Elie Wiesel Writing Competition open
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Healthy GET
he Feb. 1 deadline for entries in the 16th Annual Elie Wiesel Writing Competition sponsored by the Simon Family Foundation is quickly approaching. So, too, is the Feb. 25 due date for the 11th Annual Elie Wiesel Visual Arts Competition, sponsored by Towne Bank. Many Hampton Roads public and private school teachers make these contests a yearly assignment for their students. Esther Diskin, an English and Social Studies teacher at Norfolk Academy and a winner of a 2011 Holocaust Commission Educator Award, wants her students to learn about the Holocaust. “The topics offered in this competition each year focus on the powerful ethical lessons of the Holocaust, which reverberate today, and students’ hearts are open to learning those lessons. The writing assignment,” she adds, “is not so much about the competition, but about the power of compassionate reflection to shape them as moral people.” A 2012 award recipient, Marianne
McMillin of Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, puts it this way. “I believe education needs to have a higher purpose than just teaching facts. We can only improve our world if our students, our children, learn empathy. I encourage my students to participate in the Elie Wiesel Competition so they learn about the struggles of those who have been marginalized by society, and stand for social justice for all people, for all time.” This year’s competition prompts students to focus their own consciences on just that. In an ideal world of social justice for all people, how could average Germans have “let the Holocaust happen?” It urges them to think about how and when they would have become involved, had they lived during that era. And whether or not students win cash prizes or recognition, the competition gets them thinking. Deb Segaloff, Writing Competition co-chair, says, “If we get over 1,500 students to consider their own humanity and involvement in their community through the lens of Holocaust education each year, the world will defi-
nitely be a much better place.” All middle and high school students in Southside Hampton Roads are encouraged to submit their written, multimedia, and visual interpretations to this prestigious competition. Some students will be awarded monetary prizes, and others will have their work displayed or read publicly. For more information about Elie Wiesel and these annual contests, to read competition guidelines, and to see winning entries from years past, visit www.jewishva.org/ holocaust-elie-wiesel, call 757-321-2323, or email info@holocaustcommission.org.
Fleishmans endow gifts by Shana Tokarski
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a t a l y and Seth Fleishman hold many things dear to their heart, but none more so than the Jewish community. “The Jewish community is most important to us. We want to not only do our part, but exceed our responsibility to do the best for our Jewish community.” says Seth. Seth, a Tennessee native, and Nataly, originally from Israel, are very involved in the community. The Fleishmans give much of their time and energy to a variety of area Jewish organizations. They are devoted shul-goers, volunteers, and participants at Congregation Beth El and Chabad of Tidewater. Seth is first vice-president at Beth El. Both are involved with the proIsrael community with AIPAC and the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Nataly is co-chair of the Community Relations Council’s Israel committee. They are also enthusiastic volunteers and proponents of Jewish Family Service, NEST,
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and several Ghent-based organizations. The couple teaches the importance of Judaism to their two children: daughter Shira, six, attends the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater and son, Matan, four, will soon follow. With assistance from Philip Rovner, president of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation, the Fleishmans were able to Create a Jewish Legacy by endowing their gift to the Jewish community. They chose a life insurance policy as their means to ensure the community will be strong for future generations. Seth says Rovner sold him on the idea of endowing their gifts after he went with the Sandler Men’s Mission to Israel July. “It was with men in the community that each of us knew, but probably wouldn’t otherwise have had the chance to spend an entire day with and get to know better. The trip had that special something that makes you want to do more.” Seth is thankful to the Sandlers for sponsoring such an event and choosing him to participate. He says he feels an obligation to educate others on endowments, especially his peers.
Seth and Nataly Fleishman
“I feel like I need to inform people my age to look into life insurance policies as a way to give back to the community. While my peers and I may not have the resources of more senior people in the community, we have a clear advantage when it comes to getting life insurance.” Nataly agrees. “You don’t have to give a lot at once to make a difference. We give a little money at a time, and it can make a big impact in the end, which is just as important.” For more information on how to Create a Jewish Legacy, contact Philip Rovner at PSRovner@ujft.org or 757-965-6109.