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jewishnewsva.org
Southeastern Virginia | Vol. 58 No. 11 | 6 Adar 5780 | March 2, 2020
16 Annie Sandler JDC Vice President
Happy Purim
25 VCIC honnorees: Jay Kelbanoff and Amy Milligan Wednesday, March 25
—page 6
26 Unorthodox Live Thursday, March 9
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zel Tov a M 30 Maccabi 2020 August 9–14 Supplement to Jewish News March 2, 2020 jewishnewsva.org | March 2, 2020 | Mazel Tov | Jewish News | 11
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upfront
Jewish news jewishnewsva.org
An update on Virginia Beach City Public Schools 2021–2022 School Calendar
O
ver the last month, our community has been engaged regarding the Virginia Beach City Public Schools 2021–2022 calendar with the first day of school falling on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. At the February 25, 2020 Virginia Beach City Public Schools School Board meeting, Chairwoman Carolyn Rye made a motion to suspend the use of the 2021–2022 finalized calendar until further notice. The motion included instruction for the calendar workgroup to reconvene, to review the issue further, and to bring a recommendation to the School Board in the next several months. The motion passed unanimously. On February 26, 2020, at the invitation
of Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence, the Board of Rabbis and Cantors of Hampton Roads, along with United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Community Relations Council’s professional and lay leaders, met to discuss next steps. Spence informed the group that he will convene an Interfaith Advisory Council to advise and support him and the school board on the calendar and other faith issues as they arise in the public school setting. Spence and Rye stated their commitment to resolve this issue to the best of their ability in consultation with legal and applicable national entities. This counsel will be passed onto the calendar workgroup.
Your dollars at work
Published 20 times a year by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.
Spence’s intent is for the Interfaith Advisory Council, including members of the Board of Rabbis and Cantors of Hampton Roads, to be in place ready to advise the Superintendent after receiving the calendar workgroup recommendation. Thank you to the many Jewish community members for your active civic engagement and grassroots efforts. The United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Community Relations Council will continue actively communicating with the Superintendent’s office and school board members—giving the issue the serious time and attention it deserves.
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are put to work. This graphic features the efforts of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee in the Former Soviet Union. JDC is a partner agency of UJFT.
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3
Upfront . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Special Section: Mazel Tov. . . . . . . . . . 11
Briefs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
What’s Happening. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Torah Thought. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Purim around town. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Film critic and author highlights women. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Summer Maccabi 2020 in New York City. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Blessings at BINA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Candle Lighting
Quotable
Contents
Friday, March 6/10 Adar Light candles at 5:47 pm
“It’s kind of crazy to be in meetings and hear people talk about ‘midsize’ communities and then use Tidewater as an example in the overseas arena.” —page 16
Friday, March 13/17 Adar Light candles at 6:53 pm Friday, March 20/24 Adar Light candles at 6:59 pm Friday, March 27/2 Nissan Light candles at 7:05 pm Friday, April 3/9 Nissan Light candles at 7:12 pm Friday, April 10/16 Nissan Light candles at 7:24 pm
jewishnewsva.org | March 2, 2020 | Jewish News | 3
BRIEFS Israel to build rail line from Ben Gurion to the Western Wall Israel’s Transportation Ministry advanced plans last month to build a new train station that would directly connect Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The project, an extension of recently opened Jerusalem-Tel Aviv high-speed line, will include a new 1.8 mile-long tunnel under downtown Jerusalem and the Old City, i24news reported. This kind of construction in the Old City of Jerusalem is controversial. Palestinians object to Israel gaining more of a foothold in the city that they claim as the capital of a future Palestinian state, and archeologists object to the possible disturbing of artifacts in the area. The project was initiated by former Transportation Minister Israel Katz, who now serves as foreign minister. The current transportation minister, Bezalel Smotrich of the Jewish Home Party, is running for the next Israeli parliament as part of the far-right Yamina alliance. (JTA) website that touted a ‘Jew coup’ against Trump, banned from YouTube A website whose founder called the effort to impeach President Donald Trump a “Jew coup” has been banned permanently from YouTube. TruNews had previously been the target of a temporary ban from the online video platform where it has a channel. Episodes of TruNews still appear on other YouTube channels. TruNews programs and podcasts also appear on the TruNews website, as well as on Facebook and Twitter. YouTube had temporarily banned TruNews in November after its founder, Florida pastor Rick Wiles, had said in a video that efforts to remove Trump from office were “a coup led by Jews to overthrow the constitutionally elected president of the United States.” “I am going to tell you, Church of Jesus Christ, you’re next,” Wiles continued. “Get it through your head! They’re coming for you. There will be a purge. That’s the next thing that happens when Jews take over a country, they kill millions of Christians.” The White House has provided media
credentials for TruNews, most recently for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last month. (JTA)
74 Jewish groups condemn racism against Chinese Americans Seventy-four Jewish groups have expressed solidarity with Chinese Americans amid the coronavirus outbreak, saying in a letter that they are “concerned about rising xenophobia aimed at Chinese people in this country and abroad.” The groups sent the letter with those sentiments in English and simplified Chinese to hundreds of Asian-American leaders and organizations, including America China Public Affairs Institute, OCA-Asian Pacific Advocates and United Chinese Americans. Chinese business owners say they have seen a significant decrease in customers, which the message noted. It said “we will strongly encourage our own community not to give in to such fears.” The Jewish Council for Public Affairs organized the letter, which was signed by rabbinical groups representing the major Jewish denominations—Reconstructionist, Reform, Conservative and Orthodox—the AntiDefamation League and organizations representing Jewish communities. The rise of the coronavirus, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has led to a rise in racism against Asian Americans, including incidents of harassment and assaults. The letter referred to recent remarks by Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Heath’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in which he warned against “outlandish extrapolations of fear” and said Americans should not avoid Chinese people or businesses owned by them here. (JTA) Nineteen JCCs nationwide receive emailed bomb threats Some 19 Jewish community centers nationwide received emailed bomb threats, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at the site of one of the buildings. The Sidney Albert Albany JCC in New York’s state capital closed early Sunday, Feb. 22 after receiving the threat. Police
4 | Jewish News | March 2, 2020 | jewishnewsva.org
evacuated the building and swept it for bombs, later declaring the all clear. The JCC reopened as usual the following day. A police spokesman told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that the threat received by the Albany JCC was a “generic email” but that it did mention a bomb. Albany police will be present at the building for the near future when parents drop off and pick up their children. The Levin Jewish Community Center in Durham, North Carolina also received a bomb threat. “When you threaten a JCC, these are, it’s not just an anti-Semitic attack. You have children who go to the JCC. You have gym facilities here. So, you are really threatening children,” the governor said. “It is one of the most heinous things you can do. And again, it is fear and it is terror. That is all it is—terror.” In 2017, the Albany JCC was one of 54 Jewish community buildings throughout the United States that received phoned bomb threats. Most came from a 19-yearold dual American-Israeli citizen, who was indicted on federal hate crimes charges. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, though his attorney said he is autistic and incompetent. (JTA)
Carnival float in Spain features Nazi uniforms At a carnival procession in Spain, participants dressed like Nazis and Jewish concentration camp prisoners while dancing next to a float evoking crematoria. The Israeli Embassy in Madrid protested the display at the annual carnival procession in Campo de Criptana, a town situated about 80 miles southeast of the capital. “We condemn the vile and repugnant representation that disrespects the victims of the Holocaust,” the embassy wrote on Twitter, “making fun of the murder of millions of Jews by the Nazis. European nations must collectively fight anti-Semitism.” A video of the procession shows the participants marching in their fake Nazi uniforms. Behind them, dancers wearing striped outfits evoking concentration camp uniforms followed while waving flags of Israel. They were followed by the float shaped like a train locomotive with
two large chimneys. A carnival procession in Aalst, Belgium, featured costumes of haredi Orthodox Jews depicted as ants. Dozens of other participants wore fake hooked noses based on Jewish stereotypes. One group of participants wore shiny black uniforms and red armbands evocative of Nazi uniforms. A third group dressed as Jews carried a sign that warned readers “not to tell the truth about the Jew.” Last year, UNESCO dropped the Aalst Carnival from its list of world heritage events over the depiction of Jews in the 2019 procession. It featured a float with effigies of grinning haredim holding bags of money and one with a rat on its shoulders. (JTA)
Auschwitz Memorial condemns Amazon’s Nazi-hunting series The Auschwitz Memorial has condemned the new Amazon mini-series about Nazi hunters. The museum said in a tweet that the human chess game invented for Hunters, in which the inmates of the Auschwitz camp were the game pieces and were killed when their piece was removed, is “Dangerous foolishness & caricature.” Hunters, which stars Al Pacino, tells the story of a group of people trying to stop Nazis living in New York City in the 1970s. “Auschwitz was full of horrible pain and suffering documented in the accounts of survivors,” the museum tweeted. “Inventing a fake game of human chess for Hunters is not only dangerous foolishness & caricature. It also welcomes future deniers. We honor the victims by preserving factual accuracy.” The creator of the series, David Weil, refutes the allegations, telling Deadline that a few years ago he visited Auschwitz and saw the gate through which his grandmother was forced to pass and the barracks where she lived. “I am forever grateful to the Auschwitz Memorial for all of the important and vital work that they do, for keeping the memory of victims and survivors like my grandmother, Sara Weil, alive. I believe we are very much on the same side and working toward the same goals.” (JTA)
torah Thought
Purim’s story still relevant
P
urim’s extraordinary fun-making masks and matches the extraordinary seriousness of the life and death issues behind it, while allowing for the healthy release of pent-up tension and emotion. After all, a threat of genocide hanging over a vulnerable people such as the Jews, with a plot in place to terminate its existence in the vast Persian empire of antiquity, was not to be taken lightly. The salvation found through an intermarried Jewish queen who was placed in a pivotal position to help her kin while in dire straits, adds an intriguing dimension to a drama whose historical veracity remains uncertain. Still, the challenges and lessons contained in the fascinating Scroll of Esther have remained applicable throughout the Jewish saga, which does not lack all that the human imagination, creatively and destructively, can conjure up. The rabbis have taught that in the messianic era yet to come, of all the Jewish holidays only Purim will continue to be celebrated. Is it perhaps because we should never take Jewish survival for granted and need to always be on guard? Is that why God’s name is not mentioned, even once in the scroll, a notable exception to all the other books in the Bible? David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first Prime Minister, stated that when the lion and the lamb will dwell together as Biblically promised, he still would like to be the lion just in case…. That is ample testimony to what our people have learned—the tragic way. We are thus invited to ponder those unique features of a mesmerizing account in which Jews are called upon to act in God’s name. Of course, the absence of the divine name does not necessarily imply God’s silence, nor indifference to such matters of supreme importance.
Curiously, the terrorizing dictatorial leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran (once Persia), now celebrating the 41st anniversary of their theocratic revolution, continue to seek hegemony in the Middle East and the Muslim world. Their bloody involvement in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen, and elsewhere is ample testimony. They have not given up on “wiping Israel off the map” and to conclude what Pharaoh Haman and Hitler began. While the United States is Iran’s “Big Satan,” Israel is its “Little Satan.” Have not the Haman-like, and even the more dangerous leaders of Iran who seek a nuclear capability, read the Scroll of Esther and taken to heart the fate of those who seek to destroy us? Denying the Holocaust, they seek to deny Israel’s existence, and if necessary, to hasten its demise through a “real Holocaust.”
Our ultimate goal remains a peaceful world of shalom Alarming is the precipitous rise of anti-Semitism globally, as well as in the United States. The Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue massacre of 11 Jews during a Shabbat service, the worst ever anti-Semitic crime on American soil, has been followed by other domestic terrorist acts. Queen Esther was forced to hide her Jewish identity, otherwise she could not get into the palace to fulfill her mission of saving her people. Our beautiful and heroic Esther had to be prodded nonetheless by wise and courageous Mordechai—after all, she was only human and young— to risk her life by appearing uninvited before King Ahashverus. However, she did perform, forever earning an honored place in the pantheon of Jewish heroines and heroes. It seems that our remarkable duo of Mordechai and Esther created the prototype of the Israeli Mossad operation! The Jewish people are not yet fully safe, but are finally capable of defending
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their lives in a way that was not previously possible. Remember, experienced Uncle Mordechai engaged in successful counter plots. Self-defense is a top Jewish and human mitzvah, particularly in our post-Holocaust era. We have already paid a very high price, and thus “Never Again!” is more than a slogan. It is a sacred imperative beyond blotting out evil Haman’s name at the raucous Megillah reading. A sovereign Jewish state, its formidable bond of shared values and interests with the United States, and an influential American Jewish community make a critical difference.
MORTGAGE
May we act and pray so that the contemporary Iranian plot will meet the fate of oblivion of the biblical Amalek’s descendants, while we are ever vigilant. Our ultimate goal, so elusive for so long, remains a peaceful world of shalom through the sacred task of Tikkun Olam’s healing, hope and harmony for all of God’s children. Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman, Temple Lev Tikvah and honorary Senior Rabbi Scholar at Eastern Shore Chapel Episcopal Church.
jewishnewsva.org | March 2, 2020 | Jewish News | 5
Bernard’s Legacy Lives Forever
Purim
Norfolk architect Bernard Spigel died in 1968 leaving an enduring legacy of homes, schools, theaters and commercial buildings he designed. In 1983 Lucy Spigel Herman honored her dad by creating a scholarship for future architects administered by the Hampton Roads Community Foundation. Dozens of past Spigel Scholars are busy today designing buildings for us to enjoy while the scholarship continues to help future architects pay for their education. Design your own view of a better future by ordering the free Leave Your Mark guide. Learn how easy it is to honor a family member or create your own lasting legacy. Leave You r Mark
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Purim around town Purim begins at sunset on Monday, March 9 Tidewater is fortunate to have many great Purim events taking place this year. Check some of them out here. Nofar Trem
Sunday, March 8, 10:30 am A Totally Rad Purim Carnival Ohef Sholom Temple 530 Raleigh Ave, Norfolk www.ohefsholom.org or 757-625-4295. 10:30 am Vendor Fair 11:30 am Purim Carnival Ohef Sholom Temple’s Purim carnival and vendor fair will be filled with games, food and fun. Activities include a cake walk, costume contest and raffles. Don’t miss out on any of the fun. Sunday, March 8, 11 am Purim Party, Megillah, and Movie Temple Emanuel 424 25th Street, Virginia www.tevb.org or 757-428-2591. Monday, March 9, 5 pm Purimspiel Dinner Theater (Queen Edition) Ohef Sholom Temple 530 Raleigh Ave, Norfolk www.ohefsholom.org or 757-625-4295. The Megillah according to Queen, the band.
6 | Jewish News | March 2, 2020 | jewishnewsva.org
Monday, March 9, 5:30 pm Beth El Persia’s Got Talent Season 2 Beth-El Temple 422 Shirley Ave, Norfolk 5:30 pm family dinner 6:15 pm festivities begin With the talent search open to acts of all ages, Beth El’s Got Talent has brought the variety format back to Persian culture by showcasing unique performers from across the country. The evening will be a true celebration for the Beth El spirit. RSVP to noelle@bethelnorfolk.com or 757625-7821by March 4 to attend the dinner. Monday, March 9, 5:30 pm Motown Megillah Temple Israel, 7255 Granby St, Norfolk templeisraelva.org or 757-489-4550. 5:30 pm spaghetti dinner 6 pm kids Megillah reading 6:30 pm Motown Megillah An evening of fun with a spaghetti dinner for young families, followed by a Megillah reading for kids. Children can enjoy a program and costume parade during the adult Megillah reading and Purimshpiel “Motown Megillah.”
Tuesday, March 10, 5:30 pm Chabad of Tidewater Presents: A Magical Purim Wyndham Garden Norfolk Hotel 700 Monticello Ave., Norfolk www.chabadoftidewater.com or 757-616-0770. World renowned illusionist, Ilan Smith, entertains for a Magical Purim. A delicious dinner, dessert, and open bar are included, as well as kid-friendly foods. Megillah reading to follow. Tuesday, March 10, 6:30 pm A Dessert Celebration B’nai Israel, 420 Spotswood Ave, Norfolk www.bnaiisrael.org or 757-625-7821. Join B’nai Israel for a dessert celebration with fun child-oriented activities. There will be stations for the children including Ryan the Balloon Guy, a Purim mural making station, and building a candy palace. Desserts with hamantashen and lots of dancing!
Purim
Beth Chaverim and Tidewater Chavurah to celebrate Purim Friday, March 13, 7 pm, Temple Emanuel
T
he reading of the Megillah, retelling the story of Purim, will occur at a joint service with Congregation Beth Chaverim and Tidewater Chavurah at Temple Emanuel in Virginia Beach. Rabbi Ellen Jaffe-Gill of Tidewater Chavurah will lead the services. Attendees of both congregations will have groggers and kazoos to help drown out the name of
evil Haman as the Megillah is read. Costumes are encouraged, but not required. Hamantaschen (or Haman’s pockets or his three-cornered hats) are enjoyed at this holiday. Be prepared to laugh, make noise and sing.
MEET:
Paul R. Hernandez
For information, rabbicantorejg@gmail.com or temple.office@bethchaverim.com.
Ben & Jerry’s Israel is having a Purim costume contest. Winner gets free ice cream for six months. JERUSALEM (JTA)—Get those creative juices flowing, Ben & Jerry’s Israel is having a Purim costume contest and first prize is a half-year’s supply of free ice cream. There’s no hamantaschen flavor, however. “Feel Purim knocking on the door? It’s time to start investing in making costumes as our costume contest approaches,” Ben & Jerry’s wrote on its Instagram account and posted photos of previous costumes featuring the ice cream. The company said it would soon post the contest rules.
LOCAL RELATIONSHIPS MATTER
After Israel announced its third election in less than a year, Ben & Jerry’s asked its fans on Instagram to suggest the ingredients for a new flavor called Third Time Ice Cream. That’s an expression used by Israelis when they run into someone twice in a short period after not seeing them for a long time. Suggestions ranged from the spice zaatar to the popular Israeli peanut-butter flavored snack Bamba. One person suggested “Something that leaves a bitter taste at the end.” With the elections so soon, no such flavor ever materialized.
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“Payday is very forward thinking and is always up on potential changes. We have also been impressed by Payday’s contingency planning. Whenever there is a potential natural disaster in our region, such as a large storm, Payday is proactive and works with our staff to make sure that everyone will be paid without interruption.”
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UJFT’S Young Adult Division’s Purim in the Wild West Saturday, March 7, 8 pm, Sandler Family Campus
M
ozy on over to the Simon Family JCC for the Young Adult Division (YAD) of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater‘s Purim in the Wild West party. YAD wants all young adults, ages 21–45 (and older, if you dare…) to strap on those boots and ride over for a night of wild games, finger-lickin food, an open bar, signature
drinks, rootin-tootin music, photo booths, and much more. Tidewater Home Funding, Hamilton Realty, and Cowboy Neil’s Cantina are the sponsors that are making this party possible. Tickets are $35 until March 6; $50 at the door. Get them at www.JewishVa.org/purim–party.
jewishnewsva.org | March 2, 2020 | Jewish News | 7
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It’s a Wrap Film critic delights in pulling curtain on women who fight for ‘firsts’ and carry other women later Lisa Richmon
I
uplifting to see Jewish women supporting each other and connecting. Everything about it was stunning, from the food catered by women, the guests, the female guest author, to Tricia and her chic boutique exemplifying what it means to lift women up. SOP is not just for our male counterparts and I look forward to playing a part in more events just like this.” At noon the next day, SOP event co-host Shari Dozoretz Friedman carried forward Weitzman’s message of female empowerment at the community-wide Lee and Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival event at the Simon Family JCC. Friedman expressed personal pleasure meeting the guest author and sharing the group’s delight in her gift for igniting a culture of support among women.
t was the perfect fit. Elizabeth Weitzman, Tricia Snyder, and members of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Society of Professionals got together on a rainy February night, in a trendy boutique backlit with sparkly dresses, puffy winter jackets, iconic illustrations—and girl gusto. Weitzman is the author of Renegade Women in Film & TV. Her compelling message about the impact of women supporting women resonated with co-host Tricia Snyder, a single mother and fashion force of nature, celebrating more than 30 years in business. In her brief talk, Weitzman chose illustrations of four ‘firsts’ from her book to paint a picture: Geena Davis. Frances Marion. Alice Guy-Blache and Ava Duvernay. Women are built to mentor and be mentored. “The early female pioneers in film and tv did more than break down barriers,” says Weitzman. “They pulled other women along behind them.” Snyder’s business journey is tied to relationships she Shari Dozoretz Friedman introduces Elizabeth Weitzman. fosters with women. In Friedman’s introduction, she noted “Elizabeth took the time to personally that Weitzman most recently served as autograph every book and speak to each the senior film critic at the New York Daily woman with a real genuine spirit,” she News where she covered entertainment for says. “I’m inspired to help women find 15 years. She is also the author of more their value, their voice, and support their than two dozen books for children and desire to tell a compelling story. I hope young adults. Weitzman is one of only women who work and have a passion three women on the 2015 list of New will jump into the excitement of this York’s Top Film critics, by the Hollywood movement.” Reporter. Real estate professional Ashley Zittrain Petite and soft-spoken but fiery, says she hopes to see more Jewish profesElizabeth Weitzman stands tall for women sional networking programs like this. “It in film and tv. Her singsong voice becomes was a successful event, where it was so
It’s a Wrap more emphatic when showing examples of pioneers who were cast aside, proving the bias against women in the industry she knows so well. Her sole mission is to write the real pioneers back into the story. While women like Ida Lupino, Alice Guy Blache, Dorothy Azner, and Helen Gibson were breaking new ground in cinema, the direct beneficiaries of their craftiness used their power as male studio executives and historians to write them out of the very stories they made possible. “I’m happy to talk about the truly amazing history of women in film because many of us were actually taught from a somewhat limited perspective, in which a few high-profiled women were included, as if though they were the exception to the rule. But in fact, there have always been diverse voices in every field including cinema,” says Weitzman. “As years past, the pioneers were pushed on to a parallel track outside of mainstream. I want to give you a sense of the gatekeeping that winds up silencing and overshadowing those diverse voices.” To make her point, Weitzman presented Alfred Hitchcock on the screen, a face immediately recognizable to the audience. She followed up with a picture of an unfamiliar face, proceeding to talk about this woman’s body of work, crediting her for shaping film from a documentary format into the first storytelling form. The audience learned that Alice Guy Blache created the first family film, a tongue-in-cheek depiction of where babies come from, which evoked a mixture of laughter and wonderment. “There’s a reason we immediately recognize Alfred Hitchcock, but nobody knew Alice. Alice Guy Blache should be a household name,” said Weitzman. “Her DNA is in every film you’ve seen.” “There are so many trailblazing women in Hollywood I couldn’t possibly cover even a tenth of them.” Weitzman gave examples of all the ways women have broken barriers and proven they are just as capable as men as innovators, storytellers, and directors. From the creation of the first fictional film; performing their own stunts without relying on trick photography; creating the first independent film studio; directing
action films and psychological thrillers; telling men’s stories, and starring, directing and writing their own films. Women have been doing this all along. “Though women didn’t make their fair share of movies, many movies that did get made were made by Jewish women,” says Weitzman. “The real breakthrough came in 1983. It took 16 years for a female director to convince Hollywood to let her make this movie. As you all know throughout the 80s, she was inarguably the biggest star on the planet. Even so, studio executives refused to believe any woman, even that one, could handle writing, directing, and starring in her own movie. I was lucky
enough to interview Barbara Streisand for my book. She talked a lot about how hard it was behind the scenes, and how hard it was to get her vision made. A movie about a woman who has to become a man just to achieve her goal, made it even more resonant. Yentl was of course a massive smash.” After a short Q + A, Weitzman spent time signing books and talking to people one-on-one about her passion project. In Renegade Women in Film & TV she quotes Streisand. “When we come together, we make a difference. Women are speaking out and telling their stores and thinking of themselves more like a sisterhood.”
Shari Dozoretz Friedman, Elizabeth Weitzman, and Tricia Snyder.
Without Streisand’s passion for her work, sense of social responsibility and stand for gender equality, there would be no Yentl. Without Yentl, there might not be another female director such as Katherine Bigelow and her brazen breakthroughs such as Zero Dark Thirty and Blue Steel, It was more than moxie that gave Bigelow the freedom to defy and deconstruct the binary labels ‘men’s’ stories or ‘women’s’ stories. Bigelow was the first woman ever to win the Oscar, and it was Streisand who gave it to her! Weitzman interviewed Katherine Bigelow for Renegade Women in Film and TV: “Watch what you like. Make what you want. And ignore anyone who suggests otherwise.”
Elizabeth Weitzman signs her book, Renegade Women in Film & TV.
Visitors enjoy the exhibit in the Leon Family Gallery.
jewishnewsva.org | March 2, 2020 | Jewish News | 9
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he wondrous and delicious smell of Shabbos was in the air when BINA had its 13th annual Shabbos fundraising dinner at the end of January. The crowd of 175 enjoyed good company, good food, and beautiful Shabbos zemiros (songs). As always, the BINA girls put smiles on the faces of everyone in attendance with their graciousness, vitality, and appreciation for their local school that is small in size only. The impact these students continue to make on an entire community is grand. Of the many highlights from the evening, the guest speaker, Rabbi Michoel Berkowitz of Baltimore, shared a beautiful
message with the girls. He reminded them of a time when BINA was just a hopeful idea that came to be, through the efforts of the people before them. He charged the girls with the job to “take it from here” and do what’s next for the benefit of the community and to make this world a better place. BINA appreciates the sponsors that helped make the evening a great success. If interested in contributing to the school, BINA’s Purim Matching Campaign is around the corner. Through generous donors, donations will be triple-matched this year. To participate, email Andie Pollock at apollock@binahighschool. com or Amy Lefcoe at alefcoe@binahighschool.com.
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l e T z o v a M Supplement to Jewish News March 2, 2020 jewishnewsva.org | March 2, 2020 | Mazel Tov | Jewish News | 11
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her 25th with Jewish Family Service. Her achievements at JFS have meant assistance for thousands of people. Mazel Tov and thank you Dorothy! Annie Sandler’s recent election as JDC vice president is reason enough to say Mazel Tov! But, like in so many things she does, Annie shares her achievement with Tidewater, as she is the first from the community to serve on the board of this leading global humanitarian organization. Lisa Richmon’s interview with her is on page 17. Planning a wedding? Natalie Abraham, a wedding and event planner based in Israel, shares the secrets behind Jewish wedding traditions and rituals on page 18. All good to know—and understand—especially for those in wedding mode. In an article on page 14, also written by Abraham, she offers up some tips on planning a destination event in Israel. While some of her suggestions are specific to Israel and its rules, most make sense for a destination event anywhere. Many even apply to events taking place in your hometown. As always, we have additional articles within this section, along with some terrific advertisers—great places to dine and shop. Whatever the reason, or excuse, I hope you always have plenty of opportunities to wish and receive Mazel Tov greetings.
Terri Denison Editor
12 | Jewish News | Mazel Tov | March 2, 2020 | jewishnewsva.org
Mazel Tov
C E L E B R AT E YO U R
Mazel Tov A T
Dorothy Salomonsky celebrates a quarter of a century with JFS Ellen Rosenblum, JFS board president
F
or 25 years, Dorothy Salomonsky has been an integral part of Jewish Family Service of Tidewater—especially with one particular program. In fact, Salomonsky has been the driving force that propelled the Personal Affairs Management department to be nationally recognized as a leader in safeguarding the personal and financial affairs of vulnerable adults, age 18 and older. These clients all have physical and/ or mental impairments and no family or friends to assist or care for them.
Thanks to Dorothy Salomonsky, JFS is recognized as a leader in providing guardian/ conservator services performed in a manner that places the least restrictions on a client’s rights and provides the respect they deserve.
The program launched when Salomonsky, who had recently retired from teaching, started volunteering at the old Jewish Community Center on Newport Avenue in Norfolk. She had taken some adult education classes and was asked by a friend to help with older adult programming. Shortly after Salomonsky began her volunteer work, JFS was awarded a grant for 10 hours a week to assist with check writing and telephone assurance. Salomonsky never said ‘no’ and very quickly became the volunteer coordinator with a bigger group to organize. She learned on the job and helped create a new program, which became the PAM department. This program for personal
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I T A LY
Dorothy Salomonsky.
affairs management now consists of a multidisciplinary panel that provides a range of services, including guardianship and conservatorship. In 2018, Salomonsky was one of 20 women chosen from hundreds of nominees for the title of Woman of Influence. This honor is given to community leaders by Inside Business. Thanks to Salomonsky, JFS is recognized as a leader in providing guardian/conservator services performed in a manner that places the least restrictions on a client’s rights and provides the respect they deserve. In 2020, PAM has 850 clients and 55 employees across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Referrals come from judges, lawyers, doctors, and family members. In addition to her work with PAM at JFS, Salomonsky has served as vice president of the Virginia Guardianship Association and is an active member of Ohef Sholom Temple. She and her husband of 53 years, Edwin, have four children and seven grandchildren. When asked what makes the program so great, Salomonsky says, “We are here to help the most disenfranchised citizens of Virginia. The common denominator is they have no people. We become their people.”
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jewishnewsva.org | March 2, 2020 | Mazel Tov | Jewish News | 13
Mazel Tov
Thinking of a destination wedding/event in Israel? Here’s a useful guide plus tips Natalie Abraham
C
onsidered one of the most significant places on earth for the Jewish people since biblical times– Israel carries momentous meaning; where East meets West; where the sun shines nine months of the year. Israel! Where weddings, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs are a fun, exotic, and spiritual experience at the same time. Where people from all over the world come to enjoy a unique celebration, reuniting with friends and family, and enjoy an extraordinary vacation. The land of milk and honey; so small on the world map, yet holds the world in its hands, and offers an abundant selection of special venues for holding all
types of events, naturally intertwining the richness of Jewish history, traditions, and culture. Popular choices for wedding and event venues in Israel range from traditional sy nagog ues, ancient ruins, by and on the beach, in trendy Tel Aviv, at a choice of coastlines (Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Dead Seas), farms, vineyards, forests,
and of course, the old city of Jerusalem. Weather-wise, it is nearly 99% certain that there will not be a rainy day from May through September. During
the winter months, Eilat serves as a great getaway to benefit from as much sun as possible. Still, winter weddings in the heart of Israel have their own charm. When thinking about a destination wedding/event in Israel, it’s important to assist family and guests so that they have an easy and smooth welcome to the country. One way to do this is to create a private webpage for the event including recommendations and advice such as: • Group accommodation for different budgets • Transport information • Car rental options • R ecommended things to do and places to see • Hair and make-up artists for the event
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Mazel Tov • The local weather forecast • Event related schedule of events (Henna, Shabbat Chatan, etc) • Organized tours for families/groups (Some popular choices include the old city of Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Masada, the Galilee, Golan Heights, and much more)
Top Tips • Book venue as much in advance as possible, and other vendors at least six months prior to the event. • Book flights and accommodation once venue has been secured. • Send ‘save the dates’ immediately. • A ll agreements with any vendor (to the smallest detail) should be in writing. • A sk about hidden fees. • Check international holidays and Jewish holidays when choosing your dates. • Use English-speaking vendors for accurate communication when possible. • Save a lot of time and money and hire an event planner in Israel. This allows for more enjoyment and fun by the hosts.
Weddings Only • Must register with the Rabbinate up to 90 days before the wedding. This can be done online (if you read Hebrew), or the planner can assist with this. It can be done when arriving, but it is generally best to be sure everything is in order before couples leave their home country. • A letter from your hometown (Orthodox) Rabbi confirming that you are both Jewish and single. • A Ketuba (marriage certificate) from the bride and groom’s parents. • Passport photos Natalie Abraham at Dreamcatcher events is a UK-born wedding and event planner in Israel and is considered one of the best wedding/bar mitzvah/bat mitzvah planners in Israel. Her British background gave her a precise understanding of what was needed in the events industry; Someone who can provide a bridge between the values and expectations of the Anglo personality, with the local customs and mentality. Her trademark is in the fine detail that makes every event a UNIQUE and unforgettable experience.
Wedding invitation of Lubavitcher rebbe discovered at National Library of Israel
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n invitation to the 1928 wedding of the seventh and last Lubavitcher rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, was discovered at the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem. Schneerson popularized the ChabadLubavitch hasidic movement and through aggressive outreach to non-affiliated Jews became of one of the most influential forces in the Jewish world. Several versions of the invitation were prepared for the wedding of Schneerson and Chaya Mushka, the daughter of the sixth Lubavitcher rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak. The invitation at the National
Library, discovered in the archive of Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, a cousin who moved at a young age to Palestine, was sent to invitees who could not physically be present at the event, but encourages them to celebrate from afar. While the groom was then a student at the University of Berlin and the bride lived with her parents in Riga, the wedding was held in Warsaw because it was a central location and not under Soviet rule. Soviet authorities prevented Schneerson’s parents, who lived in Yekatrinoslav, Ukraine, from traveling to Warsaw to attend the wedding. They held a celebration at their
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home for hundreds of guests. “At this early date, it wasn’t at all clear that Rabbi Menachem Mendel would eventually succeed his father-in-law as the Lubavitcher rebbe,” says Rabbi Dr. Zvi Leshem, head of the Gershom Scholem Collection for Research in Kabbalah and Hasidism at the National Library of Israel. “In hindsight, we see that not only did he become the rabbi of Lubavitch Hasidism, but without a doubt one of the most famous Hasidic and even Jewish figures known throughout the entire world.” Schneerson’s cousin Levi Yitzchak also
was born in Russia. When he moved to Palestine he became a member of the NILI underground organization, serving as a liaison between its operatives and British intelligence during World War I. Following the war, Levi Yitzchak Schneerson reported on Arab affairs throughout what is today Israel, Jordan and Syria. He composed poetry, mostly in Russian, and published two books: an autobiography about his time in the NILI underground, and an early history of the northern Israeli city of Hadera. (JTA)
jewishnewsva.org | March 2, 2020 | Mazel Tov | Jewish News | 15
Mazel Tov
Mazel Tov to a Woman for the World: Annie Sandler is first JDC vice president from Tidewater Lisa Richmon
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s a young married woman living in Virginia Beach, Annie Sandler began to build a rare and rewarding Jewish communal life. Powerful influences include husband Art Sandler; in-laws, Reba and Sam Sandler; Dr. Zvi Feine, and various female leaders on national United Jewish Appeal and United Jewish Communities (UJC), now the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), boards, including her local mentor Karen Lombart. Inspired by these role models, Sandler immersed herself in the field work necessary to co-create templates for self-sustaining Jewish communities around the world. Today, Sandler continues to hone her skills as a leader, mentor, fundraiser,
and trusted advisor who holds long-term board positions with national Jewish agencies such as American Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute, Hadassah Brandeis Institute, and 14 years on the National Women’s Philanthropy Board. She always enjoys hearing worldwide Jewish speakers with an eye on returning home to enrich the community with new insights. In every role, Sandler’s views are filtered through the lens of a world traveler whose site visits to Israel, Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, India, and Manila are a weapon of mass education. In her eight years as chairperson of the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute, the premier applied social research institute in Israel, for example, Sandler helped set policy and work with
16 | Jewish News | Mazel Tov | March 2, 2020 | jewishnewsva.org
the deputy directors of all five ministries. “It took participation on many missions to Israel to understand in depth the impact of social research and outcome-based evaluations on the many programs financed by Diaspora Jewry,” says Sandler. “Questions like: Why were school children out of school so early in the afternoon? What do their academic accomplishments look like compared to other groups within Israel? What’s the matriculation level in each community? Do they participate in the IDF? What does care for the elderly look like? When you do site visits to different programs in Israel, the background and outcomes are critical. Serving on the board requires me to answer these questions with quantitative data and intense first-hand field work insight.” Art Sandler’s wife—and the mother of their four children, Leyla, Jessica, Max, and Dylan—wasn’t born Jewish. Annie Laurie Hebson met and married Sandler, a Virginia Beach-based philanthropist and global Jewish community leader. In preparation for conversion, Sandler studied with Rabbi Joseph Goldman, who presented a historical perspective of Judaism that made sense to her. She fell in love again. This time it was with Judaism and Art’s community. “Judaism permeated my heart. Jewish values, practices, and its peoplehood were the foundation that sparked my love affair. “Art is the strongest example I have of passion and dedication,” says Sandler. “He stands behind everything he asks of others. He’s all action, few words.” In 2020, Mark Sisisky, newly elected JDC president, chose Annie Sandler as JDC vice president. JDC is also known as the Joint. The American Joint Distribution Committee was founded in 1914 as the first Jewish organization in the United States to dispense large scale funding for international relief. Sandler is the first person in Tidewater chosen to join the JDC’s prestigious leadership circle as vice president. “My new role as vice president is a
Annie Sandler lights a lantern at Magen Avoth Synagogue in Alibaug, India, an ancient Jewish area where the Benei Israel, one of the lost tribes, landed 2000 years ago.
senior position that recognizes my contribution to Israeli society, as well as my history as a trusted senior advisor to Mark Sisisky, who I am beyond excited to work with in moving the JDC agenda forward. “My new role as vice president is a senior position that recognizes my contribution to Israeli society, as well as my history as a trusted senior advisor to Mark Sisisky, who I am beyond excited to work with in moving the JDC agenda ahead. I look forward to expanding opportunities for more JDC board members. My goal is to encourage inclusivity and participation on committees, and to promote the development of better ambassadors for JDC.” JDC’s enduring mission addresses critical needs globally with vision, transparency, integrity, kindness. Its power to ‘partner up’ with government agencies and philanthropic funders, and transform communities hasn’t slowed down in 100 years and gets stronger because of people like Annie Sandler who came to this role with eight years of proven board leadership, enthusiasm, mega project readiness, and relevant expertise, particularly her work with the Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute in Israel. Decades of field work attending and leading Federation missions in Haiti,
Mazel Tov Ethiopia, Romania, and by serving multiple roles on numerous boards has only deepened her love of Judaism. Sandler got hooked on JDC through Dr. Zvi Feine’s introduction to Romania. JDC revived a virtually depleted Jewish community by developing leadership and educational skills, and transforming it into a self-sustaining community. The JDC model: ‘We’re going help you and develop your community so you can help yourself.’ Recognition as a JDC leader takes more than money. “Here’s what I learned about JDC. You have to be enthusiastic and willing to work really hard, and people have to trust you. You also have to be encouraging and get other people to participate,” says Sandler. “Annie is a trusted advisor who possesses a deep reservoir of knowledge about JDC and our work around the world. In Israel, Annie is deeply respected and loved for her empathy, grasp of important issues and her invaluable strength of listening, and furthering her collaboration with our outstanding professionals,” says Sisisky. “By all measures, Annie is a seasoned, proven leader and philanthropist in the Jewish world, and I am honored to have her by my side at JDC.” Sandler’s extensive portfolio at JDC includes past Board Engagement co-chair; Annual Board Fund co-chair; chair of the Ralph Goldman Fellowship; Resource Development Committee; Human Resources Committee; Global Planning Committee; Africa-Asia Committee; Executive Committee; Nominating Committee, and CEO Search Committee. “While I was on the ground in places like Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania and saw what was happening at Camp Svarvas in Hungary, JDC revealed itself as an agency with heart and soul. The JDC assistance model sinks deeply into my soul and who I am as a participant and leader,” says Sandler. Romania was Sandler’s first love. Helping to rewrite its story, and witnessing the transformation is a personal highlight among many. “I rode in on Art’s coattails back when he was the JDC chairman of East Europe,” she says. “I don’t know what it was. Romania spoke to me. Some of the site visits were heart
Annie Sandler with the Edible Gardens Initiative, green schoolyards for outdoor learning.
wrenching but I saw potential for renewal, one of the pillars JDC stands on. “Kids would go through their parents’ things and find out they’re Jewish. There was nothing in the way of a Jewish identity. When we got there, it was like an 1870s throwback,” says Sandler, referring to a funky building outside of Bucharest. “Nobody knew how to do Shabbos. There was no Jewish family structure. They cooked in the basement barely scraping things together. “In Romania, I saw that I could participate and make a difference.” So, the Sandlers got the ball rolling. They took a building on some property outside Bucharest, returned to the community by the Claims Conference, and re-imagined it as a dynamic year-round Jewish center that draws people to the community. Camp Cristian supports itself today and hasn’t had the need for JDC funds in two years. “What they have built since, I’m in awe,” says Sandler. Camp Cristian brought the community together and added a new element of volunteerism that never existed before. As the new JDC vice president, Sandler recalls the impact of Camp Szarvas on kids from all over the world, including her own children who visited and participated on different occasions. It was the catalyst for Camp Cristian. “At Szarvas, kids were introduced to Judaism. They were excited about their Jewish roots, but when the camp session was over, Romanian children had nothing to come back to.” Camp Cristian enabled Jewish children and teens to come back to Romania and continue their own Jewish education—and educate their parents. Today there is a center that hums with activity. The teens have built a network from
all over Romania through their camp experience. “It’s a whole program with music clubs, programs for the elderly, early childhood, just like our JCC,” says Sandler. JDC is one of Tidewater’s main overseas partners. “I would love for our community to know that their fingerprints are all over these renewals. Taking members of the Tidewater community to Camp Cristian and experiencing Shabbos together was so powerful to me. There is a real foundation now. Unless things go nuts with
anti-Semitism or something, that trend should continue.” Being chosen as the first person in Tidewater to hold the JDC VP position has special meaning to Sandler. “UJFT doesn’t realize how much it is respected for its status as an overseas community. This means we commit to Jews wherever they are, no matter what the circumstances. It’s kind of crazy to be in meetings and hear people talk about ‘midsize’ communities and then use Tidewater as an example in the overseas arena.”
jewishnewsva.org | March 2, 2020 | Mazel Tov | Jewish News | 17
Mazel Tov
The secrets behind Jewish wedding traditions and rituals Natalie Abraham
W
hether you are planning a Jewish wedding ceremony, or about to attend a Jewish wedding, here is a brief guide of the rituals you might see or want to include in your ceremony. Some of these may be familiar rituals that you have seen before, and now you will also
know the meaning and beauty behind them. The Jewish marriage ceremony brings together the legal and spiritual, the happy and holy, the modern and ancient wisdoms, as the two souls merge in to one complete soul.
KETUBA This is a Jewish version of a marriage agreement written in Aramaic text, mentioning the groom’s responsibilities and the bride’s protected rights. This document is usually signed by the couple, two witnesses, and is read out loud to all the guests as part of the wedding ceremony. KISE KALA During the reception, just before the ceremony, the bride may choose to sit on her throne and greet her guests. She is said to have a special spiritual access to the divine on her wedding day, and so she
blesses her friends and family, and may be asked to pray for specific and personal requests. The brides who include this as
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part of their ceremony, usually do the veiling on the throne instead of at the chuppah aisle.
BEDEKEN In other words, the veiling ritual. This is when the groom sees his bride and then veils her himself. Biblically, this became a custom after Jacob was tricked into marrying the wrong sister as she was veiled and he didn’t look to see the woman behind the veil. Spiritually, this veiling ceremony signifies the appreciation of inner beauty and modesty. In doing this, the groom acknowledges to love his future wife for her obvious characteristics, as well as honoring the more hidden sides as they reveal themselves. CHUPPAH This is a canopy structure under which the couple makes their vows. It is built with four corners and a covered roof symbolizing the vision of a new home they are about to start to build together. It is also open on all sides to remind us of the biblical story of Abraham and Sarah, who welcomed people with unconditional hospitality. Most modern chuppahs are built to free-stand, though traditionally, each pole is held by a close relative and symbolizes their support of the couples new life, home, and relationship. It is a custom to have the chuppah outside under the
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stars to be witnessed by the holy forces and spirits.
CIRCLES Once under the chuppah, the bride walks around the groom, circling him seven times, biblically symbolizing the seven days of creation. The number seven reflects a wholeness that can only be attained as a couple. In modern ceremonies, the bride and groom may both opt to do this. This ritual symbolizes a wall of love and a wall of protection from temptation and evil spirits. KIDDUSHIN The blessing over the wine, which represents joy in Jewish tradition. The glass of wine is filled until just overflowed, to represent abundance and overflowing happiness. Both the groom and then the bride will sip from the cup to receive the blessings as one.
members/close friends. The ‘brachot’ come from ancient scriptures and blesses the marriage with peace, joy and companionship.
SMASHING THE GLASS The ceremony ends with a final ritual where the groom breaks a glass cup by smashing it with his right foot. Biblically, this represents the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Spiritually, it signifies the reality of a marriage having both happy and hard times, and a mutual commitment to be there for one another in such times. Modern ceremonies may opt to have both the bride and groom break something. Some couples take the broken glass and make it into something they can use or see on a daily basis such as earings, a pendant, an ornament.
RING The marriage becomes official when the groom gives the bride something of value. In Jewish weddings this is usually a plain gold wedding band to represent the beauty in simplicity. A ring is in a shape of a circle, which represents an everlasting journey together.
YIHUD In other words, ‘seclusion.’ After the ceremony, the couple is accompanied by the guests in song and dance to their seclusion room, where they spend their first moments alone together as husband and wife. Orthodoxly, they encourage a minimum of 18 minutes where the couple can reflect and rejoice in private after their sacred union ceremony. Happy Planning!
BLESSINGS The Sheva Brachot, translated as the seven blessings, can be read in Hebrew and English, by the officiator or by family
Natalie Abraham, a wedding and event planner in Israel, may be reached through her website at NatalieAbrahamDreamcatcher. com. jewishnewsva.org | March 2, 2020 | Mazel Tov | Jewish News | 19
Mazel Tov JG: They’re anywhere from Reform Jewish folks to very Orthodox since getting our new CRC Kosher certification. Jews are looking for a number of things: to eat more sustainably, to eat more ethically, to eat more healthfully, to lose weight, etc. Frankly some just want to have their ice cream after eating ‘meat.’ We deliver that. JN: The animal-free market is exploding. How do you ensure product purity? JG: We are dedicated to using local and organic ingredients whenever possible. Our beets, our most raw item is sourced from a very close farm, all organically grown. Our label is made proudly with all pronounceable ingredients, that doesn’t take a chemistry degree to decode. Unreal Corned Beef is very high in protein, very ‘meat-like’ made with all natural ingredients. JN: How do you deal with fear and failure? JG: i’m into spirituality. i have a bigger
partner than Mark Cuban, who is rather tall by the way. Call it God, universe, source. Failure is part of the game. You have to keep getting up to bat. Knowing you have God on your side. That’s the definition of a righteous man, btw. I’m willing to be gritty, I don’t have to be right all the time. JN: Quiznos is not a brand one associates with veganism or kosher. What is it about Quiznos that got your attention? JG: I loved eating tuna melts at Quiznos as a kid. I appreciate that we span finer $20ish iterations in nice delis/cafes, and a quick $7 sandwich at Quiznos for instance, so that anyone can access it. I wanted to spectrum from delis to hotels to cafes. I wanted to appeal to fast food and fast casual and reached out to sub chains. Quiznos was ready to move fast. 70% of Americans trying to cut down. At a typical chain, you have a family of four—one is vegetarian and there is nothing for them to eat there.
Mark Cuban and Jenny Goldfarb.
JN: What is your distribution plan so that cities like Virginia Beach and Norfolk have easy access? delis. Cafes. Wegmans? Whole Foods? JG: All of the above. i can literally ship a wholesale box today to Virginia Beach/ Norfolk if there are delis or sandwich shops that want to carry our meat. Otherwise, yes we will be coming
to Wegman’s and Whole Foods before long and likely going national with Quiznos. But for most immediate consumption, folks can order retail boxes on our website: unrealdeli. com. We sell wholesale to delis all across the country. We already have sandwiches in California and Arizona Whole Foods and we’ll be expanding in nationwide grocery distribution later this year.
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jewishnewsva.org | March 2, 2020 | Mazel Tov | Jewish News | 21
Mazel Tov Quentin Tarantino and Israeli wife, Daniella Pick welcome baby boy in Tel Aviv
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irector Quentin Tarantino and his Israeli wife, the model and singer Daniella Pick, welcomed a baby boy at a hospital in Tel Aviv. The baby, the couple’s first, was born on Saturday, February 21 and will be an Israeli citizen. The couple currently lives in Israel. In November, they rented a home in an affluent neighborhood in the northern part of Tel Aviv for nearly $23,000 a month. Tarantino, 56, and Pick, 20 years his junior, started dating in 2009 when the
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director was in Israel promoting his movie Inglorious Basterds. They later broke up but began dating again in 2016. The couple married under a chuppah, or Jewish wedding canopy, in 2018, shortly after Tarantino finished filming Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood. A Reform rabbi participated in the ceremony and Tarantino wore a yarmulke. Pick is the daughter of the popular Israeli singer and composer Svika Pick. (JTA)
mazel tov to Birth On March 27, 2019, Sadie Liv Katz was born. She is the daughter of Renen and Amanda Perlman Katz of Loxahatchee, Fla. Grandparents are Donald Katz of Jensen Beach, Fla., formerly of Norfolk, and Elisa Ellin, of blessed memory, and Perry Perlman of Wellington, Fa. and Andrea Perlman of Port St. Lucie, Fla. Great grandparents are Beatrice and Hyman Katz of blessed memory, formerly of Norfolk. Adoring sisters are Ella Mia Katz and Amelia Julie Katz. Engagement Avidan Itzhak of Norfolk on his
engagement to Shaina Joyandeh of Elizabeth, N.J. Mazel Tov to Avidan’s parents Shmuel and Shira Low Itzhak of Norfolk, grandparents Bob and Honey Low of Virginia Beach, and Yitzhak and Esther Itzhak of Israel. Avidan attended Hebrew Academy of Tidewater, Toras Chaim, Fasman Yeshiva, and Landers College for Men. Mazel Tov to Shaina’s parents Mosha and Menizheh Joyandeh of Elizabeth, N.J. and her entire family. Shaina is a graduate of Bruriah High School, Yeshiva Universit,y and New York University Graduate School of Occupational Therapy. The couple plan to reside in New Jersey.
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.
Passover
WHAT’S YOUR LEGACY? For more information, contact Kaitlyn Oelsner koelsner@ujft.org | 757-965-6103 foundation.jewishva.org
22 | Jewish News | Mazel Tov | March 2, 2020 | jewishnewsva.org
March 23
To advertise call 757-965-6100 or email news@ujft.org
what’s happening After the Pittsburgh Synagogue massacre, one woman’s journey from victim to activist
Darchei Shalom: Building Paths of Peace with 2 for Seder Tuesday, March 24, 7:30 pm, Kempsville Conservative Synagogue, KBH Sierra Lautman
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n Shabbat morning, October 27, 2018, 11 people were murdered in the Tree of Life massacre in Pittsburgh, Pa. Joyce Fienberg, a 75-year-old member of the congregation, was one of the victims. Her family, including daughter-in-law, Marnie Fienberg, heard many people ask, “what can I do?” Fienberg realized that these people didn’t just mean “what can I do to comfort you right now,” they also meant “what can I do to help make sure this never happens again?” In response, Fienberg switched careers from business consulting for the Federal government, to focus on social action—fighting hate and anti-Semitism at a grass-roots level. Her first project, along with partner Lauren Kline, is 2 for Seder, an initiative that encourages Jews from across the United States and Canada to invite at least two people of other faiths to their first Seder—fighting hate through firsthand experiences about Judaism. Fienberg will visit Tidewater as a part of the Milton “Mickey” Kramer Scholar-inResidence Fund of the Congregation Beth El Foundation’s Tidewater Together series, in partnership with all area synagogues. She will lead a conversation about how communities and individuals can join her in combating anti-Semitism. In preparation for the program, Alene Kaufman, of KBH, had a conversation with Fienberg. Alene Kaufman: How did the shooting in Pittsburgh, and the loss of your mother-inlaw, lead to your decision to change your career path? Marnie Fienberg: When Joyce was murdered, I was at a complete loss. Everything in my life seemed empty. How could someone so gentle, so sweet be murdered for praying in her own synagogue? As a Jewish woman, I needed to take action. Creating 2 for Seder was a direct way for me to take action to do what I can to prevent this tragedy from happening ever again.
AK: How has this change impacted your family? MF: We all deeply miss Joyce. My American and Canadian family has been really supportive of 2 for Seder, almost all of them participate and it helps us all keep Joyce’s beautiful and generous spirit alive. My immediate family has supported me in so many ways—my daughter even created the idea for the matzah heart that we use in a lot of our communications. AK: In the short amount of time since you founded 2 for Seder, have you noticed any positive impacts? MF: The pilot in 2019 had a little less than 1,000 participating Seders, so most of the impact has been anecdotal. Both hosts and guests were extremely positive about the experience. There was a lot of new understanding and mutual respect. The bigger impact will come when we do this year after year and we see the exponential effect. AK: Have you had any unanticipated outcomes? MF: I was surprised at two things. The first was how much our Jewish hosts/hostesses were deeply proud of their family traditions for Seder and how these traditions were honored and made such an impression on their guests. The second thing that surprised me was the emails from folks who were not Jewish who wanted to participate. As Americans, we take it for granted that neighbors are naturally curious about each other’s religions. That doesn’t happen in a lot of other countries, it’s very special. We also rewrote the 2 for Seder Kit that we give to each participant. I’m really proud of it and think it will be a valuable asset to anyone who wants to be a part of 2 for Seder this year. AK: What can members of the Tidewater community expect to get out of Darchei Shalom: Building Paths of Peace? MF: The shootings in Pittsburgh, Poway, New York, and New Jersey show that we
Marnie Fienberg, founder of 2 for Seder.
Joyce Fienberg.
can’t go back to thinking that we are safe in America. Fighting anti-Semitism and hate is unbelievably frustrating. It’s big and constantly morphing. Fortunately, the Jewish philosophy of Tikkun Olam guides us towards bringing these overwhelming problems down to a scale that can be approached, that can be acted on. At the program, we will look at how you can take action in good times and bad. I will share more about 2 for Seder, as well as a variety of other specific actionable ways that each individual can leverage their own strengths and network to repair the world and build bridges to our neighbors. If we all work together, every small action will have a huge impact.
community with RSVP. Register for Tidewater Together’s Darchei Shalom: Building Paths of Peace at jewishva.org/TidewaterTogether. The Milton “Mickey” Kramer Scholar -in-Residence Fund of the Congregation Beth El Foundation’s Tidewater Together series is a collaboration between the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and area synagogues to provide opportunities to connect Jewishly on a variety of topics, offering something for everyone. To learn more about Tidewater Together, or to register for upcoming events, visit JewishVA. org/TidewaterTogether, or contact Sierra Lautman, director of Jewish Innovation, at slautman@ujft.org or 757-965-6107.
The program is free and open to the
jewishnewsva.org | March 2, 2020 | Jewish News | 23
what’s happening Temple Israel presents A Night of Chuckles and Chopsticks Sunday, April 26, Temple Israel, 6 pm audiences have been roaring ever since. A regular on the comedy club circuit in New York City and throughout the Northeast, Fox won the 2010 Gilda Radner Award, the 2012 Ladies of Laughter of Competition, and was named one of the seven top Jewish mom comedians, along with Amy Schumer. Not only is she funny, her act is memorable and unique. One reviewer writes, “Robin had everyone in the room in stiches. It’s refreshing to see a comedian who can deliver a clean, appropriate act and have everyone in the room laughing out loud. My face literally hurt from laughing so hard!” Robin Fox.
16th Annual Grieving Children’s Art Show March 1–27, Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus
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local teen learns that her parent has terminal cancer. The parent gets weaker and weaker, and then dies. Who can this teen talk to who will understand what it is like to lose a parent? Many children and teens will suffer the loss of a significant loved one before age 18 and Jewish Family Service of Tidewater helps them and their families get through these difficult times. The JFS counseling staff, through the Dozoretz Center for Healing and the Jessica Glasser Children’s Therapeutic Pavilion, specializes in helping individuals of all ages cope with loss and grieving. One component of this program is a free support group for children, teens, and their families, Peace by Piece. This program is operated by Edmarc in collaboration with JFS. JFS and Edmarc co-sponsor an annual art show—now in its 16th year—that
displays the creative drawings and words of local grieving children and teens. This is an opportunity for young people to share their feelings with others and to see that they are not alone. The art show is open to any school-aged youth in Tidewater who has experienced the death of a loved one. Over the past 15 years, more than 450 pieces have been displayed. After this annual Grieving Children’s Art Show at the Sandler Family Campus, artwork will be displayed for Peace by Piece families on May 28. Following that, the artwork will return to either JFS or Edmarc for display throughout the year. For more information on the exhibit, program, or services offered by JFS, contact Debbie Mayer, LCSW, at JFS at 757-4594640 or DMayer@jfshamptonroads.org.
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Wendy Brodsky
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rofessional stand-up Jewish comedian Robin Fox will headline at Temple Israel for A Night of Chuckles and Chopsticks. This “Real Housewife” was the funniest lady at the PTA and bus stop before deciding to move her act to the comedy stage and
Temple Israel welcomes the community to this comedy club! The evening begins with wine, beer, and hors d’oeuvres on the Evelyn Eisenberg Atrium, followed by a Chinese buffet dinner in Brody Auditorium, and Robin Fox. Tickets are $65 each; call 757-489-4550 or email the Temple at templeisraelva@aol.com to reserve a seat.
Leon Family Gallery Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus
Photographer Amos Nachoum: The Picture of his Life Through March
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evered as one of the greatest photographers of all time, Amos Nachoum has always been fascinated, but never deterred, by the most fearsome creatures on earth, including great white sharks and the polar bear. Picture of his Life is the film that captures his unrelenting journey to redemption. A sampling of Amos Nachoum’s large body of daring work is now on exhibit in the Leon Family Gallery at the Simon Family JCC.
For more information, contact Patty Shelanski at pshelanski@ujft.org or call 757-452-3185.
what’s happening VCIC to honor Jay Klebanoff with Humanitarian Award, and Amy K. Milligan with Jeffrey B. Spence Award for Interfaith Understanding. Wednesday, March 25, 5:45 pm, The Westin, Virginia Beach Town Center
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he Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities will honor Jay Klebanoff with the Humanitarian Award, and Dr. Amy K. Milligan with the Jeffrey B. Spence Award for Interfaith Understanding, at their 56th annual dinner later this month. The Tidewater chapter of VCIC will recognize Klebanoff and Milligan for their outstanding commitment and body of professional and volunteer work dedicated to the promotion of respect, opportunity, and understanding for all racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. “We are very proud that Jay and Amy are being recognized by VCIC for their leadership and work to promote inclusivity in our community. They are both incredibly deserving of this honor,” says Betty Ann Levin, Executive Vice President/CEO, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. “Success through inclusion is definitely in my playbook,” says Klebanoff, referring to VCIC’s core philosophy. “The humanistic tenets of VCIC align with my commitment to United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and An Achievable Dream, not to mention the way we treat each other at Hercules.” Klebanoff is the CEO of Hercules Fence. “I am honored to be included with my fellow recipients, as well as the previous recipients within and outside the Jewish community.“ VCIC works with schools, businesses and communities to achieve success by addressing prejudices, in all forms. “It means so much to be recognized for interfaith work, as this is truly one of my greatest life passions,” says Milligan. “I was raised by parents who encouraged me to ask questions and learn about others. They exposed me to different religions, cultures, and languages, and taught me to see the similarities and celebrate and honor the differences. The passion I have for bridge-building work in my adult career is a direct outgrowth of the values my parents taught me. “I also want to recognize that none of this would have been possible if it weren’t for all of the other community partners
and change agents who build bridges with me. My goal is to show up every day and hold space for the voices and conversations that need to be included in the dialogue, recognizing that interfaith work is most effective and meaningful when it delves deeply into the intersections of race, gender, socio-economics, and sexuality,” says Milligan. “Amy is an amazing, passionate leader in our community. She has made a tremendous impact through her leadership at ODU and is such an important member of and partner to our organized Jewish community,” says Levin. VCIC is dedicated to leaders who use their time and talent to build an inclusive community. “I had the pleasure of working with Jay at JFS and now at UJFT. His dedication to our community and humanitarian work knows no bounds. He leads by example and exemplifies our core value of taking care of one another in our community, and beyond, every day,” says Levin. Klebanoff’s decades of volunteerism within and outside the Jewish community, include various roles with Big Brothers, Youth-At-Risk, Jewish Family Service (treasurer and later president), and United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Campaign chair, and later president. He is a former Virginia Zoo board member and currently serves as An Achievable Dream vice-chair. Milligan is the Batten Endowed assistant professor of Jewish Studies and Women’s Studies and the director of the Institute of Jewish Studies and Interfaith Understanding. She is an ethnographer who is particularly interested in the folkloric manifestations of selfhood and identity on the body and uses these questions of bodylore to explore lived experiences of gender, sexuality, and religion. She also specializes in the study of small or marginalized Jewish communities. “I derive my satisfaction from working with other socially conscious people with big hearts who work to make this world a
better place,” says Klebanoff. “VCIC strives to bring people of different ethnicities and religions together to make our community more accepting and cohesive. I enjoy building relationships based on mutual respect and, as a former athlete, I love building a successful team and encouraging people to be their best. Respect is one of our hallmarks at Hercules. Our leadership culture values everyone doing their best. Many aspects of business can be analogous to team sports. You have a drive to win, a strong team, and coaching with a high bar from a place of encouragement,” says Klebanoff. Other 2020 Tidewater Humanitarian Award recipients, are Sharon S. Goodwyn, Toiya A. Sosa and James M. Wood, Jr. Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin Hampton Roads is recognized
Jay Klebanoff
Amy K. Milligan
with a Distinguished Merit Award. To attend the dinner or purchase a table for a business or organization, visit www. inclusiveva.org, or call 804-515-7950. To purchase a seat at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater/Tidewater Jewish Foundation table, contact Wynston Hammack WHammack@ujft.org or call 757-965-6124.
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jewishnewsva.org | March 2, 2020 | Jewish News | 25
what’s happening Unorthodox LIVE in Tidewater Thursday, March 19, 7:30 pm, Zeiders American Dream Theater Sierra Lautman
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odcasts are a new pulpit for Jewish conversation, and one of the most popular, Unorthodox, a Tablet Magazine production, will be in Tidewater for a live taping. The hosts, Liel Leibovitz, Stephanie Butnick, and Mark Oppenheimer will be joined by Alana Newhouse, editor-in-chief of Tablet magazine, and two local guests. Since its first episode in 2015, Unorthodox has been downloaded more than 4 million times throughout the world, making it one of the most successful Jewish podcasts produced. With two new guests each week, one Jewish and one gentile, the hosts give listeners the opportunity to connect in new ways with Jewish topics. “Unorthodox” is defined as “contrary to what is usual, traditional, or accepted,” and that is exactly what the Unorthodox podcast aims to do with Jewish conversations by inviting listeners to expand their perspectives. The three hosts have different relationships to Judaism, political beliefs, and backgrounds. They welcome and encourage their guests and audience to join them in considering a range of perspectives. “We’re trying to show that there are a thousand ways to be Jewish. There are so many incredible, important things about this tradition that you can discover,” says Leibovitz, speaking about this podcast and the book that he and his co-hosts recently wrote; The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia. By approaching Jewish news, politics, his- Liel Leibovitz, Mark Oppenheimer and Stephanie Butnick, hosts of Unorthodox. tory, and even cultural topics such as food and films, with an intelligent sense of humor, Leibovitz, Butnick, and Oppenheimer org/tidewatertogether. have created a podcast that is fun and easy to listen to. “I enjoy the modern Jewish humor that goes with it, the The Milton “Mickey” Kramer updates and commentary on Jewish news, their sometimes promScholar-in-Residence Fund inent/sometimes obscure Jew of the Week, and their respectfully of the Congregation Beth playful and insightful Gentile of the Week interviews,” says Paul El Foundation’s Tidewater Weiner, an Unorthodox fan. “I am looking forward to seeing them Together series is a collaboin person, as their live audiences get to ask questions or offer their ration between the United own “mazel tovs” as shout outs to friends and family,” Jewish Federation of Tidewater Jewish guests of the podcast have included David Duchovny, and area synagogues to who is best known as Fox Mulder from the X-Files, Judith Viorst, provide opportunities to conauthor of the children’s book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, nect Jewishly on a variety of No Good, Very Bad Day, psychotherapist Lori Gottleib, and author topics, offering something Christopher Noxon, who recently visited Tidewater as a part of for everyone. To learn more the Lee and Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival through the about Tidewater Together, Alana Newhouse, Tablet Magazine’s editor-in-chief and author of The 100 Simon Family JCC’s membership in the Jewish Book Council. or to register for upcoming Most Jewish Foods. “Unorthodox LIVE is a chance to share in our Jewish culture but events, visit JewishVA.org/ in a way that’s modern, current and fresh. We’re lucky to have the TidewaterTogether, or contact podcast come to our community!” says Danny Rubin. Sierra Lautman, director of Jewish Innovation, at slautman@ujft. org or 757-965-6107. $18 Admission/$50 Admission and both books. Special bundle of admission and both signed books ends March 12. Limited seating. Advance tickets strongly suggested. Purchase tickets at Jewishva.
26 | Jewish News | March 2, 2020 | jewishnewsva.org
An American Daughter March 13– April 5 Little Theater of Virginia Beach
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ittle Theater of Virginia Beach is performing An American Daughter by Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning author, Wendy Wasserstein. Dr. Lyssa Hughes seemingly has it all, including the President’s nomination for Surgeon General. Viewed as a safe choice until an offhand remark opens her up to a firestorm of scrutiny, she is painfully reminded of the dizzyingly high standards women are held to. As her family and friends rally around her, Lyssa must decide if the well-deserved honor is worth the cost. Wendy Wasserstein’s thought-provoking play deals with politics, betrayal, family, and love. For tickets and information, go to LTVB.com.
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Calendar March 7, Saturday PURIM in the Wild West, YAD party. Sponsored by Tidewater Home Funding, Hamilton Realty, and Cowboy Neil’s Cantina. Tickets on or before March 6—$35; at the door—$50. 8 pm. Sandler Family Campus. For more information or to RSVP, www.jewishva.org/ purim-party. Kempsville Conservative Synagogue (KBH) Gala Art Auction at the synagogue, 952 Indian Lakes Blvd. Doors open at 6:45 pm and auction starts at 7:45 pm. Admission is $7.50 which includes door prizes, food and wine. Presented by ArrinRoss Auctions, in participation with Marlin Art, Inc. featuring art in all media and price ranges. Contact the synagogue at kbhsynagogue@gmail.com or Judy Saperstein at 757-287-3887 for more information. MARCH 19, THURSDAY Join Stephanie Butnick, Liel Leibovitz, and Mark Oppenheimer, authors of The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia, with special guest Alana Newhouse, editor-in-chief Tablet magazine and author of The 100 Most Jewish Foods: A Highly Delectable List for a live taping of Tablet magazine’s leading international podcast Unorthodox , with discussions about Jewish news, politics, and so much more. Zeiders American Dream Theater, 7:30 pm. $18 Admission/$50 Admission and both books. Special bundle of admission and both signed books ends March 12. Presented by the Milton “Mickey” Kramer Scholar-inResidence Fund of Congregation Beth El’s Tidewater Together series and Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival. For more information or to RSVP (required), visit jewishva.org/ tidewatertogether. See page 26 March 22, Sunday Ohef Sholom Temple Sisterhood’s Rummage Sale. 8:30 am–3:30 pm. For more information, go to ohefsholom.org or 757-625-4295. MARCH 24, TUESDAY Darchei Shalom: Building Paths of Peace with 2 for Seder, One Woman’s Journey from Victim to Activist. 7:30pm. Kempsville Conservative Synagogue (KBH). For more information, contact Sierra Lautman, director of Jewish Innovation at 757-965-6107 or slautman@ujft.org. See page 23. MARCH 25, WEDNESDAY 56th Annual Humanitarian Awards. Jay Klebanoff, a past president of UJFT and JFS, to receive VCIC award; Amy K. Milligan will be honored with the Jeffrey B. Spence Award for Interfaith Understanding. Reception 5:45–6:30 pm; Dinner and program 6:30 pm. The Westin Virginia Beach Town Center. To purchase a seat, contact Wynston Hammack at whammack@ ujft.org or 757-965-6124. March 29, Sunday Silent auction and Italian buffet fundraiser for Chevra T’hillim, the Jewish Museum and Cultural Center in Portsmouth. Uno’s Pizzeria and Grill at JANAF. 4–7 pm. $25 in advance; $36 at door, includes an ally you can eat buffet with one alcoholic beverage. Call the Jewish Museum to purchase tickets at 757-391-9266 or go to jewishmuseumportsmouth.org. APRIL 26, SUNDAY A Night of Chuckles and Chopsticks with Jewish stand-up comedian, Robin Fox. 6:00 pm. Temple Israel. For tickets, contact 757-489-4550 or templeisraelva@aol.com. See page 24. 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.
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Supplement to Jewish News March 20, 2017
jewishnewsva.org | March 2, 2020 | Jewish News | 27
Obituaries Irwin Stanley Sacks Ph.D. Virginia Beach—Dr. Irwin Stanley Sacks, age 81, passed away peacefully at home on February 22, 2020. He is survived by his loving wife Betty Sacks; children David (Kathy) Sacks, Steven Sacks, and Elisa (Chris) Luck; sister-in-law Maryann Sacks; and nephew Jonathan Sacks. He is preceded in death by his parents Maurice and Elizabeth Sacks and his two brothers Nathan and Arthur Sacks. Dr. Irwin Sacks was a member of The American Psychological Association, a member of The American Group Psychotherapy Association, a board member of the Jewish Museum and Cultural Center, a member of Ohef Sholom Temple, as well as a past president of the Ohef Sholom Temple Men’s Club. A memorial service was held at Ohef Sholom Temple, , with Rabbi Rosalin Mandelberg and Cantor Jennifer Rueben officiating. Altmeyer Funeral Home.
Sarita Rebe Sachs Virginia Beach—Sarita Rebe Sachs, 87, the wife of Judge Leonard B. Sachs, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, February 17, 2020. Sarita was born in Havana, Cuba. She and her family arrived in Norfolk, Va. in 1944. She graduated from Maury High School and attended Old Dominion University. Sarita started her career as a bookkeeper who contributed a great deal for the support of her family while her husband finished college, the Air Force, and law school. Later she went on to sell real estate and World Book Encyclopedias door to door. She was so successful in her World Book Sales that she won an all expense trip to Hawaii. Sarita was an active member of Temple Israel Synagogue and its Sisterhood. She was also a devoted volunteer of Beth Sholom Home before moving there two years ago. She is survived by her loving husband,
Stein Family College Scholarship for Tidewater Jewish students
Apply by March 15, 2020
The Stein Family College Scholarship is dedicated in loving memory of Arlene Shea Stein who was unable to finish college due to financial hardship.
This annual scholarship of up to $10,000 per year is awarded to area Jewish students entering college. Applicants are evaluated on financial need, Jewish/community engagement, and academic potential. For more information and to apply, visit www.jewishva.org/TJF-stein
28 | Jewish News | March 2, 2020 | jewishnewsva.org
Judge Leonard B. Sachs; her loving children, Jeffry A. Sachs (Lynn Sachs) of Virginia Beach, Va., Jacquelyn Furman (Howard Furman) of Needham, Mass., and Amy Sachs (Bruce Kershner) of Gaithersburg, Md.; her devoted sister, Cecelia Higger; her 7 beloved grandchildren, Shira Furman, Danielle Smoot (David Smoot), Micaela Furman, Sara Sachs, Rachel Sachs, Zoe Kershner, and Max Kershner; and her many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Sarita was predeceased by her father, Sam Rebe, her mother, Ida Rebe, and her older sister, Rose Wrobel. May her memory be a blessing to all she loved. A funeral service was conducted at Temple Israel with Rabbi Michael Panitz officiating. Burial followed in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Temple Israel of Norfolk, and Beth Sholom Village of Virginia Beach. H. D. Oliver Funeral Apts. Online condolences may be offered to the family through hdoliver.com.
Sy Sperling, not just Hair Club for Men president, but also a client
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y Sperling, the Jewish son of a Bronx plumber who became famous for his hair loss treatment commercials, died at 78. In the 1960s, Sperling opened a salon in New York where he offered services for men suffering from hair loss. But he became nationally famous two decades later with commercials that always ended with Sperling holding up a photo of his formerly bald self with the tag line “And remember, I’m not only the Hair Club president, but I’m also a client.” Sperling, who died last month in Boca Raton, Florida, following a long illness, sold the business for $45 million in 2000. Along with his wife, Susan, Sperling left a portion of his estate to the Jewish anti-hunger group Mazon. In an interview conducted years after he sold his business, Sperling described himself as very involved in his Florida synagogue. (JTA)
L
Larry Tesler, inventor of copy and paste functions
arry Tesler, the American computer scientist whose many personal computing innovations included the now ubiquitous copy and paste functions, has died. Tesler died Sunday, February 15 at his home in California. He was 74. Tesler created the function with Timothy Mott when he worked for Xerox in the 1970s, enabling users to highlight a piece of text, cut, or copy it, and then paste it elsewhere. When Tesler later went to work for Apple, he brought the innovation with him, which was later incorporated into the Macintosh operating system. Today it is a standard function on all personal computers. Tesler was born to Jewish parents in New York City in 1945. (JTA)
Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who kept the peace with Israel for 30 years, dies JERUSALEM ( JTA)—Hosni Mubarak, who as president of Egypt for 30 years kept his nation’s “cold peace” with Israel, died on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Mubarak was ousted and jailed in 2011 following massive street protests. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement of condolence on behalf of the citizens and government of Israel. “President Mubarak, my personal friend, was a leader who led his people to peace and security, to peace with Israel. I met with him many times,” Netanyahu said. Their last meeting was in 2011 in Sharm el-Sheikh, shortly before Mubarak was deposed and sent to prison until 2017, when he was released after being acquitted by the country’s high court on most of the charges against him. “I was impressed by his commitment; we will continue to follow this common path,” Netanyahu said. “I would like to send condolences to President A-Sisi, to the Mubarak family and to the Egyptian people.” Mubarak died at a Cairo hospital several weeks after surgery for an
Obituaries undisclosed ailment. He was 91. He ascended to the presidency in 1981 with the assassination of Anwar Sadat by Islamic extremists—Mubarak, then vice president, was sitting next to Sadat on a reviewing stand when he was killed. Throughout his reign, in which he survived several assassination attempts, Mubarak abided by the 1979 peace treaty that his predecessor signed with then-Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. The observance of the treaty often has been called a “cold peace.” Mubarak was commander of the Egyptian Air Force during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which Egypt considered a victory, cementing his popularity. Egypt observed three days of mourning. The nation’s presidency said in a statement that it mourned Mubarak’s death as a “military leader and war hero.”
opened in 1995 on the historic Freedom Trail in central Boston. The memorial attracts tens of thousands of visitors from around the world each year. “The Memorial was Steve’s dream. His indelible, permanent message not just to New England, but to the world,” Rick Mann, chair of the New England Holocaust Memorial Committee, said in a statement by the Combined Jewish Philanthropies and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston. The film Etched in Glass: The Legacy of Steve Ross, tells the story of how Ross was reunited with Steve Sattler, the U.S. Army Lieutenant who during the 1945 liberation of Dachau shared a snack and a small U.S. flag with the emaciated teen. Ross’ funeral was held at Temple Emeth in Brookline. He is survived by his son, Michael, a former Boston City councilor, and Julie Ross.
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BOSTON (JTA)—Stephan Ross, a prominent Boston-area Holocaust survivor who founded the New England Holocaust Memorial, has died. Ross died Monday, Feb. 24 at the age of 88, though the destruction by the Nazis of documents in his native Poland makes it impossible to determine the exact year of his birth, according to the Boston Globe. Sent to a labor camp as a boy, Ross, whose original name was Szmulek Rozental, survived 10 Nazi labor and death camps before being liberated from Dachau. The youngest of eight children, he and one brother who died in the 1980s were the only survivors from his family. “Today Boston lost a giant, and the world quite honestly lost a giant,” Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said on Twitter. “Here’s a man who could have given up several times in his life and he didn’t.” Ross arrived in Boston as a teenage refugee in 1948, completed his education and went to work helping at-risk youth. Ross led the creation of the New England Holocaust Memorial, which
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Maccabi
Game on. Summer Maccabi 2020 is virtually the best year yet for dancers, gamers, and athletes August 9–14, Pace University, New York City Lisa Richmon
D
igital natives, competitive dancers, and athletes who love soccer, basketball, swimming and e-sports will compete in 2020 Summer Maccabi, this year’s Olympic-style competition open to Jewish kids ages 13 to 16. “It doesn’t matter what sport you play, your love for it will grow,” says Tal Zach. “I made lifelong friends. We talk every day. In fact, we just hung up.” Zach is in 10th grade at Norfolk Academy. She won two medals at the 2018 Maccabi in Orange County, Calif. and walked away with a love for swimming that swelled. Normally, the athletes stay with a host family. One new twist for 2020 is the host university. Athletes will stay in New York, in dorms on
campus at Pace University, their host. “We will have more independence,” says Zach. “It will be cool and exciting to go watch the other activities.” By introducing Esports, which is video gaming competition via 1-on-1 and 4-player team formats, options for participating open up to participants outside the realm of traditional athletes. “I was in a meeting at the JCC,” says Zach. “One mom was walking by and heard us talking about e-sports. She just popped in with her younger son to sign up.” This year, Art-Fest takes place in San Diego. The deadline for the deposit of $150 is March 2, 2020. Contact Tom Edwards for more information at tedwards@simonfamilyjcc.org or 757-321-2308. Team Virginia Beach Maccabi 2019.
MondAy, MArCh 23, 2020 Yanni’s Bark Mitzvah 4:00 p.m. Pincus Paul Hall
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40th AnniversAry CelebrAtion
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sundAy, M10:00 ArCh 29, 2020 . . AM
Coffee Bar and Refreshments 10:00 A.M. Village Tours Coffee Bar and Refreshments
Village Tours 11:00 A.M. Welcoming Remarks11:00 from ABeth .M. Sholom Leadership State andfrom Local Dignitaries Welcoming Remarks Beth Sholom Leadership Ribbon Cutting Ceremony State and Local Dignitaries Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Continued Village Tours and Refreshments
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Celebrate Beth Sholom Village’s service dog, Yanni’s 13 months, as an official staff member. Light refreshments! Visit www.bethsholomvillage. com for Bark Mitzvah gift ideas (not required). Free | Family-friendly No RSVP needed
WednesdAy, MArCh 25, 2020
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