r o i n e S g n i v i L Supplement to Jewish News July 18, 2022 jewishnewsva.org | July 18, 2022 | Seniors | JEWISH NEWS | 15
SHE’S NOT READY FOR THIS?
Senior Living Dear Readers,
R
emember when references to ‘seniors’ conjured up only images of ‘old’ people? Not anymore. Perhaps that’s why the age for qualifying as a senior keeps increasing.
Those profiled in this section focus not on their age, but on living life to the fullest, enjoying themselves and making contributions to the community in various ways. Jack Fox, for example, is marking his 63rd year of flying. His soaring story is on page 20. Nearly 88, Dr. Bruce Longman is a practicing dentist who recently completed the Simon Family JCC’s Ironman Challenge. He shares his secrets for a happy and healthy life on page 17. Rabbi Michael Panitz doesn’t just watch films in his spare time. He analyzes them,
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speaks about them, and is even writing a book about them. Just another of the rabbi’s
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Rivin Holocaust Collection at Ohef Sholom Temple. With more than 1,400 titles, Titus is
Less blah, more aha!
president, on page 23. The club often meets near the Jewish News office and I can attest
many interests. Page 21. A former college professor and academic librarian, David Titus manages the Bonk-
enthusiastic about this community treasure. Read about him and the collection on page 22. Sherry Liberman has been running the JCC’s Senior Book Club since 2009. On page 24, she recalls the club’s history and invites new members to join. Speaking of the JCC Seniors Club, Robin Ford interviews Patsi Walton, the club
to the fact that based on the laughter and applause I hear coming from their meetings,
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16 | JEWISH NEWS | Seniors | July 18, 2022 | jewishnewsva.org
these people have fun! Not all seniors, of course, are flying their own planes or drafting new books. For those at Beth Sholom Village, their care might’ve gotten even better as all employees just participated in a series of seminars on Alzheimer’s and dementia. Page 25. These are just a few of the articles in this section. We hope you read them all and are as inspired as we all are at Jewish News to continue working, following our passions, and doing our best to stay healthy. Thanks for reading,
Terri Denison Editor
Senior Living Family, faith, and fitness: Dr. Bruce Longman, DDS shares his secrets for living a healthy life Debbie Burke
D
r. Bruce Longman, DDS (Virginia Commonwealth University, 1960) folds his long, lean figure into a chair to talk about fitness, his career, and having a huge and loving family. Right on the cusp of his 88th birthday, Longman is a practicing dentist whose early career began in 1960 in the military as a dentist stationed at the Air Force base in Orlando, Fla. and for many years had a private practice. He also worked at Sentara and CHKD for 47 years as “probably one of the only general dentists in the city who did hospital care.” In 2018, Longman joined the Foleck Center (with offices in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Hampton). “I decided some time ago when you’re the boss and CEO and CFO you are required to handle the fiduciary responsibilities and after doing it 40-plus years, that’s the part I wanted to eliminate.” Today, Longman says he sees a lot of patients who have problems with their teeth because they couldn’t get to a dentist during the pandemic. Then, there’s the stress of it all, which is causing dental issues as well. “My colleagues and I have probably seen more fractured teeth in the last two years than ever before. We all agree that this is due to clenching.” Besides his work, he sees or speaks to his family often: Longman has five children (four daughters and one son), 18 grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. They are spread out all over the world—in places like China, Berlin, and Israel, as well as the U.S. He tries to read a book a week (the latest, Dr. Mengele’s Assistant, was “an in-depth and emotional book”). Longman embraces a healthy lifestyle that includes fitness and good nutrition. “I did weightlifting in college, then got away from exercise. I only walked. When I was in the service, I went in too heavy; I was 50 pounds heavier than I am now.” After a few experiences of not being mentally alert after lunch, he decided he was eating too much. “I cut out my large lunches that
were available at the hospital cafeteria. They were probably 2,000 calories, which made me sleepy, and I couldn’t operate that way. Once I did, I started losing weight and went from a size 42 to 36. I found it was a happier weight for me.” The foods that work for him are mostly fruits and veggies, and proteins like egg whites, chicken, or fish. “If I still wanted dessert, I’d have bread with some of our homemade canned jams we make. I have large fig trees in the backyard, peaches when we pick them up in North Carolina, and last year I bought a lot of Bing cherries and made Bing cherry jam. I used all of it up and I’m waiting for them to show up again.” In years past, his workouts would consist of running on a track and playing volleyball, handball, and racquetball. “When I started seeing my hands being bruised and my fingers being injured, I couldn’t take that risk anymore. I laid off those injury-prone exercises and went to aerobics and weightlifting machines. Then I went jogging outside. I got my first pair of running shoes from mail order— they were New Balance—and I used to get up early in the morning. People were honking their horns at me. Jogging was a new thing then. Now, I do aerobics at the Simon Family JCC gym, free weights, elastic weights, calisthenics, the step machine, the recumbent bike, and yoga.” In fact, Longman completed the JCC’s Ironman Challenge that took place during February and March. The eight-week indoor Ironman challenge included 2.4 miles rower/swim, 112 miles on the bike and 26.2-mile run/walk. According to Tom Purcell, wellness director at the Simon Family JCC, “Dr. Bruce has participated in several of my wellness challenges and we often talk about the importance of wellness to sustain quality of life. He understands the body very well and has varied his routine to create a balanced program that allows him to stay healthy. “Our senior population is the first to have this ability to use exercise as a health care plan and to live an independent life as they age.”
Longman has been a member of Ohef Sholom Temple for many years and has served in multiple positions, including as a board member of the Temple’s Foundation and as president of the Men’s Club. “I was president under multiple rabbis,” he says. “I’ve also served as president of the Brith Sholom Fraternal Organization and I’m still on that board. I work as the treasurer for the Town Foundation, a philanthropic organization that gets scholarships for local schools like JMU, Old Dominion Nursing, TCC, and Norfolk State University.” Longman says the secret to a good life is being happy in your profession, having a loving family nearby or just a phone call away, and not eating past 6 pm. His advice? “Keep a schedule, keep a little day job, and don’t let the government make you ‘retire’ just because they’re going to
Dr. Bruce Longman, DDS.
send you a Social Security check. One of my friends comments that ‘the word retirement is not in the Bible.’ And I’ll end with that.”
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Senior Living Globetrotting with Edie Weiss Debbie Burke
E
die Weiss has embraced a life of travel and learned volumes about archeology, food, fashion, and how people relate to one another as a global community. A retired self-employed CPA, she shares what she’s learned about seeing the world and soaking it all in. Jewish News: When did traveling make such an impact on you? Edie Weiss: The love of travel has flowed through my family’s blood. As a kid, I would listen to oft-repeated and somewhat embellished stories of a great aunt’s trip to Yugoslavia, one grandmother’s trip to visit relatives in Israel, my parents’ travel around Europe in my dad’s army days, or the other grandmother’s trip to Japan. I spent a teenage summer in Israel, lived some years in Mexico, and did the various cruises around the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas, but it was not until I was a divorced single mom approaching 50 that the travel bug hit. Overseas travel was a way to spend time with my teenage daughters, as well as broadening all our horizons. JN: Where was your first major trip? EW: With the girls in college or beyond, it was time for an “adult” excursion, a comfortable tour to a locale that combined my love of archeology and the touch of the exotic. When the travel agent suggested Egypt, both my sister and I jumped for a trip to commence in three weeks going into the spring of 2011. Yes, we landed in Cairo the day the Arab Spring started in Egypt. We got to see the museums, Luxor, and travel down to Aswan on boat, but as the last tour in each location, we were escorted out by machine guns and the smell of tear-gas. It was a learning experience as to how your fellow travelers support each other in times of stress. JN: What are your top memorable trips? EW: Nepal—Call me a product of the ’70s and a fan of Cat Stevens, but I always wanted to see Katmandu. And it was more “out-worldly” and spiritual than I could
have ever imagined. The carved wood structures, the temples, and the magnificent scenery. As you fly into the basin of the Himalayas that holds the city, you pass close to Mt. Everest. Myanmar (Burma)—A seven-hour ride on a rickety boat upriver to the ancient city ruins of Mrauk-U in the Rakhine state (now restricted because of warfare) brought my companion and myself to an island where inhabitants represented 35 different tribes living in grass walled houses on the river. A bit of an ‘Indiana Jones’ adventure. Uzbekistan—The heart of the Silk Road. The blue tiles of Samarkand. The old Jewish Quarter in Bukhara. Climbing ancient fortresses in the Kyzylkum Desert. JN: What tips would you give to people traveling to other countries? EW: Know your limitations. They are not liabilities, just something to work around. (I say this as a 66-year-old woman who has rods in an arm and elbow and a hip replacement from a biking accident many years ago, as well as hearing aids, and, of course glasses.) ITINERARY Many trips, many prices, many offers. With age, be realistic. A bit more comfort on the trip, bathroom breaks, a good night’s sleep, and mobility challenges are to be considered. Daily hotel changes can be disruptive, long hikes challenging, and country jumping may mean time spent in airports rather than at sights. Don’t be afraid to travel as a single person, especially on a tour. You will meet great folks along the way and never feel alone. A good travel agent may save you much time on the phone and tailor your trip to work with your limitations, be they physical or economic. The internet may be a good purchase resource if the trip is simple, but expect long phone waits for changes or problems. Do look at Trip Advisor but remember it is not geared to the senior traveler. Follow your passion (though you may want to limit trips to two weeks). A boring
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trip can drag and make you wonder why you ever left beautiful Hampton Roads in the first place. SAFETY Sign up for State Department Advisory and Step Program. Review as you begin to plan your trip. Travel insurance is important, and make sure it is comprehensive for medical issues. Carry a cell phone. International plans are around $10 per day. You may need it in an emergency or just for using Google Maps to find a restaurant. Send emails and update photos to worried adult children. Copy your credit cards, passport, visas, itinerary, and other important documents, and email them to family members securely. Also be able to [get on] the cloud yourself. Review your specific medical needs. In my case, I bring foldable walking sticks for climbs. (And this is just me: review where Chabad houses are in your destination as they are always a good place for food and assistance.) PREPARATION Find good guidebooks such as Lonely Planet in the library or digitally online to review customs and expectations. Clothing and visas will be discussed, as well as small regional idiosyncrasies such as what hand to accept a card with or how to nod “no.” Update your apps on your smart phone to include a currency calculator and a language translator (I usually just use my hands a lot and smile). Take luggage limits seriously, especially as they have changed in recent years. Pack in the zippered cubes to maintain organization. Bring all sizes of Ziplocs for snacks you can take from breakfast, wet clothing, and taking home items. Also, look at electrical adaptors and convertors ahead of time since some countries, such as India, require unusual prongs. Medical supplies should include Imodium and cold medicine, which are hard to find overseas. Airports are long, and carry-on luggage
Edie Weiss in Turkey.
gets heavy. Small roll-arounds may be too big for some flights and buses. A lightly packed backpack with a day or two of clothing can double as a daypack during a tour and won’t tire you out shlepping. SHOPPING Look at Amazon. The teapot you crave in Uzbekistan is only a few dollars more delivered to your door at home. Plan what you can use when you get home. Nice silk shirts made to order in Vietnam will be worn once home; the heavy sequined Macedonian groom’s wedding shirt not so much (and still in my closet). Your kids really don’t want the tchatchkas. They made it clear and will do so again when you bring home the unwanted items for the grandkids. Avoid the urge and keep within luggage weight limits. Go for the experience! Spend on the African elephant ride in the bush in Zimbabwe. Get lathered and massaged in the Turkish hammam. Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef. JN: Were you surprised to find there are things we all have in common, no matter where we live? EW: It should be no surprise, but family is always the number one concern. And
Senior Living mothers always worry about their children, no matter the age. During my recent visit to a family that lives in dug-out caves in Cappadocia, Turkey, the translated conversation evolved from how the family lived there for hundreds of years to the female host’s worry concerning her independent eldest daughter. All the women on my tour could relate. JN: Do you have a wish list of future trips? EW: My heritage as a Jewish woman and our people’s history has become the focus of my future trips. A recently booked trip to Romania will take me to the country of birth of a paternal great-grandfather. A trip to Eastern Turkey (my fifth to that country) next May will take me to Mt. Ararat, the traditional birthplace of the
Patriarch Abraham and other locations that are cited in the prehistory of the Jewish people. I had to postpone trips to Armenia and Georgia as well as Japan and South Korea due to COVID, so hopefully I will be able to see those countries as well. JN: Other comments? EW: Be a TOURIST (respectfully). Chances are you will not blend in and that is okay. Local folks want to tell you their story and certainly, want to hear about yours. With the internet and streaming of Disney+ and Netflix around the world, you won’t be seen as the Ugly American. You will be asked if you know their relative who moved to Brooklyn or Virginia or California. Smile broadly.
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jewishnewsva.org | July 18, 2022 | Seniors | JEWISH NEWS | 19
Senior Living Purposeful flights with Jack Fox Debbie Burke
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‘jack-of-all-businesses,’ Jack Fox is currently enjoying life flying, fishing, boating, and playing gin rummy and tennis. He also supports many projects at Ohef Sholom Temple as well as hospitals and museums/performing arts venues in Florida, where he splits his time as a part-time resident of both Boca Raton and Virginia Beach. Educated as an industrial engineer, Fox ran a bakery and owned a motel in Norfolk, the Tidewater Auto Auction in Chesapeake, and a couple of Exxon service stations in Virginia Beach. He recalls how he got started in business in 1973. “I left my position as a manager in a large company, and with little money, moved my family to the small town of Emporia, Va. There, I put a down payment on a small bakery operation with six employees.” The bakery made honey buns, cinnamon buns, and small cakes for other bakeries, supermarkets, and vending machines. Ten years later, his company had 400 employees, three bakery plants (Kingsport, Tenn., Baltimore, Md., and Emporia) and 45 tractor-trailers that delivered products from Boston to Miami and west to Chicago. Then, he discovered a way to be even more efficient. “During this period, I found I could do the work of three men by flying an airplane between the plants and visiting customers over this wide area.” Fox was trained as a pilot through the GI Bill after his Army service. In 1957, he received his degree in Industrial Engineering from Lehigh University, and in 1959 finished the final training and
was awarded his pilot’s license. This year marks his 63rd year of flying. “While I have flown many types of aircraft, for the past 25 years, my wife Beverly and I have owned and flown our Beechcraft Baron twin-engine six-seat aircraft,” he says. “We have enjoyed flying it across the country and up to Alaska, over the Atlantic Ocean to Tortola in the Virgin Islands. One hot Virginia Beach summer we decided to fly north until we could find a place that the temperature was in the low seventies. That flight took us to Western
“Jack, no harm will ever come to you when you are doing this work because God is your co-pilot.”
Newfoundland where we spent a week in cool weather.” Fox has a hangar at both the Norfolk and the Boca Raton airports to house his Baron. His most interesting story about flying might just be his volunteer work as a pilot for a charity known as Angel Flight. Pilots donate their time and their aircraft to fly medical patients (many with cancer) to destinations where they can get specific medical treatments or participate in Beverly and Jack Fox. clinical trials. These patients cannot afford the cost of travel, and the volunteers fly them at no charge. The program also services wounded military veterans, where the pilots fly them to their homes for visits when the government does not cover the cost. “One interesting Angel Flight was a mission to fly a young couple and their baby from Norfolk back to their home in New Jersey. The baby had been treated for a rare medical problem at the Children’s Hospital in Norfolk,” he says. “I arrived at the airport to find the couple was Jewish and the husband was a young Hasidic rabbi. They were apprehensive about the
flight and as we approached the airport near his home, the weather closed in and we had to descend through the clouds. I looked at the young rabbi seated next to me, and he was feverishly praying and davening. As we broke out from the clouds and the runway was in sight ahead of us, he shouted loudly, ‘Baruch Hashem!’ As I parted ways with them on the ground, I will never forget his words to me: ‘Jack, no harm will ever come to you when you are doing this work because God is your co-pilot.’”
Jewish News Digital Version See the paper 3 days before the cover date: JewishNewsVa.org/digital. To have the paper emailed, send your email address to news@ujft.org. 20 | JEWISH NEWS | Seniors | July 18, 2022 | jewishnewsva.org
Senior Living Rabbi Michael Panitz: Historian and film buff
SAME FACE DIFFERENT PLACE!
Debbie Burke
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casual movie-goer until his mid-30s, Rabbi Michael Panitz, PhD, found that the invention of the VHS allowed him to enjoy films at home—and he began to study them. At the same time, he realized that films on Jewish subjects would be very useful in his work as a rabbi and religious teacher. Panitz, who is the rabbi at Temple Israel in Norfolk, is a historian with a particular interest in Jewish historical dramas and is writing a book about the cinematic retellings of Biblical stories. “The projected title is See O Israel,” he says. “I am preparing a lecture series on eight Bible movies at Harbor’s Edge (a luxury independent-living community in Norfolk) for the coming year.” He is also one of the presenters for the film series Saturdays at Seven at Portsmouth’s Jewish Museum and Cultural Center, where he discusses movies with Jewish themes. Panitz serves on the board of the JMCC, which he calls “an underappreciated cultural resource for our local Jewish community.” One thing he’s noticed is the evolution of how Jewish issues—for example, “otherness,” diaspora, and assimilation—are portrayed in film. “The marginal status of the Jew and the assimilationist mindset of the era are quite apparent in the first forays into the genre, such as The Jazz Singer,” Panitz notes. “Even in the 1950s, actual portrayals of Jewish religious loyalty are sparse and abbreviated, such as in Marjorie Morningstar. We see a fuller embrace of Jewish loyalties in films from the 1970s, such as Hester Street. Even comedies [like] The Frisco Kid are warmer to Jewish loyalties than their predecessors had been.” Cinema, of course, is not always an accurate depiction of the world, but, for better or worse, movies play a huge part in shaping public perception. Panitz believes
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that too often, they impose their “erroneous or even delusional worldviews upon the historical material.” One egregious example he cites is Kingdom of Heaven. “The Crusaders turn out to be post-modern ecumenists. The much-older Ivanhoe, for all its romanticism and Hollywood corn, gets the Jewish loyalties of Rebecca of York more fully.” Coming up in his film talk series at the JMCC are eight Bible films, Samson and Delilah, David and Bathsheba, King David, The Ten Commandments, Moses the Lawgiver, The Prince of Egypt, Exodus: Gods and Kings, and Noah. “These films all serve as windows into the time and place of the retelling even more than the biblical stories they represent. I approach this from the realm of intellectual history, showing how, for example, The Ten Commandments (1956) speaks to the Cold War era or how King David (1985) reflects post-Vietnam questioning of political and religious authority.”
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Senior Living Rare gems between the covers at the Bonk-Rivin Holocaust Collection Debbie Burke
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he Bonk-Rivin Holocaust Collection at Ohef Sholom Temple is managed by David Titus, a former college professor and academic librarian, and it is here that all corners of the Holocaust are explored. Titus has been a librarian for more than 45 years. He tells Jewish News how he became involved in the collection, how it’s growing, and what you can find there. Jewish News: When did you first become enamored of books? David Titus: I discovered books and reading when I was very young. As a child I read anything available—history, Shakespeare, magazines—whatever came to hand. This was reinforced by my English teachers. JN: Why did you start becoming involved in The Bonk-Rivin Holocaust Collection? DT: [This] is part of Ohef Sholom Temple’s extensive collection of adult, young adult, and children’s books. My wife Alice and I moved to Norfolk in 2015 and joined Ohef Sholom Temple. As a retired librarian, I was interested in volunteering in the temple library, and I quickly realized the importance of the Bonk-Rivin Holocaust Collection. The Bonk-Rivin Holocaust Library was founded in 1993 at Temple Sinai in Portsmouth by Rick Rivin and the late Ted Bonk. In 2012, when Temple Sinai merged with Ohef Sholom Temple, it became part of the Ohef Sholom Library. JN: Do you remember your thoughts at the time about this library collection? DT: It is an impressive and important collection, and having met Rick and Ted, I became interested in moving the collection forward. Teaching the Holocaust to religious school classes has only increased my interest. JN: What are some of the best-written or most impactful books about the Holocaust?
DT: That’s a tough question. Holocaust books fall into several categories: scholarly histories, survivor memoirs, and works of fiction. To me, the single most important Holocaust book is Elie Wiesel’s Night. Another powerful book is Primo Levi’s Survival in Auschwitz. Books for young readers are particularly difficult to recommend. The Bonk-Rivin Holocaust Collection contains more than 150 titles for young readers. Everyone is familiar with Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, but there are many more for young readers. A personal favorite is I Never Saw Another Butterfly—a collection of drawings and poems by children in the Terezín concentration camp. More than 12,000 children under the age of 15 were held in Terezín; more than 90 percent of them did not survive the Holocaust. JN: Talk about the process of sourcing and acquiring the books. DT: Over the years, Rick and Ted continued to add books to the collection, and from time to time, other individuals have donated books. Bibliographies from organizations like the Association of Jewish Libraries, the United States Holocaust Museum, and Yad Vashem provide valuable information for ordering new titles from book dealers. From its beginning with 250 titles, the collection now has 1,400 books. JN: What was the most interesting or rarest book you have or the hardest one to track down? DT: A few come to mind. One of the most interesting is a German volume from 1934, Männer im Dritten Reich, a collector’s album of brief biographies of 240 Nazi leaders. Published by a German cigarette company, each page has a color portrait “card” pasted in. Our copy is one of the very few complete with all portraits. The collection also includes books signed by authors, and some foreign language titles, including The Holocaust in Farsi, a four-volume set of many primary documents with commentary in Farsi for
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David Titus.
teaching Iranians about the Holocaust. Also in the collection is Never Again: The Holocaust, a small 28-page booklet of drawings, poems, and essays by students of Booker T. Washington High School in Norfolk. Created in 1989, it reflects students’ reactions to the Holocaust. Ours may be the only publicly available copy. JN: Does the library have ephemera such as photos, posters, pamphlets, film, etc.? DT: The collection includes DVDs and VHS tapes. Some relevant photos and other ephemera exist in the temple archives. JN: Do you find that you continue to learn something new about the Holocaust? DT: There is always more to learn. Two areas I am currently interested in are America’s actions during the Holocaust and graphic novels of the Holocaust. The collection now has a graphic novel section with more than 20 Holocaustrelated titles.
JN: Other comments? DT: With the Holocaust now more than 75 years in the past, it is critical that we continue to bear witness. As Ted Bonk said when the Holocaust Library was dedicated in 1993 on Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, “Our young people must be torchbearers of truth. Through Jewish homes, synagogues, and libraries, the truth of the Holocaust survived. The Nazis first burned books, and then people. We will mourn their loss forever.” When Ted Bonk died in 2020, the BonkRivin Holocaust Library Fund was established in his memory, creating a permanent source of funding for the collection. Donations may be sent to Ohef Sholom Temple, 730 Raleigh Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23507. The Ohef Sholom Library, which includes the Bonk-Rivin Holocaust Collection, is open to the public. For more information, visit ohefsholom.org.
Senior Living Meet Patsi Walton, JCC Seniors Club president Robin Ford
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he Seniors Club president, Patsi Walton, is always ready to try something new, introducing great entertainment and important classes to the active senior programs. Calling her a ‘firecracker!’ is a most apt description. Jewish News: When did you join the Simon Family JCC? Patsi Walton: I joined the JCC several years after I retired in 2002 from the City of Virginia as an aquatic supervisor. The JCC offered a breath of fresh air from the very busy city pools, plus had an outdoor and a therapy pool. JN: When did you join the Seniors Club? PW: A friend in the water aerobics class invited me to a club Luau and I joined the
Seniors Club soon afterward. JN: What interested you about the presidency of the Seniors Club? PW: When I joined, the club needed help, so I co-chaired programming with another member. I eventually planned the programs by myself, and we enjoyed some great programs and trips! At the time, the current president was stepping down, and, to keep the club running at the same pace, I said I would be president and do programs, as well. JN: What would you like for the Seniors Club in the future? PW: I would like to see a variety of interesting programs, some for fun and some for important knowledge for seniors—always with camaraderie. I do not know how side trips will develop as
transportation is an issue. When COVID hit, everything changed! JN: What other activities do you do at the JCC? PW: I usually do water aerobics, bunco, Mexican train, bridge, and this month, I’m trying the Book Club. The JCC was definitely a lifesaver when my husband passed away. JN: What about life outside of the JCC? PW: I was an Army wife for 27 years, loved every tour of duty, and am so grateful for our life. When I retired, we traveled, visited 93 countries, and flew around the world. We raised three successful children, four grandsons, and I am grateful for every day G-d has given me!!
Patsi Walton.
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Senior Living FIRST PERSON
JCC Senior Book Club meets monthly Third Mondays, 1:30 pm, Sandler Family Campus Sherry Lieberman
S
imon Family Jewish Community Center’s Book Club has been active since it began in February 2008. When I was senior adult program coordinator for Jewish Family Service and Jewish Community Center, I recognized the need and interest for a book club, and the JCC Book Club began. The first book the club read and discussed was Suite Francaise by Irene Nermirovsky. Our discussion was led by Rena Rogoff, a retired English professor. Rogoff was very
Opening in 2024
effective and helped guide us to success, suggesting great books, which we enjoyed and discussed. Some of the earlier books we read were The Genesis by Alan Dershowitz, Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, Sarah’s Key by Titiana De Rosnay and so many more. Rogoff was our leader through 2008. I took over the helm and have been guiding this exceptional book club since 2009. Our book club continues to grow as we gain new members. Each member is knowledgeable, intelligent, and unique.
We have active and inquisitive participants making our book club one of the best around. With book choices covering many genres, we pride ourselves on reading books as a group that we may not have read on our own. Fast-forward 14 years, and the JCC Book Club is still strong and active. We have read more than 175 books, poems, short stories, and have attended movies as a group pertaining to books we have read. Some of our books’ authors have appeared at the JCC both in-person and on Zoom. We have had phone discussions
with authors and have enjoyed food at meetings that relate to the book to be discussed. Anyone interested is invited to join the JCC Book Club. Meetings may be attended in-person or via Zoom. There is no pressure to participate…listening is fine. Some members have moved from the area, but still attend the book club via Zoom. For additional information, email Sherry Lieberman at Joeann124@aol.com.
A Premier Senior Li ving Community!
P E M B R O K E
Aviva Pembroke will be retirement living at its best. A premier senior living community, including 124 independent living apartments, 20 assisted living apartments, and 12 memory support units, for a complete continuum of care. Offering 1 bedroom, 1 bedroom with den, and 2 and 3 bedroom units. Located on the corner of Jeanne Street and Constitution Drive, residents will have access to all of the best dining, shopping, and entertainment Virginia Beach has to offer.
Professionall y managed by Beth Sholom Village with over 40 year s of e xperience. Contact David Abraham a t 833-453-2595 AvivaPembroke.com
24 | JEWISH NEWS | Seniors | July 18, 2022 | jewishnewsva.org
Senior Living Dementia Care training for BSV employees Marcia Futterman Brodie
B
eth Sholom Village recently held an Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Seminar for all of its staff. The seminars were designed by the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners LLC (NCCDP LLC), and the classes were facilitated by Tree of Life Dementia Care Consulting, LLC. This training was made possible by The Sephardic Foundation on Aging, whose mission is “Empowering all older people to live happier, healthier lives.” The Dementia Care Partner program supports and builds empathy for people with dementia and their caretakers and advances programs that encourage well-being and connections to their community. BSV believes in offering the best care possible to all of its residents. However, BSV recognizes that its population of residents with cognitive impairment requires and deserves special consideration. The Village feels it is imperative to ensure that all of its direct care staff are adequately trained and educated in dementia-related caregiving. Direct Care Staff include all nursing staff—RNs, LPNs, Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), and medical aides. Direct care staff also includes all members of the rehabilitation department—physical, occupational, and speech
therapists, as well as members of its recreation therapy department and social workers. These staff members care for residents daily and work to meet and exceed goals of care unique to each resident. The week-long training was deemed a great success, with 131 employees completing the course required to obtain the certification of Certified Dementia Practitioner® CDP®. In addition, 70 ancillary employees attended the awareness and care training for people with dementia. In total, 201 Beth Sholom Village employees received specialized training on dementia care in a single week. Beth Sholom Village is proud to have provided this training as it creates an environment of inclusivity and addresses all residents’ unique needs. Plans call to continue this training to ensure all new employees receive the same information and are adequately equipped to care for BSV residents.
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jewishnewsva.org | July 18, 2022 | Seniors | JEWISH NEWS | 25
Senior Living Where stamps intersect Judaism Debbie Burke
J
oe Weintrob has been collecting stamps specifically about Israel, Jewish life, and the Holocaust since he was in the Cub Scouts in 1954. Now, Weintrob particularly likes to look for KKL (Keren Kayemet Le’Israel) stamps, which feature the early history of Israel and its leaders. He owns several Austrian tabs (an extra rectangular section on a sheet of stamps, often with information about the stamp) dedicated to Theodor Herzl and the Holocaust. Weintrob is most interested in a stamp’s colors, theme, and who is being honored. An active member of a stamp club that meets twice a month at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church in Virginia Beach, he says his “great white whale” of stamps would have to be “the Israel Tab 7-9 and J1-5. It’s about $4,000. [My late wife] Irene would have had my head if I spent that much.”
Stamps with a Jewish connection.
A rewarding and robust retirement: Steve and Nancy Rosenberg
L
ong-time Virginia Beach residents Nancy and Steve Rosenberg have made the Simon Family JCC’s Fitness facilities a huge part of their life. Steve, a retired health care administrator, works out on the elliptical, treadmill, free weights, weight presses, and band activities, while Nancy, who was a school counselor in the Chesapeake Public Schools, attends Pilates and Zumba classes three times a week. They are active members of Ohef Sholom Temple and Nancy serves on the Holocaust Commission. As a couple, they’ve been attending the Norfolk Forum for more than 30 years, and attend the Virginia Stage, Virginia Symphony, MOCA, and Virginia Musical Theater. Outside of fitness, Steve enjoys reading, gardening, and for the past 26 years, has partnered with his son Evan in a fantasy baseball league (the couple has a son who lives locally and another son in Missoula, Mont.). Nancy enjoys sending greeting cards to both relatives and friends. Steve’s job brought the couple here from New Jersey. Says Nancy, “We loved the friendly people, Jewish worship and activities, and great climate compared to the north.” This summer, they say they’re looking forward to a family vacation in Ocracoke, N.C.
26 | JEWISH NEWS | Seniors | July 18, 2022 | jewishnewsva.org
Star Trek 50th anniversary stamp show, New York, 2016.
Doron Almog, retired general and disabilities advocate, set to head Jewish Agency Ron Kampeas
(JTA)—The Jewish Agency’s nominating committee recommended Doron Almog, a storied retired general and a longtime advocate for people with disabilities, to lead the body that bridges Israel and the Jewish Diaspora. The nomination of Almog, 71, now goes to the Jewish Agency’s Board of Governors, where it is all but assured of approval. The nomination follows an extended period of consideration since May 2021, when the last chairman of the agency, Isaac Herzog, announced his successful run for the Israeli presidency. The agency has been led in the interim by an acting chairman, Yaakov Hagoel. Almog has a long career in the military, assisting in the 1976 raid on Entebbe, Uganda to free a plane held hostage by German and Palestinian terrorists. He helped to lead the secret airlift of Ethiopian Jews in the mid-1980s, and led the Southern Command, which had Gaza as a responsibility, during the Second Intifada.
An Israel Prize laureate, Almog has also led disability advocacy. He founded Adi NegevNahalat Eran Rehabilitation Village, named for his son Eran, who died at 23 from Castleman’s disease, a lymph disorder. The Jewish Agency, established in 1929, handles numerous aspects of the Israel-Diaspora relationship, including fund-raising for Israel, encouraging and absorbing immigrants in partnership with the Israeli government, and running Jewish education and identity-building programs at home and abroad. Its funding is provided by North American Jewish federations, together with the federations’ counterparts in other countries and other donors. The nomination committee reportedly considered more than a dozen candidates, including a number of women and Sephardic Jews—neither group is represented among the chairmen of the agency going back to 1929. Serious consideration reportedly was given to Idan Roll, the deputy foreign minister who is a leader of Israel’s LGBTQ community.