High holidays Sept 14, 2015

s y a d i l o H h g i H 5776 Supplement to Jewish News September 14, 2015

High Holidays 5776

Dear Readers, W

hile the High Holidays seem to be

on the “early” side of the calendar this year, I had the feeling on my walk this morning that it was time.

Maybe it’s a seasonal sensation…since kids are back in school, it’s dark when

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I get up, as well as at dinnertime, or because plenty of brown leaves now cover the ground.

Perhaps, however, I can attribute that feeling of preparedness for the holidays to what’s taking place in the Jewish world.

Everyone’s getting ready…for the vote on

Jay Klebanoff, President Alvin Wall, Treasurer Stephanie Calliott, Secretary Harry Graber, Executive Vice-President www.jewishVA.org The appearance of advertising in the Jewish News does not constitute a kashrut, political, product or service endorsement.

The articles and letters appearing herein are not necessarily the opinion of this newspaper.

Iran and what comes next, for the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s annual Campaign Kick-off, for an assortment of Jewish classes and cultural arts programs to begin, for 5776 to just get going.

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Whatever the reason, I’m ready to enjoy some holiday meals, listen to beautiful and inspiring music, hear some intelligent and spiritual sermons, be with

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family (though I’ll miss my daughter who is away at college) and take the time to sit and reflect on just how good life is.

I hope you are ready, too.

On behalf of the Jewish News staff, best wishes for a new year of peace, health and happiness.

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High Holidays 5776

Passing the shofar—from generation to generation

by Laine Mednick Rutherford

A

t three-years-old, Sam Sachs was visiting his grandparents’ house when he picked up one of his great grandpa’s (Rabbi Sam Sobel, of blessed memory) old shofars.

“He just blew the roof off the house,” says his mother, Jenny Sachs. “For my entire life, I cannot get any noise to come out of a shofar. But he just does it!”

Now six, Sam is the proud—and musically loud— owner of a new shofar. The animal horn, used for millennia as a call to prayer for the Jewish people, most memorably during the High Holidays, was a special gift from his mother and father, Matthew Sachs. They brought it to Sam following a mission trip to Israel in June with the Young Adult Division of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.

Sam brought his instrument to the Sandler Family Campus on September 4 to meet Marty Einhorn, the shofar blower, or ba’al tekiah, for Ohef Sholom Temple.

The two took turns blowing into their horns, creating strong and clear sounds that welcomed the Sabbath and fascinated all who heard them play.

Before parting, Einhorn taught Sam a blowing technique, encouraged him to practice, and invited the first grader to bring his shofar to High Holiday services at Ohef Sholom.

The young man agreed, his excitement evident. The moment was nostalgic for Einhorn, who, along with mentoring other shofar blowers, also had an affinity for the shofar at a young age.

Einhorn, president of the Simon Family JCC and managing shareholder of Wall, Einhorn and Chernitzer, a CPA and consulting firm in downtown Norfolk, shared his experiences as a shofar blower with the Jewish News:

to do the nine staccato notes--those can be very difficult also.

What’s the feeling you get when you blow the shofar at the synagogue? Is it transcendental for you, or are you fully present?

When I’m sounding the shofar, I am looking into people’s eyes. I am trying to connect. I believe that God is channeling this through me, to be perfectly honest with you. So I am just trying to be as relaxed as I can be, make sure that I’ve got lungs full of air, and I blow as well as I can.

I feel, when I get the opportunity to blow the shofar at the service, that I have a tremendous blessing and a tremendous responsibility, because a lot of people see it as a highlight of the High Holidays. So I take it very, very seriously, and I try to inspire people and raise their spirits, especially on Yom Kippur, when it’s time for us to repent. I feel like I’m contributing to people’s spiritual experience.

Visit www.JewishVA.org to see a video of Sam Sachs and Marty Einhorn blowing their shofars at the Sandler Family Campus.

Marty Einhorn with Sam Sachs.

Photographs by Joel Mednick.

How long have you been blowing the shofar?

When I was a young boy, I always was amazed by the shofar, and always looked forward to that part of the services. I had an interest in it, and when I took up the coronet in the sixth grade, that is when I realized it was something that I wanted to do. I’ve been playing shofar since I was 11 years old.

What is the most difficult shofar call for any shofar blower to play?

Typically shofar blowers dread the tekiah gedolah. But also the teruah, where you have

Marty Einhorn and Sam Sachs at Sandler Family Campus.

Jewishnewsva.org | High Holidays | September 14, 2015 | Jewish News | 21

High Holidays 5776

Why Sandy Koufax sitting out a World Series game still matters 50 years later

by Hillel Kuttler

WASHINGTON (JTA)—Jesse Agler was pretty talented as a catcher and pitcher in Little League, yet his parents benched him regularly.

That’s because the Aglers had a no-baseball-on-Shabbat rule, one cloaked in sports royalty.

“It was a source of frustration as a kid, but I appreciated later what they tried to do,” says Agler, a 33-year-old radio broadcaster for the San Diego Padres who grew up in South Florida. “It goes back to Koufax making the point about that day, that it’s not for baseball.”

Agler was referring to the decision by Sandy Koufax, the star pitcher of the Los Angeles Dodgers, to sit out Game 1 of the 1965 World Series against the Minnesota Twins because it fell on Yom Kippur. Koufax

instead started Game 2 the next afternoon.

The Dodgers lost both days, but won the championship in seven games.

The mighty left-hander had dominated that regular season, leading the majors with 26 wins, a 2.04 earned run average, 27 complete games and 336 innings pitched— not to mention he also pitched a perfect game, set a 20th-century record with 382 strikeouts and earned the National League’s Cy Young Award.

Koufax was the supreme pitcher of his generation and the greatest Jewish hurler ever, and his taking a stand occurred at baseball’s centerpiece event. It’s become the stuff of legend in American Jewry as an example of ethnic pride.

“There was no hard decision for me,” Koufax said later in an ESPN documentary released in 2000. “It was just a thing of respect. I wasn’t trying to make a

statement, and I had no idea that it would impact that many people.”

Intended or not, Koufax’s call continues to resonate 50 years later. While the decision was a personal one for Koufax, now 79, it represented a visible, even monumental, progression for Jews of his generation in claiming their place in this country. If a great athlete could proudly stand up as a Jew, the feeling went, we can, too.

Koufax followed in the deep footprints of the previous generation’s American Jewish baseball icon, Hank Greenberg, who sat out an important game played by his Detroit Tigers during the 1934 pennant race that fell on Yom Kippur.

“I think it was a matter of conscience with both of them,” says Larry Ruttman, author of the 2013 book American Jews and America’s Game. “Koufax was a huge star when he did it, and Greenberg in ’34

Sandy Koufax

wasn’t—but he was coming to be one.”

Greenberg’s legend has faded a bit

Teri and I wish you an easy fast and that you and your family may be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life.

May 5776 be one of peace for you, your family, and Israel. Congressman& Mrs.

Scott Rigell

22 | Jewish News | September 14, 2015 | High Holidays | jewishnewsva.org

High Holidays 5776 because nearly a century has passed, Ruttman says. Koufax, by contrast, “remains so potent now because his playing days are still within living memory” for many fans.

Koufax’s decision remains so profound, in fact, that a half-century later it still carries lessons for those raised neither with the sport nor in the United States.

London native Alexandra Benjamin teaches a course on Jewish history during the semester-long Tichon Ramah Yerushalayim international high school program. In discussions about the sometimes disparate pulls of secular and Jewish culture, she returns time and again to the Koufax decision.

“The reason the Sandy Koufax example works so well is that baseball is very much a part of American culture and he is Jewish,” Benjamin says. “At some point he had to make a choice.

“So some guy stayed home from work and it was Yom Kippur—he’s not the only one, but he’s a public figure,” she adds.

“Still today, that example is relevant, it works and it has impact.”

In the summer of 1999, Benjamin chaperoned a British Jewish youth group visiting the United States, where they enjoyed a quintessential American experience: a baseball game at New York’s Yankee Stadium. Lunch involved buying food at the ballpark’s kosher hot dog stand.

“It was mind blowing,” says Benjamin, because such availability is inconceivable at a British sports venue. She says the kosher hot dogs, like Koufax, demonstrated that enculturation and Jewish pride are highly compatible.

At a recent Padres-Nationals game at Nationals Park, Carly Meisel, a former student of Benjamin, had Jewish values and baseball on her mind. The previous week, she and some friends had attended a game at Boston’s Fenway Park—on Jewish Heritage Night.

Meisel, 18, was attending the Nationals’ game with approximately 50 other incoming freshmen at George Washington University. Among those waiting at the stadium’s kosher kiosk was Yoni KaiserBlueth, the kippah-clad executive director of the university’s Hillel.

Kaiser-Blueth, 40, was born in Brazil, but quickly adopted baseball as a child in America. He grew up in Los Angeles, where,

unsurprisingly, Koufax’s legend was strong.

“The takeaway is that you’ve got values, and choices to make in life. It resonates especially today because of the lack of relevancy of Judaism in some people’s lives,” Kaiser-Blueth says as he pumps mustard across his kosher sausage.

“If you see an athlete—for better or worse a role model, make that choice—it can reverberate in their [the fans’] lives.

Think of what Madonna did for kabbalah—she created a whole industry.”

Apropos of Koufax, Kaiser-Blueth notes that every year at this time, his students raise concerns over school conflicting with the approaching Jewish holidays. The issue is acute this year, with all seven days falling during the week.

Meisel expresses confidence in professors’ willingness to help her make up missed classes and coursework. She relates that surety directly to Koufax’s example.

(Koufax, through his agent, declined JTA’s interview request.)

“We’ll make it doable,” she says. “If he can miss a game, and everyone’s watching—it takes strength to do that. It’s a good example of what we can do in day-to-day life.”

Koufax’s former catcher, Norm Sherry, made a different choice; he played on the High Holidays. As a teen, he had attended school and played basketball on those days, even though the overwhelmingly Jewish student body in Los Angeles’ Fairfax High School stayed home.

Koufax “made the right decision,” says Sherry, who roomed with Koufax for road games in 1962, but in 1965 was a minorleague manager for a Dodgers’ farm team.

“So many people followed him, who were in awe of him, and he was doing it for all [of them].”

As it happens, Koufax sitting out Game 1 in the 1965 World Series also yielded one of baseball’s most famous quips.

Don Drysdale, who would later join Koufax in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, replaced him on the mound that day. The Twins pounded Drysdale for six runs in the third inning on the way to an 8–2 victory.

When Dodgers’ manager Walter Alston took the ball from Drysdale, the big righty reportedly said, “I bet you wish I was Jewish, too.”

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High Holidays 5776

The one day of the year I always felt Jewish

by Lela Casey

(Kveller via JTA)—Growing up as the only Jewish family in town meant that we missed out on a lot of things. We didn’t go to Hebrew school, we barely acknowledged Shabbat and we had very little connection to the Jewish community. My Israeli mother did her best to give us a basis in Judaism, but since my dad did not have a Jewish background and there were no other Jews for miles around, being Jewish was more of an abstract concept than a way of life.

But every year, when the air turned cooler and the leaves turned colors, something would change in our house. My mother would grow quieter, more solemn. Instead of laughing and scolding us in the kitchen, she’d be in her room poring over prayer books and muttering to herself in Hebrew. Even the air would feel heavier.

On Rosh Hashanah, we’d pick a few apples from the old orchard behind our house.

We’d dip them in honey, wish each other a Shana Tovah and go back to our lives.

We knew it was an important day of festivities and new beginnings, but there was another day looming on the horizon. A day that carried with it such weight, such significance, that our apples and honey seemed like children’s games.

Yom Kippur was the real deal, the day for which we prepared for months. Not by picking apples or decorating the house, but by searching into our very young souls and reflecting on what it meant to be a good Jew. Because Yom Kippur was the one day of the year that we would feel, with every fiber of our beings, what it really was to be

Jewish.

We fasted, all of us, from the time that we were very young, starting at five or six. My mother never forced us, but it felt important and grown up and so, so Jewish.

We’d spend the day reading our Hebrew dictionaries or illustrated Bibles, or even the Haggadahs that were hidden deep in my mother’s closet. Anything that felt Jewish would do.

In the evening, we’d pile into the car wearing our nicest clothes (white, always white, to show purity).

We’d huddle down with our growling stomachs and dry mouths and drive over 45 minutes to get to the closest synagogue, an unassuming building tucked in between the churches and bars that crowded town.

A synagogue with beautiful stained glass windows and long empty rows of seats. A synagogue whose members were mostly over 60 years old.

We’d listen to the rabbi’s prayers and nod our heads. We’d sit and stand and sing and say amen and pound our chests and smile at our neighbors and try to follow along with the words written in a language we couldn’t read or write. Deep down past our thumping hears and growling stomachs, deep down in our neshamas (souls), we felt what it was like to be Jewish, and it felt GLORIOUS! For many years, Yom Kippur was Judaism to me. It wasn’t until many years later that I experienced the playfulness of Purim and the joys of a community Shabbat.

Since then, I’ve learned much more about Judaism. I have spent time in Israel and explored the option of living a more

High Holidays 5776 observant life. I’ve felt the overwhelming wholeness of faith and connection, and the isolating chill of doubt.

When my children were small, I took great delight in cooking a Shabbat meal and lighting candles with them. But as they’ve gotten older, our busy schedules and their lack of interest have chipped away at this tradition.

In recent years, Yom Kippur has sometimes felt more of an inconvenience than a solemn day of reflection and connection to Judaism. I still fast, but I haven’t taken the kids to services and none of them fast. I hardly ever feel “ready” for the holy day any more. When this summer ended, I thought about Yom Kippur with a sense of panic.

Would I even feel Jewish this year? Would my children? Have I failed to create that connection for them that was so important to me as a kid?

But then the fall came, and with it came some unexpected turns of events. I was offered a job teaching about Israel at the

local temple and my son decided that he wanted to go to Hebrew school.

The last few weeks have been filled with apples and honey and endless conversations about kashrut. My son was bubbling with anticipation about hearing the shofar blow at his first Rosh Hashanah service, and all of my children have helped me to prepare my lesson about the holidays in Israel.

As the air turns crisper and the leaves begin to fall, I feel it again. That soft pull in my heart, that heaviness in the air.

Yom Kippur is coming. And this year I am ready.

—Lela Casey is a mother of three children living in Bucks County, Pa. Being raised by a fiery Israeli mother and a gentle farmer in the middle of nowhere lent her a unique perspective on Judaism. She holds degrees from Penn State University and Rhode Island College.

Besides contributing to Kveller, she has written several children’s books and young adult novels.

This piece first appeared on Kveller, a 70 Faces Media company.)

422 Shirley Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23517 757.625.7821  www.bethelnorfolk.com Sharing Judaism. Enriching lives.

ADL security manual provided to Jewish institutions ahead of holidays

T

he Anti-Defamation League is providing U.S. Jewish institutions with an updated security manual for the High Holidays.

The defense organization also is providing other resources and training to help Jewish institutions with their security preparedness.

The new edition of ADL’s security manual, “Protecting Your Jewish Institution,” which is available on the organization’s website, provides information on topics including security planning; physical security and operations; relationships with emergency personnel; detecting surveillance; computer and data security; explosive threat response planning; active shooters; considerations for schools and summer camps; dealing with protesters; and crisis management.

The manual was first published in 2003 and periodically is updated.

“Unfortunately, in 2015, Jewish

institutions across the country still remain a potential target, which is why synagogues and Jewish communal facilities need to always be vigilant,” says Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL’s national director. “Jews should feel comfortable going about their daily lives and observing the holidays while still being aware and making security a priority.”

Among the guide’s recommendations for security during the High Holidays: Connect with local law enforcement to discuss security and advise them of High Holiday schedules and special events; ensure that ushers understand that they play a critical role in security matters, and that they are familiar with suspicious activity indicators; establish procedures for controlling access into facilities; encourage staff, leadership and constituents to trust their instincts if they come across someone or something suspicious. (JTA)

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High Holidays 5776 Op-Ed

How synagogues can prioritize disability inclusion this High Holiday season or a lay leader understands the value of inclusion of all people and makes it a priority. If there ever was a time for lead(JTA)—With the High Holidays underers to step up to the plate and help their way, Jews all over the world are asking synagogues become more inclusive—to themselves how they can lead more welcome diverse people with varying abilmeaningful and moral lives. Synagogue ities and find a place for them in the community—it’s during the Days of Awe. Liz Offen, director of New England Yachad, an Orthodox Union-affiliated organization that works toward the inclusion of people with disabilities in Jewish life, says that the High Holidays seem almost designed to raise awareness of people with disabilities. “Every aspect of the high holiMuch of the focus of the day of Rosh Hashana, both in terms of time and energy, is on day experience is infused with rituals that prayer. At the center of the prayers is Musaf, and at the heart of Musaf there are three draw on the senses,” she says. “From the Much of the focus Much of the of the dayfocus of Rosh of the Hashana, day ofboth RoshinHashana, terms ofboth timein and terms energy, of time is onand prayer. energy, At the is on center prayer. ofAt the center of Muchvery of theunique focus ofblessings: the day of Malchuyot Rosh Hashana, both kingship), in terms of time and energy, is on prayer. At the (G-d’s Zichronot (G-d’s mindfulness of center us) of the prayers is Musaf, the prayers and atisthe Musaf, heartand of Musaf at thethere heartare of Musaf three very thereunique are three blessings: very unique Malchuyot blessings: (G-d’sMalchuyot king(G-d’s king food we eat, to the sound and vibrations of the prayers is Musaf, andand at the heart of(Historic Musaf there are three very unique blessings: Malchuyot (G-d’s kingShofarot and future role of the Shofar). the shofar, we are reminded of the varied ship), Zichronot (G-d’s ship), Zichronot mindfulness (G-d’s of us) mindfulness and Shofarot of us) (Historic and Shofarot and future (Historic role of and the future Shofar). role of the Shofar). ship), Zichronot (G-d’s mindfulness of us) and Shofarot (Historic and future role of the Shofar). ways people experience life.”

Much ofus theas focus ofexplore the day ofwe Rosh Hashana, both main in terms of time and is three on prayer.

At the center of JoinJoin we Join us asexplore the explore main themes the of these themes three ofenergy, these blessings, blessings, So how can congregations take advanus as we explore the main themes of these three blessings, Join us as we the main themes of these three blessings, the prayers is Musaf, andfind athow theexpression heart of find Musafexpression there three in very unique blessings: Malchuyot (G-d’s kingand how they and they in theareactivities the ofactivities the day. of the day. tage of this calling to become more inclusive and how they find expression in the activities of the day. and how theymindfulness find expression in the activities of ship), Zichronot of us) and Shofarot (Historic and future rolethe of theday.

Shofar).

ALL (G-d’s CLASSES ALL FROM CLASSES 8:15 FROM 9:00PM 8:15 9:00PM communities?

ALL CLASSES FROM 8:15 - 9:00PM CLASSES FROM 8:15–9:00PM Join us as we ALL explore the main themes of these three blessings, The obvious answer is that they can and how they find expression in the activities of the day. implement best practices in making their Tuesday, Tuesday, Malchuyot: Malchuyot: OnMALCHUYOT: Rosh On Rosh we’re Hashana judged we’re on life, judged livelilife, On Rosh Hashana we’re judged onliveliALL CLASSES FROM 8:15 -we’re 9:00PM Tuesday, Malchuyot: OnHashana Rosh Hashana judged on life,on liveliphysical spaces more inclusive for people TUESDAY, hood, health, hood, and happiness. health, and So happiness. why don’t So we why ask don’t for it?! we ask for it?!

AugustAugust 25 August 25 life, livelihood, health, and happiness.

So why don’t 25 hood, health, and happiness. So why don’t we ask for it?! with disabilities. They can print books AUGUST 25 we ask for it?! with larger text, embrace hearing loop Tuesday, Malchuyot: On Rosh Hashana we’re judged on life, livelitechnologies to assist people who are hard Tuesday, Tuesday, health, and happiness.

So why don’t we ask for it?!

August 25 hood, Tuesday, Zichronot: Why Zichronot: am I being Why judged? am I being And judged? for what?

And for what? of hearing, train ushers to recognize and Zichronot: Why am I being judged? for what?

September 1September 1 ZICHRONOT: Why am I beingAnd judged?

And for TUESDAY, September 1 assist people with disabilities, make every SEPTEMBER 1 what? part of the building wheelchair accessible, Tuesday, and establish an inclusion committee to Zichronot: Why am I being judged?

And for what?

Tuesday, Tuesday, September 1 Tuesday, Shofarot: What Shofarot: will you What hear will when you the hear Shofar when blows? the Shofar blows? continually expand inclusive practices.

Shofarot: What will you hear when the Shofar blows?

September 8September 8 September 8 SHOFAROT: What will you hear when the Shofar TUESDAY, The broader answer is that they can SEPTEMBER 8 blows? demonstrate leadership and work to create a Tuesday, Shofarot: What will you hear when the Shofar blows? powerful culture of inclusion among congreSunday, Sunday, Thirteen Attributes Thirteen ofAttributes Mercy: Why of Mercy: are there Why sothere many are there so many September 8 Thirteen Sunday, Attributes ofof Mercy: Why are so many attributes and attributes what does and each what does them each do? of them do? gants so that inclusion pervades all aspects of September 20 September 20 and what does each of them do? Why are September 20 attributesTHIRTEEN ATTRIBUTES OF MERCY: congregational life, and thereby change basic TUESDAY, there so many attributes and what does each of attitudes toward people with disabilities.

SEPTEMBER 20 ALL CLASSES ALL WILL CLASSES TAKEThirteen PLACE WILL TAKE AT BNAI PLACE ISRAEL: AT BNAI 420ISRAEL: SPOTSWOOD 420 SPOTSWOOD AVE. AVE. Sunday, them do?

Attributes of Mercy: there so many ALL CLASSES WILL TAKE PLACE AT BNAI ISRAEL:Why 420 are SPOTSWOOD AVE. Ed Frim, an inclusion specialist at For more Information For more or for Information any Questions, or for any Please Questions, email nack@norfolkkollel.com Please email nack@norfolkkollel.com attributes and what does each of them do?

September 20Information or for any Questions, Please email nack@norfolkkollel.com For more United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, ALL CLASSES WILL TAKE PLACE AT BNAI ISRAEL says that true inclusion goes much deeper 420 TAKE SPOTSWOOD AVENUE, NORFOLK ALL CLASSES WILL PLACE AT BNAI ISRAEL: 420 SPOTSWOOD AVE. than making synagogue life accessible.

For more Information anyquestions, Questions, please Please email For more information oror forforany emailnack@norfolkkollel.com nack@norfolkkollel.com “Inclusive congregations are mindful of everyone who is part of the community,” he says. “They establish a culture that takes for granted that all, including those with disabilities, have the right to fully participate as part of the congregation.”

“It’s not just about training ushers to be welcoming to people with disabilities

by Jay Ruderman

communities, too, are asking themselves how they can become more holy and inclusive communities.

In my years of involvement with disability inclusion, I’ve observed that change often occurs because a rabbi, a professional

Make the Rosh Hashana Make Make thethe Rosh the Rosh Hashana Hashana Make Rosh Hashana Machzor an Open Book Machzor Machzor an Open an Open Book Book

Machzor Open Book Make thean Rosh Hashana Machzor an Open Book

26 | Jewish News | September 14, 2015 | High Holidays | jewishnewsva.org

and helping them find their way, it’s about turning the entire congregation into ushers, who seek to create a welcoming environment,” he says.

Just as important as building a culture of inclusion is affecting a shift in attitude about how we think of disabilities.

Rabbi Noah Cheses of Shaarei Shomayim Congregation in Toronto recalls an aha moment when his perspective on disabilities changed from seeing just the disability to seeing the whole person.

A senior in high school had come to speak at a retreat Cheses was attending.

The student had a muscular disorder that required him to be in a wheelchair. It was clear from the moment he began speaking that this charismatic young man was not defined by his disability.

“He asked us to take out a piece of paper and make a list of [perceived] personal shortcomings…,” recounted Rabbi Cheses.

“We were then instructed to introduce ourselves to the person next to us in the following way: “Hi, my name is X, and I have such and such …..”

“For a moment, I felt what it was like to be identified by my personal limitations… as if my passions and talents were being overshadowed and pushed aside by something beyond my control.”

It was that realization, among others, that motivated Rabbi Cheses to seek change in his congregation. The congregation made physical changes—among other things, it built an accessible ark—but the rabbi also sought to make spiritual changes and help his congregants experience the same aha moment that he had at the retreat.

Indeed, it is these spiritual changes— viewing all of God’s people as bringing unique contributions to the world—that can turn a congregation from a collection of people to a holy community. This time of reflection and renewal provides the perfect moment for such a shift to take place.

—Jay Ruderman is president of the Ruderman Family Foundation, which focuses on the inclusion of people with disabilities in society. The foundation is holding the 2015 Ruderman Inclusion Summit Nov. 1–2 in Boston. He’s on Twitter @jayruderman.

Jewish Holidays 5776

High Holidays 5776

Israeli rabbinical group to host 55,000 secular Jews for holiday services JERUSALEM ( JTA)—The Tzohar rabbinical organization will host more than 55,000 people at 295 locations throughout Israel for Yom Kippur services.

In addition, the group for the first time will host the “Listening Together” shofar program for Rosh Hashanah in community centers and schools.

Participants will be provided with a prayer book to make it easier to follow along, as well as with an explanatory pamphlet written by Tzohar about the customs, prayers and meaning of the High Holidays to help guide the participants throughout the services.

“Going to a religious synagogue can be an intimidating and sometimes off-putting experience for someone who doesn’t

regularly attend or associate with that particular community,” said Rabbi David Stav, co-founder of Tzohar. “We have seen such an outpouring of desire for Jewish connection by the secular community, especially relating the High Holidays, that we knew something had to be done to accommodate them. By moving these important Jewish lifecycle events to neutral locations—such as community centers or event halls—it becomes more much inviting and accessible for anyone interested in connecting with their Jewish tradition.”

The organization of religious Zionist rabbis started the Yom Kippur “Praying Together” program, which organizes the explanatory Yom Kippur services, 16 years ago. (JTA)

Rosh HaShanah. . . . . . Sept. 13–15, 2015

Yom HaShoah . . . . . . . . . May 4–5, 2016

Yom Kippur. . . . . . . . Sept. 22–23, 2015

Yom HaZikaron & Yom HaAtzmaut. . . May 10–12, 2016

Sukkot. . . . . . . . . Sept. 27–Oct. 4, 2015 Simchat Torah. . . . . . . . . Oct. 4–5, 2015 Hanukkah . . . . . . . . . . . Dec. 6–14, 2015 Tu BiSh’vat. . . . . . . . . . Jan. 24–25, 2016 Purim. . . . . . . . . . . . March 23–24, 2016

Lag BaOmer . . . . . . . . May 25–26, 2016 Shavuot. . . . . . . . . . . . June 11–12, 2016 Tishah B’Av. . . . . . . . . Aug. 13–14, 2016 Selichot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sept. 24, 2016

Passover . . . . . . . . . . . April 22–29, 2016

Rosh Hashanah 5776 Sunday, September 13, 2015

The Eve of Rosh Hashanah • 8:00pm

Monday, September 14, 2015 Rosh Hashanah • 10:30am

L’Shana Tova

Tuesday, September 22, 2015 Kol Nidre • 8:00pm

Wednesday, September 23, 2015 Yom Kippur • 10:30am Youth Services & Babysitting Available

Best wishes for a happy and healthy year with shalom.

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L’Shanah Tovah!

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Jewishnewsva.org | High Holidays | September 14, 2015 | Jewish News | 27

High Holidays 5776

Beyond the bagel:

Breaking the fast with flair

by Shannon Sarna

NEW YORK (JTA)—By the time the fast is over on Yom Kippur, the last thing you want to be doing is patchkeing in the kitchen to prepare lots of food. And as much as I can’t wait to shove a bagel and cream cheese with all the fixins in my face, I also like to enjoy something sweet, something salty and something a little fresh with my traditional post-fast carbs.

I recommend preparing the quinoa salad ahead of time, and when the fast is

over, serve it on top of labne for an easy and healthful salad. The rich, sweet coffee cake challah can also be baked ahead of time. And the flavors of the custom dill lemon caper cream cheese will only intensify when you let them sit overnight in the fridge.

Note: If you plan to make your own gravlax, you must start at least four days in advance of serving, or up to a week, otherwise the fish will not be ready to eat.

—Shannon Sarna is the editor of The Nosher, a 70 Faces Media company.

Homemade Gravlax

by Vered Meir

This recipe for homemade gravlax from California blogger is simple to make and presents beautifully on a platter. The first time I made this recipe I couldn’t believe how easy it was and why it had taken so long. It is the perfect accompaniment for your bagel platter after Yom Kippur or on top of latkes at Hanukkah.

INGREDIENTS 2 pounds fresh center-cut wild salmon fillet, skin on ½ cup kosher salt ½ cup sugar 2 tablespoons peppercorns 2 teaspoons crushed juniper berries (can be purchased at Whole Foods, Fairway, or specialty food stores) 7–8 large sprigs fresh dill 1–2 shots of gin or vodka DIRECTIONS In a bowl, combine the salt, sugar, peppercorns, and juniper berries. Line a glass dish that will fit your salmon fillet with 2 large pieces of plastic wrap and sprinkle half of your salt and sugar mixture onto the bottom. Lay half of your dill sprigs down, then cover with your salmon fillet. Sprinkle the remaining mixture on top of the fillet, then cover with the remaining sprigs of dill and your shots of alcohol, and then wrap everything as tightly as you can in the plastic. Leave it in the dish, as the salt will create a brine for the fish. Refrigerate for 3 or 4 days, depending on the thickness of your filet. The lox is finished when the salmon’s hue has transitioned from pink to deep orange. Before serving, discard the dill and rinse the fillet of the brine, peppercorns and juniper berries. Slice thinly against the grain with a sharp knife. Serve with sliced lemon and capers.

Variation: Try a layer of shredded raw beets on the non-skin side of your fillet before wrapping. After the lox is finished curing, each of your slices will have a purple or dark pink edge to it.

28 | Jewish News | September 14, 2015 | High Holidays | jewishnewsva.org

Lemon Dill Caper Cream Cheese Yield: 6–8 servings

What’s better than serving your bagels with capers and dill and slices of lemon?

Adding them into one tasty homemade cream cheese to serve with your bagel spread. This can be made one or two days ahead of time.

INGREDIENTS 12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 2 teaspoons lemon zest 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons whole capers, chopped roughly 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill Pinch of salt and pepper DIRECTIONS Add all ingredients to a bowl. Mix together until flavors are incorporated. Place in a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 24–48 hours until ready to serve. Garnish with additional dill if desired.

Red Quinoa Tabouleh with Labne

I was never much of a quinoa fan until I tried the red quinoa salad at Mish Mish in Montclair, N. J. I fell in love with the salad and have been re-creating my own version ever since. This is a refreshing and yet hearty salad to serve as a side dish.

INGREDIENTS 1 cup red quinoa 1 teaspoon olive oil Water 8 ounces labne 1 large English cucumber or 2 Persian cucumbers, cut into ¼ inch pieces 1 large beefsteak or Jersey tomato (diced), or pint cherry tomatoes (halved) Juice of ½ lemon plus 2 teaspoons zest ¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley ¼ cup chopped fresh mint Salt and pepper to taste Additional extra virgin olive oil DIRECTIONS Rinse quinoa well.

Place quinoa and 1¼ cups water, 1 teaspoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper into a small pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and cover again for another 5-10 minutes.

Mix quinoa with cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon juice and zest, mint, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. This step can be prepared a day ahead and placed in the fridge.

When ready to serve, spread labne all over A large plate. Top labne with the quinoa tabouleh. Drizzle with additional good-quality olive oil and an extra squeeze of lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Coffee Cake Challah Coffee cake is one of my weakness foods, and I love an indulgent slice after fasting on Yom Kippur. This year I decided to combine two of my favorite things to bake into one beautiful and delicious treat: coffee cake challah. This makes 2 large loaves, so it is enough to serve for a large crowd or freeze one to save for later. If you freeze one, wait to add glaze until you defrost it and are ready to serve.

INGREDIENTS For the dough: 1½ tablespoons yeast 1 teaspoon sugar 1¼ cup lukewarm water 4½-5 cups all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur brand) ¾ cup sugar ¼ cup vegetable oil ½ tablespoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 large eggs

DIRECTIONS In a small bowl place yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar and lukewarm water. Allow to sit around 5–10 minutes, until it becomes foamy on top.

In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, mix together 1½ cups flour, salt and sugar. After the wateryeast mixture has become foamy, add to flour mixture along with oil and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.

Add another cup of flour and eggs until smooth. Switch to the dough hook attachment if you are using a stand mixer.

Add another 1-1½ cups flour and then remove from bowl and place on a floured surface.

Knead remaining flour into dough, continuing to knead for around 10 minutes (or however long your hands will last). Don’t add more flour then the dough needs— the less flour, the lighter the dough.

Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with damp towel. Allow to rise 3 or 4 hours.

To make the crumb topping: Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and sea salt in a large bowl. Add cold butter or margarine and mix using a pastry cutter until mixture resembles crumbles. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

After the challah is done rising, split the dough evenly in half.

For the crumb topping and filling: 1¾ cups all-purpose flour 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt 1½ sticks cold butter or margarine, cut into small pieces 1 cup chopped pecans 1 egg, beaten For the glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 4 tablespoons milk or almond milk

HAMPTON ARTS 2015/16

Yield: 2 large loaves

SAT. OCT. 3 | 8PM

Divide each half into 3 pieces. Roll each piece into a snake and then flatten. Sprinkle crumb topping inside, then pinch sides up to close. Gently roll again to seal in filling. Repeat with all pieces and then braid, forming into a circle and pinching together each end of the braid.

Repeat with second half of dough.

Place each challah on a parchment paper (or silpat) lined baking sheet.

Allow challah to rise another 30–60 minutes, or until you can see the size has grown and challah seems light.

Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Brush on top of each challah.

Top each challah with remaining crumb topping.

Bake for 25–26 minutes, or until crumbs are golden brown.

Allow to cool 10–15 minutes.

Whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla and milk (or almond milk) in a small bowl. Drizzle on top of challah using small spoon.

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Jewishnewsva.org | High Holidays | September 14, 2015 | Jewish News | 29

High Holidays 5776

Inspirational start to the New Year at Campaign Kickoff

CAMPAIGN KICKOFF With special guest Jerry Silverman

SEPT. 17, 2015 6:45PM Sandler Family Campus

MEETING THE CHALLENGE. SECURING THE FUTURE.

T

he Jewish High Holidays are an annual reminder of what it means to be Jewish, inspiring personal growth and commitment, not just to one’s self, but to the greater Jewish community.

A great motivator to start 5776 on a positive note, through awareness and action, can be found at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Annual Campaign Kickoff, a free event open to the community.

Jerry Silverman, president and CEO of The Jewish Federations of North America, is the Kickoff’s special guest and featured speaker.

As one of the world’s most well-informed Jewish communal professionals, Silverman will share his observations of the challenges facing North American Jews, as well as Jews around the world, what’s being done to meet those challenges, and where help is desperately needed.

“Jews don’t have the luxury of ‘sticking our heads in the sand,’” says Jay Klebanoff, president of UJFT. “The more we are aware of the issues, the more prepared we will be to address them with intelligence, saykhel, and

L’Abeille [la-bay] Noun 1. The bee 2. One who lives in rustic elegance

community resources. We are blessed as Jews in this community and in the United States with the freedom and ability to make a difference; to do otherwise would be a shande.”

Campaign Kickoff marks the official start to the programs, conversations, and fundraising efforts which are part of the 2016 Annual Campaign. Funds raised during the Campaign season are used to support area Jewish agencies such as Jewish Family Service of Tidewater, scholarships for local schools and summer camps, and vulnerable Jewish populations abroad, in addition to many other programs and organizations.

Scheduling the Kickoff for the beginning of the Jewish New Year makes sense, says Karen Jaffe, Campaign chair. With the combination of renewal and insight that comes during High Holiday observations and celebrations, and inspiration from Silverman and community members, Jaffe says anyone and everyone in the community can begin, right away, to help create a Jewish future.

To RSVP for the Annual Campaign Kickoff, contact pmalone@ ujft.org, or call 757-965-6115. Visit www.JewishVA.org for more information.

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30 | Jewish News | September 14, 2015 | High Holidays | jewishnewsva.org

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