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Southeastern Virginia | Vol. 57 No. 1 | 23 Elul 5778 | September 3, 2018
y a d i l o H h g i H e h T on begins seas
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29 Hydrox, the original kosher sandwich cookie
30 Wearing his heart on his sleeve
31 Temple Emanuel’s new president
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Rollout of Trump administration’s peace deal ‘not imminent,’ US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman says JERUSALEM (JTA) — U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman
to the Israelis, ‘Look, can you do a little bit more? Look what we
said that a rollout of the Trump administration’s peace plan for
did for you. Is there something more that you could do?’ It’s not
Israel and the Palestinians is “not imminent.”
that he has something specific in mind, but just that under the
“I would imagine that we will roll something out. I hesitate
circumstances that the United States has engaged in really sig-
even to put a month on it because it has shifted as we continue
nificant good-faith efforts to strengthen Israel and strengthen its
to listen and talk to people,” Friedman told American Jewish
historical multi-thousand-year connection to Jerusalem, maybe
Congress members in a telephone briefing.
the Israelis could make it clear by leaning in a little bit as well.
Though the briefing last month reportedly was off the record, at least two news outlets reported on its contents. Friedman also clarified that President Donald Trump has not demanded that Israel do anything in return for his administration’s decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. “I was there when the [Jerusalem] decision was made. I was
That’s all it meant …” Friedman also said on the call that Trump has the highest popularity rating in Israel of any country in the world.
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“You know, if his popularity rating were this high in the United States, I don’t think the Democrats would even field a candidate [in 2020],” he said.
there watching it and advocating for it in real time. There is not
In reference to the controversial nation-state law, Friedman
and there never was any demand made of Israel that they do any-
said that Israel has a right to call itself a Jewish state and pass a
thing in exchange for the embassy move,” Friedman said on the
law stating this, Haaretz reported.
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“There’s a basic law of human dignity and nothing in the
call, according to the Jewish Insider. He also said: “The President feels that if the parties are lucky enough to be sitting in a room and making progress, he might say
nation-state law overwrites that,” he also said, according to
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Up Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Briefs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Torah Thought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Israel: Guns, SodaStream, KFC . . . . . . 6 Michael Cohen’s Jewish Moments. . . . 8 Trump: Israel will pay for Embassy move. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Ben Kingsley carried Elie Wiesel photograph. . . . . . . . . . . 10 Poll on U.S. Jews and religion . . . . . . 12 Rosh Hashanah special section . . . . 13 Hydrox accuses Oreo. . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Tidewater’s Israel Mission . . . . . . . . . 30 Temple Emanuel’s new president. . . . . 31 Additions at JFit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Little Theater of Virginia Beach auditions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 What’s Happening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 What’s Happening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Mazel Tov. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Who Knew?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
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Friday, September 14/5 Tishrei Light candles at 6:65 pm Friday, September 21/12 Tishrei Light candles at 6:45 pm Friday, September 28/19 Tishrei Light candles at 6:35 pm Friday, October 5/26 Tishrei Light candles at 6:24 pm Friday, October 12/3 Cheshvan Light candles at 6:14 pm
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BRIEFS J.K. Rowling calls out writer over Jeremy Corbyn and antiSemitism: ‘What other minority would you speak to this way?’ J.K. Rowling went head to head with a fellow British writer on Twitter over his criticism of Jewish complaints about anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. Simon Maginn, who has written five thrillers under his own name and satirical comedies under the name Simon Nolan, in a tweet called Jewish outrage over Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s 2013 comments indicating that “Zionists” do not understand British culture “patently synthetic outrage,” and called on a Jewish tweeter to “Explain your deep and wounding sense of injury.” Rowling, who is not Jewish, tweeted in response: “How dare you tell a Jew that their outrage is ‘patently synthetic’? How dare you demand that they lay bare their pain and fear on demand, for your personal evaluation? What other minority would you speak to this way?” Maginn then called on Rowling to explain, noting that Corbyn has said that his comments did not refer to Jews but was “a rather complicated joke about the Palestinian Ambassador’s fluency in English.” The opening salvos set up a back and forth. Rowling tweeted several quotes from Jean-Paul Sartre’s “Anti-Semite and Jew”—a famous essay on anti-Semitism by the philosopher—and lambasted him for demanding that a British Jew explain how he feels under anti-Semitic attack “when there are literally hundreds of accounts currently online explaining how British Jews currently feel?” Maginn accused Rowling of “libel” for publicly calling him an anti-Semite in one of her tweets, but tweeted that “I’m not going to mount a legal action against you because I haven’t got any money and you’ve got a lot, but false + defamatory = libelous. What a class act you are. What a nasty vicious little bully. Blocked.” He continued his harangue, opening with a tweet reading: “BREAKING NEWS: From today, any statement by Jeremy Corbyn or his supporters is now *automatically antisemitic*, unless cleared by a panel comprising Dan Hodges, J K Rowling, Stephen Pollard and (wild card
entry) David Baddiel.” Dan Hodges is a columnist for the Daily Mail who has accused Corbyn supporters of overt anti-Semitism. Pollard is the editor of London’s Jewish Chronicle newspaper, and Baddiel is a British comedian and activist who campaigns against anti-Semitism in British soccer matches. Maginn called on Rowling to apologize for “a sickening personal accusation against a complete stranger who disagrees with you politically,” also tweeting that “your followers surely deserve better than this kind of behaviour from you. So do I. I deserve an apology.” Rowling, who has 14.4 million followers on Twitter, did not respond. Maginn has tweeted against Jews in the past. In July, in response to the Labour Party rejecting the complete international definition of anti-Semitism, he wrote: “Astounding isn’t it, that a group which claims to be silenced, oppressed, powerless manages to keep the story running day after day, week after week, month after month, in every Tory paper and on the Tory BBC. Must be terrible to be so oppressed, so silenced.” It is not the first time that Rowling has debated anti-Semitism on Twitter. In April, she posted a screen grab of a nonJew attempting to explain what Judaism is—“Judaism is a religion not a race—and explained why this is hardly relevant to defining anti-Jewish bias. She tweeted: “Most UK Jews in my timeline are currently having to field this kind of crap, so perhaps some of us nonJews should start shouldering the burden,” she said. “Antisemites think this is a clever argument, so tell us, do: were atheist Jews exempted from wearing the yellow star? #antisemitism.” (JTA)
Jewish video gamer opens fire during tournament killing two and himself A video gamer opened fire during a tournament in Jacksonville, Florida, killing two and then fatally shooting himself. The gunman was identified as David Katz, 24, of Baltimore, Maryland. The Forward reported that Katz is Jewish. Nine other people were wounded in the shooting at the Madden NFL 19 eSports video game tournament. It was held in a
4 | Jewish News | September 3, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org
gaming bar that shares space with a pizzeria at the Jacksonville Landing, The bar was livestreaming the competition when the gunfire stated It is the third major mass shooting in Florida in the last two years. Katz was competing in the eSports tournament. FBI agents have searched the home of Katz’s father in an upscale townhouse complex near Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Katz competed in several video game tournaments under the monikers Bread or MrSlicedBread, and reportedly won a similar tournament in 2017. (JTA)
Loophole allows expansion of Western Wall egalitarian prayer section A plan to expand the Western Wall’s egalitarian prayer section received final approval, using a loophole that applies to handicapped-accessible sites. The approval was first reported last month in Haaretz, which did not say when the meeting to approve the work took place. Approval of the work under the special regulation cut months off the time it would take to begin the work, since it need only be approved by the municipal engineer and not also by both the regional and local planning committees. The scheme to approve the fast-track process for the work was supported by the Prime Minister’s Office, according to the report. The attorney general’s office reportedly was against using the loophole as a way to approve a major and controversial project. The plan was approved by the Jerusalem municipality’s legal counsel, however. Plans to renovate the site, with a budget of more than $7 million, have continued, despite the suspension of a comprehensive plan approved in 2016. In June 2017, the Cabinet suspended the deal that came about as a result of negotiations between the Reform and Conservative movements, the Women of the Wall, the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Israeli government. The suspension came after the government’s haredi Orthodox coalition partners pressured Netanyahu to scrap the agreement, including threatening to bring down the government. Netanyahu had promised to expand the area following the suspension of the
comprehensive deal, though the expansion has been appealed to Israel’s Supreme Court over concern that it would damage an important archeological site. In July, the three members of the Knesset ministerial committee charged with deciding whether to approve the plan to upgrade the Western Wall’s egalitarian section resigned over political pressure from the haredi Orthodox parties. Netanyahu placed himself as head of the committee. The comprehensive plan would have included a common entrance to the Western Wall plaza for all three sections and a public board to oversee the egalitarian prayer space and would include representatives of the non-Orthodox movements and Women of the Wall. (JTA)
Jake Tapper’s daughter has a book coming out— and she’s only 11 Jake Tapper is not only a CNN anchor but an author, with a recent political thriller, The Hellfire Club, on the shelves. Now it looks like his daughter Alice Paul Tapper, 11, is set to get in on the action as well, releasing her first book, titled Raise Your Hand. The book, which is being published by Penguin Young Readers, is based on Alice’s work encouraging girls to be more assertive and raise their hands in class. In a 2017 New York Times op-ed, the then 10-year-old wrote that she was on a field trip when she noticed “that all the boys stood in the front and raised their hands while most of the girls politely stayed in the back and were quiet. It made me upset.” “I told my mom that I thought girls weren’t raising their hands because they were afraid that the answer was going to be wrong and that they would be embarrassed. I also think they were being quiet because the boys already had the teacher’s attention, and they worried they might not be able to get it. My mom and I decided that we should take the experience to my Girl Scout troop,” she continued. The idea eventually gained steam and led to the establishment of the Girl Scout’s Raise Your Hand patch, whose message, she explained, “is that girls should have confidence, step up and become leaders by raising our hands.” (JTA)
torah thought
The Year of the Pen
I
n services on the Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe, tradition requires us to recite the masterwork of prayer U-netaneh Tokef on both Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. These awe-filled days are times of questions. There are the spiritual questions that teshuva, repentance, demands: Who am I? Am I on the right path? Have I hurt others intentionally or unintentionally? Could I be a better version of me? How do I get to the next step? But there are also the simple, yet terrifying, existential questions of U-netaneh Tokef: “Who will live and who will die.... Who by hunger and who by thirst…who will be tranquil and who will be troubled…who will be brought low and who will be raised up?” This whole season is designed to help us focus on all of these vital questions and to help pull us away from our more usual reveries: What can I do? What difference does it make? Who will step up to help? What business is it of mine? and so many more common and paralyzing questions. The Days of Awe and the U-netaneh Tokef prayer insist that we re-focus, move away from the questions of impotence and excuse and embrace the questions of change and transformation. Surrounding the intense questions of U-netaneh Tokef is the familiar refrain, “On Rosh HaShanah it is written and on the Fast of Yom Kippur it is sealed!” We commonly read this refrain as if God is sitting in Heaven with a large book marking who’s been naughty and who’s been nice. According to this interpretation, the book is a threat, a sword of Damacles hanging over our heads, demanding that we be good and do as we are told lest the death stroke fall as punishment. This reading is indeed terrifying, but is one I hardly find motivating. Yet, there are other ways to
understand the book’s metaphor. What if God is not the one writing the book, but rather we are the authors of our own stories? We write our own Book of Life, if you will. On Rosh Hashanah we can be the ones writing what will be for us in the new year; we can start taking the initiative to write our own story. These Days of Awe demand that we stop living our lives as if our fate is in someone else’s hands and begin taking the initiative to live the life that is meant for us. We can start by stifling the questions of angst and consternation, the questions that pretend we have no control of, or influence on, our lives. It is true that no one can know the answers to the terrible questions of U-netaneh Tokef, but that’s just the point. By recognizing the things we cannot control, we are invited to also recognize the things we can and to start doing something about them. And there is no better year than this coming one to recognize that we hold the pen and we fill the pages. I was recently chatting with Rabbi Gila Dror of Rodef Sholom in Newport News and Rabbi Michael Panitz of Temple Israel in Norfolk. Rabbi Dror pointed out the last two letters in the Hebrew writing of the new Jewish Year, 5779, are ayin and tet. Rabbi Panitz pointed out that if you made them into a word you would have et, the Hebrew word for ‘pen.’ Therefore, this New Year 5779 could be called, “The Year of the Pen.” As 5779, the Year of the Pen, approaches, may we all remember that on Rosh HaShanah, as we reflect on existential and spiritual questions, we hold the pen in our hand and begin writing our story for the next year. And on Yom Kippur, when we exit the Days of Awe and reenter the world with our commitments and plans at the ready, we seal our path for the year to come. May we all find fulfillment in whatever our Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur practices are and may we all exit the season back on the path that God meant for us to travel. L’Shanah Tovah Tikateivu. Rabbi Jeffrey M. Arnowitz, Congregation Beth El
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Israel
Israel loosens gun laws for army combat veterans
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JERUSALEM (JTA)—Israel eased restrictions on gun ownership last month in a move intended to increase the number of weapons in circulation, allowing Israelis to more effectively respond to Palestinian terrorism. According to the Israeli news site Ynet, the Ministry of Public Security’s new licensing policy will open up gun ownership to hundreds of thousands of veterans, although they will still be required to pass the same rigorous screening procedures in place. Only those living in the West Bank or working in professions that required weapons, such as security guards, had been eligible for ownership. “Many civilians have saved lives during terror attacks,” Minister of Public Security
Gilad Erdan was quoted as saying. “In an era of lone-wolf terror attacks, the more armed and trained civilians there are, the larger the chances of disrupting an attack and decreasing casualties.” This is not the first time that Erdan has worked to loosen Israel’s strict gun laws. In the wake of a series of lone wolf terrorist attacks carried out by Palestinians across Israel in 2015, he allowed local authorities in what are deemed “high priority” areas to grant weapons permits rather than require applicants to deal directly with his ministry. He also expanded the number of areas that fell under that designation. “Citizens with firearms training are a multiplying force for the police in their fight against terrorism and therefore I will
take measures to ease the restrictions at this time,” he said at the time. Responding to Erdan’s announcement, Meretz chairwoman Tamar Zandberg tweeted sarcastically that “there is no doubt that what is missing in Israel is more weapons in the streets. “It is amazing to see how the Ministry of Public Security is solving problems, instead of dealing with the huge quantities of illegal weapons that are circulating in the streets and endangering human life, it is simply expanding the number of weapons licenses,” she wrote. “We are speaking about a tool of death whose use needs to be minimized as much as possible, especially for civilians.”
PepsiCo to acquire Israel’s SodaStream for $3.2 billion JERUSALEM (JTA)—PepsiCo will acquire the Israeli home soda maker manufacturer SodaStream for $3.2 billion, the soft drink giant said Monday, August 20. PepsiCo plans to maintain the Israeli company’s current base of operations in the Negev. SodaStream will continue to operate as an independent subsidiary. The American multinational agreed to acquire all of the outstanding shares of SodaStream International Ltd. for $144 per share. “PepsiCo and SodaStream are an inspired match,” Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo chairman and CEO, said in a statement. SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum “and his leadership team have built an extraordinary company that is offering consumers the ability to make great-tasting beverages while reducing the amount of waste generated. That focus is wellaligned with Performance with Purpose, our philosophy of making more nutritious products while limiting our environmental footprint. Together, we can advance our shared vision of a healthier, more-sustainable planet.” SodaStream, which manufactures home carbonation machines that work with its own line of soda flavorings, has long been a target of advocates of the
6 | Jewish News | September 3, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org
the state coffers as well as the important Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movedecision to leave the company in Israel.” ment against Israel because it was based Oded Revivi, who manin the West Bank. ages foreign relations for In October 2014, the Yesha Council, a group SodaStream announced representing the settlement it would close its movement, called the news Mishor Adumim a “day of darkness for the industrial park factory When Pepsico stopped #BDS and its supporters” and move to southern boycotting Israel and a “day of light for the Israel in the face of Israeli economy.” international pressure Economy Minister Eli from the BDS moveCohen said the purchase ment, which seeks to evoked “pride in local hurt Israel’s economy industry,” while Justice over its policies toward Ministry Ayelet Shaked the Palestinians. The said the firm was “an example of Israeli movement claimed that SodaStream discreativity, innovation, coexistence, and criminated against Palestinian workers entrepreneurship.” and paid some less than Israeli workers. “Worth remembering: PepsiCo boyIsraeli politicians framed the signifcotted Israel until 1991. Today it bought icance of the SodaStream aquisition in an Israeli firm for $3.2B and pledged it national terms that went beyond the purwill continue to operate from Israel. The chase of one company. story of Israel’s economy in a nutshell,” “I welcome the purchase of tweeted Israel’s consul general in New SodaStream,” Prime Minister Benjamin York, Dani Dayan. Netanyahu posted on Twitter. “The recent Addressing his father, who is a large acquisitions of Israeli companies Holocaust survivor, at a news conferdemonstrate not only the technological ence, Birnbaum said that he was “proud capabilities but also the business capabilthat you have seen your Zionist vision ities that have been developed in Israel. come true.” I welcome the huge deal that will enrich
1991
Security & Beauty
ISRAEL
Family of Ethiopian Bible quiz contestant allowed to stay in Israel JERUSALEM ( JTA)—The family of a young Ethiopian Jew who competed in this year’s International Bible Contest but was told he could not stay in Israel was allowed to make aliyah last month after a private organization raised the money. Sintayehu Shaparou took part in the Jerusalem-based competition in April when he was 18. Although his father and some of his siblings had made aliyah in the early 2000s, the remaining members of his family were never granted permission to move to Israel. He was granted residency by the Interior Ministry in April after it became public that Sintayehu was forced to deposit money with immigration and border control officials as a guarantee that he would leave the country following the Bible contest. Shaparou is a member of the Falash Mura community, descendants of Jews who converted to Christianity in the 19th century, many under duress. The Interior Ministry does not classify the Falash Mura as Jews and they are required to receive special legal dispensations to make aliyah, as they are not eligible under the Law of Return.
According to Heart of Israel, an activist group that raised the money for Shaparou’s family’s resettlement, the Shaparous have never learned the reason for the rejection of their immigration application. In a statement, the group announced that the remaining members of Shaparou’s family had been granted residency status after months of lobbying and are expected to arrive this month. In February, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Interior Ministry announced that they would only allow 1,000 immigrants from Ethiopia in 2018. The government has consistently cited budgetary issues as a reason for limiting Ethiopian aliyah. Some 1,300 were allowed in in 2017. In 2015, the Netanyahu administration announced that it planned to resume Ethiopian aliyah after saying two years earlier that it would end it, leaving some 9,000 people waiting in transit camps in Addis Ababa and Gondar and prompting widespread protests by Ethiopian Israelis. The government committed to bringing in 9,000 immigrants over a period of five years.
KFC is planning an Israel comeback. Will the Colonel’s chicken fly this time? JERUSALEM (JTA)—KFC is planning to bring the Colonel’s secret fried chicken recipe back to Israel. Representatives of the chain belonging to the Yum restaurant group have met in Israel with several potential franchisees and real estate agents while launching negotiations with poultry suppliers, the Hebrew-language business daily Calcalist reported. KFC plans to open 100 branches in Israel within five years of its return, the Calcalist reported. Israel Hayom reported that KFC said: “We are very optimistic about the Israeli market and we strongly believe in the success of the network here. We are now in the process of planning the re-launch in Israel. We can give further details later.”
No date has been announced for a KFC relaunch. KFC first opened in Israel in 1993 and lasted until 2013, with up to 10 locations, while the franchise changed hands twice. There are 700 KFC outlets, all halal certified, in Arab countries including the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. There also are outlets in four cities in the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. KFC has had trouble reproducing the Colonel’s special recipe for a kosher clientele since it is milk-based. A soy-based substitute has been used in the past. The Yum group also owns Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.
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jewishnewsva.org | September 3, 2018 | Jewish News | 7
nation
Michael Cohen’s most Jewish moments Ron Kampeas
yes, Jewish organizations. We plumbed JTA archives for Cohen’s Jewish moments and they reinforce the impression that his faith and upbringing just don’t resonate in the story that brought him national attention: Trump’s campaign, and the scandals now besetting the presidency.
WASHINGTON ( JTA)—A Jew makes news, but does that make it Jewish news? Take the case of Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty Tuesday, August 21 to fraud and campaign finance improprieties, directly implicating his former boss, President Donald Trump. Cohen, whose father survived the Holocaust, began his education at a yeshiva day school but transferred to the Lawrence Woodmere Academy. He once described himself as an “agnostic Jew.” But little else in his story connects him to Jewish life in an interesting or newsworthy way. It’s not that he is a perceived villain; perps like Bernie Madoff demanded wide and deep coverage in the Jewish media when he cultivated Jewish business networks and philanthropic circles to fleece thousands of people and,
Cohen cited the Holocaust twice. In July 2015, just after Trump launched his campaign, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, then also vying for the Republican presidential nomination, accused President Barack Obama of leading Jews to the “doors of the oven” with the Iran nuclear deal. That earned a rebuke from Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, who vigorously worked to kill
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the deal, as well as from an array of Jewish organizations and from fellow Republicans. Dermer said it was “inappropriate” to liken the mass murder of Jews to policy differences. But not from Trump. Speaking for his boss, Cohen, thought Huckabee was on target. “I’m not offended by the words,” Cohen told CNN, noting that his father survived the Holocaust. “What I am is I’m concerned. I’m truly concerned for the safety of not just this country but the countries all around the world.” Cohen’s father and his survival came up more recently when he explained why he was quitting the Republican National Committee, where he was vice chairman of the party’s fundraising committee. “As the son of a Polish Holocaust survivor, the images and sounds of this family separation policy is heart-wrenching,” Cohen wrote in his resignation letter in June, referring to a policy that had been in place for months. “While I strongly support measures that will secure our porous borders, children should never be used as bargaining chips.” Cohen didn’t mention it, but the resignation also may have been related to the launch of Cohen’s talks with prosecutors. Cohen got mad at rabbis who were mad at Trump. Cohen rarely addresses Jewish issues on his Twitter feed. Last year he retweeted Yom Kippur greetings from Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, and Cohen lumped Passover and Easter greetings into a single tweet in April. An exception was ahead of Trump’s speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in 2016 when he learned that a number of rabbis were planning to protest. “Anyone who believes that @realDonaldTrump is a racist doesn’t know #Trump at all,” he said on Twitter. “Shame on the protesting rabbis with #AIPAC.”
He delayed his son’s bar mitzvah moment for Trump, who, shall we say, was not appreciative. Cohen invited Trump to his son’s bar mitzvah in 2012, the Wall Street Journal reported in a deep dive earlier this year into the difficult Trump-Cohen bromance. Trump ran late, and Cohen delayed the blessings ahead of the Torah readings until his boss showed. Here’s how Trump repaid the honor, per the Journal, quoting an attendee: “After Mr. Trump arrived, he gave a speech, telling guests he hadn’t planned to come, but he relented after Mr. Cohen had repeatedly called him, his secretary and his children begging him to appear. The guests laughed because ‘everyone knew it was very realistic-sounding.’” The marital rape thing One of the first times that many people probably even heard Cohen’s name was in July 2015, when he insisted to the Daily Beast that Trump could not have raped his ex-wife, Ivana, as she had alleged in a divorce deposition. “It is true: You cannot rape your spouse. And there’s very clear case law,” Cohen said. It’s not true; all 50 states make it a crime. Cohen apologized. OK, not quite a Jewish moment, but an opportunity to note that spousal rape has also been against Jewish law for millennia. Maybe Cohen should have stayed in yeshiva.
Cohen turned on Trump at urging of his Holocaust survivor father Michael Cohen’s decision to turn on one-time patron Donald Trump was partly motivated by a conversation with his father, a Holocaust survivor. Maurice Cohen reportedly told his son that he did not survive the Nazi genocide to have the family name dragged through the mud by Trump, the Wall Street Journal reported.
nation Trump says Israel will have to pay a ‘high price’ for embassy move in peace deal JERUSALEM ( JTA)—President Donald Trump said Israel will have to pay a “high price” in peace negotiations with the Palestinians over the move of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, raising consternation in the Jewish state. Last month, addressing supporters at a rally in West Virginia, Trump praised himself for moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, saying it “should have been done years ago.” He said the decision would help facilitate a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians because it took the issue of Jerusalem “off the table.” “And you know what, in the negotiation Israel will have to pay a higher price because they won a very big thing, but I took it off the table,” he said. The Palestinians “could never get past the fact of Jerusalem becoming the capital, but they will get something very good next because it’s their turn next.” Amid the concerns in Jerusalem over the remarks, National Security Adviser John Bolton, qualified his boss’ remarks. He denied that that the embassy move was part of a “quid pro quo,” stating that “as a deal-maker, as a bargainer, he would expect, you would expect, I would expect that the Palestinians would say ‘OK, great, so we didn’t get that one and now we want something else. And we’ll see how it goes.’” Responding to Trump, Israeli Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel told Army Radio that “this isn’t a terrible morning, but there is cause for concern regarding Trump.” Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi took pains to reassure Israelis, asserting that the U.S.
leader “has not turned on us.” Such reassurances follow months of euphoria following the embassy move and general relief on the Israeli right that Trump shares its views. Following the 2016 election, Education Minister Naftali Bennett famously boasted that “the era of the Palestinian state is over.” Politicians on the left were more welcoming of Trump’s remarks. Knesset member Amir Peretz, a former defense minister, was quoted by The Jerusalem Post as saying that “when dealing with a president who thinks like a businessman, it was clear it would only be a matter of time until he asked for something in return.” According to Ynet, the PLO harshly denounced Trump’s remarks, saying they indicated “the continuation of a biased policy in Israel’s favor, and the continued illusion of the American administration that it is possible to achieve the ‘deal of the century’ without Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state.” This isn’t the first time Trump has made such comments. Earlier this year, he suggested that if the Palestinians return to talks, his decision on Jerusalem would mean that it’s now Israel’s turn to give up something to keep the Palestinians in. “You win one point,” Trump said to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, “and you’ll give up some points later on in the negotiation if it ever takes place. I don’t know that it ever will take place.” Later, Trump said, “Israel will pay for that,” referring to Jerusalem.
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LOS ANGELES (JTA)—Ask Ben Kingsley about why he was keen to portray Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann in the new film Operation Finale and he describes the traumatic childhood incident in which he first learned about the Holocaust. The 74-year-old British actor was then in grammar school and at home alone when he turned on a documentary about the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. “I remember my heart stopped beating for a while,” Kingsley, who is not Jewish but believes he may have some Jewish relatives on his mother’s side, said in a telephone interview. “I nearly passed out. And I have been indelibly connected to the Holocaust ever since.” His connection was even more enhanced when he asked his grandmother about the atrocities, and she said that “Hitler was right” to have killed Jews. “I went into deep shock and was unable to counter her,” Kingsley said. “But something must have clicked in my innermost soul that said ‘Grandmother, I will make you eat your words. I will pay you back for that. You have not distorted or poisoned my mind.’” Kingsley went on to portray the Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal in the HBO film Murderers Among Us; the Jewish accountant Itzhak Stern in Schindler’s List; and Anne Frank’s father in a 2001 ABC miniseries. He also won an Academy Award for his turn as the titular Indian independence leader in 1982’s Gandhi. During research for his Shoah-themed films, Kingsley became close friends with Holocaust survivor, activist, and author Elie Wiesel. Not long before Wiesel’s death in 2016, the actor vowed to him that “the next time I walk onto a film set that is appropriate to your story, I will dedicate my performance to you.” So when Kingsley was offered the Eichmann role in Operation Finale after Wiesel’s death—a film that debuted last
month and focuses on the Holocaust architect’s capture—the actor jumped at the chance. Just as he famously carried a picture of Anne Frank during the filming of Schindler’s List, he carried a photo of Wiesel during the filming of Operation Finale. “[E]very day as promised, I looked at a picture of Elie that I carried in my pocket and said ‘I’m doing this for you,’” Kingsley said. Operation Finale tells the story of Peter Malkin and other Mossad agents who covertly hunted and captured Eichmann hiding in Argentina and brought him to Israel for trial in 1961, where he was ultimately executed. The heart of the story is the cat-and-mouse game between Malkin (played by Oscar Isaac) and Eichmann, both of whom were master manipulators, according to the film’s director, Chris Weitz (About a Boy and A Better Life). “Each one is trying to convince the other of something,” Weitz said in a telephone interview. “Malkin wanted to convince Eichmann to sign a paper indicating that he was willing to go to trial in Jerusalem. And Eichmann is trying out various defenses that he will eventually use in Israeli court. So in that regard there is the subterfuge of the escaped war criminal and also the subterfuge of the spy as he’s trying to turn a source.” As for Eichmann, Weitz said, “I think the evidence shows a very chameleon-like figure who is constantly trying to serve his own ends and ambitions.” Kingsley unabashedly sees his character as evil. “What other adjective can you use?” he asked. “Not only did he commit these crimes as an architect of the Final Solution, he went to his grave proud of what he had done—utterly unrepentant.” Yet Kingsley said he chose not to portray Eichmann as “a B-movie, cartoony, comic strip villain.” “That would have done a terrible disservice to the victims and the survivors
arts I know and love,” he said. “It’s important for us to accept, to stomach and to swallow that the Nazis were men and women—‘normal’ people. Twisted people, but they didn’t come from Mars.” Weitz, 48, had his own personal connection to the material. His father, the fashion designer John Weitz, escaped Nazi Germany in 1933 at the age of 10. Nine years later he arrived in the United States and later became a spy for the OSS, the precursor of the CIA. He interrogated Nazi war criminals and helped liberate Bergen-Belsen, “which forever changed him,” his son said. The filmmaker grew up with his father’s war stories and ultimately helped
the patriarch write multiple books about Nazi war criminals. The director also said he had “endless trepidations” about depicting images of the Holocaust, and so chose to do so through the lens of the Mossad agents’ memories. “The agents’ memoirs indicate that they all found it deeply unsettling to be so near the person who had taken part in the murder of their families,” Weitz said. “Some of them were disappointed that all this evil could have the face of this rather unprepossessing man, which felt terribly out of scale to all the damage that had been done.”
Titanic victim’s Hebrew-letter watch sold at auction to collector of timepieces relating to disaster A pocket watch with Hebrew letters on its face that belonged to a Jewish Russian immigrant who died aboard the Titanic sold at auction for $57,500. Heritage Auctions offered the pocket watch at its headquarters in Dallas in a public auction of important Americana memorabilia. The watch, which features Moses holding the Ten Commandments on its back, was purchased by John Miottel, a collector of timepieces relating to the Titanic disaster. Miottel operates the Miottel Museum and already owns timepieces from Titanic victims Col. John Jacob Astor, the liner’s richest passenger and the era’s richest person in the world, as well as a watch formerly owned by Oscar Woody, the Titanic’s U.S. Postal Clerk. Miottel also holds the timepiece once owned by the first person to receive the distress call from the Titanic, Harold Thomas Cottam, who served as a wireless operator on the rescue ship RMS Carpathia. “It will take one of the primary spots in our collection,” Miottel said, where it will be added to the museum’s Ocean Liner Section, which is comprised of thousands of historic maritime artifacts and memorabilia. The watch’s original owner, Sinai Kantor, was an immigrant from Russia
bound for New York with his wife, Miriam, who survived the accident aboard the Titanic when it sank during the cruise ship’s maiden voyage in 1912. Dozens of Jews were among the 1,503 passengers who died. The Kantors were among 285 Second Class passengers and boarded the ship together in Southampton, England. The British liner had a kosher kitchen. The pocket watch was sold by a direct descendant of Miriam and Sinai Kantor, who provided a letter of provenance and who does not wish to be identified. The couple, who paid 26 pounds sterling (approximately $3,666 today) for their ticket, were among 285 Second Class passengers and boarded the ship together in Southampton, England. Kantor, a furrier who wanted to study dentistry or medicine in America, was 34 when he and his wife, 24, also an aspiring doctor, boarded Titanic. They hailed from Vitebsk, today a city in northwest Belarus. Miriam Kantor received her husband’s clothing, Russian passport, notebook, telescope, corkscrew, “silver watch and strap,” and Russian, German and English currency on May 24, 1912. Sinai Kantor is buried in Mount Zion Cemetery in Queens, according to Israeli Titanic researcher Eli Moskowitz, author of a book on the Jews of the Titanic. (JTA)
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NATION Nearly half of U.S. Jews don’t identify with organized religion, study finds NEW YORK (JTA)—Nearly half of U.S. Jews do not identify with organized religion, a new study by the Pew Research Center finds. More than one in five, however, are considered “Sunday stalwarts” (or Saturday): those who “actively practice their faith, but they also are deeply involved in their religious congregations.” The study published last month defines how people practice their religion. It only includes Jews who define their religion as Judaism, or “Jews by religion.” Conducted last December, the study of more than 4,700 respondents has a margin of error of 2.3 percent. Among the seven categories, 45 percent of American Jews are listed in the two for the least religious: “religion resisters,” who believe in a higher power but have negative views of organized religion, or “solidly secular,” those who don’t believe in God and do not self-define as religious. The breakdown is 28 percent as “solidly secular” and 17 percent as “religion resisters.” On the other end of the spectrum, 21 percent of Jews are “Sunday stalwarts.” Eight percent are “god-and-country believers,” who express their religion through political and social conservatism, and 5 percent are “diversely devout,” who follow the Bible but also believe in things like animism and reincarnation. The somewhat religious are defined as either “relaxed religious” (14 percent), those who believe in God and pray but don’t engage in many traditional practices, or “spiritually awake” (8 percent), those who hold New Age beliefs and believe in heaven and hell. Americans as a whole are more or less evenly divided among the seven groups. The largest three groups are “Sunday stalwarts,” “relaxed religious” and “solidly secular” at 17 percent each. The smallest are “god-and-country believers” and “religion resisters” at 12 percent each. “Jewish Americans are the only religious group with substantial contingents at each end of the typology,” the study says.
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h a n a h S L’ h a v o T 9 7 57 Supplement to Jewish News September 3, 2018
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Rosh Hashanah
A spiritual drama Kee Tavo
(Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8) With the High Holy Days 5779 soon
upon us, how reflective of their grateful spirit and challenging thrust is this Parasha in the context of an increasingly precarious world where dangerous polarization abounds! The Israelites are taught that re-entering the Promised Land is more than a physical act. At the core of this great adventure is a spiritual drama calling for giving thanks through a heartfelt thanksgiving, to the God who led Israel from the diverse confines of Egypt’s House of Bondage to freedom’s open promise and the underlying premise of Sinai’s responsibility. The expected offering to the priest from the bounty of “a land flowing with milk and honey” and the consecrated field’s labor, is designed as an uplifting recognition of divine benevolence that should not go unnoticed, but be internalized for generations to come. It becomes a humbling act of acknowledging an individual’s along with a people’s limitations, particularly for a nation covenanted to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” However, given the human proclivity to take blessings for granted and put aside the true record of one’s accomplishments and failings for short-term self-aggrandizement, implicit in the Israelites’ approaching the priest with earthly goods is a remembrance of these gifts’ divine origin which assumes even
fuller significance while reciting the liberation saga of the Exodus. A liberation also from our own petty narrowness and pagan blindness to the larger scene of the human enterprise, in which God is a senior partner. It is precisely in the moment of peak rejoicing of the harvest’s fruitful yield, that the celebrating Israelites are commanded to recall trying beginnings of their people’s sojourn and the subsequent suffering in the crucible of Egyptian tyranny, lest a journey of forgetfulness and neglect ensues with disastrous consequences. It is difficult though to reconcile the lyrically tender words, so very relevant at this trying time, “Hashkifa mimon kodschecha min-hashamayim uvarech et-amcha et-Yisrael.” (“Behold from the heights of your holy abode, from heaven and bless Your people, Israel…”), to the extraordinarily harsh and indescribable punishments to befall us for straying from God’s Covenant. On the threshold of a New Year, may we pledge to pursue in tandem with the Most High the covenant’s loving yet demanding agenda for our sake as well as that of the Keeper of our lives. Shana Tova of shalom’s sweet blessings of healing, hope, and harmony! Dr. Israel Zoberman is the founding rabbi of Congregation Beth Chaverim
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Rosh Hashanah
The Jewish year in review #MeToo, the embassy move, and a growing gap between Israel and the Diaspora Ben Harris
(JTA)—For North American Jews, the Jewish year 5778 began with tensions between Israel and the Diaspora over egalitarian prayer at the Western Wall and ended with more tension over a controversial nationality law. In between, North American Jews grappled with the impact of the #MeToo movement, the Trump administration relocated the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv and actress Natalie Portman made headlines for turning down a chance to collect a top prize in Israel.
September 2017 A survey finds that American Jews overwhelmingly disapprove of President Donald Trump’s performance. The poll, conducted by the American Jewish Committee, shows that 77 percent view Trump’s performance unfavorably and 21 percent view it favorably – figures considerably worse than Trump’s performance in polls of the general population conducted at the same time. Edie Windsor, whose landmark Supreme Court case paved the way for gay marriage in the United States, dies at 88. Windsor’s 2013 lawsuit resulted in the court’s overturning part of the Defense of Marriage Act that had defined marriage for federal purposes as the union between a man and a woman. Disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner is sentenced to 21 months in prison for transferring obscene material to a teenage girl. The former House of Representatives member from New York had pleaded guilty in the case, which followed multiple instances of sharing sexually explicit material online. A French Jewish leader and his family are assaulted in their home near Paris amid a spate of violent break-ins, including deadly ones, targeting Jewish victims, according to authorities.
October 2017 The United States announces its intention to withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization over its anti-Israel bias. The decision, which will go into effect at the end of 2019, reflects concerns about the general need for reform of the organization as well as “continuing anti-Israel bias at UNESCO,” the State Department says. Harvey Weinstein is fired from the film production company he founded in the wake of multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against him. Weinstein, who co-founded Miramax (later The Weinstein Company) with his brother Bob, also is expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization that awards the Oscars. The Weinstein revelations spur similar allegations against numerous powerful men, leading to the #MeToo movement. S.I. Newhouse Jr., the billionaire media mogul who ran dozens of magazines and newspapers, dies at 89 in New York. The grandson of Russian immigrants, whose initials stand for Samuel Irving, since 1975 had run the magazine division of Advance Publications, known as Conde Nast, which publishes Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker. Monty Hall, host of the long-running television game show Let’s Make a Deal, dies at 96 in Los Angeles. Born Monte Halperin in Winnipeg, Canada, Hall hosted thousands of episodes of the show over more than two decades.
16 | Jewish News | Rosh Hashanah | September 3, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org
November 2017 Alex Bregman stars as his Houston Astros win their first World Series championship. The Jewish infielder hits two home runs and in Game 5 becomes the first Jewish player to win a Series game with a walk-off hit. On the losing side, outfielder Joc Pederson of the Los Angeles Dodgers breaks the record for most homers in a Series by a Jewish player with three, beating the mark of two set by Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg in 1934. Eight months later, Bregman is named the All-Star Game MVP for slugging the tie-breaking homer in the American League’s victory. The umbrella group of North American Jewish federations demands Israel reverse its “divisive and damaging” steps to freeze an agreement on egalitarian prayer at the Western Wall, warning that ignoring the concerns of non-Orthodox Jews could undermine the Zionist vision. A resolution slamming Israel’s moves on pluralism is adopted by the board of trustees of the Jewish Federations of North America at its annual General Assembly in Los Angeles. Israeli actress Gal Gadot is named GQ magazine’s 2017 Woman of the Year. Gadot soared to international celebrity as the star of the blockbuster film Wonder Woman. The U.S. Department of Justice begins distributing $772.5 million in recovered funds to some victims of Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. The sum, which was returned eight years after the Jewish investment adviser
pleaded guilty to committing one of the largest fraud schemes in U.S. history, represents only a fraction of the more than $4 billion in assets that U.S. law enforcement is able to recover for Madoff’s victims. Actress Natalie Portman is named winner of the 2018 Genesis Prize. The award, dubbed the “Jewish Nobel,” honors individual Jews of outstanding professional achievement and commitment to Jewish values. The award comes with a $1 million prize. Canadian Jews take issue with a government report showing a decline of 56 percent in the country’s Jewish population between 2011 and 2016. Statistics Canada says the number of Canadian Jews dropped to 143,665 in 2016 from 329,500 in 2011.
December 2017 Sen. Al Franken announces he will resign from Congress following accusations of sexual misconduct by several women. The Minnesota Democrat had faced increasing calls to step down by leading members of his own party. Trump signs a proclamation recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and directing the State Department to begin planning for a U.S. Embassy in the city. Soon after, the president signs a waiver delaying the embassy move for another six months. A Brooklyn woman and three of her
Rosh Hashanah children are killed in a house fire sparked by a Hanukkah menorah. Aliza Azan, 39, and children Moshe, 11; Yitzah, 7; and Henrietta, 3, are buried in Israel. Yosi, three other children and a cousin sustain injuries in the blaze. A Syrian asylum seeker breaks into a kosher restaurant in Amsterdam while waving a Palestinian flag as police officers look on. His sentence of 52 days in jail and absence of hate crime charges in his indictment anger Dutch Jews.
January 2018 The Reconstructionist movement announces that its rabbinical school and congregational umbrella will change their names to Reconstructing Judaism and the College for Reconstructing Judaism, respectively.
A Pew Research Center poll finds that the split between Democrats and Republicans over Israel is the greatest since 1978. The survey reports that 79 percent of Republicans and 27 percent of Democrats sympathize with Israel over the Palestinians. Singer Neil Diamond announces he will cease touring following a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. The Jewish singer and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee has 10 No. 1 singles to his credit and starred in the 1980 remake of The Jazz Singer, in which he played a synagogue cantor who pursues a pop music career. A photograph of former President Barack Obama with the Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan surfaces, prompting the Anti-Defamation League to ask Obama to again denounce Farrakhan, who
has drawn regular criticism for anti-Semitic rhetoric. The photo was taken in 2005 during a Congressional Black Caucus meeting in Washington, D.C., when Obama was a senator representing Illinois. Poland’s parliament passes a controversial law that criminalizes blaming the Polish nation for Nazi crimes. The law triggers a diplomatic row with Israel, prompting the law’s amendment to remove criminal charges against would-be offenders. Anti-Semitic incidents reach a record high in Britain and Ukraine.
February 2018 Malcolm Hoenlein announces he will step aside as executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations after more than three decades at the helm.
The Anti-Defamation League reports a spike in anti-Semitic incidents in the United States in 2017. The 1,986 acts recorded in the U.S. that year represents a 57 percent increase over the 1,267 in 2016, representing the largest one-year rise ever. The ADL says the jump is due in part to an increase in people reporting incidents of anti-Semitism. Ten Jewish organizations urge the Trump administration not to reinstate a question about citizenship in the 2020 Census, saying it will raise fears among immigrants. Among the signers of a letter sent to Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross are the Anti-Defamation League, the Union for Reform Judaism, Jewish Federations of North America, Hadassah and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. continued on page 18
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Rosh Hashanah continued from page 17
March 2018 Two senior Jewish members of the Trump administration—Gary Cohen and David Shulkin—leave their posts. Cohen resigns as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors. He reportedly had been considering leaving the previous year following President Trump’s equivocal response to the violence surrounding a white supremacist rally in Virginia. Shulkin is fired as Veterans Affairs secretary after becoming embroiled in scandals, including overspending on travel and infighting with senior White House officials. The president of the World Jewish Congress issues a rare rebuke of Israeli government policies. In an op-ed in the New York Times, Ronald Lauder excoriates Israeli actions that threaten the two-state solution and enshrine Orthodox control of various aspects of Israeli life, including marriage and organized prayer at the Western Wall.
The Canadian House of Commons unanimously passes legislation establishing the month of May as Canadian Jewish Heritage Month. The bill had previously passed the Senate. The heads of 139 Jewish day schools sign an open letter urging Trump and federal and state legislators to take action on gun violence following a deadly shooting at a Florida high school. The letter calls for “common sense legislation that addresses all factors contributing to a safe and secure educational community, including restrictions and safeguards related to guns.” Tens of thousands of Gaza demonstrators approach the Israeli border in the so-called March of Return, launching months of protests on successive Fridays that turn violent and result in the deaths of some 156 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier shot dead by a sniper. In one protest in May, 62 protesters are killed; Hamas claims 50 as members. Israel’s actions
prompt international outrage, with the U.N. General Assembly condemning Israel for an “excessive use of force.” Gaza Palestinians later turn to sending incendiary airborne objects into Israel, resulting in the destruction of thousands of acres of farmland and natural forest.
April 2018 B’nai Brith Canada reports a record number of anti-Semitic incidents in 2017. Its annual audit shows 1,752 incidents of harassment, vandalism and violence, which is a 1.4 percent increase over the 1,728 from the previous year. Natalie Portman says she won’t attend the Genesis Prize ceremony in Jerusalem because she does not want to appear to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In response, the Genesis Prize Foundation announces it is canceling the award ceremony and the Jewish actress will not get to distribute the prize money to charity, but the group declines to rescind
the honor outright. Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, publicly advises Jews to avoid wearing kippahs in some urban settings following the assault of an Arab-Israeli man who is trying to prove to his friend that wearing a yarmulke is safe in Germany.
May 2018 In a speech he deems a “history lesson,” Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says that Jews caused the Holocaust with their “social behavior,” including money lending, prompting swift condemnation from both liberal and conservative groups in Israel and across the Diaspora. President Trump declares he will not waive sanctions on Iran, effectively pulling out of the 2015 nuclear deal reached by his predecessor, Barack Obama. Israel had been pressing Trump to withdraw from the agreement, which trades the removal of
L’Shanah Tovah
Wishing you and your family a year of sweet blessings filled with an abundance of good health, joy and peace. NANCY EVANS
18 | Jewish News | Rosh Hashanah | September 3, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org
HEATHER EVANS
Rosh Hashanah economic sanctions for a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program. Germany, France and the United Kingdom all urge Trump to remain in the deal. Philip Roth, the towering literary figure and legendary chronicler of the American Jewish experience, dies at 85 in New York. An immensely celebrated novelist, Roth won virtually every major literary accolade, including two National Book Awards, two National Book Critics Circle awards, three PEN/Faulkner Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Man Booker International Prize. Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens resigns after facing months of scandal stemming from an extramarital affair and other alleged misdeeds. A former Navy SEAL and the state’s first Jewish governor, Greitens had been considered a rising star in the Republican Party. Israel wins the Eurovision song contest, with the song Toy by Netta Barzilai securing the victory in the finals in Portugal. The United States dedicates its newly established embassy in Jerusalem in a high-profile ceremony attended by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trump’s daughter and son-in-law, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. The embassy move, mandated by a 1995 law but delayed on national security grounds by successive presidential administrations, is widely condemned by other world leaders. Rabbi Aaron Panken, the president of the Reform movement’s rabbinical seminary, dies while piloting a small aircraft in upstate New York. Panken, a licensed commercial pilot, was 53 and had led the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion since 2014. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman resigns hours after the publication of a report detailing allegations of physical abuse by four women. In a statement, Schneiderman denies he had ever assaulted anyone or engaged in nonconsensual sexual activity.
Ken Livingstone, a former mayor of London and harsh critic of Israel, resigns from Britian’s Labour Party amid a review of his claims that Adolf Hitler supported Zionism. Livingstone’s membership exposed the party to allegations that it tolerates anti-Semitism under the leadership of its hard-left leader, Jeremy Corbyn.
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June 2018 Twenty-six Jewish groups sign a letter calling the U.S. policy of separating children from their migrant parents “unconscionable.” The signatories included three major Jewish religious movements— Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist—as well as the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, HIAS, Jewish Women’s International, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and Uri L’Tzedek, an Orthodox social justice organization. The Band’s Visit, a musical based on an Israeli film about an Egyptian band stranded in a hardscrabble Negev town, dominates the 72nd annual Tony Awards, winning 10 awards, including best musical. The play also takes home trophies for best actor in a musical, best direction of a musical and best original score. An Israeli court convicts a 19-yearold American Israeli of making hundreds of bomb threats against Jewish community centers and schools across the United States. Michael Kadar is convicted on several counts, including extortion, conspiracy to commit a crime, money laundering and assaulting a police officer. Kadar’s threats in the first three months of 2017—along with eight made by a St. Louis man—had forced widespread evacuations of American Jewish institutions and sparked fear of resurgent anti-Semitism. The United States withdraws from the U.N. Human Rights Council, citing the body’s bias against Israel. Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, says the council is “not worthy of its name” and that the decision to withdraw had come after a “good faith” effort to reform the body had failed.
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Approved by all area Rabbis and Chevrah Kadisha Czech President Milos Zeman announces that he will work to move his country’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem—the first such public pledge by a European head of state.
July 2018 Continued incendiary kites and balloons launched from Gaza by Palestinian protesters ignite countless fires in Israel, with one of the largest burning in southern Israel’s Kibbutz Or Haner.
with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The leaders discuss Syria, Iran, Israel’s security needs—and the 2018 World Cup. The Knesset passes a controversial nationality law that cements Israel as the “nation-state of the Jewish people” and recognizes Hebrew as the sole official language, among other proclamations. The measure prompts anger from Jewish and Arab groups in Israel and Jewish groups in the Diaspora that view the bill as discriminatory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travels to Moscow to meet
jewishnewsva.org | September 3, 2018 | Rosh Hashanah | Jewish News | 19
Rosh Hashanah
Area High Holiday Services 5779 compiled by Carley Glickman for Shalom Tidewater*
B’nai Israel Congregation bnaiisrael.org • 757-627-7358 Rosh Hashanah Sunday, September 9 Daf Yomi: 6 pm Slichos: 7 pm Michach: 7 pm Monday, September 10 Shachris: 8 am HaMelech 8:45 am Sermon and Shofar: 10:30am Community Tashlich: 5 pm Minchah: 6:45 pm Maariv 7:45 pm Tuesday, September 11 Shachris: 8 am HaMelech: 8:45 am Sermon and Shofar: 10:30 am
Minchah: 6:45 pm Maariv/Havdala: 7:57pm Fast of Gedaliah Wednesday, September 12 Fast Begins: 5:32 am Selichos: 6:15 am Shachris: 6:45 am Minchah/ Maariv: 6:45 pm Fast Ends: 7:56 pm Yom Kippur Tuesday, September 18 Slichos: 6:30 am Shacharis: after Selichos Micha: 2:45 pm Kol Nidre: 6:45 pm Wednesday, September 19 Shacharis: 8 am HaMelech: 9:30 am Torah reading: 11:20 am Sermon: 11:50 am Yizkor (Approximately): 12:10 pm Minchah: 5 pm Neilah 6:15 pm Havdalah 7:46 pm Services at B’nai Israel are open to all Jews in Hampton Roads. Childcare is provided during all major services. To inquire about membership or seat reservations, contact the office at office@bnaiisrael.org. One year of free membership is offered to all new members.
Chabad of Tidewater
chabadoftidewater.com 757-616-0770 Rosh Hashanah Sunday, September 9 Evening Services: 7:15 pm Community Dinner: 8 pm Monday, September 10 Morning Services: 10 am Shofar Sounding: 11:45 am Mincha and Tashlich Service: 5 pm Evening Services: 8 pm Community Dinner: 8:30 pm Tuesday, September 11 Morning Services: 10 am Shofar Sounding: 11:45 am Evening Services: 6:50 pm
20 | Jewish News | Rosh Hashanah | September 3, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org
Yom Kippur Tuesday, September 18 Kaparot Morning Services: 8 am Afternoon Service: 3:30 pm Fast Begins: 7:04 pm Kol Nidrei Services: 6:55 pm Wednesday, September 19 Morning Service: 10 am Yizkor Memorial Service: 12:30 pm Mincha and Neilah Closing Service: 5 pm Fast Ends at 7:28 pm Followed by light dinner Sukkot To purchase a Sukkah or a Lulav and Etrog set, call 757-513-3663.
Chabad of Virginia Beach jewishvb.org/hh • 757-362-2710 Rosh Hashanah Monday, September 10 Morning Services: 9 am Shofar Sounding: 10:45 am Children’s Programming: 10 am Evening Services: 7:40 pm Kiddush: 12:30pm Tashlich: 5:45 pm Tuesday, September 11 Morning Services: 9 am Shofar Sounding: 10:45 am Children’s Programming: 10 am Kiddush: 12:30 pm Yom Kippur Tuesday, September 18 Kol Nidrei Services: 6:45 pm Wednesday, September 19 Morning Service: 10 am Children’s Programming: 11:30 am -1:30pm Yizkor Memorial Service: 12 pm Mincha Service: 5:30 pm Ne’iela Closing Services: 6:15pm Fast Ends at 7:45pm Followed by light dinner
Congregation Beth Chaverim
bethchaverim.com • 757-463-3226 Rosh Hashanah Sunday, September 9 Eve of Rosh Hashanah Service with guest Rabbi Dan Roberts: 8 pm Monday, September 10 Rosh Hashanah Service with guest Rabbi Dan Roberts: 10:30 am Yom Kippur Tuesday, September 18 Kol Nidre Services with guest Rabbi Dan Roberts: 8 pm Wednesday, September 19 Yom Kippur Service with guest Rabbi Dan Roberts: 10:30 am Youth Services with guest singer Chuck Fink and Youth Group: 10:30 am Discussion with Rabbi Dan Roberts: 2 pm Vidui Service: 3 pm Torah Service: 4 pm Yizkor Memorial Service and Concluding Service: 4:30 pm Sisterhood Break-the-Fast immediately following in the social hall. $15 per adult, $6 per child 7-12, free for children under 3.
*ShalomTidewater.org is a one-stop-shop with information for the Jewish community.
Rosh Hashanah Congregation Beth El
bethelnorfolk.com • 757-627-4905 Rosh Hashanah Sunday, September 9 Erev Rosh Hashanah Congregational Service: 5:45 pm Monday, September 10 Shacharit: 8:15 am Babysitting: 9:30 am Children’s programming: 10:30 am Tashlikh (at The Hague): 5 pm Mincha-Maariv (at Beth El): 7 pm Tuesday, September 11 Shacharit: 8:15 am Babysitting: 9:30 am Children’s programming: 10:30 am Mincha- Maariv: 7 pm Yom Kippur Tuesday, September 18 Erev Yom Kippur Kol Nidre: 6:30 pm Babysitting: 6:30 pm Children’s activities: 6:30pm Youth Services: 6:30pm
Wednesday, September 19 Shacharit: 9 am Babysitting: 10 am Children’s programming: 10:30 am Yizkor: 12:45 pm Study session: 3:15 pm Mincha: 4:13 pm Neilah: 5:40 pm Maariv: 7:30 pm Blowing of Shofar/Havdalah: 7:45 pm Light Processional: 7:45 pm
Tuesday, September 11 Services, 9:30 am Yom Kippur Tuesday, September 18 Candle Lighting at KBH: 6:50 pm Kol Nidre: 7 pm Wednesday, September 19 Services: 9:30 am Yizkor: approximately 12:00 pm Mincha and Neilah: 5:30 pm Shofar: 7:45 pm
Kempsville Conservative Synagogue Kehillat Bet Hamidrash
Ohef Shlolom Temple
kbhsynagogue.org 757-495-8510 Rosh Hashanah Sunday, September 9 Ma’ariv: 7 pm Monday, September 10 Services: 9:30 am Meet at KBH to walk to Tashlich: 6:45 pm Tashlich services followed by Mincha and Ma’ariv at KBH: 7 pm
ohefsholom.org 757-625-4295 Rosh Hashanah Sunday, September 9 Early Service Family-Friendly Worship and Child Care: 6:15 pm Late Service 8:15 pm Monday, September 10 Early Service, Family-Friendly Worship and Child Care: 9 am Late Service: 11:30 am
Monday, September 10 Tashlich at the Hague 11 am Kol Nidre Tuesday, September 18 Early Service Family-Friendly Worship and Child Care: 6:15 pm Late Service :8:15 pm Yom Kippur Tuesday, September 18 Early Service, Family-Friendly Worship and Child Care: 6:15 pm Late Service: 8:15 pm Wednesday, September 19 Early Service, Family-Friendly Worship and Child Care: 9 am Late Service: 11:30 am Study Session (in Chapel): 1:30 pm Afternoon Service (in Chapel): 2:45 pm Interlude: 4 pm Memorial and Concluding Services: 4:15 pm Break the Fast & Havdalah: 6 pm
continued on page 22
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jewishnewsva.org | September 3, 2018 | Rosh Hashanah | Jewish News | 21
Rosh Hashanah Rodef Sholom Temple
rodefsholomtemple.org 757-826-5894 Rosh Hashanah Sunday, September 9 Evening Service: 8 pm Monday, September 10 Morning Service: 9 am Mincha–Maariv (followed by lite supper): 6:30 pm Tuesday September 11 Morning Service 9 am Sunday, September 16 Graveside Prayers (Jewish Cemetery of the Virginia Peninsula, Rosenbaum): 11 am Tashlikh at Huntington Park Beach: 4:30 pm Yom Kippur Tuesday, September 18 Kol Nidre Service: 6:45 pm Wednesday, September 19 Morning Service: 9:30 am
Study Session: 4:15 pm Mincha/Neilah Service: 5:30 pm Shofar Blowing: 7:47 pm Maariv: 7:18 pm Break the Fast: 7:29 pm
Temple Emanuel
www.tevb.org 757-428-2591 Sunday, September 2 Forest Lawn Cemetery Visit Afternoon Services: 3 pm Rosh Hashanah Sunday, September 9 Evening Services: 6 pm Monday, September 10 Morning Service: 8:30 am Family Service 9:45 am Tuesday, September 11 Morning Services: 8:30 am Sunday, September 16 Family Beach Picnic 12:15 am Tashlich with Religious School
New for High Holidays 2018 Youth Programming:
Choose Your Own Adventure Check out our interactive, age appropriate services for ages 3 - teens, followed by your own personalized adventure! • Will
you do games in Hebrew? • A Mitzvah Project? • Relay races or 4 Square?
PLUS Shofar Idol on 2nd day of Rosh Hashanah, storytelling and a special presenter on Yom Kippur. All under the watchful eyes of our fabulous team of caregivers.
Want to check out Beth El for the first time? Come as our guests. Infant/toddler care available. Contact Pam Gladstone. 757.625.7821
www.bethelnorfolk.com
22 | Jewish News | Rosh Hashanah | September 3, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org
Yom Kippur Tuesday, September 18 Kol Nidre Service: 7 pm Wednesday, September 19 Morning Services: 8:30 am Family Service: 9:45am Tora Services & Yizkor: 10:30 am Minha and Neilah: 5:30 pm Community Break the Fast: 7:40 pm *Babysitting available for infants–five years. RSVP to the Temple office.
Temple Israel
templeisraelva.org 757-489-4550 Rosh Hashanah Sunday, September 9 Evening Services: 5:45 pm Monday, September 10 Morning Services: 8:45 am Tashlich at Nancy Tucker’s home: 5:45 pm Children Ages 3-6, Education Wing: 10:30 am Ages 7-12, Sandler Hall: 10:30 am Arts & Crafts, Sandler Hall, 12 pm Tuesday, September 11 Morning Services: 8:45 am Children, Sandler Hall 10:30 am Minch and Kabbalat Shabbat: 6:30 pm Yom Kippur Tuesday, September 18 Minchah Services: 6:15 pm Lei Lei Berz—Cello Solo: 6:25 pm Kol Nidrei Services: 6:30 pm Wednesday, September 19 Morning Services: 8:45 am Mincha Service: 5 pm Ne’ilah: 6:15 pm Shofar and Break Fast: 7:30 pm Children, Ages 3–6 Education Wing: 10:30 am Ages 7–12 Sandler Hall: 10:30 am Arts & Crafts (Sandler Hall) 12 pm
Temple Sinai
www.templesinai-nn.org 757-596-8352 Rosh Hashanah Sunday, September 9 Evening Services followed by Oneg Shabbat (Childcare available): 7:30 pm Monday, September 10 Morning Service (No childcare available): 10 am Yom Kippur Tuesday, September 18 Yom Kippur Eve Service (childcare available): 7:30 pm Wednesday, September 19 Morning Service (childcare available): 10 am Afternoon Service: 2 pm Yizkor Service (childcare available): 3:45 pm Ne’lah Service followed by Break-the-Fast: 4:45 pm
Tidewater Chavurah
www.tidewaterchavurah.org Carol at 757-499-3660 Betsy at 757-495-0730 Rosh Hashanah Sunday, September 9: 7 pm Monday, September 10 Morning service: 10 am Tashlich afternoon service: 5 pm at the home of Bill and Mary in Virginia Beach Yom Kippur Tuesday, September 18 Kol Nidre: 7 pm Wednesday, September 19 Morning service: 10 am Neilah (final service): 6 pm at the home of Joe and Eileen in Virginia Beach
Bernard’s Legacy Lives Forever
Rosh Hashanah
Special gifts for Rosh Hashanah hosts MJL Staff
(My Jewish Learning via JTA)—Invited to someone’s house for a Rosh Hashanah meal and looking for an appropriate gift? In addition to the always appreciated flowers or bottle of wine, here are some other must-have (or must-give) items for the Jewish New Year. If you’re drawn to the edible items on this list, we recommend you check ahead of time whether your host keeps kosher or has other dietary restrictions.
Jewish calendars Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year after all, and every year needs a calendar. While many, if not most, people rely on digital calendars for day-to-day scheduling, a pretty wall calendar makes a nice decoration and can help keep the household organized. Most Jewish calendars sold in the United States list secular dates as well as Hebrew ones (including all the holidays, of course), and run through the end of the next Gregorian year. (So one that starts with Rosh Hashanah in 2018 will last you until December 2019.) You can find a wide selection online and in Judaica stores and bookstores. Someone with an artistic bent or who enjoys the stress relief that comes with coloring might enjoy a coloring-book calendar featuring intricate Judaic motifs such as Jewish stars and Hanukkah menorahs. And one from New York’s Jewish Museum showcases a variety of paintings, sculptures and ceremonial objects from its collection. Jewish cookbooks If your host invited you over for a homecooked meal, he or she probably likes to cook. The four books listed here were published within the last couple of years, so there’s a good chance your host doesn’t yet own them—and what better than a cookbook to subtly convey to your host that you’d love more holiday meal invitations? Modern Jewish Baker: Challah, Babka, Bagels & More is written by Shannon
Sarna, the editor of The Nosher food blog, part of the 70 Faces Media family that includes My Jewish Learning. In this gorgeous book, she pays homage to Jewish baking traditions while reinvigorating them with modern flavors and new ideas. The mother-daughter team of Gabrielle Rossmer Gropman and Sonya Gropman in The German-Jewish Cookbook: Recipes and History of a Cuisine features recipes for German-Jewish cuisine as it existed in Germany prior to World War II, and as refugees later adapted it in the United States and elsewhere. The dishes are a departure from better-known Eastern European Jewish fare and focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients. Israeli baker Uri Scheft’s Breaking Breads: A New World of Israeli Baking offers sweet and savory recipes for European, Israeli and Middle Eastern favorites. For vegan cooks—or those who often have a vegan family member or guest at their table—The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook: Entertaining for Absolutely Every Occasion by Isa Chandra Moskowitz offers meat- and dairy- and egg-free recipes for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (break-the-fast), as well as dishes for a variety of other Jewish and non-Jewish holidays.
Honey dishes It is traditional to dip apples in honey on Rosh Hashanah, and a special honey dish can add extra beauty to the practice. We like a stainless steel and glass one that says “shana tova umetuka” (a good and sweet new year) in Hebrew and a Rosh Hashanah apple plate and honey dish set with a pomegranate design available in red, blue and gray. Food Why dip good apples and challah in mediocre honey? The Savannah Bee Company, a gourmet honey purveyor, sells a variety of beautifully packaged artisanal honeys, including several variety packs. Or encourage your host to sample
some raw honeycomb. The company also sells numerous other honey-based products, like body lotions and soaps. All honey is KSA kosher-certified. For Rosh Hashanah, Zingerman’s, a Michigan deli and mail-order gourmet superstore, bakes its own honey cakes, round challahs, mandelbrot and rugelach, and sells an array of gourmet honeys from around the world. Love marzipan? Try Rosh Hashanah “Marzipops.” A gift set of these marzipan lollipops contains 10 lollipops: two each of a honeypot, a red apple, a challah, a pomegranate and a shofar. They are gluten-free and vegan, but are not certified kosher.
Assorted items Barbara’s Gifts is based in Israel but ships to the United States. Its Rosh Hashanah gift box contains a pomegranate hand towel, pomegranate challah cover, Jewish calendar tea towel, pomegranate-shaped trivet, pomegranate fabric placemats, a pomegranate notepad and set of Rosh Hashanah greeting cards. If your host likes scented candles, try this apples-and-honey one. Just make sure you don’t try to eat it after reading the description: “Brown sugar glazed apples blended with warm cinnamon, golden clove and grated nutmeg wrapped in sweet caramel honey drizzles and hints of pure maple syrup.” You can also find a variety of pomegranate-scented candles here. Off the beaten path Who doesn’t need a Rosh Hashanahthemed smartphone cover/case? Luxlady offers them in various sizes for popular iPhone and Android models. Children and adults alike will enjoy accessorizing with High Holiday-themed nail decals from Midrash Manicures. Nothing quite right? Try searching for Rosh Hashanah on Etsy or visit The Sabra Patch, an Etsy-like online store for Israeli artists. Whatever you buy, best wishes for a sweet and happy New Year!
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jewishnewsva.org | September 3, 2018 | Rosh Hashanah | Jewish News | 23
Rosh Hashanah
Must-know High Holidays words and phrases My Jewish Learning Staff
(MJL via JTA)—Here are some important Hebrew words and terms you may encounter over the High Holiday season. Akedah—Pronounced ah-keh-DAH. Literally “binding,” the Akedah refers to the biblical story of the binding of Isaac, which is traditionally read on the second day of Rosh Hashanah. Chag sameach—Pronounced KHAG sah-MAY-akh. Literally “happy holiday,” a common greeting on Rosh Hashanah and other Jewish holidays. Elul—Pronounced el-OOL (oo as in food). The final month of the Jewish calendar, it is designated as a time of reflection, introspection and repentance.
Het (also chet)—Pronounced KHET (short e). Sin, or wrongdoing. L’shana tovah u’metukah—Pronounced l’shah-NAH toe-VAH ooh-meh-too-KAH. A Hebrew greeting for the High Holidays season that means “For a good and sweet year.” Machzor—Pronounced MAHKH-zohr. Literally “cycle,” the machzor is the special prayer book for the High Holidays containing all the special liturgy. Selichot—Pronounced slee-KHOTE. Literally “forgivenesses,” selichot are prayers for forgiveness. Selichot refers to two related types of penitential prayers: the prayers that customarily are recited daily at morning services during the month of Elul, as well as the name of the service late at night on the Saturday
preceding Rosh Hashanah consisting of a longer series of these penitential prayers. Shofar—Pronounced shoh-FAR or SHOH-far (rhymes with “so far”). The ram’s horn that is sounded during the month of Elul, on Rosh Hashanah and at the end of Yom Kippur. It is mentioned numerous times in the Bible in reference to its ceremonial use in the Temple and to its function as a signal horn of war.
of the High Holidays. Tishrei—Pronounced TISH-ray. The first month in the Hebrew calendar, during which Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot all occur. Unetaneh Tokef—Pronounced ooh-nuhTAH-neh TOH-keff. Literally “we shall ascribe,” a religious poem recited during the Musaf (additional service ) Amidah that is meant to strike fear in us.
Tashlich—Pronounced TAHSH-likh. Literally “cast away,” Tashlich is a ceremony observed on the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah in which sins are symbolically cast away into a natural body of water. The term and custom are derived from a verse in the Book of Micah (7:19).
Yamim Noraim—Pronounced yahMEEM nohr-ah-EEM. Literally “Days of Awe,” a term that refers to the High Holidays season. Sometimes it is used to refer to the 10 days from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur, which are also known as the Aseret Yimei Teshuvah, or the 10 Days of Repentance.
Teshuvah—Pronounced tih-SHOO-vuh. Literally “return,” teshuvah is often translated as “repentance.” It is one of the central themes and spiritual components
Yom tov—Pronounced YOHM TOHV or YON-tiff. This is a general term for the major Jewish festivals.
F ri e n ds a s fa m ily
T
Staci Cohen
o me, the Jewish holidays give me time to focus on family and love. This has been
a very important part of my life especially as I moved across country and away from my family. These holidays have become about family I have created in my friends, and having them open up their homes and their hearts to me. This allowed me to feel at home even when I was so far away.
Staci Cohen.
As this holiday approaches, I remember how sweet it is to have friends like family and how lucky I am to have them!
24 | Jewish News | Rosh Hashanah | September 3, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org
R eco n n ec ting , r e m inisc ing
Rosh Hashanah
Rebecca Levitt
Israeli equestrian rider withdraws from world championships due to conflict with Yom Kippur JERUSALEM (JTA)—An Israeli equestrian rider has withdrawn from next month’s world championships because the competition will take place on Yom Kippur. The International Equestrian Federation event, which will take place this year in North Carolina, is a prelude to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, where Israel’s equestrian federation hopes to compete for the first time. Israeli rider Dan Kramer sent a letter to the international federation saying that he would not compete due to the conflict with the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, Ynet reported. “I decided not to join the other members of the Israeli national team and not to participate in the upcoming world championships in the United States, because
the competition is taking place on Yom Kippur and I want to honor this day as well as the Israeli public and Jewish Diaspora,” Kramer wrote in a letter to the Israel equestrian federation’s chairman Kenny Lalo, Ynet reported. Kramer, who is living in Belgium, grew up on Moshav Hayogev in northern Israel, where his family owned a horse and he dreamed of competing in the Olympics. He suffered a leg injury while serving in the Israel Defense Forces, and returned to riding as part of a physical therapy regimen. He qualified for the world championship last year. Other members of the team were divided over the decision by Kramer, whose absence could cost the Israeli team an Olympic berth.
O
ne of my favorite parts of Rosh Hashanah is seeing and reconnecting with family and friends. It is the one time of the
year that you can put all your troubles and stress aside and just focus on the excitement of a New Year, hearing the shofar, embracing Judaism, and starting fresh. The smell of Fall is in the air (in N.Y., that is). I remember as a little girl going to services at my grandparents’ temple (an older congregation) in my newest dress and the joy they would have in walking my brothers and I up and down the aisles,
Rebecca Levitt with her two daughters, Jessica and Isabelle.
introducing us to all—they were so proud. I also fondly remember as a child going to a local river down the road from our synagogue with the entire congregation for tashlich. My parents scrimmaging through the house for stale bread to throw, and having the geese chase after us. I continue to do this fun tradition. And, of course, what Jewish holiday would be complete without food? My grandmother’s (and now mom’s) brisket, pea and barely soap, round challah and honey, kugel, and apple crumb pies, are always reminiscent of this time of year.
L’Shanah Tovah!
לשנה טובה
Wishing you a year of health, happiness, and peace. May each of us strive to bring out the best in ourselves and others, and may we all be inscribed in the Book of Life. From your friends at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Simon Family JCC
jewishnewsva.org | September 3, 2018 | Rosh Hashanah | Jewish News | 25
Rosh Hashanah
A guide to the High Holidays prayers Rabbi Iscah Waldman
(My Jewish Learning via JTA)—The High Holidays prayer book, or machzor,
emphasizes the themes of the Days of Awe—introspection and repentance. Rosh Hashanah as the opening day of a court trial
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“The great shofar is sounded. A still small voice is heard. This day, even the angels are alarmed, seized with fear and trembling as they declare: ‘The day of judgment is here!’” In a loud and trumpeting voice, the cantor describes the shofar ’s blast, then softly and gently describes a “still, small voice.” This poignant line from the musaf (“additional”) service sets a tone for the High Holidays. It is a dichotomy that is played out over and over throughout the liturgy of the Days of Awe. On these days, we sing of the king, judge and awesome sovereign who sits in judgment over us, while at the same time we appeal to God’s mercy and longstanding tradition of forgiveness, likening God to a shepherd sheltering a flock. Rosh Hashanah is the first day of court. In the liturgy, we see this played out in the number of references to God as sovereign, ruler and a most judicious king. Additions and different emphases start as early as the beginning of the Shacharit (morning) service, with the word “Hamelekh,” the King). While these words also appear in the liturgy of Shabbat morning, on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur they are highlighted in such a way that a new leader begins the service with a powerful note on the word “king” itself.
Ashamnu and Avinu Malkeinu The structure of the morning service on Rosh Hashanah is similar to weekday and Shabbat services. It is, however, additional piyyutim (liturgical poems) such as L’eyl Orekh Din (“to the God who sits in judgment”) or Adonai Melekh (“Adonai is King”) that evoke the seriousness with which we would approach a trial with the true judge.
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26 | Jewish News | Rosh Hashanah | September 3, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org
Torah readings on Rosh Hashanah The Torah reading on Rosh Hashanah is from the story of Isaac’s birth, describing God’s kindness in giving a child to Abraham and Sarah in their old age (Genesis 21). On the second day we read the story of the binding of Isaac, which ends with a ram as a substitute for Isaac (Genesis 22).
The shofar that is so prominent on Rosh Hashanah is considered to be symbolic of this ram.
U’netaneh Tokef: Who shall live and who shall die As the continuation of the piyyut U’netaneh Tokef quoted above tells us, on Rosh Hashanah we are inscribed into the book of life, while on Yom Kippur the book is sealed. These simple lines open us up to the possibility of teshuvah (repentance) and of reflection of our past deeds. U’netaneh Tokef is recited on both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as an introductory piyyut to the kedushah (literally, holiness) in the musaf Amidah. The key line of this prayer follows on the heels of a long rhetorical piece that demands to know who among this congregation will be here next year: How many will perish and how many will be brought high? But, the liturgist notes, even those who are fated for the worst can depend on the following precept: “penitence, prayer, and good deeds can annul the severity of the decree.” The shofar blasts The shofar is perhaps the best-known feature of Rosh Hashanah services. There are two sets of shofar blasts on each day of the holiday. The first follows the Torah service. The second is intertwined with three unique sections in the musaf known as Malkhuyot (verses relating to God’s Kingship), Zikhronot (verses relating to memory) and Shofarot (verses relating to shofar). Each of these sections contains 10 verses on each of the topics – Malkhuyot recalls that God is king, Zikhronot recalls God remembering us for the good and Shofarot gives quotes in which the shofar is sounded, in the past but mostly in the future, heralding future redemption. The sounding of the shofar is interspersed through each of these three prayer sections, showing itself to be a part of the prayer itself. In Reform and other liberal congregations that do not recite musaf, these sections—and the shofar sounding— are added to the morning Shacharit. Rabbi Michael Strassfeld has written in
Rosh Hashanah his book The Jewish Holidays that these three sections, unique to Rosh Hashanah, reflect three central principles of Judaism: • The acceptance of God as King of Universe. • The acknowledgement that God intervenes in the world to punish the wicked and reward the good. • The recognition that God was revealed in the giving of the Torah at Sinai and again will be revealed at the end of days. If we were to pick out one piyyut as an archetype of the theology of the Rosh Hashanah, we might choose L’eyl orekh din (“to God who sits in judgment”). The poem begins by declaring that God “probes all of our hearts” and therefore will always divine our most secret thoughts and fears. It moves on to say that God suppresses wrath in judgment, so that regardless of the dark nature of our secret sins, God will suppress anger in discovering them. It ends by announcing that God acts with compassion, accepts God’s subjects and guards those who love God. We may take from this that even while we call Rosh Hashanah “Yom ha Din” (Day of Judgment), we can look forward to the end of the process in which we will be loved, accepted and forgiven our sins. This is the overall theological message that the Rosh Hashanah liturgy wishes to portray: We still have hope.
Yom Kippur: The Day of Judgment If we view Rosh Hashanah as the first day of a court case, then we would see Yom Kippur as the day on which the verdict is handed down. The tension mounts as we near the Day of Judgment, and this can be seen in the liturgy as well. The evening of Yom Kippur begins with a once-controversial prayer, Kol Nidre, that has since become the symbol for the solemnity of the day. In this prayer, repeated three times, we pray that all vows and oaths that we have made throughout the year will be forgiven us, so that we might enter into this coming year with a clean slate, forgiven for any promises we might inadvertently have broken. Many rabbis viewed this as an unnecessary absolution that might lead people to sin by taking their vows too lightly in the future. However, this prayer had already proven to be so popular and powerful among the
people, it has become a centerpiece of the holiday. Forgiveness and confessions All five services on Yom Kippur include a section known as Selichot (forgiveness prayers) and another one called the Vidui (confessions). The Selichot include a basic confession of sins, an expression of our contrition and reflections on God’s forgiving nature. We recite the 13 attributes, which are taken from a prayer that Moses recited in Exodus 34. In it, we assert that God is compassionate, patient and righteous. Included in the Vidui is the Ashamnu, which is an alphabetical acrostic of different sins we have committed. It is said in first-person plural because while each individual may not have committed these specific sins, as a community we surely have, and on this day our fates are intertwined. We also read the Al Chet, a prayer that similarly lists transgressions we have made over the year. These two sections best reflect the theology of the day: We are in a state of self-reflection. We admit our sins fully, and even beat our breasts while doing so. We place our fates in God’s hands, for God is Tov V’Salah (good and forgiving). Yom Kippur musaf (Shaharit for Reform synagogues) is different from Rosh Hashanah in that we do not add Malkhuyot, Zikhronot and Shofarot, but instead include a section on the Avodah, a description of the sacrifices and rituals performed by the High Priest in the Temple on Yom Kippur. We also add a piece known as the martyrology, a solemn section where we recall 10 martyrs who were killed in most brutal ways, giving their lives while declaring their faith for the world to hear.
Neilah: The gates are locked It is the final service on Yom Kippur, Nei’lah—literally “locking” (of gates)— which paints an image of the gates of heaven closing, lending urgency to our prayers and our need for repentance and forgiveness. We begin the service with a piyyut that asks God to “open the gate” and let us enter so that we might have a final appeal before God’s decree is sealed. There is a silent Amidah prayer, like at all services, which is repeated by the cantor. Throughout Neilah, the language of being “written” in the book of life used thus far in High Holiday liturgy
shifts, as we instead speak of being “sealed” in that book. The final section of Neilah includes a recitation of the Shema (“Hear O Israel …”) and these lines: Baruch Shem K’vod (“Blessed be God’s name …”) three times, and Adonai Hu HaElohim (“Adonai is our God”) seven times. We conclude with a long
blast of the shofar. Thus ends the period of the High Holidays. We begin with contrition and awe as we enter the courtroom for our trial. We end with the acceptance of our verdict and the assertion that Adonai is our God—powerful, all knowing and of course, compassionate.
Joyous holiday wishes to you and your family … Laurent Abitbol, Agent 121 W 21st Street Bus: 757-416-7500 Fax: 757-961-0726 laurent@laurentinsureva.com www.laurentinsureva.com
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jewishnewsva.org | September 3, 2018 | Rosh Hashanah | Jewish News | 27
This new year, inscribe your vision for a sweet Jewish future with a legacy commitment to your favorite Jewish organizations through Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s LIFE & LEGACY™ program.
How will YOU inspire future generations? L’Shana Tova from YOUR Tidewater Jewish Foundation
HEBREW ACADEMY OF TIDEWATER
To create your Jewish legacy contact: Barb Gelb, Director of Philanthropy and LIFE & LEGACY™ bgelb@ujft.org • 757.965.6105 • www.JewishVA.org/TJF-lifeandlegacy
28 | Jewish News | Rosh Hashanah | September 3, 2018 | jewishnewsva.org
(JTA)—You know what Oreos are. They’re two delicious chocolate cookies sandwiched around a creme filling. Oreos also come in Double Stuff, vanilla, birthday cake and pumpkin spice (really). There is debate on how they should be eaten, but everyone knows they’re best when dunked in milk. What you might not know is that Oreos are just a copycat of Hydrox, a sandwich cookie first sold in 1908, four years before Oreos appeared on shelves. Even though (or maybe because?) they were second, Oreos came to dominate the market, becoming a fixture in America’s grocery stores. But for most of the past century plus, Hydrox has held on. And at least in part it’s because of the Jews. Until a glorious day in 1998, Hydrox was the premiere kosher sandwich cookie on the market, while Oreos remained “treif,” lacking a kosher heksher, or seal of approval. Growing up, I genuinely thought Hydrox cookies were knockoff Oreos produced specifically for religious Jews. Oreos were the forbidden fruit, and I still vividly remember when, shortly after they became kosher certified, my mom snagged a sleeve of Oreos from a Jewish event. We gobbled them up. Hydrox stopped production in 2003, giving Oreo 12 years of a monopoly, give or take a 100th anniversary promotion by Hydrox’s then maker, Kellogg’s. A Pax Oreana, if you will. But in 2015, Hydrox, now part of Leaf Brands, sprang back like a phoenix and has been trying to duke it out with Oreo, David and Goliath style. And now it’s taking that battle to the government. Hydrox posted on Facebook that it has filed a formal complaint with the Federal
Trade Commission accusing employees of Oreo’s parent company, Mondelez, of blocking Hydrox from view when it stocks Oreos on supermarket shelves. The Facebook post says Mondelez uses a system called “direct store distribution” in which employees of the brand, rather than supermarket attendants, stock the food. This allows the Oreo stockers to push Hydrox aside when they place Oreo boxes on the shelves. Loyal Hydrox customers have sent in pictures of the cookies being boxed out by Oreos, moved behind other products or otherwise obscured from customers. Hydrox claims a major supermarket chain brought up the problem at a meeting. “We believe in competition and choice but we firmly believe the folks @Mondelez (the owners of Oreo) have been undertaking a national program to damage our brand and stop us from competing,” Hydrox’s posts says. “Many of you over the last few years have been great at taking pictures when you see #hydroxcookies being moved or blocked from store shelves and we really appreciate your help.” Mondelez sounds unconcerned about the complaint, telling Gizmodo that it is “confident that this accusation has no merit. The OREO brand is an iconic one, with a proud and rich history of delivering great tasting products and exciting innovations to our consumers for more than a century. This focus, and our commitment to operating with integrity, has made OREO America’s favorite cookie.” So who will win, the original kosher sandwich cookie or the giant it’s fighting? Only time—and maybe a government agency—will tell.
IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU
Ben Sales
I make a difference in Jewish lives.
Why do I give? I believe in supporting the Jewish community. With Federation, I know my gift is used wherever it’s needed most. I may be helping a Holocaust survivor to live with the dignity they deserve. I may be assisting someone in my own town — someone I don’t even know — to get a job so they can take care of their family. Maybe I’m helping kids in Eastern Europe reclaim their heritage.
The important thing is, I’m doing something vital to help every single day.
Give today.
JewishVA.org
IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU
Hydrox, the original kosher sandwich cookie, is accusing Oreo of sabotage
IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU
IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU
eats
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ISRAEL MISSION
Federation’s Journey Home Mission to Israel Earlier this summer, a group of 37 local community members traveled to Israel on the Federation’s Journey Home Mission to Israel. The week-long, interactive mission was designed to enable participants to follow their campaign dollars to the sites and programs funded by the UJFT’s Annual Campaign. It was also an opportunity for Federation young leaders to closely interact and share experiences with more seasoned leaders, with each group inspiring the other. Woven throughout the mission were an emphasis on leadership and making a difference. The mission, therefore, included visits at leadership development organizations, IDF experiences, some of Israel’s leading high-tech programs, and even cutting-edge programs in social entrepreneurship. Many of the programs the group experienced were delivered by UJFT’s overseas partners—the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), and ORT. It was gratifying to see how this Federation’s campaign dollars were hard at work—making a difference in the lives of one, and also in the lives of many. Upcoming issues of Jewish News will highlight more mission experiences. The first article about the mission appeared in the August 13 issue. The second article follows.
First Person
Wearing my heart on my sleeve Jeremy Krupnick
People often use the expression “wear-
ing your heart on your sleeve.” I would say that fits me well. I am not good at masking my emotions. I laugh hard, I cry hard, I hurt hard, and I love hard. Having such visceral reactions to life can be both exhilarating and exhausting at times. In June, my wife Rachel and I had the pleasure of joining 35 other members of our community on a UJFT mission trip to Israel. During our “Journey Home,” I experienced each one of these emotions at different points in our journey. It left me with a greater understanding of myself, my community, and Israel. I laughed hard during our group’s time together on the bus. Whether it was hilarious stories of people’s pasts, or just general goofiness, one of the most enjoyable parts of the trip was the overall camaraderie. I found myself engaged in funny and
Razzouk Tattoo
meaningful conversations with people I had never taken the time to get to know. I learned about Barbara Dudley’s amazing family. I learned about David Brand’s deep connections to Israel. I learned that Britt Simon plays a mean harmonica. One of the best parts about this mission, and any mission for that matter, is forging closer relationships with the people traveling with you. On this trip, it was definitely mission accomplished. I cried hard in YAD Vashem, the Israeli Holocaust museum. Those of our group who had previously toured Yad Vashem were afforded a rare opportunity to visit the museum’s archives, where we were joined by Shaya Ben Yehuda, Yad Vashem’s managing director of International Relations. Ben Yehuda presented the group with some of the museum’s most amazing documents and artifacts. I held a letter written by a 17-year-old French girl to her mother. In the letter, she assured her mother that she would be fine, having no idea that she was on a train heading to her death. Having a French grandmother, I could not help but think how lucky my family was. Most upsetting was the experience of holding a letter that Heinrich Himler wrote, ordering the Nazis to put to death 2 million Polish Jews. To think that this one piece of paper was responsible for so much death and destruction overwhelmed me. I hurt hard at the political strife that Israel experiences on a daily basis. We were fortunate to hear from Danny Tirza who was the “chief architect” behind the wall separating Gaza and Israel. I learned
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that Israel built the wall during the early years of the second Intifada, when more than 1,400 Israelis were killed by Palestinian terror attacks. On completion of construction, that number dropped to just over 40. I hurt for both the Israelis and the Palestinians who just want to live a peaceful life and raise their families. I hurt that peace seems so far away. I loved hard when touring the Old City of Jerusalem with Sarah Tuttle-Singer. The social media director for the Times of Israel, Tuttle-Singer recently published her first book, Jerusalem, Drawn and Quartered: One Woman’s Year in the Heart of the Christian, Muslim, Armenian, and Jewish Quarters of Old Jerusalem (Skyhorse Publishing, May 8, 2018). And true to the pages of that book, Tuttle-Singer took us on an amazing journey through those quarters. She showed us parts of Jerusalem that few people ever take the time to see. She took us to the “Little Western Wall,” where I was able to pray while standing with my wife—touching the stones of the Kotel together. It was a beautiful experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Another stop on Tuttle-Singer’s tour brought us to Razzouk Tattoo where we met Wassim and his father, Anton. Wassim and Anton are Palestinian Christians. Their family has been tattooing in Jerusalem since the 1300s (that is not a type-o!) and still have many of the ancient tools and stencils used for tattooing throughout the ages. I was lucky enough to leave with a memento of my own. If Israel has taught me anything, it’s
Jeremy Krupnick
that the world is not black and white, or right or wrong, as so many make it out to be. It’s a lot of complex shades of gray. During the trip, I also gained a deeper understanding that the Tidewater Jewish community is amazing, and we really are making a difference. Whether by assisting special needs children, or by helping communities as a whole, the dollars we raise as a federation are improving the lives of Israelis who need assistance. We should all be proud of that. Although I felt a variety of emotions during this trip, love is what I felt most. Love for my wife (with whom I was finally able to share an Israel experience); love for my community and all the great organizations and programs we support; and love for Israel, because it is an amazing and beautiful country unlike any other on earth. I returned from the trip with Israel deep in my heart. I returned wearing my heart on my sleeve.
TIDEWATER A new president for the Jewish New Year at Temple Emanuel Devorah Ben-David Elstein
At a congregational meeting
on June 5, 2018, Dr. Steven Warsof, a man respected for his myriad admirable traits, became the new president of Temple Emanuel by unanimous vote. As he addressed his congregation for the first time as president, Warsof recognized two congregants who worked to build their spiritual home a firm foundation. “I am following in the foot- Gary Tabakin, Steven Warsof steps of Gary Tabakin and Dr. and Rabbi Marc Kraus. Morris Elstein who, as recent temple presidents, were great role models to me,” he said. Shortly after moving to Virginia Beach in 1992, Warsof started attending services at Temple Emanuel where he forged a circle of close, supportive friends, and made a commitment to join the temple. In 1996, Warsof married Lisa, who though not of the Jewish faith, was extended an equally warm welcome by Temple Emanuel’s membership. “Lisa feels very comfortable at the temple and everybody feels comfortable with her,” says Warsof. “That’s sometimes unusual in certain temples today.” One of Warsof’s true pleasures of life is helping and empowering others, whether at home or abroad. For years he has taught medical students at Eastern Virginia Medical School and served as a visiting professor at the Bar Ilan University Medical School in Sfat, Israel. In addition, he participates in Volunteers for Israel, a world-wide non-profit organization where volunteers do civilian work on Israeli Defense Forces bases in partnership with SarEl. Whenever possible, he also visits his large extended family throughout Israel. As president, Warsof says he plans to continue the legacy of “building a firm foundation,” by focusing on “in-reach.” “For so many years I have heard people talking about the importance of outreach, while a common complaint in the synagogue is that people don’t know each other,” he says. “It’s impossible to build a community without ever really knowing each other.” Rabbi Marc Kraus, Temple Emanuel’s spiritual leader, has confidence in his ability to rally people around a worthy cause. “Steve’s humility, empathy, openness to new ideas, and affability is what will make him a unique president.” Lisa Warsof agrees: “My husband’s complete dedication and love toward me, our children, Judaism, and medicine is his whole purpose in life. Being the new temple president is an honor for him.”
Additions at JFit intend to improve member health and gym experience Over the past month, JFit at the Simon Family JCC, has established new programs and classes—including a massage therapy service. “I’m always looking for new opportunities for the JCC to improve our services, whether it’s a new program, equipment, or talented instructors,” says Tom Purcell, membership and wellness director.
New programs and services at JFit Tai Chi Classes Thursdays through September 20, 11:15 am
“We wanted to bring Tai Chi in as a six-week series, so our participants can learn this fine art,” says Purcell. “Each class is a building block of instruction, exercise, and education to help with the fundamentals.” Instructor Mike Laramore is certified through The American Tai Chi and Qigong Association and has taught in the area for more than 30 years. “Tai Chi is a wonderful exercise as well as a great martial art,” says Laramore. “The form I teach here at the JCC is shortened from the long form to make it easier to learn and practice.”
Diabetes Prevention Program Classes begin September 18 and September 20
Class once per week for 16 weeks, then once a month through end of year Taught by Tom Purcell, the program’s goal is to help members lose weight, adopt healthy habits, and reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. A bonus
for some is that for those who qualify, health insurance may cover the program’s cost. “Small, weekly group meetings will focus on weight control, lifestyle choices, managing stress, and increasing activity levels,” says Purcell. This program follows the Center for Disease Control guidelines, which are proven to reduce an individual’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58%.
Massage Therapy Services Cost: $65–$125 Open House: Tuesday, Sept. 11 and Thursday, Sept. 13, 10 am–6pm
JFit’s new massage therapy services help relieve stress, improve circulation, and lower blood pressure. Performed by Dr. Willita Morring, a doctor of Naturopathy, the new service will offer a variety of massages such as sports, aromatic, and cellulite massages. “We wanted to add another wellness service to help complement our current amenities,” says Purcell. “Wellness is part physical and mental.”
For more information on any of these programs, contact Tom Purcell, membership and wellness director, at 757-321-2310 or tpurcell@simonfamilyjcc.org.
Little Theater of Virgina Beach Audition IT SHOULDA BEEN YOU A Musical Comedy Book and Lyrics by Brian Hargrove, Music by Barbara Anselmi Production Dates: November 16–December 9, 2018 Audition Dates: September 17 and 18, 7 pm PREPARATION Prepare a vocal selection (app. 1 minute / 32 bars) in a range that demonstrates best vocal performance. An accompanist will be provided, or bring accompaniment. A CD player and an iPod/phone dock will be provided. Since all characters do not need to dance, dance ability will be assessed at callbacks. Cold readings of the script will be requested as needed.
SYNOPSIS A world where nothing is what it seems, religions collide, Machiavellian plots are revealed, promises are broken, secrets are exposed and hope springs from the most unlikely of places…Is it the latest conflict in the Middle East? No, it’s just the Steinberg wedding. The charming, funny and original musical, It Shoulda Been You invites you to a wedding day that you’ll never forget, where anything that can go wrong does, and love pops up in mysterious places. The bride is Jewish. The groom is Catholic. Her mother is a force of nature. His mother is a tempest in a cocktail shaker. And when the bride’s ex-boyfriend crashes the party, the perfect wedding starts to unravel faster than you can whistle Here Comes the Bride! It’s up to the sister of the bride to turn a tangled mess into happily ever after in this musical comedy for anyone who has parents. Direct audition questions to ltvbstagemanager@gmail.com.
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what’s happening One person’s trash is another’s art work What
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MOR E
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T H ROUG H S T OR E F RON T
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W I N D OWS . . .
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better way to start off the New Year, than with a little bit of cleaning? When Israel Today’s first ever Artistin-Residence, Hanoch Piven, arrives in Tidewater, supplies will be needed. In order to have a workshop based on found objects, the Community Relations Council is seeking donations of random objects. In fact, lots of random objects—to create portraits. The following items are just ideas— think of others and bring them to the Simon Family JCC front desk by October 12. Anything (clean and safe) may be included: • Combs • Hairpins • Screws • Old photos • Little figures/dolls • Feathers • Nuts and Bolts • Buttons • Old computer parts
• Old/broken toys • Broken electronic devices • Kitchenware (clean) • Shoelaces • Plastic flowers • Egg cartons • Different types of stones • Seashells • Small wooden objects • Magnets • Puzzles • Stuffed animals • Small sticks • Pine needles • Old eyeglasses • Leaves • String • Old/broken jewelry Also needed: bulk poster board, colored paper, X-Acto knives, plyers, wire, scissors, glue, glue guns and sticks, extension cords, plastic bowls, and baskets. Bring anything and everything—especially creativity.
V ISI T OU R BE AU T I F U L N E W L O C AT ION AT H I L LTOP NORT H .
Friends of the IDF to hold first Virginia Gala Thursday, Nov. 29, 6 pm Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront D R E S S B E T T E R T H A N Y O U H AV E T O .
V I R G I N I A
B E A C H
R I C H M O N D
C H A R L O T T E S V I L L E
beecroftandbull.com
Home
Reserve Now! Home is coming in the October 1 issue. To advertise, call 757.965.6100 or email news@ujft.org
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Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) from all areas of the Commonwealth of Virginia will gather for the first-ever FIDF Virginia Chapter Gala to support well-being and educational programs for the IDF soldiers. Co-chaired by Joel and Emily Nied, the inaugural gala will focus on 70 years of heroes and hope. It also will showcase FIDF’s programs supporting Lone Soldiers— those who join the IDF with no immediate
family in Israel—as well as the IMPACT! Scholarship Program, which grants fouryear academic scholarships to combat and support soldiers from challenging socioeconomic backgrounds. For more information, contact Alex Pomerantz, director of Virginia, MidAtlantic Region, at 757-472-9054 or alex.pomerantz@fidf.org.
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what’s happening Leon Family Gallery
Leon Family Gallery
Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus
Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus
September Shana Tova! Rosh Hashanah Greeting Cards from the 1920s–1940s
October Faces: Portraits from Madonna to the Pope Hanoch Piven
Shana
Giving
Tova greeting cards are a surprisingly ancient t ra di t i o n — dat ing back to 14th century Germany and preceding Christmas cards by nearly 500 years. Until the introduction of postal stamps and post cards in the 19th century popularized the custom, they were initially the privilege of the rich. The 19th century cards were based on staged scenes using live actors and custom set design, and featured verses from Jewish and Yiddish texts. In the U.S., these cards were popular among immigrants from Eastern Europe. In the 1920s and 1930s these cards were frequently used to serve Eretz Israel’s Zionist and philanthropic goals. Later, they celebrated both holy Jewish sites and the new land, especially the building of Tel Aviv. This unique photo exhibit is on loan from the Bernard H. and Miriam Oster Visual Documentation Center at Beit Hatfutsot, The Museum of the Jewish People, in Tel Aviv. Beit Hatfutsot’s capsule exhibit initiative offers Jewish institutions a selection of curated, readymade photo displays with the intention of sharing the museum’s vast collection of more than 400,000 black and white images depicting Jewish history, heritage, and communal life across the globe. This is the Leon Family Gallery’s fourth such exhibit. The exhibit, spanning several countries and dating back almost 100 years, is courtesy of Hayim Stayer.
Super Sunday is early this year Sunday, October 21, 10 am–1 pm Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus The Tidewater Jewish community’s annual fundraising phone-a-thon, Super Sunday is a volunteer-driven day. Super Sunday is being held earlier than in previous years to accelerate the Annual Campaign and will feature a family portrait workshop with Israel Today’s artist-in-residence, Hanoch Piven. Bring the entire family for a special day of fun, service, and giving back. Look for more details in the Jewish News and at JewishVa.org.
the art of caricature an innovative look while shedding new light on today’s most familiar faces, Israel Today Artistin-Residence’s Hanoch Piven’s caricatures have appeared in major American magazines and newspapers such as Time, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, Entertainment Weekly, and the New York Times. His work has also appeared in publications in Spain, France, England, Norway, Italy, and Israel. Born in Uruguay, raised in Israel, and educated at The Self-Portrait by Hanoch Piven. School of Visual Arts in New York City, Piven was awarded a gold medal from the Society of Illustrators of New York for his illustration of Barbra Streisand. Piven’s art, made with everyday found objects, suggests viewing the world in a playful new way. In fact, many schools and institutions in the U.S. and abroad use Piven’s collage method to make art and visual communication more accessible, comprehensible, and achievable. Beyond his art, Piven has emerged as a humorous and captivating speaker, conducting creative workshops, and cultivating Hanoch Piven spaces of creative communication amongst educators, executives, and professional leaders. Taken from the pages of his book with the same name, Faces: Portraits from Madonna to the Pope, including the categories of TV, film, music, American politics, the world, and finance, this exhibit presents deliciously wicked takes on the likes of such diverse folks as Bruce Springsteen, Marilyn Monroe, and Larry David. With a minimalist stroke of his deft hand, combined with an object related to what the subject is noted for—along with his sharp wit—Piven presents his vision of the celebrities he portrays. Stop by the Leon Family Gallery during October to see Steven Spielberg’s beard and mustache expressed with strips of film; Kim Jon Il’s rocket eyes, and Steve Job’s body as an iPhone. Family Workshop with the artist: Sunday, October 21, 10:00 am or 12:00 pm at the Simon Family JCC, during United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s annual Super Sunday. For more information about the Family Workshop with Israel Today’s Artist in Residence, Hanoch Piven, or on the Leon Family Gallery, contact Callah Terkeltaub, Arts + Ideas Manager, at CTerkeltaub@ujft.org or 757-321-2331.
To become a sponsor or vendor, contact Jasmine Amitay, Young Adult Division director, at 757-965-6138 or jamitay@ujft.org.
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CalEndar SEPTEMBER 6, THURSDAY Author Izzy Ezagui kicks off the 2019 Annual Campaign and The Lee and Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival with his book Disarmed: Unconventional Lessons from the World’s Only One-Armed Special Forces Sharpshooter. Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus. Cocktail reception begins at 6 pm, program at 7 pm, book signing at 8 pm, and YAD after party at 8:30 pm. Free. For more information or to RSVP, contact Patty Malone at 757-965-6115 or PMalone@ujft.org.
September 16, Sunday Catch-and-Release Fishing Derby. Join the Simon Family JCC at Lake Sandler for the second annual Catch-and-Release Fishing Derby. Registration is $8 per angler, and includes a JCC all-access day pass. Children must be accompanied by an adult. First cast is at 8 am and the last cast is at 10:55 am. Bring your own gear. Bait, lures, drinks, and snacks will be available. Hourly prizes for biggest fish, raffle prizes every 15 minutes, and a 50/50 raffle. Register at the JCC front desk or call 757-321-2338.
SEPTEMBER 26, WEDNESDAY Celebrate Sukkot with Seniors Art in the Sukkah. Open to the entire senior community. $6 includes lunch and art supplies. For more information or to RSVP, visit the JCC Front Desk or contact Naty Horev at 757-452-3186 or NHorev@simonfamilyjcc.org.
Simon Family Passport to Israel
ATTENTION STUDENTS Do you want to go to Israel?
OCTOBER 8, Monday Virginia Festival of Jewish Film presented by Alma and Howard Laderberg* and Avraham and Patricia Ashkenazi present Raid on Entebbe. Free and open to the community. 7:15 pm at the Naro Theater. For more information or to RSVP, contact Melissa Eichelbaum at 757-965-6107 or MEichelbaum@ujft.org.
October 13, Saturday Ohef Sholom Temple celebrates the 100th anniversary of its sanctuary with Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism. Evening begins with Havdalah at 7 pm. Reception follows rededication ceremony. Free, but RSVPs requested at 757-625-4295.
OCTOBER 21, SUNDAY Israel Today Artist in Residence Hanoch Piven leads a Family Portrait Workshop at 10 am and 12 pm. Free and open to all ages and experience levels as part of UJFT’s Super Sunday. For more information or to RSVP, contact Callah Terkeltaub at 757-321-2331 or CTerkeltaub@ ujft.org.
TJF has funds ready to help you get there. Apply at www.jewishva.org by October 8. For more information, contact Barb Gelb at bgelb@ujft.org or 965.6105.
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OCTOBER 30—DECEMBER 2 The Lee and Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival. Books for sale will be displayed in the Cardo at the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus. For more information, contact Callah Terkeltaub at 757-321-2331 or CTerkeltaub@ujft.org. 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. *of blesssed memory
Mazel Tov TO
what’s happening Become a Book Club Insider The Lee and Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival has fall reads for book clubs. Register a community book club and receive the following exclusive perks: discounts on group tickets, reserved seating with book club at author events, book club mention during program welcome remarks, and a special book clubs only reception with a book club author. The first book club pick is Gone to Dust, the page-turning first murder mystery novel from Emmy award-winning TV writer and Matt Goldman producer Matt Goldman, whose television credits include Seinfeld, Ellen, and others. Gone to Dust features a Jewish P.I., Nils Shapiro, who navigates the twists and turns of a murder that takes place in a quiet suburban neighborhood in the dead of winter. Goldman is one of the featured authors and will discuss Gone to Dust on Wednesday, November 7 at 7:30 pm at the
35th Season 2018 -19
Simon Family JCC. The November book club pick is by New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Us, Jenna Blum. Blum’s newest novel, The Jenna Blum Lost Family, is set in 1965 Manhattan and follows Auschwitz survivor Peter Rashkin’s life after the Holocaust and how he copes with the grief of losing his family while learning to love again. The Lost Family spans three cinematic decades and is a charming, funny, elegantly bittersweet study of loss and love. Blum will discuss The Lost Family on Tuesday, November 27 at 7:30 pm at the Simon Family JCC. To become a Book Club Insider, contact Arts + Ideas Manager, Callah Terkeltaub at cterkeltaub@ujft.org or 757-321-2331 to register a community book club and hear more about book club picks. *of blessed memory
Engagement Aaron Brenner and Kate Belleman on their engagement. Aaron is the son of Janet Peck and Jeff Kramer, and Martin and Pam Brenner. He is the grandson of Nancy and Stanley Peck, and Ramona and Lawrence Brenner. Kate is the daughter of Nancy and Scott Belleman of Richmond, and the granddaughter of Gilbert Rosenthal, as well as Fannie Rosenthal, James Belleman and Kay Williams (of blessed memory). The couple lives in Richmond, and will be married in Asheville, N.C., in October.
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.
who knew? Netta’s Eurovision winner Toy tops Billboard dance club chart JERUSALEM ( JTA)—Netta Barzilai’s Eurovision-winning single Toy hit No. 1 on the Billboard dance club chart—the first time an Israeli artist has topped any of the music industry magazine’s popularity lists, according to the Israeli media. “This is very exciting for me,” Barzilai said in a statement quoted by the Times of Israel. “I just got off the plane and this is the first message I got when I turned on my phone. I am grateful for everything happening around me. This is an amazing year and the experience I’m having is just nuts.” Barzilai is on tour in the United States. In May, she delivered Israel its fourth victory in the Eurovision song contest with Toy, a song about female empowerment that features staccato vocals and a driving rhythm. She has said the song was inspired by the #MeToo movement. Speaking last month to Billboard,
Barzilai said it was “also an empowerment song for everybody.” She went to say: “It’s for everybody who’s been told that they’re not good enough and they’re not smart enough. I decided to listen to my own voice and to be my own self, and when you do that, you inspire people. You make a difference because you feel good with yourself and you spread happiness outside.” Ynet reported recently that Barzilai is close to a deal with the Universal Music Group, which has alleged that Toy stole from the White Stripe song Seven Nation Army.
Natalie Portman to portray Jewish twins behind Ann Landers and Dear Abby advice columns Israeli-born actress Natalie Portman has been hired to play Jewish twin sisters Pauline Esther Friedman and Esther Pauline Friedman, the authors of the famed Dear Abby and Ask Ann Landers advice columns,
Variety reported. Born in 1918, the sisters went on to become pop-culture icons, writing under the pseudonyms Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren and competing professionally for the rest of their careers. Portman also will direct the film, which is being produced by Oscar nominee Peter Saraf. She previously directed the 2015 film A Tale of Love and Darkness, based on Amos Oz’s novel about his childhood in prestate Israel. Earlier this year, Portman made waves in Israel when she declined to go there to receive the 2018 Genesis Prize, the $1 million award known colloquially as the “Jewish Nobel.” In an Instagram post, Portman issued a statement on Instagram saying that she did not want “to appear as endorsing Benjamin Netanyahu, who was to be giving a speech at the ceremony.” She also clarified that she does not support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. (JTA)
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obituaries Eugene Alfred Denison Hertford, NC—Eugene Alfred “Gene” Denison, 88, passed away Saturday, August 25, 2018 in his home. Mr. Denison was born in Philadelphia, Pa. on February 20, 1930, and was the son of the late Theodore Edward and Miriam Weisman Denison. In 1948 he graduated from Central High School in Philadelphia as part of its 190th graduating class. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School, where he was a member of Beta Sigma Rho fraternity, which later merged with Pi Lambda Phi, and graduated in 1952 with a degree in Economics and Industrial Management. After working in the industry for several years, he later owned and operated a women’s apparel store, Denison’s, for 45 years. In 1978, he married his second wife, Frances Jean “Becky” Campbell. After retiring, Gene went to work on a third career at the Suffolk News Herald, where he enjoyed his varied jobs for almost nine more years. When he married Margaret Ann, he moved one more time to his final home in Hertford, and began a new career as a salesman with Northeastern Garage Door Company. His hobbies included woodworking, gardening, and photography. He enjoyed all of his careers for the opportunities they gave him to meet people. During his years in Suffolk, he became active in civic and community affairs, serving six years as president of the original Downtown Suffolk Association, eight years on the Advisory Board of the Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (one year as vice-chairman and one as chairman), and 12 years on the Suffolk Salvation Army Advisory Board (one as chairman). He was also active with the Career and Technical Education programs in both the Suffolk Public Schools and the Pruden Center for Industry and Technology. Gene served as a member of both councils and as chairman of each for one year. He also served on several blue-ribbon committees of the Suffolk City Council. His involvement in the community continued with membership in the Suffolk chapter of the Kiwanis Club International. As both a member of the board of directors and as president
twice, he remained active for more than 20 years. Gene attended Hertford United Methodist Church with his wife, Margaret Ann, but he remained a member of Congregation Beth El in Norfolk, and never wavered in adhering to his Jewish faith. In addition to his parents and his second wife of 23 years, he was preceded in death by his older brother, Matthew Richard Denison; his brother-in-law, Charlie Banks; and Margaret Ann’s son, Scott Williams. Surviving along with his wife of 14 years, Margaret Ann Banks Denison, are his daughter, Terri Joan Budman (Steve); his son, Karl Louis Denison (Lisa); five grandchildren, Madeline and Deni Budman, and Jacob, Sammy, and Zara Denison. Also surviving are his first wife and mother of his children, Helen Lesser Koltun; Margaret Ann’s son, Howard Williams (Vicki); her daughter, Sherry Kostman; her four grandchildren, Will Williams, Lauren Johnson (Travis), Jennifer Traynor (Kevin), and Robyn Kravitz; two great-granddaughters; her sisters, Linda Banks, Brenda White (Kent), and Lee Ann Banks; her nieces and nephews, and Gene’s many dear and loving friends. A memorial service was held in the Miller & Van Essendelft Funeral Chapel in Hertford, with Cantor Jennifer Rueben officiating. Memorial contributions to Ohef Sholom Temple. Online condolences may be made by visiting www.millerfhc.com. Gerald Frank Levy Virginia Beach—It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather, friend and mentor, Gerald (Jerry) Frank Levy. Jerry passed unexpectedly Sunday, August 12, in Norfolk, surrounded by family. He was 80. Jerry was born in Paterson New Jersey in 1938 to parents Oscar and Isabella Levy. After attaining his doctorate at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, he moved to Virginia with his wife, Paula and young family. Jerry was an active
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member of the community, serving many roles: Eagle Scout, college professor, temple president, Mason, scout leader, friend, son, brother, father, and husband. Of these, he was most passionate about his marriage to Paula. Married for 58 years, Jerry and Paula shared a continuing love for each other that was obvious to everyone who spent time with them. During his university years, Jerry could often be found in the Great Dismal Swamp, where he hiked, camped, and canoed with friends, family, and students. He knew the scientific name of every plant and found happiness sharing that knowledge with others. Jerry took profound joy in his leadership at Congregation Beth Chaverim, started by Jerry, Paula, and seven other families in 1982. Jerry was the congregation’s first president. Jerry is predeceased by his daughter Linda Flick and is survived by his wife Paula Levy, children David, Debbie, and Karen; grandchildren Steven, Aaron, Emily, Hayley, Isa, Amber, Gregory, Jesica and Josh; great granddaughters Riley and Joleigh-ann; sister Lois; and best friend Roger. A graveside service was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery. Donations to the Jerry Levy Beth Chaverim Future Fund, Congregation Beth Chaverim, PO Box 56168, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23456. Online condolences may be offered to the family at hdoliver.com. Shirley Sylvia Newman Norfolk—Shirley Sylvia Newman, 90, of Livingston Manor, New York, passed away on August 18, 2018 in Norfolk, after a long and hard battle with cancer. She was fearless and brave until the end with her family by her side. Shirley Newman was born in New York City to Helen Silver Fisher and Eugene Fisher on September 14, 1927. She went to high school at Julia Richmond High for girls and graduated in 1945. She worked as a waitress for 25 years at the Triangle Restaurant, learning all she could from Hymie and Hilda Heller. It was never beneath her to carry a tray, serve others, or teach the art of fine dining and service. She was devoted to raising her four daughters and being
a wife. In 1979, her dream of opening her own restaurant came true, The Oak Table Restaurant in Livingston Manor. Shirley was ahead of her time, owning and operating a business when women were supposed to stay at home. She absolutely loved Opera, gambling, dining out, shopping, and traveling with her best friend Iris Jacobs-Cornell. The absolute pride and joy of her life, were her four daughters. She raised them to be independent and successful professional women. She took great pride in raising funds for the Livingston Manor Ambulance Corp, as a member of the Livingston Manor Ladies Auxiliary of the Volunteer Fire Department, a member of the Livingston Manor Chamber of Commerce. Shirley is survived by her daughters: Helen Mia Newman-Koerner (Joseph) of Livingston Manor; Dr. Rosanne Newman (Francois Holder) of Norfolk; Sandi Newman (Dan O’Shea) of Pompano Beach, Florida; and Andrea Newman-Fisher (Allan Fisher) of Long Branch, New Jersey. She has five grandchildren: Benjamin Koerner of Norfolk, Sara Koerner-Dugan ( Justin Dugan) of Acworth Georgia, Simone Holder-Cassidy (Chris Cassidy) of Scottsdale, Arizona, Jordan Holder of Boone, North Carolina, and Louis Fisher of Venice Beach, California. She has two great grandchildren and her favorite cousins Jerry and Jami Politzer. She also has many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her husband Robby Newman, parents Helen Silver-Fisher and Eugene Fisher, and her brother David Fisher. Memorial donations may be made to American Cancer Society: www. cancer.org /involved /donate /memor ial-giving.html or to American Macular Degeneration Foundation: https://www. macular.org/what-macular-degeneration. The family wishes to extend their gratitude to Province House of De Paul, Norfolk, Virginia & Freda H Gordon Hospice and Palliative Care of Tidewater. Funeral service was held at Agudas Achim Synagogue in Livingston Manor with Rabbi Fred Pomerantz officiating. Burial followed at Agudas Achim Cemetery.
obituaries Barbara Berlin Patish Norfolk—Barbara Berlin Patish passed away on August 20, 2018. She was born in Norfolk. She is predeceased by her parents, Florence and Leon Berlin and her husband of 40 years, Joseph Patish. Barbara received her master’s degree in education from the University of Miami. She was a reading specialist for the Norfolk City Public Schools. She was a member of Congregation Beth El, the Hebrew Ladies Charity Society, a Lifetime Member of Hadassah, ORT, B’nai Brith Women, ADK Sorority, and the Beth Sholom Home Auxiliary. Her hobbies included crocheting and reading. She is survived by her sister Judith Berlin Kaufman, and by her children Michael Patish, Ellie and Barry Bernstein, Larry and Dana Patish, and Deborah Patish Smith. She is also survived by her grandchildren Lovie and Jake Patish, Elyssa and Aaron Mackey, Max and Sydney Bernstein, Melanie, Stacey and Jessica Patish and Franklin Smith, as well as loving nieces and nephews. The graveside funeral at Forest Lawn Cemetery was officiated by Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz and Cantor Wendy Fried. Donations to the Beth Sholom Home of Eastern Virginia, Congregation Beth El, or the charity of choice. Melvin Jay Radin Norfolk—Melvin Jay Radin of Norfolk, Virginia, passed away on August 20, 2018. He was born on December 28, 1937, in Norfolk, Virginia, to George and Mollie Radin of blessed memory. Melvin was predeceased by Linda Kay Radin, his wife of 48 years, of blessed memory. He is survived by his daughters Tara Jai Radin and Romy Lynn Radin; sonin-law Tony Armentrout; and beloved grandchildren Zachary Radin Armentrout and Mollie Margaret Radin Armentrout, who adored their “G-Daddy.” Melvin was a graduate of Maury High School, Tulane University, and the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William & Mary. Melvin loved the law. He practiced law in Norfolk,
Virginia, for more than 50 years. He was a lifetime member of Ohef Sholom Temple. A graveside service was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery followed by a reception/meal of consolation at Ohef Sholom Temple. Memorial contributions to the George and Mollie Foundation, c/o Michele, 2200 Colonial Ave., Suite 6, Norfolk, VA 23517, or the American Heart Association. H. D. Oliver Funeral Apts. Online condolences may be sent to the family at hdoliver.com.
Peace activist Uri Avnery, longtime advocate of a Palestinian state JERUSALEM (JTA)—Uri Avnery, 94, a longtime peace activist and one of the first Israelis to advocate for the establishment of a Palestinian state, has died. Avnery was among the first Israelis to meet with Palestine Liberation Organization chief Yasser Arafat. He was hospitalized last month following a stroke and died Monday, August 20 in Tel Aviv. The founder of the far-left Gush Shalom movement, Avnery was long the face of Israel’s far left after being on the far right during Israel’s fight for independence. “Uri Avnery was a courageous journalist and a rare and groundbreaking man,” former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said on Twitter. “He stood up for his positions despite attacks and he planted the ideas of peace and moderation in the hearts of Israel.” It was his meeting with Arafat in Beirut in 1982, during the First Lebanon War, that was Avnery’s most enduring legacy. The controversial move led to high-profile calls that Avnery be tried for treason. Avnery spent much of his career as a writer and journalist, publishing books both controversial and popular, and editing the weekly news magazine Haolam Hazeh (This World) from 1950 to 1990. Starting in the 1960s, Avnery became more of a political activist and was elected to the Knesset in 1969. The Germany native was brought to pre-state Israel by his parents in 1933 at the age of 10. Initially on the far right of the political spectrum, Avnery joined the Irgun as a teenager, distributing propaganda for the Revisionist militant group.
He later told Haaretz that he regretted his affiliation with the group, saying it made him culpable for its attacks against Arabs that “killed dozens of women and children.” At first he supported the idea of a binational state and expressed disappointment with the 1947 U.N. Partition Plan that led to the establishment of the State of Israel, saying he “couldn’t accept the partition of the country.” Despite his reservations, however, Avnery fought in the 1948 War of Independence as part of a commando unit. Following his wartime experiences he dropped his support for a one-state solution, instead backing a two-state paradigm nearly half a century before the signing of the Oslo Accords. According to Haaretz, Avnery believed that his ideas had won intellectually but had been defeated on the field of domestic politics.
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obituaries Neil Simon, Broadway’s giant of bickering, wise-cracking couples JTA Staff
(JTA)—Playwright Neil Simon, known for such Broadway hits as The Odd Couple, Barefoot in the Park, and Lost in Yonkers, has died. Simon, who earned a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award, died Saturday, August 25 at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City from complications with pneumonia at the age of 91. No writer of non-musical comedies was more successful in the second half of the 20th century, and no one else so frequently, successfully nor wittily plumbed the anxieties of middle-class American Jews and the family issues that plagued them. The themes of his plays include romance, adultery, divorce, sibling rivalry, cancer and fear of aging—but with a knack for one-liners that kept audiences laughing through the pain. Simon began his career in television, on the writing staff for Sid Caesar for Your Show of Shows, working with future Jewish comedy legends Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner and Larry Gelbart. He later wrote for The Phil Silvers Show. In 1961, his first play, Come Blow Your Horn, hit Broadway. It was a modest success, but was the start of something big. The Odd Couple would have a wildly successful run, would be adapted into a smash movie with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemon in the roles of a slovenly sportswriter and his fastidious roommate, and inspire a sitcom that ran for years on ABC. In 1966 he had four plays running on Broadway at the same time. During his career he wrote more than 30 plays and about the same amount of movie screenplays, some original and most adaptions of his plays. The Goodbye Girl won an Academy Award for Richard Dreyfuss, playing the role of an incorrigible actor; The Heartbreak Kid, starring Charles Grodin and Cybill Shepherd and directed by Elaine May, has been described as a worthy successor to Hollywood’s classic screwball comedies and a disparaging, overly stereotypical portrayal of marital discord among suburban Jews. The Sunshine Boys (1976), about another
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pair of bickering frenemies, earned an Oscar for the then-elderly George Burns, playing one half of a legendary, estranged and fatally dysfunctional vaudeville duo. Simon gained additional fame in the 1980s with his semi-autobiographical trilogy—Brighton Beach Memoirs (1983), Biloxi Blues (1985), and Broadway Bound (1986)—which critics agreed brought gravitas and fresh life to a career that had begun to flag after the huge hits of the ’60s and ’70s. In 1991 he won both the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Lost in Yonkers, another autobiographical comedy. Simon was born in New York to Irving Simon, a garment salesman, and Mamie (Levy) Simon, a homemaker. His parents had what he described as a “tempestuous marriage,” in which his father left the family at least eight times. Simon said he took refuge in movie theaters to escape his troubles at home. Those troubles also inspired him to become a writer, which he said helped him to become independent of emotional family issues. An interviewer once asked Simon what effect his being Jewish had on his humor. “That’s a tough question,’’ Simon replied. ‘’Humor is a way of expressing your protest and being able to laugh, too. What Jews do is laugh at their predicament, and it’s what blacks do, too. I do my funniest writing when I’m in a predicament. If a play is out of town and needs work, I’ll do my best work. When I’m in an elevator that’s stuck, I can keep everyone laughing. The other thing about Jewish humor—I don’t know if it was always this way; I don’t know if the Jews in Egypt were making jokes about Pharaoh—is that it takes a great deal of intelligence. It takes an adventurous mind.’’ He and his older brother Danny Simon, in addition to cranking out sketches for comedians like Caesar, Jerry Lewis and Jackie Gleason, wrote summer revues for the Tamiment resort located in the Pocono Mountains. He was married five times: to dancer Joan Baim, who died of cancer (1953– 1973), actress Marsha Mason (1973–1983), twice to actress Diane Lander (1987–1988 and 1990–1998), and to actress Elaine Joyce (1999-2018).
US fighter pilot who made history for Israel’s fledgling Air Force to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery Gideon Lichtman, an American fighter pilot who as a volunteer during Israel’s War of Independence scored its nascent air force’s first aerial kill of an enemy fighter, was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Lichtman, who died in March at 94 and was buried in Hollywood, Florida, was interred at the cemetery in suburban Washington, D.C. He fought for the United States in the Pacific during World War II. He was a member of the Machal 101 squadron, a unit of American volunteers—many of them non-Jewish—who came to fight for the fledgling Jewish state in 1948 and helped stop the Egyptian army’s advance on Tel Aviv. He was the unit’s last surviving member. After the war he returned to the U.S. and subsequently fought in Korea. In the 1960s he again returned to Israel, spending a stint there as a test pilot. “I was risking my citizenship and possibly jail time,” he said in Above and Beyond, a 2015 documentary by Nancy Spielberg. “I didn’t give a s**t. I was gonna help the Jews out. I was going to help my people out.” According to the Miami Herald, Lichtman, a high school teacher, spent more than 30 years working under an assumed name because, according to his son Bruce, “he was told by Ezer Weizman, president of Israel and former minister of defense, that Israel had intercepted Arab intelligence that they were intent on targeting foreign pilots who served in Israel.” (JTA)
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