Jewish News Oct 27, 2025 Edition

BRIEFS

Brown U’s Jewish president turns down Trump’s ‘Compact’ deal for campuses

Asecond university — like the first helmed by a Jewish woman — rejected the Trump administration’s offer of special funding in exchange for an array of concessions.

Brown University’s president, Christina Paxson, announced the decision on Wednesday, Oct. 15, releasing the letter she sent to Education Secretary Linda McMahon and her staff. In the letter, she explained that while Brown remains committed to the agreement it struck in June to restore $50 million in federal funding that had been frozen over allegations of antisemitism, she could not abide by the terms of the new deal, which the Trump administration is calling the “Compact.”

“While a number of provisions in the Compact reflect similar principles as the July agreement — as well as our own commitments to affordability and the free exchange of ideas — I am concerned that the Compact by its nature and by various provisions would restrict academic freedom and undermine the autonomy of Brown’s governance, critically compromising our ability to fulfill our mission,” Paxson wrote in the letter.

Brown follows the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in rejecting the deal, which would have required limits on employees’ political speech and “transforming or abolishing institutional units that purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas.” The proposal reflects the Trump administration’s strategy of wielding federal funding as both a carrot and stick to pursue its ideological agenda.

Like MIT’s president, Sally Kornbluth, Paxson is Jewish and has cultivated the support of her campus’ Jewish community even amid concerns about the handling of proPalestinian student protests last year.

Paxson had not immediately rejected the deal the Trump administration had offered to nine schools that it said were “good actors,” instead saying that the decision would incorporate feedback from the Brown community. She said in an email to the community that thousands of people had responded.

Paxson drew criticism last year after she announced that student advocates of divestment from Israel would be permitted to make their case before a vote by Brown’s board of trustees. The board then rejected divestment.

Seven universities, including both private colleges and public systems, have not yet responded to the Trump administration’s latest offer. (JTA)

‘The world needs more Trumps’: US president receives a hero’s welcome

The Israeli government will wage a campaign to promote President Donald Trump as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize, a top lawmaker announced as Trump visited the Knesset to mark the ceasefire deal he brokered between Israel and Hamas.

Trump received a lengthy standing ovation — over two minutes — when he first arrived in the parliament after landing in Israel on Monday, Oct. 13, just after the 20 living hostages who remained in Gaza returned to their country.

A series of speakers then lavished him with praise, emphasizing his devotion to the hostages and the peace that may follow in the region.

“The world needs more Trumps,” said Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, who said he would work with U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to rally world leaders to nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he would nominate Trump to become the first-ever non-Israeli to win the Israel Prize. Listing Trump’s proIsrael bona fides, he repeated a sentiment that he has shared before: “Donald Trump is the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House.”

And opposition leader Yair Lapid, too, praised Trump. “The fact that you were not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize is a grave mistake by the committee, but they will have no choice, Mr. President, they will have to award it to you next year,” he said. “Peace will not come by waiting. It will come by building, by reaching out and by daring, once again, to believe. You, Mr. President, have done the unimaginable. We will be eternally grateful.”

Israelis have celebrated Trump for pressing for the ceasefire deal that resulted in the release of the hostages. Signs praising him popped up at rallies around the country. (JTA)

Nadler accuses RFK Jr of antisemitism over claim that ‘early’ circumcisions are tied to autism

“Children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism, and it’s highly likely because they’re given Tylenol,” Kennedy said in a meeting about his push to discourage the use of Tylenol among pregnant women over autism concerns, which has drawn widespread concern among medical professionals over its lack of evidence. President Donald Trump, who was present, said there was ample evidence for Kennedy’s concern but neither man cited any.

Kennedy, who has previously drawn antisemitism allegations over his comments about COVID-19, did not mention Jews in his comments. But circumcision is closely associated with Judaism. Traditional Jewish law requires the medical procedure to be performed on boy babies when they are eight days old as a signifier of their bond with the Jewish people. Male converts to Judaism also undergo circumcision.

“This is an antisemitic remark. I call on all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to clearly denounce it,” tweeted Rep. Jerry Nadler, the New York City Jewish Democrat, about Kennedy’s comments.

Most Americans choose to circumcise their male children, although the circumcision rate has fallen

sharply in recent years. Among them, Jews actually tend to perform the procedure later, as most circumcisions are performed in hospitals soon after birth. The procedure and recuperation from it do not always involve the use of painkillers, especially when performed outside the hospital setting.

A small movement aims to normalize eschewing circumcision among Jews, who have one of the highest circumcision rates of any demographic group in the country.

On Friday, Oct. 10, Kennedy issued a statement on X saying that the media had distorted his comments to suggest that he had said circumcision causes autism, when he had laid the blame on Tylenol. He also noted that he had been referring to a “preprint” — a research paper that has not been peer-reviewed — that says research has shown a link between Tylenol and autism, citing multiple studies including one of ritual circumcision in Denmark. Other research syntheses have said there is no identifiable link. (JTA)

California creates new office to combat antisemitism in public schools, after Newsom signs divisive bill

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Tuesday, Oct. 7 that creates a new statewide office tasked with rooting out antisemitism in public schools, the first of its kind in the country.

Known as AB 715, the measure establishes a state Office of Civil Rights and mandates the appointment of an antisemitism prevention coordinator, tasked with tracking complaints, issuing guidance, and coordinating training for educators.

Supporters, including the California Legislative Jewish Caucus and Jewish advocacy groups, hailed the law as a necessary tool to protect Jewish students amid a surge in harassment and discrimination.

“Today, California is sending a strong and unambiguous message — hate has no place in our schools and will not be tolerated,” said Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel and Senator Scott Wiener, co-chairs of the caucus, in a statement.

A statement from Assemblymember Dawn Addis, a joint author of the bill, stressed that it represents an unprecedented response to antisemitism in K-12 settings.

“This is a historic, first-in-the-nation effort that centers on the well-being of children across our state, many of whom bravely shared horrific stories about their experiences in our schools,” Addis said.

The path to the signing was contentious. The California Teachers Association, the ACLU, and numerous civil liberties organizations had urged Newsom to veto the bill, warning it could chill academic freedom and restrict teacher speech, especially around Israel.

Opponents of AB 715, particularly those representing Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian communities, expressed concern that the law could suppress their voices in educational settings. Legal challenges are anticipated. (JTA)

Prominent NYC rabbi

JTA Staff, New York Jewish Week Staff (JTA) — This piece first ran as part of The Countdown, JTA’s daily newsletter rounding up all the developments in the New York City mayor’s race.

Rabbis speak out

Two leading New York rabbis are using their pulpits to condemn Zohran Mamdani as he holds onto a commanding lead in the last weeks of the mayoral race.

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, who heads the Conservative Park Avenue Synagogue on the Upper East Side, decried the frontrunner in a speech to his congregation on Shabbat. “I believe Zohran Mamdani poses a danger to the security of the New York Jewish community,” he said, citing Mamdani’s views of Israel and Zionism. Cosgrove also urged his congregants to convince their Jewish friends and family to vote against Mamdani. He said Jewish New Yorkers should “prioritize their Jewish selves” by voting based on their connection to Israel, rather than local issues such as affordability.

“As Jews, ahavat Israel — love of Israel — does take precedence over other loves,” said Cosgrove.

Reform Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, who leads the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue on the Upper West Side, addressed Mamdani in his own video that was shared with his congregation days earlier.

Hirsch said Mamdani’s “ideological commitments” against Israel served to “delegitimize the Jewish community and encourage and exacerbate hostility towards Judaism and Jews.” He told Mamdani, “I urge you to reconsider your long-held views of Israel’s right to exist.”

Hirsch also said, “Most Jews are deeply offended by your ongoing accusations of Israeli genocide.” Four in 10 American Jews said they believed Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, according to a Washington Post poll conducted in early September.

A Fox News survey this month found that Jews were closely split between Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo, who is polling a distant second in the race.

Other New York rabbis have been plagued by the question of whether to endorse in this election, since the IRS reversed a decades-long policy that barred endorsements from the pulpit. Hirsch previously told JTA’s reporter Grace Gilson that he was alarmed by Mamdani but would not make an endorsement, warning fellow clergy that “it diminishes us if we are perceived as being in a partisan camp.”

Sliwa called on to quit

Curtis Sliwa faced calls to quit the race during a meeting at Fifth Avenue Synagogue on Sunday, Oct. 19, where attendees pleaded with the Republican nominee who is polling third. The day before, on Shabbat, he visited The Jewish Center, an Orthodox synagogue on the Upper West Side. Later in the day, he headed to Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn, where Mamdani spoke the previous week.

The Fifth Avenue Synagogue crowd was not unanimously anti-Sliwa, but they convened with the purpose of stopping Mamdani’s rise. One person accused Sliwa of being a “spoiler.”

“We all love you, we want you to win,” said synagogue president Jacob Gold, who stood by Sliwa at the podium. “But you’re at 15%, and Cuomo’s at what percent? And Mamdani’s at what percent?” Gold said that he wanted Sliwa to “merge with Cuomo.”

Cuomo himself urged Sliwa to drop out after the first general election debate, during which he fielded barbs from both Sliwa and Mamdani.

Sliwa responded to his detractors, including Jewish billionaire Bill Ackman, in an interview with Jewish YouTuber Nate Friedman. He called Ackman a “jerk” who did not understand politics or live in New York City. To Cuomo, he said, “Get your own votes.”

Letting go: Jews retire yellow ribbons, dog tags, and other hostage symbols with gratitude and grief

Andrew Silow-Carroll

(JTA) — Like most synagogues, Congregation Beth El in South Orange, New Jersey added new rituals after the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks that killed 1,200 in Israel, saw another 251 taken hostage, and launched a grinding war between Israel and Hamas.

The Conservative congregation hung a “Bring Them Home Now” sign out front on behalf of the hostages. Rabbi Jesse Olitzky added the Acheinu prayer for redeeming captives to the weekly Shabbat service, and each week read the biography of a hostage. As the war raged on, the congregation sang songs of peace.

At Ohef Sholom Temple in Norfolk, the congregation sang the Mi Chamocha prayer to the tune of Hatikvah

There and elsewhere, congregants wore yellow hostage ribbons and pins on their lapels, and dog tags with the names of the missing. Some families lit extra candles on Shabbat. Rachel Goldberg-Polin, whose son Hersh would eventually be listed among the dead in Gaza, popularized the wearing of a piece of masking tape on which she wrote the number of days since the hostages were taken.

Now, as the last 20 living hostages were returned to Israel as part of a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, many Jews are relieved to be ending these rituals — even as they question whether it is right to do so and wonder how to channel their prayers and practices toward whatever comes next. Deceased hostages are still believed to be in Gaza, and even as soldiers return home and Gazans reclaim what’s left of their former lives, an enduring peace seems far away.

At Beth El, the Acheinu and lawn sign will stay in place until all the bodies are returned. In the meantime, at the celebration of Simchat Torah, there was a chance to experience a sense of relief members haven’t felt in two years.

“Like so many we haven’t been able as a people to move forward and get to Oct. 8 until the hostages came home,” Olitzky says, hours after Hamas released the living hostages. “And now there is a sense of being able to exhale and breathe and, God willing, to move forward, to rebuild, and for all Israeli citizens and for Palestinians to have opportunities to build peace.”

When Israeli pop star Yoni Bloch made a video in January imagining an end to the war and showing Israelis pulling down “Bring Them Home” posters and cutting yellow ribbons off their car doors, the idea seemed to many too distant to believe. Now, rabbis and Jews in the pews are asking if it is time to move forward.

Rabbi Yael Ridberg, the recently retired spiritual leader

of Congregation Dor Hadash in San Diego, says she would remove the ribbon and dog tag she wears when the bodies of the deceased hostages are returned.

“I look forward to tucking them away, but not disposing of them,” she wrote in response to a journalist’s query. “I will stop wearing them when all the deceased hostages are returned. These are keepsakes of a time worth remembering, as hard as it has been for the last two years.”

Ronit Wolff Hanan, the former music director at Congregation Beth Sholom in Teaneck, New Jersey, says she is not sure what to do with the ribbon pin and dog tags she’s worn for most of the past two years. She’s torn between “this unbelievable release and relief and joy,” and sadness about the 24 bodies yet to be returned.

“My whole thing is, well, what do we do now?” says Wolff Hanan, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen whose son served more than 300 days in the Israeli reserves during the war. “I keep thinking about the long, difficult road all of these hostages and families have ahead of them, and it’s just unimaginable. But also I’m thinking about, when is it really over? We don’t know if this is the dawn of a new era or if we are going to go back to the same old, same old.”

his daughters and family,” she wrote Sunday, Oct. 12 on Instagram.

Alyssa Goldwater, an Orthodox influencer, wrote that she too is “really looking forward” to taking off the yellow ribbon pin she’s worn over the past two years, but that removing doesn’t mean forgetting.

“When you remove a pin, the tiny holes never fully go away,” she wrote on Instagram. “They will remain and serve as a reminder that we will never forget what has happened to us over the last two years. We will never forget who stood by us and who stood soundly or against us. The holes will be tiny because we pray that the hostages will be able to eventually heal and live their regular lives again, where the unimaginable travesties they’ve been through won’t even be noticeable in the human eye, but the holes will remain, because this is a part of us now.”

Long before Oct. 7 led to a torrent of new practices, Jews altered their prayers and rituals in tune with current events, with some changes handed down from rabbis and others bubbling up from the “folk.”

On a Facebook page for Jewish women, a number of members spoke of their reluctance to stop lighting extra candles. Some felt that if they did, it would break a kind of spiritual commitment or might suggest that they’ve given up on the freed hostages who will continue to have mental and physical challenges. Some referred to a passage from Talmud (Shabbat 21b) that extends the metaphor of the Hanukkah candles to suggest that someone should always add light, not subtract.

By contrast, the comic Periel Aschenbrand wrote that she was eager to take off the button that she’d been wearing in solidarity with Omri Miran, a hostage abducted in front of his wife and two children on Oct. 7. “I can’t wait to be able to take it off tomorrow, and for Omri to be reunited with

Some changes stick — like the Av HaRachamim memorial prayer, composed in the Middle Ages for those who perished in the Crusades — and others fall away. In the 1970s and ’80s, boys and girls celebrating their b’nai mitzvah “twinned” with Soviet Jews unable to emigrate. Adults wore silver bracelets with the name of these refuseniks and put them away when the emigration restrictions fell.

The additions and changes that persist usually speak to other events, the way Av HaRachamim has become a weekly reminder of various Jewish tragedies. In general, however, a prayer or ritual that responds to current events “should have a theoretical timestamp for when it exits stage left, even if we cannot always know when that time will come,” Rabbi Ethan Tucker, president and rosh yeshiva of Hadar, explained in a Facebook post discussing the transition away from Oct. 7 practices. “Without that

OCTOBER 7

foresight and planning, the addition either straggles on, eventually becoming a kind of exhibit in the gallery of prayer, or it simply fades away when monotony and detachment have gotten the better of it.”

The Jewish calendar itself seemed to conspire in the spiritual turbulence of many Jews: The hostage release came on the eve of Israelis’ celebration of Simchat Torah — and the second anniversary, on the Hebrew calendar, of the Hamas attacks.

The holiday is meant to be a day of unbridled joy. A centerpiece of Simchat Torah is the hakafah, when congregants dance with and around the Torah scrolls.

Last year, congregations struggled with how to match the happy themes of the holiday with the one-year anniversary of the worst attack in Israel’s history. Olitzky said his congregation began last year’s Simchat Torah festivities with a “solemn” hakafah, where congregants sang Israel’s national anthem and a somber Hebrew song while standing still. Olitzky said he took solace at the time in the words of Goldberg-Polin, who said, “‘There is a time to sob and a time to dance’ and we have to do both right now.”

And while the release of the hostages is also tinged with sadness — for the lost years, the captives who didn’t make it, the suffering still to come — many will use the

holiday as a celebration of deliverance and gratitude.

Adat Shalom, a Reconstructionist synagogue in Bethesda, Maryland, used Simchat Torah to celebrate the hostages’ return by ending another common practice since Oct. 7: a chair left empty on the synagogue’s bima, featuring the image of a missing hostage.

During the dancing on Simchat Torah, the congregation brought the chair and used it to lift up members weddingstyle. “We have a lot of people in the community who are really close with the Hostages and Missing Families Forum in Washington,” says Rabbi Scott Perlo.

Adat Shalom rotated in a number of special prayers and readings over the past two years, acknowledging, Perlo says ruefully, that “there’s so much to pray for,” including “the hostages, the safety of our family in Israel, the safety of people in Gaza,” and the state of American democracy.

He understands that some congregants may be wary of letting go of the new rites and prayers — perhaps afraid that if they don’t keep up the tradition, the horrors that prompted their prayers will only return.

“So what I would say to them is some version of, ‘Yes, don’t let it go completely, but let it transform into something new,’” says Perlo.

Rabbi Felipe Goodman of Temple Beth Sholom in Las Vegas, Nevada planned to incorporate a ritual of release

and transformation during Simchat Torah celebrations. He asked congregants to bring their yellow pins and dog tags and place them on an heirloom Torah cover. “This cover will be dedicated as a memorial and displayed at the entrance of our Temple, so that every time we walk through Our Temple’s doors, we will remember what happened on Oct. 7, 2023,” he wrote in a message to members.

With the release of the living hostages fulfilling two years of prayers, gestures and vigils, many offered new words and actions to mark the transition from war to whatever follows in its place. Hanna Yerushalmi, a rabbi based in Annapolis, Maryland, shared a poem on Instagram, called “Yellow Chairs,” that welcomed the transformation of the fraught symbols of Oct. 7 grief and remembrance. It reads in part: Empty chairs will be saved for friends arriving late, and tape will be tape again, and hostage necklaces will be put away, forgotten in drawers. and Saturday night will be date night once again.

October 7 remembrances

Throughout the world, the nation, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and Tidewater, events took place marking Oct. 7, 2023 –recalling the horrors of that day, while praying for the safety and release of the 48 remaining hostages still in Gaza at the time.

In addition to the events, Governor Glenn Youngkin issued a proclamation:

A Day of Re-membrance for the Victims of the October 7 Hamas Attack on Israel. In part, it states:

WHEREAS, on October 7, 2023, a tragic and unprecedented act of violence was carried out by Hamas terrorists at the Supernova Sukkot Gathering near Kibbutz Re'im, as well as throughout communities and kibbutzim in Israel; and

WHEREAS, innocent civilians were enjoying a beautiful day in their homes, observing the end of Sukkot, and attending a music festival, only to be brutally attacked, resulting in serious injuries, the horrific murder of 1,200 innocent lives, and the kidnapping of 251 hostages by Hamas terrorists; and

WHEREAS, among the hostages was Israeli American and former Richmonder Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a man who displayed immense courage in prioritizing the safety of his friends and others around him, despite the loss of his arm in a grenade explosion; and

WHEREAS, after eleven months in captivity and just days before the Israel Defense Forces could rescue him, Hersh Goldberg-Polin was murdered by Hamas in a tunnel in Gaza in August 2024, bringing profound sorrow to the Jewish community, his loved ones, and the countless individuals who prayed for his safe return; and

WHEREAS, the attack on October 7, 2023, and the rise in antisemitism, thereafter, are stark reminders of the ongoing threats and challenges faced by the people of Israel, and the need for continued vigilance and unity in the face of terrorism and hate; and

WHEREAS, Virginians vehemently condemn Hamas and its supporters for their reprehensible actions, which include kidnapping, brutal sexual violence, torture, and the murder of individuals like Hersh Goldberg-Polin; and

WHEREAS, Virginians remain steadfast against relentless evil and stand in solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people, a people who remain a bright light in the darkest of times;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize October 7, 2025, as A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE OCTOBER 7TH HAMAS ATTACK ON ISRAEL in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call for the immediate release of all hostages.

Remembering October 7: A commemoration of loss, strength, and unity at Regent

Nofar Trem

Tidewater’s Shinshinim, Noga Yaniv and Yarden Lahan, and I had the honor of participating in Regent University’s October 7th Commemoration event on Wednesday, Oct. 8. The morning began with a moving flag planting ceremony in memory of the victims of the October 7 attacks. Each flag served as a solemn reminder of a life lost, and the enduring pain still felt by so many.

Following, the community gathered in Regent’s Library Auditorium for the official commemoration ceremony. The program featured remarks from Regent Dean and former Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, Mayor Bobby Dyer, former Governor Bob McDonnell, Director of Regent’s Israel Institute Dr. AJ Nolte, Pastor and CUFI Regional Director Todd Woolston, and Shye Klein, an October 7 survivor whose story resonated with everyone in attendance.

Speakers reflected on the tragic events of that day, the alarming rise in antisemitism that followed, and the critical bond between Jews and Christians in standing together to uphold shared values and defend freedom. Throughout the event, the warmth and hospitality of the Regent community were truly touching.

It was a powerful morning of remembrance and unity, underscoring the deep friendship and steadfast support the Tidewater Christian community continues to show for Israel and for the local Jewish community. Their compassion and solidarity remind that even in times of pain, shared values and faith can bring people together in strength and purpose.

Virginia Tech commemorates October 7

Amanda Herring

Hillel students at Virginia Tech, along with the university’s Israel Fellow, Jules Narinski, created a visual memorial on the campus’ Drillfield to mark October 7. On the field, 48 yellow balloons and photographs representing the hostages still held in Gaza (at the time), were placed. Signs around the Drillfield instructed students about the massacre and allowed a space for students to reflect and mourn. The VT Police Department monitored the display throughout the day.

Simultaneously, Hillel was open with clergy and staff available to light memorial candles, sit with students, and offer comfort with cookies and hot tea.

Amanda Herring is the executive director at Hillel at Virginia Tech.

UVA hosts vigil for October 7

Annie Weinberg

Hillel at the University of Virginia cosponsored an event with Wahoos for Israel to commemorate October 7. Like the organizations have done over the last two years, the vigil was held on the Grounds. Orr Grosman, director of Israel Engagement & Global Jewish Experience, and Hillel’s Israel Education Interns, also created an installation on the Grounds during the day.

Annie Weinberg is executive director of the Brody Jewish Center, Hillel at the University of Virginia.

Yarden Lahan, Nofar Trem, and Noga Yaniv at Regent University on October 8.

Sign at Virginia Tech.

Vigil at UVA.

The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews united 1,200+ churches to plant more than 1 million Israeli flags to Commemorate October 7 attacks and demonstrate support for Israel and the Jewish People

As the world prepared to mark the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship) announced that more than 1,200 churches, universities, and synagogues, and nearly 1 million congregants from all 50 states planned to plant more than 1 million flags and stand in solidarity with Israel to raise a message of hope as part of its second annual Flags of Fellowship (FOF) campaign.

The movement, which engaged 220 organizations and more than 90,000 people in prayer during its inaugural campaign last year, aims to unite communities of faith across North America and unwavering support for Israel and the Jewish people as antisemitism continues to increase globally.

“Flags of Fellowship began as a way to honor the innocent lives lost on that horrific day, and to bring hope and light amidst unimaginable darkness,” says Yael Eckstein, president and Global CEO of The Fellowship. “And at a time when we see others burning Israeli flags, to have 1,200 churches and synagogues plant over 1 million Israeli flags is a bold, beautiful reminder that the Christian community—the silenced majority—continues to stand with Israel and the Jewish people.”

October 2-8, each participating church, synagogue, and university displayed a field of 1,200 Israeli flags—each representing a life lost on October 7, 2023—as part of Flags of Fellowship services in remembrance of the attacks.

Leading evangelical churches from around the country participated in the event, including World

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Outreach Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Awaken Church, with 20,000 congregants across eight campuses in California; Hope Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Cristo Vive in Miami, Florida; Freedom Life Church in Atglen, Pennsylvania, and more.

Regent University in Virginia Beach hosted a campus-wide event, extending the campaign into the academic community. (See article on page 9.)

To date, The Fellowship has provided more than $250 million in emergency humanitarian aid to those impacted by the October 7 attacks and the war. Flags of Fellowship equips believers across the nation to continue to support Israel, encouraging participants to pray and raise awareness in their local communities.

To learn more about The Fellowship’s work, visit www.ifcj.org.

OCTOBER 7 REVISITED

Prophet Habakkak’s haunting Biblical Words come true on a sacred turned scarred Day robbed of its joys, “For a stone shall cry out From the wall.”

Once loving homes where the Divine forged an abode turned Into blackened stones soaked from Hatred – filled wells of blood and fire, With walls of witness wailing in silence Of strewn bodies, young and old bonded In death as in life, for the land of ubiquitous Memorials again and again and again, Till when?

Of snuffed dreams in a hunting field Where dancing – davening flowers held Sway till halted singing from deep within Surging souls yearning to bond across Man – made borders – barriers to be Breached for war or peace, To yet prevail with heightened cadence Of Shalom’s invisible, ever – surviving promise!

Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman is the founder of Temple Lev Tikvah and Honorary Senior Rabbi Scholar at Eastern Shore Chapel Episcopal Church, both in Virginia Beach.

NATION

US Jews who revile Trump’s domestic policies say he must be praised for Gaza deal

Ron Kampeas (JTA) — Walking and chewing gum. Nixon and China. Fighting against the British in Palestine while fighting with the British in Europe.

All are cliches signifying two seemingly contradictory actions that are possible — and potentially preferable — to do at the same time. And all were cited this month by Jewish critics of Donald Trump as apt metaphors for what they are doing in the wake of Trump’s successful brokering of a ceasefire in the Gaza war.

Jewish Americans are reeling as a president many blame for undermining democracy brokered a deal that returned the Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Unlike many jubilant Israelis, some reliably liberal Jews here are having a hard time praising Trump and his team for the kind of diplomatic breakthrough that his Democratic predecessor couldn’t bring about. But they are largely figuring out how to do it.

“It’s important to recognize that the vast majority of American Jews, just as Israelis, want a return of the hostages, and they want this war to end, and if Donald Trump and his team can help to bring that about, they deserve credit for doing so,” says Halie Soifer, the CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, the leading Democratic group in the community.

Trump in his second term is deeply unpopular with American Jews. Prior to the announcement of a long-awaited ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, his backing for Israel did not dent the disapproval he draws from a demographic that votes overwhelmingly Democratic.

A poll in April found 72% of Jewish voters disapproved of Trump. A robust majority opposed his signature policies, including deportations and retaliating against political enemies. A majority even opposed his efforts to combat antisemitism.

At the same time, Trump also has not hidden his disdain for legacy Jewish groups: The FBI earlier this month cut off all ties with the Anti-Defamation League, and its director, Kash Patel, likened the group’s tracking of right-wing extremists to terrorism.

Abe Foxman, the former ADL CEO, was appalled by Patel’s actions against his former colleagues and campaigned in 2020 for Joe Biden, the Democrat who ousted Trump after his first term. But he said the community should praise Trump for the peace deal, and he was surprised the praise was not more robust.

“The American Jewish community needs to walk and chew gum at the same time. We should be able to differentiate and say, ‘Thank you, Mr. President’ and ‘No thank you, Mr. President,’” Foxman says. “He did something so many of us yearned for in the last two years, and he made it happen,

and Biden didn’t make it happen.”

Rabbi Jonah Pesner, who leads the Reform movement’s advocacy arm, the Religious Action Center, says there was a Jewish ethical obligation to thank Trump, based on the Jewish imperative to publicly “recognize the good,” hakarat hatov, even if the administration does not reciprocate.

“We would look at it through the lens of Jewish learning and Jewish wisdom,” Pesner says. “We have a president who has done exactly what we asked, bring the hostages home, end the war and the suffering in Gaza, both for the sake of the innocent in Gaza, but also for [Israelis], and get back on a path to a sustainable, lasting peace so that both sides can live in peace.”

That does not mean opposition to Trump’s domestic policies should flag, Pesner says, noting the Reform movement’s activism in opposing the deportations and Trump policies targeting transgender people.

“Our people are in the streets in Los Angeles and Chicago, trying to be a human buffer between troops that are being deployed [to arrest undocumented migrants] and the people who will be impacted,” he says.

Pesner’s predecessor at the RAC, Rabbi David Saperstein, says Trump “deserves to be commended for an extraordinary achievement” – but the Trump administration’s strident hostility to groups that might disagree on some issues made it hard to express. (Earlier this month, Trump shared on social media a meme calling Democrats “THE PARTY OF HATE, EVIL, AND SATAN.”)

Saperstein laments the passing of an era when Jewish organizations would be comfortable working with a president whose policies they mostly opposed. He recalls being present at the White House, as RAC CEO, when President George W. Bush signed RAC-backed bills on human trafficking, on Sudan, and on prison rape.

“While we staunchly supported a number of the efforts of the [Bush] administration, both domestically and in terms of Iraq, one always knew that the White House would accept that dichotomy as a norm of how American politics functions and wouldn’t stop that from working collegially in places we could find common ground,” Saperstein recalls. “This administration is woefully different.”

Joel Rubin, a deputy assistant secretary of state during the Obama administration, says Trump was able to do what Biden was not: pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to defy his far-right coalition partners and make a deal by enticing him with unfettered military and diplomatic support.

“Biden didn’t have the leverage to pressure Bibi [Netanyahu], the way that Trump has the leverage to pressure Bibi.” Biden, he says, “failed to capitalize on

the window that he had opened after Oct. 7,” when the Democratic president expressed unalloyed support for Israel. “He kind of sat passive, and he just didn’t know how to do it. And Trump didn’t take any of the recommendations from the ‘pressure Israel’ crowd. He didn’t cut off military aid. In fact, he accelerated it. And that built up huge equity inside the Israeli body politic.”

Jewish political conservatives have been beyond effusive in their praise. The Republican Jewish Coalition has not only called for Trump to win the Nobel Peace Prize, it said the prize should be renamed for Trump.

Jo-Ann Mort, a public relations consultant who has worked with liberal Jewish and non-Jewish groups, says Trump deserved thanks, but the deal was not the game changer that Trump and his acolytes were claiming. Its terms have been on the table since the Biden administration, she says, and keeping the peace in the Middle East has been part of the presidential brief since at least Israel’s inception.

“It was an agreement that was on the table a year ago that Bibi didn’t take,” she says.

Soifer, the Jewish Democrats’ CEO, says that even as the deal deserves praise, its elements needed further scrutiny, particularly the ensuing enhancements in security cooperation between the United States and Qatar, a country that has backed Hamas. She notes for instance a deal he brokered with Yemen’s Houthi militia earlier this year that stopped attacks on U.S.-flagged ships – but allowed them to continue on Israeli flagged ships.

“Israel’s security has not been a part of every calculation in terms of foreign policy of this administration and the Houthis are one example,” Soifer says. “This deal with the Qataris may be another, and we do need to consider Israel’s security. His tunnel vision may serve his short-term interests” of securing a Nobel Peace Prize, “but it doesn’t necessarily serve our long-term national security interests as well as that of Israel.”

Betsy Sheer, a leading Florida-based fundraiser for Jewish causes and for Democrats, says praise for Trump’s deal should be unstinting — as should be resistance to his domestic policies.

“Trump has figured out a way, unlike his predecessor, who I thought was extremely supportive of Israel – he’s figured out a way through knocking heads and embarrassing people and promising God knows what that got us to this moment, and I don’t think we can overlook that,” she says.

“His domestic policies are abhorrent, and you know, I’m not going to let up on that at all,” Sheer says. “You still have to look at the shutting down of civil liberties and voting rights and the authoritarian stance and the punitive way of suing everybody that’s ever been an enemy.”

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Project Esther has shaped Trump’s antisemitism strategy. The Shofar Report is a liberal Jewish response.

Andrew Lapin (JTA) — A group of Jewish leaders are fed up with right-wing efforts to combat antisemitism. So, they created their own strategy.

The Shofar Report, released this month by the liberal-leaning Jewish group Nexus Project, is a new guide to fighting antisemitism that its authors say is intended to curb the strategies of the Trump administration. The new report was written explicitly as a rebuttal to Project Esther, a 2024 blueprint against antisemitism written by the conservative Heritage Foundation that outlined many policies now undertaken by the Trump administration, particularly on campuses.

new proposals. Slashing university funding, arresting and deporting student protesters, blocking student visas, and tying synagogue security funding to immigration enforcement are all steps the new report says must be reversed to properly fight antisemitism. Its central message: that fighting antisemitism requires fighting for democratic institutions and embracing traditional liberal coalition-building. Universities, civil rights law, and immigration rights all must be protected in order to safeguard Jews within a liberal democracy, the authors argue.

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“Project Esther was not a strategy for fighting antisemitism,” Jonathan Jacoby, the Nexus Project’s president, says. “Project Esther is the Heritage Foundation’s tool for implementing Project 2025” — referring to a now-infamous policy blueprint for a second Trump term.

What Trump and his supporters are actually doing, Jacoby says, is “weaponizing antisemitism.” Conversely, he says, that is bad for the Jews: “Weaponizing antisemitism breeds antisemitism. Weaponizing antisemitism undermines efforts to confront antisemitism.”

In response, the Shofar Report — released during the High Holidays in an effort to mimic a shofar blast as a wake-up call to Jews — calls for policymakers to wind back the clock. Many of its own recommendations for fighting antisemitism involve undoing Trump’s handiwork, along with some

That could prove a challenge, as many Jews have felt scorned by a lack of allyship from such coalitions and institutions after Oct. 7. Some of the more combative Jewish groups, such as Betar US and Canary Mission, not only support Trump’s policies but are actively aiding them by naming pro-Palestinian protesters for the administration to target.

Jacoby acknowledged that Jewish appetites for coalition-building are lower now. But, he insists, “Those coalitions are what we need to be strong in order to fight antisemitism.”

“Jewish safety is of utmost importance and must be protected,” he says. “There’s no substitute for that. We need to build on that, and understand how we can create an infrastructure, a civil and community infrastructure, that supports that, and that complements that. And that’s where coalitions come in, and that’s where institutions come in, and that’s where education comes in.”

The report’s authors speak highly

of the Biden administration’s own, now-abandoned plan for countering antisemitism after Oct. 7, which had identified the problem in terms of civil rights. They seek a return to what Jacoby calls a “precedent for listening to Jewish voices about this” after Project Esther, the majority of whose contributors were not Jewish.

Contributors to the Shofar Report include Amy Spitalnick, head of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs; J Street CEO Jeremy Ben-Ami and UCLA professor Dov Waxman; New Israel Fund president David N. Myers; prominent Jewish academic Lila Corwin Berman; Hannah Rosenthal, a former U.S. envoy for combatting antisemitism under the Obama administration; and author Emily Tamkin.

Among other recommendations are a push for rollbacks on Trump’s antisemitism policies. The report calls for education funding, student visas, and civil rights enforcement to be restored; for the administration to stop accusing nonprofits and NGOs of supporting terror; and for nonprofit security grants, which fund synagogue security plans, to not be “beholden to an administration’s ideological whims on issues like diversity or immigration.”

In this respect, the Shofar Report is following what appears to be the majority of American Jewish opinion. According to recent polling by Ipsos, the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Rochester, 72% of American Jews believe Trump is using antisemitism as an “excuse” to punish universities, and two-thirds don’t believe antisemitism justifies cutting university funding.

“As Jewish Americans struggle with hatred, even alienation from the Israeli

state, they discover a slippery president who exploits a true danger,” that study’s authors, James Druckman and Bruce Fuller, wrote in an op-ed for the Chicago Tribune. “Trump erodes the very institutions that have long provided safety, learning and upward mobility for Jewish families — all the while claiming that he’s protecting Jews.”

Not all of the Shofar recommendations are critical of Trump.

don’t

An essay by Waxman and Ben-Ami backs the president’s 20-point plan to secure Gaza, dismantle Hamas, and extend its ceasefire with Israel (while also urging the administration to end “blank-check” funding for Israel and to stop supporting far-right parties around the world). That, too, is in keeping with what some Jewish leaders who are critical of Trump have said about his Gaza plan in recent weeks. The report’s authors also push for ideas such as media literacy programs, Holocaust and Jewish history education, “off-ramp” programs to help people leave extremist movements, and combatting disinformation with the aid of social media companies (the QAnon and Great Replacement conspiracy theories in particular).

Though light on specifics, Jacoby says the report would ideally lead to a broader effort from Jewish groups and institutions to articulate new visions for fighting antisemitism while upholding liberal democracies. He was encouraged, he says, by recent signs of Jewish pushback to Trump, including Jewish presidents of top universities rejecting a federal funding “compact” that critics say would have compromised academic freedom in order to restore grants pulled over purported antisemitism concerns.

He further predicts that the FBI’s

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recent severing of longstanding ties with the Anti-Defamation League would also galvanize the Jewish community: “I think that American Jews see the danger in these kinds of policies.”

There remains the question of how much influence such a report can have. As long as Trump and Republicans remain in power, the Shofar Report’s recommendations and persuasions will be swimming directly against today’s political currents. Jacoby laments that properly dealing with antisemitism was not “a bipartisan issue,” but remains optimistic “that

it will become one.”

“I would say there’s more work to be done,” he says. “Each of these recommendations needs to be translated into more concrete and more specific ideas for action, and our hope is that they will be over the coming year, and actually over the coming years as the political landscape shifts.”

He adds, “I think this is the beginning. I think we need to take more steps to make this more concrete. And we will, and so will other organizations. … I think we are a guiding force.”

MEET: Jason Blanchette

JEWISH TIDEWATER

Congregation Beth El marks 175 years

Deb Segaloff Synagogues have always been the roots of a Jewish community. Wherever Jewish people have gone, they have gathered for communal prayer and congregational support. Jewish community provides a feeling of home in this big, often scary world. For 175 years, Congregation Beth El has been providing that sense of home for its congregants. On Saturday, November 8 at 7 pm, the congregation will celebrate 175 years of Jewish life in Tidewater (see page 23 for details).

A brief history of Congregation Beth El

• 1844- Jacob Umstadter arrives in Norfolk from Germany. Umstadter, who became the Kosher slaughterer and cantor for the small Jewish community, was shocked by the religious laxity he

found and began to conduct regular religious services.

• 1850- In 1848, a synagogue called “Congregation House of Jacob” began in rented quarters. In 1850, a cemetery was established on Princess Anne Road. This date was chosen by Congregation Beth El as its official beginning.

• 1859- The congregation built its own synagogue on a lot purchased from the Umstadters on the east side of Cumberland Street and held the first service in their new house of worship by the end of that year.

• 1867- The congregation was reconstituted as Ohef Sholom Temple in September 1867.

• 1870- The Civil War brought with it a sweep of Liberalism that caused factions to develop between the traditional founding members and the emerging

reform philosophy of newer members agitating for a change in ritual practice. Consequently, the Traditionalists, led by Jacob Umstadter, resigned from the congregation and on February 27, 1870, founded a new synagogue with the name Beth El, thus providing a historical

—Andrew H. Hook President of Hook

continuity from 1848 to 1870, even though traditional religious services took place under several different congregational names.

• 1880- Beth El purchased the old Cumberland Street synagogue (Ohef Sholom Temple had previously moved to larger quarters).

• 1913- Under the outstanding leadership of Rabbi Louis Goldberg, Beth El became one of the 13 charter members of the United Synagogue of America (today, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism).

• 1921- A new building was erected on what is now Shirley Avenue.

• 1934- In 1934, Rabbi Paul Reich joined Beth El and would lead the congregation for the next 33 years. Under him, the congregation grew from 100 families to more than 800.

• 1939- The Barr Office and Educational Center was constructed and the school wing was completely renovated. Beth El’s total complex now comprises almost the entire city block.

• 1950- The original structure eventually became the synagogue’s social hall (Myers Hall) when the present 1,400 seat sanctuary was constructed.

• 1988- Rabbi Ruberg began serving as rabbi for 28 years and continues as Rabbi Emeritus.

• 2011- Rabbi Arnowitz led Beth El into the future.

• 2025- Rabbi Herber becomes the temple’s rabbi.

JEWISH TIDEWATER

THE STORY OF CHUCK AND DONNA

Meril Amdursky

When I joined the Jewish Family Service board in 2020, I thought I knew what JFS was all about. Helping out in the community? Sure. Supporting seniors? Absolutely. But wow—I had no idea how deep their work really goes. I hadn’t even heard of PAM! I figured it was just about helping older adults with bills or keeping people safe from scams. What I didn’t realize is how carefully planned, regulated, and powerful JFS’s Personal Affairs Management (PAM) program support system really is. They help some of the most vulnerable people in our community— people who often get overlooked and fall through the cracks. And trust me, the more I learned, the more I was blown away. Chuck and Donna’s story is a graet example:

point. The police stepped in. So did Jewish Family Service. What followed wasn’t quick or easy. A long legal battle unfolded over who should care for Chuck and Donna—and who should receive their disability income.

Eventually, justice and compassion won out. Chuck and Donna moved into a group home filled with people who understood their needs and celebrated who they were. They made friends. They laughed. They healed.

Jewish Family Service is dedicated to supporting the most vulnerable members of our community

It was just before the winter holidays when a welfare check was called in for a rundown cinderblock house in Virginia Beach. There was no heat. No lights. No running water. When police arrived, they found two adults— Chuck and Donna—huddled inside, cold, hungry, and scared. They hadn’t answered the door because their brother told them not to. That brother was also the only one bringing them food—just a few slices of pizza here and there.

Chuck and Donna weren’t just isolated—they were trapped. Both lived with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and they had been left without even the basic necessities to survive.

That winter day became a turning

A PAM guardian from JFS stayed by their side, visiting regularly, making sure they were safe, respected, and never forgotten.

More than 20 years passed. Then Donna was diagnosed with leukemia. But this time, she wasn’t alone. Her guardian sat by her side during treatments, held her hand through pain, and stayed with her until the very end. Donna died with dignity and love, knowing—truly knowing—that she mattered.

Chuck still lives in the same home. He misses Donna deeply. But thanks to that intervention so many years ago, he wakes up each day surrounded by people who care, in a place where he is safe, supported, and thriving.

That’s what JFS does. They show up. They help heal. And they never let anyone slip through the cracks. Together, we can make a lasting impact.

Jewish Family Service is dedicated to supporting the most vulnerable members of our community—but we can’t do it alone. With your help, we can continue

healing the world, one person at a time. Whether you have time to give, skills to share, or resources to donate, there are so many meaningful ways to make a difference.

• Give a gift: Make a tax-deductible donation to Jewish Family Service of Tidewater at jfshamptonroads.org and help JFS extend its reach.

• Volunteer your time and talent:

• Deliver meals to homebound seniors.

• Assist JFS guardianship clients by helping file tax returns and estate documents.

• Offer a warm welcome and assist food pantry guests with dignity and care.

• Help with light administrative tasks that support Personal Affairs

Management (PAM) clients.

• Become a friendly visitor and brighten someone’s day with conversation and companionship.

• Join our knitting group to make scarves, hats, and blankets for clients in need.

• Donate Essentials: Contribute nonperishable food and toiletries to the JFS pantry, helping neighbors facing food insecurity.

• Leave a Legacy: Ensure JFS services continue for generations to come by including JFS in your estate planning. Every act of kindness matters. Stand with us in bringing hope, dignity, and care to those who need it most. Let’s build a stronger, more compassionate community—together.

business

GENERATIONS

Beloved family business closes its doors after 86 years

Stephanie Peck

Since 1939, inventions such as nylon stockings, twistie ties, and microwave ovens have entered everyday life, not to mention cell phones and the internet. Fifteen presidents have resided in the White House and men have landed on the moon and spent months in space. And it was in 1939 that Harry and Leonard Laibstain established Virginia Furniture Company, a furniture store that would feature prominently in Norfolk for nearly nine decades. The store’s current location is on Granby Street in the NEON District in downtown Norfolk.

After working for 80 years, Leonard retired from the family business at age 95 due to the COVID pandemic. He passed away three years later. His brother, Harry, worked until six weeks before his passing in 2012 at the age of 91.

Second generation Laibstains and first cousins David and Jeff, recently made the decision to close the store’s doors after this successful, 86-year run.

“Jeff and I have been in the business for 40 years,” says David Laibstain, who says he had the good fortune of working alongside and learning from his dad and uncle for more than half that time.

In addition to being grateful for those years with his mentors, David says he’s also appreciative of his wife, Jody, who along with Jeff’s wife, Bonnie, supported them during their entire careers. “They were ‘Saturday widows,’” he says. “Jody’s family was in retail, so she understood, still it was tough when I wasn’t able to join her with friends for Saturday activities.

“She was understanding of all the long hours we worked.”

Bonnie Laibstain, Jeff’s wife, shares the history of Virginia Furniture Company and what the store has meant to generations of customers.

Jewish News: Virginia Furniture Company has been in business for many decades.

Do you know what inspired Harry and Leonard Laibstain to start it?

Bonnie Laibstain: Harry, David’s father, was 19 years old and Leonard, Jeff’s father, was only 15 years old when they started Virginia Furniture Company in 1939. They were inspired by cousins in the family who were already in the furniture business and knew it was a good business to get in to.

Have other family members worked for Virginia Furniture Company?

Several cousins worked at the store in their younger years on occasional Saturdays as teenagers for extra pocket money. Richard Miles, who has been retired for a while now, worked for our family business for about 40 years and was like family. He did a terrific job and the customers loved him. I started working at Virginia Furniture at the start of COVID in 2020. It was an extremely busy time because people were home, receiving stimulus checks, and wanted to make changes in their home decor and purchase new furniture. David was out of the store for about four months for health reasons. I

jumped in and learned the family furniture business very quickly to help Jeff in David’s absence. I have enjoyed selling and stayed on for nearly six years now.

When did Jeff and David start working for the business?

David and Jeff have both been in the family business full time since 1986 –nearly 40 years.

How did Harry and Leonard share the responsibilities of the business?

Harry did more of the merchandising, while Leonard took care of the financing, accounting, and record keeping.

How have David and Jeff divided up

the workload?

The apples don’t fall far from the trees–David took after his father and was sales and merchandising focused, while Jeff took after his father doing all the financing, accounting, and record keeping for the business.

The company has a 4.9-star rating on Google. How have you managed to keep customers so happy?

We have 160 reviews on Google. It’s really not rocket science. Honestly, we just treat people the way we would like to be treated. Customer service is hard to find these days. We truly pride ourselves on excellent customer service!

How have changes to the economy impacted furniture sales? Have you felt the impact of tariffs on business? Inflation has made it more difficult for our customers to make purchases and make payments. In addition, people buying online from competitors has also made an impact on our business.

What prompted the decision to close the store?

After 86 years as a family business, and working six days a week, we have decided now is a good time to retire. We all have many plans to look forward to in the future.

What are David’s and Jeff’s plans for the future?

David has turned a hobby of refurbishing and

The Laibstains: David, Harry, Leonard, and Jeff.

David Laibstain and Bonnie and Jeff Laibstain.

refinishing vintage furniture into a business. Jeff and I are looking forward to traveling and doing many things that we haven’t had the time to do before now.

Anything else you’d like to share with the readers of Jewish News?

We have been serving the community for over eight decades. Several generations of families have been with us for many years. We know Harry and Leonard would be very proud of us for all we have done to carry on the family legacy into our 86th year.

MACCABI MEDIA IN ISRAEL – SUMMER 2026

A career-development program for Jewish media students

Maccabi Media is recruiting Jewish media, broadcasting, and communications students, as well as recent graduates, ages 18-25, to cover more than 35 sports during a three-week Olympic-style international competition in July 2026. Applications will be accepted through late-November.

The most recent student media team trained extensively to cover the 1,250-member delegation at the Maccabiah this summer until the conflict in Israel postponed the trip until next year.

The new student group will perform a variety of roles, including play-byplay, color analysis, sideline reporting, live game streaming, video production and editing, photography, and sports reporting for web/social media. Before leaving for Israel, students will undergo more than six months of training under the guidance of veteran media mentors, including MMP chair and former 76ers play-by-play voice Marc Zumoff. They will also learn from industry professionals during sessions with notable guest speakers. Following the trip, students will receive long-term assistance with resumes, demo reels, and career networking. For more information or to set up a phone or Zoom meeting, contact Neal Slotkin, Maccabi USA digital media director, at nslotkin@maccabiusa.com.

To learn more about Maccabi Media, visit https://maccabiusa.com/maccabi-media/. To apply, visit https://maccabiusa.com/22nd-maccabiah-sports-2025/.

RESOURCES FOR

ADVISORS

Since 1984, Tidewater Jewish Foundation has partnered with professional advisors to help fundholders direct more than $260 million to causes they care about.

Working closely with advisors from the legal, accounting, insurance, wealth management and investment fields, Tidewater Jewish Foundation helps individuals and families reach their charitable goals, all while enjoying significant tax benefits, and at no cost to you or your client.

We are here to make giving easy.

If you are a professional advisor, we encourage you to explore all the tools and resources available on our website, and welcome the opportunity to connect to discuss more ways we can help you serve your clients in the Tidewater Jewish community.

more at

(l to r) Professional Advisors - Scott Saal, & Jim Karides; TJF CEO - Naomi Sedek; with fundholders - Helen & Warren Aleck

Harry and Leonard Laibstain celebrate the store s 70th anniversary.

New Hebrew University study shows AI can help consumers curb overdraft costs business

AI-powered email reminders can significantly reduce costly overdraft fees by helping users pay closer attention to their finances, according to a new study by researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The study, published in Management Science, included 39,000 users of the Mint personal finance app and found that simplified and strategically framed messages—especially those emphasizing loss avoidance—were the most effective.

While users with higher income and credit scores were more likely to act on the alerts, the findings highlight both the potential and limitations of AI-based financial nudges. Overdraft fees remain a costly burden, and according to the Consumer Federation of America, U.S. banks collected nearly $5

billion in overdraft fees in 2024.

“Our randomized study provides evidence that AI-based, tailored communication can positively influence financial behavior—but it must be accessible and actionable,” says Prof. Orly Sade, dean of the Hebrew University Business School.

“Simple, timely messages have the power to help people make better decisions, but we also need to consider broader systemic barriers for those in more challenging financial situations.”

AI-driven financial tools are transforming the way people manage their finances, offering real-time support that surpasses traditional budgeting. From predictive alerts that flag potential overdrafts to systems that automatically transfer funds to prevent shortfalls, these

technologies offer practical solutions for everyday financial challenges. While they hold promise in helping users avoid unnecessary fees and build better habits, their impact depends on understanding what motivates individuals to use them and follow through on the guidance they provide.

The AI system used in the study predicted when users were likely to incur overdraft fees and sent email reminders accordingly.

Key findings include:

• Any reminder helped: Users who received an alert were less likely to incur overdraft charges.

• Simplicity matters: Clear, concise messages were significantly more effective than complex ones.

• Framing counts:

o Messages framed negatively (e.g., “Avoid overdraft fees”) led to a 9% reduction in overdrafts the following week.

o These users saved an average of $25 over four months.

o Positively framed messages (“Save money”) also worked but were slightly less effective.

• Who responded best: Alerts were most effective for users with fair-to-good credit and mid-to-high incomes—those who were more likely to act on the information.

• Limits of nudging: Financially vulnerable users, such as those with low liquidity or credit limits, were less able to benefit from the reminders, indicating that behavioral nudges alone may not be sufficient.

business Planning with purpose: Estate Planning matters more than you think

October is National Estate Planning Month and marks

Donor Advised Fund Day — an ideal time to begin planning

TJF staff

Estate planning is one of those tasks people tend to put off — until life reminds them why it matters. That’s why Scott Alperin, J.D., founder of Alperin Law & Wealth, says the right time to plan is before a crisis happens. “Estate planning isn’t just about what happens when you die,” he says. “It’s also about what happens if you become ill or incapacitated.

“If a sudden illness or accident leaves you unable to speak for yourself — even temporarily—it is critical to make sure that your loved ones not only know what to do, but more importantly, that they have the legal authority and guidance you’d want for your care, your finances, your home, and even your online accounts,” he says. “Without a proper incapacity plan in place, your family may be forced to go through an expensive and stressful court process known as guardianship and conservatorship in which the court decides your decision maker.”

Building the foundation of a comprehensive plan

Alperin, who practices both estate planning and elder law, explains that every thoughtful plan begins with two key questions: “What happens if I pass away?” and “What happens if I can’t make decisions for myself?” A comprehensive plan answers both, combining legal structure with practical foresight.

The first step is determining whether one’s foundational plan will be based on a Last Will and Testament, a Revocable Living Trust, or involve other planning techniques. From there, a complete plan includes essential ancillary documents such as a General Durable Power of Attorney, Health Care Power of Attorney, Advance Medical Directive (Living Will), HIPAA Authorization, and Tangible Personal Property Memorandum to ensure that

every aspect of one’s legal and personal affairs is covered.

“The earlier you start, the more options you have,” Alperin says. “You can explore tools that protect assets, provide for long-term care, and reflect your values, not just your valuables.”

Integrating charitable planning

“Many of my clients give generously during their lifetime,” Alperin notes, “but they don’t always realize how easily they can make lifetime gifts that benefit charities while at the same time reduce their tax burden. My clients are also sometimes surprised to learn that they can structure their estate plans in a way that will provide meaningful gifts to charity without sacrificing the legacy they want to leave for their families.”

That’s where the Tidewater Jewish Foundation becomes a key partner. TJF works side-by-side with professional advisors such as Alperin to help individuals align their estate plans with their charitable and family goals. Through donor education, personalized guidance, and charitable tools such as Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) and endowments, TJF makes it easy to

integrate philanthropy into a comprehensive financial and legacy plan. TJF also manages the administrative side — handling grant distributions, fund compliance, and long-term investment management— so donors can focus on what matters most: the impact they want to leave on their community.

Four actions to take today to prepare

1. Gather key documents — Collect account statements, deeds, insurance policies, and beneficiary forms.

2. Assess goals — Identify priorities such as caring for family, protecting assets, and giving back to community.

3. Consult a professional — Work with an experienced estate planning attorney to ensure documents comply with state laws and reflect personal wishes.

4. Incorporate Charitable giving — Partner with TJF to explore options such as Donor Advised Funds, legacy estate bequests, trusts, or IRA Charitable Rollover distributions to establish Restricted Funds that offer immediate tax benefits and long-term community impact.

“Crafting a thoughtful estate plan is a gift to your loved ones,” Alperin says. “It protects your family, preserves your values, and gives you peace of mind knowing your legacy will continue for generations.”

To learn more about integrating charitable giving into an estate or trust plan, contact Tidewater Jewish Foundation at www. tidewaterjewishfoundation.org or 757-965-6100.

Scott N. Alperin, J.D., is the founder of Alperin Law in Virginia Beach and an Estate Planning Law Specialist and Accredited Estate Planner.

Scott N. Alperin, J.D.

Next Gen Engagement Coordinator Employment Opportunity

United Jewish Federation of Tidewater is seeking an energetic and relationship-driven Next Gen Engagement Coordinator to connect Jewish young adults (ages 22–40) with meaningful community experiences, Jewish life, leadership opportunities, and philanthropy. This role may be structured as one full-time or two part-time positions.

Responsibilities include

•Building authentic relationships with young adults

•Planning and leading social, cultural, and service programs

•Developing young adult leadership opportunities

•Growing participation in Federation campaigns

Qualifications include Bachelor’s degree preferred; experience in community engagement, Jewish programming, or young adult initiatives a plus. Must be a strong communicator, creative planner, and available some evenings/weekends.

Complete job description at www.jewishva.org

Submit cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to: resumes@ujft.org

Equal Opportunity Employer

Local firm has wide reach when purchasing investment properties business

Cohen Investment Group (CIG) is a privately owned commercial real estate investment firm specializing in multifamily apartments and self-storage properties.

The firm’s strategy is to identify and acquire well-located real estate assets below replacement cost while engaging the firm’s third-party property managers to improve operational efficiencies. This practice is continuously implemented to increase net operating income in order to best time a disposition event with optimal risk-adjusted returns.

Founded in late 2013, Norfolk-based Cohen Investment Group began acquiring assets in 2014. Since its inception, the company has transacted on almost $1 billion in capital activity, which is acquisitions and dispositions combined. The company currently owns 60 properties in 13 states across the U.S.

“We work primarily with accredited investors, single and multifamily offices, ultra-high net worth investors, registered investment advisors, and private equity,” says Hugh Cohen, president of the firm.

“Our investment thesis is simple, to acquire investment-grade real estate, ideally below replacement cost in the Southeast, Southwest, Midwest, and Mountain range. We are continuing to underwrite and evaluate properties across the country in an ever-changing economic climate. Our investments are an excellent recessionary hedge and offer diversification from a challenging and fluctuating stock market environment.”

TowneBank: Conducting business and building relationships in Tidewater for more than a quarter of a century

As this community’s bank for more than 25 years, TowneBank offers exquisite service to meet the complete financial needs of individuals and organizations.

The bank is dedicated to being the bank of choice for nonprofits and associations, local businesses, and professional practices. Through the Towne family of companies, financial professionals provide expertise in realty and mortgages, insurance and employee benefits, wealth management and succession planning, and 1031 exchanges.

Whatever the need, TowneBank is here for its clients and community. Visit the bank at TowneBank.com.

Member FDIC | Equal Housing Lender | NMLS# 512138 Towne 1031 Exchange does not provide tax or legal advice. Please consult an accountant and/or attorney. Insurance and investment products are Not bank deposits or obligations, Not FDIC-insured, Not guaranteed by TowneBank, and may go down in value.

Hugh Cohen with Cohen Investment Group partners.

IT’S A WRAP

Linda Ausch

Night Under the Stars: A Sukkot celebration

Women’s Philanthropy and guests gathered on a crisp fall evening on the Sandler Family Campus for a beautiful “Night Under the Stars” to celebrate Sukkot earlier this month. The setting couldn’t have been more perfect — the glow of string lights, the scent of fall in the air, and the joy of being together in community.

The evening began in the sukkah with appetizers and wine, providing a cozy space for everyone to mingle, reconnect, and savor the spirit of the holiday. As darkness fell and the stars appeared, everyone moved to the beautifully lit Marty Einhorn Pavilion to continue the celebration in its warm, inviting glow.

Alicia London Friedman, Women’s Philanthropy chair, welcomed the women, sharing hopeful news about the possible release of hostages in the coming days. Her words set a meaningful tone for the evening — one of gratitude, reflection, and unity.

The evening was made even more special with a few distinguished guests. Yarden Lahan, one of the

community’s ShinShinim, mingled with attendees, sharing stories and learning about connections to the Jewish community. Betty Ann Levin, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s executive vice president, and Naomi Limor Sedek, Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s president, spent the evening engaging with guests, expressing appreciation for their participation, and highlighting the importance of community gatherings such as this one.

The women were then treated to a cooking demonstration by Deb Segaloff, who showcased her creativity with a selection of delicious, harvest-inspired dishes. The menu included Butternut Squash Panko and

Apple Soup, Deb’s famous Farm Stand Salad, Jeweled Rice, and Panko Herbed Salmon, ending with a delicious apple-topped cake. The aroma of fresh ingredients filled the pavilion, and laughter and conversation flowed as everyone enjoyed tasting her creations and learning new recipes. While dinner was served, the women continued to connect and celebrate friendships — old and new. The evening embodied the spirit of Sukkot: coming together in joy, hospitality, and community.

Linda Ausch is United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Women’s development director.

Merrily Shepherd, Emily Dreyfus, Karen Ashkenazi, Susan Eilberg, Erica Ausch, and Emmy Lou Kreger.

Ellen Rosenblum and Megan Zuckerman.

Deb Segaloff “chef du Jour.”

Stacie Moss and Jillian Reynolds Sachs.

Carin Simon, Ally St. Pierre, Betty Ann Levin, Yarden Lahan, and Leah Wohlgemuth.

Amy Weinstein, Susan Cohen, and Ellen Wagner.

Lisa Roesen, Ellen Rosenblum, Mona Flax, and Judy Rosenblatt.

The Adler Sisters: Anne Abraham, Stephanie Calliott, and Dana Rosen.

Dinner under the twinkling lights of the Marty Einhorn Pavillion

Ellen Brooke-Coley, Shari Gaber, Michele Brooke-Newbill, Helen Aleck, Karen Ashkenazi, Debra Aleck, and Marcie Blum. Stacie Moss, Alicia London Friedman, Jillian Reynolds Sachs, Elyse Cardon, and Naomi Limor Sedek.

Alicia London Friedman.

Mike Goldsmith, security expert, speaks with seniors

Shyanne Southern

The online world can be confusing and scary for people of all ages. That is why on Wednesday, Sept. 17, Secure Community Network’s Regional Security Advisor for Tidewater, Mike Goldsmith, spoke with the JCC Senior’s Club about recognizing common scams. Protecting oneself and family was the focus of the discussions, as well as how to avoid evolving, sophisticated cons.

Topics discussed included credit card information being stored online, how to freeze credit information as a precautionary measure, and being weary of QR Codes – which can also be a trap when not familiar with the business.

When in doubt, Goldsmith advises, do not worry

about being polite. It’s more important, he says, “to protect yourself and your family. If you are contacted on the phone and the caller wants sensitive information, it is okay to hang up.” He suggests instead cross referencing the call by contacting institutions such as one’s own bank or legitimate retailer. If the call is indeed legitimate, the caller will not mind the time it takes to check with the other sources.

Placing orders online can also be of concern, especially when it is with a retailer that isn’t familiar. To check a website for validity, access these free resources: http://scamadvisor.com and http://www.scam-detector. com/validator/. When going to these sites, type in the webpage in question, and it will then generate a score

rating as to its legitimacy.

The local Police Department is always the first call to make if victimized by a scammer. National Elder Fraud Hotline-DOJ1 at 833-372-8311 and Virginia Adult Protective Services at 888-832-385 are also good sources for assistance.

With a little help from Goldsmith, the senior community won’t be fooled by the dark web. The seniors Goldsmith spoke with appreciated his sharing his knowledge.

To learn more about the JCC Seniors Club and its meetings, which are catered, contact Shyanne Southern at ssouthern@ ujft.org or 757-452-3184.

Tidewater teen attends BBYO summer program

International Kallah is where BBYO members from across the globe come together to explore their Jewish identity and learn about their shared Jewish heritage, all while enjoying adventures in a beautiful camp setting. It takes place for 20 days during the summer at the B’nai B’rith Perlman Camp in Lake Como, Pa.

Along with peers from every corner of the world, attendees discover what it means to shape Jewish life in their own way, through courage, creativity, and connection. Beyond the learning, everyone shares unforgettable experiences, from late-night conversations to electives such as music, cooking, photography, and sports. Kallah is where Jewish leadership is born, and where tomorrow’s voices find their strength today.

Tidewater BBYO member and current Godol (president) of Old Dominion AZA, Logan Hoffman, attended International Kallah this past summer. As many camps and summer experiences are starting to open enrollment for summer 2026, he says he is excited to share his experiences with the Tidewater community in his own words in hopes to inspire other local teens to seek meaningful experiences that explore Judaism, connect with other Jewish teens, or help Tidewater’s Jewish community learn, grow, and move forward.

For more information about local Tidewater BBYO chapters, visit jewishva.org/BBYO or contact Courtney Krutoy, city director, at ckrutoy@bbyo.org. For more information about BBYO summer programs, visit bbyosummer.org.

FIRST PERSON

All in for BBYO

Logan Hoffman

This past summer, I decided to go all in for BBYO. I started my BBYO journey and knew that I didn’t have much time. One of my biggest goals was to get everything that I could out of my short time in this movement. I had heard stories from my friends and my own sister who attended Kallah about how magical the experience really is. I had heard crazy stories about Perlman camp and wanted to see it for myself. I was fresh off of the high from IC which was truly the best feeling. The day after I got home, I registered for Kallah.

When it finally rolled around, I didn’t really know what to feel. It was my first summer camp and one of my only times traveling alone. I knew I had friends that were going to Kallah and friends that were already there from ILTC. I never could have imagined the time that I had would live up to what it was.

This experience was truly life changing. I now know people from all over the USA along with people in so many different countries. The phrase “the people make the place” is one of the best ways to describe it. It brought me closer to my Jewish identity along with helping me grow into the person I’m supposed to become and help me make connections I honestly see lasting a lifetime. I also had the opportunity to be able to get a Hebrew name along with getting bar mitzvahed. This was a big deal because I hadn’t yet gotten either. Being able to have that experience was genuinely amazing, and to do it in a place like Kallah was even better.

The people and memories you make are beyond amazing. I highly encourage kids who want to get more into BBYO to give it a try and open all the doors that are there for us to open!

Logan Hoffman (center) bonded with his roommates from all over the country. Here, they make their sign for “Dorm 3” – where they lived at Perlman Camp.

Logan Hoffman with Adi Shankman, the 37th Grand Aleph Shaliach (vice president of Jewish Enrichment).

Courtney Krutoy

Filling the sukkah with kindness

Julie Kievit

This Sukkot, Jewish Family Service celebrated the holiday’s spirit of gratitude and community by launching its “Fill the Sukkah” Food Drive — an initiative that combined tradition with tzedakah.

Instead of decorating a traditional sukkah this year, JFS invited the community to fill a small tabletop sukkah with food to help feed local families in need. The mini sukkah was built and displayed in the lobby of the Sandler Family Campus, serving as a cheerful reminder of the holiday and a collection point for nonperishable donations.

The drive began on October 3 and aimed to stock the JFS Food Pantry in preparation for its Thanksgiving food drive. As families gathered to share meals in their sukkahs, JFS encouraged everyone to remember that some neighbors struggle to put food on their tables.

In addition to the display at the Sandler Family

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Campus, synagogues, Jewish organizations, and community partners were invited to participate by hosting their own collections or arranging pickups directly with JFS. The response was heartwarming — each donation added to the spirit of giving that defines this season.

“Sukkot reminds us to be thankful for what we have and to extend that gratitude to others,” says Kelly Burroughs, CEO of Jewish Family Service of Tidewater.

“By filling our sukkah with food instead of decorations, we’re not only honoring the traditions of the holiday but also ensuring that families in our community have what they need. It’s a beautiful reflection of what Sukkot is all about — kindness, generosity, and caring for one another.”

The “Fill the Sukkah” initiative is a powerful reminder that even small acts of generosity can make a big impact. Through the support of the community, JFS continues its mission to ensure that

no one is forgotten and that every family has access to nutritious food.

Together, the JFS sukkah was filled with kindness to help feed the community.

Camp JCC School Days Out: Camp fun all year round

Dave Flagler

Camp JCC is not just an excellent summer camp, it is a place where children, teens, and young adults connect, build community, learn, play, and grow with each other throughout the year. The skills, friendships, memories, and joy of Camp JCC are not limited to two summer months; they stay with campers and staff during the entire school year, as well as for many years beyond. In the spirit of the excitement of this “Camp 365” feeling, Camp JCC is launching into a new school year of Camp JCC School Days Out.

Camp JCC School Days Out allows campers to spend time at the Simon Family

JCC with friends, see many of their favorite counselors, and enjoy their favorite camp activities during non-summer months.

Campers can expect to participate in free swim, gaga, arts and crafts, sports, and games – all with new and old friends. Covering the winter and spring

breaks of multiple school districts, as well as select federal holidays, School Days Out offers families a multitude of options to attend when school is not in session. As school districts and their calendars are not all the same, families can sign up for individual days, select a 5- or 10-day bundle of days that best fit their schedules, or select a bundle for all of the school days out. Payment plans are available for select options.

Camp JCC School Days Out is for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade. More information, pricing, and registration can be found at www.campjcc.org. Registration is now open, and spots will fill, so sign up today.

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

Malex Monk rocks his Camp JCC spirit.

Who said that you can’t have s’mores in the wintertime? Theo Trem, Ruby Kievit, Corah Beasley, Zara Murdock, and Simon Shall.

As winter break fell during Hanukkah last year, campers got to enjoy a dreidel competition with chocolate coins at stake. Killian Bickerton, Izzy Ford, Simon Fine, and Lily Bertani.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

JFS’s Chanukah Gift Program helps local Jewish children and teens Program launches November 1

Debbie Mayer

Jewish Family Service helps local Jewish families of all ages. Many of these families are single parents coping with financial challenges. Here is one such story, written on behalf of a JFS client:

A young mother approached JFS for help with an overdue electric bill. Her own parent had recently died, so she did not have any family to help when she got behind in bills. The JFS case manager used donor funds to pay part of her overdue electric bill. JFS also offered to get gifts to help her children, ages 4 and 6, to get things that they needed and wanted and that the client couldn’t afford to purchase. During Hanukkah time 2024, JFS donors anonymously bought new games, dolls, toys, school supplies, winter coats, and personal care items for her children. She was also given a family gift card to Applebee’s so that they could enjoy a meal out.

She wrote the following thank you note: “I did not know what I was going to do

and JFS really stepped in to help my family. My children were excited when they saw all the wonderful gifts and clothes that were bought for them. I cannot thank those who helped us enough!”

Now in its 33rd year, Jewish Family Service’s annual Chanukah Gift Program provides holiday gifts to local Jewish children and teens in financially struggling families. JFS asks the community to continue its tradition of helping this year, too. Although Hanukkah may or may not be a time when gifts are exchanged in all families, JFS hopes for support of this important gift drive and contact with those Jewish families in need. Many gifts are used by these children throughout the year. JFS expects to serve about 50 different local Jewish children and teens, ages infant-18 years old, in 2025.

New this year. JFS will create a shopping room so that families can come select the gift items their children and

teens can use. For adult donors, this is an opportunity to do a mitzvah for children who have no choice in their families’ financial situation. For young donors, this is a way to learn and practice tzedakah, giving to others, as they shop with parents for gifts for other children, knowing that the gifts will make a significant impact.

How to help

• Purchase new, unwrapped gifts: Infant supplies, toddler toys, books, puzzles, dolls, markers/color pencils/ crayons, coloring books, sports gear (footballs, soccer balls, basketballs), small Lego sets, board games, craft supplies/kits, socks (all sizes), winter gloves/scarves/hats, action figure toys, matchbox cars, super-hero toys, hair ribbons/barrettes/headbands, creative items, card games.

• Provide gift cards from Amazon, Target, Five Below, Visa, Fast Food Restaurants,

Movie Theaters, and grocery stores.

• Send JFS a tax-deductible cash/check/ credit card donation, and JFS will do the shopping.

All Hanukkah donations must be received by December 1, 2025. Checks should be made payable to Jewish Family Service of Tidewater and sent to JFS, Attn: Maryann Kettyle, 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 400, Virginia Beach, VA 23462. Gifts should be dropped off at JFS’s counseling office: Embrace Counseling, 260 Grayson Road, Suite 200, Virginia Beach.

Jewish Family Service assists local Jewish families in need at all times of the year and will keep any surplus donations for use throughout 2025-2026. For more information, contact Maryann Kettyle, JFS case manager, at 757459-4640 or MKettyle@jfshamptonroads.org.

Debbie Mayer is the clinical director for Embrace Counseling.

Ohef Sholom Temple plans Havadalah service in celebration of Rabbi Roz’s 20th anniversary with the congregation Sunday, November 2, 4 - 7 pm

Nichole Kushner

Rabbi Rosalin Mandelberg has been weaving her unique and essential thread in Jewish Tidewater’s tapestry with steadfast grace and love for more than 20 years. As senior rabbi at Ohef Sholom Temple, she has led with wisdom, devotion, and humor.

Part of Ohef Sholom’s celebration of Rabbi Roz’s 20th anniversary with the congregation is a bayfront event and Havdalah service for the entire community. The late afternoon will be filled with music, food, activities, and dancing –all culminating in a beautiful Havdalah service.

This is a casual, family friendly celebration, and is supported in part by a grant from Tidewater Jewish Foundation.

Throughout the year in Rabbi Roz’s honor, an on-going tikkun olam project is also taking place. OST is partnering with the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia to provide meals for local community members who are food insecure. This comes at a time when so many are in need more than ever. The congregation hopes community members will join in this project and do the mitzvah of ha'chalat re'evim to help fight hunger in Tidewater,

and to honor Rabbi Roz.

The big event honoring Rabbi Roz will take place on Saturday, May 9, 2026. This unforgettable evening of celebration will feature music, dinner, dancing, and plenty of surprises.

Help Ohef Sholom honor the impact Rabbi Roz has had to keep the communal tapestry vibrant, engaged, and strong.

To register to attend the Havdalah service, learn more about OST’s tikkun olam project, or the gala on May 9, go to ohefsholom.org or call 757-625-4295.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Jewish Book Festival 2025, Part 2: Closing the season with stories that unite

Hunter Thomas

As 2025 winds down and Jewish Book Month marks its 100th year, the final stretch of Tidewater’s Jewish Book Festival offers a meaningful way to gather in community, reflect on the year behind us, and celebrate the stories that connect us.

The conversation resumes with Michael Shapiro, founder of Ketubah.com, on Wednesday, November 12, at 12 pm. Shapiro invites audiences into the world of Jewish marriage contracts, not as legal documents, but as living art. In Ketubah Renaissance, Shapiro traces the ketubah’s 2,500-year evolution from a groom’s pledge to a canvas for modern love stories. His talk is paired with a companion exhibit of contemporary ketubot, curated by Shapiro and on display in the Simon Family JCC’s Leon Family Gallery through November 16. Tickets are $15 for JCC members, $20 for potential members and includes lunch. Preregistration required by November 4.

The festival goes virtual for a special Jewish Book Month centennial event on Tuesday, November 18 at 1 pm with Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, senior rabbi at Central Synagogue and the first Asian American ordained as a rabbi, along with author and journalist Abigail Pogrebin, for a conversation about Buchdahl’s memoir, Heart of a Stranger.

The book is a spiritual guide for everyday living, and the discussion

promises insight into faith, identity, and belonging.

Presented in partnership with the Jewish Book Council and JBC member sites, including the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Pre-registration required by November 17.

The festival returns in person with Rachel Simons, founder of Seed + Mill and author of Sesame: Global Recipes & Stories of an Ancient Seed on Thursday, November 20 at 7:30 pm. Simons takes readers on a flavorful journey through the history and cultural significance of sesame, from its ancient roots to its starring role in global cuisine. It’s a night for food lovers, storytellers, and anyone curious about how something so small can carry such a big story.

The volume turns up as Rick Mersel, founder of Norfolk’s iconic NorVa venue, shares his memoir All Revved Up and Ready to Go on Thursday, December 4 at 7:30 pm. From bar mitzvah dance floors to punk rock stages, Mersel’s story is a loud, raw, and wildly funny ride through Norfolk’s music scene. It’s not just a memoir, it’s a mixtape of rebellion, belonging, and the Jewish kid who helped build a cultural landmark.

Tickets are $10 for JCC members, $18 for potential members and includes a dessert

reception. Pre-registration required by November 12.

The festival closes with Corey Rosen, expert storyteller and author of A Story for Everything on Thursday, December 11, at 7:30 pm. Rosen’s interactive evening blends laughter, inspiration, and practical tips for mastering the art of storytelling. Whether a seasoned speaker or someone who avoids the mic at all costs, Rosen will help participants find their voices, and maybe even their next great story.

Presented in partnership with the Konikoff Center for Learning.

As 2025 wraps up and a century of Jewish Book Month is marked, these final events offer a chance to come together, share space, and celebrate the voices that have shaped the year. Whether through art, memoir, food, music, or laughter, the Jewish Book Festival reminds that stories, especially when shared in community, are what keep community connected.

For details and tickets, visit JewishVA.org/BookFest.

Hunter Thomas is director of Arts + Ideas at United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. For more information about the festival or to sponsor or volunteer, contact Thomas at HThomas@ UJFT.org or 757-965-6137.

BETH EL CELEBRATES 175 YEARS

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 7 PM

Congregation Beth El will celebrate 175 years of Jewish life in Tidewater with an evening featuring music, food, drinks, and highlights of the past 175 years – as well as insights into the future.

This evening is for celebrating and schmoozing with the entire community. The event is not a fundraiser, but rather a launch into the congregation’s future as it

reenergizes and reimagines. Tickets are only $18 per person with the aim of making this a community party and celebration. RSVP at ada@ bethelnorfolk.com or 757-625-7821.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Community Impact Day 2025: Building kindness and connection across Tidewater Sunday,

Knots for Kindness

Tuesdays, 10 am -12 pm Sandler Family Campus

November 23, 10 am - 12 pm

Sandler

Family Campus

Members of the Tidewater community will come together next month for Community Impact Day, a morning dedicated to learning, giving, and strengthening community connections. Now in its second year, the event will take place at the Simon Family JCC and is a partnership between Ohef Sholom Temple, Congregation Beth El, Temple Emanuel, Tidewater Jewish Foundation, PJ Library in Tidewater, and the Konikoff Center for Learning of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.

Following the success of last year’s inaugural event, which drew nearly 200 participants and raised more than $700 for local and national causes, this year’s Community Impact Day promises more opportunities for families to make a difference together.

At the heart of the event is the Mitzvah Mall, a hands-on giving experience where children and families can learn about local non-profit organizations – Jewish and non-Jewish – and donate small amounts to support their missions. Each dollar given helps teach the next generation that every act of tzedakah, no matter how small, can create real impact.

“Community Impact Day is all about showing our children that kindness and giving are active, joyful parts of Jewish life,” says Sharon Serbin, education director at Congregation Beth El. “When they meet the people doing this work and make their own choices about giving, they begin to see themselves

as changemakers.”

Alongside the Mitzvah Mall, families can also explore the Jewish Camp Fair, which will feature representatives from a wide variety of Jewish overnight and day camps. The fair offers parents and children a chance to discover programs that best fit their interests, values, and sense of adventure. “No two families are alike,” says Dave Flagler, UJFT’s director of camp and teen engagement. “This is a chance to find the camp that feels like home and to learn how Jewish camp experiences strengthen identity and lifelong friendships.”

The event’s collaborative nature continues to be its hallmark. Religious School students from Ohef Sholom Temple, Congregation Beth El, and Temple Emanuel will come together for the morning’s activities, learning about Jewish values through hands-on engagement.

“It’s beautiful to see all our congregations and community organizations unite for this shared purpose,” says Alyson Morrissey, director of Lifelong Learning at Ohef Sholom Temple. “This is tzedakah in action.”

As Jewish Tidewater prepares for another meaningful Community Impact Day, the message remains clear: “When we come together, with our children, our synagogues, and our partners, we create ripples of kindness that extend far beyond a single morning.”

For more information about Community Impact Day or family learning opportunities, contact Sierra Lautman at SLautman@UJFT.org.

Every other Thursday 10 – 12 pm, Aviva

A combined knitting and crocheting group, Knots for Kindness is open to beginners and experienced makers alike. All are welcome. All projects — scarves, lap blankets, and full-sized blankets — are donated to Jewish Family Service clients for holiday gifts.

For information, contact Julie Kievit at jkievit@ jfshamptonroads.org.

Thanksgiving Drive

Friday, November 21

10 am – 12 pm

Sandler Family Campus

Jewish Family Service will host its annual Thanksgiving Drive the Friday prior to the holiday, offering people in need to pick up a free Thanksgiving meal through its drive-up pantry.

To volunteer to help pack bags or assist at the event, or if in need of a meal, contact Emily Krouse at 757-799-9394 or ekrouse@jfshamptonroads.org for more information.

Luncheon honoring Hebrew Ladies Society

Sunday, January 11

Ohef Sholom Temple

Jewish Family Service will host a special luncheon to celebrate the remarkable legacy of the Hebrew Ladies Society of Tidewater. Established in 1902, this pioneering group of women laid the foundation for what would later become Jewish Family Service, ensuring a strong safety net for generations to come.

The event will honor their vision, share stories of their impact, and connect descendants and community members in recognizing this lasting legacy. For information, contact Brooke Rush at 757-321-2238 or brush@jfshamptonroads.org.

Sierra Lautman

The Mitzvah Mall in 2024.

Bob and Jeanne Zentz at the 2024 Community Impact Day.

THROUGH MAY, SUNDAYS

Shinshinim-Led Israeli Youth Movement. Tidewater’s newest ShinShinim lead a brandnew youth movement inspired by the spirit and excitement of the Israeli Scouts (Tzofim). Play games, build teamwork and leadership skills, explore Israeli culture, and make new friends. $60/JCC members, $75/potential members. 1 – 3 pm. Sandler Family Campus. Information and registration: JewishVA.org/Shinshinim or Nofar Trem at NTrem@UJFT.org.

OCTOBER 27, MONDAY

Partners in Jewish Life. Join a global movement of peer-led Jewish learning inspired by the legacy of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z”l. Experience meaningful connection across denominations and generations. Free. 7 pm. Sandler Family Campus. Information and registration: JewishVA.org/KCL or Sierra Lautman at SLautman@Ujft.org

NOVEMBER 2, SUNDAY

Pumpkin Recycling with PJ Library. Free fall activity at Red Wing Park for kids ages 4-6 (all ages welcome). Bring a carved pumpkin or paint one provided. Connect with other families while enjoying a fun, hands on activity. 1 – 2:30 pm. Red Wing Park, 1398 General Booth Blvd, Virginia Beach. Information: Blake Sisler at BSisler@ujft.org.

BEGINNING NOVEMBER 3, MONDAYS

From Sinai to Seinfeld: Jews and Their Jokes. Join Dr. Amy K. Milligan for a 10-week Melton course exploring Jewish humor from biblical times to pop culture. Scholarships available. 6:45 pm. Online only. Information and registration: JewishVA.org/Melton or Sierra Lautman at slautman@ujft.org or 757-965-6107.

Conversational Hebrew Classes at the JCC. Join Tidewater’s Shinshinim for weekly Conversational Hebrew classes. Open to learners of all levels and ages, each six-week session (through May 25, 2026) will focus on everyday Hebrew, Israeli slang, and real-life conversations. Free/JCC members and children 13+. $36/potential members. 5:30 pm. Sandler Family Campus. Information and registration: JewishVA.org/Shinshinim or Nofar Trem at NTrem@UJFT.org.

BEGINNING NOVEMBER 4, TUESDAYS

Jewish Journeys: Collective Memories through Place and Time. Rabbi Jacob Herber explores how Jewish history and memory shape identity in this six-part course. Travel through Greece, Spain, Morocco, Poland, and Israel to uncover hidden stories, challenge dominant narratives, and connect past to present. Course offered by UJFT’s Konikoff Center for Learning, in partnership with Congregation Beth El. Scholarships available. 12 pm. Sandler Family Campus. Information and registration: JewishVA.org/Melton or contact Sierra Lautman at slautman@ ujft.org or 757-965-6107.

NOVEMBER 5, WEDNESDAY

The Jewish Way to a Good Life with former senior rabbi at Sixth & I, Shira Stutman, author of The Jewish Way to a Good Life: Find Happiness, Build Community, and Embrace Lovingkindness. Join Rabbi Shira Stutman and Ohef Sholom Temple’s Rabbi Roz Mandelberg for a conversation about how timeless Jewish traditions can help offer inspiration for anyone looking to bring meaning and balance to their everyday lives. Presented as part of the Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival in partnership with the UJFT’s Konikoff Center for Learning. Free. 7:30 pm. Sandler Family Campus. Information and registration: JewishVA.org/BookFest.

NOVEMBER 6, THURSDAY

The Girl Bandits of the Warsaw Ghetto: The True Story of Five Courageous Young Women Who Sparked an Uprising with historian Elizabeth R. Hyman. Hear the untold stories of the Jewish women who fought, smuggled, and sabotaged during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Presented as part of the Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival in partnership with the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. $15/ JCC members, $20/potential members. Includes lunch. 12 pm. Sandler Family Campus. Pre-registration required by October 29. Information and registration: JewishVA.org/BookFest.

NOVEMBER 11, TUESDAY

Camp JCC School Days Out: Veterans Day. Campers in grades K-5th grade can look forward to arts and crafts, games, sports, free swim, and other fun projects with old and new friends alike. This day can be selected individually or as a part of any 5- or 10-day bundle. Information and registration: www.campjcc.org or contact Dave Flagler at Dflagler@ujft.org.

NOVEMBER 23, SUNDAY

Community Impact Day. The second annual Community Impact Day unites community in a morning of giving and learning. The highlight is the Mitzvah Mall, where families “shop” nonprofit booths to discover local causes, and children learn the value of a dollar. 10 am. Sandler Family Campus. Information: JewishVA.org/CommunityImpact or contact Sierra Lautman at SLautman@UJFT.org. See page 26.

MMUNITY

IMPACT C DAY

MITZVAH MALL

Learn about non-profit organizations making a difference in Tidewater. Toddlers to teens can donate in increments of $1 and discover the positive feeling of making an impact

Explore Jewish camps from across the eastern region and discover how the help build Jewish identity, foster community, and create lasting memories.

J E W I S H V A . O R G / I M P A C T and CAMP FAIR

OBITUARIES

Lawrence E. Bress

VIRGINIA BEACH - Lawrence Edward

“Larry” Bress passed away peacefully on October 9, 2025, in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Born in Norfolk on November 26, 1942, to Lewis and Bertha Bress, Larry was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and brother whose warmth, humor, and love of life touched everyone who knew him.

For many decades, Larry owned and operated Bress Pawn Shop in downtown Norfolk, a family business that he and his wife, Linda, ran together for more than 50 years. Known for his quick wit, deep laugh, and generous spirit, he built lasting friendships through his work and kindness.

He loved cycling, reading novels, and spending time in Negril, Jamaica, his home away from home, where he celebrated his 80th birthday surrounded by family. He also adored his dogs, who were his constant companions.

Larry was predeceased by his sister, Glenda Shuwall, and brother, Charles Bress.

He is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Linda Dolsey Bress; children Jodi Bress Dobrinsky (Andy), Shari Bress Mesh (Josh), and Brian Bress (Britt Woods); and grandchildren Noah, Jordan, Max, Sophie, and Sky.

A graveside service was held at Gomley Chesed Cemetery in Portsmouth.

May his memory be a blessing.

Bettie Minette Cooper

NORFOLK - With profound sadness, we announce that Bettie Minette Cooper, age 87, died on October 14, 2025.

Minette was born on December 23, 1937, in New York City, N.Y. to Louis Leyens Switzer and Bettie Kleisdorf Switzer. She was raised in a family that valued music, arts, faith, and community service. She inherited her love of music and the arts from her mother, for whom she was named, and a deep sense of civic duty from her father, a respected business and community leader.

Minette grew up in Vicksburg, Mississippi where she attended grade school before going to Knox School in New York

for high school, graduating top of her class with honors. She continued her education at Smith College and later Barnard College, earning a degree in Musicology and an emphasis in Fine Arts in 1960. She formed a lifelong attachment to Smith and remained an active and devoted alumna.

In December 1956, she met Charles Cooper on a blind date in New York City, and they married on June 22, 1958. They started married life in New York before settling in Charles’ hometown of Norfolk in 1962, where they established their home and built a life of partnership, purpose, and unwavering commitment to one another that lasted for 66 years until Charles’ recent passing earlier this year.

Minette and Charles were blessed with three children: Brooke (Babette) Cooper, Erik (Betsy) Cooper, and Jeff (Allison) Cooper, and together they cherished their seven grandchildren: Hannah, Tanhen, Kacey, Rena, Rachel, Nathan, and Ryan. Minette took immense pride in her role as mother and grandmother, and Charles and her home were the heart of celebrations and gatherings. She was a devoted correspondent who maintained deep connections across her extended family, and she took particular joy in reconnecting with her Danish relatives. Minette was also a cherished presence in the lives of her stepsister Dee (Lee) Austin, her nieces and nephews, Wendy Cooper (deceased), John (Monica) Cooper, Kate (Barry) Augus, Trip McGleughlin (deceased), Peter (Sally) McGleughlin, and Jade McGleuglin (Sue Hyde), her beloved goddaughter Mildred (Howard) Amer, and their children.

Among her many traditions was the annual Cooper Gazette, a holiday letter that delighted more than 2,000 recipients each year and became a cherished way to keep her far-flung family and friends connected through the decades.

For over six decades, Minette Cooper was a tireless “professional volunteer” and a passionate, transformative voice for the arts and education throughout Hampton Roads. She served as a board member with and received many awards and recognitions from a range of organizations over the years. Of particular importance to Minette was her involvement with Arts for Learning Virginia (formerly Young Audiences) as well as its national organization, the Virginia Symphony, and

the Cultural Alliance of Greater Hampton Roads. Her contributions were not measured by title alone, but by the countless hours she dedicated to making the arts and education inclusive and accessible to everyone, and the profound impact her leadership and generosity made on our community.

Minette’s faith was equally important to her. Ohef Sholom Temple held deep spiritual and communal significance for Minette, and she served as a long-time board member and past president of the Temple, a distinction as its first woman to hold this position. Minette also valued the preservation of Jewish heritage, and she served as board member and past president of the Southern Jewish Historical Society, as well as a founding member of the Friends of Chevra T'helim.

Throughout her life, Minette pursued various interests and hobbies with passion and particularly enjoyed sharing them with family and friends. She loved to play piano and to sing and was a member of the Virginia Symphony and Ohef Sholom Temple choruses. Her calendar was always full of attendance at concerts, operas, plays, and other performances. She was a prodigious reader, particularly of Jane Austin and Agatha Christie novels, and no newspaper, article, or book she received went unread.

Charles and Minette shared a love of travel, exploring the world together and with their children and grandchildren. They believed in the importance of broadening horizons through travel and sought to introduce their family to different cultures and perspectives.

Minette loved animals and nature. She was known for her generations of Cooper beagles, and she loved to bird watch from her home on the Lafayette River. She also supported various environmental causes and participated in the raising of oysters on her pier that would then be planted on reefs to clean the river.

A memorial service was held at Ohef Sholom Temple.

The family requests memorial contributions be made to causes dear to Minette's heart: Arts for Learning Virginia, Ohef Sholom Temple, Friends of Chevra T’helim, and the Virginia Symphony.

Marsha Hirschler

VIRGINIA BEACH - Marsha Hirschler, 80, passed away at her home surrounded by

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family, on October 7, 2025.

She was preceded in death by her father, Jack Thornton, Sr., mother, Ruth Thornton, and brother, Jack Thornton, II.

Born in West Virginia, Marsha grew up in the Willoughby section of Norfolk, where her childhood was filled with carefree days on the beach. She discovered dance early on, and whether on stage or in an audience, a love for the art form followed her the rest of her life.

In eighth grade, she met Cheryl Walker (now Brumfield), who became her lifelong, faithful friend. The two performed in dance recitals together and could recall their routines decades later. Over the years, they played tennis and bridge and supported each other through all of life’s joys and sorrows. Together with mutual friends they would eventually refer to themselves as “Beach Belles” and enjoy weekly meetups as part of their wider circle of “Shrimp Night” friends.

Marsha was a member of the class of 1963 and a cheerleader at Granby High School, where she initially took note of Lewis Hirschler, Jr., now known as “Luke,” though their introduction and romance would come later.

She went on to earn her bachelor's degree from Old Dominion College and marry Ron McLemore. Though the marriage would end, their friendship endured, enriching the lives of their children and grandchildren beyond measure, and fostering a meaningful bond between Marsha and Ron’s wife, Karen. Marsha wholeheartedly felt children could only benefit from having more family to love them, so she delighted in sharing the role of “American grandmother” with Karen.

While teaching and starting a family, Marsha returned to Old Dominion to earn her master's degree, which launched her fulfilling guidance counseling career. During her time at Jacox Elementary, she met Roberta “Birdie” Bose, who became both a steadfast, trusted confidante and shopping partner extraordinaire for decades to come. They both knew they could trust the other to provide an honest opinion whether chatting over coffee, considering new furniture, or trying on clothes.

In 32 years of service to Virginia schools, primarily with Norfolk Public Schools, Marsha touched countless lives. Her longest and final role was a guidance counselor at Maury High School, where she was beloved by staff and students alike. She took great

joy in helping students navigate high school and select their most fitting educational or vocational path into adulthood. She devoted special care to writing college recommendation letters for those she had come to know well, and eagerly anticipated the decisions, for she was truly invested in each student’s success and happiness.

In 1998, she married Luke, reconnecting with the young man she had first noticed at Granby and dated during their college years. Together they relished the pleasures of beach living, travel, spirited Scrabble games, gathering with friends, and grandparenting.

Retirement brought Marsha the gift of time to play as much tennis as she wanted at the Virginia Beach Tennis and Country Club, where she formed lasting friendships in a group known as the YaYas. This fun-loving bunch proved to be irreplaceable and affectionately nicknamed her “Marshmallow.”

When faced with a breast cancer diagnosis in late 2009, she made a promise: if she survived, she would volunteer to support others still fighting. True to her word, she enlisted Karen’s help to provide and serve lunches to patients and staff during chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

Marsha will be deeply missed and remembered for her love, warmth, humor, generosity, loyalty, and radiant smile.

She is survived by her husband, Lewis “Luke” Hirschler, Jr.; son, Scott McLemore and his wife, Sunna Gunnlaugsdóttir; daughter, Austyn McLemore; granddaughters, Elsa and Isabella McLemore; co-grandparents, Ron and Karen McLemore; niece, Jill Parker and her husband, HB; nephews, William Chase Thornton and Jack Thornton, III and his wife, Lynn; sister-in-law, Barbara Jeanne “BJ” Holland; sister-in-law, June Saks and her husband, Charles “Bo”; brother-in-law, David Hirschler and his wife, Carol; a large extended family, and many dear friends.

A memorial service was held at H.D. Oliver, Norfolk Chapel.

Donations may be made in Marsha’s memory to Lewy Body Dementia Association at https://www.lbda.org/donate/.

Samuel Sandler

NORFOLK - Samuel Sandler, 59, passed away peacefully on October 6, 2025, surrounded by the love of his family.

Born on December 7, 1966, to Jack and

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Jacqueline Sandler, Samuel grew up in a home filled with warmth, humor, and strong family values. He will be remembered for his quick wit, kind heart, and the way he could bring a smile to anyone’s face.

Samuel was a devoted father who found his greatest joy in his children, Jackson Sandler and Gracelyn Sandler, both of Norfolk. He was deeply proud of the people they have become and the love and laughter they brought into his life.

A true lover of music, Samuel’s instruments of choice were the drums and piano though he would make music with whatever was put in front of him. He shared

his passion for rhythm and sound by performing around the world with bands throughout the Seven Cities and far beyond. His music reflected the same joy and energy he carried through life.

He is survived by his loving children, Jackson and Gracelyn, his mother, Jackie Sandler; sister Shari Patish; brother Gregory Sandler; nieces Shaina Sandler and Lovie Patish; and nephew Jake Patish. He was preceded in death by his father, Jack E. Sandler. Samuel will be remembered by family and friends for his easy-going nature, compassion, and the lasting friendships he built throughout his life. His laughter, kindness,

Chris Sisler, Vice President, Member of Ohef Sholom Temple, Board member of the Berger-Goldrich Home at Beth Sholom Village, James E. Altmeyer, Jr., President, James E. Altmeyer, Sr., Owner

OBITUARIES

and love for music will live on in the hearts of all who knew him.

A graveside service was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Norfolk, Va.

George Walter Stein

VIRGINIA BEACH - With profound sadness and deep love, we announce the passing of George Walter Stein on October 7, 2025, at the age of 83.

George was a devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather, and valued

friend to many.

George is preceded in death by his parents, Max and Thelma Stein. He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Myra Stein; daughters Mindy (Thomas Retnauer) and Robin (David Rediger); grandchildren Blair Retnuaer, Seth, Alec, and Brooke Rediger; and brother, Stanley Stein.

George is a native of Norfolk, graduating from Granby High School and Old Dominion College. George also received his master’s degree in business administration

and had a long prominent career as a controller, working 30 years at Taylor Freezer and 16 years at Busch, LLC.

George was loved dearly by his family and many friends. He was an avid sports fan, with a particular fondness for the Washington Commanders, and was a proud supporter of the athletic programs at Old Dominion University and Virginia Tech. His ties to Hampton Roads and Virginia sports ran deep, dating back to the 1970s when he served as the official scorekeeper for the

Virginia Squires.

George’s hard work and dedication is best exemplified by his numerous retirements, actively working in the yard and taking the family dog, Scout, for daily walks up to within a couple of months prior to his untimely passing.

A graveside funeral service was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery. The family requests that donations be made in George’s memory to the American Cancer Society.

SUSAN STAMBERG, ICONIC JEWISH

‘FOUNDING MOTHER’ OF NPR

Andrew Lapin

(JTA) — When Susan Stamberg first sat behind the microphone to host a newfangled broadcasting venture called National Public Radio, in 1972, some board members had a concern: She sounded too Jewish.

Though that wasn’t quite how they tended to phrase it, recalled a colleague. Instead, NPR board members feared that the All Things Considered co-host was “too New York” for Midwest audiences.

“Besides being a woman, the Jewish element was another aspect,” Jack Mitchell, an early producer on the daily afternoon program, told NPR. “Here is somebody whose name is Stamberg. She had an obvious New York accent. Made no bones about it… And the president of NPR asked that I not put her in there for those — because of the complaints from managers.”

Stamberg went on the air anyway and quickly became a defining personality for the nonprofit radio network. In subsequent decades, as NPR turned into a cultural juggernaut, Stamberg and her “New York” personality became something of its unofficial mascot. In the elevators of NPR’s Washington, D.C., headquarters, her voice guides visitors from floor to floor.

love-it-or-hate-it recipe for her family’s “cranberry relish.”

As one of NPR’s “founding mothers” in the 1970s, she helped shape the network’s personality: warm, liberalleaning, and — along with or laying the groundwork for fellow longtime marquee names like Nina Totenberg, Ira Flatow, Terri Gross, and Robert Siegel — unmistakably, culturally Jewish. In later years, long after her retirement from regular on-air duties, Stamberg would still pop up to read the winners of NPR’s annual “Hanukkah Lights” short-story contest.

“I am very sociologically Jewish. Very ethnically Jewish, although not in an observant way. There are a lot of people like me,” Stamberg told the Jewish Women’s Archive in 2011, adding that she willingly participated in Torah study with her son Josh — today an actor — when he was becoming a bar mitzvah at her husband’s request. “I feel deeply Jewish and I deeply identify with my Jewishness, but it doesn’t need a formal affiliation for me.”

research institute founded in 1934 in Rehovot. She earned an English literature degree at Barnard College, the first in her family to go to college.

She married Louis Stamberg, who became a longtime USAID staffer, and the duo moved to Washington, D.C. Stamberg recalled that her husband, whose father founded a congregation in Allentown, Pennsylvania, grew up “where being Jewish was really an issue.” Her father-in-law “was insistent that we, too, join a temple in Washington. I said, ‘Well, why?’” she recalled in 2011. “That’s how I came to know that the entire world was not Jewish like the world in which I had grown up.”

After stints at WAMU, the local public radio station, and for Voice of America in India, Stamberg initially joined NPR, after its founding by an act of Congress in 1971, to cut tape for radio interviews. When All Things Considered launched in 1972, she became its co-host and thus also the first woman to anchor a broadcast news program, in her colleagues’ estimation — overcoming considerable sexism from both the network’s listeners and executives.

Stamberg only held the anchor post for a few years, soon pivoting to the cultural correspondent stories she would become known for. She took on other hosting duties, too, including for Weekend Edition, where she introduced the show’s trademark Sunday puzzles and first brought on the guests who would become the mega-popular program Car Talk.

Stamberg died Thursday, Oct. 16 at age 87, leaving behind years of her bubbly conversations and an annual,

Born Susan Levitt in Newark in 1938, she was a child of Manhattan’s culturally Jewish scene. Stamberg grew up without regular Jewish observance, though she told the Jewish Women’s Archive she was part of a confirmation class at Temple Rodeph Sholem, the Reform synagogue on the Upper West Side. Her father, a staunch Zionist, raised money for the Weizmann Institute, the

“I think all of that is very Jewish, the telling of stories, but also the seeking of opinions and also being open to the range of opinions that are out there,” Stamberg would tell the Jewish Women’s Archive about her work.

Laughing, she added, “I also feel that sometimes mine’s right. I think that’s very Jewish, too.”

Stamberg is survived by her son and two granddaughters.