Jewish news April 17, 2017

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Nation Lawmakers press Trump administration anew on bias crimes, anti-Semitism Ron Kampeas

WASHINGTON ( JTA)—Lawmakers in Congress continued to press the Trump administration to address perceived spikes in bias crimes in the United States and in anti-Semitism abroad, reflecting bipartisan concern that President Donald Trump remains insufficiently engaged on the issues.

The Senate resolution, approved unanimously earlier this month, urged the Trump administration “to continue Federal assistance that may be available for victims of hate crimes” and “to continue safety and preparedness programs for religious institutions, places of worship, and other institutions that have been targeted because of the affiliation of the institutions with any particular religious, racial, or ethnic minority.”

Separately, top House of Representatives lawmakers introduced legislation that would elevate the role of the State Department’s anti-Semitism monitor, a response to reports that Trump plans to scrap the position.

Bipartisan backing for the initiatives suggests a rare example of an adversarial relationship between the White House and both parties in Congress. And they reflect concerns at Trump administration plans to roll back funding since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 for initiatives and positions that protect Jews and other minorities.

A number of Jewish groups have expressed alarm at Trump administration plans to roll back security assistance for nonprofits, currently at $20 million, into broader emergency planning funding, which they fear will see the program’s elimination. Lawmakers have called on the administration to keep the funding separate and to more than double it to $50 million.

The Senate resolution also urged federal agencies to improve the reporting of hate crimes, which anti-bias groups have said for years is uneven and at times unreliable, and calling for an interagency task

force “to collaborate on the development of effective strategies and efforts to detect and deter hate crime in order to protect minority communities.”

Sens. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., initiated the resolution. Harris first announced she would introduce the resolution at last month’s policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

“We applaud the Senate for forcefully condemning hate in all its forms and for urging the federal government to take concrete steps to fight back against discrimination and bias-motivated crimes,” Jonathan Greenblatt, the Anti-Defamation League’s CEO, said in a statement.

“Anti-Semitism and bigotry are affecting countries all over the world, and the U.S. is no exception. But the rigor of America’s response and the solidarity we demonstrate for each other across diverse communities is exceptional.”

Also on Wednesday, April 5, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly apologized during testimony for not yet responding to a letter sent last month by all 100 senators urging him and other top U.S. security officials to address bomb threats to Jewish institutions.

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., asked Kelly during the secretary’s testimony to the Senate’s Homeland Security committee why he had failed to reply 29 days after the letter was sent to Kelly, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and FBI director James Comey.

“It should have been a long time ago, I’ll apologize and I’m on it,” Kelly said.

Since the letter was sent, an Israeli Jewish teenager believed to be responsible for the bomb threats has been arrested, but Kelly suggested a broader threat remained and extended it to mosques and African-American churches as well.

“I’ve told my people, let’s not just talk one religion, let’s not just talk terrorists for that matter, how about white supremacists?” Kelly said. (JTA)

Upfront

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Jewish groups join letter urging Congress to resist Trump bid to allow church politicking

Few Americans hold anti-Semitic views, majority concerned about violence against Jews, ADL polls find

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WASHINGTON (JTA—An array of Jewish organizations joined a letter from religious groups to Congress urging the preservation of a law banning tax-exempt status to faith groups that endorse candidates and parties—one that President Donald Trump says he hopes to rescind.

“Houses of worship are spaces for members of religious communities to come together, not be divided along political lines,” said the April 4 letter signed by 99 groups and addressed to the leaders of both parties in the House of Representatives and Senate, as well as to the leaders of tax-writing committees.

“Faith ought to be a source of connection and community, not division and discord,” the letter said. “The charitable sector, particularly houses of worship, should not become another cog in a political machine or another loophole in campaign finance laws.”

Trump while campaigning said he wanted to roll back the “Johnson Amendment,” named for President Lyndon Johnson, who led its passage as a Texas senator in the 1950s. Trump said the amendment restricts free speech and favors Democrats by inhibiting political support among evangelical Christians. He has repeated the pledge since assuming office.

The law, as the letter points out, permits churches to engage with political issues and allows pastors to endorse candidates away from church settings. Its restriction is on explicit endorsements of a candidate or a party by a church.

Among the Jewish groups endorsing are the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee, Bend the Arc, B’nai B’rith International, the Reform movement’s Central Conference of American Rabbis, Hadassah, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and Jewish community relations councils in Boston and Washington, the Jewish Federations of North America, Jewish Women International, the National Council of Jewish Women, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Assembly, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, the Union for Reform Judaism and Women of Reform Judaism.

Most Americans do not hold anti-Semitic views and are worried about violence against Jews, according to polls by the AntiDefamation League.

Only 14 percent of Americans expressed anti-Semitic attitudes, a slight increase from 10 percent in 2015, according to the data, which was released this month. Older and less educated respondents were the most likely to hold anti-Jewish views.

However, 52 percent of respondents said they were concerned about anti-Semitic violence and an even higher proportion, 76 percent, were worried about violence against Muslims, the ADL found.

Forty-seven percent of respondents said there was more anti-Semitism during the 2016 presidential campaign than in previous times. Nearly half of Americans, 49 percent, said Donald Trump had not done enough to discourage anti-Jewish sentiments as a candidate, while 39 percent said he had.

The polls found that a higher proportion of Muslim Americans, 34 percent, held anti-Semitic views than the general population.

That number, the ADL noted, is lower than among Muslims in Europe and the Middle East and North Africa, where 55 and 75 percent hold anti-Jewish views, respectively. The polls also found that half of Muslim Americans hold a favorable view of Israel and most Muslim Americans, 89 percent, were worried about violence against them and Islamic institutions.

“The good news in this research is that today a large majority of Americans do not subscribe to common anti-Semitic stereotypes,” Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL’s national director, said in a statement.

“It’s also encouraging that a record number of Americans are concerned about violence against the Jewish and Muslim communities, and are troubled at how intolerance has infected our politics. But it’s discouraging to know that Muslims and other minorities feel unsafe. Clearly, there is still a lot of work to do.”

Interviews were conducted last October as well as in January and February of this year. The polls had a margin of error of 1.6 to 3 percent. (JTA)

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Pressure on Trump administration on anti-Semitism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Girls’ Afternoon at the Movies . . . . . . . . . . . 23

UpFront. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Hannah Marin wins CRC Israel Poster Contest. . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

“I don’t care if the average guy

Briefs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Israel Fest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

on the street really knows what

Torah Thought. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

What’s Happening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

I’m like, as long as he knows I’m

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Israel’s response to U.S. missile strike in Syria. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

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Israelis pray for Syrians. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Local teen elected to BBYO International board. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Who Knew? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Special Section—Home

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jewishnewsva.org | April 17, 2017 | Jewish News | 3

Briefs Prince Charles recalls grandmother’s rescue of Jews from Holocaust Prince Charles of Wales spoke with Holocaust survivors in Austria about his grandmother’s role in saving the lives of a Jewish family during the Shoah.

Charles and his wife, Camilla, spent the final day of a nine-day tour of Europe in Vienna meeting British and Austrian survivors of Nazi persecution at the city’s Jewish museum, the Jewish News of London reported.

The royal couple sat down with a group of elderly men and women who shared their harrowing stories with them.

During World War II, Princess Alice, the Duke of Edinburgh’s mother and Charles’s grandmother, sheltered a number of Jewish people when Greece was occupied.

Alice, who is buried in Israel, was recognized by the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem as a Righteous Among the Nations, and was posthumously awarded the British Government’s Hero of the Holocaust medal.

In September 1943, the Cohen family, old acquaintances from the Greek town of Trikala, appealed to Princess Alice for refuge. She hid them in her palace until the Nazis withdrew in October 1944. During that time, the Nazis sent the vast majority of Greece’s Jewish community to concentration camps.

Charles told the group: “My father’s mother took in a Jewish family during the war and hid them—she was amazing, my grandmother. She took them in during the Nazi occupation. She never told anybody, she didn’t tell her family for many years.

She’s buried in Jerusalem.”

Princess Alice’s remains are interred at the picturesque Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, above the Garden of Gethsemane, on the Mount of Olives.

Charles said he visited the grave last September while attending the funeral of Shimon Peres, a former president and prime minister of Israel. (JTA) Online ad leads couple to buy ancient Jewish headstone Responding to an online ad, an Austrian couple from Vienna bought a 19th-century headstone that was taken from the grave

of a Jewish man and gave it to a Jewish community.

In an article about the couple, the Heute daily did not name the man and identified the woman as Katharina B., a 35-year-old Christian scholar of international relations.

She and her husband found the ad on a website for used goods. It was advertised as antique-style building material.

Pictures posted on the website showed the Hebrew-language writing engraved into the headstone of Lev Unger, who passed away in 1884.

The seller, who was not named, wrote it was “used” and “bargain cheap.” He charged 275 euros, or approximately $300, for the headstone, which Katharina and her husband paid before loading the heavy slab into the trunk of their car. They drove 80 miles from Vienna to Feldbach to buy the item from the seller, who kept it inside his garden shed.

“Because of the Hebrew inscription, I immediately realized that this is a Jewish tombstone, and I wondered how this man can have a Jewish tombstone,” Katharina told Heute.

The man said he bought it from an undertaker, the report said.

The couple gave the headstone to Elie Rosen, president of the Jewish community of the city of Graz, who is trying to locate the cemetery from which the headstone was taken. They neither asked nor were offered reimbursement.

“We knew we had done the right thing,” Katharina said. “We were silent for a long time on the ride with the stone of the dead man in the car.”

Rosen placed the headstone —temporarily at least—in a section of the Jewish cemetery in Graz. (JTA)

Tufts student senate passes Israel divestment resolution The Tufts University student senate passed a resolution calling on the university to divest from four companies that do business with Israel.

The resolution, titled “A Resolution Calling for Tufts University to End Investments in The Israeli Occupation,” passed the Tufts Community Union Senate on Sunday, April 9 by a vote of 17 in favor and six opposed, with eight abstentions.

4 | Jewish News | April 17, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

More than 100 students attended the senate debate prior to the vote, according to the Tufts Daily student newspaper.

The resolution calls for the university to divest from or not begin investing in Elbit Systems, G4S, Northrop Grumman and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and to screen its investments for human rights compliance. It is unclear whether Tufts currently invests in those four companies.

The symbolic resolution is not binding on the university.

Students associated with the Students for Justice in Palestine group put forth the resolution. Some students during the question-and-answer period of the Senate meeting expressed concern that holding the vote the day before the start of Passover prevented Jewish students who went home for the holiday from expressing their opinions.

Rabbi Jeffrey Summit, Tufts Hillel executive director, told the Algemeiner Journal that Hillel was working to combat the resolution.

“The Hillel Jewish community is deeply disturbed by this vote, and by the way the resolution was brought so close to Pesach, at a time when many of our students are home with their families readying themselves for the holiday,” Summit told the Algemeiner.

Several other student governments at colleges and universities have passed similar resolution. They include Stanford, the University of Chicago, Northwestern, Oberlin, Vassar, Wesleyan University, and a number in in the University of California network—Los Angeles, Berkeley, Irvine, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Cruz and Davis. (JTA)

Rocket fired from Sinai hits Israel hours after border crossing closed A rocket fired from Sinai landed on a greenhouse in southern Israel near the Gaza border hours after Israel closed its border with Egypt, citing fear of an imminent attack.

The rocket was fired on Monday, April 10 causing Code Red alerts to sound in several Israeli communities on the border with Gaza. No injuries were reported, but a tomato greenhouse was damaged.

The Islamic State terror organization later claimed responsibility for the attack.

Earlier in the morning, in an unusual move, the Taba border crossing between Israel and Sinai was closed following an alert by Israel’s National Security Council Counter-Terrorism Bureau of concrete information of a planned attack targeting Israeli citizens. Under the closure, Israeli citizens will not be allowed to cross into the Sinai, but may return to Israel through the crossing point.

The border closure and the announcement of the threat come a day after two attacks on Egyptian churches that left nearly 40 people dead and dozens injured. The Islamic State also claimed responsibility.

Israelis were requested to leave Sinai and return to Israel due to the threat. The Taba crossing is located near Eilat and allows Israelis to enter Sinai.

The closure will remain in effect until April 18, the day after Passover ends. The holiday is a popular time for Israelis to vacation at resorts in Sinai. (JTA)

All cigarettes kosher for Passover, Israel’s Sephardi chief rabbi says Israel’s Sephardi chief rabbi ruled that it is permitted to smoke cigarettes that are not certified as kosher for Passover during the holiday.

Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef said in a satellite television broadcast that cigarettes do not need to be certified as leaven-free for Passover, though some cigarettes manufactured in Israel or abroad are certified as kosher for Passover.

He appeared to be responding to questions about whether American cigarettes need to be certified as kosher, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Yosef seemed to base part of his ruling on the fact that leaven is not forbidden if a dog will not eat it.

“If you put a cigarette in front of a dog, who is always hungry—he will eat anything. But put a cigarette in front him, will he smoke it? He won’t touch it,” the rabbi said in the Hebrew-language broadcast.

Yosef did indicate that it is better not to even start smoking, but added that if a person is already addicted, he doesn’t need certification. (JTA)

Torah Thought

Shemini thus proving the superiority of the soul’s power.

We marvel at Israel’s world-class astonishing accomplishments and innovations in its brief and challenging years of renewed sovereignty, even as it faces Iran along with its proxies’ undiminished existential threats and the close presence of ISIS and Jihadist groups with the tragic Syrian scenario entering its sixth year of massive human destruct this sacred season of re-contion and the greatest refugee crisis since secration to recollection, we are WWII. New opportunities have emerged poised between Yom Hashoah’s for rapprochement between Israel and monumental burden of sorrow and Yom the Sunni Arab states. We bemoan the Ha’ Atzmaout’s transforming joy. We precipitous and alarming global rise of pause at this great twilight oscillating anti-Semitism, the world’s oldest hatred between the helplessness of Yeoush’s that made the Holocaust possible. The despair and Hatikvah’s hopefulness of threats within the United States against Yeshua’s salvation. We turn to the Torah’s Jewish institutions, the desecraBook of Life that we may face the tion of Jewish cemeteries and Shoah’s Book of Death. These, It anti-Israel/Jewish activities too, are our Days of Awe, no is ultimately in American schools make less awesome than those in mockery of sacred memory, the fall, sanctified through our own justice and truth, while our people’s blood and resolve, so curiously close conduct or lack enabling aggressors to persist and delay peace. to Pesach’s twin themes of Parashat Shemini alerts bitter enslavement and ever of it, which us to the unexpected both promising redemption. determines the in the human condition Celebrating Israel’s 69th and the divine response. In anniversary, we look foroutcome the midst of the Tabernacle’s ward to the 50th jubilee of the zenith of joyful dedication, two 1967 Six-Day-War’s miraculous of the four sons of Aaron the High victory, and the reunification of Priest who just a short while ago were Jerusalem, the Jewish people’s eternal all consecrated as Kohanim, are tragically capital. We recall the preceding gripconsumed by fire. We are told and taught, ping fear of another Holocaust, this time though ponder we must, that the victims’ by the surrounding and menacing Arab attendance to holy duties went awry. states begrudging the triumphant surThe text reads, “Va’idom Aaron,” “And vival of European Jewry’s remnant which Aaron turned silent.” He had no words. includes my own family. At last, all of Perhaps he could find no words given Jerusalem’s holy sites are safeguarded and the shock’s magnitude of a double loss of respected as we pray for Shalom’s blesshis dearest of the dear, while ironically ing of elusive peace to embrace Israelis performing their sacred service. “Va’idom and Palestinians—with the latter finally Aaron,” yet conceivably Aaron chose not accepting the exceptional return of an to speak that he may not utter, out of the ancient people uprooted from its native depths of pain, blasphemous words offenland by the Roman sword’s power for two sive to God and mocking his own calling. trying millennia, yet never abandoning Thus, choosing to remain silent, its divine bond with Zion and Jerusalem,

A

but not necessarily speechless, was Aaron’s best possible option under terrifying circumstances that challenged him personally as well as professionally, threatening to undo his very being.

Insightfully, if not convincingly, a rabbinic commentary blames the disaster on the poor communication between the victims, Nadav and Avihu, along with their familial failure to respect father Aaron and consult with Uncle Moses. Namely, it is ultimately our own conduct or lack of it, which determines the outcome and not necessarily the Divine’s actions.

At the risk of lifting a verse out of context of a sensitive text of theological quagmire, the following resonates with overwhelming relevance to Yom Ha’Shoah, which is observed, no accident, on the week of Shemini. “And your brethren the entire household of Israel will bemoan the srefa, the burning fire.”

The following double parasha of TazriaMetzora touches upon defiling body

conditions to which the rabbis attached an ethical dimension. Leprosy becomes more than a skin ailment. With linguistic aid it is the chosen metaphor for violation, not

by God, but by one human being against another. To diminish one’s reputation, Motzi Shem Ra, was tantamount to no less than shedding one’s blood. A good name, Shem Tov, was to be a person’s crowning glory. No surprise, the sinfully genocidal Nazi ideology insisted on dehumanizing as a means for a person’s and our people’s total destruction in spirit and body.

Shall we all, the Shoah’s wounded survivors, choose Aaron’s approach of silence as a path—though like him we profusely bleed, or use words, which our enemy manipulated with ease, to contend with a reality we are commanded to change? The covenantal call and cry is clearly our own, “You shall be holy for I am holy.” Ken Yehi Ratzon. Amen.

—Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman

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3/10/17 4:56 PM

Israel Why Israelis are happy about Trump’s missile strike—and why they should be wary Ron Kampeas

WASHINGTON ( JTA)—Israel’s government and pundits are unabashedly pleased by the missile strike ordered by President Donald Trump early Friday, April 7 on the Syrian airfield from where a deadly chemical attack is believed to have been launched.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put out a statement out at 6 am local time—unusually early—just to make clear he “fully supports” the strike.

“In both word and action, President Trump sent a strong and clear message today that the use and spread of chemical weapons will not be tolerated,” he said.

Trump ordered the launch of 59 Tomahawk missiles on the airfield in northern Syria believed to be where a sarin attack that killed at least 72 civilians, including many children was launched.

The missile attack, Syria said in reports that could not be confirmed, killed nine civilians—including four children—and six troops, and caused extensive damage.

Here are some reasons why Israelis are backing the strike—and some reasons why it might not be so simple.

The moral imperative Images of children gassed a few hundred miles north of Israel hits close to home for a country where the helplessness that Jews faced against the Nazi genocide remains a defining national characteristic.

“There was a genuinely strongly felt moral issue, and that was something that Israelis felt across the political spectrum when the pictures emerged of people killed in the chemical attack, given the Jewish people’s history of being gassed in the Holocaust,” says Daniel Shapiro, who until January was the U.S. ambassador to Israel and still lives there.

Israelis in just days have raised hundreds of thousands of shekels for the victims; fundraisers have explicitly invoked Holocaust imagery.

“No Jew can stay silent as children are being gassed in the streets of Syria,” IsraelGives says on its web page.

The sheriff is back in town.

Israelis were frustrated by the Obama administration’s hesitancy in confronting Assad.

In 2013, President Barack Obama said the use of chemical weapons would trigger an attack. But when Syria crossed the line, instead of launching an attack, Obama coordinated a deal with Russia under which Syria would divest itself of its chemical weaponry. It now appears clear to the United States and its allies that Syria’s divestment was more fraud than fact.

Trump while campaigning for the presidency appeared to want an even further retreat. His sole conceptualization of Syrian President Bashar Assad until the chemical attack was as an ally in combating Islamic State terrorists, an embrace that Obama, however feckless his chemical weapons retreat was, forcefully rejected. Trump officials said prior to the attack that they were ready to reverse stated Obama administration policy that any resolution to the Syria conflict must include the removal of Assad.

That concerned Israelis—most prominently Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman—who were concerned that a resurgent Assad would allow Israel’s deadliest enemies, Iran and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, a foothold on Israel’s border with Syria.

Trump in three days did a 180 on Assad—“My attitude toward Syria and Assad has changed very much,” the president said the day after the chemical attack—and so, commensurately, have Israelis warmed to Trump.

“American leadership is once again credible,” Maj. Gen. Amos Gilad, until last year the director of policy at the Israeli Defense Ministry, told Israel Radio.

“When you use nerve gas against a civilian population, the message is clear.”

Netanyahu in his praise for Trump said the message should resonate as far as Iran and North Korea. The prime minister and his government continue to see the 2015 nuclear deal Obama negotiated with

Israel Iran, trading sanctions relief for a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program, as a license for Iran and its proxies to continue its regional interventionism.

Israel “hopes that this message of resolve in the face of the Assad regime’s horrific actions will resonate not only in Damascus but in Tehran, Pyongyang and elsewhere,” Netanyahu said.

Andrew Tabler, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy who spent years in Syria, says that the chief concern for Israel and America’s Sunni Arab allies was what was “baked into” the nuclear deal: “That Iran could use rump governments in Iraq and Syria to shoot people into the region into submission” while the principal U.S. concern

was sustaining the Iran deal.

What’s not predictable 1. Do Israeli jets still get to take out potential threats without triggering a Russian response?

An ally of the Assad regime, Russia was furious at the missile attack and suspended its “deconfliction” agreement with

the United States—one under which the two nations give each other prior notice of any military action, particularly from the air, so there’s no risk of an inadvertent clash.

Russia has a similar arrangement with Israel; does that go by the wayside? Israel as recently as last month sent jets into continued on page 8

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Israel continued from page 7

Syria to stop the smuggling of Syrian arms to Hezbollah.

Gilad, speaking on Israel Radio, said he was confident that Russia would continue to allow Israel to act.

“I don’t think there’s any threat on Israeli action as long as it in the defense of Israel’s interests,” he said.

2. Is Israel more of a target than before?

Israel’s most potent threat is Hezbollah, which has positioned tens of thousands of missiles throughout Lebanon since the last Hezbollah-Israel war in 2006. Israeli brass believes Hezbollah could be positioning itself for another Israel war, if only as a pretext to draw attention away from Syria, where its alliance with Iran and the Assad regime has taken hits.

Hezbollah called the missile strike an “idiotic” action that was “in service” to Israel and predicted that it would increase tension.

3. Russia’s mad? But wait, we like Russia.

Netanyahu has gone to great lengths to cultivate Russia, in part because Israel sees Russia as the likeliest agent to broker a final status deal that would keep Iran and Hezbollah as far as possible from Syria’s southwest, where Israel’s border is.

He endured a tongue lashing from Russian President Vladimir Putin just for intimating that Syria is responsible for the chemical attack. (Russia insists there is no proof yet.)

The closeness of Trump and his team to Russia—in Washington, increasingly seen as a burden, as it engenders a string of scandals—is seen as a plus in Israel, where it was hoped Trump would leverage his friendship with Putin as a means of containing Assad, Hezbollah and Iran.

“Israel still sees Trump as a dealmaker with Russia, and they want to know if Trump drives a wedge between Russia and Iran-Hezbollah-Syria,” David Makovsky, the Ziegler distinguished fellow at the

Washington Institute, says.

4. That Sunni alliance thing…it’s complicated.

The conventional wisdom in Washington after the attack is that Trump has revivified the U.S. profile in Israel among the United States’ Sunni Arab allies.

Except as much as Assad is despised among Sunni Arabs, both for his belonging to the secretive Alawite sect and his alliance with Shiite actors like Iran and Hezbollah, direct U.S. intervention is not necessarily popular.

Critically, Egypt—whose leader, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, recently lavished praise on Trump—was less than enthusiastic about the strike.

“Egypt affirms the importance of sparing Syria and the Middle East the dangers of crisis escalation in order to preserve the safety of the nations that comprise it,” its Foreign Ministry said, according to Al-Ahram. “We see the necessity for swift

action to end the armed conflict in Syria to preserve the lives of the Syrian people through a commitment by all Syrian parties for an immediate cease-fire and a return to negotiations under the aegis of the United Nations.”

Egyptian unhappiness could hamper Netanyahu’s bid to use Egypt as a conduit to new peace deals with other moderate Arab states.

“Sisi sees Assad rightly or wrongly as part of the battle against Islamic extremism,” says Shapiro, who is now a senior visiting fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel.

“There’s also the more traditional Egyptian value of not wanting to see any foreign intervention in an Arab state lest it be directed at Egypt,” he says.

“And Egypt has in recent months gone a bit closer to the Russians, and Russians have participated in counter ISIS operations in western Egypt. That creates some potential tensions between Egypt and its

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8 | Jewish News | April 17, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

Israel strategic partner Israel and Sisi and his new friend Donald Trump.”

5. It’s open-ended—which means, duh, we don’t know how it will end.

Tabler cautions against seeing longterm consequences because of a single strike; no one knows yet where Trump will take U.S. involvement.

“This strike is not the same as the

invasion of Iraq in 2003,” he says.

Israel initially was supportive of the U.S. action in Iraq, but soon grew apprehensive as the Bush administration neglected increasing threats from Iran and its war radicalized Sunni Arabs in the region.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson suggested that the strike was a one-off.

“I would not in any way attempt to

extrapolate that to a change in our policy or our posture relative to our military activities in Syria today,” he said in a media availability.

That did not assuage concerns among Democrats and even some Republicans in Congress, who called for consultations with Congress ahead of any further action.

“Our prior interventions in this region

have done nothing to make us safer, and Syria will be no different,” said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said on Twitter: “I’m deeply concerned the strike in Syria could lead the U.S. back into the quagmire of long-term military engagement in the Middle East.”

Recalling lessons of Passover, Israelis pray for their Syrian ‘enemies’ Andrew Tobin

TEL AVIV (JTA)—At a Shabbat service in Tel Aviv on Friday, April 7, congregants recited the mourner’s prayer for those killed in Syria’s civil war.

Standing before a mural of the Tree of Life, the rabbi of Beit Daniel, the largest Reform synagogue in Israel, delivered a sermon on the Jewish obligation to condemn the savagery of the war. And a bar mitzvah boy led a prayer for peace in honor of the Syrian people, whom Israelis have long considered enemies.

“When you include something in your prayers, you push it to a higher level of consciousness,” says Gilad Kariv, the head of the Reform movement in Israel and a member of Beit Daniel. “We declared that the Syrian people are rooted in the deepest part of our soul as individuals and as a community.”

After an apparent chemical attack in Syria on April 4 killed dozens of people, including children, liberal and Orthodox Israeli Jews alike adapted their Passover prayers to address the tragedy unfolding just across their northern border. They found inspiration to pray for Syrians in the story of the holiday, which some Jews interpret as urging sympathy for the oppressed—and even the oppressor.

Israel’s Reform movement this year asked its members to dedicate the Sabbath before Passover, called Shabbat Hagadol, to the Syrians and refer to them at least twice during the seder, which recounts the Israelites’ biblical exodus from slavery in Egypt. The first mention was to come before a prayer for peace by the 18th-century Hasidic rebbe Nachman of Braslav,

which some may add to the Haggadah.

The second, when seder participants spilled a drop of wine for each of the 10 plagues God visited upon the Egyptians to win the Israelites’ freedom.

Kariv cites the view that the wine ritual symbolizes that the Jewish “cup of joy” is diminished because the Israelites’ emancipation came through the suffering of the Egyptians. If inheritors of that Jewish tradition can find room to forgive the biblical Egyptians, he says, Israelis can certainly sympathize with Syrians, with whom they have battled and never made peace.

“Despite the fact that Israelis can identify the Syrian people as our enemies, the vast majority of us feel deeply saddened about what is happening next door,” he says. “We are using this tradition to remind us to have sorrow for the suffering of all people.”

Zeev Keinan, a longtime leader in Israel’s Conservative, or Masorti, movement, delivered a Torah commentary at his Maayanot synagogue in Jerusalem about whether Israelis should pray for the Syrians. His conclusion—yes—was not a surprise to anyone who read the prayer he wrote several months ago for the Syrian people on behalf of the movement. He said the prayer, which has been widely distributed, was read at his synagogue and others throughout Passover.

Appropriately, Keinan notes, a line from the prayer is taken from a passage of Exodus that refers to the aftermath of the final plague God inflicted on the Egyptians: the death of every non-Jewish firstborn son.

Keinan, whose mother is a Holocaust

survivor, says repurposing the phrase “there is not a house without one dead” (Exodus 12:30) is in keeping with the Passover tradition. In addition to the spilling of the wine, Keinan refers to the Talmudic story that God stopped the angels from rejoicing when the Egyptian soldiers who were pursuing the fleeing Israelites drowned in the Red Sea, saying, “How dare you sing for joy when My creatures are dying.”

In the Orthodox world, a prayer for Syrians made the rounds online ahead of Passover. Written in 2013 by a leading religious Zionist ethicist, Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, the prayer reads in part: “We beseech You in prayer to arouse in the killers their basic humanity and evoke mercy in their hearts, that they may recognize that we are all created in the image of God, and that there are limits even to human cruelty.”

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jewishnewsva.org | April 17, 2017 | Jewish News | 9

TIDEWATER

Local teen elected to BBYO International board; area chapters shine at BBYO Eastern Region Spring Convention Sherri Wisoff

B

Friday, April 28 7:00PM Saturday, April 29 2:00PM Saturday, April 29 7:00PM

10 | Jewish News | April 17, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

BYO International Convention 2017 and Eastern Region’s Spring Convention served as dynamic meeting places and real-world classrooms to provide teen leaders opportunities for shared leadership resources and new skills to help change the world.

The record-breaking crowd of this year’s International convention, up 296% since 2012, offered an encouraging statistic for teen engagement in Jewish life.

Held in Dallas, Texas over Presidents’ Day weekend, 28 local teens joined more than 4,800 BBYOers, including Jewish teen leaders, educators, professionals, and philanthropists from 48 states and 30 countries, making it one of the largest Jewish communal leadership events in North America and the largest gathering of Jewish teens worldwide.

Elections for the 2017–2018 AZA (Aleph Zadik Aleph—BBYO’s boy division) International board, was especially exciting for Tidewater. Jack Rosenblum, a 17-year-old student at Cape Henry Collegiate, was elected the 29th Grand Aleph Shaliach (International vice-president of Jewish Heritage). Jack will be a part of a 10-member teen board that will help chart the organization’s vision for the year and provide leadership and support to teen leaders in local communities throughout the BBYO system.

Rosenblum will focus on enhancing the Judaic content in programs through the BBYO community and oversee initiatives that highlight Jewish values and themes. He will also coordinate Kallah, BBYO’s summer experience for Jewish learning, spirituality, and self-discovery.

The son of Ellen and Scott Rosenblum, Jack says, “I could not be more honored to serve on the International board of BBYO. I have gained so much from this organization, and it amazes me how

Jack Rosenblum

many lives we have the ability to impact.

For everything BBYO has done for me, I am so thrilled to be able to give back, and to bring this organization to new heights.”

Last month, at Eastern Region’s Spring Convention, Tidewater AZA chapter, Dr. Israel Brown, led by Godol (president) Reed Goldner, won the Spirit Gavel and Simcha BBG (B’nai B’rith Girls), led

by N’siah (president) Payton Stredler, brought home the Spirit Cup. Erika Eskenazi, BBYO city director and director of children’s programming at the Simon Family JCC, says, “We are so proud of our Virginia Beach teens for their ruach (Hebrew for spirit) and hard work in preparing for the chapter spirit convention.”

For more information about BBYO, contact Erika Eskenazi at eeskenazi@simonfamilyjcc.org.

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Home

A bag for kitchens that works wonders Terri Denison

J

ust when my husband thought we were making great strides in eliminating kitchen gadgets and appliances that we rarely use, I walked in with another box.

Without even knowing him, you can probably imagine the look on his face.

“What’s that?” he asked, not in his usual friendly tone.

“This one is different,” I said.

After a simple roll of his eyes, he let it be.

Billed as an alternative to slow cookers or hot plates, the wonderbag is just that…a colorful cloth bag. No electrical cords. No batteries. No power at all!

That means it can be used just about anywhere without worry.

An award winning eco-friendly slow cooker, the wonderbag is a much safer option to using hotplates during Shabbat, for example. It also offers a convenient way to feed a family everyday with minimum prep time—and stress time, with absolutely no supervision.

Basically a slow cooker, the wonderbag takes the energy and heat from a pot of food boiled on the stove. The bag traps the heat and cooks the dish in its own juices, retaining all the nutrients and flavor. The heat-retention cooks the food at a hot and safe temperature. The bag can cook for up to 12 hours, without any supervision. In fact, dishes aren’t ruined, as the bag is not operating on an external heat source.

The principle of retained-heat cooking is simple. In conventional cooking, any heat applied to the pot after it reaches boiling point is merely replacing heat lost from exposure to the open air.

In wonderbag cooking, food is brought to a boil, simmered for a few minutes, then placed into the wonderbag to continue cooking.

The insulated cooking technique prevents heat escaping from the dish, removing the need for additional energy to complete the cooking process.

Cooking in a wonderbag slow cooker can save between 30% and 80% of the

The wonderbag.

energy normally required for cooking, according to the manufacturer.

Another plus is that the bag’s exterior doesn’t get hot, so it literally can sit anywhere. And, since the bag is light in weight and portable, it can be transported to an outdoor party, picnic, or other social occasion—while it’s still cooking.

For everyday, the wonderbag means cutting back on power and grocery bills (cheap meat off-cuts and bruised veggies are perfect for slow cooking), and it helps the environment. For holidays or Shabbat, it means spending whatever time a dish needs to be prepped, a few minutes boiling it on the stove and then leaving the wonderbag to do the rest, completely powerless.

While it is larger than my Crock Pot when it is cooking, when it is not in use, unlike other appliances, it compresses

When loaded, the wonderbag is larger than a standard slow cooker.

(like any bag), and can easily be stored on a closet shelf…way out of sight.

The bag comes with a recipe book that features dishes from mushroom barley risotto to steel-cut oatmeal to Chicken Marbella to whole milk plain yogurt. A

word of warning: some of the recipes in the 48-page book are not kosher.

So, with the wonderbag, our kitchen hasn’t lost any of that cleared out space.

That empty shelf in the coat closet, however, isn’t quite so empty anymore.

jewishnewsva.org | April 17, 2017 | Home | Jewish News | 13

Home

ENJOY SOME MUCH NEEDED TAX RELIEF.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast Jennifer Stempel (Nosher via JTA)—Because I am someone who runs her life a million miles per minute, but still value the fruits of a home-cooked meal, the slow cooker is certainly a mainstay in my kitchen. Because of this favorite small appliance, my family gets to enjoy rich, hearty meals that taste like they’ve been simmering all day, even on those days when I’ve got just a few minutes to get dinner on the table.

I especially love making this savory slow cooker pot roast for a festive Shabbat meal.

Any good starchy side like rice, potatoes, or noodles will sop up the juices in a fabulous way. Plus, if you’re lucky you’ll have leftovers, which I have been known to turn into pot roast tacos the next day.

Do the prep work the night before, and set the slow cooker in the morning. By the time dinner rolls around, your neighbors will be knocking on your door to join your Shabbat table.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe Ingredients

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1 5-lb boneless beef chuck roast 1½ tsp kosher salt (or more, to taste) 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper (or more, to taste) 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 large sweet onions, diced

2 large carrots , diced 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced 1 large sprig of rosemary 12 oz cremini mushrooms, chopped 1 15-oz can low sodium beef broth 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes 1 dried bay leaf

Directions

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Pat the beef chuck roast dry, and season with salt and pepper. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil, and brown the beef on all sides (about 3 minutes per side).

While the beef is browning, layer the onions, carrots, garlic, rosemary and mushrooms in the bowl of a slow cooker.

Once the beef is browned on all sides, place the beef on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker.

Deglaze the saute pan with the beef broth, making sure to scrape up any dark spots from the pan.

Pour the broth in the slow cooker.

Pour the diced tomatoes over the beef, and tuck in a dried bay leaf.

Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.

Remove the beef from the slow cooker using kitchen tongs, and set on a carving board. Shred or slice, and serve with a starchy side dish. Or, you can remove the sprig of rosemary and the bay leaf and blend the vegetables into a thick sauce that can be used as a gravy.

Note: Steps 1–4 can be done the night before. Store the bowl of the slow cooker in the refrigerator overnight, and continue from step 5 in the morning.

The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at www.TheNosher.com.

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Security & Beauty

Home Five helpful hints for a clean and clutter-free home (StatePoint) Papers piling up? Toys taking over? If your home is more cluttered than clean, you’re not alone—85 percent of homeowners say that organization and storage is the most desired feature in a home, according to OrganizedLiving.com.

Your clean-home dreams can come true. In fact, simply getting rid of clutter alone can eliminate 40 percent of housework in the average home, according to the National Soap and Detergent Association. With a few helpful hints your home can get organized… and stay that way.

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16 | Jewish News | Home | April 17, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

Get a new spin on the laundry room.

Sometimes the laundry room needs a bit of cleaning itself. Detergents and other build-up can cause washing machine odors. Run white vinegar through a cycle to sanitize it with ease. Next, improve efficiency and reduce fire hazards by thoroughly cleaning lint from dryer vents – both inside and out. Finally, use labeled baskets to ensure everything has its place. And, since the laundry room is often a catch-all location, label one as a “put away” basket and be sure to empty it daily, putting its contents back in their proper places.

Control bathroom chaos.

From towels to toiletries, bathrooms hold a lot of “stuff,” which can make organizing feel like a losing battle. Create a de-cluttering schedule. Since many toiletries, such as toothbrushes and make-up, should be replaced quarterly, this is the perfect time to purge.

Empty drawers and linen cabinets and toss out items that are old or aren’t being used.

Shelf liner can once again be a useful addition before putting items back, since products

Home like Easy Liner brand products with Clorox antimicrobial protection can add an extra level of clean by helping prevent the growth of odor-causing mold and mildew on the liner. Plus, you can toss it in the wash for easy cleaning.

Gear-up garage organization.

From toys to tools to seasonal gear, the garage has it all. Unfortunately, 25 percent of two-car garages are so cluttered that there isn’t room to park a car, reports the U.S. Department of Energy. Annually, remove everything and categorize items into “keep,” “sell/donate,” and “trash” piles. Next, designate sections of the garage for “work” (hardware and gardening tools) and “play” (toys, bikes and balls). Create vertical storage by adding hooks and floor-to-ceiling shelves. Finally, label bins, boxes and shelves to encourage everyone to maintain the new-found organization.

Purr-fectly clean pets.

Humans aren’t the only ones accumulating clutter or making messes. In fact, Trupanion. com discovered that the average number of pet toys in a home was 34! Start each season by tossing out tattered pet toys and thoroughly disinfecting the keepers—along with leashes, boxes, and bedding. To keep areas neat and clean, place non-adhesive shelf liner under food and water bowls to keep them in place and spills contained. A piece under the litter box can also reduce litter scatter across floors and the grip surface helps pull litter from dirty paws.

By following these helpful tips and tricks, your home will soon be clean, organized and clutter-free.

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Home

Meatballs with Tahini and Tomatoes Recipe

Meatballs with Tahini and Tomatoes Liz Rueven

(The Nosher via JTA)—Tahini is a remarkably versatile ingredient. Its rich, nutty flavor adds unique character to everything from cookies to roasted veggies, raw veggie salads and simmer sauces.

It’s not uncommon to find meatballs or fish fillets simmered in tahini when dining in Israel.

For tahini newbies, be patient when you’re mixing tahini with water and lemon. Go for the right texture first, adding more water and lemon until the sauce is pourable. The paste will turn from beige to whitish, letting you know that you are heading in the right direction. Season with fresh minced garlic and whichever green herb you like best.

This tahini sauce can be stored in a sealed container for three to four days in the refrigerator. Add more water or lemon juice if it thickens up.

To avoid having the sauce seize up, I’ve cooked these meatballs on the stovetop and layered them with tahini in an oven-to-table casserole. Stick the casserole under the broiler just long enough to relax the tomatoes and reheat the meatballs. Be sure to garnish generously, as this dish needs a pop of color to brighten the creamy sauce.

ingredients Meatballs 2 pounds chopped beef or combination of beef and veal or beef and lamb 2 eggs, whisked 1 medium onion, minced or grated ½ cup fresh parsley, stems removed and chopped (reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish) 1 teaspoon cumin ¼ teaspoon allspice 1 teaspoon salt 6–8 twists of black pepper (ground) 8 cloves garlic, minced (reserve 1 teaspoon for tehina; see recipe below) ½ cup breadcrumbs

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes or chopped tomato 3 tablespoons canola oil (for frying) Tahini Sauce 1½ cups tahini paste 4 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed (save some zest for garnish) 1 cup cold water 1 tablespoon (reserved) fresh garlic Salt and pepper to taste Garnish for serving Lemon zest Parsley Chopped tomatoes

Directions

First, make the meatballs: Place chopped beef in a large bowl. Add grated onion, eggs, parsley, garlic, all dried seasonings and breadcrumbs. Mix meat gently until well integrated; do not over-mix. (Grated onion integrates better into meatballs than chopped onion. Be sure to use the juice that collects when grating, as the extra liquid helps to keep meatballs soft.)

Form into meatballs, rolling between your palms and dampening your hands if the meat sticks. Flatten meatballs with the back of a tablespoon to facilitate more even cooking.

Heat oil to medium-high in large cast iron or nonstick pan.

Fry meatballs 3–4 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn and brown other side. Do not crowd meatballs in pan. Fry in 2–3 batches as needed.

Remove meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate.

Next, make the tahini sauce: Whisk all the ingredients together in a large bowl until well blended. The texture should be very loose, almost watery.

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Next, preheat the broiler.

In an ovenproof casserole (Pyrex 10-by-16 or 2 casseroles), pour 1 cup blended tahini into bottom of pan (or pans) and nestle meatballs into pans. Meatballs should be in one layer. Pour remaining tahini over the meatballs.

Place chopped tomatoes on top of the meatballs and scatter into the tahini (this doesn’t have to be perfect). Place under broiler for 3–4 minutes until tomatoes begin to sizzle.

Serve meatballs directly from the oven sprinkled with remaining parsley and lemon zest.

Serving suggestions: Tahini will turn a bit golden and appear thickened after being exposed to the broiler. Fear not! Once you spoon the sauce, it will be deliciously runny. Serve these meatballs over brown rice or couscous and enjoy the broiled tomatoes. For a complete meal, serve with chopped Israeli style salad or wok your favorite green veggie (broccoli, bok choy or spinach) and serve alongside these delicious meatballs.

(Liz Rueven’s blog, Kosher Like Me, features restaurant and product reviews, tips on events where like-minded eaters like her can actually eat, and news about folks in the food world.)

Personal / Business / Life & Health / Employee Benefits

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(757) 490-1631 ~ www.inscogrp.com ~ info@inscogrp.com 18 | Jewish News | Home | April 17, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at www.

TheNosher.com.

From to

Home

Planning Perfection

IKEA apologizes for woman-free catalog catering to haredi Orthodox JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Swedish furniture giant IKEA has apologized for publishing a catalog for Israel’s haredi Orthodox community that does not include any photos of women.

A spokeswoman at IKEA headquarters in Sweden told the Israeli and international media outlets that the catalog was produced by its Israel branch, which has three stores, and that it is “not something that has gone through us.” The spokeswoman also said that “we have been very clear that this is not what the IKEA brand stands for.”

The catalog features furniture that would be in demand by large-sized haredi Orthodox families. There also are no photographs of women, in keeping with the community’s strict tradition of modesty.

“Due to requests we received, we decided to launch an alternative and special catalogue, which allows the religious and Haredi communities to enjoy

thumbing through our products and the solutions that IKEA offers in accordance with their lifestyle,” IKEA’s Israel headquarters said in a statement when it released the catalog earlier this year.

Shuky Koblenz, chief executive of IKEA in Israel, said in a statement: “We realize that people are upset about this and that the publication does not live up to what IKEA stands for and we apologize for this. We will make sure that future publications will reflect what IKEA stands for and at the same time show respect for the Haredi community.”

All IKEA outlets in Israel have kosher restaurants and are closed on the Jewish Sabbath and holidays.

Other Israeli companies and institutions have excluded women in advertisements geared toward the haredi community. The haredi community comprises about 10 percent of Israel’s population.

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Home The cold, hard truth about mortgages and gifts Shikma Rubin

A

s a mortgage lender, I often work with recently engaged and married couples that plan to buy their first home.

The decision to buy comes with a lot of questions about the down payment,

closing costs and the mortgage process in general. But then I also hear another common theme: what cash gifts am I allowed to receive?

Great question. Several answers.

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Q. Instead of my parents giving us money for our wedding, can they contribute to our down payment?

A. Yes, but the lender needs some documentation.

The borrower and donor must complete and sign a form called a “gift letter,” which specifies the date and amount given, as well as the relationship between the borrower and the donor. The letter also contains a statement that the funds are a gift and no repayment is required or expected.

The lender will also want to document that the gift did not put the donor in any financial harm. That’s why you may also be required to provide a copy of the donor’s withdrawal slip and/or bank statement and the borrower’s deposit slip and/or bank statement.

to their children at a reduced price, it can impact the marketability of other homes in the neighborhood and their appraised value.

That’s why parents may consider providing a gift of Shikma Rubin equity, the amount the seller (ex: parents) has in equity transferred as a credit to the homebuyer.

Here’s another piece of information many homebuyers don’t know (but should).

Did you know all down payments must be properly verified?

If the funds come from your bank account, a lender needs to make sure you have the money through bank statements.

If the funds are proceeds from the sale of a property, a lender will need a copy of the settlement statement that shows the transaction.

And if the money comes from a retirement fund, you need to provide the terms and conditions for borrowing against the retirement funds so the lender can verify if any repayment is required.

Yes, gifts are allowed and a big part of homebuying— especially for millennials. The key is to know the rules and follow them closely.

All

Q. I received cash/ checks from my recent wedding. Can I use the funds for my down payment?

A. Yes, most loan programs will accept wedding money as a source of funds.

You will need to provide some documentation, but you won’t have to obtain gift letters from each person.

The homebuyer needs to provide a copy of the marriage certificate/license and a signed statement that the funds were wedding gifts and repayment is not expected. Also, the buyer must produce copies of the check and the date of the deposits must be consistent with the wedding date.

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Shikma Rubin is a loan officer at Tidewater Home Funding in Chesapeake, Va (NMLS #1114873). She can be reached at srubin@ tidewaterhomefunding.com or 757-490-4726.

Home Dedicated

Remembering that carp in my grandparents’ bathtub Lynne Daroff Foosaner

(Kveller via JTA)—My grandmother was a super shopper even before the advent of supermarkets and coupons. In those days, each food group had its own store, so that every neighborhood had a butcher shop, fish market, dairy, deli, and grocery.

Shopping with Grandma was an allday experience. Time stood still as she filled her cart with the biggest, the fattest, the freshest, the juiciest of foods. Her culinary talents were legendary; the local shopkeepers greeted her by name and brought out their finest products for her inspection. Grandma, trained as a professional chef in the “old” country, ratcheted into high gear during holiday seasons, especially Passover.

Passover brought us to the most exciting adventure of all: the fish market.

The fish market was a hoot. In those days, fish wasn’t displayed in a refrigerated case, packed in ice or neatly shrinkwrapped. Nor was it available as little sticks or cakes, all filleted, breaded, seasoned, and boxed in the freezer section.

No, in the days when “fresh” meant “alive,” fish swam freely in long wooden troughs outfitted with rubber hoses to bubble and circulate the water. The general wetness of the environment was augmented by thrashing, splashing fish.

Grandma always tried to restrain me, but my curiosity and perseverance won every time. While she sized up the creatures, I stood on a wooden bench and hung over the edge of the trough, leaning into the swirling mass of cold-blooded vertebrates, hands extended, trying to capture myself a pet.

In honor of Passover, the fishery annually brought in unusually large stocks of huge, fierce-looking carp that flopped about wildly. Grandma, in respectful awe of the sizable beasts, insisted I wait just at the edge of the puddle-soaked floor while she sidled into the sea of kerchiefed women who shouted, jabbered, and pointed out fish to the workers.

Once she turned her attention to the task at hand, however, I always managed to wiggle through the crowd and take my place on the wooden bench. I watched Grandma’s intense concentration, amazed that she could select exactly which fish she wanted. The hapless carp was captured, tagged and then delivered alive to Grandma’s house, where it swam freely in the bathtub for one day. I would drive Grandma crazy visiting it. Ignoring Grandma’s pleas not to get too “friendly” with the fish, I would name it, then lean over the rim of the bathtub and get soaked trying to pet it.

The following morning the household rose especially early. It was the first seder day and there were endless chores to finish and mountains of food to prepare. That’s when my Grandpa

to Assisting

grimly appeared at the bathroom door, surveyed the situation and wrestled that fish into a waiting towel. It squirmed and thrashed in Grandpa’s arms. Naughty words sprang from Grandpa’s mouth, in English, Yiddish, Hungarian, Russian, and Polish—he was a multilingual curser!

In a desperate last thrust for freedom, the fish flew out of Grandpa’s arms and onto the floor. Grandpa began to sweat profusely before he finally managed to half-drag, half-push it across the floor into the kitchen. Unfortunately, it was also Grandpa’s job to hasten the fish to its greater reward in heaven. Grandma stood by, waving a dish towel, criticizing, suggesting, directing—but mostly crying for the fish’s imminent death, even though it was the natural order of things for carp

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Home continued from page 21

to be transformed into gefilte fish patties.

Grandma, with a soft heart for all living creatures, often passed up eating her own homemade gefilte fish. I, on the other hand, had no difficulty gobbling up my previous one-day pet.

As the years passed, the Passover carp scenario played out over and over.

Supermarkets eventually supplanted the fishery and all the mom-and-pop stores.

Live food disappeared from view, except for the occasional lobster, replaced with prepackaged and sanitized choices.

My mother did not follow in Grandma’s footsteps. Mother would not play hostess and executioner to a live fish, even if it meant no gefilte fish for Passover. But fortunately for Mother, by the time she assumed the mantle of matriarch, gefilte fish was available ready to eat from jars and cans. Mother created a new Passover tradition in our family. My children’s memories consist of watching their grandmother wrestle blobs of gefilte fish out of a jar, wipe off the weird jelly stuff and plop the patties onto a waiting platter of lettuce.

Today, with my Grandma and Mother both gone, I’m the new matriarch and a grandmother, too. It is my responsibility and joy to prepare the Passover table. But even with all the modern conveniences and choices available to me, visions of my Grandma and our carp-drenched bathroom fill my heart, to say nothing of the melt-in-your-mouth fish made tastier by the added ingredient of Grandma’s love. To me, Passover is gefilte fish and no grandchild of mine should eat an assembly-line appetizer from a jar like my mother served.

No, my grandchildren deserve old-fashioned, handmade food. So, I have the entire meal catered.

(Lynne Daroff Foosaner is a freelance writer, political activist, artist and grandmother, not necessarily in that order.)

Kveller is a thriving community of women and parents who convene online to share, celebrate and commiserate their experiences of raising kids through a Jewish lens. Visit Kveller.com.

It’s a wrap Girls’ Afternoon at the Movies moves and inspires Amy Zelenka, UJFT women’s campaign director

I

n its third and final women’s outreach event of the year, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Women’s cabinet partnered with UJFT’s Holocaust Commission to host a Girls’ Afternoon at the Movies, bringing back to Tidewater the award-winning film, Defiant Requiem.

Defiant Requiem tells the story of the Nazi concentration camp, Terezín. Led by imprisoned musical conductor Rafael Schächter, the inmates of Terezín fought back against their captors through music and art. Despite hunger, disease, and slave labor, the Jewish inmates of Terezin held onto their humanity by staging plays, composing operas, and using paper and ink to record the horrors around them.

The event took place at the Slover Library in downtown Norfolk, a true gem in Hampton Roads and a lovely venue for small events. This intimate gathering of 40 women was made unforgettable by the inclusion of Maestro Murry Sidlin—founder of the Defiant Requiem Foundation and the driving force behind the film’s production.

This was not Tidewater’s first screening of Defiant Requiem. The film was

shown earlier this year as part of the 24th Annual Virginia Festival of Jewish Film.

It was so well received that the Women’s Cabinet had multiple requests to present it as an encore performance. It should be noted that each request included a plea for the Maestro to return with it!

So, on a sunny Sunday afternoon in late-March, Maestro Murry Sidlin returned to Tidewater to discuss his film. Beautifully shot on the grounds of Terezin, the film featured testimony from Terezin survivors (some of whom have passed away since the film was shot). But beyond the film itself was the fascinating story of how it came to be, and the challenges and hurdles that Sidlin and his colleagues faced in bringing it to completion. And yet despite all those challenges, Sidlin described the film as a story that demanded to be told, and humbly viewed himself as the steward assigned to tell it.

Sidliln was awed and inspired by the Terezin inmates and their determination to defy the Nazis by freeing and enriching their minds and souls throughout their terrible ordeal. His filmmaking journey took him around the country and ultimately around the world, as he gathered testimonies and facts about the camp and

Maestro Sidlin discusses the making of Defiant Requiem.

its covert activities. The more he learned, the more he was determined to honor and to give voice to the victims of Terezin, and by extension, to all victims of the Holocaust.

Janet Mercadante, UJFT Women’s Cabinet chair-elect, opened the event with a welcome, and UJFT Holocaust Commission member Vivian Margulies introduced Sidlin. The Q & A could have gone on for hours, but Sidlin’s busy schedule had him once again on the move.

The event was a fitting and beautiful close to a year of intimate Plus One outreach events in the Women’s Division — beginning in October with the exploration of individual creativity with Israeli artist Neta Levy; then continuing in December with a special Hanukkah event featuring latkes, personal Hanukkah memories, and

the unveiling of the U.S. Postal Service’s newest Hanukkah Forever Stamp.

For more information about UJFT women’s outreach events or how to get involved in the Women’s campaign, visit www.jewishva.org/women or www.facebook.com/Jewish-Women-757 or call or email Amy Zelenka, UJFT Women’s Campaign director at 757-965-6139 or azelenka@ujft.org.

For more information on the UJFT Holocaust Commission, visit www.jewishva.org/holocaust-commission or www. facebook.com/holcommission.

For more information about the Defiant Requiem Foundation, the film itself, and Maestro Murry Sidlin, visit www.defiantrequiem.org or www.facebook.com/ defiantrequiem.

Hannah Marin wins CRC’s Israel Poster Contest

I

Hannah Marin

llustrating an intriguing fact concerning 2,000-year-old seeds that were discovered inside an ancient jar in Israel in 1963, Hannah Marin won CRC’s 5th Annual Israel Poster Contest.

Students in grades 1-12 were eligible to compete in the contest by designing a handmade poster based on one of the 13 cool facts about Israel that were listed on UJFT’s Community Relations Council’s website.

More than 65 submissions were received and displayed at the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus. After the community voted in person, the top 10 finalists remained on display at the Leon Family Art Gallery and were put online

for the final voting to determine the winner.

A member of Beth Chaverim and a 10th grade student in Princess Anne High School’s IB program, Hannah says she was fascinated by the story of the seeds, which were planted in 2005. A tree that had been extinct for more than 1,800 years sprouted.

“I chose this topic,” she says, “because it is a huge discovery and, in a way, life changing. It will further scientific advancements.”

Israeli scientists are hoping to discover if this ancient date palm tree, now nicknamed Methuselah after the oldest person named in the Old Testament, has

any unique medicinal properties that are no longer found in today’s date palm varieties. In ancient times, date palms were famous for their medicinal value.

Dr. Rabbi Israel Zoberman, founding rabbi of Congregation Beth Chaverim, says, “What a wonderful accomplishment that speaks volumes of Hannah Marin, Congregation Beth Chaverim, and the entire community as we celebrate the 69th anniversary of the only Jewish state in the world! Mazel Tov!” Hannah’s original artwork will be framed and permanently displayed with previous winners’ at the Sandler Family Campus. Visitors to Israel Fest on Sunday, April 30 will receive a copy of the poster.

jewishnewsva.org | April 17, 2017 | Jewish News | 23

what’s happening

c e l e b r at e #

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i

t

h

I

s

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a

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l

Celebrate the State of Israel’s 69th birthday (Yom Ha’Atzmaut in Hebrew) at the annual community-wide Israel Fest.

Chefs Guy Marom and Nir Margalith will prepare food for Israel Fest, as well as present a hands-on cooking demonstration on Tuesday, May 2.

2017 Israel Fest brings Israeli Culture to Tidewater TASTE

Jewish Museum & Cultural Center Jody’s Popcorn Lindsay Kies LuLaRoe by Deanna Marie Mandel Maven The Neighborhood Harvest Oberweis Dairy Pampered Chef by Dawn Agnese Starfish Stitches Tastefully Simple 1 The Wandering Petal Susan Krohn

#WITHISRAEL Fresh Israeli fare made by visiting chefs from Puzzle Israel with desserts and drinks prepared by local synagogues and agencies • Israeli Beer and Wine B’Nai Israel Congregation Beth Sholom Village Congregation Beth Chaverim Congregation Beth El Congregation Heichal Shlomo Ohef Sholom Temple Reba & Sam Sandler Family Campus Temple Emanuel Temple Israel Tidewater Chavurah

DANCE #WITHISRAEL Israeli Folk Dancing • Israeli DJ

SHOP

PLAY

#WITHISRAEL Ben Yehuda Street Marketplace Local artisans and vendors will sell crafts and goods Bliss of Elegance Boutique Cindy Perry Custom Cakes Ethel Raye Greenspan Fathom Coffee Flags by Jason Capossere Independent Writers of Tidewater

#WITHISRAEL Gaga (Israeli Dodge Ball) Camel Rides • Israeli Crafts Victor Marcos Caricatures • Inflatables Petting Zoo • Ryan the Balloon Guy

LEARN #WITHISRAEL Experience Israel’s global impact through fitness, art, history, and culture

24 | Jewish News | April 17, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

Sunday, April 30 11 am–4 pm Simon Family JCC

T

Israel Fest

he Simon Family Jewish Community Center’s largest celebration, Israel Fest, honors Israel’s 69th Independence Day. This annual festival SimonFamilyJCC.org offers the chance to experience some of the diverse culinary, cultural, and artistic gifts of Israel without leaving Tidewater.

A day dedicated to Israel and fun, there’s bound to be at least something to eat, something to do, something to purchase, something to watch that will captivate every age and every interest.

A giant tent will house a selection of freshly prepared Israeli food by gourmet chefs of Puzzle Israel, Guy Marom and Nir Margalith, as well as other food and beverage contributions offered by local synagogues and temples. Israeli beers will also be available to quench thirsts.

Visitors will be able to explore a class of Israeli karate (Krav Maga), run an obstacle course designed by Friends of the Israeli Defense Force, or captain an Elite Fleet remote controlled model ship. Camel rides, inflatables, a petting zoo, Israeli music, as well as crafts and jewelry by local artisans will add to the festivities of this family-friendly event.

Marty Einhorn of Wall, Einhorn & Chernitzer, P.C., who generously supports Israel Fest, says, “Alvin, Jeff, and I have had the pleasure of going to Israel and are excited to celebrate with the entire community. This event offers visitors an opportunity to explore Israeli culture with great food and family activities. It is an honor to sponsor the Simon Family JCC’s Israel Fest.”

All ages and religious affiliations are invited to attend this uplifting family-fun day to celebrate #withIsrael, Israel’s birthday.

4.30.17

This event is presented by Charles Barker Automotive, Wall, Einhorn & Chernitzer, P.C. and WealthQuest Financial Services. The festival is free and open to the public, but food and some activities require tickets that can be purchased at the event. For more information, visit www.simonfamilyjcc.org/israelfest.

what’s happening Photograph by Mednick Multimedia.

Ruth’s

Will

Said a Lot About Her.

Get hearts pumping at the 13th Annual Run, Roll or Stroll Sunday, May 7 24th Street Park at the Virginia Beach Boardwalk

What Does Your Will Say About You?

W

ith options of the 8K run, 5K run or walk, and 1-mile run/walk, Jewish Family Service’s 13th Annual Run, Roll or Stroll is open to both serious and not-so-serious athletes. This also includes those of all ages who just want to take a nice Sunday JFS Run, Roll or Stroll 2016. morning stroll on the boardwalk.

One of the highlights of Run, Roll or Stroll is the competition to see who will have the largest team of racers. For example, JFS encourages all local synagogues to bring a team.* In addition to heart-pumping exercise, this year’s event will feature plenty of fun activities. Prior to each race, runners and walkers can warm up their muscles with a trainer from the Simon Family JCC. A photo booth, face painting for kids, corn hole, music by Don London from the New 101.3 2WD, and an awards presentation once the last runner crosses the finish line, are among the planned events. Bins to drop off gently used athletic shoes to be donated to MORE Foundation Group will also be available.

Introducing…Mitzvah Miles!

This year, JFS also introduces Mitzvah Miles, a new, fun way to teach kids and young adults how to do a mitzvah and benefit the community at the same time. As a runner/walker in the Run, Roll or Stroll, Mitzvah Miles participants simply ask family and friends for monetary donations of any amount to help JFS provide many vital services for the community. To learn more, contact a synagogue office or visit www.jfsrunrollorstroll.org.

Participants in the Run, Roll or Stroll or Mitzvah Miles help people right here in Tidewater—allowing JFS to serve one more meal, counsel one more child who has lost a parent, or help one more individual get back on his or her feet after surgery. *Just enter your synagogue as your race team name when registering online.

Register for the Run, Roll or Stroll at www.jfsrunrollorstroll.org.

As a “pink lady” Ruth Goodman accumulated more hours than any

Get a running start on the race!

Thursday, April 20, 6–7 pm Sandler Family Campus

So you’re planning to run the JFS Run, Roll or Stroll 8K, 5K, or 1 Miler. Now what? Maybe this is your first race or your 10th.

Either way, it helps to get tips from experienced runners.

Hear some great running tips from Tom Purcell, J-Fit fitness and JCC membership director, and from a representative from Running etc. Learn how to select the proper shoes and athletic compression wear. Want to run faster? You’ll learn that, too.

And by the end, you’ll understand about the importance of stretching and how to prevent injury—who wouldn’t want that? Plus, you’ll walk (or run) away with a great running plan to ensure you’re in top form on race day.

The training seminar is free and open to the public. *Just enter your synagogue as your race team name when registering online.

Visit us on the web jewishnewsva.org Follow us on Facebook JewishNewsVA

other volunteer at the Norfolk hospital where she greeted visitors.

Before she died in 1995,Ruth arranged for a Hampton Roads Community Foundation bequest to forever give good health to the community she and her husband Victor loved.

This year 15 students are studying to become physicians, physical therapists, nurses and other medical professionals thanks to scholarships generated by Ruth’s generosity. Many more Goodman Scholars will follow every year.

Write your prescription for a better future by ordering a free bequest guide.

Learn how easy it is to leave a gift for charity.

www.leaveabequest.org.

(757) 622-7951

jewishnewsva.org | April 17, 2017 | Jewish News | 25

Quality. Experience. Trust.

Calendar Through May 1, Monday Photos of Jewish sports history at Leon Family Art Gallery from the collection of Beit Hatfutsot, The Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv, and the Bernard H. and Miriam Oster Visual Documentation Center.

April 19, Wednesday Brith Sholom 2017 bus trip to Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Revolutionary Museum. $25 per member. Contact LeeAnne Mallory at Brith.Sholom1@hrcoxmail.com or at 757-461-1150.

April 23, Sunday Yom Hashoah. Jay Grymes, author of Violins of Hope, will speak. Ohef Sholom Temple. 6:45 pm.

Henry B. Kaufmann Award. Ohef Sholom Temple’s Men’s Club will honor Alyssa Muhlendorf for her outstanding contributions to the temple and the community. Brunch begins at 10:30 am, followed by the ceremony at 11 am. Admission is $10. Call 757-625-4295 to reserve a space.

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Pictured: Seated – Sid Barrera, LPTA; Jessica Keetz, PT; Jenny Lind, PT; and Sally Neilan, PT. Standing – Marion Lisenby, PT; Donna Troici, PT; Kimberly Naylor, PT; and Joe Anderson, PT. Not pictured: Bonnie Dudley, OT; Susan Dunkley, SLP; Denyse Jenner, PT; Brandee McBride, OT; and Grace Potamianos, LPTA; and Stacy Powell, LPTA.

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April 24, Monday Reading of the Names. Beth El Men’s Club will honor Yom Hashoah by sponsoring the reading of the names of those who perished during the Holocaust. 10 am–4 pm. Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus.

April 30, Sunday Israel Fest. The Simon Family JCC’s Annual Israel Fest celebrates Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day. Sandler Family Campus. Free and open to the entire community.

SimonFamilyJCC.org/IsraelFest for more information or call 757-321-2304. See page 24.

Dinner Out for Brith Sholom. Meet at Captain Ray’s Chinese Buffet and Sushi 5957 E Virginia Beach Blvd. in Norfolk at 5:30 pm. Entertainment by Billy and Cindy Mitchell. $9 for members; $18 for guests. Tip, tax, and drinks included. Contact LeeAnne Mallory at Brith.Sholom1@hrcoxmail.com or at 757-461-1150.

May 2, Tuesday Israel Today with Chefs Guy Marom and Nir Margalith. Celebrate Yom Ha’tzmaut through the taste and culture of Israel. Sharing their love for fresh, authentic Israeli food in a fun, hands-on, culinary adventure, Marom and Margalith will leave novice and experienced chef-participants with skills and stories to share from their own kitchens. Limited space. Visit www.JewishVa.org/IsraelToday or call 757-321-2304.

May 7, Sunday Run, Roll or Stroll. Jewish Family Service. 24th Street Park at Virginia Beach Boardwalk. www.jfsrunrollorstroll.org. See page 25.

Brith Sholom board meeting 10 am, regular meeting at 11 am, followed by brunch. Beth Sholom. $3 for members; $10 for guests. Speaker will be Bill Outzs, with the true story of the Titanic. Contact: LeeAnne Mallory at Brith.Sholom1@hrcoxmail.com or at 757-461-1150.

May 14, Sunday Lag B’Omer Bash. Celebrate Lag B’Omer and join Simon Family JCC, Young Adult Division of UJFT and Chabad of Tidewater for a BBQ dinner, beer, rocking music, a magical drum circle, and a bonfire. It’s Mother’s Day, so all moms are free. Open to the community. 5 –7:30 pm. Sandler Family Campus. Individual: $5; family: $25. www.simonfamilyjcc.org/lagbomer.

June 5, Monday Simon Family JCC’s Presidents’ Cup Golf Tournament. Heron Ridge Golf Club. Early Bird registration deadline is April 30. simonfamilyjcc.org/about-us/support-your-jcc/presidentscup/. Call 757-321-2337 or email Corrie Lentz at clentz@simonfamilyjcc.org.

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.

UJFT’s Professional Directory

T

For additional information or to reserve a seat, call Claire Roth at 757-961-3024

26 | Jewish News | April 17, 2017 | jewishnewsva.org

Application deadline: May 1

he Society of Professionals’ directory will have a permanent online presence on UJFT website’s homepage, as well as be available in printed copies that will be distributed to area Jewish agencies and businesses. For more information, jewishva.org/societyofprofessionals.

who knew?

Britney Spears concert spurs postponement of Labor party leadership vote JERUSALEM (JTA)—Britney Spears is proving to be “Toxic” to Israel’s Labor party.

Leaders of the left-wing party announced that they are postponing the planned leadership primary on July 3, the same day of the American pop singer’s concert in Tel Aviv, over fears that voters would have trouble getting to the polls— including a key site near the concert venue, Yarkon Park. The elections were scheduled for the following day.

In addition to the problems caused by traffic congestion, the party indicated it would have trouble hiring security guards and ushers since many of those available would be working the concert.

Postponing the primary will also allow party members to both vote and attend the concert, Labor leaders told the Israeli media.

The current party head, Isaac Herzog, who is running for re-election in a field of at least eight candidates, reportedly has no plans to attend the concert.

The concert is part of Spears’ summer Asian tour promoting her album Glory, which was released last year. It is her first tour outside the U.S. since 2011.

Spears, 35, has sold more than 240 million albums, DVDs and singles since her debut in 1999.

In the election, if no candidate passes the 40 percent threshold, a runoff is scheduled for July 13.

biological effects with an eye toward commercial solutions.

“There is so much interest in cannabis at the moment, but a lot remains unknown about its mechanism of action,” Dr. Joseph Tam, the director of the center, says. “My belief is that our multidisciplinary center will lead global research and answer these questions.”

Tam says that no other center in the world has such a broad approach to cannabis research, from agriculture to chemistry, from drug delivery to pharmacology and to chemical development. In addition to bringing together the 27 cannabis researchers at Hebrew University and its affiliated Hadassah Medical Center, the center will draw on other specialists on campus, including in the fields of nanotechnology and pain and brain science. It also will collaborate with scientists and biotech companies around the world.

Last month, ahead of its official opening, the center funded research projects

on the use of the chemical compounds in cannabis, called cannabinoids, include its effect on traumatic brain injury, the cancer-fighting potential of a cannabinoid receptor and the effect of a cannabis extract on pain and painkillers. It also has signed a memorandum of understanding with The Lambert Initiative, a medical cannabis research center at the University of Sydney in Australia.

Israel is known as a pioneer in cannabis research, which was long hindered worldwide by drug laws and social taboo.

Raphael Mechoulam kick-started the field in 1964, when he discovered tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the main psychoactive constituent of cannabis. He went on to identify the endocannabinoid system upon which cannabinoids act on the body. At 86, he continues his research at Hebrew University and is part of the center.

“It has been shown that modulating endocannabinoid activity has therapeutic potential in a large number of human diseases, hence research on cannabinoids

may lead to very significant advances, not only in basic science but also in therapeutics,” Mechoulam says. “Our Multidisciplinary Center addresses many aspects in this promising area, such as cancer, head injury, addiction, bone formation, obesity, and others.”

Israel remains a leader in cannabis research, much of it centered at Hebrew University. According to Tam, that is thanks in part to an increasingly friendly political environment. Last summer, the government approved a plan by Health Minister Yaakov Litzman to relax some requirements for obtaining medical cannabis. In January, the Agriculture and Health ministries allocated 8 million shekels, or about $2 million, to fund research on medical cannabis growth, biochemistry and medicine.

In February, Cabinet ministers backed legislation to decriminalize recreational marijuana use. But that will not affect Mechoulam’s work; he famously claims never to have smoked a joint.

Hebrew University launches cannabis research center with high aspirations JERUSALEM ( JTA)—The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has launched a marijuana research center in a bid to take a leading role in the burgeoning field.

The Multidisciplinary Center on Cannabinoid Research, announced by the university, will be staffed by leading scientists and doctors, including the Israeli chemistry professor considered the father of cannabis research. It will conduct and coordinate research on cannabis and its

jewishnewsva.org | April 17, 2017 | Jewish News | 27

obituaries Augusta S. Goodman Virginia Beach—Augusta Straus Goodman, born in Richmond, Virginia on May 10, 1917, passed away peacefully early Friday, March 31 with loved ones on either side, just six weeks before her 100th birthday.

She is the daughter of the late Aubrey and Wilma Straus of Richmond. She is predeceased by her loving husband of 67 years, Robert Campe Goodman, her brother Clifford, and her sisters Adah and Audrey.

Augusta is survived by her children, Robert Goodman, Jr. (Martha) of Virginia Beach; David Goodman (Marian) of Winchester, Massachusetts; Beverly Goodman of Encinitas, California; and Lynn Zoll of Virginia Beach; her seven grandchildren, Allison (Brandon), Campe (Amanda), Jake, Marcus, Emanuel, Maria (Doug), and Nathan; and four great-grandchildren, Beya, Julian, Madeline, Natalie.

Augusta attended the University of Richmond and graduated from Connecticut College with a major in Botany in 1938. She lived in Northern Virginia until 1941 and then moved to Norfolk. She later moved to Virginia Beach (Princess Anne County) in 1947.

With Bob, she joined the Cavalier Golf & Yacht Club where they remained active golf playing members. She was an active member of the Tidewater Woman’s Golf Association, an avid golfer who competed in amateur tournaments and was nicknamed “Trophy Kid” by her son.

Augusta was an avid gardener, curious reader, and involved in W.T. Cooke School PTA. She led a citizen group in Princess Anne County to lower the speed

limit on Atlantic Ave. at the North End to 35 mph. She was active in the United Way, a founding member of the Voluntary Service Bureau (now Volunteer Hampton Roads), co-founded the used book exchange at Linkhorn Park Elementary as member and leader in PTA, served as a member of Virginia Beach Beautification Commission, and was an active supporter of the Optimist Club. Augusta served as a passionate volunteer to many organizations, giving time and donations to enhance the lives of many. She was known to many as a gracious hostess, an excellent cook, sports enthusiast who adored fishing, swimming, tennis, golf, and baseball, one who loved to dance, a whiz at *5-star Sudoku, and a passionate bridge and poker player.

Burial took place at Forest Lawn Cemetery with a memorial service at Ohef Sholom Temple.

Donations requested to the ACLU, Augusta’s favorite charity. ACLU, c/o the Gift Processing Department, 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10004.

Larry B. Kurzer Norfolk—Larry (nee Lawrence) Bennett Kurzer passed away in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on March 10, 2017.

The 63-year-old Norfolk native was the devoted son of Lillian Traub Kozak, the late Phillip Kurzer and step-son of the late Norman Kozak.

Larry attended the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater, the Talmudical Academy of Baltimore and Wilson High School before graduating summa cum laude with a political science degree from Old

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Dominion University and a master’s in public administration from George Washington University.

After a brief teaching career in Portsmouth Public Schools, Larry embarked on a varied civil service career that took him from coast to coast and eventually to Southeast Asia. He was a well-respected Navy contract specialist who worked in Norfolk, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Colorado, San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Larry then moved into the rewarding family services branch, where he helped transitioning personnel adjust to life abroad and find post-military employment.

Following his civil service retirement, Larry moved overseas where he taught English to adult South Koreans in academies and companies. While there, this “wandering Jew” backpacked extensively in Cambodia, India, Japan, Thailand; to South American countries Panama, Bolivia, Uruguay and Peru; and to various parts of Africa.

Larry, a guitar player, was a huge lover of all music, from rock to jazz to the blues. While living in Philadelphia, he worked security on concerts ranging from ex-Beatle Ringo Starr to guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughn. In his younger days, he also loved to tinker with his MGB, TR6 and motorcycle.

Though far away, family was never far from his thoughts—with a helpful idea, a generous check or bouquet of flowers on Mother’s Day. Larry was indeed a good son, brother and uncle.

Survivors include his mother Lillian Kozak; brothers Alan Kurzer, Ben Kozak, Mark (Brenda) Kozak, George (Angela) Kozak; niece Rachel (Daniel) Rabin and nephew Sam Kozak.

A graveside service was held at Mikro Kodesh Cemetery in the Berkley section of Chesapeake. Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz of Congregation Beth El Norfolk officiated.

Altmeyer Funeral Home. Donations are suggested to HAT or Beth Sholom Home.

Morris Silverstein Virginia Beach—Morris Silverstein 94, passed away on March 31, 2017. His funeral took place at Woodlawn Funeral Home, with Cantor Elihu Flax officiating.

Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko, whose ‘Babi Yar’ exposed anti-Semitism Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko, best known for his poem commemorating the slaughter of Jews by the Nazis at the Ukrainian ravine known as Babi Yar, has died at 84.

Yevtushenko died Saturday, April 1 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he had been a faculty member at the University of Tulsa since the mid-1990s.

Babi Yar, written in 1961 about the September 1941 massacre near the Ukrainian capital of Kiev that killed some 34,000 Jews, exposed the anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union by authorities who refused to recognize the Jewish victims of the Nazis. The poem was set to music

by Dmitri Shostakovich in his Symphony No. 13.

Yevtushenko told The Associated Press in 2007 that he wrote Babi Yar after visiting the site of the mass killings and not finding anything to memorialize the tragedy that occurred there. An official memorial to Soviet citizens shot at Babi Yar was erected in 1976, and in 1991 the Ukrainian government allowed the establishment of a separate memorial specifically identifying the Jewish victims.

The poem begins: “No monument stands over Babi Yar. A steep cliff only, like the rudest headstone.

I am afraid.

Today, I am as old As the entire Jewish race itself.”

The poem was a sensation in the Soviet Union, where Yevtushenko’s readings drew the kind of frenzied audiences reserved for rock stars in the West.

“The strongest proof of the poem’s power,” Gal Beckerman wrote in his history of the Soviet Jewry movement, “was the ferocity with which the government tried to squelch it.”

Yevtushenko grew up in Moscow and was invited to study at the Gorky Institute of World Literature there.

He wrote poetry critical of Joseph Stalin, the Soviet dictator who ruled the country for more than two decades, and gained popularity and official recognition after Stalin’s death in 1953.

He published more than 150

obituaries collections of poems.

Yevtushenko also was a proponent of Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s glasnost, or “openness” campaign. He was a member of the first freely elected Supreme Soviet, the Soviet Union’s parliament.

A spokesman for President Vladimir Putin said the poet’s legacy would remain “part of Russian culture.” (JTA)

Don Rickles, insult comedian and actor, is dead at 90 JTA Staff

NEW YORK (JTA)—Don Rickles, the bullet-headed comedian and actor whose pioneering brand of insult comedy earned him the nickname “Mr. Warmth,” has died at 90.

Rickles died Thursday, April 6 at his home in Los Angeles from kidney failure, according to his publicist. He would have turned 91 on May 8.

Bald and squat, Rickles would pace the stages of nightclubs and late night talk shows seeking out “victims” in the audience, riffing on their weight, ethnicity and dress, calling them “hockey puck,” but usually pulling back from the edge of causing any real offense by offering a wide smile and an intentionally unctuous declaration of universal fraternity. His targets included fellow comedian Jerry Lewis (“You annoy me”), Frank Sinatra (“Make yourself comfortable, Frank—hit somebody”) and an Asian man sitting in the front row of one of his shows (“There are 40 million Jews here in Los Angeles; how did you get such a good seat?” ).

But Rickles also was a serious actor who trained at the famed American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and he had supporting roles in a number of memorable films including Kelly’s Heroes with Clint Eastwood; Run Silent, Run Deep, with Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster, and

Casino, directed by Martin Scorsese.

Younger audiences would recognize his voice as that of Mr. Potato Head in the Pixar film Toy Story and its sequels. He appeared in countless television shows.

An auxiliary member of the “Rat Pack,” a loose fraternity of entertainers led by Sinatra, Rickles kept on performing nearly to the end of his life and outlived most of the entertainers of his era.

Rickles was born and raised in Queens, New York. His father, Max, immigrated to the United States as a child from Kaunas, Lithuania. His mother, born in New York, also was the daughter of Jewish immigrants.

Rickles served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, and after his service honed his act at small and often seedy nightclubs.

“I had a tough time—I had no other jobs—so I reached out to comedy,” he said in an interview with the Jewish Standard of New Jersey in 2013. Sinatra spotted Rickles at a Miami club, and the famed singer helped make him a headliner in Las Vegas. Rickles first appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1965, and would return as a guest at least 100 times.

In 2012, Jon Stewart presented Rickles with the “Johnny Carson Award For Comedic Excellence” at the Comedy Awards run by the Comedy Central cable network.

In his 2007 memoir, Rickles’ Book, he recalled a visit to his father’s grave on Long Island along with the cantor who would perform his wedding to Barbara Sklar.

“The cantor put on his white robe and prayer shawl,” Rickles recalled. “In the still of the morning, standing over my dear father’s grave, he sang the Hebrew prayer for the dead. He wailed; he sang with such tender feeling and heartfelt

anguish that I felt the presence of God Almighty in every fiber of my being.

Afterward, we recited the Kaddish, the Jewish mourners’ prayer, our words melting the morning fog to tears.

“Before we left, the cantor sang a prayer in Hebrew, inviting Dad to my wedding. Then he finished by saying, ‘May your soul be with us forever.’”

Barbara Rickles survives her husband, as does their daughter, Mindy. Their son, Larry, an Emmy Award-winning producer, died at 41 in 2011 of respiratory failure.

Rickles often tried to distinguish between the “character” he played on stage and his real-life persona.

“I don’t care if the average guy on the street really knows what I’m like, as long as he knows I’m not really a mean, vicious guy,” he said. “My friends and family know what I’m really like. That’s what’s important.”

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JCC Summer Membership *Special May 27-September 4 $149 for Individuals $299 for Families Your Summer Membership includes: • fitness center membership • outdoor water park • 3 indoor pools • free babysitting while you work out • outdoor mini golf, playgrounds & tennis courts • towel service, steam room, & sauna • indoor and outdoor basketball courts • 65+ group exercise classes each week • on-site café *Summer Membership Special price ($149 for individuals and $299 for the whole family) expires on June 19, 2017. Full price is $199 for individuals and $399 for families. Certain conditions and restrictions apply. May not be combined with any other offers.

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