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Southeastern Virginia | Vol. 56 No. 19 | 12 Tammuz 5778 | June 25, 2018

‘Terror Kites’ in Israel Fire and Fear

8 TJF attends Life and Legacy conference

—page 6

23 HAT graduates Class of 2018

24 Women celebrate successful campaign

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Upfront

U.S. leaves UN Human Rights Council over Israel bias Ron Kampeas

WASHINGTON ( JTA)—The Trump administration has withdrawn the United States from the U.N. Human Rights Council because of its bias against Israel.

Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and Mike Pompeo, the secretary of state, jointly announced the pullout on Tuesday, June 19.

“The Human Rights Council is an exercise in shameless hypocrisy,” Pompeo told the media at the State Department.

Haley said the decision came after her “good faith” effort to reform the body was obstructed by others.

The body “was not worthy of its name,” she said.

The decision split those who, like Haley and Pompeo, said the council’s negative focus on Israel rendered it irrelevant and others, including human rights

groups and Jewish lawmakers, who said the U.S. presence was an important voice calling out abuses around the world.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the departure “courageous.”

“The U.S. decision to leave this prejudiced body is an unequivocal statement that enough is enough,” he said in a statement.

Two human rights advocacy groups with close ties to mainstream Jewish groups, Human Rights First and the Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights, joined a letter sent to Pompeo criticizing the Trump administration for leaving the council.

“Forfeiting the U.S. seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council only serves to empower actors on the council, like Russia and China, that do not share American values on the preeminence of universal

human rights,” said the letter initiated by Freedom House.

In addition to the body’s disproportionate focus on Israel, successive U.S. administrations have objected to the presence of human rights abusers on the council.

Haley, warning earlier this month of the likelihood of a U.S. withdrawal, said the presence of noted abusers was a sticking point.

“Being a member of this council is a privilege, and no country who is a human rights violator should be allowed a seat at the table,” she said.

Current members of the council noted for their oppressive policies include Saudi

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The George W. Bush administration refused to join the council when it was established in 2006 as a successor to the U.N. Commission on Human Rights. Kofi Annan, the secretary-general of the United Nations at the time, pushed for the replacement body in part to address similar concerns about the commission, but the council soon replicated the pattern of emphasizing criticism of Israel and allowing abusers to join. The U.N. General Assembly selects countries to serve three-year terms on the Human Rights Council.

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upfront The Obama administration joined the council, arguing that its presence was a more effective means of defending Israel on the council and of addressing human rights abuses elsewhere.

Some pro-Israel groups have pressed for a U.S. departure from the council because of its excesses. Others have criticized the council but quietly supported a continued U.S. presence to maintain U.S. influence as a counter to the anti-Israel agenda.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center welcomed the departure.

“We applaud Ambassador Haley’s move and urge other democracies should follow the U.S. lead and leave the UNHRC as well,” it said in a statement.

B’nai B’rith International, which like the Wiesenthal Center is a U.N.-recognized nongovernmental organization, did not praise the departure in its statement but said it should serve as a “wake-up call.”

“The United States’ decision to withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council presents the international organization with an important opportunity for dramatic and urgently needed reform, as the steady politicization of the body has rendered it largely irrelevant at best and a destructive actor at worst,” B’nai B’rith said. “Perhaps the U.S. withdrawal from the UNHRC will serve as a wake-up call for all U.N. agencies to begin a process of systemic reform, in order to return the organization to its original mission and principles of equity and fairness.”

Human Rights Watch said the

Contents Up Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Torah Thought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Terror kites in Israel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 National Jewish Heritage Month . . . . . 8 TJF at LIFE & LEGACY conference . . 9 Rabbi Litt on Birthright Israel. . . . . . . 10 Senior Living special section. . . . . . . . 11 HAT graduates Class of 2018. . . . . . . 23

Jewish news jewishnewsva.org Deutch, D-Fla., the departure was senior Democrat on sacrificing an the House Middle East important U.S. subcommittee. “The voice against By leaving UNHRC, council also wrongly abuse in order to and obsessively defend Israel. we will not improve focuses on our ally “The Trump its behavior, rather Israel. Unfortunately, administration’s none of that will withdrawal from the U.S. will lose its change if we are not the Human ability to influence the at the table to lead the Rights Council is foreign body’s agenda reform efforts.” a sad reflection Rep. Nita Lowey, of its one-dimenand retreat from its role D-N.Y., the top sional human as a world leader on Democratic approrights policy in priator in the House, which the U.S. human rights. said the departure defends Israeli was another example abuses from critof President Donald icism above all Trump’s isolationism. else,” it said in “By leav ing a statement. “By UNHRC, we will not improve its behavwalking away, the U.S. is turning its back ior, rather the U.S. will lose its ability to not just on the UN, but on victims of influence the foreign body’s agenda and human rights abuses around the world, retreat from its role as a world leader on including in Syria, Yemen, North Korea, human rights,” Lowey said in a statement. and Myanmar. Now other governments Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the chairwill have to redouble their efforts to ensure woman of the Middle East subcommittee, that the council addresses the world’s praised the decision. most serious human rights problems.”

“For far too long, the council has been At least two Jewish Democrats in the a platform used by the world’s worst U.S. House of Representatives spoke out human rights violators to shield themagainst the departure while noting the selves from criticism of their abysmal council’s bias. records while attempting to isolate and “The United Nations Human Rights delegitimize the democratic Jewish State Council ignores some of the most egreof Israel,” said Ros-Lehtinen, who has long gious human rights abuses in the world, counseled withdrawal from and defundand its membership includes notorious ing of the UNHRC. human rights violators,” said Rep. Ted

Israeli agricultural field set ablaze by one of the kites sent over from Gaza.

Photo credit: Jewish National Fund-USA

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Who Knew?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 The Calming Cove at Sandler Family Campus. . . . . . . 30 Catcher Was a Spy: a film about Moe Berg. . . . . . . . . . . . 31

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briefs Israel destroyed Hamas terror tunnel that stretched out to sea Israel’s military destroyed a Hamas terror tunnel that reached several yards into the sea, which would have allowed the group’s naval commandos to launch an attack on Israel from its coast.

The tunnel was destroyed by the Air Force on June 3, when Israel carried out several airstrikes on Gaza in retaliation for rocket and mortar fire on southern Israel, the IDF said in a statement.

The IDF said that it has known about the tunnel for several months and was waiting for the right time to destroy it.

Hamas divers would have been able to discretely enter Israel in a short amount of time by using the tunnel, according to the IDF. “The IDF will not allow any threat to the security of the State of Israel and will continue to act with determination against terror of all kinds. The IDF is determined to continue performing its task of defending the citizens of the State of Israel and its sovereignty,” it said in a statement posted on social media.

Hamas has been increasing its naval prowess and power for some time, a senior Navy official said in a statement. (JTA) Parkland teacher wins Anne Frank Center honor An educator whose classroom was targeted by the shooter at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School has been named Teacher of the Year by the New Yorkbased Anne Frank Center.

Ivy Schamis was teaching her History of the Holocaust course when a gunman shot up her classroom in February, killing two students and injuring four. The gunman, a former student at the school in Parkland, Florida, also shot up two other classrooms. A total of 17 students and teachers were killed in the rampage.

Schamis was recognized June 12 at the center’s 22nd annual gala and awards program honoring “worthy role models who uphold Anne Frank’s ideals of hope, justice, and equality.” She has been a Broward County social studies teacher for 18 years and launched her school’s Holocaust education program.

The center said in a statement that

Schamis “teaches history as a tool for understanding today’s societal challenges such as violence and discrimination.

Today, the lingering horror of two students shot to death in her classroom is juxtaposed with the national acclaim several of her students have received.”

Schamis said in the statement: “How can this happen, of all places, in a classroom where students were learning how to combat hate? The lessons of the Holocaust were coming alive right there in room 1214. Since that fateful day, the 4th period students have become a symbol of all Anne Frank stood for—loss of innocence coupled with unfailing optimism. They are more committed than ever to spread the message—HATE IS NEVER OKAY! And like the Holocaust Survivors we met online and in person, Resiliency of the Human Spirit prevails.”

The other 2018 honorees are Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls, writer Jud Newborn, Syrian refugee Mariela Shaker and Racquel Harris Mason of Coca-Cola. Rosa Strygler, a Holocaust survivor and philanthropist, is being honored posthumously. (JTA)

Quicken Loans makes it kosher for Orthodox Jews to take out a mortgage Orthodox Jews can continue to take out mortgages and other loans from Quicken Loans after the company resolved a Jewish legal problem.

Agudath Israel of America, a major haredi Orthodox organization, issued a Jewish legal ruling in April prohibiting Jews from taking out loans from the Detroit-based company because it is majority-owned by Jews—notably Dan Gilbert, who also owns the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers.

Quicken Loans, which claims to be America’s largest mortgage lender, also owns Rocket Mortgage, the online mortgage agency.

Jewish law, or halachah, forbids Jews from charging interest to other Jews.

So Jews are allowed to own mortgage agencies—and lend to non-Jewish customers—but they are not allowed to lend to fellow Jews.

The biblical commandment against charging interest is known as Ribbis

4 | Jewish News | June 25, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org

D’oraisa.

Quicken Loans adopted what is known as a “heter iska,” a technicality that changes the loan into a co-investment in which the lender and borrower become “business partners”—one supplies the capital and the other uses it as they see fit.

Agudah issued a statement notifying the community that Quicken Loans had adopted a global heter iska covering all mortgages initiated after June 8. The heter iska does not retroactively reclassify existing loans, however, according to Agudah spokesman Rabbi Avi Shafran.

Quicken Loans’ practice is to sell all loans shortly after they are made and thus do not need any further corrective action.

“On behalf of Torah Jewry across America, we thank Quicken Loans for its sensitivity and devotion to the needs of the community,” the Agudah statement said.

“The company has exhibited true leadership in taking this bold move quickly and efficiently, trailblazing a clear path forward for the observant Jewish community. (JTA)

Jews who have infected the whole world with poison and deceit.”

He also claimed that contemporary Jews are responsible for promoting child molestation, misogyny, police brutality and sexual assault, among other social ills. In addition, Farrakhan asserted that contemporary Judaism is nothing but a “system of tricks and lies” that Jews study in order to learn how to “dominate” non-Jews.

According to Twitter’s terms of service, it may remove verified status at any time, for reasons that include promoting hate and/or violence against, or directly attacking or threatening other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or disease; inciting or engaging in harassment of others; and directly or indirectly threatening or encouraging any form of physical violence against an individual or any group of people, including threatening or promoting terrorism. (JTA)

Twitter removes verified status from Louis Farrakhan’s account The Twitter account of Louis Farrakhan no longer has verified status after a clip was posted of the Nation of Islam leader speaking about “the Satanic Jew.” Twitter removed the status from what is described as the “Official Twitter Page of The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.”

The blue octagonal badge with a check mark tells visitors that the page of a prominent person may not be authentic—that the person whose name is on the account may not be its actual owner. Verified accounts may become targets for hacking or phishing campaigns, Twitter notes in its Verified Accounts FAQ. The owner of a page without the badge may continue to post tweets.

“Thoroughly and completely unmasking the Satanic Jew and the Synagogue of Satan,” read the tweet, which included a video of Farrakhan speaking May 27 at the Nation of Islam’s international headquarters at Mosque Maryam in Chicago.

The sermon was Farrakhan’s first major public speaking appearance since February. Farrakhan, a known anti-Semite, warned his listeners about “Satanic

Warren Buffett helps raise $80 million in Israel Bonds Warren Buffett helped raise $80 million in Israel Bonds investments.

The billionaire businessman and philanthropist hosted a dinner reception this month in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska—his third such event for Israel Bonds in 18 months. Over 70 Israel Bonds investors from the United States and Canada made a minimum purchase of $1 million in bonds to attend the event at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center.

“I’ve lived through Israel’s entire 70-year history and I believe it is one of the most remarkable countries in the world,” Buffett said at the event. “I’m delighted to own Israel Bonds.”

He also said: “I have nothing but good feelings about what I am doing. The United States and Israel will always be linked. It is a good thing for Israel that there is an America, and it is a good thing for America that there is an Israel.”

The three Israel Bonds events hosted

by Buffett in the past 18 months have raised investments totaling $290 million, according to Israel Bonds. (JTA)

Torah Thought

The past

R

abbi J. D. Gordon was the rabbi of B’nai Israel Congregation of Norfolk until 1947. He gave some spirited sermons in his time and published a collection of his High Holiday addresses for future rabbis to learn from and emulate.

One year, Rabbi Gordon spoke about the past. He reminisced about the days when people travelled around Norfolk by foot or by horse and buggy. If you made a wrong turn or you missed something, you could turn around and walk back a few

steps. People had time to stop and smell the azaleas. It’s not like that anymore. We drive cars, we take trains and we board planes, and now, light rails. It’s not so easy to go back. If we make a wrong turn, we could be 10 miles out of the way before we even notice. If we miss something interesting at the side of the road, there is no way that we are going to back up on the highway and get a better look. As time goes on, we move faster, and as we move faster, we move further away from the past.

Our community has a glorious past.

There are people that many of us know and love who have been a part of the Norfolk Jewish community for almost 100 years. They have defended and represented Judaism through thick and through thin and through times when people thought that we would cease to exist.

They will tell you that a lot has changed in 100 years. There are a lot of new people.

The songs are sung to different tunes and the bubbes and zaides of their childhood are no longer in the back of shul making sure that everyone is entertained and feeling comfortable. Yet, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

We are still passionate about Judaism.

We faithfully study Torah and aim to follow its words and lessons to the best of our abilities.

We need to embrace the present. We need to cherish it, and we need to become a part of it. But we dare not forget those who preceded us and define what we stand for today.

A man once climbed to the top of a mountain. It took him several months of training and several weeks of planning.

When he got to the top of the mountain after several days of climbing, he was shocked to find a little boy playing soccer.

This boy could not possibly have climbed

Let’s remember the people who brought us to the top of the mountain.

the mountain, yet there he was.

“How did you get here?” the mountain climber asked. The boy looked at him with a very puzzled face, “I was born here.”

Let’s remember the people who brought us to the top of the mountain. Let’s find ways to respect our communal bubbies and zaides and make them proud.

Rabbi Sender Haber, Congregation B’nai Israel

jewishnewsva.org | June 25, 2018 | Jewish News | 5

Israel ‘Terror kites’ shake residents in southern Israel, but not their resolve to stay put Sam Sokol

NAHAL OZ, Israel ( JTA)—Dani Ben David fiddles with his radio, switching between it and his cellphone as he drives through the Beeri Forest, a nature reserve located on the border of Israel and the

Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

As his Jeep jolts over the dirt road, he quickly and calmly jumps between multiple conversations, coordinating efforts to extinguish the multiple fires that have sprung up across his territory. As regional director for the Western Negev for Keren

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Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund, Ben David is responsible for maintaining the forest’s tens of thousands of acres in the face of Palestinian efforts to torch them and the surrounding farmland.

Since April, more than 450 open-air fires have been set along the border region by kites and balloons carrying incendiary materials launched from Gaza. Flying aimlessly over the kibbutzim, they have turned large swatches of what was once an oasis of green in a dry and dusty south into a charred landscape.

Many of those kites have landed in the wheat fields of farmers, causing millions of shekels in damage to the local agricultural sector as well as in the area’s vast nature reserves.

“Look over there,” Ben David says, pointing to a pillar of smoke in the distance. His finger sweeps across the horizon, noting the locations of several other fires in the distance. “We see three, four, five fires. There are eight fires now.”

“It’s like this every day,” he continues, describing how more than 4,000 dunams, or nearly 490 acres, have already gone up in smoke over the past two months.

“It’s doing great damage to the forest, to the plants and animals. Everything here is burned. We don’t really see a solution, either from the government or the army, against this kite terror.”

Ben David says KKL-JNF employs 12–13 private firefighters who are responsible for the forest, a number bolstered by volunteers from local communities and Israel’s overstretched Fire and Rescue Services.

“If we had 10 more it would be good, but we don’t have 10 more,” he says. “We are doing what we can. You extinguish one and you move on to the next one.”

At another site nearby, a tractor puts out the flames by driving over them followed by a man carrying a hose attached to a small water tank on his back. It’s siren blaring, a firetruck pulls up and a regular-duty firefighter gets out and starts spraying a flaming clump of trees.

Over the course of less than an hour, Ben David visits more than five fires, one of which blazes alongside a small one-lane

road, completely obscuring visibility.

“At the end of the day, we are succeeding at extinguishing everything,” he says, but adding it would help if he had access to firefighting planes. Ben David explains that such aircraft are prohibited from taking part in the battle due to the proximity to the Gaza border.

“These kites aren’t toys, they’re weapons,” he says. “If the IDF or government will understand that, I hope they will do something.”

In nearby Nahal Oz, Yael Lachyani walks along pointing out the damage done to her kibbutz’s farmlands. She points to a small patch of burnt ground on which small shoots are already beginning beginning to sprout. Lachyani, the agricultural collective’s spokeswoman, says that on the festival of Shavuot each year, a small ceremony is held here for the community’s children, but this year it was set ablaze only hours before the gathering.

“We put out the fire and held the ceremony anyway. We are proud that we didn’t let them destroy our holiday,” she says, noting that 600 dunams, or almost 150 acres, have already gone up in flames.

“We try to be optimistic. It’s all about resilience,” Lachyani says. “We don’t complain. We don’t let them run our lives.

You burn and we plant. Our morale is high. There is something about tragedy that connects you more to the people you live with.”

The Israel Defense Forces and the government have not responded to the fires in the same way in which they act in the wake of a rocket attack, she says, and this “sends a message” to Hamas.

Lachyani says that despite the rocket attacks and fires, Nahal Oz is thriving, with residency at capacity, in part due to the “new secular Zionism of living wherever it’s necessary and wherever it’s meaningful.” But while the community has grown since the last flare-up with Hamas in 2014, it does not mean the residents are totally sanguine about the situation.

“We are thriving under fire…for the moment,” she says, complaining of the feeling that “no one cares.” Citing Regional

Israel Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi’s statement that he was “not excited by the kite terrorism”—that is, that people shouldn’t overreact to what he called a “pathetic” enemy—Lachyani asserts that the “government isn’t doing anything.”

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman has pledged to strike back in response to the kites “when it is convenient for us.” The army is testing two types of drones for use against the kites as “part of a comprehensive response, which includes cooperation with firefighting forces and the activity of combat forces on the ground,” an IDF spokesman says.

According to police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld, bomb disposal experts have responded not only to to kites dragging alcohol-soaked rags but also explosive devices, “which is a much more serious threat to both soldiers and civilians.”

“Every day we have at least 30 firefighters with 10 fire engines to deal only with fires near the fence,” Israel Fire and Rescue Services spokesman Yoram Levy says. “In order to respond quickly we opened five temporary stations in kibbutzim. We have a volunteer unit at Kfar Aza with a fire truck and equipment, and we are about to establish two more units. When we receive intelligence that there might be mass demonstrations [like last Friday], we are reinforcing our staff as needed.”

Levy says the fire service has used airplanes twice, near Kibbutz Or Haner and Kibbutz Karmia, after receiving permission from the Israeli Air Force.

One resident of Nahal Oz sees the attacks as an opportunity to give something back. Only weeks before the fires started, Raymond Reijnen immigrated to the kibbutz with family from Rotterdam in the Netherlands. A 16-year veteran of his city’s fire brigade, Reijnen—a tall, thin blond with tattooed arms—saw no future in Europe and decided to make aliyah so his children could grow up in a Jewish state.

Assigned to the kibbutz dairy, where he tends cows, Reijnen threw himself into agricultural work and learning Hebrew.

Teams of firefighters from across the country have converged on the south, taking shifts on duty before returning

to their home cities. Nevertheless, each kibbutz maintains its own volunteer team and Reijnen joined the one at Nahal Oz immediately.

He says he felt good that he could “give something back to the kibbutz with my skills as a firefighter.”

According to Adi Meiri, a spokeswoman for the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council, whose territory includes Sderot, extinguishing the fires is not the only struggle for residents of the region. While the state has pledged reparations for farmers who have lost crops, local representatives also have been pushing hard for additional payments for those forced to harvest early, losing part of the value of their produce, as well as for those who have lost agricultural equipment.

Aside from the financial side, Meiri says the constant fires have caused stress for residents, especially children, many of whom are receiving help from psychologists at a local “resilience center.”

She describes how she has gone to great lengths to shield her own children from the reality of the past two months.

Picking up on Meiri’s theme, council head Alon Schuster says that it is important that the IDF, when attacking targets in the Gaza Strip, announce that the strikes are in part in retaliation for the kites. He says “it is important for the internal psychological resilience of our residents.”

“The authorities are concentrating now on the threat of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians entering into Israel to sabotage or kidnap people, and they underestimate the threat of fire,” he says.

While many residents have called for increased strikes against Hamas, others believe that only an improvement in conditions in Gaza will bring true peace.

“We have been relatively lucky,” Adele Raemer of Nirim says. “It hurts to see the land being ravaged by fires—the same land that those who are doing it claim to love, claim to be theirs.

“I’m hoping to hear that the government will make decisions today that will alleviate the impossible conditions in Gaza and enable the Gazans to have some hope. People who have nothing to live for only have reasons to die for.”

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n April 20, 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed May to be Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM). The announcement was the crowning achievement in an effort by the Jewish Museum of Florida and South Florida Jewish community leaders. Their dedication resulted in resolutions introduced by Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida and Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania urging the president to proclaim a month to recognize the history of Jewish contributions to American culture. The resolutions passed unanimously, first in the House of Representatives in December 2005 and in the Senate in February 2006.

Now, each May, across the nation Jewish Americans who have helped weave the fabric of American history, culture, and society are celebrated. In Washington, D.C. alone, the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum have joined in raising national consciousness about the contributions of Jewish Americans to the nation’s heritage.

This year, the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Simon Family JCC’s Jewish Life and Learning department, and the Virginia Beach public library partnered to celebrate some of the contributions that Jewish people and Jewish traditions have had on the nation.

Virginia Beach Public libraries displayed local Jewish American history with generous support from Ohef Sholom Temple, sharing photographs and details from the temple’s archives. Artifacts ranged from those of Moses and Eliza Myers—the first Jews to arrive in Norfolk in 1787—to those of Jewish volunteers, soldiers, and the Red Cross, as well as pieces from Jewish life and business in the 1940s.

In addition, an exhibition on vintage Jewish fashion from Beit Hatfutsot, the Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv, was displayed at the Central Library.

On Tuesday, May 22, the Virginia Beach Central Library featured a screening of Across Oceans and Generations, The Jewish history of Tidewater, presented by Joan London Baer, the film’s executive producer.

The Virginia Beach Joint Use Library displayed another Beit Hatfutsot capsule exhibition about Jewish sports with a collection of black and white images from across the globe.

Plans are already underway for Jewish American Heritage month in May 2019. To get involved in the project, contact Melissa Eichelbaum, assistant CRC director, at MEichelbaum@ ujft.org.

Tidewater First Person

TJF participates in national Life & Legacy™ conference

LOCAL RELATIONSHIPS MATTER MEET:

David Abraham

Barb Gelb, Lawrence Steingold, Scott Kaplan and Sallie Williams.

Barb Gelb

I

n early June, I had the pleasure of joining Lawrence Steingold, Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s incoming board chair, as well as Scott Kaplan, TJF president and CEO, and Sallie Williams, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s marketing director, along with colleagues from across the country in Springfield, Mass., for the 2018 Life & Legacy ™ Leadership Gathering.

The conference, organized by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF), is aimed at building skills, sharing best practices, and providing opportunities for networking to create sustainable legacy-giving programs in their local communities.

Learning alongside colleagues and lay leaders from 52 participating communities was inspiring and enlightening. We were able to return home with some great ideas to help our synagogues and agencies become even more successful in securing their future. While I participate in monthly training phone calls with colleagues throughout the year, getting to know them at the conference deepens the relationship and makes it comfortable for us to call each

other for suggestions and advice.

The conferenced featured several notable speakers and sessions. One of the keynotes, Rabbi Daniel Cohen, author of What Will They Say About You When You’re Gone, spoke about reverse engineering your life so that you live the way you want to be remembered. He asked us to think about what we would want on our tombstones if we were limited to just five words, and he offered concrete steps to live as your best self.

Another highlight was when Harold Grinspoon and his daughter-in-law and president of the HGF, Winnie Grinspoon, addressed us at lunch with an update on the work of the Foundation, including PJ Library, JCamp 180 and Voices & Visions.

We participated in a light-hearted, but meaningful question and answer session and gained a better understanding of Harold Grinspoon, where his passion lies, and how he has managed to leverage his philanthropic gifts with great impact.

Other sessions focused on the importance of planned giving to secure the future of our Jewish community, and the mechanics of successful Life & Legacy programs. I participated as a panelist in one of the sessions for other Life &

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Legacy professionals, to speak about how we have implemented the program.

TJF’s program was recognized again when our Life & Legacy video was one of three videos shown at the conference. It was very exciting to see our community on the screen and it was fun to see how positively everyone reacted to it.

The annual conference has no registration fee. I hope that more members of the Tidewater Jewish community will attend in the future to learn and be inspired to think about their legacy and how they want to be remembered.

11/16/17 3:40 PM

Life & Legacy is a four-year partnership program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation that assists communities across North America, through partnerships with Jewish federations and foundations, to promote after-lifetime giving to benefit Jewish day schools, synagogues, social service organizations, and other Jewish entities. In the 18 months since it launched, the Tidewater Life & Legacy ™ program has secured 278 future financial gifts amounting to more than $9.7 million. For more information, contact Barb Gelb at bgelb@ujft.org. ™

jewishnewsva.org | June 25, 2018 | Jewish News | 9

Tidewater First Person

The Birthright Israel experience Rabbi Gershon Litt

I

recently returned from leading my 38th Birthright Israel trip. Virginia-based students on this trip were from William and Mary, Christopher Newport University, and Old Dominion University.

Students always ask if the trip gets old for me. After all, we go to mostly the same places, see the same things, and just about keep the same itinerary. So, what makes the trips unique every season?

Each Birthright Israel trip starts with bonding programs, which bring students who do not know each other together and gives them a sense that for the next 10 days they are not coming from different places with differing backgrounds, but rather they are one family, trying to achieve the same goal. With 40 participants it is easy

to see 40 different faces, but it is important for them to feel like they are one group and that their experiences are shared and common. One of the main goals of the trip, therefore, is to bond together 40 random Jewish people and help them see that there is the Jew and then there is the Jewish people. The trip is a microcosm of that.

For the first time in many of their personal Jewish experiences, participants often feel like there is a larger purpose to being Jewish than their own isolated Jewish experience. By being in Israel, immersing in the experience, and being willing and open to see a different side of the Jewish experience, doors open that most students never knew existed. To me, seeing those doors open for 40 Jewish students is why I continue to lead these trips.

This past trip was also unique as we

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were in Israel during a difficult time. While we were safely traveling in the north, through central Israel and in the central Negev regions, kites were burning acres of Jewish land and our brothers and sisters in the IDF were in harm’s way. While we were dancing at the Western Wall, learning about our ancient past in our ancient homeland, riots were taking place on the Gaza border. While we were hiking Ein Gedi, climbing Massada, and overlooking Mitzpeh Ramon, terrorists were trying to dig tunnels or cut through a border fence.

For American students who have never experienced an existential threat at home, this was very disconcerting.

One of the experiences of Birthright Israel is to spend some of the trip with Israelis who are the same age as the students. For Americans to spend seven days with eight Israelis who are 18–22 years old, can be very inspiring. While most of our American students are enjoying campus life, going to parties and football games, and building their social lives, many young Israeli adults are carrying weapons, walking borders, jumping out of planes, or stopping incendiary kites. They are saving Jewish lives. Lessons learned from taking personal responsibility for a country at age 18 or 19 are invaluable.

Students also met young Jewish adults who have committed themselves to Torah study. This is also a foreign concept to most of our youth. Why would someone devote years of their lives to studying ancient wisdom? Why would hundreds of thousands of young men and women devote

their formative years to the study of our people and our traditions? Stopping on the side of the road and seeing a tank with Jews praying around it or stopping at a local grocery store and being asked to join an afternoon service in the meat section is not something that happens in America. But in Israel, when Judaism is life, and the land is your heritage, the Jewish experience shifts. It is that shift that all Jews need to experience.

Birthright participants experience Jewish learning, insights in to the Israeli Palestinian conflict, and hiking throughout Israel, all of which build a deep and personal love for the land, and much more.

The students who travel with me to Israel return to campus invigorated and hopefully ready to lead others. From Israel advocacy to Jewish learning and personal growth, this trip helps today’s Jewish student become tomorrow’s Jewish leader. My hope and prayer is that all of the students who travel with me will pay it forward to others and carry the lessons they learned with them.

Any young Jewish adult who wants an Israel experience is encouraged to contact me as I am more than happy to help them get to or back to Israel if they have already been.

Rabbi Gershon Litt is an adjunct professor at CNU, rabbi at Adath Jeshurun Synagogue, director of the Hillels at William and Mary, CNU, and ODU, and rabbi of the Commodore Levy Chapel at Naval Station Norfolk.

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Senior Living How seniors can plan now to save on taxes and pay for long-term care

T

wo major expenses seniors face that can derail retirement plans are taxes and long-term care.

Working those two problems hand-inhand, however, could provide solutions for both that seniors and their families may not have thought about, says Chris Orestis, executive vice president of GWG Life and author of the books Help on the Way and A Survival Guide to Aging.

“There are tax deductions seniors can take advantage of that would lower their tax bill, which in turn would give them extra money to help with long-term care expenses,” Orestis says. “There are also tax-advantaged ways they can exit out of a life insurance policy they don’t need any more, which would help them solve some of the financial challenges they face.”

And, although tax-filing season has passed, now is the time to start thinking about those tax savings so they can be in place by the end of the year and be included when seniors file in April 2019, Orestis says.

Some of those potential tax deductions or strategies for seniors include: • Costs of senior living and long-term care. If you’re diagnosed as chronically ill, some long-term care expenses can be tax deductible, Orestis says. Those expenses need to be more than 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income, though.

So, what constitutes chronically ill?

“You must be diagnosed and under a certified care plan issued by a doctor or nurse that addresses your inability to perform two or more activities of daily living,” Orestis says. “Or you need to be suffering from cognitive impairments.”

Family members may also be entitled to tax deductions if they are financially contributing to the costs of care for a loved one and qualify as a dependent, Orestis says. So, it’s important to keep track of those expenses.

• Long-term care insurance premiums. Owners of long-term care insurance policies can take tax deductions on

Know the tax rules and how they apply to you. premiums they pay for qualified plans—as well as other reimbursed medical expenses such as Medicare premiums—as long as the premiums are greater than 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income, Orestis says.

• Life insurance and changes to the estate tax. Many large life insurance policies were purchased over the years as a wealth and legacy-preservation strategy to offset the impact of estate taxes, Orestis says. Prior to tax reform, the first $5,490,000 of income was exempt from the estate tax for individuals and nearly $11 million was exempt for married couples. Now exemptions have been roughly doubled to $11 million for individuals and $22 million for a married couple.

“That means insurance policies currently in force to protect estates valued below the new levels are no longer necessary,” Orestis says. “This presents a chance for the policy owner to sell the policy and recoup some or all of their premium payments under more advantageous tax conditions.”

An accountant or financial professional could provide more details about whether you’re eligible to take advantage of any of these deductions or strategies, Orestis says.

“The important thing to remember is that if you’re facing long-term care or other retirement expenses that seem to be more than you can handle, you may have options you hadn’t thought about,” Orestis says. “Knowing the tax rules and how they apply to your personal situation can make a huge difference.”

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jewishnewsva.org | June 25, 2018 | Senior Living | Jewish News | 13

Ruth’s Life Said a Lot About Her As a “pink lady” Ruth Goodman volunteered more hours than anyone else at the Norfolk hospital where she greeted visitors for years.

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Senior Living Elsie’s Story Jerilyn Goodman

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he speaks with a slight, but distinct, accent whose origin I had long suspected, but, given her age and all that implied, been hesitant to ask. One night at dinner, though, I posed the simple question to 95-year-old Elsie Hirsch, “Where are you from?” She looked at me with an imperceptibly sad smile and, after a long pause, replied, “Where do you think?” Afraid of probing too deeply, I held her gaze and meekly ventured, “Eastern Europe.”

Her piercing blue eyes did not flinch when she said, “Germany,” pronouncing it “Chermany,” a tonal hint of the homeland she had left nearly eight decades ago.

“When did you come here?” I continued, a tentative way of asking whether she’d been fortunate enough to have fled the Nazis or strong enough to have survived them. “In 1939,” she replied.

Despite the bustle all around us, my eyes and my heart were fixed on this small, soft spoken woman. “How did you get out?”

I asked gently. I was more than curious. I felt compelled to know her story, obliged, in my own small way, to bear witness. Offering scant details—her father’s cousin had sponsored them, a brother already in Portsmouth, Virginia—she said quietly, “I don’t like to talk about it.” We turned to other topics, but I couldn’t forget her brief account and the certainty that there was more to it. The next day, I asked if I could interview her more formally. “I don’t like to talk about it,” she resisted again. I explained that I would try to put her account on paper, that she could read it and decide whether she was comfortable sharing it with others, that I would do nothing without her consent, but there was value and meaning in her testimony.

Finally, she agreed.

In the middle of the night of November 9, 1938, 16-year-old Else Moos, asleep in her bed in the German city of Ülm, was awakened by loud knocks on the door. On what would come to be called Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, Germans took to the streets in a wave of violence against their Jewish neighbors. Through the long night and into the next day, Else’s synagogue was burned, Jewish businesses were looted, and her father, Adolph, a prosperous linen merchant, was arrested by the Gestapo. Along with scores of his fellow landsmen, he was taken to the local jail, then shipped to the concentration camp at Dachau.

It was a shock, she said, but not a total surprise. Already, Jewish children could no longer go to school in Ülm or play in the parks. A sign at the local movie theater read “No Jews Allowed.”

For months, conversation in the family’s close-knit circle of friends had centered on leaving Germany. “That’s all we talked about,” she recalled, “When are you leaving?” and “How are you going?”

One after another, they left—one family to Argentina, another to South Africa, and more to America. The Moos family had planned that they, too, would be going. Even with her father trapped in Dachau, unable to finish her last year of high school, and

14 | Jewish News | Senior Living | June 25, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org

Elsie Hirsch

her world upended, Else and a cousin dared to take a train every day to a Jewish school still open in Stuttgardt, 60 miles away, to learn English, in anticipation of their own departure.

Else’s older brother, Heinz, had been the first to go.

Sponsored by their father’s first cousin, Albert, who lived in New Jersey, he had arrived in the U.S., just weeks before her father’s arrest. It was the depths of the Depression and work was hard to find in New York. Assisted by a Jewish resettlement agency, Heinz, whose name was now Anglicized to Henry, went to Portsmouth, where he knew a friend from home, and found work in a department store.

With the official start of the war still months away, Adolph Moos was one of the lucky ones. After six weeks in Dachau, miraculously, he was allowed to return home. “They released everybody in (the camp), because they didn’t know what to do

Senior Living with them,” said Elsie, who would add an “I” to her own name once in the States.

Thankful to be reunited, there was no doubt that the family faced grave danger.

On learning of his father’s ordeal, Henry reached out immediately to the cousin who had sponsored his own immigration and said it was urgent to get the rest of his family out of Germany.

Cousin Albert, whose work in 1933 had taken him, temporarily, to the U.S., realized that, with the rise of Nazism in his homeland, he could never return to Germany. Settling in New Jersey, he pursued an academic career while working passionately to help save fellow Jews in Europe, including colleagues still in Germany. As honorary president of the Union for the Protection of the Well-Being of the Jewish Population (OSE), he not only solicited and encouraged others to take action to save persecuted Jews, but made his own, direct appeals.

In a letter that year to the President of Turkey, through its Prime Minister, Albert wrote, “I beg to apply to your Excellency to allow forty professors and medical doctors from Germany to continue their scientific and medical work in Turkey.

The above mentioned cannot practice further in Germany on account of the laws,” adding shrewdly, “…in granting this request your Government will not only perform an act of high humanity, but it will bring profit to your own country.”

It was later reported that, counting the men, their families and staff welcomed

by Turkey thanks to that entreaty, Albert saved 1,000 lives.

Despite the persecution in Europe, Jewish immigration to the U.S. was strictly limited by quotas, and refugees needed to be sponsored by two individuals, preferably relatives. Following Adolph Moos’s release from Dachau, a long, anxious year passed until finally, under his cousin’s sponsorship, he, his wife and daughter received visas to enter the U.S. In December 1939, abandoning their home, their business, and all but a few possessions, the family managed to reach Holland where they boarded a ship bound for New York. Elsie’s mother, Hilde, had no siblings, but her father had three brothers still in Ülm. Tragically, they

believed the move was unnecessary and chose to stay in Germany.

The voyage was perilous. With the war already started, the German navy had placed mines along the sea route to block American supply vessels. A few days into the trip, the vessel stopped dead in the water. “They had to decide whether to continue or turn back,” Elsie recalled.

Facing the threat of death in both directions, the fate of the Jewish refugees lay in the hands of the shipping company and their captain. “We stood there for about two or three days, “she said, “not moving, not knowing what to do.” Ultimately, the ship went ahead and she and her parents landed, safe, but destitute, in New York.

“I think we came with ten dollars each,” she said.

Jewish services reunited the family with Henry in Virginia to start their new life, but, with limited command of the language and scant resources, 65-yearold Adolph, was lucky to find work. The affluent businessman, who had sold the finest fabrics to German high society, now carried heavy baskets of linens and clothing up and down stairs in a laundry.

Seventeen-year-old Elsie, skilled in handiwork, knitting and crocheting, took a job sewing in a clothes factory. Her great regret, to this day, is that she was not able to finish high school. At the factory, she met her future husband, Jerry, born Joachim, Hirsch, who’d been a medical student in Germany. “He couldn’t go to medical school anymore because he didn’t know enough English, either,” she said, “so we worked there together.” Elsie and Jerry would go on to build a successful business and life for themselves and their two children in Portsmouth.

Elsie Hirsch never met her father’s cousin, the man whose efforts saved her and so many others from Nazi genocide, but there is a picture of him in her living room, inscribed in his own hand to her grandparents, his Onkel Adolph and Tante Ricke, from their nephew…Albert Einstein.

Elsie Hirsch is a resident at Beth Sholom Village’s Terrace.

Reprinted from the Madison Jewish News, Madison, WI, April 2018.

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16 | Jewish News | Senior Living | June 25, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org

taying active and consistent promotes cardiovascular health, muscle strength, and improved balance.

For anyone, regardless of age, who exercises, it is important to have an overall program that can be managed and completed based on current ability. When just starting out, for example, begin small, as even a short walk may be beneficial.

The Simon Family JCC is a great place to get active, offering group classes, specialized training regimens, and direct assistance if wanted or needed.

While many people generally exercise to lose weight and inches around the waist line, it is vital to view exercise as adding a better quality of life as one ages. Bodies do not get strong or healthy on their own. In fact, the human body needs consistent movement and resistance to keep it in good shape. Consider: anyone who can move, can improve. It is also important to remember to try not to place limitations on the greatest piece of equipment everyone has—their body.

A sample list of classes offered at the Simon Family JCC that are perfect for seniors, include: • Chair Yoga—Using a chair as an extension of

the body, participants explore a variety of postures and breathing techniques.

• Fit & Fab!—Low-impact class offering muscle conditioning, cardio fitness, and fun.

• Life Fit—A perfect all over workout that targets the entire body using balls, bands, and weights. All abilities welcome.

• Silver Sneakers®—These classes are specifically designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, cardio fitness, balance, and flexibility.

• Zumba® Gold—All the elements of a Zumba® fitness party modified for active older participants or those new to fitness.

• Water therapy classes—These classes take place in the JCC’s indoor heated pools.

For more information, contact Tom Purcell, Simon Family JCC J-Fit Fitness & membership director at 757-321-2310 or tpurcell@ simonfamilyjcc.org.

Senior Living Benefits of Yoga for all ages The one cardinal ‘rule’ of Yoga is that it is your own practice. On your mat, there is no need to do more than you feel able to do comfortably.

Instructors are always able to assist you in adapting poses so that you benefit and enjoy your time in class.

Joyce Graber

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eople sometimes try Yoga for the first time because they’ve heard it’s good for balance and flexibility, but stick with it for a host of other reasons. Those who are willing to experiment a little, experience greater focus, concentration, and feelings of greater ease with themselves. No one needs to twist themselves into a pretzel shape, stand on their head, or chant to benefit from this ancient practice.

Gentle stretching, as well as attention to posture and breathing creates an increased sense of well being. Yoga can build strength in targeted areas by gradually increasing the intensity in different postures. Chronic pain is often eased. At the very least, being calmer, connected, and less scattered helps to cope with daily aches and pains that are unavoidable with aging.

The Simon Family JCC offers a variety of Yoga classes for all ages.

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Senior Living These Dutch Holocaust survivors have been madly in love for 70 years Cnaan Liphshiz

AMSTERDAM ( JTA)—More than 70 years have passed since Meijer van der

Sluis first laid eyes on the love of his life.

He was at a home for child survivors of the Holocaust, and he opened the door for her.

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He still remembers her short haircut and exactly what she wore that day.

“It was a black army coat,” van der Sluis, 91, of Amsterdam, recalls in a critically acclaimed documentary that aired last month in the Netherlands about his wife of 65 years, Tedje.

“It hit me hard. I fell in love. It glowed inside me,” he says of their meeting in 1945, when both were teenagers.

Seven decades later, the couple’s heartwarming story has been featured in media across the country because it’s moving, intimate and dramatic. But its intensity also personifies the collective trauma of a community that was hit worse than any other in Western Europe during the Holocaust, when the Nazis killed 75 percent of Dutch Jews.

Throughout the hourlong film titled Tedje & Meijer: The Promise of Love, the two nonagenarians hug, kiss, rub noses, and joke as they sit with their arms intertwined, each spouse with one palm on the other’s knee. They call each other “poepie,” or “sweetie” in Dutch, among other terms of endearment.

Their children, Ruben and Mirjam, tell the camera that their father cannot function when his wife is ill. Mirjam says he “becomes depressive.”

When he was working, Meijer would come home for lunch every day—an unusual habit in a country where lunch breaks are typically brief and feature room-temperature sandwiches at the workplace. But it wasn’t to be with the children, Mirjam says.

“I think it’s because they couldn’t spend an entire day apart,” she says of her parents.

“As long as I see Tedje around I’m happy, I’m glad,” Meijer says in the documentary. “Tedje has made me complete.”

While the couple love their children, their love for each other “was so strong, so intense” when the kids were growing up “that there was actually no space for anyone else between them. Not even their children,” Mirjam says.

But what begins as a documentary about the effects of an unusual family relationship evolves into an exploration into the tragic root of the special bond between the spouses—and the tragedy’s effects on at least two generations of Dutch Jews.

Formally, the home where the couple met was a high school called GICOL, for those whose secondary education was interrupted because of World War II. In reality, however, it functioned as an orphanage for Jewish children who survived in hiding while their entire families were murdered in the Holocaust.

“We had, of course, lost everyone,” Meijer says in the documentary, which was produced by the Jewish programming division of the EO public broadcaster.

“Almost all of us were orphans; we lost our entire families.”

He hid in the attic of his Amsterdam home when the Nazis took away his sister and parents; they all would be murdered. Meijer and his older brother survived the rest of the war hiding north of Amsterdam. His greatest regret in life is not being able to save his sister, as he says in the documentary.

“We had no home, nothing. No one we had known was alive,” he says.

Tedje was 12 when her father and sister were taken to the Westerbork concentration camp, and later to Auschwitz.

She was arrested later and asked to be sent there, too. But she was sent to another camp, and from there to Auschwitz. Her mother had died before the Holocaust, when Tedje was eight years old.

In one of the many articles written in the mainstream media about the film, its maker, Heleen Minderaa, told the NRC Handeslblad daily that being alone in the world had a defining effect on the relationship between Meijer and Tedje, whose real name is Rika. (Her father had nicknamed her his “teddy bear,” a nickname she adopted in adulthood, introducing herself as Tedje.)

“How they became intertwined is

Senior Living probably connected to their uprooting during the war,” Minderaa says. Their apparent inability to be without one another “feels like a solution to their problem of not belonging anywhere anymore.

They ground one another.”

Meijer says he used to feel the need to “offset the pain caused to his wife.” But, he adds, the desire is “naive.”

“It’s not something I could hope to do, I realize now that I am old,” he says.

Mirjam, the couple’s daughter, sees their partnership as a pact.

“They agreed that they were moving forward and were going to make something good out of it all,” she says. “They promised that to one another.”

Meijer says of his two children: “We’ve tried not to pin an Auschwitz identity on them. We tried not to be like those people who always talk about the persecution, about Auschwitz.”

But as with many Holocaust survivors whose entire family was murdered, moving forward from the Holocaust has proven to be an uphill battle.

“It felt like every night around the dinner table, Auschwitz was sitting

with us at the table for a bite to eat,” Mirjam says. Birthday parties featured “a five-minute talk about the weather, three minutes about food, and for the rest it was the war.”

At least once a week, Meijer would note the birthday of some relative who was murdered.

When Mirjam painted on her arm once, her mother asked her to stop because it made her “uncomfortable”—it reminded her of the tattoo of a number that the Nazis gave her at Auschwitz.

Ruben, the couple’s son, became a rabbi but moved to Zurich.

“In Dutch Jewry there’s a constant preoccupation with the Holocaust that I found suffocating and needed to get away from. Synagogues weren’t destroyed the same way there,” he says of Switzerland, which the Germans did not occupy. “It feels more comfortable.”

Back in Amsterdam, Meijer and Tedje give talks at school about the Holocaust.

“It’s not a happy story I’m about to tell you,” Meijer tells the students in his introduction. “But it does have a happy end.

We’re the happy end.”

New Jersey man, 92, a Holocaust survivor, fulfills dream of moving to Israel JERUSALEM ( JTA)—A 92-year-old New Jersey man fulfilled his dream of moving to Israel 71 years after he arrived in New York as a refugee from the Holocaust.

Jack Nasielski, of Edison, arrived Tuesday, June 12 at Ben Gurion Airport on a Nefesh B’Nefesh aliyah flight in cooperation with Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah & Integration, the Jewish Agency, Keren Kayemeth Le’Israel and JNF-USA. Nasielski, a native of Dessau, Germany, fled the Nazis as a child

through Poland, eventually being captured and sent to four Nazi concentration camps including Auschwitz.

He was liberated from the Blachhamer camp in 1945.

He will live in the central Israel city of Rehovot near his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

“Israel is the Jewish homeland. No one can persecute you for being a Jew in your own country,” Nasielski said upon arriving in Israel. “Today I am proud to be an Israeli and a real Jew. Israel is my new home and I love it.”

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JFS award-winning home health aide is dedicated to her clients

W

hen Jewish Family Service of Tidewater’s nurse’s aide Tiphaney Powell speaks about her clients, she does so with a great deal of respect, love, and admiration. After all, when your clients are two 93-year-old women and a 96-year-old man, a lot of life lessons may be learned from them.

Powell was recently honored at JFS’ Employee Tiphaney Powell.

Appreciation Dinner as “Home Health Aide of the Year,” and for good reason.

“I feel it’s my job to love my clients—to make them comfortable and get them to smile,” she says.

As Powell shared stories of her clients, the mutual love and care is very evident.

“One of my clients has told me I can never leave her. She loves to talk and has confided in me. Though my gentleman client is very independent, he knows I’m there to assist him so he can continue to stay at home.”

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So dedicated to her clients, Powell spent four straight days with one of them during a blizzard this past winter. While the power was out for more than 15 hours, Powell even bundled up with her client to keep her warm so her body temperature wouldn’t drop.

Powell moved to Tidewater from Maryland in 1995 and finished her education at a local CNA program. She started working with JFS in 2003. “I can’t imagine doing anything else,” says Powell. “I love what I do and feel I’m called to do it.

My clients see me as their confidant and more of a listener than a caretaker.”

An active mother of four and grandmother of two “lights of her life,” Powell knows the importance of family. “When I’m with my clients, I try to provide the best care I can, as if they are my own family. I love my clients; they are a blessing to me,” she says.

T

op Guard Security, an award-winning, family-owned firm headquartered in Norfolk’s Ward’s Corner section, has more than 900 employees, making it one of the region’s largest employers.

“Top Guard has always actively pursued and sought to maximize employing seniors,” says Nicole Stuart, Top Guard president. According to Stuart, seniors, when coupled with veterans, have been the company’s success secret for 22 years.

“We find that life experience and a solid work ethic are the most important criteria for success.”

If there is a challenge with seniors, says Stuart, it is that this population, especially women, have almost never thought of working as a security professional because it is a non-traditional industry. Despite this, seniors tend to “make fantastic security officers and leaders,” says Stuart.

The fact that seniors are most likely to be polite and that they pay attention to detail, make them in general, and women in particular, perfect candidates for security roles. Because the firm specializes in securing corporate headquarters, commercial office buildings, and residential towers, officers are more similar to concierges with access control duties, than the role a police officer has in society.

In fact, BarBara Z. Murphy, MPA, AARP Foundation project director, says, “AARP has had a very successful working relationship with Top Guard Security since 2004. Over the years, Top Guard has hired many skilled, dependable, reliable seniors from AARP and we to recommend Top Guard Security as a great employer to all our enrollees.”

To learn more, visit www.topguardinc.com.

Senior Living

Plan for the unexpected when you’re healthy.

Move it or Lose it: Five moves to put Seniors back in the game

F

or Americans 65 and older, falling can be the worst thing to happen to them, according to statistics from the National Council on Aging.

Consider: • One in three seniors experiences a significant fall each year; • Every 18 seconds, a senior is admitted into an emergency room after losing balance and hitting the ground; and • Every 35 minutes, an elderly person dies from a fall—the leading cause of death for seniors.

“The projected cost in health-care expenses for 2020 due to fall-related injuries in the United States is $55-billion,” says Karen Peterson, a therapist with multiple certifications, and author of Move With Balance: Healthy Aging Activities for Brain and Body. She’s also the founder and director of Giving Back, a nonprofit organization that grows and spreads programs that support senior health.

“It’s important for seniors to keep moving and learning, that’s what helps improve balance and coordination, and even helps build new neural pathways,” says Peterson, who emphasizes the cognitive importance to her workout programs.

These activities benefit all seniors, from 55 to 105.

Peterson says a fun, social program of games and activities that include exercises specifically designed for seniors helps them address multiple issues, including those that tend to keep seniors sedentary—which only lessens their strength and balance.

“Seniors of all ages need to continually work on improving their balance, coordination, strength, vision, and cognitive skills. When they do, they’re less likely to fall—and more able to enjoy life.”

Peterson suggests these moves, which address many different areas of the body: • The cross-crawl: After various light warmups, begin with the basic cross-crawl, which focuses on the fundamentals of balance. March in place, lifting the knees high. At the same time, reach across and touch the lifted knee with the opposite hand or elbow; alternate and keep going. This can be done sitting, standing or lying down. Once any of these exercises are mastered, Peterson says, participants should continue to challenge themselves. For even greater balance work, and to exercise the vestibular system, close your eyes and count backwards from 100

by threes. “It’s not fun if you’re not conquering a challenge,” she says.

• Forward toe-touch dancer: Many dance exercises are appropriate for seniors to improve motor skills, physical coordination, and cognition. If needed, use a chair for assistance. Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Now, simultaneously extend your left foot and your right arm forward. Keep your left toes pointed down, touching the floor; or for more difficulty, maintain the toes a few inches off the floor. Repeat this move with your left arm and right foot. Hold each pose for several seconds, and increase holding time.

• Sensory integration: the arrow chart: Look at an arrow chart and call out the direction indicated by each individual symbol. Then, thrust your arms in that direction; in other words, say and do what the arrow indicates. For an additional challenge, do the opposite of what the arrow indicates.

• Side-step walk: Walk sidestepping—bring your right foot across the left and step down three to five inches away from the left foot, ankles crossed. The closer the feet, the harder it is to balance. Alternate crossing the foot in front and then behind the other foot as you move along; repeat several times, then do the same with opposite feet. As a bonus challenge, try a reading exercise from a vision card, designed for stimulating the brain/visual system, while sidestepping.

• The cat jump: This activity is practice in case of a fall; the muscle memory of the movement gets etched into your body. Bend your knees in a squat. Jump a little off the ground with both feet, and land softly, like a cat, without jarring your body. Repeat until you are confident in your ability to prevent a spill.

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“Research shows that most falls are preventable,” Peterson says. “These and other exercises, performed regularly, are a great way to achieve safety and a revitalized lifestyle.”

jewishnewsva.org | June 25, 2018 | Senior Living | Jewish News | 21

Senior Living Holocaust survivor, 83, has belated bar mitzvah to remember perished family

A

n 83-year-old Holocaust survivor living in northern Israel celebrated his bar mitzvah at a Safed synagogue in March.

A few dozen friends and family, as well as Safed’s police commissioner, accompanied Hanoch Shachar to a local synagogue, where many of them sang and danced with him before he had his first aliyah l’Torah—the act of reading from the holy book at synagogue after being called up to the bimah, or podium.

Jewish boys typically have the rite at 13, the age that Judaism deems a boy becomes a man.

“I saw something was missing in my life, a tree, a branch, real parents,” Shachar, who survived the Theresienstadt concentration camp in what is now the Czech Republic, told the Israel Broadcasting Corp. during the event. “Every Jew has a bar mitzvah at their right age, and I never had one.”

His entire family perished in the Holocaust.

Shachar’s wife, Hannah, says she was “very excited because

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it’s his dream to have a bar mitzvah.”

Shachar says he brought a violin with him to synagogue, which had belonged to a boy who died in the Holocaust. The dead boy’s parents had given Shachar the violin when he was a boy.

“This violin is my way of asking Hashem why he took the talented boy who owned this instrument,” he told the film crew, using the Hebrew word for God. Shachar, a marathon runner who during the ceremony hoisted without effort the Torah scroll in its metal casing, says he prepared for the ceremony with his instructor Rabbi Shlomo Hadad, one of the city’s best-known cantors.

“I prepare many children and tutor them, but now I’ve had a privilege with this one, who is by far the oldest one I’ve ever tutored,” Hadad told the television crew.

Explore current events with JCC Seniors Thursdays, 10:30 am–12 pm Simon Family JCC A lively discussion on the latest news with the JCC Seniors takes place each week at the Simon Family JCC. Everything gets dis‑ cussed—from local to national to international news. New par‑ ticipants are always welcome.

Contact Bernice Greenberg at 757‑497‑0229 for further information.

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it’s a wrap HAT graduates Class of 2018 Carin Simon

A

heartwarming graduation ceremony for Hebrew Academy of Tidewater’s Class of 2018 took place on Tuesday, June 5. Almost all of the graduating class had attended the school since they were toddlers, so it was a bittersweet finale to their wonderful years at HAT. The closeknit group of students developed tight friendships, excellent academic skills, and strong Jewish values during their time at the school.

Next fall, these graduates will attend a variety of middle school programs including Academy for Discovery at Lakewood, Cape Henry Collegiate, Kempsville Middle School, Lynnhaven Middle School, Norfolk Academy, Norfolk Collegiate, and the Plaza International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program.

In her speech to the graduates, Heather Moore, head of school, highlighted the school’s four core values and charged the students with using them as a guide to their continued success in middle school and beyond.

“You have worked hard and accomplished so much in elementary school and together we have created a strong HAT Alumni high school graduates Andrew Dunkel Roy Einhorn Max Feldman Evan Gordon Alisa Kosovsky Sheldon Millison Ethan Rosenblum Caleb Smith Joseph Strelitz Sidney Studebaker Hebrew Academy of Tidewater graduates will attend these schools: College of Charleston James Madison University Memphis University New York University University of Maryland University of South Carolina Tulane University Vanderbilt University

sefoundation for what is yet to come,” Moore said. “Before you go, I want to leave you with the following challenge: Take the four core values of the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater with you to your new school and throughout your educational journey.

Torah Lishmah—The Love of Learning—Continue to study hard— Everything won’t always come easily and it shouldn’t. Work hard, ask for help, keep trying, and persevere. Sometimes the hardest things in life are the things most worth doing.

Kehillah— Community—get involved—Build a new kehillah within your new middle school. Find activities, clubs, or sports to join that you are interested in and get involved. Don’t worry about whether your friends are interested in the same activities. You will meet new friends who share the same interests. And make sure to continue to be a part to your HAT Kehillah by joining our alumni group.

Tikkun Olam—Repairing the world—Continue to serve within your school community, your synagogue, and the greater community as it is our responsibility to work toward the improvement of society.

Kavod—Respect—Be courteous and respectful towards adults, your peers, towards yourself. Good manners and a respectful attitude will go a long way in life.”

In addition to graduation, David Leon was installed as the new president of the board of trustees. Leon has served on the HAT board for nine years and has been a HAT parent for 10 years. With back to back graduations of his older daughter Isabella last year and younger daughter Emily graduating this year, Leon says he is excited to continue on at HAT and see the school thrive.

In his installation speech, Leon explained why all families should consider if HAT is the right fit for their child: “HAT kids move onto the best middle schools in the area and on to top ranked national universities when they graduate high school.

But besides the amazing education our students receive, what really makes this school special is that for the few short

Hebrew Academy Class of 2018.

years while they’re here, they develop and build on their Jewish identity that will last a lifetime. That is hard to replicate at any other public or private school in town.

This really is the huge difference that HAT makes and one of the primary benefits of attending a Jewish day school.”

For information or to schedule a tour of the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater, contact Carin Simon, admissions director: 757-424-4327 or csimon@hebrewacademy.net.

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jewishnewsva.org | June 25, 2018 | Jewish News | 23

it’s a wrap Federation women celebrate a successful Campaign year during Annual Spring lunch Amy Zelenka

T

he Women’s Cabinet of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater recently hosted its annual spring lunch for cabinet members and others at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach. Featured at the event was Jewish American Philanthropist Jane Weitzman (wife of Stuart Weitzman of foot ware fame). Weitzman serves on the boards and executive committees of several prominent national Jewish organizations including the Jewish Book Council and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). She also co-manages for her family’s philanthropic foundation, which funds many worthy causes each year—Jewish and non-Jewish.

Weitzman’s message to the women at the lunch (accompanied by slides on a large screen) was that each person can make a positive change in the world.

It’s not necessary to be major givers or

intrepid globe trotters. Small gifts can matter as much as large. Weitzman spoke about her experiences visiting Jewish communities around the world through her work on the JDC board. She showed photos of some of the remotest villages in Russia and Ukraine; surprising Jewish communities in India; and even struggling communities in Israel. Each of the locations she described was assisted and improved through the work of the JDC, which is funded through Federation campaign across North America (including Tidewater).

Weitzman’s message resonated with a crowd of already-involved women— those who work on behalf of the UJFT to support the campaign and build a strong Jewish community at home and abroad.

Her message also reminded those in attendance “WHY we do WHAT we do” and inspired them to continue the oftentimes “uncomfortable” work of asking others to support the campaign as well.

The luncheon opened with a welcome by Janet Mercadante, Women’s Cabinet chair, who gave a quick campaign overview—highlighting

the successes of the women’s division this year. Mercadante recognized the cabinet members whose terms of service were coming to a close and welcomed the newest member to join. Members stepping off Women’s Cabinet this year are: Cheryl Dronzek, Lynn Sher Cohen, and Betty Ann Levin (who will take over as UJFT executive vice president on July 1, as Harry Graber retires). New member Judy Rosenblatt was welcomed to Cabinet. Mona Flax, Cabinet vice chair, closed the event by echoing earlier remarks from Mercadante who said she: “Felt like Oprah,” because she was giving each woman at the luncheon a copy of Weitzman’s beautiful book, Art & Sole: A Spectacular Selection of More Than 150 Fantasy Art Shoes from the Stuart Weitzman Collection.

New Lion Kristy Foleck receiving her pin.

Laura and Kim Gross.

Shari Friedman and Jodi Klebanoff.

Jane Weitzman with Jody Wagner.

24 | Jewish News | June 25, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org

Betsy Karotkin, Barbara Dudley, and Mona Flax.

Martha Mednick Glasser with Betty Ann Levin.

it’s a wrap

Jane Weitzman with Annie Sandler and Cindy Kramer.

Lynn Familant with Karen Lombart.

Laura Gross with Janet Mercadante.

New Lion Joan London with her daughter Alicia Friedman.

Sofia Konikoff with Ilana Benson.

Claire Friedberg and with her daughter Lori Kalfus.

Bonnie Brand with Marilyn Buxbaum.

Paula Blachman and Sandy Sher.

Amy Lefcoe with Betty Berklee.

Harriet and Valerie White.

Stephanie Calliott and Amy Levy.

Barb Gelb with Karen Fine.

Emily Nied and Deb Casey.

jewishnewsva.org | June 25, 2018 | Jewish News | 25

Calendar June 26, Tuesday YAD Happy Hour. Join UJFT’s Young Adult Division at Home Republic Brewpub for a casual after work Happy Hour. Appetizers on YAD, drinks on you. Bring friends. Contact Carly at cglikman@ujft.org for more info.

July 1, Sunday YAD at the Tides. Come out for a Tides ball game with YAD friends. Tickets are $10 and available at http://jewishva.org/yadtides. Contact Carly at cglikman@ujft.org for more info.

Brith Sholom annual Indoor Picnic & Bingo at Beth Sholom Village at 12 noon. Join in for a bug- and heat-free picnic with chicken wings, hot dogs, hamburger, and regular picnic fare. Bingo with cash prices. $10 per member and $20 for per guest. Contact LeeAnne Mallory at 757-461-1150 or email Brith.Sholom1@hrcoxmail.com for information.

August 12, Sunday Brith Sholom Annual Club 50 Banquet at Beth Sholom Village at 5:30 pm. Club 50 Banquet honors couples married 50 years or more. Couples married 50 years or more may attend free of charge. All others are welcome for $10 per person and $20 for per guest.

Entertainment coordinated by Comedienne Susan Sussman and her sidekicks. Contact LeeAnne Mallory at 757-461-1150 or email Brith.Sholom1@hrcoxmail.com for information.

Send submissions for calendar to news@ujft.org. Be sure to note “calendar” in the subject.

Include date, event name, sponsor, address, time, cost and phone.

what’s happening Leon Family Gallery Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus

July

E

itan Stern uses a camera to capture ordinary people in an empathetic light. Stern’s love for humanity is expressed through his focus on street photography, portraits, and compositions ques‑ tioning social issues of today. His photography has received several awards and been featured in exhibits in Israel and the United States.

This exhibit provides an unexpected look at the people and places of Israel, as well as select photos from his travels throughout the world.

Born in Israel, Stern moved to the United States in 2004 with his wife and two children, relocating to Norfolk seven years ago. From the business world, Stern started photography as a hobby.

Proceeds from the sales of Eitan Stern’s work will go to the cultural arts department of the Simon Family JCC.

Tidewater Chavurah changes location for Second Friday Shabbat Service Friday, July 13, 7 pm

J

uly’s second Friday of the month Shabbat service for Tidewater Chavurah will take place at the home of Rabbi Ellen Jaffe-Gill and Spencer Gill in the Bayside area of Virginia Beach.

A “congregation without walls,” events are held in members’ homes or at other locations. Rabbi Ellen Jaffe-Gill will lead the

service, with an Oneg following.

For event information and location address, email carita@verizon.net or dlqt@cox.net or call 499-3660 or 468-2675. Go to www.tidewaterchavurah.org or Tidewater Chavurah’s Facebook page for more information.

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26 | Jewish News | June 25, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org

Vaar #1597, Vaaf #733

mazel tov to Achievement Five years into a successful career as a sales agent with William E. Wood and Associates (now Howard Hanna) Nancy Evans was identified as suited for management. Now, after a 25-year-career of managing, negotiating, coaching, and advising an office full of successful agents, Evans has returned to selling real estate. Evans says she “looks forward to helping clients with all of their real estate needs” by using her years of acquired skills and knowledge to advise, negotiate, and educate.

Evans is a Norfolk native who spent her youth at Temple Israel and the JCC. Mazel Tov submissions should be emailed to news@ujft.org with Mazel Tov in the subject line. Achievements, B’nai Mitzvot, births, engagements and weddings are appropriate simchas to announce. Photos must be at least 300k. Include a daytime phone for questions. There is no fee.

Why is LIFE & LEGACY™ important to you?

The Schulmans knew it was important to plan for the future. The LIFE & LEGACY™ program helped them think about their legacy and take action.

WHO KNEW? The Band’s Visit wins 10 Tony Awards, including for best musical

T

he Band’s Visit, a jewel-box musical based on an Israeli film about an Egyptian band stranded in a hardscrabble Negev town, won the 2018 Tony Award for best musical.

The Band’s Visit dominated its categories during the 72nd annual Tony Awards ceremony at Radio City Music Hall Sunday, June 10.

Ari’el Stachel, the California-born son of an Israeli-Yemeni father and an Ashkenazi mother from New York, won the award for best featured actor in a musical for his performance as a romantic Egyptian trumpeter in the musical.

Tony Shalhoub (Monk) won for best actor in a musical and Katrina Lenk for best actress in a musical for their roles as, respectively, the leader of the band and the Israeli cafe owner who takes him in.

The Band’s Visit also won awards for best book (by Itamar Moses), best direction of a musical, best original score (by David Yazbek), best lighting design, best orchestration and best sound design.

Stachel, 26, is making his Broadway debut in The Band’s Visit. The play is based on the 2007 award-winning Israeli movie directed by Eran Kolirin. In her acceptance speech, Lenk paid tribute to the late Israeli actress Ronit Elkabetz, who

originated her role in the film.

In his acceptance speech, Stachel acknowledged his parents, who were in the audience, saying the musical led him to again embrace an identity he had long avoided.

“Both my parents are here tonight. I have avoided so many events with them because for so many years of my life I pretended I was not a Middle Eastern person,” he said. “And after 9/11 it was very, very difficult for me, and so I concealed and I missed so many special events with them.

And they’re looking at me right now and I can’t believe it.”

He also thanked producer Orin Wolf “for telling a small story about Arabs and Israelis getting along at a time where we need that more than ever.”

Angels in America, playwright Tony Kushner’s 1993 epic about the AIDS epidemic, won the award for best revival of a play for the 2018 iteration starring Andrew Garfield.

Lindsay Mendez won for best performance by an actress in a featured role in a Musical for the revival of Carousel.

Mendez, whose father is Mexican American and who identifies herself as “a Mexican-Jewish girl,” said she had been advised to change her surname to downplay her ethnicity when she first moved to New York, but was glad she refused. (JTA)

“We found OST to be a welcoming community and we are excited to bring our girls up there. Our hope is that our gift will help preserve our community.”

– Elaine & Joash Schulman

Find out how to create your legacy plan by contacting Barb Gelb, bgelb@ujft.org or 965.6105; or Scott Kaplan skaplan@ujft.org, 965.6109.

jewishnewsva.org | June 25, 2018 | Jewish News | 27

obituaries OP-ED

Anthony Bourdain seduced us all into confronting our own biases Charles Dunst

Anthony Bourdain, 2014.

NEW YORK (JTA)—Anthony Bourdain was quick—and often willing—to publicly offer his own flaws.

“Until 44 years of age, I never had any kind of savings account,” Bourdain said in 2017. “[I] always owed money.

I’d always been selfish and completely irresponsible.”

Despite or maybe because of such flaws, Bourdain would stumble into fame, parlaying his latent talent as a writer into hosting three increasingly sophisticated variants of the same food-oriented travel show—first on the Food Network, then on the Travel Channel and finally on CNN. “For a long time, Tony thought he was going to have nothing,” his publisher, Dan

Halpern, told The New Yorker. “He can’t believe his luck. He always seems happy that he actually is Anthony Bourdain.”

In his professional ascendance, Bourdain developed a unique journalistic voice, demonstrating an underlying, at times seemingly innate ability to acquaint viewers with foreign lands and cultures divergent from their own without mocking his subjects. Instead he humanized the local tapestry of individuals, implicitly encouraging his viewers to do the same.

It is for this reason that various communities, including the Jewish community, trusted Bourdain with their respective cultures and heritages—and mourned deeply the news of his death, at 61, on Friday, June 8.

In the opening of the 2013 episode in which he visits Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Bourdain notes that the region is “easily the most contentious piece of real estate in the world. And there’s no hope—none—of ever talking about it without pissing somebody, if not everybody, off.”

And yet, still simply happy to be here—happy to have accidentally secured the reverence now attached to his name— he worries not of angering partisans, instead focusing on his task: telling individual stories through food.

“By the end of this episode, I’ll be seen by many as a terrorist sympathizer, a Zionist tool, a self-hating Jew, an apologist for American imperialism, an orientalist,

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fascist, socialist CIA agent and worse. So here goes nothing,” he said.

In addition to addressing his own internal struggles, by wrapping himself in tefillin at the Western Wall and praying, as a Jew, for the first time in his life (he described himself as “hostile to any sort of devotion”), Bourdain interrogates his subjects, who span the cultural, ethnic, and political spectrums. He coaxes them to explicate the extremism of their respective communities.

Over a meal in a Jewish settlement, Bourdain asks a resident about local graffiti reading “Death to Arabs”; the settler admits that it should “probably” be expunged. At the Aida refugee camp outside Bethlehem, he prods a local children’s theater director, asking why communal heroes are armed gunmen, hijackers, and suicide bombers rather than TV stars or singers. The director, like the settler, offers a moderate apology, acknowledging that the situation is not healthy.

In Israel proper, Bourdain speaks with the Jewish Natan Galkowicz, who lost a daughter in a missile attack from Gaza.

“I know that my daughter was killed for no reason, and I know that people on the other side have been killed for no reason,” Galkowicz tells Bourdain. “Bottom line is, let’s stop with the suffering.”

The father’s voice underscores the entirety of the episode—mournful over a fraught situation, yet hopeful for peace, not for any particular ideological reason, but in the hopes of a future in which children neither worship armed gunmen nor are killed by missiles and suicide bombs.

Although ever ambivalent about politics, Bourdain allows this episode, likely inevitable due to its focus, to become deeply political. Yet he navigates the regional ideological complexities with ease similar to his canoe junket into Borneo’s jungles.

As Rob Eshman wrote in the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles at the time, “If you like food and you like Israel, this past week’s episode of Anthony Bourdain’s ‘Parts Unknown’ was a win-win…To me,

he showed exactly how smart, curious people should engage a complex country—and how Israelis and Palestinians benefit from that approach.”

Throughout his time on television, Bourdain repeatedly forced his viewers to readdress their own biases. In this particular episode, he renders it difficult for viewers to descend in their own communal extremism. It’s hard to imagine watching the episode without empathizing for both, rather than choosing between, the Palestinians and the Israelis.

It is for this reason—his ability, through food, to present on-the-ground, real-life theater in aims of humanizing its players—that Israelis, Palestinians, Colombians, Georgians, Malaysians, Cambodians, and Hungarians, among countless others, welcomed Bourdain into not only their locales and cultures but also into their own homes. He did not glorify conflict nor local struggles, but yearned to understand and talk about individuals within their midst.

Floating above the ocean of biased or one-sided media coverage that only serves to reinforce pre-existing communal extremism, Bourdain was a lifeboat of, and for, humanity. He made us all a little more interesting, a little smarter and a little more tolerant of others.

A chef and accidental journalist, Bourdain did the type of reporting that all within the field, particularly in the midst of a global expansion of attacks on the free press, should aim to emulate. His suicide, ominously following news of this month’s CDC report indicating that suicide is rising sharply, shows perhaps how deeply he suffered from his own flaws and contradictions. It was these contradictions, however, that made Bourdain so quick to recognize and respect similar tensions in not only other individuals but in other communities.

For his voice, and for all he taught his viewers, Bourdain will be severely missed, not only in the Jewish community but also, due to his international expansiveness, around the globe.

obituaries Bernice L. Kaplan Norfolk—Mrs. Bernice Levinson Kaplan passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 17, 2018.

Bernice was born on March 9, 1919 to Julius and Lena Kirsner Levinson. She was the beloved wife of Milton H. Kaplan.

A native of Norfolk, Bernice lived in West Ghent and graduated from W.H. Taylor, Blair Jr High, and Maury High School. She attended Ohio State University where she studied sociology, and Norfolk Division of William and Mary.

Bernice and Milton had a loving happy life together for 70 years. In their retirement they traveled extensively spending a month in different European countries. Bernice always returned with beautiful pictures which she meticulously labeled, wonderful stories, and new friends. However it was her large family and her lifelong friends that filled her life with contentment. When she lost her life partner, she proved to be independent and engaging, reading the newspaper nightly to be well informed. To her grandchildren, great grandchildren and all of their friends she was “Mimi.” That was the role she loved best. To her nieces and nephews, she was Aunt Bebe and Bernice adored them like her own children.

Bernice was actively involved in her community. She served as a “pink lady” at Norfolk General Hospital (now Sentara) for 15 years, as auditor for the Norfolk Community Fund and on the PTA board of Taylor School. She was a charter member of the Magnolia Garden Club where her ‘green thumb’ won her many awards. Bernice served on UJFT’s Woman’s Cabinet and on the board of Beth Sholom Ladies Auxiliary.

She was a Life Member of Hadassah and also served on the board of Beth El Temple Sisterhood, the National Council of Jewish Women and the Ladies Hebrew Charities.

She was a long time member of the Unity and Gold Band social clubs.

Left to cherish their own special memories are her daughter, Joan London Baer and her son, Stanley and Sue Ellen Kaplan; her grandchildren, Robert and Alicia London Friedman, Dr. Scott and Stephanie London, Dr. Jonathan and Betsy London Rubenstein, Nancy Kaplan, Steven Kaplan and Kelly Voss, Lauren Kaplan, Justin and Marissa Baer, and David Baer, her great

grandchildren Jamie and Hallie Friedman, James, Charlie and Kate London, Jack, Ryan and Alexis Rubenstein, Lucy Voos Kaplan, Skylar and April Baer.

She is also survived by her sisters-in-law, Tamra Kruger and Libby Kaplan. She was predeceased by her sons-in-law James London and Stephen Baer; her brother, Seymour Levinson; her sister, Rose Frances Glasser; as well as her sister-in-law Hanna Shapiro; and brothers-in-law, Bernard Glasser, Sydney Shapiro, and Howard Kruger.

A graveside service took place in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz officiated.

Charitable donations to Beth Sholom Home, Congregation Beth El or donor’s choice. H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts. Online condolences at hdoliver.com.

Reva Friedman Kelberg Virginia Beach—Reva Kelberg passed away on June 6, 2018.

Ms. Kelberg was born April 14, 1935 in Norfolk. She settled in Virginia Beach where she and her beloved husband of 56 years, Lee Kelberg raised their two children, Sharon Kelberg Shutler and Jeffrey Kelberg.

Ms. Kelberg pursued a lifelong commitment to educating all children. In 1967, Ms. Kelberg was the first woman appointed to the Virginia Beach School board on which she ably served for 15 years. During that time, she was the school board’s representative to WHRO TV. Later, she received a master’s degree from Old Dominion University and joined the staff of the Old Dominion University Writing Center where she taught and advocated for students with learning disabilities from 1982 through 1984. She took joy in tutoring and mentoring elementary school students.

She adored her grandchildren, Natalie and Virginia, daughters of Sharon and Rob Shutler and Trudy and Miriam, daughters of Jeff and Faye Kelberg. She passionately loved dogs. Ms. Kelberg was an avid sports fan, rarely missing a televised Washington Nationals game.

She was loving, generous, ever-curious, and kind. Ms. Kelberg was the daughter of Minnie Swersky Friedman and Robert Friedman. She attended Maury High School and graduated from the University

of Pennsylvania with a bachelor of arts in English.

A funeral service was held at H.D. Oliver Funeral Chapel. Donations may be made to the Virginia Beach SPCA. Sheila Rait Norfolk—Sheila Rait, 76, passed away on June 17, 2018.

Sheila was born in New York on April 4, 1942 to the late Paul and Rose Marcus. She was an entrepreneur and also an avid baker.

Other than her parents, Sheila was preceded in death by her loving husband of 45 years Howard Rait and brother Howard Marcus.

Left to cherish her memory is her son Eric Rait and daughter Pamela Rait; brother Dr. Philip Marcus, and many other family members and friends.

A graveside service was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery. A 30-day campaign benefitting Myasthenia Gravis will be run in her name. To donate: www.tmcfunding.com.

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jewishnewsva.org | June 25, 2018 | Jewish News | 29

Tidewater

Why sensory rooms are gaining popularity Each day, like adults, children are exposed to a variety of sensory experiences. When some children are overwhelmed by sights, sounds, touch, smell, or movement, they may develop unusual and inefficient coping strategies. Behaviors such as fidgeting, inattention, silliness,

The Calming Cove: A remedy for sensory distress

S

ome children get overwhelmed when exposed to certain sensory experiences and react with behavior that’s not always conducive to social situations. Now, there’s a solution for these children on the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus. Called the Calming Cove, this new state-of-the-art room is designed to be just as its name describes…a calming place for kids in sensory distress.

Made possible by generous donations from Amy Markman Goldberg and Lisa Stein and Mark Delevie, the Calming Cove is modeled after sensory rooms that are becoming widespread in school and child care settings. These rooms are proving to be beneficial to children who are easily overcome by their sensory surroundings and who might need a break from stimulations and distractions.

“The Calming Cove is designed as a nurturing space for chil-

Michelle Fenley with Amy Markman Goldberg.

emotional outbursts, or physical aggression may hinder and

If this room will help one child,

prevent academic and social

it’s great and well worth it.

advancement.

Sensory environments

rooms that

self-organization,

create promote

relaxation,

sensory awareness, and the development of healthy safe coping skills. They help children learn how to self-sooth, therefore, promoting their return to group play and learning while remaining in a calm and organized emotional state. One goal of the rooms is for children to learn how to reflect upon the coping and calming strategies of the sensory room and relate those strategies back to their problem solving in everyday life events and situations.

dren in a sensory supportive, non-restrictive environment,” says Michelle Fenley, LCSW of Jewish Family Service of Tidewater.

She says she believes this room will “promote the academic, emotional, and social successes of many children.”

To create this stress-free and relaxed environment, the Calming Cove is low lit with an option for projections on the ceiling and walls. A colorful fiber optic curtain, along with a lit bubble tube adds to the peaceful lighting. Pleasant aromatherapy scents and soothing music combine to produce a serene setting.

In addition, textured wall objects, weighted blankets and animals, and other hand-held toys with varying surfaces, are available for a child to hold, play with, throw, or hug.

Amy Goldberg says that this endeavor was important for her to be a part of because of her social work background and the fact that she has always had an affinity to helping children. Goldberg says she is excited to help fund this project and is “pleased that Tidewater’s Jewish community is on the side of forward thinking.”

Lisa Stein Delevie and Mark Delevie say they recall a time when the JCC was one of the only safe, fun environments in the community. “Having a new space that will help a child in need experience a space that is not just unique and fun, but also safe to express his or her self is very important,” says Stein Delevie.

Children enrolled in The Strelitz Early Childhood Center and the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater will have an opportunity to experience the Calming Cove when necessary, and campers

30 | Jewish News | June 25, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org

Michelle Fenley with Mark Delevie and Lisa Stein Delevie..

at Jcamp, including Yachad campers, (a program that promotes inclusion of kids with special needs into the general summer camp), will be the first to benefit from the room. A fun-filled day of camp may initiate some challenges, but the safe environment of the Calming Cove will allow a place for children to decompress and relax both mind and body.

“If this room will help one child, it’s great and well worth it—but hopefully this will help many children,” says Goldberg.

The Delevies echo Goldberg’s sentiments, noting that tolerance is a lesson worth learning and having an inclusive environment for everyone is such an important aspect for them.

“I am excited to see all of the ways the Calming Cove will help the children on the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus access, enjoy, and succeed at the many wonderful children and family programs and events offered,” says Fenley.

“I was thrilled when I heard about the Calming Cove and how the children of our community were going to benefit from its creation and existence,” says John Strelitz UJFT president. “I am so proud of our professionals for taking the initiative in this area. I am also extremely proud of the simple, but consistently honorable characteristic and actions of our community as exemplified by Amy, Lisa, and Mark and that is that when there is a need, people step up to meet it. I am honored and grateful.”

Film

In Catcher Was a Spy, Paul Rudd is a Jewish baseball player turned Nazi hunter Curt Schleier

( JTA)—It’s rare enough for a Jewish baseball player to make it to the major leagues. A New York Jew named Moe Berg took it even a step further—he added war spy to his extraordinary resume.

Berg pulled off the feat over 60 years ago. As a catcher in the majors for 15 seasons during the 1920s and 30s, he was known more for his intelligence and introverted personality—famed manager Casey Stengel once called him the “strangest man ever to play baseball”— than his athletic skills. He read several newspapers each day, spoke more than 10 languages (seven fluently) and graduated from Princeton at a time when Jews normally weren’t admitted.

During World War II, after his baseball career, Berg worked for the U.S. government and eventually rose to a position in the Office of Strategic Services, or OSS—a precursor to the CIA. He went on missions in then-Yugoslavia, where he tracked resistance groups, and Italy, where he interviewed physicists about the German nuclear program.

The story sounds like great fodder for a movie, and that’s what it has become: The Catcher Was a Spy, based on a 1994 biography of the same name by Nicholas Dawidoff, opened last week. Paul Rudd (who happens to be Jewish) stars as Berg alongside Mark Strong and Sienna Miller.

The film begins in 1939, his last season as a player, with the Boston Red Sox, before picking up several years later when Berg has a boring desk job at the OSS. His boss, Gen. William Donovan (played by Jeff Daniels), eventually assigns him a mission in the field, and with Sam Goudsmit (Paul Giamatti), Berg helps rescue the Italian physicist Eduardo Amaldi from the Nazis.

A more crucial assignment is to kill the famous German physicist Werner Heisenberg, a task with which Berg is not completely comfortable. There is no certainty that Germany has the resources to build a bomb (the Brits don’t believe

they do) or even that Heisenberg, despite being a loyal German, will help them build a weapon of mass destruction. But Donovan decides not to take a chance and orders the hit.

Berg was an enigma to most who knew him, and the film, directed by the Australian filmmaker Ben Lewin, paints a nuanced portrait of the complicated character. Though he had a longtime girlfriend, Estella (Sienna Miller), some questioned his sexual orientation. The general asks him point blank at one point if he’s “queer,” but Berg doesn’t answer.

As a whole, though, the movie falls in a bland area between truth and fiction.

While Berg’s missions are fascinating on paper, the content isn’t particularly cinematic, the way a good James Bond film is. So while the end product stays honest to the facts, it sacrifices some enjoyment.

The film does address Berg’s Jewish identity, however, and conveys how uncomfortable he was in his Jewish skin.

At one point he tells a new acquaintance: “I’m a Jew. Not a practicing Jew. But I was different than the other boys. I never even told them my real name. I wanted to blend in...I don’t fit in even now.”

(Rudd’s personal story mirrors Berg’s a bit on this front—he explained last year on the genealogy show Finding Your Roots that he grew up in places with few Jews and was called “Jew boy” despite his attempts to blend in to his communities.)

Lewin, 71, the son of Polish Holocaust survivors, migrated with his family at a young age to Australia, where he grew up in an observant Jewish household.

He had never heard of Berg before the film opportunity arose and, though now Los Angeles-based, has never been to a baseball game other than his sons’ Little League contests.

But he says his Jewishness informs his “sense of connection with the subject matter.” In 1985, Lewin directed the award-winning The Dunera Boys, a miniseries about 2,000 English Jews who were somehow suspected of being Nazi spies and deported to Australia.

jewishnewsva.org | June 25, 2018 | Jewish News | 31

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SentaraHeartSurgery.com 32 | Jewish News | June 25, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org