a great opportunity to inform the legislators of our views and concerns.” —Vergie McCall “This was my first Date With The State. I listened, learned, and gained knowledge on the importance of reaching out to our legislators to advocate for issues that affect each of us in our communities. Each and every one of us does make a difference. It was a great day spent with a wonderful group of lobbyists from the Tidewater area.” —Robin Gordon, director of nursing at Beth Sholom Village’s Terrace “The most memorable part of the day for me was the presentation and remarks by the three executive elected officials of our Commonwealth. All three were eloquent, informative and enthusiastic and their policies were those that I care about deeply.” —Leslie Siegel
“I want to thank Robin and the CRC for including me in this great experience. Meeting our legislators and having a chance to educate them on what is important to the Jewish community was meaningful and I look forward to doing it again next year.” —Rabbi Gershon Litt “This is only the second time that I have taken part in this important day. Both times, I have been so amazed at the process that is our government at work. Though we don’t always agree with the outcomes, the important thing is that we have the freedom to share our points of view.” —Linda Samuels
Chamie Haber, Virgie McCall, Ashley Zittrain, Senator Jeff McWaters, Greg Zittrain, Jon Muhlendorf and Betty Ann Levin in front.
jewishnewsva.org | February 23, 2015 | Jewish News | 9
Documentary of Tidewater Jewish community’s past, present and future
Across Oceans and Generations—A Jewish History of Tidewater, VA Sunday, March 8, 4 pm, Sandler Family Campus
Eric Futterman. by Laine M. Rutherford
A
keen interest in history and the desire for what she thought would be a relatively small project, brought Joan London Baer a big, new title she never expected: executive producer. For the past four years, off and on, Baer has spent hundreds of hours working on the documentary Across Oceans and Generations—A Jewish History of Tidewater, VA. The petite, energetic Virginia Beach resident (who worked at the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater for 30 years) quickly went from active retiree to self-taught film exec, learning, on the fly, what it takes to make a movie. The Baer Family Foundation provided funds for the creation of the documentary that takes viewers on a journey from the arrival of German and Eastern European Jews who settled in the region in the 1800s, to the establishment of today’s Tidewater Jewish community, known throughout America for its strength and vitality. Vintage photos, archival film footage, and interviews with more than 20 local community members are masterfully combined to tell stories of the past and offer hope for the future. “My vision was to make this documentary as comprehensive as I could, from my perspective, knowing that I couldn’t
put every person and every story in, even though I tried my best to have as much of a historical and community representation as possible,” says Baer. “We start at the beginning, from the journey over on the boat—and of course, Moses Myers—to living through very hard times, to the two very separate communities who existed here—the German Jews and the Eastern Europeans. We show what finally brings them together, and, how, since then we’ve prospered. And then, we take a look at what’s ahead.” Baer is making a gift of the video to the community. Copies of the DVD will be available for a donation to the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater ‘s special Across the Generations Scholarship Fund. Baer will be the first to admit that a community project like this wasn’t on her mind when, about eight years ago, she began researching her family’s genealogy. Her husband Stephen (of blessed memory) both inspired and encouraged her. He had spent several years researching his own genealogy, and then planned and staged a 2007 reunion for more than 200 descendants of Jews from the Berkley neighborhood, in what is now Norfolk. “One day Stephen said to me, ‘You know, you’ve been so interested, and you’ve done all of this work on your own family and you’ve found out so much, why don’t
10 | Jewish News | February 23, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org
you tell the story of the Tidewater Jewish pored over materials stored at the Norfolk Public Library and the archives at Ohef community?’” Baer says. “I thought about it, and I said, ‘Yes, it Sholom Temple, and started filming. “We had some very unique opportuwill be another good project.’” The information Baer discovered in her nities,” says Futterman. “One of them was research fascinated her, and Stephen, too. being able to interview people like Armond Baer is a lifelong resident, and although Caplan, who has since died, but was close Stephen didn’t move here until he was to 100 when we sat down to talk with him. middle-aged, he visited frequently; his To be able to have someone who can tell grandparents and 20 first cousins lived in you what it was like, very clearly, 70 or 80 years ago, is so rare for a documentary. Tidewater. “The other thing we had that was really The couple began working to learn more about the Jews who settled in the unique for a documentary, was between area. Familiar with the story of Myers, Joan and me, we had old, personal photowhose 1792 home in downtown Norfolk graphs,” Futterman says. “With our own personal archives, we is the oldest Jewish residence in America, they also had their own research from were able to reach back really far with some great pictures that we didn’t have to which to work. The definitive 2001 book, Norfolk, hunt for. I have a booklet of photographs Virginia: A Jewish History of the 20th Century of my grandmother from 1918 frolicking by Irwin Berent, proved to be another valu- on the beach. This is a photograph that able resource. The book was so thorough, no one has seen for 80 years. Not only did the pair had no desire to write another. I have access to it, but I get to honor my But a video, they thought, could capture grandmother. And Joan, the same thing— firsthand stories, create visual and oral we have a great photo of her grandfather’s testimonial to the past, and bring new business on Church Street.” Within a year, however, all work on the information to what was contained in project stopped. Stephen Baer got sick, and Berent’s book. They contacted Eric Futterman, an no one had the time or energy to expend on award-winning documentarian and pro- the intense research. Sadly, Stephen passed ducer, whose company EAF Custom away in 2012. “About a year ago, I got a very touchCommunication, is based in Richmond, ing call from Joan,” says Futterman. “She about working with them. “We knew that if we didn’t get these said, ‘I want to finish this. I really want to stories, they’d be lost,” says Baer. “When finish this.’ And Joan, when she wants to Stephen and I talked about who would do something, she gets it done. We made produce this, we chose Eric on purpose, it happen. because he grew up in Norfolk. He had the same roots as us Across Oceans and Generations— and we thought he’d A Jewish History of Tidewater, VA be very interested.” Premier: Sunday, March 8 Futterman, Free and open to the community, with brief introductions whose mother and grandparents were from Joan London Baer, executive producer, and Eric part of the immiFutterman, writer, director and editor. grant Norfolk DVDs will be available for a minimum $25 donation per community, enthucopy, or may be ordered online. All proceeds go to the UJFT siastically agreed Across the Generations Scholarship Fund. to be a partner in For more information, to order a DVD and to RSVP, visit the project. He travwww.JewishVa.org/Across-Oceans-and-Generations, email eled to Norfolk, sgolden@ujft.org, or call 757-965-6124. and with the Baers,
“We bantered around ideas, we began crafting the final concept, and it was really neat, because after all those years of working on it—spending hours in the library pulling photographs, spending hours at temples pulling photographs, calling people, going through interviews—when it came time to write the script and edit it, it all went by really fast.” Last summer, Futterman began editing what he thought was the final version when he heard from Baer. She wanted to change the ending. Instead of wrapping it up with a look at today’s youth, she wanted the video to end with frank talk from leaders in the Jewish community, such as Miles Leon, UJFT president and community volunteer and activist Kevin Lefcoe. “We asked people, ‘What’s the future look like?’ Futterman says. “Some people were very confident—the Jewish community is very strong, it’s smart, it’s going to move forward. Some people were very worried…the documentary leaves it open for people to think about what the future holds. And I think that the people who are going to watch it, hopefully will walk away going, ‘Now I know the legacy of my
community. I also know that I have to take part in it for the future.’” Futterman says there’s a moment in the documentary that is profoundly moving to him, and that he hopes people who see the documentary will “get.” “Alan Stein is walking through a cemetery and sees a lot of the gravestones of his family, of his ancestry, and he says, so eloquently, ‘To link back in time, to know who you are, to know what you came from—it gives you a greater sense of your own identity,’” says Futterman. “I hope that when this is shown at the premiere, when it’s seen on TV, and when it’s used for years and years and years for Hebrew high school and adult Jewish education, that kids and adults will be able to link to their own past, to these people who came across on a boat not knowing what in the world they were going to do next. And they made it. I have a huge amount of respect for that.” Baer, a former director of General Studies at HAT, and Kitty Wolf, Ohef Sholom Temple educator, are completing a teaching curriculum to go along with the DVD. As the documentary was taking
shape, Baer realized there were distinct themes running through the community’s history that fit in well with any student’s study of America, of Jewry, of immigrants. The DVD is separated into four chapters for teaching purposes: Journey to Tidewater, the Birth of a Community, the Community Unites and the Modern Jewish Culture. “It does all boil down to education, which has always been my main focus with this documentary,” Baer says. “Whether it’s education of the community as it exists right now, or it’s education for those people
who move here and can be given a DVD history of the community that they’re coming into, or that it’s used by the Sunday Schools, or the adult education programs in every synagogue—it’s about letting people know about the strength of those who came before them. “I felt very gratified that I’ve been able to tell a story that I wanted to tell. That it was done with great professionalism, and that it involved a lot of people whose stories were important to hear.” Baer says.
jewishnewsva.org | February 23, 2015 | Jewish News | 11
For further information, please contact Debra Grablowsky Young 525 S. Independence Blvd., Suite 200 Virginia Beach, VA 23452 Tel. (757) 518-3254 E-mail: dyoung@unitedproperty.org
12 | Jewish News | February 23, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org
BBYO and NFTY teens together in Atlanta.
As 4,000 Jewish teens gather in Atlanta, funders urge more support for programs ATLANTA (JTA)—More than 3,000 teenagers from multiple Jewish youth groups gathered in Atlanta over President’s weekend for a series of events aimed at strengthening Jewish identity among teens and rallying philanthropic support for such programs. The main attractions were the annual conventions of BBYO and NFTY, which were held for several days in adjoining hotels and featured some joint programming. Teens from Tidewater attended the NFTY and BBYO conventions. Prior to the start of the two conventions, dozens of teen leaders from BBYO, NFTY and several other youth groups met to resurrect the Coalition of Jewish Teens. Also, prior to the conventions, about 250 people took part in the Summit on Jewish Teens, a gathering of foundations, federations and individual funders. On the eve of the gatherings, four major supporters of BBYO—the Jim Joseph, Schusterman, Marcus and Singer foundations—published an opinion piece explaining their goals for the gathering and calling on other funders to join them in supporting youth groups and other teen initiatives.
“The good news is that study after study proves that when young people are involved in meaningful Jewish experiences during their teenage years, they are much more likely to be active, lifelong members of the Jewish community,” the foundations wrote in their opinion piece, which was published by eJewishphilanthropy. “The bad news is that as far as we have come, we still have a long way to go before we fully address the disturbing fact that in most communities, an estimated 80 percent of Jewish teens drop out of Jewish life after their b’nai mitzvah.” The four foundations urged funders to work together. Teen leaders, meanwhile, issued their own call for collaboration, playing up their desire to find ways for the various Jewish youth groups to work together on social action projects and other initiatives. Organizers of the various events stressed the idea that the most effective way to attract teens is to offer them opportunities to design and run their own programs. Several organizers also said that there was a strong need to instill teens with a deeper appreciation and understanding of Israel before they head to college and find themselves in the middle of highly charged debates about the Middle East.
Retirement
Supplement to Jewish News February 23, 2015 jewishnewsva.org | Retirement | February 23, 2015 | Jewish News | 13
Retirement Dear Readers,
R
etiring today rarely conjures up images of old people sitting on the porch
in rocking chairs. Instead, retirees could easily be mistaken for Yuppies. Perhaps, because some are! Retirees in 2015 are active: taking trips to fulfill those bucket list dreams, enrolling in classes at area colleges and universities, caring for grandchildren while their children are at work, focusing on preventive health care so they may continue to ski, play tennis, sail, golf, work-out and even surf, watching their investments, volunteering, and, yes, for some, launching new not-so-demanding careers. In this special retirement section, we offer a few articles on the importance of
Published 22 times a year by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 200 Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462-4370 voice 757.965.6100 • fax 757.965.6102 email news@ujft.org www.jewishVA.org Terri Denison, Editor Germaine Clair, Art Director Hal Sacks, Book Review Editor Sandy Goldberg, Account Executive Mark Hecht, Account Executive Marilyn Cerase, Subscription Manager Reba Karp, Editor Emeritus Sherri Wisoff, Proofreader Miles Leon, President Stephanie Calliott, Secretary Harry Graber, Executive Vice-President The appearance of advertising in the Jewish News does not constitute a kashrut, political, product or service endorsement. The articles and letters appearing herein are not necessarily the opinion of this newspaper. © 2015 Jewish News. All rights reserved.
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into those retirement years. Comprised primarily of retirees, we highlight Brith Sholom, an area club of Jewish adults who are marking their 100th year in 2015. Now, that’s a milestone! The most consistent theme about retir-
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14 | Jewish News | February 23, 2015 | Retirement | jewishnewsva.org
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Brith Sholom: 100 years and counting
pproximately 90 people attended Brith Sholom’s most recent meeting held at Beth Sholom Village. A guest speaker and a Sunday brunch of lox, bagels and scrambled eggs with friends, is what draws these devoted members together each month. Mainly, members will say, it is the friendships that keep this 100-year-old Jewish organization vibrant and moving forward. “We are a very viable, fraternal group who come from all walks of life,” says Bruce Longman, the group’s president about to complete his second term. “We’re very inclusive, with members who are Reform, Conservative and Orthodox. We have lawyers, physicians, dentists, retailers and homemakers.” Now comprised primarily of retirees, Longman says that Brith Sholom is the continuation of such disbanded area social clubs as Amity Club and Club 35. Monthly Sunday morning meetings feature speakers and a brunch, while monthly evening events tend to be “all social.” Plus, members take organized trips and outings, such as the cruise some will voyage on in May from Norfolk to the Bahamas. Still, dedicated to the ideals of charity, fraternal, civic and social endeavors worldwide, Longman notes, “We contribute to 13 or 14 Jewish organizations, donating about $13,000 each year.” Since the group began meeting in the Pincus Paul Room at Beth Sholom, residents of The Village also attend the meetings to socialize, further strengthening connections across the community, says Longman. “Our meetings give people a reason to get together to socialize,” he says. “What can be better?”
A brief history of Brith Sholom
T
he large influx of immigrants that arrived in America in the early 20th century overwhelmed existing agencies because of language, customs and social differences. To integrate these new citizens into the American scene, The Independent Order of Brith Sholom (Covenant of Peace), was founded by 44 men in Philadelphia, Pa. in February 1905. The group’s primary
purpose was to provide these poor, mostly immigrant people with sick benefits when they were unable to earn a living, as well as some insurance for their families in the event of death. From there, Brith Sholom quickly became involved in civic, social and charitable activities. Then, inspired by a speech by Louis B. Brandeis at its national convention in 1915, Brith Sholom became the first large organization in the United States to lend financial assistance to the Zionist Movement. The Norfolk City Lodge was chartered by 16 men in 1915 and became the Brith Sholom Center of Virginia. According to the Jewish Communal Register of New York City, 1917-1918, in that year, Brith Sholom had 378 lodges nationwide that included 52,596 members. During World War I, 83 members and 3,224 sons of members served in the military. Lodges and their members purchased more than $1,000,000 worth of Liberty Bonds, as well as war savings stamps. The Order provided entertainment for sailors and soldiers and host homes for service men and women stationed where lodges were located so they could celebrate Passover, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The first Jewish structure built in Norfolk that was not a synagogue, the Brith Sholom Lodge was erected at Moran St. and Boissevain Ave. in 1936. Since synagogue social halls were not common at the time, the Lodge, which was kosher, was where people hosted events. Brith Sholom was the place to go for social and cultural programs and entertainment where many national and international personalities performed. Locals would look to Brith Sholom for a place to go to have a cigar and play cards. The building housed a reading and lounge room, billiard room, bar and cocktail lounge which eventually offered television facilities. There was a gaming room, snack bar and a ballroom. Regular dances and dancing lessons took place at the Center and Brith Sholom held an annual New Years Eve Dance that was the “Talk of the Town.” When a member mentioned at a meet-
ing in the 1930s that the Red Cross needed a station wagon for use as an ambulance, funds were collected from those present in 20 minutes to make the purchase. Whenever that first station wagon ambulance in Norfolk was seen driving through the city, it was viewed with pride. In 1939, with the deteriorating situation of German Jewry, Brith Sholom pledged its support to Congressman Emmanuel Celler who proposed a law that would enable the immigration of up to 100,000 Jewish children from Germany into the U.S., in addition to the current legal quota. Through fundraising efforts, Brith Sholom brought in more than $155,000 and using lodge members’ connections within local and national levels of government, guaranteed support for 50 children until they were settled into foster families. In June 1939, after arriving in New York, these children were taken to Brith Sholom’s
Joe Weintraub, secretary, Joe Goldberg, vice president, Bruce Longman president, Bud Blumenthal, treasurer.
Camp Sholom. With the outbreak of WWII, September 1939 brought an end to Congressman Cellar’s attempt to pass that bill, but the accomplishment of Brith Sholom is known as the single largest attempt of an independent organization to rescue children as part of what has become known as Kindertransport. In 1942, the National Council of Brith Sholom Women was created. The name continued on page 16
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was changed in 1951 to Brith Sholom Women. The Virginia Lodge had an active women’s organization and like many lodges, later voted to include women in their general membership. National membership extended from coast to coast. During WWII, more than 22,000 of the Brith Sholom members served in the military. Many of the survivors are still active in their lodges. The efforts of Tidewater’s Brith Sholom Lodge are credited for being essential in buying and equipping the Baltimore Steamship, The President Warfield, in its conversion into the ship known as the Exodus. The Lodge housed and fed the crew until they departed on their rescue mission on Feb. 25, 1947. Also, during the early part of World War II, Brith Sholom was converted into a temporary hospital, at the urgent request of the U.S. Navy, for survivors of ships sunk off the Virginia and North Carolina coasts. The center was turned over to the USO
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for the duration of the war. Many Sunday morning brunches, affectionately referred to as “The Brith Sholom Bagel and Lox Club” were served there to service men and women of all faiths. During that period, the local Brith Sholom Center was also credited with the sale of $3 million of war bonds. The members watched and strongly supported the efforts of the State of Israel through representation at the World Jewish Congress in Montreux, Switzerland and Israel Bond drives and funding for the Adom Magen David and Hadassah. The Lodge, which originally was affiliated with the Independent Order of Brith Sholom in Baltimore, Md., severed its affiliation in 1967. The Brith Sholom Center was constructed at Pickett Street in Norfolk in 1972 where it remained until January 2013 when it began meeting at the Beth Sholom Village.
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Retirement Peninsula Agency on Aging presents the 33rd Annual Community Forum on Aging Tuesday, March 3, Christopher Newport University Ferguson Center
A
health and well-being event featuring workshops, exhibitors, and a Wellness Café with free health screenings, the 33rd Annual Community Forum on Aging is presented by Peninsula Agency on Aging in partnership with Christopher Newport University. This year’s event is sponsored by Sentara and will feature keynote speaker Dr. Joan Vernikos, a well-known author and expert in stress management and healthy aging. Her book Sitting Kills, Moving Heals: How Everyday Movement Will Prevent Pain, Illness, and Early Death —and Exercise Alone Won’t, shows how health can be dramatically improved with continuous low-intensity movement that challenges
the force of gravity. Dr. Vernikos was instrumental in the return to space for American hero John Glenn at the age of 77. A special addition to the 2015 Forum is a workshop geared specifically to professionals working in the field of aging. The topic of the workshop is “Community Behavioral Health and Services to the Aging Population.” Professional attendees will receive certificates of completion. Admission to the Forum is $2 for adults over 60 years of age and $15 for all others. Information on how to register can be accessed at www.paainc.org or by calling 757-873-0541.
The JCC Yiddish Club Simon Family JCC
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t is not necessary to speak or understand Yiddish to attend the JCC Yiddish Club. Almost everyone will discover that they know more than they think and will leave knowing even more. This is a fun, fun group and everyone is welcome to attend. “Kvetch”complain, “Nosh”-eat a bit, “oy veh”-oh my gosh. For more information, contact Sherry Lieberman, 321-2309 or slieberman@ simonfamilyjcc.org.
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hat does it take to be comfortable during retirement? Conventional wisdom calls it the four percent rule—withdrawing about that amount from your nest egg each year to live comfortably. And, for that, millions of Americans believe they need to stick to a job they don’t like during their earning years. Dave Lopez, “Unfortunately, the kind of money retirees want to spend each year for a comfortable lifestyle tends to be about $60,000, which means someone’s nest egg would have to be $1.5 million for that rate of withdrawal to sustain for 25 years,” says financial advisor Dave Lopez, a mathematics and computer science major
who applies his analytical mind to solving retirement challenges. “Of course, there are additional sources of income during retirement, such as social security, but the program may not survive the coming decades. And, there are additional costs of retirement, including legacy interests and the likelihood of needing long-term medical care.” The fact is that millions of retirees simply do not have or will not have the kind of income they’d like to have during retirement. Lopez, founder of ILG Financial, LLC (www.theilg.com), discusses an alternative approach to the golden, or distribution years. • Remember, Social Security is a welfare program. Before President Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act in 1935, seniors worked. America was an agrarian culture, and many who were in their 60s and 70s usually continued duties on the family farm, albeit handling lighter tasks. Social Security is essentially a Socialist idea. A response to the Great Depression, its purpose was to move out older workers in favor of employing younger Americans. But now times have changed.
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• You don’t have to remain stuck in your “earning” job. “The U.S. government is the biggest employer in the world, and I work with many of its employees,” he says. “They usually have high-stress jobs and usually want to retire as early as possible and, while leaning on their pension, start working on their own terms as government contractors.” • Consider retiring early and working the job you’ve always wanted. The model frequently followed by retired government workers can be replicated by millions of other retirees. You don’t need a $1.5
million nest egg when you combine Social Security with a smaller withdrawal amount and a fun job earning $20,000 a year. Retirees can be creative in how they earn this “fun money.” “Let’s say your passion is water skiing—why not parlay this hobby into a career?” Lopez says. “You’ll likely have decades of experience and plenty of contacts. You might work for a ski shop or create a small business giving lessons. Doing something you love is a great way to stay active as an older person.” • No pension?—Create your own. The days of working 30 years for a single company and collecting a sizeable pension are mostly over. This means retirees need to get creative and rely on other sources of income, including IRAs and strategies for annuities—effectively creating their own “pension.” Annuities are contracts with insurance companies. The contracts, which can be funded with either a lump sum or through regular payments, are designed as financial vehicles for retirement purposes. The money used to fund the contract grows tax-deferred. Unlike other tax advantaged retirement programs, there are no contribution limits on annuities. “Annuities provide plenty of opportunity,” he says. “Of course, creative options also yield the risk of complexity. You’ll want to be sure to know what you’re doing, or at least consult with an accredited professional.” • Consider lifestyle changes. Through the distribution years, you should consider moving to a place where the cost of living is cheaper than major metropolitan areas. Simply put, you’ll want your money to go further. Take a play from younger folks who are cutting their cable in favor of only Wi-Fi access. Learn how to cook delicious meals on a budget. For many, learning how to make one’s money work better for them, rather than working for their money, is a preferable lifestyle.
Retirement Four tips to remember to avoid misfortune in money matters at retirement Investment rules change when moving into retirement, financial advisor says
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fter a lifetime of deciding out how to get the best return on their investments, people nearing retirement could think they have this money thing figured out. But they could be mistaken, says financial advisor Dave Lopez. “When people move into retirement, all the rules change,” Lopez says. “What worked for them in their investments during their working years may not work as well when they reach retirement.” It’s also important that people have a comprehensive retirement plan that includes income planning, legacy planning, long-term care planning and growth, he says. “When you are trying to build a retirement plan, you need the right tool for the right job,” Lopez says. “Once you identify your goal, then you can fund the tool to get there.” Lopez, founder of ILG Financial, LLC (www.theilg.com), suggests four key points to keep in mind as you plan for, or move into, retirement.
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great losses,” Lopez says. Sure, you might like to plow a huge chunk of money into the latest trendy stock that could take off and send the value of your portfolio soaring. But those kinds of investments come with risks that might be too great at this stage in life. By the time you reach retirement, it’s less important that you see huge earnings on your investments than that you keep safe what you have. A modest return at that point is fine. “The belief that the stock market is the answer for beating inflation in retirement may be disastrous,” Lopez says. Once again, it comes down to that recovery time, he says. You just don’t have much.
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• Recovery time has shortened. If the market takes a dramatic downturn when you are in your 30s, you have plenty of time for your investments to make a recovery. You likely draw a paycheck and have little or no need to dip into that money, taking a loss. But that’s not the case when you are in retirement and living off those investments. In later years, your investing strategies need to adapt so you aren’t as subject to the whims of the market. •H anging on to what you have. “You don’t need great returns if you can avoid
•O ne and done. “You won’t get a second chance to get your retirement planning right,” Lopez says. That’s why you need to plan carefully the firs—and only— time around. He’s known people who had no plan, or whose planning relied on a specific chain of events that might or might not come about, such as assuming their lives would be shorter than they turned out. Essentially, instead of taking a mathematical approach, they were doing little more than hoping everything would work out. •S eek a specialist’s help. It’s important to get advice from someone with expertise not just in finance, but in retirement planning, Lopez says. That person can help you understand what pitfalls you need to plan for and what tools you can utilize. “You wouldn’t use your primary care physician if you needed heart surgery,” he says. “Likewise, when moving into retirement, you need a specialist.”
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jewishnewsva.org | Retirement | February 23, 2015 | Jewish News | 19
Retirement Four ways to hire and get the most from a financial professional
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s the United States approaches an unprecedented point in its history— what many are calling a retirement crisis—attention for retirement planning is at an all-time high. “The baby boomers are retiring, about 10,000 every day for the next several years, and their greatest fear is that they’ll outlive their retirement funding; of course, money is an issue for just about everyone else, too,” says Rodger Alan Friedman, author of Forging Bonds of Steel, (www.forgingbondsofsteel.com/). “Most people have a sense that they could be doing more with their money— more savings, better investments, etc.—much the same way that they know that they could be healthier. But on both accounts, taking action is a different story.” As with health, failure to take action on your finances will, over time, cost you, he says. While educating yourself on money
matters has tremendous benefits, you’ll ultimately want a certified and experienced professional who manages money for a living. A strong client-advisor relationship is fundamental for success, says Friedman, who offers the following tips for hiring an advisor you can trust and building a strong relationship: • A sk a would-be planner what he or she is reading. Would you trust an advisor who doesn’t read? While experience is valuable, the most reliable form of knowledge usually comes from reading books and trade publications. The former deals in well-established information, while the latter explore new directions in the industry. “I would want to know that an advisor reads books on the best thinking on wealth management, economics,
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investment and retirement planning,” Friedman says. “Ideally, your advisor would also attend, participate and learn from others at seminars. In other words, good advisors are engaged in continual learning, not resting on what they learned 10 years ago.” • Advisors should take copious notes and repeat back to you your concerns. How do you know your advisor is listening to you, and is he or she getting crucial information, rather than simply sounding good with data points? Taking notes is a good sign. And, when she repeats back to you something you’ve just said, it indicates she is actively listening. You feel understood, and that’s when the “I get it” look passes between both of you. This moment is a link in the chain of trust and understanding that’s so important.
it, you need to be forthright from the outset. • Accountability flows both ways; do your homework. Advisors need personal documents that are crucial for a comprehensive review. Upon the agreement of a full financial plan, the advisor will want to review and analyze the following items: a copy of the most recent tax return, including a W2 or 1099 info; a copy of all bank, CD and money market account statements; mutual fund, investment; IRA accounts, 401(K) accounts and corporate benefit statements; pension or annuity arrangements; long-term-care and life-insurance statements; disability, liability umbrella, car- and home-insurance statements. Without these, it’s nearly impossible to create a baseline of where you are now and to chart a course to where you want to be.
Accountability flows both
ways; do your homework.
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20 | Jewish News | February 23, 2015 | Retirement | jewishnewsva.org
• B e forthright with your advisor. This is essential. Some folks, for example, are “big-hat-and-skinny-cattle” people, which means they have a high standard of living—expensive vacations, BMWs, Rolexes, etc.—but little in the way of investment accounts, bonds, equities, commercial operations or real estate. This balance sheet does not spell success, despite the outward signs. Seasoned advisors need to see that balance sheet— they need to see what’s under that big hat. Whether there are fat or skinny cattle underneath a wealthy image, you and your advisor need to collaborate and agree on a common purpose. To achieve
—Rodger Alan Friedman, author of Forging Bonds of Steel, (www.forgingbondsofsteel.com/), grew up working in his family’s New York City laundry, where he learned a strong work ethic—and the type of work he didn’t want to do. After earning a degree in political science, he became a real-estate agent trainee, then performed compliance audits for a large Wall Street brokerage firm, eventually became a stock broker, and then financial advisor and wealth management professional. Today, he advises affluent retirees and near-retirees in structuring their planning and investments for the next phase of their lives. He is a managing director, founding partner and wealth manager at Steward Partners Global Advisory in the Washington metropolitan area.
it’s a wrap Blue Yarmulke Men of the Year breakfast by Norman Soroko
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he Blue Yarmulke Men of the Year breakfast and awards ceremony was held on Sunday, Jan. 18. The Men’s Clubs of Congregation Beth El, Rodef Shalom and Temple Israel met at Rodef Shalom to honor three men for their outstanding work for their club and temple. The honorees were Joseph Kaplan from Congregation Beth El, Phil Walzer from Temple Israel and Louis Silverman from Rodef Shalom. Each honoree received
a plaque. Johnny Parker of Rodef Shalom served as the guest host. Hal Freed, president of the Seaboard Region of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, spoke at the event. Breakfast was prepared by Rodef Shalom and members of their club. Congregation Beth El Men’s Club received the Quality Club award for their programming and fundraisers for 2014. The 2016 Blue Yarmulke Men of the Year Breakfast will take place at Congregation Beth El.
#MANIMACS contest from Manischewitz
Norman Soroko, Mark Kozak, Ronald Zedd, Alex Pomerantz, Ron Gladstone, Beril Abraham, Barry Kesser, Joe Kaplan, Dr. Craig Schranz, Marty Leiderman and Howard Horwitz.
Make it Happen
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Grab your favorite Manischewitz Macaroons, put your imagination to the test and join the #MANIMACS contest by submitting your own #MANIMACS character made of Manischewitz Macaroons for a chance to win an iPad Air 2 PLUS a $500 Visa Gift Card. Need some inspiration? Check out the quirky and fun Manischewitz #MANIMACS character-creation videos on MANIMACS. com that show #MANIMACS coming to life to celebrate upcoming wacky holidays, like National Fake Mustache Day and National Alien Abduction Day! Contest runs through April 16, 2015. Submit #MANIMACS characters on social media. Tweet or Instagram a photo or video of your #MANIMACS character with the hashtag #ManimacsEntry to join the contest, or post your photo or video to the Manischewitz Facebook page/timeline at facebook.com/Manischewitz with the same #ManimacsEntry hashtag to join. Valid submissions will then post to MANIMACS. com for vote casting. Three semi-finalists will advance to Final Round: • Semi-Finalist #1 will be the highest voted from a pool of 5 submissions chosen by Manischewitz to be displayed LIVE at The Manischewitz Experience on March 12, 13 and 15 at NYC’s Chelsea Market • Semi-Finalist #2 will be the highest voted on MANIMACS.com through April 16 • Semi-Finalist #3 will be chosen by Manischewitz by April 16 Must be 18 years of age or older to enter,
however, minors under the age of 18 can submit an entry with parental permission, using a parent or guardian’s email address. Limit of one (1) vote per entry per day per IP address. For a complete list of rules and other information, visit MANIMACS.com.
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jewishnewsva.org | February 23, 2015 | Jewish News | 21
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Community Relations Council’s 3rd Annual Israel Poster Contest for first through 12th graders Deadline for submission: Monday, March 2, 4:30 pm manently at the Sandler Family Campus. Attendees of the community Israel Festival on Sunday, May 17 will receive a copy of the winning poster. For more information, contact Robin Mancoll, director, Community Relations Council, at RMancoll@ujft.org.
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Leo Kamer, 2014 Poster Contest winner, with Harry Graber, UJFT executive vice president.
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The application is now available online at: www.jewishva.org/tjf-stein Applications deadline is April 1, 2015 Questions? Contact Shelby Tudor at: 757.965.6105 or studor@ujft.org
22 | Jewish News | February 23, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org
tudents throughout Tidewater are eligible to participate in United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Community Relations Council’s third annual Israel Poster Contest. Each student should choose one fact from the list below to serve as the poster’s theme. Posters are to be submitted on an 8.5-by-11-inch sheet of paper and be hand drawn (not computer generated) using only pencil, crayon, marker or 2-D collage. Names should not be visible on the front of the poster, but must be included along with age, grade, school, email address and phone number on the back. Submissions must be delivered to the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, 5000 Corporate Woods Drive in Virginia Beach. All posters will be displayed in the Simon Family JCC Cardo March 9 through March 27. The community will be asked to vote in person for their favorite. Finalists will then be posted online and the community will be asked to vote electronically in early April for their favorite. During viewing and voting, the artists’ names will be hidden. The winning poster will be announced on Yom Ha’Atzmaut on April 23 and will be professionally framed and hang per-
• More than 500 million birds, more than 230 species, fly in Israeli air space on yearly migrations between Europe, western Asia and Africa. • Israel was the first nation in the world to adopt the Kimberly process, an international standard that certifies diamonds as “conflict free.” Israeli shekels have braille markings on them so the blind can identify them easily. • One-third of Israelis are volunteers. • Israel leads the world in the percentage of plastic bottles it recycles. • Israel has more museums per capita than any other country in the world. • Israeli cows produce more milk per cow than almost any country in the world. • The country has the most Bauhaus and International Style buildings in the world, some 4,000 in total. • Israel has 137 official beaches (but just under 170 miles of coastline). • Haifa has one of the smallest subway systems in the world with only 1.1 miles of track and only four carriages. • Israel was recently named the World’s 5th Most Innovative Country, by Bloomberg’s Global Innovation Index. • 90% of Israeli homes use solar power to heat their water. • Groundbreaking Israeli technology may soon make it possible for cell phones to diagnose disease. • There are eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Israel.
what’s happening
Accepting resumes for Executive Director
Tidewater Together brings new scholar and ideas Thursday–Sunday, March 26–29 and are very excited they’ll get the chance to hear her again—they’ve cleared their he Tidewater Together calendars for the weekend.” community weekend Brous is the founding held last year in March was rabbi of IKAR, a spiritual optimistically billed as “the community dedicated to first annual.” reanimating Jewish life by Positive thinking and standing at the intersection feedback, as well as audiencof soulful, inventive religious es totaling more than 1,000 practice and a deep commitover the four days of events, ment to social justice. ensured that a “second annuRabbi Sharon Brous Ordained by the Jewish al” would be held this year. Scholar-in-residence Rabbi Sharon Theological Seminary in 2001, Brous served Brous will lead community conversations as a Rabbinic Fellow at Congregation B’nai that are intended to inspire interaction, Jeshurun in New York City before settling introspection and growth—both person- in L.A. Tidewater Together conversations are ally and throughout the Tidewater Jewish free and open to everyone in the communicommunity. Brous, who resides in Los Angeles, is ty. There is a charge for an optional Friday greatly admired throughout the Jewish night Shabbat dinner at Ohef Sholom communal world and has earned recogni- Temple, but dinner is not mandatory for tion through word of mouth and multiple attendance at the service that follows. The first conversation led by Brous will media outlets. She has been called one of the nation’s leading rabbis by Newsweek/ include a cocktail reception on Thursday, The Daily Beast, and as one of the 50 most March 26, 7:30 pm at the Sandler Family Campus. Over the next four days, conversainfluential American Jews by the Forward. “I didn’t know how we were going to tion will take place at five area synagogues find someone to be our scholar-in-residence and cover topics ranging from morality who would resonate with our community to boundaries to a rediscovery of Jewish as well as Rabbi Brad Artson did last year,” values. A full list of times and locations can be says Alex Pomerantz, UJFT Development found or page 31. For more information, or associate. “But Rabbi Brous is going to be amaz- to RSVP for any, or all, of the conversations, ing—our rabbis know her and have great visit www.TidewaterTogether.org, all 757-965things to say, and recently some of our 6136, or email apomerantz@ujft.org for more Lion of Judah women heard her speak, information. by Laine M. Rutherford
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Gala Matinee Art Auction to benefit Kehillat Bet Hamidrash (Kempsville Conservative Synagogue) Sunday, March 9, Preview: 2 pm; Auction: 3 pm
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he annual Gala Matinee Art Auction helps provide funds for religious and educational programs, as well as community activities and other support for Kehillat Bet Hamidrash. The talented Rick Brandwein of Marlinart returns as auctioneer. He has educated, entertained and delighted auction guests with his vast experience over the past 30 years. A variety of art works from contempo-
rary to traditional with Judaica, musical, and sports themes, as well as animated memorabilia, will be available. A Silent Auction will also take place. Wine, desserts, espresso and snacks, as well as free babysitting will be offered. All credit cards, checks and cash are accepted. KBH is located at 952 Indian Lakes Boulevard, Virginia Beach. For further information, call 757-287-3887.
jewishnewsva.org | February 23, 2015 | Jewish News | 23
what’s happening Why Israelis will save their enemies: Israel Today Forum—Dr. Ofer Merin
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May 22 – June 14, 2015
Sunday, March 15, 7:30 pm, Sandler Family Campus by Laine M. Rutherford
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hen faced with a decision over which patient to provide medical treatment to first—an alleged Hamas terrorist in critical condition or one of his victims whose wounds were less severe— the medical staff at an Israeli hospital looked beyond politics and personal biases. They tried to save the life of the man accused of purposefully running his car into bystanders waiting at a light rail station in Jerusalem last October. Five surgeons worked valiantly on their patient, who ultimately did not survive. The final presenter in the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s 2014-2015 Israel Today Forum will answer the question of “why.” Why would anyone, particularly Israelis, who are hated and threatened by so many, choose to help an enemy survive? In a talk that’s free and open to the community, Dr. Ofer Merin will discuss the Israeli viewpoint that holds all life as sacred. Merin is Deputy Director General, director of Trauma Services, and a cardiac surgeon at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center. Shaare Zedek is the hospital where the accused terrorist and those injured in the attack were treated. Merin’s discussion will focus not only on the sanctity of life within Israel. He will also share, through his personal experiences, how that Israeli value extends to people
Rabbi Ellen Jaffe-Gill
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24 | Jewish News | February 23, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org
ral disasters. In Haiti around the world. they were set up and A Lt. Col. in providing medical aid the Israel Defense within seven hours of Forces reserves, arriving. They were Merin is commandwell-organized in each er of the IDF Field situation and hit the Hospitals. He heads ground running withup a team of IDF out interfering with the first responders country in need. They who are often the Lt. Col. Dr. Ofer Merin attending to patients in brought everything first on the scene— Haiti following the devastating earthquake in Haiti they needed to assist, quietly treating in 2010. and when they completed their service, they victims of natural disasters and wars. left behind all of the supplies so that country Bill Halprin and his wife Jeri Jo met Merin could continue on without a break. “Those stories of global humanitarian while on a UJFT mission trip to Israel last summer. Bill Halprin offers Jewish News response were amazing, but the true eye readers an idea of what that meeting was opener for us was the discussion about like, and what this opportunity would the field hospitals that are set up outside the Syrian border. For Israelis to provide mean for those who attend the Forum: “The trip to Israel my wife and I took in medical aid to Syrian refugees and soldiers June was truly memorable and something goes beyond humanitarian, and speaks we won’t forget for the rest of our lives. We volumes to the hearts of the Israeli people met so many wonderful people who all had as a whole. It demonstrates that even brutal great stories to tell, but one of our favorite enemies are treated as human beings and with respect. If only their surrounding speakers was Ofer Merin. “When he walked into the room, he neighbors had those same beliefs, it would was so unassuming and down to earth. He be a much better and safer region. “Ofer Merin is just one example of what began his introduction by telling us about his role as head of the medical response makes me proud of the Israeli people, and team for the Israeli military, and the expan- I think Tidewater will be enthralled with sion of that role into a global humanitarian his message.” For more information and to effort throughout the world. “He told stories of how his team was RSVP (requested by March 12), visit first to respond in Haiti, Japan and the www.JewishVA.org/CRCIsraelToday, or call Philippines when they were hit with natu- 757-965-6107.
American with a Jewish Accent series: The Rag Race: The Schmatta Trade
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Sunday, March 1, 2pm, Jewish Museum and Cultural Center
r. Adam Mendelsohn, associate professor of Jewish Studies at the College of Charleston, will speak about “The Rag Race: the Schmatta Trade,” as the final lecture in the Jewish Museum and Cultural Center’s series, American with a Jewish Accent. Mendelsohn will discuss the prominent role the members of the garment industry played in the assimilation and
acculturation of Jewish immigrants in the early 1900s and beyond. He will explain how the Jewish influence in the industry is still apparent today. The museum is located at 607 Effingham St. in Portsmouth. For information, call 391-9266 or visit www.jewishmuseumportsmouth.org.
what’s happening Hundreds of costumed young adults expected at Purimpalooza Saturday, March 7, 8 pm, Sandler Family Campus by Laine M. Rutherford
“The party of the year.” Purimpalooza hasn’t taken place yet, but the buzz from those who have gone to community-wide, Jewish, young adult holiday parties like this one in the past five years, say that it shouldn’t be missed—it’s going to be epic. Hosted by the Young Adult Division of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, guests are encouraged to wear costumes— as simple or elaborate as desired—in the tradition of the holiday of Purim. Planned for the young adult set, 22-45 years old, party guests will be an eclectic mix of Jewish professionals, students, couples, singles, and run the gamut of Jewish affiliations and observance levels. Everyone’s welcome; hundreds are expected. David Calliott hasn’t figured out his costume yet, but he’s not letting that stop him from making plans to attend with his girlfriend. “I got my tickets early—as soon as they went on sale, because I knew I definitely would go and didn’t want to miss out if they sold out—last year’s was packed,” says Calliott.
“If you go to only one Jewish social event a year, this is definitely the one you want to go to,” he says. The carnivale-themed Purim party features a live band, gourmet, sweet and savory Kosher hamantaschen, an open bar, costume contests, photo ops and more, promise its organizers. Co-chairs of the event, Beth Gerstein and Ashley Zittrain, have been working on making this the best YAD holiday party to date, and are eager to share what they’ve created with others, as well as enjoy the evening with friends. “People are going to be surprised when they come in and see the Cardo at the Campus totally transformed,” says Zittrain. “While the party’s in a place some of the people who are coming are familiar with, it will look and feel vastly different.” “We have some great things planned for the evening—we don’t want to reveal it all, but I can say we’re going to have some entertainment that’s not seen at a lot of parties,” Gerstein says. Ashley and Shawn Lemke are planning to go, and are already deep in the pre-Purimpalooza costume planning phase. “We went to the last two Chanukah
parties and I’m excited to see what they pull off for Purimpalooza, because the other two have been so impressive,” says Ashley. “We’ve been dis- Guests dressed in ’20s chic at YAD 2013 Chanukah party. cussing costumes, a lot, and we’ll definitely be dressing up. Our and everyone would come out and join in a first thought was to go as Erykah Badu and parade, and then go to a big party together,” Lenny Kraviitz, but I think people will just says Michal Newman, a native of Kiryat guess that we’re Sonny and Cher, so we’ll Tivon who now lives in Tidewater. “Everyone, I mean everyone, wears cosprobably come up with something else,” tumes—they could be princesses, or Star she says. While Purimpalooza reflects YAD’s Wars, Minnie Mouse, cowboys, or something inclusive and relaxed, fun-loving atti- movie related. Purim in Israel is lots of fun, tude—with a big emphasis on building lots of music, and lots of costumes!” she says. Tickets for Purimpalooza are $20 connections among young adult Jews—it’s also a shout-out to Israel and its world- in advance, or $25 at the door. I.D.s are wide reputation for partying on Purim, not required for entry. To reserve tickets or for more information, visit www.JewishVA.org/ unlike New Orleans on Mardi Gras. Almost every city, neighborhood and Purimpalooza, or email aweinstein@ujft.org. family in Israel participates or hosts Purim 757-965-6127. Like the YAD on Facebook activities and everyone dresses in costume page—see who may be coming and check out the update posts—costume ideas, too, can be for the occasion. “In my hometown, they would close found at www.fb.com/YAD.UJFT. down the main road for an hour or two,
Temple Israel Gala to pay homage to Jewish jazz giants Local bandleader brings story of survival to event Sunday, April 19, 5:45 pm
A
rtie Shaw, Harry James and Benny Goodman. They were the kings of swing in the 1930s and 40s, and they were all Jewish. Temple Israel will recall their contributions to one of the greatest eras in American musical history with “Let’s Shwing: Jews, Jazz and Jive.” The synagogue’s annual fundraiser will feature hors d’oeuvres and a dinner prepared by TCC’s culinary expert Deanna Freridge, as well as music, dancing, singing and the stories behind the legends, told by WHRV FM’s Jae Sinnett, the area’s leading authority on jazz. With pictures and videos, he and Temple Israel president Joel Rubin will relate both the performers’ impact on the nation, as well as their Jewish roots. The most incredible moment of the eve-
ning though may be the simple appearance of bandleader Glen Boswick of the Sounds of Swing Orchestra. On Jan. 2, 2015, Boswick had just left his home in Gloucester County when he felt chest pains and experienced intense sweating. “I knew I was having a heart attack,” says Boswick, who suffered his first six years earlier. Back then he was near Riverside Hospital in Newport News, where doctors were able to save his life by implanting four stents to open a clogged artery. This time, he was just minutes from Mary Immaculate Hospital, also in Newport News, and drove himself to the emergency room. “I walked inside and told the receptionist that I was a heart patient experiencing pain and within 30 seconds, a team came running, hooked me
Glen Boswick, who nearly died twice after suffering a heart attack on Jan. 2, will lead his Sounds of Swing Orchestra during Temple Israel’s annual gala, Let’s Shwing: Jews, Jazz and Jive on April 19.
up to EKG, and replied ‘YES, you are having a cardiac issue’,” recalls Boswick. Rushed to the cath lab, the medical team quickly found a blocked stent, inserted a new one, and then took Boswick to ICU. Several hours later while speaking to a nurse, Boswick coded, drifting off into a deep sleep. CPR and defibrillation revived him. They rushed him back to the cath lab
where he coded a second time, awaking to hear the cardiologist yelling “clear!” Two jolting shocks eventually restored rhythm to Boswick’s heartbeat. Twice nearly dead, the 53-year-old Hampton native returned to ICU. Three days later he was back home. “I can’t tell you how lucky I am to be alive and so looking forward to being with you on April 19,” says Boswick, who began playing bass as a teenager with the famous Dick Christ orchestra on the Peninsula, taking it over after his mentor died. Each summer he and his band play swing music during Sunday events at Ocean View Park. At Temple Israel, he will have eight musicians behind him. Guests will hear great standards of the swing era. Dancers, including Norfolk’s famed 88-year-old hoofer David Kennedy, will add to the entertainment. Tickets for the evening are $60 each and are available by calling the synagogue office at 757-489-4550. www.templeisrael.com.
jewishnewsva.org | February 23, 2015 | Jewish News | 25
what’s happening
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Humanitarian Award of the Virginia Center For Inclusive Communities 2015 recipients: Leah and Richard Waitzer Wednesday, March 25, 5:45 pm, Norfolk Waterside Marriott ment with the Virginia Leah and Richard Waitzer Beach CASA program. are the nominees to Formerly the National receive the prestigious Conference of Christians Humanitarian Award at and Jews, the Virginia the Tidewater chapter of Center For Inclusive the Virginia Center For Communities works with Inclusive Communities’ schools, businesses and 51st annual dinner. communities to achieve The award is presented Richard and Leah Waitzer. success by addressing prejto deserving individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to udices, in all forms, to improve academic the promotion of respect and understand- achievement, increase workplace producing among people of diverse racial, ethnic tivity and enhance local trust. Those wishing to attend and sit at the and religious backgrounds. Members of Ohef Sholom Temple, the combined United Jewish Federation of Waitzers have proven most deserving Tidewater, Tidewater Jewish Foundation by a lifelong commitment to the arts in and Simon Family JCC table, may conTidewater, as well as Mrs. Waitzer’s long- tact Samantha Golden at 965-6124 or at time service to 3,000 child victims of abuse Sgolden@UJFT.org and neglect through her volunteer involve-
The Maccabeats to perform live Sunday, March 29, 3 pm, Simon Family JCC by Leslie Shroyer
T
he Maccabeats are not “your grandfather’s synagogue choir,” according to their website, but their ideology and identity play an important part in their performances, as they are “strongly committed to the integration of traditional and secular wisdom.” Performing an eclectic array of Jewish, American and Israeli songs, The Maccabeats’ breakthrough piece, Lecha Dodi, is the epitome of this synthesis, combining some of the most beloved words of Jewish liturgy with Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.” A male a cappella group, The Maccabeats, will perform at the Simon Family JCC as the first of two Performing Arts at the J Series, presented by Leah Wohl,* this season. The Maccabeats have entertained internationally and around the country, from the Simon Family JCC to New York’s Madison Square Garden to Los Angeles. They have performed on Good Morning America, CBS2 and at the White House and have been featured by CNN, The Washington Post and The New York Times.
Their musical abilities and uplifting melodies appeal to people of all ages and receive constant raves. Originally formed in 2007 as Yeshiva University’s student vocal group, The Maccabeats have emerged as both a Jewish music and a cappella phenomena, with a large fan base, more than 20 million views on YouTube and success with three albums. The Maccabeats released their first album “Voices from the Heights” in 2010, and later that year released “Candlelight,” a Hanukkah-themed video which was covered by major news sources and was a hit on YouTube. “Their universal appeal is what brings people out to their concerts,” says Orly Lewis, assistant executive director of the Weinstein JCC in Richmond, and mother of Ariel Lewis, one of the eight singers who will perform at the Simon Family JCC. “Their message is to do good things,” says Lewis. “They make being Jewish cool not only to Jewish kids but to all kids who connect to their music.” For tickets and additional information, visit www.SimonFamilyJCC.org or call 321-2338. *of blessed memory
26 | Jewish News | February 23, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org
February 26, Thursday Celebrate Israel series. Simon Family JCC welcomes Gidi Grinstein, president and founder of Israel’s Reut Institute. Grinstein will discuss his groundbreaking book, Flexigidity. In his talk, he will explore how the Jews have utilized Flexigidity to adapt and stay relevant. He will also assess the future in light of trends that are pulling Jewish communities apart. Free and open to the community. 7 pm. Simon Family JCC. 757-321-2338. MARCH 1, SUNDAY Brith Shoalom general meeting at 11 am; brunch at 12 noon; followed by entertainer Marsha Wallace who sings and plays different country instruments and will talk about growing up in the mountains of North Carolina. She will donate her fee to Beth Sholom Home. March 5, Thursday Purim for Grownups, presented by Tidewater Chavurah. 7:30–9:30 pm. 464-1950 or rabbicantorejg@gmail.com. MARCH 7, SATURDAY Purimpalooza. 8 pm, ages 21 and up. $20 early bird tickets; $25 at the door, at the Sandler Family Campus. Join hundreds of young Jewish adults and friends for the Young Adult Division of the UJFT’s 2015 Purim costume carnivale. Live music, costume contest, open bar, desserts and many, many photo ops. Get tickets at www.JewishVA.org/Purimpalooza or call 757-9656138. More information at www.fb.com/YAD.UJFT. See page 25. March 8, Sunday Take part in a Zumba event for a good cause. Hotel Kids is holding a Zumbathon charity event at the Simon Family JCC. 2-4 pm. $11 in advance or $15 at the door. www. tinyurl.com/ pg2ojgx for advance tickets. email mcastro@gmail.com for more information. March 15, Sunday The Community Relations Council and area synagogues, Jewish agencies, organizations and partners conclude the 4th annual Israel Today forum with Lt. Col. Dr. Ofer Merin, chief, IDF Field Hospitals, in charge of setting up the hospitals in instances of natural disaster. His reserve force unit was part of the Israeli delegation that gave aid to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti, arriving first on the scene. Merin was also first on the scene in Japan after the tsunami that followed the massive earthquake on March 11, 2011, and in the Philippines after the Typhoon in 2013. 7:30pm at the Sandler Family Campus. RSVP by March 12 to jewishva. org/CRCIsraelToday#Merin, CRC@ujft.org, or 965-6107. See page 24. Ohef Sholom Temple’s Sisterhoods used book sale at the temple. 625-4295. Camp JCC Open House. A fun-filled day with a glimpse of what Camp JCC will offer this summer. 1 - 4 pm. Simon Family JCC. 321-2338. March 18, Wednesday The JCC Senior Club’s guest speaker and entertainer will be Cantor Wally Schachet-Briskin. The cantor for Ohef Sholom Temple, Cantor Wally will sing and play the guitar. He will also talk about Passover. Board meeting begins at 10:30 am, lunch at 12 noon. General meeting follows, for further information call 497-0229. March 21, Saturday Temple Israel Disabilities Shabbat to feature Shelly Cristensen, a nationally known advocate. She will talk about how to include people with disabilities in Jewish life. 11 am at Temple Israel. 7155 Granby Street. For more information call the temple office at 489-4550. 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.
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Congregation Beth Chaverim’s Rabbi Israel Zoberman with a United Nations soldier from Denmark on the Golan Heights’ Mt. Bental at a U. N. force observation post. The post overlooks the abandoned Syrian town of Kuneitra. Rabbi Zoberman participated in a Solidarity Leadership Mission of the CCAR (Reform Rabbis).
Mazel Tov submissions should be emailed to news@ujft.org with Mazel Tov in the subject line. Achievements, B’nai Mitzvot, births, engagements and weddings are appropriate simchas to announce. Photos must be at least 300k. Include a daytime phone for questions. There is no fee.
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Who Knew? The Jewish Moroccan language that should be extinct but isn’t
Eric Kline Business Development Danny Kline President
by Abby Sher
(Jewniverse via JTA)—When an animal species is on the edge of extinction, there are plenty of ways to do your part (adopt an African rhino, anyone?). But what do we do when a language in in critical danger of becoming extinct? There are approximately 6,500 distinct languages spoken in the world. According to MIT, two-thirds of them may be saying their last good-byes soon. Haketia, a Jewish-Moroccan Romance language, is one of them. Haketia is made up of a little Hebrew, a little Spanish and marinated in some Judeo-Moroccan Arabic. The problem is, not many people ever write in Haketia, and it’s never used in schools, so the only way to learn it is to speak it. Many Jews from northern Morocco have either immigrated to Spanish-speaking countries or adopted Spanish as their primary language, or both.
Andy Kline CEO
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| February 23, 2015 | Jewish News | 27
obituaries Samuel Charles Brown, Jr. Virginia Beach—Sam C. Brown, Jr., 89, a native of Charleston, S.C., peacefully passed away Thursday afternoon, Feb. 12, 2015. He was born September 28, 1925, in Charleston, S. C., the oldest son of Sam and Hannah Brown. A childhood spent on the beaches and waters of Sullivan’s Island left him with a lifelong love of boating and fishing, which he generously shared with family and friends. An Eagle Scout and WWII Army veteran, he proudly served with the 167th Engineer Combat Battalion as they built bridges and roads used by Patton’s Third Army throughout France, Belgium and Germany. He remained close to the other members of the 167th, organizing annual reunions where they shared memories of their WWII experiences together. Instilled with a passion and appreciation from his father to build and engineer, he received his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Clemson University in 1948 and began a career developing, building and managing power generation and environmental technologies in use today. Starting as an efficiency engineer with Virginia Power and retiring 35 years later as a senior vice president of Power Station Engineering and Technical Assessment, he had a profound and positive impact in every task and position he undertook with the company. After his retirement from Dominion Resources, he served as chairman of the Air Pollution Control Board for the State of Virginia and was routinely called upon by state and federal policy makers regarding
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environmental and energy matters because of his deep and balanced understanding of complex issues. He was a founding member of the Science Museum of Virginia, an ASME Fellow with 65 years of service and a tireless fundraiser for countless charities, including the United Way and Virginia Union University. Devoted to his family, a great husband, father, grandfather and friend; his profound sense of humor and poignant storytelling will be missed and remembered with great fondness by all those who knew him. Along with his parents and a sister, Sam was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Rose. He is survived a son, Samuel C. (Shelly) Brown III, of Cordova, Tenn.; daughter, Lisa (Vernon) Whitaker, of Charlotte, N.C.; and five grandchildren. A graveside service was held at Huguenin Ave Cemetery, Huguenin Avenue, Charleston, S.C. with Rabbi Alexander officiating. Memorial contributions may be made in his honor to the National Parkinson’s Foundation. Beatrice Steinhouser Legum Williamsburg—Beatrice Steinhouser Legum passed away peacefully on Dec. 2, 2014. Known to everyone as Ms. B, she was a lifelong resident of Williamsburg. A celebration of life was held at Temple Beth El in Williamsburg.
Polish survivor Roman Frister, a former Haaretz editor WARSAW, Poland (JTA)—Roman Frister, a Holocaust survivor who was a former editor of Haaretz, has died. Frister, a dual Polish and Israeli citizen, died Monday, Feb. 9 in Poland. He was 87. Frister survived the Auschwitz and Mauthausen concentration camps. He was born in 1928 in Bielsko, Poland, but fled with his parents after the outbreak of World War II to Krakow, where his mother was killed. His father died in a concentration camp in Starachowice. Frister returned to Poland in 1947 and settled in Wroclaw. Ten years later he moved to Israel, where he worked for the Hebrew daily newspaper Haaretz, serving as editor of the weekend edition. He worked also for Radio Free Europe and the Polish section of the BBC.
28 | Jewish News | February 23, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org
He was honored by Poland with the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit. Frister was buried in Warsaw.
CBS News reporter Bob Simon Bob Simon, the Emmy Award-winning CBS News and 60 Minutes correspondent, was killed in a car accident in New York City. Simon, who covered nearly every major overseas conflict and news story since the late 1960s, was a passenger in a hired car on Wednesday, Feb. 11 that hit another car on Manhattan’s West Side. He was 73. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at Saint Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital, Reuters reported, citing police. Simon earned 27 Emmy Awards and was awarded the Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Award for a 60 Minutes II report on genocide during the Bosnian War. His career in war reporting began in Vietnam, according to The Associated Press. Simon was held captive in Iraq for 40 days in January 1991 after being captured with a CBS News team while reporting on the Gulf War. He wrote about the experience in his book Forty Days. As a prisoner of the Iraqis, Simon told JTA in 1991, he worried that “his Jewishness might cost him his life.” “I thought my number was up when they started accusing me of being a member of Mossad,” he told JTA. Simon returned to Iraq in 1993 to report on the American bombing of the country. In April 2012, Simon faced the wrath of the pro-Israel community following his report on the plight of Christians in the West Bank and Jerusalem that focused on Israeli policies as a cause of the decline of the area’s Arab Christian population, as well as its reliance on an anti-Israel Palestinian Lutheran pastor as a key source. He had worked in the CBS Tel Aviv bureau from 1977 to 1981. (JTA)
Lesley Gore, singer of ‘It’s My Party’ fame Singer-songwriter Lesley Gore, whose hit It’s My Party topped the charts in 1963 when she was 17, has died. Gore died Monday, Feb. 16 of cancer at a New York hospital. She was 68. It’s My Party was nominated for a Grammy Award and sold over 1 million
copies. Other Gore hits included Judy’s Turn to Cry and You Don’t Own Me. Gore, born Lesley Sue Goldstein in Brooklyn and raised in Tenafly, N.J., was discovered by producer Quincy Jones as a teen and signed with Mercury Records. She was nominated for an Oscar, with her brother Michael, for co-writing Out Here on My Own from the popular 1980s movie Fame. She came out as a lesbian during a 2005 interview. Gore is survived by her partner of 33 years, Lois Sasson; her mother, Ronnie; and her brother. (JTA)
Hollande at vandalized cemetery stresses Jews’ place in France French President Francois Hollande at a visit to a vandalized Jewish cemetery said French Jews still see France as their homeland. “How do we understand the unnameable, the unjustifiable, the unbearable?” Hollande said Tuesday, Feb. 17 at the cemetery in Sarre-Union, in northeastern France’s Alsace region, where more than half of the 400 gravestones were pushed over and vandalized. “This is the expression of the evils eating away at the republic.” A monument to Holocaust victims also was vandalized at the cemetery, which has been desecrated previously. Five suspects, aged 15 to 17, were detained after the youngest alleged vandal turned himself in. Hollande vowed to punish the perpetrators of anti-Semitic acts. He added that he understands that French Jews have a justifiable “feeling of anxiety over the recent attacks,” but knows that they see France as their homeland. Hollande rejected to statements made the previous day by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu encouraging European Jews to move to Israel, calling them “crude electioneering” with elections nearing. Netanyahu’s statements followed the shooting attack on a Copenhagen synagogue that killed a volunteer security guard and injured two policemen. They echoed comments he made last month after two attacks in Paris left 17 dead, including four Jewish men during the siege of a kosher supermarket.
obituaries “The comments are not helpful and I think people will ignore them,” Hollande said, adding later, “We’re not prepared to tolerate a situation in this country or in any country in Europe where any Jews feel they have to leave.” Several French and Danish officials have spoken out against Netanyahu’s call for European Jews to make aliyah. (JTA)
Philip Levine, former U.S. poet laureate Philip Levine, the former poet laureate of the United States and a Pulitzer Prize winner, has died. Levine died Saturday, Feb. 14 at his home in Fresno, Calif. He was 87. The cause was pancreatic and liver cancer, The New York Times reported. One of the country’s most revered poets, Levine was poet laureate in 2011-12. He won a Pulitzer in 1995 for his collection The Simple Truth. Levine, the son of poor Russian Jewish
immigrant parents, also won two National Book Awards—for Ashes, Poems New and Old in 1980 and for What Work Is in 1991. Levine’s poetry often touched on autobiographical, working-class themes and the industrial grit of his native Detroit. In 1984, Edward Hirsch described Levine as a “large, ironic Whitman of the industrial heartland” in The New York Times Book Review. Levine, the first member of his family to earn a college degree, also taught at California State University, Fresno, from 1958 to 1992. (JTA)
Adele Biton, 4, dies two years after Palestinian rock attack Adele Biton, a 4-year-old girl who was severely injured in a Palestinian rock attack two years ago, has died. Adele died Tuesday, Feb. 17 at Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petach Tikvah from complications of a lung infection. She had remained in an unconscious state since
the West Bank attack on her mother’s car on March 14, 2013. “There’s no doubt that this is a consequence of the neurological damage that she suffered and that has made her treatment so difficult,” her mother, Adva, said in a statement. The statement added, “I feel that this little girl is not just my child but everyone’s child. There is no one who doesn’t pray for her.” Adva Biton was driving her three young daughters near the near the Ariel settlement when her car swerved after being hit by rocks thrown by two Palestinian teens and struck a truck. The family had been driving from their home in the West Bank settlement of Yakir to central Israel. Adele, then 2, suffered a serious head wound. Her sisters, ages 4 and 5, were moderately wounded. Last September, Adele returned home after the rehab facility said it could not do anything more for her. (JTA)
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Purim change of pace: a chocolate dough by Shannon Sarna
NEW YORK (JTA)—Hamantaschen talk is always about the filling: prune, poppy, apricot and strawberry, just to name a few favorites. I love being creative with the fillings, but this year I wanted to change up things with a flavored dough rather than just a fun filling. And what better ingredient to include than chocolate. Once you have made your chocolate dough, you can still be creative with the fillings, although I recommend two combinations below: triple chocolate, which is filled with nutella and drizzled with white chocolate, and chocolate mocha. You could also try filling the chocolate dough with raspberry jam, peanut butter or even halvah. The key to making and working with this dough successfully is making it several hours in advance—even a day or two—so that it is properly chilled. It will feel sticky, so add flour as you roll it out to make sure it holds its shape. Most hamantaschen bakers know that one of the keys to making a cookie that doesn’t fall apart during the baking is to pinch the three points very carefully. Another tip is to lay out all the folded and filled cookies on a baking sheet and then pop them into the freezer for five to 10 minutes before baking. Chilled cookie dough simply bakes better.
If you enjoy the custom of handing out mishloach manot, or Purim baskets, in your community, these chocolate hamantaschen would go great with a coffee-themed package: include a small bag of high-quality coffee, a little bag of chocolate-covered espresso beans and the hamantaschen inside a big mug.
For the chocolate dough ½ cup butter (or margarine) ¾ cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1 tablespoon milk (or almond milk) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1¼ cups all purpose flour 1 ⁄8 cup cocoa powder (I prefer Hershey’s Special Dark) ¼ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon cinnamon For the mocha cream cheese filling 4 oz cream cheese at room temperature 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon brewed espresso or coffee Pinch of salt For the white chocolate drizzle: ½ cup white chocolate chips 2 teaspoons vegetable oil Nutella or milk chocolate chips
Chocolate covered espresso beans (optional) Instant espresso powder (optional)
To make the dough Beat the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add egg, milk and vanilla until mixed thoroughly. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt in a separate bowl. Add dry mixture to wet mixture until incorporated. Note: If the dough is too soft, increase flour amount by ¼ cup until firm. Chill dough for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. To make mocha cream cheese Mix cream cheese, espresso, sugar and pinch of salt together in a small bowl. Allow to chill 1–3 hours. To make the white chocolate drizzle Place white chocolate and vegetable oil in a small glass bowl. Heat in the microwave at 30 second intervals until melted. Mix until completely smooth. Use right away. To make the cookies Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Dust your work surface with powdered sugar or flour to keep from sticking. Roll
the dough to about ¼-inch thick. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out and place onto cookie sheet. To keep the dough from sticking to your cutter, dip in powdered sugar or flour before each cut. Fill cookies with nutella, milk chocolate chips or mocha cream cheese filling. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Allow cookies to cool completely. To assemble the mocha chocolate hamantaschen, top with crushed chocolate covered espresso beans or a dusting of instant espresso. To assemble triple chocolate hamantaschen, use a fork or a small plastic squeeze bottle to drizzle white chocolate sauce back and forth on cookies. Allow to dry completely on a cooling rack before serving or packaging.
Rice Krispie Treat Hamantaschen by Rebecca Pliner
(The Nosher via JTA)—As a former chef and pastry chef, I had many delicious sweet and savory treats in mind to turn into hamantaschen for this year. But I wanted to keep it simple enough to re-create in a home kitchen, yet something different to also get people excited about Purim and hamantaschen, of course. Rice Krispie treats on a stick are always one of the most popular items I sell from my dessert company, and so it felt only natural to turn these into a Purim delight for the whole family to enjoy. The best part about this recipe is that there is no oozing of filling, no seams of the dough breaking, and NO BAKING. This recipe may be different than your average Rice Krispie Treat since there is no
fluff involved. The authentic way to make Rice Krispie Treats uses real marshmallows melted with a little butter to insure a crunchy, not too sweet, and absolutely delicious dessert. To use these in your mishloach manot, or Purim gift baskets, I recommend getting some cute treat bags to store them. Include a packet of hot chocolate mix and you have yourself an easy and delicious s’mores-themed basket.
Ingredients 6 cups Rice Krispies 10 oz mini marshmallows— DO NOT substitute fluff 3 Tbsp butter or margarine Lollipop sticks 15 oz bar of semi-sweet chocolate Sprinkles, candy or other decorative items
30 | Jewish News | February 23, 2015 | jewishnewsva.org
Directions: Grease a large bowl and the spatula you will be using. This will help avoid too much sticking. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the margarine with the marshmallows at 30 second intervals at full power. Stir after each interval. When melted, remove and pour into bowl with the Rice Krispies. Mix well until all are coated with marshmallow. Spread mixture into a greased sheet pan. Using your hands, spread mixture evenly onto pan, then press together so the Rice Krispie Treats are compact. Allow to sit for several minutes at room temperature to cool. Form the Rice Krispie Treat mix into hamantaschen shapes. Place lollipop stick into center. Over a double broiler, melt ¾ of a
large bar (15 oz) of semi-sweet chocolate. Reserve the last ¼. Melt chocolate, stirring gently until all is melted. Take chocolate CAREFULLY off the double broiler. Be very careful not to let any water drip into chocolate. If this happens, you need to start over. Chocolate “seizes” when water gets into it. If this happens, the tempering process does not work. Add in the remaining chocolate. Let sit in hot chocolate for 30 seconds, then stir. Dip hamantaschen into chocolate, tap stick lightly to remove the excess chocolate. Place on parchment to let dry. After 2–3 dipped pops, start decorating before that chocolate sets in! Use your favorite sprinkles, chocolate chips, Oreos or candy to add your own flare. Yield: 2 dozen treats.
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Published on Feb 23, 2015
Jewish News February 23, 2015