jewishnewsva.org | OCTOBER 5, 2026 | JEWISH NEWS | 15
Legal
Dear Readers, On my drive to the office, I’m listening to Tom Lake by Anne Padget. Taking place in the summer of 2020, Lara, the mother and book’s narrator, attempts to get her adult daughters to stop focusing on the news. She tells them (and I’m paraphrasing, because, as I mentioned, I’m listening to the book) “If you look to the left, you see all that misery, but if you look to the right, you see out the window the beautiful white blossoms.” The daughters tell her that either way, the news exists. And they don’t want to look away. It’s a minor passage in the book. . . not what the story is about. . . but it reminds me of the importance of being aware of the news occurring outside of our daily lives. And that is exactly why this section features legal news that impacts Jewish communities, houses of worship, businesses where Jews are employed, and universities. The frequency of lawsuits focusing on antisemitism, criminal cases involving violence against Jews and institutions, and new legislation designed to protect Jewish life are growing each day. Having closely monitored news of the Jewish world for more than two decades, the proliferation of these fights, charges, incidents of hate, and scrambles to legislate is sobering. These are not ordinary times. What is now considered ordinary, however, is the necessity for security at synagogues. Keeping everyone safe and following the law is the subject of an article on page 22. A different type of legal issue concerns honoring parents, one of the Ten Commandments, which takes on new meaning as people age and children assume caregiver roles and become decision makers for their moms and dads. Attorney Scott Alperin and Rabbis Herber and Brashevitzky, share advice from legal, religious, and ethical perspectives. That article begins on the next page. Gazing at the white cherry blossoms as Lara recommends, has advantages. But I’m with her daughters – I love soaking in my gardenias, but I’m staying informed, and hoping that you, our Jewish News readers, want the same. Thanks for reading,
Terri Denison Editor
16 | JEWISH NEWS | OCTOBER 5, 2026 | jewishnewsva.org
Legal
Honoring one’s father and mother Haley Bartel “Honor your father and your mother” is one of the most recognizable of the Ten Commandments – simple enough for a child to memorize, yet its sentiment sticks with many Jews far more into adulthood. Kibud av v’em, the Jewish obligation to honor one’s parents, doesn’t end when childhood does. It follows families as they make some of life’s most difficult decisions: how to care for a parent who is aging. Rabbi Jacob Herber of Congregation Beth El expands on what honoring a parent requires, per Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16. Feeding them, providing for them, and helping them get around are all core examples. “As Jews, we now face many situations that the Torah and Talmud never anticipated,” Herber says – dementia, nursing facilities, life support, a parent who can no longer communicate. “We should always try to provide our parents with dignity and care. But each situation should be taken into consideration.” Herber is careful to note that kibud av v’em plays only a small role in actual life-or-death medical decisions. The more central Jewish values at play, he says, are the obligation to save lives, to prevent suffering, and to honor a parent’s Rabbi Jacob Herber. own wishes. When congregants come to him wrestling with these decisions, he starts by listening.
“I like to remind my congregants to ask themselves: What would my mother or father want? What is the doctor saying they will gain from this treatment? Will this allow my parent to live comfortably and have quality of life? What can my family do to take care of my parent?” Elder law attorney Scott Alperin equates honoring one’s parent to respecting them. “It involves both a spiritual obligation to dignify them because they are responsible for giving you life, but also reflects a responsibility to respect them because your parents play an essential role in guiding you to achieve your lot in life.” At his practice, Alperin Law, he works with families navigating long-term care and end-of-life planning on a regular basis, and the principle of honoring one’s parents shows up in nearly every case that crosses his desk. The hardest conversations often involve a parent who wants to stay independent even as it becomes less safe to do so. “Mom and dad may wish to remain in the residence they have called home for several decades for as long as possible,” he says, “but there are complicating considerations as the parents decline and confront mobility limitations, cognitive impairment, or the need for assistance with their activities of daily living.”
Alperin encourages families to plan ahead – executing a general durable power of attorney and a healthcare power of attorney while a parent is still able to
One of the most difficult scenarios he sees is a parent who is no longer safe to drive but refuses to give up their license. “We all take for granted our freedom of movement and the ability to drive where we need to go, and that is one of the most heartbreaking conversations to have with a parent who is faced with permanently losing their independence.” This is why Alperin encourages Scott Alperin. families to plan ahead – executing a general durable power of attorney and a healthcare power
of attorney while a parent is still able to, so that a trusted agent can step in without the expense and emotional toll of a guardianship proceeding. That said, even with the right documents in place, families still have to reckon with a deeper question. “The biggest misconception is the recognition that what the child perceives as being in the best interest of the parent does not always equate to what the parent desires,” Alperin (Continued on page 18)
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Legal says. “Many children erroneously assume that because their parents are old and frail, what the children want is best for their parents. Often that is not the case.” Rabbi Levi Brashevitzky of Chabad stresses that the obligation doesn’t end when a parent can no longer reciprocate. “Not only does kibud av v'em apply then,” he says, “Torah teaches that it applies after their passing too.” His advice to families navigating the hardest calls is less about legal mechanics and more about posture. “Always approach with pledging the fifth of the Ten Commandments,” he says. “Reflect on
the partnership they have with God in your creation. Remember your children learn most by what you do and how you handle situations, more than what you tell them and or demand of them.” Through the legal framework and religious grounding, a common thread emerges: honoring a parent isn’t about doing everything they ask or protecting them from every risk. It’s about taking their wishes seriously while maintaining a mindset that values both practical and the spiritual perspectives of the law. Most importantly, it’s knowing that how a family navigates these moments matters just as much as what they decide.
Remember your children learn most by what you do and how you handle situations, more than what you tell them and or demand of them.
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Legal
Stanford Gaza protesters avoid felony charges in community service deal
Emma Goss (JTA) —(J. The Jewish News of Northern California via JTA) — State prosecutors are preparing to drop charges against five current and former Stanford University students accused of felony vandalism during the 2024 occupation of the university president’s office in protest against the war in Gaza. Each of them will be required to complete 100 hours of community service and pay a combined $52,000 in restitution to the university as part of a deal reached on Sept. 21 with California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office. The AG’s office confirmed that the restitution has been paid. In addition, last month, prosecutors in Seattle are preparing to settle charges in a similar case involving the University of Washington. According to the student newspaper, local prosecutors have reportedly entered agreements with all 33 defendants charged with first-degree criminal trespass stemming from a 2025 Gaza protest that
also occupied a campus building. The initial charges were filed in March, but prosecutors agreed to drop them if the defendants complete community service and commit no new legal violations. Two prominent Bay Area Jewish groups decried the outcome of the Stanford prosecution as a “miscarriage of justice,” saying in a joint statement that it “sends the troubling message that politically motivated destruction of property carries minimal legal consequences.” The statement, released by the Jewish Community Relations Council Bay Area and Jewish Silicon Valley, also lamented that the court hearing at which the students agreed to the offer was held on Yom Kippur, precluding many Jews from attending. “That a hearing so closely connected to debates over rising antisemitism was made inaccessible to many in the Jewish community demonstrates a lack of sensitivity and cultural competency,” the joint statement reads.
That a hearing so closely connected to debates over rising antisemitism was made inaccessible to many in the Jewish community demonstrates a lack of sensitivity and cultural competency
Stanford Hillel’s director, Rabbi Jessica Kirschner, also decried the resolution. “These students aren’t heroes. They committed serious acts of vandalism and intimidation against the University community,” Kirschner told Haaretz. “They are fortunate that the court gave them a second chance, and I hope that they use this time to reflect on what it means to be a constructive member of a community.” The Stanford charges were originally brought by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, led by Jeff Rosen, who is Jewish. A judge declared a mistrial in February. In May, the defense successfully argued that Rosen and his office should be removed from the case over concerns that he had crossed a legal line when suggesting in campaign messaging that the protesters were antisemitic. California’s attorney general then assumed control of the case. The case was one of the highest profile prosecutions of students during the 2024 wave of pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses. In the early morning of June 5, 2024, protesters broke into Building 10, which houses the university president’s office, shattering a window to gain
entry to the building. Once inside, the protesters barricaded entrances to the building using tools and furniture, covered security cameras and spattered fake blood around the building. Thirteen people were arrested following the incident, and 12 were charged with felony vandalism and felony conspiracy to trespass. Seven of them accepted plea deals or diversion programs, leaving the last five to face trial. Bonta’s office defended the outcome of the case, saying in a statement that the defendants were appropriately held accountable for their actions. “We believe this outcome serves the best interests of the community and all parties involved,” the statement said. Following the outcome of the UW resolution, university spokesperson Victor Balta said in a statement to media, “We appreciate the work and attention from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on this matter.”
These students aren’t heroes. They committed serious acts of vandalism and intimidation against the University.
This story was first reported by J. The Jewish News of Northern California and is reprinted with permission.
jewishnewsva.org | OCTOBER 5, 2026 | JEWISH NEWS | 19
Legal
In a legal settlement, UC Berkeley offers a dance scholar a position it denied her because she’s Israeli. Niva Ashkenazi (JTA) — (J. The Jewish News of Northern California via JTA) — For more than nine months, UC Berkeley has failed to honor a legal settlement with an Israeli dance scholar who was denied a teaching position due to her nationality. In response to a J. inquiry, a university spokesperson said the delay was caused by “internal miscommunication.” The university now promises that the scholar, Yael Nativ, will receive the job offer she was guaranteed in the December 2025 settlement “no later than the week of Sept. 28.” “We deeply regret this unfortunate delay and look forward to welcoming Dr. Nativ back to our campus,” UC Berkeley
spokesperson Dan Mogulof said in a statement. Nativ said she received an apology for the delay, and the promise of an imminent job offer in a Sept. 21 email from a university administrator. “It’s always a surprise when I get emails from them because the correspondence was so little to none,” Nativ said. “I’m so tired of this case.” Nativ, a sociologist specializing in Israeli dance, taught in UC Berkeley’s dance department during spring 2022 as a visiting professor through the Helen Diller Institute for Jewish Law and Israel Studies. Her course focused on contemporary dance in Israel through social, political, and cultural perspectives.
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The institute invited Nativ to reapply for another year of teaching. But after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, SanSan Kwan, chair of the dance department, informed Nativ that she would not be rehired. In November 2023, Kwan told Nativ in a WhatsApp message: “My dept cannot host you for a class next fall. Things are very hot right now and many of our grad students are angry. I would be putting the dept and you in a terrible position if you taught here.” The university’s civil rights office investigated the matter and concluded that Nativ was discriminated against based on her Israeli identity. Nativ sued the university, with representation from the Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, in August 2025. When the two sides settled the lawsuit in December 2025, the university acknowledged its wrongdoing and committed to apologizing to Nativ and inviting her back to campus. UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons apologized to Nativ over Zoom on Feb. 3, but no job offer arrived. The lapse was publicized by Malcolm Feeley, a retired UC Berkeley Law professor, who wrote about Nativ’s
case in a Sept. 16 article in the Jewish Review of Books. “Justice delayed is justice denied. This is justice delayed in the extreme,” Feeley said in an interview. “It takes a concerted effort of badgering to get [the university] to move an inch.” In a statement to J. following the publication of Feeley’s article, Mogulof said the university hadn’t sent Nativ a job offer due to a misunderstanding among administrators about who was responsible for doing so. Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Ben Hermalin will personally ensure the offer will come within the next two weeks, according to Mogulof. Nativ went on to work as a research fellow at Ben-Gurion University in Israel after she left Berkeley. She said her main goal since the lawsuit has been to hold UC Berkeley accountable, not to land a job. “It wasn’t urgent for me to go [back to campus]. It’s more about making a point, getting my justice,” she said. “But if they invite, I will consider.” This story was first reported by J. The Jewish News of Northern California and is reprinted with permission.
Legal
A partner in planning: How TJF helps advisors help their clients TJF staff Attorneys, financial advisors, and other professional advisors often begin some of their most important conversations with clients with a simple question: What matters to you? For clients who are charitably inclined, that question can David Kamer open the door to planning that extends beyond assets and beneficiaries to the impact they hope to make during their lifetime and for generations to come. David Kamer, an attorney with Kaufman & Canoles, PC., believes advisors have an important role in starting that conversation. Kamer is a member of Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s board of directors and chair of its Professional Advisory Committee. At Kaufman & Canoles, he focuses on estate planning, tax-exempt organizations, and complex tax matters for high-net-worth individuals, families, and charitable organizations. “Clients may come into a planning conversation focused primarily on their children and grandchildren, but that doesn’t mean charitable giving isn’t important to them,” Kamer says. “Sometimes the advisor simply needs to ask the question and give them an opportunity to think about what they want their legacy to include.” That is where TJF can become a valuable partner to both the client and the advisor. TJF works alongside fundholders, families and their professional advisors to help translate philanthropic goals into a plan. Through donor-advised funds, endowments, designated and restricted
funds, charitable trusts, and other giving strategies, TJF can help clients build an approach that reflects their values while complementing their broader financial and estate planning. The partnership can be particularly useful when a client knows the causes they care about but has not identified specific organizations. TJF brings knowledge of the charitable landscape and can help structure giving around those interests. “TJF gives advisors another resource to bring to the table,” Kamer says. “The
Clients may come into a planning conversation focused primarily on their children and grandchildren, but that doesn’t mean charitable giving isn’t important to them. Sometimes the advisor simply needs to ask the question and give them an opportunity to think about what they want their legacy to include. staff is knowledgeable and experienced, and they can help clients create a flexible plan that carries their charitable intentions forward. For an advisor, that means you don’t have to have every philanthropic answer yourself, you have a partner who can help.”
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Legal
Synagogues face the challenge to be safe, secure, welcoming, and legal Haley Bartel n 2018, a gunman killed 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history. In the years since, some Jewish writers have argued that congregants should be able to protect themselves. Rabbi Stuart Halpern and Tevi Troy wrote in City Journal in 2022 that many Jews concluded the only ones who can defend them are themselves. Laws barring licensed carriers from houses of worship, they argued, leave would-be victims disarmed while attackers stay armed. “A siddur, alas, is a poor substitute for a gun in a firefight,” they wrote. Still, Virginia law makes it a misdemeanor to carry a gun into a place of worship during a religious meeting without “good and sufficient reason,” a phrase the statute doesn’t define. Lawmakers have attempted to loosen the law. A 2019 bill to allow weapons in places of worship passed the state Senate 21-19, but died in the House Rules Committee. Ohef Sholom Temple is one of the congregations that has chosen the stricter approach. The synagogue has armed security on site, but congregants – or anyone entering the building – are not allowed to carry their own firearms.
I
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“The issue of security is a basic in synagogue life,” says Jennifer Levin-Tavares, the temple’s executive director. She has spent more than 25 years in synagogue management, and several of those years put her close to some of the nation’s worst tragedies, including the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, one mile from the synagogue she served in Parkland, Florida. Throughout her career, balancing security with the air of warmth that worshippers crave from a synagogue has never been easy. “It is a tricky balance,” she says, “one that constantly evolves.” Security consultant Joe Bouchard started working with Ohef Sholom in 2017 to help overhaul its security policies and procedures. Levin-Tavares is in regular contact with Bouchard, as well as with Mike Goldsmith, Secure Community Network regional advisor, and the Norfolk Police. The Secure Community Network, which advises Jewish institutions on security, recommends a layered
approach that includes hiring off-duty police officers for armed security, says Goldsmith. Synagogues that choose to use armed volunteers should have strict policies, vetting, and rigorous training, he says, and should distinguish between a formal security team and an individual allowed to carry concealed. Coordination with police is essential, he says, because in the event of an emergency “first responders will not know who is on your security team.” The temple has hosted full-scale exercises for Hampton Roads law enforcement, most recently through Goldsmith’s coordination. Protocols are re-evaluated after significant antisemitic or security incidents and before major events, and congregants are told about changes, such as those around the High Holidays. “We don't want Ohef Sholom to feel like a fortress,” Levin-Tavares says. Access control and layered security are key, but “the warmth largely comes from the people, how we treat each other, and being strategic in approach.”
In the event of an emergency first responders will not know who is on your security team.
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Legal
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs bill to create safe spaces around synagogues Sharon Udasin (JTA) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has signed a law that will create protective spaces around religious institutions, after a pro-Palestinian protest at a Los Angeles synagogue last year turned violent. The legislation, AB 2664, establishes 100-foot zones around the entrances to houses of worship. Within the zones, no one will be allowed to come within eight feet of a congregant without consent to
distribute leaflets, hold a sign, or engage in oral protests that aim “to harass, obstruct, threaten, or intimidate the person.” Failure to comply could result in fines of up to $1,000 and/or imprisonment of no more than six months, with second violations raising those bars to $5,000 and one year, per the law. “Every Californian should be able to walk into a synagogue, church, mosque, or other house of worship without fear,” Newsom said in a statement.
“California is continuing to protect these organizations and the people they serve, and we’re strengthening that work from the front door to expanding security resources to community events statewide.” Newsom’s status as a leading Democrat – and one considering a 2028 presidential run – makes his enthusiastic endorsement notable. Progressives in other locales, including New York City, have pushed back against similar laws, saying they endanger speech protections. The bill’s signing came less than a year after a violent protest rattled the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles. At the December event, pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked people from entering the synagogue and cut off parental access to the religious school. Protesters destroyed property and assaulted a security guard; one person was arrested for battery and another for vandalism. At the time, Mayor Karen Bass denounced the incident, which took place at one of the largest synagogues in the city, as both “abhorrent” and antisemitic. The following spring, California Assembly member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, a Democrat, introduced the legislation, drafted by Jewish California, a lobby representing a number of the state’s Jewish groups. Newsom signed the bill on Friday, Sept. 25 inside Wilshire Boulevard Temple, joined by Jewish California leaders, synagogue clergy, and members of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus and the broader community. The legislation advanced despite vocal opposition. The Council on American-Islamic Relations slammed the bill for infringing upon free speech by creating “new criminal penalties that would put peaceful protesters and
community advocates at risk.” In a statement following Newsom’s signing ceremony, the council’s California CEO, Hussam Ayloush, argued that some sales of “illegally occupied land” are occurring “exclusively to Jewish Americans at events hosted by American synagogues.” “If a house of worship in America chooses to serve as a platform for illegal land sales meant to normalize Palestinian displacement, Americans should be able to peacefully demonstrate against that immoral activity,” Ayloush said. The protest at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple did not target land sales, but a public safety and technology event organized by the Consulate General of Israel. Jewish California stressed that the legislation not only gained support from dozens of Jewish groups but also from Muslim, Sikh, Christian, and Hindu organizations. Ultimately, the bill passed with 34 out of 40 State Senate votes and 61 of 80 State Assembly votes. “With the Governor’s signature, California is sending a clear message: everyone has the right to practice their faith safely and freely,” Bauer-Kahan said in a statement. “Antisemitism is rising, and so is hostility towards other religious communities,” she added. “This law protects all worshippers of all faiths, and it ensures that faith can be practiced without fear.” AB 2664 was one of six bills relevant to the Jewish community that passed in California’s state legislature last month. Newsom signed one of the other bills, AB 1853, on Monday, Sept. 28 — enacting a ban on including misleading or threatening information, like hate speech,
Every Californian should be able to walk into a
synagogue, church, mosque, or other
house of worship without fear.
24 | JEWISH NEWS | OCTOBER 5, 2026 | jewishnewsva.org
Legal
Feds say Cisco likely failed to protect pro-Palestinian workers from harassment
Andrew Silow-Carroll (JTA) — Cisco Systems likely violated the civil rights of Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim employees, a federal agency has found, after employees were subjected to harassing messages — some of them posted by employees in an internal forum called the Connected Jewish Network. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission determined in June that there was “reasonable cause to believe” Cisco subjected the employees to a hostile work environment based on their national origin, religion or association in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The determination follows on media reports and an EEOC probe into an ugly climate at the tech company following the Oct. 7, 2023, deadly attacks by Hamas on southern Israel. Pro-Palestinian employees called on the company to end its business dealings with Israel, while Jewish employees said the company had failed to protect them from harassment by proPalestinian employees. The EEOC case, however, turned in part on messages shared in the internal Connected Jewish Network forum. A complaint filed by Legal Aid at Work, which represented the Muslim and proPalestinian employees, said employees on the Jewish forum had “repeatedly glorified violence, joked about sending people to their deaths” and “labeled Palestinians, Arabs, and
Muslims as murderous, violent, terrorists.” “This is a massive multinational corporation with all the resources in the world and they couldn’t get it right,” Christopher Ho, a director at Legal Aid at Work, told the Guardian, which reported on the EEOC finding last month. “Thankfully the EEOC did.” Ho said Cisco had “at best failed to take their harassment seriously” and through its inaction had sent “the implicit message that its pro-Palestinian employees were unworthy of protection.” The letter is not a binding ruling, and both sides said the EEOC has indicated it will not sue. The finding could nonetheless strengthen employees’ cases if they pursue their own lawsuits. The employees are considering collective and individual litigation, according to media reports. The case examines the period after a group of mostly Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim employees called Bridge to Humanity, circulated an open letter urging Cisco to end its business dealings with the Israeli military. More than 1,700 employees signed the letter. The employees said they were subsequently subjected to racist and Islamophobic harassment. In August 2024, employees — including some concerned Jewish employees — filed a 76-page ethics complaint accusing more than a dozen colleagues of creating a hostile
This is a massive multinational corporation with all the resources in the world and they couldn’t get it right.
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tech company involving discrimination against workers engaged in pro-Palestinian advocacy. Since the Oct. 7 attacks, the EEOC has made combating workplace antisemitism a major policy and enforcement priority, with scrutiny on academia and the private sector increasing under the Trump administration. Cisco has disputed the EEOC’s determination, saying it had “thoroughly investigated all concerns and took appropriate action.” The company previously said it had removed some comments, issued discipline warnings and provided coaching to multiple employees.
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