Jewish News Supplement - Senior Living (July 17, 2023)

SENIOR LIVING

Working TOGETHER TO CARE for You

Dear Readers,

What age qualifies as a senior? It seems like the answer depends on where you inquire. AARP, for example, says its organization is dedicated to people 50 and over. According to Medicare, however, a senior is 65 years old or older. But anyone 55 can visit a McDonald’s and receive a senior discount. For a senior ticket price at AMC, the movie goer must be 60. The same is true for countless retail, restaurant, and grocery establishments. In the eyes of the U.S. government, Social Security benefits are eligible for seniors starting at 62, even though the Social Security Office reports that 67 is the age of retirement.

Clearly, being called a senior is all just a number. . . and one that isn’t at all clear!

That’s why this section offers articles about ‘seniors’ of all ages. . . most of them so active one wonders how busy these people might’ve been in their younger days.

Various programming and spaces for seniors to gather at the Simon Family JCC are also highlighted here. Those articles are on pages 20, 23, and 25.

Two articles focus on care – one on preventative care (page 17) and another on a new business that trains caregivers on how best to care for seniors – or anyone at any age – who requires help (page 19).

One especially fun piece features a Holocaust survivor who celebrated her 100th birthday by throwing the first pitch at a baseball game. Talk about inspiration! Page 24.

We hope you find all the articles and advertisers in our Senior Living section informative, interesting, and even inspirational.

Live well!

Live

Terri Denison Editor

Sara

Ivry

When Yaffa Leah Field was in her late 20s, she decided to undergo genetic testing.

Her grandmother had had breast cancer, and Field wanted to know whether she was among the one of every 40 Jewish women of Ashkenazi descent with either the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutations, which make them extra susceptible to breast cancer.

If she did have one of those mutations, her chances of developing breast cancer by age 70 would be roughly 50% in her lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

“The test came back negative,” says Field, now 43 and the mother of three boys.

Though temporarily relieved, she knew that breast cancer risk is not limited to those with the genetic mutations. Roughly one in eight women will develop the disease in their lifetime, and men, too, can have breast cancer.

Close monitoring, therefore, is essential. For women, that means not only regularly checking their breasts themselves for lumps or abnormalities but getting mammograms. The question is when to start.

Field, who now works at Sharsheret, the national Jewish nonprofit that offers education, counseling and support to women facing breast and ovarian cancer, got her professional start as a physician’s assistant, so she knew how important it was to “do my screening on time.”

But what exactly “on time” means has been the subject of much debate and disagreement.

The question came to the fore again this spring when a panel of experts serving on the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) revised earlier guidelines and changed the recommended age that women get their first mammograms to 40, from 50, and suggested that they continue to have mammograms done once every two years. It’s not the first time the recommendation has changed.

SENIORS

“In 2016 the US Task Force changed the guidelines from 40 to 50,” says Dr. Caryn Gamss, a radiologist at Murray Hill Radiology in Manhattan.

Gamss is also a member of Sharsheret’s Medical Advisory Board. In her practice, Gamss adheres to guidelines from the American College of Radiology that

recommend starting yearly screenings at age 40 provided a person has no risk factors.

“Fifty is too late,” Gamss says.

Even waiting until age 40 can be risky, as recent studies have shown high breast cancer mortality rates for women in that age group, she notes.

“People need to think about it younger instead of waiting and then finding out ‘My mother had cancer, my grandmother…’ — and they show up at 40 and have cancer, too,” Gamss says.

Her recommendation is that all women undergo a breast cancer risk assessment by age 25. That entails answering a panel of questions that covers one’s family and

Don’t wait until you’re nearly a senior to get a mammogram – so that you’ll be a senior

medical history. Among other things, the assessment inquires whether a person had “a biopsy and a high-risk lesion; breast density, if someone has lymphoma and was treated under the age of 25; if someone got upper abdominal radiation before age 25.”

The responses to these questions help doctors determine when and how individual patients should be screened — including whether to do MRIs and ultrasounds

to supplement mammograms, for example. At-risk women should start their 30s armed with information and a plan.

Short of that, there is what Peggy Cottrell, Sharsheret’s genetics program manager, calls a general rule of thumb: “If breast cancer has been diagnosed at a particular age, you want to start screening 10 years before that. So, if someone’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at 45, that

person is going to start screening at 35.”

Avoiding smoking and alcohol, exercising, and a good diet are important to maintaining good health, Cottrell notes, but perhaps the biggest factor is chance. In fact, hereditary cancers like those caused by BRCA mutations account for only 15% of all breast cancers; most occur for reasons unknown. That makes screening all the more essential.

“For many women, knowing there is something they can do that can reduce their risk motivates them,” she says.

Primeplus

Many women delay getting mammograms out of fear of the results, nervousness about the process, or just general anxiety. This is another area where Sharsheret provides women with help and guidance – even in the waiting room.

For doctors to interpret mammograms properly, they require two specific views of each breast. Sometimes, technicians need to take more than four photos to ensure they get those views; it doesn’t mean anything is wrong.

Even if you’re asked to come for a follow-up mammogram – what’s known as a diagnostic mammogram – it just means that more imaging is required, not that there’s necessarily a problem. Sometimes doctors observe a change in appearance from the prior year or a fold in the skin; other times the original image failed to capture the necessary view. Likewise, for some younger women and those with dense breasts, a mammogram may not suffice; doctors may require an ultrasound or MRI to examine the breast adequately.

Adina Fleischmann, a social worker who serves as Sharsheret’s chief services officer, recommends that each individual discuss their own circumstances with their healthcare provider. Sharsheret tries to promote awareness of the importance of getting breast cancer risk assessments, and to provide guidance to women about what to ask.

“We want to make sure that each woman who reaches out is able to ask the right questions: How often should I be screened? What’s the most appropriate screening method for me? Questions about what breast density means and how it can impact them,” Fleischmann says. “Those are the tools we want to give to our women.”

Women seeking guidance are encouraged to call Sharsheret toll-free at 866 474-2774 to connect with therapists and

genetic counselors.

Sharsheret also offers peer-to-peer support, programs to guide cancer patients on how to talk about their illness with their children, and support to people who have a family member with breast cancer, including financial assistance for non-medical services critical to women’s quality of life and body image, such as acquiring wigs. Sharsheret also hosts live events such as barbecues, online yoga classes, family fun runs and other programs to empower women with cancer and foster a sense of community.

The education and awareness programming Sharsheret runs start as early as high school and college campuses, such as an annual Pink Day that includes grassroots fundraising events at hundreds of campuses worldwide.

“Sharsheret is here to arm you with education and to let you know that you’re not alone,” Fleischmann said. “Cancer screening, and the knowledge that comes along with it, can be empowering. By speaking with your healthcare provider about the screening guidelines that are most appropriate for you, you are taking a step toward your best health.”

As for Field, she went for her first baseline mammogram at age 40 — in the spring of 2020, just as Covid hit and the world masked up and locked down. The doctors identified something suspicious.

“It started a roller coaster of diagnostic testing. I wound up with eight biopsies, and in the end I had a bilateral mastectomy,” Field says after cancer was identified. “I feel thankful it was found very early.”

Her advice: Know your body and your family history.

“Breast cancer doesn’t just affect women 40 and older,” Field says. “Know your potential risks. Empower yourself to know what you need to be aware of. It shouldn’t be a shock. Be appropriately proactive.”

“And most importantly, when you reach the age when it’s recommended, get screened,” Field says. “It may be uncomfortable for a few minutes, but it’ll give you peace of mind.”

This article was sponsored by and produced in partnership with Sharsheret, the national Jewish breast cancer and ovarian cancer organization. This article was produced by JTA’s native content team.

is proud to be such an important resource for our area’s seniors as they seek to live independently. Our goal is to support seniors to age gracefully with independence throughout their lives.

Marcia Trains teaches skills for caring for those living with dementia

Stephanie Peck

According to the World Health Organization, 55 million people are experiencing dementia worldwide in 2023. Symptoms include memory loss, anxiety, personality changes, and difficulty performing familiar tasks.

Caregivers are often unprepared to handle the onset of dementia symptoms; nor can they manage the changes required to keep their loved ones engaged and safe. Through her new venture, Marcia Trains, Marcia Futterman Brodie helps clients identify these deficits and provides caregivers with the tools to approach and manage the progression of the disease.

After a lengthy career in communications, most recently as director of marketing at Beth Sholom Village, Brodie completed the Certified Independent Positive Approach to Care training. As a result, she is certified to teach caregivers and family members the best practices for working with someone with cognitive impairment. Through a series of

workshops and consultations, she teaches the various skills required of a trained professional in a senior community or a family member living in the home.

Brodie emphasizes building a positive relationship by adapting to the brain changes rather than focusing on what is lost.

“Whether meeting someone for business or talking to someone with cognitive impairment, creating a connection is imperative for a successful relationship,” explains Brodie, who also offers training in soft skills for professional and business development.

“It may not feel

intuitive to group soft skills and working with those cognitively impaired together, but the past few decades of my life have shown me that the tools we need to connect and communicate effectively are very similar in both situations,” she says.

A Norfolk native, Brodie moved back to the area in 2002 to be closer to her aging parents, Mindy and Ralph Futterman, of blessed memory. During each of their illnesses, she learned the importance of the right level of support in her parents’ various ability stages. Brodie says “I know now that I could not change the outcome of this disease, but I could have created a more positive experience for my parents and me as the primary caregiver.”

From these personal experiences and her professional involvement in senior care, Brodie founded Marcia Trains to highlight and teach best practices so that everyone can shine during these trying times.

For more information, visit marciatrains.com.

THE VALUE OF FAMILY.

After more than 100 years as a law firm, Kaufman & Canoles understands the importance of building a legacy that lasts. Our experienced Estate, Trust & Wealth Transfer team has had the honor of counseling families (sometimes even three and four generations of the same family) to strategically preserve wealth for the future. Now we can help you transform your personal goals into a holistic long-term action plan—one that merges business and financial advice with proactive planning and smart tax solutions. We can. And we will.®

Seniors thrive at the Simon Family JCC

Robin Ford

Varied activities in various spaces at the Simon Family Jewish Community Center provide seniors a range of options for meetings, creativity, volunteering, learning, dining, socializing, and even a bit of competition.

The Fleischmann Lounge, for example, is a vibrant, sunny space for seniors where they engage in myriad activities and programs that promote mental stimulation, social connections, and overall well-being. A bustling center of activity, seniors often get together to play games that challenge their minds and foster camaraderie. Mahjong, Mexican train, bridge, and canasta are popular games that provide friendly competition, laughter, and the opportunity to exercise their fierce competitive skills. In addition to the games, meetings, classes, and celebrations also take place there.

In the cozy Survivor Room, knitting enthusiasts meet on Tuesdays at 10 am to create scarves, caps, and blankets for those in need. Participants enjoy the therapeutic and creative benefits of knitting while engaging in conversations and sharing tips and tricks on knitting, life, love, and all

things JCC. Plus, several experienced knitters are ready and willing to pass on their skills to newcomers.

The Sandler Family Campus’ Cardo Cafe serves up a varied menu with daily specials with a space for conversations and bonding with friends. The cafe caters to seniors’

stay connected with peers, and participate in fun and informative programs. This club is growing by leaps and bounds with each meeting. Dues are $15 annually and $6 monthly for lunch.

JCC Book Club meetings encourage seniors to explore the world of literature and discussion, fostering a love for reading and promoting lifelong learning. Meetings are held on the third Monday of each month, 1:30 – 3 pm, in-person or via Zoom. This lively group has read nearly 200 books, poems, and short stories since it began 15 years ago. Sherry Lieberman has led this thriving group since 2008.

nutritional well-being and social interactions and is an essential part of many seniors’ routine. Several café tables are often packed with friendships formed and fostered at the JCC, lovingly referred to as “friendship tables.”

JCC Seniors Club meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month and continue to bring seniors together to share experiences, enjoy lunch,

The JCC has created an environment where seniors can flourish, engage in enjoyable activities, form lasting connections with peers, and best of all, it constantly welcomes new participants.

Anyone who is interested in joining any of these programs or clubs, or who has an idea of a program to add, contact Robin Ford at 757-321-2304 RFord@ujft.org or Mia Klein at 757-4523184 MKlein@ujft.org.

"Recently my mother required 12 hour per day personal care assistance. On short notice, Changing Tides Home Care provided the necessary assistance. They have been responsive to my mother's needs and have kept the family informed by telephone, text and portal. I am very pleased with their services.”

-Andrew H. Hook, President of Hook Law Center

Over the past year, these Friendship Tables at the Cardo Café have grown in number with many friends – old and new –gathered around talking, laughing, and eating.

Nearly 40 people attended a lunch and the presentation of To Life: The Past is Present Holocaust Stories of Hampton Roads Survivors, Liberators, and Rescuers.

All things digital with Mia Klein

Wednesdays, 12-1 pm, Sandler Family Campus

For anyone who wonders what programs are happening at the Simon Family JCC or who might get frustrated dealing with smartphone apps or registering for activities online, now is the time to learn to unlock the world of technology.

Look no further than Mia Klein, the “technical wizard” and programs department coordinator at United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Simon Family JCC. Grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and indulge in a chat to learn how to work a few of the latest digital advancements. Klein is the go-to person for questions about computers or smartphones, class information, signing up for events, or setting up the MyJ Simon Family JCC app.

On Wednesdays, Klein will be in the Sandler Family Campus Cardo happy to answer any technological questions. Bring devices so that she can guide you through any technical hurdle. Contact Mia Klein at 757-452-3184 or MKlein@UJFT.org.

New ideas for adult programming

Mia Klein and Robin Ford

The Simon Family JCC and United Jewish Federation of Tidewater are gearing up for a new year of active adult programming.

Excited to bring new ideas to the community, the program professionals are interested in participants’ interests and passions, which are essential to building a year of innovative programs and creating an inclusive and engaging environment for all. Ideas are welcome for art workshops, fitness classes, book clubs, cooking sessions, or any other skills and talents that participants want to develop and explore.

New members are always welcome into this thriving community. For more information, contact Robin Ford at RFord@Ujft.org or Mia Klein at MKlein@ujft.org.

Betsy Sanders and Mia Klein.

SENIORS

Mark Schiff, Jerry Seinfeld’s longtime opening act, brings tefillin on tour

Lana Schwartz (JTA) — Mark Schiff has been opening for Jerry Seinfeld on tour for 25 years, and along the way, he has brought his tefillin.

Schiff says he tries to stay as observant as he can on the road, participating in Shabbat services either at a nearby synagogue or in his hotel room. But he’s modest about his commitment.

“I really hope God marks on a curve,” he jokes.

In a memoir released late last year titled Why Not? Lessons on Comedy, Courage, and Chutzpah, Schiff details his life and career, from inauspicious beginnings as a kid growing up in New York City to becoming a working comedian alongside a bevy of generation-defining Jewish comics.

While he isn’t a household name like Seinfeld or some of his other peers, the penultimate chapter of his book is full of encounters with enough boldfaced names to make Forrest Gump jealous. Schiff has collaborated in various ways with Robin Williams, Chris Rock, Rodney Dangerfield, Carl Reiner, Paul Reiser and more. He was a regular guest on late-night shows such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with David Letterman, and he landed specials on both Showtime and HBO. Since the 1970s — when he successfully invited Bob Dylan over to his apartment and befriended Anthony Hopkins during his Broadway run of Equus — the Bronx native seems to have also met just about every single one of his heroes.

For the most part, Schiff’s proximity to these stars came as a result of persistent work over a long period of time. But even for that, Schiff is grateful.

“I wouldn’t trade those days for anything, and neither would any of the friends whom I started with,” he writes in his book. “On any given night, there were twenty of us vying to go on. There wasn’t any other way to put it except that I never felt so alive.”

Schiff still “works clean,” avoiding those famous four-letter words, in part because that’s what most comics did before the advent of streaming and HBO, and in part because of his dedication to his faith. He has always incorporated Jewish jokes into his sets and barely changes his material for audiences that he knows will be heavily Jewish.

As he shares, Schiff, 71, first caught the comedy bug at 12 years old, when his parents took him to the Boulevard Night Club in Rego Park, Queens, to see Dangerfield, a Jewish comedy legend who arguably got plenty of respect.

“Rodney bust through the curtains, and he started telling these one-line jokes and the audience was banging on the table, screaming laughing. I looked at my parents; I

had never seen them laugh so hard in their entire life. And I had an epiphany…I said, ‘This is it. I know what I want to do for a living,’” Schiff recalls in a phone interview.

From there, Schiff did everything he could to learn the craft of comedy: Watching comedians on TV, buying comedy records and, when he was 16 years old, procuring a fake ID so he could see the greats in person at the The Improv comedy club. Cut to the mid-70s, and Schiff found himself performing regularly at the Comic Strip club alongside stand-ups who were just trying to learn the ropes before going on to dominate our TV screens.

“There was no Seinfeld, there was just this guy Jerry who was just starting out becoming a comedian,” Shiff says. Their group included Reiser, Gilbert Gottfried, Hiram Kasten and Larry Miller. “All Jews, sitting at the bar, waiting for the opportunity to get onstage and start getting good at this thing. You know those friends you make like early on in school? Like second grade, they kind of become your friends for life? This is what happened with us.”

Schiff, now a longtime Los Angeles resident, has filled his book with so many behind-thescenes anecdotes of being a working comedian that it makes the perfect follow-up to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel — and it might be even more Jewish. For instance, his use of the Yiddish word shmendrick might not be completely unique, but it’s more rare to find a humorous take on the concept of olam ha-ba, or Judaism’s afterlife-adjacent “world to come”: “Florida without the humidity. Chocolate cake without the calories. Jewish mothers without the screaming.”

By the time the COVID pandemic hit, Schiff had been contributing essays to the LA Jewish Journal. When his touring schedule evaporated, he shifted gears and started writing for six, seven hours a day.

“I had a bunch of stories already written and they’d been published, and then the pandemic hit and I said, ‘You know, Mark, you might have a book here,’” he says.

He also had some helpful prior experience. In 2007, Schiff co-authored I Killed: True Stories of the Road from America’s Top Comics, which “young comedians consider…almost like the bible of the road,” Schiff brags. The book gives the reader glimpses into the ups and downs of the touring life from comedy royalty, from Seinfeld to Joan Rivers to Larry David to Mike Myers.

Schiff’s stand-up experience served him well in writing this new memoir. “Each story’s about 700 words, and as a comedian, you gotta get to it right away. You gotta get to the heart of the matter immediately,” he says. “You can’t piddle. So, there’s very little piddling in this…I could’ve called the book ‘No Piddling’ if I wanted to. Very little piddling going on.”

Despite the ups and downs that Schiff’s book recalls — from a tumultuous childhood to a bout with alcoholism — Judaism and steadfast belief in God are the driving forces of his life. For instance, learning about lashon hara — scandalous gossip that the Bible forbids — taught him to stay away from “punching down” in comedy. (“Although, in order for something to be funny, you certainly have to pick at something,” Schiff concedes. “They don’t call it a punchline for nothing.”)

When he’s at home in Los Angeles, he attends services at Young Israel of Century City, a Modern Orthodox congregation. Together he and his daughter-in-law Anna are studying the late Rabbi Norman Lamm’s Torah talks.

The marriage of Schiff’s comedic point of view with his cultural heritage might feel like a throwback to the comedians of yore, the ones he looked up to when comedy first ensnared him, such as Alan King, Buddy Hackett, Don Rickles, and Allan Sherman. They ruled the comedy world, at a time when, per Schiff, “85% of the comedians in the United States were Jewish,” and they helped legitimize comedy as a career path for him.

“Later on in life I found out that in many ways the Jews, Jewish comedians, really legitimized Jews in America,” Schiff says.

Despite all that’s changed about comedy in the four-plus decades since Schiff first started — very few keep their material “clean” these days, for instance — he said the industry is still based around “one person and a whole bunch of people sitting out there looking at him or her.”

“And as Jerry says, ‘You better have something more important that you’re going to say than they have to say, otherwise they’re not going to laugh.’”

When asked why he still feels drawn to the road, Schiff says “There’s no better feeling than listening to an audience howling and laughing.”

• Family owned and operated since 1917

• Affordable services to fit any budget

• Advance funeral planning

• Professional, experienced, caring staff

• Flexible burial options

• Flexible payment options

Approved by all area Rabbis and Chevrah Kadisha

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

If you are suffering from allergies or asthma, please contact us. We can help.

We make it as easy as possible on the patient and referring physician by ACCEPTING MOST INSURANCES.

Leaders in food allergy detection and treatment.

SENIORS

On her 100th birthday, this Holocaust survivor threw out the first pitch at a Yankees-Rays game

Max Baker

( Jewish Press of Tampa Bay via JTA) — She may not have the same velocity on her fastball as an MLB pitcher, but Helen Kahan still had plenty to be proud of as she threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees took the field on May 5 — her 100th birthday.

www.allergydocs.net

Virginia Beach (757) 481- 4383

Chesapeake (757) 547-7702

Norfolk (757) 583-4382

Kahan stood confidently on the Tropicana Field pitcher’s mound with her daughter and son by her side. It didn’t matter that the throw only made it halfway to home plate. The crowd of more than 25,000 gave her a standing ovation as Rays relief pitcher Kevin Kelly, who caught the pitch, congratulated her with a smile and a handshake.

Kahan, of Seminole, Florida, who survived multiple Nazi concentration camps, was triumphant.

“I never could have imagined celebrating a birthday like this, let alone my 100th!” says Kahan. “I’m so grateful that I am here to tell my story and help the world remember why kindness and empathy are so important for us all.”

is a proud supporter of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and its affiliates

OUR MISSION

Cohen Investment Group is a relationship-driven, trusted multifamily and commercial real estate sponsor We are committed to our clients’ success while delivering attractive institutional real estate investment opportunities to high net worth accredited investors, family offices, and institutional partners with professional acumen and a focus on diligent reporting, transparency, accountability, and integrity

For more information, please contact us: Cohen Investment Group 150 Boush Street, Suite 300 Norfolk, VA 23510 (757) 490-1193

www.coheninvestmentgrp.com

Born in 1923 in Romania, Kahan was forced into a ghetto as a young adult before being deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, then Bergen-Belsen and Lippstadt. As the end of the war approached, she escaped from a death march before the camp was liberated by the Soviet army in May 1945. In 1967, Kahan fulfilled a lifelong dream when she and her family immigrated to the United States.

Bally Sports Sun, the Rays broadcaster, featured an in-game segment on her inspiring story.

“They heard how I lived… that I have a number from Auschwitz,” Kahan tells the Jewish Press, pointing to the Nazi tattoo on her arm that reads 7504.

Many of Kahan’s family members — two children, five grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren — were at Tropicana Field to witness the big moment.

“It was very nice,” Kahan says. “Everybody celebrated; everybody made it bigger than me.”

She says the experience was special because she never got to play sports when growing up, explaining, “I always had to make a penny in the family.”

To prepare, Kahan watched her grandsons and great-grandsons play catch so she could get the pitching motion in her head.

Afterward, Kahan received lots of media attention, including segments on the local news and social media posts from global outlets, including ESPN.

Kahan says she relished the experience and was grateful for the opportunity.

“I love it… I came from a Hitler camp that did not give me anything but numbers,” Kahan says, pointing at her tattooed arm once again.

Kahan’s daughter, Livia Wein, says that watching her mother throw out the pitch was one of the best things she has ever experienced.

“It was probably the coolest thing for our entire family,” Wein says. “Having a lot of our friends in the stands also made it very special.”

Kahan and Wein are both avid Rays fans; however, Kahan prefers to keep her favorite player a secret. She says it was a pleasure to meet several of the players and coaches before the game.

In addition to honoring Kahan, the Rays announced a $10,000 partnership grant with the Florida Holocaust Museum during the pregame festivities. Kahan has been a longtime volunteer educator at the St. Petersburg museum.

Whether it was Kahan’s charisma and courageous spirit or simply great defense and timely hitting, the Rays defeated their rival Yankees by a final score of 5-4.

A version of this story originally appeared in the Jewish Press of Tampa Bay. It is reprinted here with permission.

Providing Care to Children and Adults for Over 60 years

Lisa Deafenbaugh PA-C Kim Pham NP-C

Dr. Gary Moss Dr. Greg Pendell Dr. Craig Koenig Dr. Marguerite Lengkeek

Caption: Helen Kahan, center, with her daughter Livia Wein and son Lucian Kahan. (Courtesy of the Tampa Bay Rays)

SENIORS

Fleischmann Lounge – Dedicated senior’s space celebrates legacy and community

Robin Ford

The newest space at the Sandler Family Campus, the Fleischmann Lounge, is a bright open area named in memory of a sweet and unassuming gentleman, Joe Fleischmann, who was active in the JCC Senior’s club, quietly participating in its activities.

“Mr. Joe” loved researching stocks and reading articles on the JCC’s Senior Room computer. Keenly aware of living in a world dominated by rapidly evolving technology, he recognized how important it is for everyone to embrace change and keep up to date with the computer age, despite their age. With that philosophy, Fleischmann left an endowment for JCC Seniors that embodies a tree of life; roots that are intertwined in history while the branches reach towards the future. He was a gentle reminder that age should never be a barrier when exploring computers’ vast possibilities. His niece, Janet

Gelman, made sure the Fleishmann Lounge became a reality.

The Fleischmann Lounge stands as a testament to the community’s unwavering appreciation for its senior citizens’ remarkable contributions and wisdom. It celebrates life, experience, and the ongoing pursuit of growth and companionship. This space not only enriches the seniors’ lives but also strengthens the fabric of the entire community, reinforcing the values of respect, unity, and continuing education.

The Fleischmann Lounge currently hosts many group games, club meetings, gatherings, monthly birthday parties, and continuing education programming.

The Silver Tappers visited the June Seniors Club meeting and several members joined in.

More than 30 people enjoyed the Seder, food, good friends, and new memories as the first event in the new Fleischmann Lounge.

National Portrait Gallery to display portrait of Sally Priesand, first ordained woman rabbi in American history

Jackie Hajdenberg (JTA) — More than 50 years after she became the first woman to be ordained by an American rabbinical seminary, Rabbi Sally Priesand has set another precedent: Beginning later this year, she will be the first woman rabbi to be featured at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.

But Priesand will not be the gallery’s only Reform rabbi: Another exhibit recently began displaying a portrait of Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, the 19th-century rabbi who founded the seminary that, nearly 100 years later, would go on to ordain Priesand.

The portrait of Priesand, who was ordained by the Reform movement’s Hebrew Union College in 1972 and retired from a New Jersey pulpit in 2006, will be shown beginning in October as

part of a 21-work collection titled Recent Acquisitions that largely features portraits by or of women.

The work is an inkjet print of a 2022 photograph by Joan Roth, who is known for her photographs of Jewish women around the world. It depicts a smiling Priesand wearing a multicolored prayer shawl and holding a Torah scroll whose cover displays the word “avodah,” Hebrew for “worship” or “service.” Roth drew inspiration from a photograph taken 50 years earlier at Priesand’s ordination.

Priesand’s photo will hang beside those of other pioneering women, including pop star Beyoncé, science fiction author Octavia Butler, Hollywood icon Greta Garbo and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the late Jewish Supreme Court justice whose likeness has previously been featured elsewhere in the

Employment Opportunity

Director, Women’s Philanthropy & Affinities

United Jewish Federation of Tidewater seeks a creative, articulate, and well-organized individual to work within Women's Division and other targeted (small affinity) areas of the general Campaign. The primary role is to engage new donors, cultivate relationships, and solicit donations to advance Federation’s mission.

The Women’s Campaign Director will organize and facilitate the activities of Women’s Philanthropy Committee, which can include lay leadership development and succession planning; women’s ratings and assignments; outreach to new donors; stewardship of existing donors; and serving in a key senior professional role on the development team. The position requires a Bachelor’s degree with (3) three or more years’ experience in fundraising or equivalent combination of relevant education, experience and skills required; excellent customer service skills, and experience in volunteer management. Strong knowledge of basic office computing, including MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams), Zoom and basic database management skills required. (Proficiency in Power BI and Abila Millennium products a PLUS). Must be able to work off-shift hours including nights and weekends, as needed.

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.

Complete job description at www.federation.jewishva.org

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

Attention: Taftaleen T. Hunter, Director of Human Resources – Confidential

Equal Opportunity Employment

museum. The exhibition will run until November 2024.

Wise’s portrait is an oil painting on canvas, and has been in the possession of the National Portrait Gallery since 1977. But it was undergoing conservation work until recently and has never been shown on the museum’s walls. Painted by artist Morris Goldstein in 1881, it shows Wise sitting in an armchair with his elbow resting on a stack of books. Folded underneath the books is a copy of The American Israelite, the newspaper he founded in Cincinnati in 1854 that is the country’s oldest running Jewish publication.

Wise’s portrait is now on display as part of the museum’s Out of Many: Portraits from 1600 to 1900 exhibition, whose works are switched out periodically. It hangs in a room that also includes a bust of turnof-the-20th-century African American educator and author Booker T. Washington and a photograph of Sarah Winnemucca,

birth name Thoc-me-tony, a 19th-century advocate for Native American rights.

Wise was also a pioneer in the Reform movement, allowing mixed-gender services and replacing bar mitzvah rituals with confi rmation ceremonies, among other changes. He founded Hebrew Union College in 1875.

Both the conservation of the Wise portrait and the creation of the Priesand portrait were funded by Reform Rabbi Amy Perlin and her husband, former World Bank and Capital One CFO Gary Perlin. Rabbi Perlin is the first female rabbi in the United States to start her own congregation, Temple B’nai Shalom in Fairfax Station, Virginia.

In addition to Wise and Priesand, the museum has portraits of early 20th-century Reform Rabbi Judah Magnes; 19th-century Dutch-American Rabbi Samuel Myer Isaacs; and 20th-century Reform Rabbi Stephen Samuel Wise. None of those works are currently being displayed at the museum.

Portrait of Rabbi Sally Priesand, the first American woman ordained as a rabbi that is now in the National Portrait Gallery.