Jewish News Sep 22, 2025 Edition

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APPLY AT foundation.jewishva.org/simon-family-passport-to-israel

Administered through the Tidewater Jewish Foundation, this special program provides grants to enable Jewish students, ages 13–22, to participate in an Israel trip experience. Grants are available for students traveling to Israel on an organized and staffed peer trip and cover up to 30% of eligible expenses (max $6,000 per student).

For more information, visit foundation.jewishva.org/simon-family-passport-to-israel or contact Ann Swindell at aswindell@tjfva.org or 757-965-6106.

Recent Recipient: Jordan Parker-Ashe

With the support of the Simon Family Passport to Israel grant, Jordan Parker-Ashe traveled to Israel to participate in the BBYO Passport Trek Israel program. As part of the program, Jordan took part in a five day wilderness immersion group hike which took them from the Mediterranean to the Sea of Galilee with amazing experiences she will never forget!

Hope and joy in 5786

As we enter this High Holiday season of reflection and renewal together, I am reminded that these holidays invite us to pause, look inward, and reconnect—with our traditions, our communities, and with our loved ones. This year, more than ever, we are reminded of the importance of joy, not simply as an emotion but as a strong force that binds our community together.

Joy is found in the laughter shared around our holiday tables, in the melodies of prayer that echo through our synagogues, and in quiet moments of gratitude for our family, our community, and for the Jewish people. It is found in acts of loving kindness, in the resilience of our spirit, and in the hope we carry into the new year.

In a world that often feels uncertain, choosing joy is an act of courage. And when we choose it together, it becomes a source of strength. Let us enter 5786 with renewed purpose and a commitment to lift one another up. May this be a year of sweetness, healing, and shared celebration.

May 5786 provide us the opportunity for unity and continuing engagement in Jewish Tidewater. Unity is our strength. We have myriad examples of increased engagement in our synagogues, our day schools, and in our community programming through many of our Jewish communal organizations.

May 5786 free the Israeli hostages, bring an end to war and suffering in the Middle East, Ukraine, and around the globe, and strengthen the Jewish people.

L’Shanah Tovah Tikatevu,

Betty Ann Levin

Executive vice president/CEO

United Jewish Federation of Tidewater

Published 18 times a year by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.

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The people of Israel, resilient and courageous, remind us that while tragedy leaves scars, it does not erase our spirit – page 12

BRIEFS

Canada is ‘evaluating’ its ties with Israel following Qatar strike

Canada is “evaluating” its relationship with Israel following the country’s strikes on Hamas leadership in Qatar, Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said on Wednesday, Sept. 10.

“We are evaluating the relationship with Israel,” Anand told reporters when asked if Canada would follow the lead of the European Commission, which announced plans to seek sanctions against Israel.

“Of course, the attack yesterday on Qatar was one that was unacceptable. It was a violation of Qatari airspace. There were deaths on the ground at a time when Qatar was trying to facilitate peace,” Anand continued. “There are many moving pieces in the Middle East right now. And at the rock bottom, Canada’s position is that we need to work for peace in the Middle East and we need to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza.”

Anand’s statement marks the latest sign of discontent among the Canadian government with Israel’s conduct.

In July, Canada joined with a growing list of countries, including Australia, France, Belgium, and the United Kingdom, in announcing plans to recognize Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly this month. Canada also announced sanctions against Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s national security minister, and Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister, in June.

A spokesperson from Anand’s office later told CBC News that her comments were meant “in the sense that the government is constantly monitoring the situation and will continue to evaluate ways to push for a ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian aid and the release of all hostages.” (JTA)

Ahead of

mayoral election, Brooklyn synagogue

demands voter registration to attend High Holiday services

Congregation Shaare Zion, a large Orthodox synagogue serving the Syrian-Jewish community in Brooklyn, is taking an unprecedented step in the run-up to New York City’s mayoral election: Members and their spouses must show proof of voter registration before they can secure seats for the High Holidays.

One of the largest Sephardic synagogues in the country, Shaare Zion announced the requirement in a letter to congregants that framed the election as a moment of acute risk for Jews in New York.

“In approximately two months, New York City will be electing its next Mayor,” the synagogue’s executive committee wrote, according to a copy obtained by Yeshiva World News.

“The outcome of this election could result in very serious problems throughout the city and, in particular, the Jewish communities across the city including our own. The safety and quality of life for our community and our

institutions may be at serious risk.”

The letter continued: “As a result, we have no choice but to require that all of our members and their spouses provide proof of voter registration prior to securing their High Holiday seats.”

The election is on Nov. 4.

The new policy comes just two weeks after Magen David Yeshivah, a flagship Sephardic day school nearby, also in the Gravesend neighborhood, issued a similar directive for parents, sparking debate about whether religious institutions should pressure members to register to vote.

Both moves are seen as responses to the frontrunner status of Zohran Mamdani, the Muslim democratic socialist lawmaker whose criticism of Israel and support for the boycott movement have unsettled many Jewish leaders.

Shaare Zion, located on Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn, draws thousands of worshippers for the High Holidays and serves as the hub of the city’s Syrian Jewish community. By tying holiday seating to voter registration, it is in effect launching one of the more sweeping Jewish voterregistration campaigns ever attempted by any religious institution in New York.

The synagogue’s announcement follows a sweeping new declaration signed by more than 50 Syrian-Jewish rabbis from New York and New Jersey, which described registering to vote as a mitzvah — a religious obligation on par with prayer, charity and Jewish education. Together, the initiatives reflect a community treating the upcoming election as a turning point. (JTA)

Oct. 7 documentary briefly axed from lineup wins Toronto film festival’s People’s Choice Award

Adocumentary about a dramatic rescue in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, won an audience award at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, Sept. 14, one month after it was reinstated to the lineup after a brief cancelation.

other Israelis while driving from Tel Aviv to the kibbutz near Gaza after concluding that the army could not be relied upon to save his son and his family.

It had secured a slot at TIFF for its premiere when the festival told Avrich and his collaborators last month that it could not be shown. They cited both safety concerns and questions about whether the filmmakers had the legal rights for some of its footage — eliciting disbelief that the festival would require Israelis to get permission from Hamas to use atrocities it filmed.

Amid a backlash, the festival said it was still open to working with the filmmakers to resolve the concerns. Within days, it was back on the schedule.

The premiere drew an ovation as well demonstrations by both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protesters outside the festival in downtown Toronto.

Avrich thanked TIFF’s CEO, Cameron Bailey, for his support for the film. “I appreciate everything that TIFF has done for us,” he said.

The movie is expected to play in about 20 cities in the United States beginning in late October. (JTA)

“The audience voted and I appreciate that. And we look forward to the rest of this journey,” director Barry Avrich said while accepting the documentary People’s Choice Award, which the festival boasts is an Oscar bellwether.

The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue tells the story of retired IDF general Noam Tibon’s mission to rescue his family during Hamas’ attack on Kibbutz Nahal Oz. Tibon killed Hamas terrorists and saved

Harassment at Berkeley

Fake “wanted” posters criticizing University of California Regents Jonathan “Jay” Sures and Richard Leib as “vocal” or “proud” Zionists were discovered on the University of California, Berkeley campus this month. Campus staff quickly removed the flyers described by Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof as “disturbing and threatening” and university police have opened an investigation to identify the culprits, whose connection to the campus is unknown. UC’s systemwide leadership condemned the incident as unequivocally antisemitic, affirming its commitment to the safety and support of Jewish community members while pledging full backing for Berkeley’s inquiry. (ADL)

UN General Assembly vote

The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly (142-10 with 12 abstentions) on Friday, Sept. 12 to support a nonbinding resolution endorsing a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, with the United States among the 10 nations voting against.

U.S. Mission counselor Morgan Ortagus called the resolution, “... another misguided and ill-timed publicity stunt that undermines serious diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. Make no mistake, this resolution is a gift to Hamas.” (AJC)

JEWISH TIDEWATER

Stay Safe

Stephanie Peck

The High Holiday season is a sacred time for worship, reflection, and joy. It begins on the evening of Monday, September 22.

“Our synagogues will see significant numbers of congregants coming to connect with their faith and the larger Jewish community,” says Mike Goldsmith, SCN regional security advisor.

“While we are reveling in the season, we need to be sure that we are also staying aware of our surroundings,” he says.

Goldsmith reminds that while “we are focused on faith, we also need to focus on our safety and the safety of those around us.”

Goldsmith suggests that when attending services to keep an eye out for:

• Suspicious behaviors such as people loitering outside our institutions

• Non-congregants who may be attempting to enter the temple, and

• Those who may be using the cover of the crowd to defeat security measures.

“We should also be sensitive to packages and vehicles that are out of place or unexpected,” says Goldsmith.

As always, he says, “if you see something, say something.”

Report suspicious behaviors, vehicles, or packages to the temple’s security team and SCN.

See something wrong? Report it!

Report an antisemitic incident at www.Federation.JewishVA.org/IncidentReporting

In an emergency, always call 9-1-1 first.

If online reporting is not practical, contact local law enforcement and/or the relevant suspicious activity reporting authority.

Also contact Mike Goldsmith, Tidewater’s SCN Regional Security Advisor, at MGoldsmith@ujft.org or 844-SCN-DESK.

JEWISH TIDEWATER

Kehillat Bet Hamidrash marks new chapter with joyful relocation to Sandler Family Campus

Puts out welcome mat to new congregants

Alene Jo Kaufman

With music, prayer, and community spirit, Kehillat Bet Hamidrash (KBH), Kempsville Conservative Synagogue, has entered a new chapter in its nearly five-decade history

On Saturday, September 6, KBH held its first Shabbat service in its new home in the Fleischmann Lounge of the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community. Just two days earlier, on September 4, congregants and friends gathered for a celebratory procession to accompany KBH’s three Torah scrolls to the synagogue’s new location.

The festive Hachnasat Sefer Torah, the ritual welcoming of Torah scrolls, was a moment filled with joy, reverence, and

gratitude. The scrolls were carried under a tallit serving as a chuppah, accompanied by lively klezmer music and the voices of participants joining together in song.

The procession included meaningful moments of honor and remembrance. At the Holocaust Torah case, originally built for the former KBH building but now situated near the campus Holocaust Memorial, Marge Schechner, whose family sponsored the acquisition of the Torah, and Ron Kaufman, a second-generation survivor, carried the scroll. Chazzan David Proser, who has led KBH for more than four decades, sang the memorial prayer for victims of the Holocaust before the group continued to the Fleischmann Lounge. There, new members Danny and Shikma Rubin were honored with the final carry of the Fine Torah, while Elyse and David Cardon carried the Segal Torah, representing the Susan Tapper and Nathan Segal family. The ceremony featured the sounding of the shofar by Sam Epstein, the Shehecheyanu prayer led by Rona Proser, KBH co-president, and remarks from Marge Schechner, co-president and Betty Ann Levin,

United Jewish Federation of Tidewater executive vice president. Levin emphasized the significance of this moment for KBH and the wider community. “The relocation of KBH is more than simply a change of address –it’s about continuity and growth. It’s about honoring the past while embracing the future. And it’s about the sacred work of building community, together.”

She then offered this prayer, “Bless this synagogue and all who enter its doors. May this space be filled with learning, laughter, prayer, and peace. May it be a place where all who come find comfort, feel welcome, and inspired. May the words of Torah be spoken here with love and may acts of kindness ripple outward. Bless our campus with unity and purpose. May we continue to build bridges, build community, and walk forward together in our shared faith. And let us all say: Amen.”

The program concluded with a prayer for the hostages in Israel and the singing of Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem.

The relocation marks a milestone in KBH’s long and dedicated journey of service to the Jewish community in

Tidewater. Founded in 1978 through the merger of Kehillat Yisrael and Bet Hamidrash, the congregation began in storefronts and shared spaces before establishing its home on Providence Road in Virginia Beach. Over the decades, KBH has been guided by the steady leadership

JEWISH TIDEWATER

of Chazzan M. David Proser and enriched by visiting rabbis, rabbinical fellows, and partnerships with fellow Conservative

congregations in the region.

Community has always been at the heart of KBH. In preparing for

the move, the synagogue ensured that furnishings and supplies were donated to Toras Chaim, Temple Israel, the Sandler Family Campus, Strelitz International Academy Early Years, and a local nonprofit, further extending its spirit of generosity.

Now, on the Sandler Family Campus, KBH looks forward to continuing its mission as a welcoming spiritual home and a place of Jewish learning, worship, and community connection.

For more information about KBH services or membership, visit www.kbhsynagogue. org or email kbhsynagogue@ gmail.com.

BRING THEM HOME NOW

ATTEND A COMMUNITY COMMEMORATION

In Person: Monday, October 6, 9 AM, Reba & Sam Sandler Family Campus Sukkah

Join Tidewater’s new Shinshinim, Noga and Yarden, in the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus Sukkah for a short ceremony followed by a meaningful conversation on resilience and hope as they recognize and remember the atrocities of October 7, the lives lost, and the hostages still being held captive. Learn more: JewishVA.org/Shinshinim

Online: Thursday, October 9, 7 PM

Join Hadassah for an online commemoration: One Heart, One People. They will honor the memories of those murdered and taken hostage and pay tribute to those who leapt into action to help Israel in its darkest hour

Learn more: Hadassah.org/OneHeartOnePeople

LIGHT A CANDLE OF REMEMBRANCE

Each flame represents a life, a family, and a story Learning the name one of the fallen and lighting a candle in their honor is a powerful personal act of memory and solidarity Do it at home or with friends, and let the light carry their legacy forward.

SAY A PRAYER

Take a moment to pray for the safety of the Israel Defense Forces, for the strength of families in Israel, and for the swift return of the hostages still held in Gaza. Find prayers at JewishVA.org/IsraelResources

Two-thirds of a 15th-century Portuguese High Holiday prayer book were lost to history. Until now.

Grace Gilson

(JTA) — A rare 15th-century Portuguese Jewish manuscript, long incomplete after it was split into three parts, is whole again after the National Library of Israel reunited its final missing pieces.

The Lisbon Mahzor, which contains Sephardic prayers for the High Holidays, Three Festivals and more, was produced by the Lisbon school of Portuguese Jewry in the final years before the region’s Jews were forced to either convert or be expelled in 1496.

“It appears that even in their most difficult moments the Portuguese Jewish community did not give up its books – they took these cultural treasures along to their next destination,” Chaim Neria, the curator of the National Library of Israel’s Haim and Hanna Solomon Judaica Collection, says.

The small-format manuscript on parchment features artistic decorations throughout, including lace and geometric and floral motifs typical of Portuguese manuscript illumination.

At an unknown point in time, the mahzor was split into three parts, with the first, containing Sabbath prayers, being delivered to the National Library of Israel in 1957.

The final two parts had been lost to history until they recently came up for auction and were withdrawn and purchased on behalf of the library due to their historical significance.

“That this treasure has ‘come home’ just at the time of Rosh Hashanah is especially meaningful, as the Jewish New

Year is one of the most important liturgical moments in the Jewish calendar, a time of prayer, reflection, and renewal,” Neria says.

The three parts of the Lisbon Mahzor will now be digitized by the National Library of Israel for study and research, according to Neria.

While the auction price of the final parts of the Lisbon Mahzor were not public, in 2021, the 700-year-old Luzzatto Mahzor was sold at auction to an American Judaica collector for $8.3 million.

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ISRAEL

Israeli conductor calls for end to Gaza war in London concert:

‘What’s happening now is atrocious’

Grace Gilson (JTA) — An Israeli conductor called for an end to Israel’s war in Gaza during a concert at Royal Albert Hall in London on Thursday, Sept. 11, warning the audience that “every moment that passes puts the safety of millions at risk.”

“In my heart, there is great pain now, every day, for months. I come from Israel and live there. I love it, it’s my home, but what’s happening now is atrocious, and horrific in a scale that’s unimaginable,” Volkov said at the end of the concert with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Many members of the audience cheered Volkov’s address, but there were also some jeers, to which he replied, “You can go if you don’t want politics. Politics is part of life every day.”

In his remarks, which drew loud cheers and applause from the audience, Volkov decried the killing of “innocent Palestinians” as well as the Israeli hostages “kept in inhumane conditions for two years.”

He alluded to the gap between the vast majority of Israelis who want the war to end with a deal to release the hostages and the government, which is pressing forward despite public sentiment.

“Israelis — Jews and Palestinians

— we are not able to stop this alone. I ask you, I beg you all to do whatever is in your power to stop this madness. Every little action counts while governments hesitate and wait,” Volkov concluded. “We cannot let this go on any longer. Every moment that passes puts the safety of millions at risk.”

Volkov’s address comes as the societal reckoning over the Gaza war flares in the classical music world. The day before his Royal Albert Hall concert, a Belgian music festival canceled the performance of the Munich Philharmonic because it was being led by Lahav Shani, the music director of the Israeli Philharmonic.

“Lahav Shani has spoken out in favour of peace and reconciliation several times in the past, but in the light of his role as the chief conductor of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, we are unable to provide sufficient clarity about his attitude to the genocidal regime in Tel Aviv,” the Flanders Festival Ghent said in a statement Wednesday, Sept. 10.

The organizers said the decision was made in order to “maintain the serenity” of the festival and “safeguard the concert experience for our visitors and musicians.”

The cancellation drew condemnation from several European leaders, including

Wolfram Weimer, the German culture minister, who said the decision was a “disgrace for Europe” and “blatant antisemitism” in a post on X.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever, who recently drew Israeli condemnation for planning to recognize a Palestinian state, also rebuked the decision. He traveled to Germany to see Shani conduct.

“There will never, ever be any room for racism and antisemitism in this country,” de Wever tweeted along with a photo showing him shaking hands with Shani. “I insisted on conveying this message to him personally and expressing my appreciation

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for his contribution to the power of music.”

An online petition calling on the Ghent festival to reverse its decision, led by prominent classical musicians including Jewish conductor Joshua Weilerstein, has drawn over 16,000 signatures.

“This decision will do nothing to save a single Palestinian life, bring a hostage home, or to make any improvement to the unbearable civilian suffering currently taking place in this conflict,” the petition read. “It will, however, resonate loudly with those who equate an artist’s nationality with an excuse to exclude them from the cultural sphere.”

FIRST PERSON

A journey of hope: reflections from my trip to Israel

This summer, I traveled to Israel for my niece’s wedding. It was a joyous occasion, full of laughter, dancing, and the kind of celebration that reminds us what it means to live fully and proudly as Jews. Surrounded by family, I felt the timeless bond that ties us to our people and our homeland.

But my trip was not only about joy. I had visited the site of the October 7 attacks on previous trips to Israel, but this time I went with my husband and our adult children. The experience was profoundly different. Standing together before the photographs of young lives cut short, we felt the weight of unimaginable

loss in a new way. My children were deeply moved, realizing these were peers, young people who should have been building futures filled with promise. The grief was overwhelming. Yet, even in that place of mourning and remembrance, we found hope. The people of Israel, resilient and courageous, remind us that while tragedy leaves scars, it does not erase our spirit.

Over the past 24 months of war, we have witnessed a wide range of emotions and opinions from family, friends, and strangers alike. Israel is a complicated society. There are protests in the streets, solidarity with hostage families, and communities suffering deeply during wartime.

ancestors within us. Our history is marked by hardship and exile but also illuminated by perseverance and triumph. We continue to build, to dream, and to live with meaning. That strength comes from community and from legacy, the knowledge that our story stretches back thousands of years and is still being written today.

Conversations wrestle with what needs to be done, what has already been done, and what everyone wishes could be. There are no black-or-white answers, only the complexity of a reality where grief and hope live side by side. What unites us is that we are a people who grieve together, who share values rooted in Jewish tradition, and who remain committed to investing in the future of our families and our people.

As Jewish people, we carry the legacy of our

Now, more than ever, it is important that our children and grandchildren experience Israel for themselves. Programs such as the Simon Family Passport to Israel make that possible, giving young people the chance to touch the land, meet the people, and carry those memories into their own Jewish journeys. I encourage families to apply and give the next generation the gift of connection that will last a lifetime.

As we enter this season of renewal, may we carry forward resilience and joy, and may we walk confidently into the future, rooted in our past, connected in the present, and filled with hope for what lies ahead.

JEWISH TIDEWATER

NEXT GEN 757

Introducing Next Gen 757: A new era for young Jewish adults in Tidewater

Amy Zelenka

United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Young Adult Division (YAD) has a new name and a new way of doing business. Now officially rebranded as Next Gen 757, this bold new identity reflects its mission, its members, and the vibrant future UJFT is helping to shape in the Hampton Roads Jewish community.

Why the change?

Over the years, UJFT’s YAD Division has grown into a dynamic platform for young professionals, emerging leaders, and community changemakers. But as its reach and impact evolved, the leaders at UJFT started to realize that there might be better and more creative ways to connect and engage the young Jewish population (who are also future Jewish leaders). And so, significant collaboration between the development (fundraising) side of the organization and the programming (engagement) side is taking place, which will strengthen all aspects of Next Gen 757.

Next Gen 757 represents more than a demographic. It reflects a movement — the

next generation of thinkers, doers, and emerging leaders who are invested in shaping the future of the Jewish community of Tidewater.

What does “Next Gen 757” stand for?

• Next Gen signifies forward-thinking leadership, innovation, and inclusivity.

• 757 grounds the group in the Tidewater Jewish community — connecting young Jewish adults across all cities in Hampton Roads.

What’s staying the same?

While the name is changing, the group’s core values and dedication remain unchanged. It is still very much committed to the core mission: to connect, empower, and elevate the next generation of Jewish leaders and community members – through engagement, networking, and leadership development opportunities.

Members can still expect:

• Engaging events that foster close relationships with one another and with the

Jewish community.

• Service opportunities that make a real impact.

• A strong network of peers, mentors, and local leaders.

• An opportunity to set the course for young Jewish adult programs and activities moving into the future.

What’s next?

The Next Gen 757 brand will soon appear across UJFT’s website, social media platforms, and other communications. All current and prospective members are invited to embrace this new chapter — because the future of Hampton Roads is being written by the next generation.

UJFT is currently seeking a dedicated professional for this group – an energetic and engaging Next Gen Engagement Coordinator whose top priority will be engaging young adults in

the Jewish community. That professional will work hand in hand with Next Gen 757 members, as well as fellow Jewish communal professionals, across departments and agencies, to ensure the most vibrant, creative, and inclusive programming.

So, no more YAD Cabinet. But instead: a dedicated professional working closely with Next Gen 757 members to identify interests within this group and connect those interests with Tidewater’s Jewish community through programming (both existing and new!) – giving more input AND more ownership to Next Gen 757 participants.

Next Gen 757 is more than a name. It’s a vision. And it is just getting started.

Amy Zelenka, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s chief development officer, may be reached at azelenka@ujft.org.

What Does Israel Fear From Palestine? Rajan Shehadeh

New York: Other Press, 2024, 113 pages

Reviewed by Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman

Palestinian award-winning author and lawyer, Raja Shehadeh, was co-founder in 1979 of Al-Haq, the Palestinian human rights organization. The Observer called him, “Palestine’s greatest prose writer.”

The New York Times Book Review heaps praises as well, “in his moral clarity and bearing of the heart is self-questioning and assistance on focusing on the experience of the individual within the storms of nationalist myth and hubris, Shehadeh

recalls writers such as Ghassan Kanafani and Primo Levi.”

Shehadeh, a Palestinian patriot, was born in 1951 in the West Bank town of Ramallah. In his latest book with the challenging title, What Does Israel Fear From Palestine? He offers a concise, yet imbalanced perspective on the long and agonizing Palestinian-Israeli conflict that the October 7, 2023 Hamas vile attack – with terrifying Holocaust

dimensions – has brought into sharp view with years of fighting and much suffering to both sides. The detail-oriented writer and activist is anchored in the Palestinian saga of loss and grievances going back to the pivotal 1948 victorious Israeli War of Independence which the Palestinians painfully regard as their Nakba (Catastrophe).

Shehadeh blames the British for the turn of events culminating in the 1948 Arab defeat and the Palestinian debacle, pointing at the 1917 Balfour Declaration as the root cause, stating that the 1922 to 1948 British Mandate was dedicated to fulfilling the earlier declared British commitment toward the Jewish people. I believe that historians would beg to differ, regarding a gradual British shift in the Arabs’ favor and manifested in severe limits on Jewish refugees before and after WWII and the Holocaust.

Intense Jewish military pressure was created as the British Empire was disintegrating. The author claims that “what happened in Palestine was the utter dissolution of a nation,” notwithstanding the acknowledged fact that no such “nation” historically existed. Yet the Israeli Jewish narrative supported by the Bible claims past millennial Jewish life and creativity which is cavalierly dismissed by the author. “Israel treated the Bible as a historical document and used it to back up the claim that the land had belonged to the Jews from time immemorial, having been promised to them by the Almighty.”

The book’s Part Two is dedicated to the Gaza War, 2023-4, triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 massacres, which the author thankfully condemns. Still, he is seemingly impressed with the military aspects of catching Israel by surprise, the breaking through the failed billion plus costly barrier, along with the heavy Israeli fatalities, casualties, and

captives. “The brutality of Hamas’s attack and the civilian death toll certainly cast a shadow on their military successes. Whereas an occupied population has the right under the international law to resist, they have no right to commit war crimes. Still, this time the Palestinians did not fit into the role of victims. To the Israelis it seemed like aggressors who were challenging Israel’s very existence.”

I wholeheartedly concur with Shehadeh’s following assessment, “Young Israelis felt secure enough that they planned a rave night on the border with Gaza. But when Hamas broke through, Israel’s vulnerability and insecurity were exposed. Israelis were traumatized because they realized they couldn’t go on with their life in the same way, making the same assumptions about the reality of the state and its security. Unless, that is, they defeated the aggressor.”

I also share the author’s own

response to his book’s title, “The very high human and material cost of the war in Gaza proves that what Israel fears from Palestine is Palestine’s very existence.” Surely a Hamas controlled Palestinian state is not accepted by Israel for obvious reasons.

I do appreciate Shehadeh’s optimism concerning the future, “And yet, looking back at the history of the region it is only after great upheavals that hopeful consequences follow.” However, the central question and challenge remain, whether two separate and contradictory narratives can be reconciled for the future sake of both peoples.

Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman is founder of Temple Lev Tikvah and honorary senior rabbi scholar at Eastern Shore Chapel Episcopal Church, both in Virginia Beach. He is the son of Polish Holocaust survivors and grew up in Haifa, Israel.

Employment Opportunity

Next Gen Engagement Coordinator

United Jewish Federation of Tidewater is seeking an energetic and relationship-driven Next Gen Engagement Coordinator to connect Jewish young adults (ages 22–40) with meaningful community experiences, Jewish life, leadership opportunities, and philanthropy. This role may be structured as one full-time or two part-time positions.

Responsibilities include

•Building authentic relationships with young adults

•Planning and leading social, cultural, and service programs

•Developing young adult leadership opportunities

•Growing participation in Federation campaigns

Qualifications include Bachelor’s degree preferred; experience in community engagement, Jewish programming, or young adult initiatives a plus. Must be a strong communicator, creative planner, and available some evenings/weekends.

Complete job description at www.jewishva.org

Submit cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to: resumes@ujft.org Equal Opportunity Employer

“In the 16 months I’ve lived at Commonwealth Senior Living, I’ve made many new friends and enjoy a variety of activities: games, musical performances, social gatherings, dinner, and gardening. I feel safe and well cared for, and my suite truly feels like home. e team is always responsive, kind, and genuinely caring.” - Margaret W., Resident

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Drama about Palestinian boy is Israel’s Oscar entry amid Hollywood boycott of Israeli film institutions

Philissa Cramer

(JTA) — Israel’s culture minister says he will eliminate funding to the country’s version of the Oscars after a drama about a Palestinian boy won the top prize on Tuesday, Sept. 16.

Step into 5786 with Step into 5786 with vision that blossoms. vision that blossoms.

The Sea won the Ophir Award for best film during a ceremony in Tel Aviv where speakers condemned the ongoing war in Gaza and lamented the growing Hollywood boycott against Israeli film institutions. The Arabic-language drama becomes Israel’s automatic best international feature entry to next year’s Academy Awards.

It was produced with support from the Israel Film Fund, a public fund that is required to support artists without regard to their politics. A spokesperson for Film Workers for Palestine, the group behind the new boycott, told Variety that the Israel Film Fund meets its threshold for complicity.

The group’s pledge, which has drawn more than 4,500 signatures, names the Jerusalem Film Festival, where The Sea premiered in August, as among the institutions to boycott. It does not specifically name the Ophir Awards, but they have long benefitted from government funding.

Now, Culture Minister Miki Zohar says he will cut the Ophirs off starting next year, saying in a statement that the winning film “defames our heroic soldiers while they fight to protect us” and calling the awards ceremony “shameful.”

Speeches at the awards ceremony reportedly condemned the war, called attention to the Israeli hostages being held in Gaza and criticized both Zohar and the Hollywood boycott. One, a Palestinian Israeli star of The Sea, said via a written statement read aloud that Israel was committing “genocide” in Gaza.

“During my tenure, the citizens of Israel will not pay out of their pockets for a disgraceful ceremony that spits on the heroic IDF soldiers,” Zohar says.

Directed by Shai Carmeli-Pollak, it tells the story of a boy from the West Bank who is denied a permit to visit Tel Aviv with his classmates and invites danger by setting out on his own instead. In his acceptance speech for best screenplay, Carmeli-Pollak read aloud a letter from a friend in Gaza who described going without food.

The best actor Ophir went to the movie’s 13-year-old star, Muhammad Gazawi, who said at the ceremony, “I wish for all the children of the world, everywhere, to have the same opportunity – to live and dream without wars.”

The festival’s director, Assaf Amir, said in a statement that he was pleased that The Sea would represent Israel at the Oscars, where no Israeli film has ever won best international feature. (Last year’s best documentary award went to No Other Land, a joint IsraeliPalestinian production about Israel’s treatment of West Bank Palestinians that also ignited scorn from Israeli government officials; this year’s documentary Ophir winner, Letter to David, is about the hostage David Cunio, himself a past film worker.)

“In the face of the Israeli government’s attacks on Israeli cinema and culture, and the calls from parts of the international film community to boycott us, the selection of The Sea is a powerful and resounding response,” Amir said. “I am proud that an Arabic-language film, born of collaboration between Jewish and Palestinian Israelis, will represent Israel in the Oscar competition.”

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Dear Readers,

The High Holidays are a time for reflection, forgiveness, and prayer. They are also a time of gathering – with families and friends and congregations – for services and celebratory meals.

Those gatherings are what this special section focuses on – particularly for Sukkot.

On the adjacent page, for example, an article begins about locals and their home sukkahs. While many are crafted from kits, they are all uniquely decorated to suit each family, and all seem to be filled throughout the holiday with friends and family embracing the wonder of the harvest festival.

For those who aren’t connected to someone with a home sukkah, Jewish Tidewater offers plenty of options to participate in community events. Check out the listing on page 24.

The piece on page 23 highlights an effort to engage 10,000 people to volunteer during the High Holidays for Repair the World’s National Days of Jewish Service. During this time of renewal, volunteering to better the world is just one avenue to express Jewish values and to expend some good energy.

If you haven’t committed to a congregation for High Holiday services, check out the listing of area synagogues in the Annual Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater in the August edition of Jewish News on our website, JewishNewsVa.org. There, you’ll find contact information on every local synagogue. In addition, several congregations have ads within these pages with all the information for joining them this season.

Personally, I’ve always looked forward to this season, and while I fondly recall so many memories of past years, I now look forward to creating new memories and enjoying holiday celebrations with friends and family – old and new. I hope the same for everyone.

All of us at Jewish News wish you a year filled with peace, good health, and ample sweetness.

L’ Shana Tova,

Terri Denison Editor

LOCALS CELEBRATE SUKKOT IN THEIR HOME SUKKAH

Sukkot – also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths – celebrates the fall harvest and commemorates the Israelites’ 40 years of wandering in the desert after their Exodus from Egypt. The week-long Jewish festival is celebrated by building, dwelling, and dining in a temporary booth called a sukkah, which many families and congregations in Tidewater do each year.

Modern-day sukkahs are comprised of three walls with an organic roof that provides shade but remains partially open to the sky. Today, to make the building easier to accomplish each year,

some sukkahs are constructed from kits purchased online.

Would the Israelites of millennia ago ever recognize today’s sukkahs with their twinkling beer bottles and strands of globe lights? The answer is obvious, but they might be proud to know that homage is paid to their desert dwellings with a variety of family and communal gatherings and celebrations.

Jewish News asked some in Jewish Tidewater to share their inspiration and the joy they experience each year in their home sukkahs during this festive holiday.

The Bridge Family Sukkah

[ Sid Bridge ]

Thanks for your interest in The Bridge Family Sukkah, AKA “The Awesomest Sukkah in Virginia Beach.”

I like to keep things user friendly when it comes to Sukkah building; when we moved to Virginia Beach, some friends came over and added a framework to our backyard deck.

The way our deck is constructed, all I must do is roll out my bamboo matt schach (for the sukkah’s roof) and hang up my lights and decorations. It’s a ready-made sukkah attached to my house.

Our Sukkah is decorated mainly with a seemingly endless stream of novelty lighting. Every year we try to add something new and different, whether it’s twinkling beer bottles, glowing cacti, luminescent guitars, sparkling lanterns... we have it all. Plus, long strands of globe lights and rope lights for plenty of illumination. The middle of the walls still get adorned with the decorations our kids made when they were in grade school, so there are plenty of “traditional” Sukkah decorations as well.

We eat all our meals in it during the holiday, and we host an annual get together for members of our synagogue, KBH. We try to hang out in it when we would otherwise be hanging out inside. I've never been out-doorsy enough to sleep in it, though.

Sukkos is all about trusting in G-d and enjoying some time outdoors together. As with any Jewish holiday, I think it’s super important to make sure things are fun. A sukkah should be a fun place to spend time so everyone will want to be a part of the holiday. My kids like to pitch in when it comes to hanging the lights, setting it up, and enjoying time together when the weather permits.

The Leon Entertaining Sukkah

[ David Leon ]

I bought my sukkah from Sukkah.com, the metal tube version.

My daughters and I decorate with string lights (Christmas lights), pinecones, and plastic fruit.

We use our sukkah mostly for entertaining, and it feels good having it up in my backyard. I also like that it sets an example for my girls to create fun, positive Jewish memories and experiences.

High Holiday 5786

The Rubins’ Enlightening Sukkah

[ Shikma and Danny Rubin ]

We love Sukkot and find it’s a wonderful way to be with friends and family. We like to host dinners, and we realize many people have never been in a sukkah. It’s fun to introduce the holiday to new people, explain the significance, and share a meal together.

We string lights across our sukkah in various directions and string other holiday-themed decor. Over the years, we have also hung our kids’ Rosh Hashanah-inspired art on the walls.

We use our sukkah most often for dinners with friends and family. We also try to eat breakfast when we can and be in the sukkah as much as possible.

We use a kit which has made it easy to build and take down the sukkah year after year.

5786 - 2025

Barb’s Dream Sukkah High Holiday 5786

[ Barb Gelb ]

Sukkot is my favorite holiday, and it has always been a dream of mine to have a large sukkah and invite people over to share in the celebration. Several

years ago, my husband, Kenny Weinstein, made that dream come true for me.

Rabbi Levi Brashevitsky helped us figure out what we needed, and we purchased a very large sukkah kit. I like to decorate with a lot of lights and fall decorations, and I have fun making the table decorations.

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A BISSEL of YIDDISH | A BISSEL OF YIDDISH FOR YOM KIPPUR

A combination of High German and Hebrew, Yiddish is a language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews.

In Tidewater, the Yiddish Club is embracing Yiddish culture, language, and history with music, film, poetry, and literature at its monthly meetings. For information, go to www.Jewishva.org/YiddishClub.

Through A Bissel of Yiddish, Jewish News hopes to introduce and remind readers of a few Yiddish words and phrases. Bissel is Yiddish for ‘little,’ by the way.

Harry Graber is researching and compiling each installment.

YIDDISH WORD FOR THE HOLIDAY

Daven

A Yiddish verb that means to pray, “Daven” is most often used when referring to reciting the Jewish liturgy. The word is widely used by Ashkenazic Jews.

YIDDISH PHRASES FOR THE HOLIDAY

“Yom Kippur is our Day of Atonement, the most serious day of the year, when we do a 24-hour fast, refrain from normal joys of life, focus on the spiritual tasks of life, focus on living a life that God would

have us live.” – Rabbi Jonathan Miller

Oif Yom Kippur mir davened eyn mir unheybn mit Kol Nidre mir zugen Yizkor, Al Chet, Viddui, Avinu Malkenu tfiles eyn tzim sof mit Neilah.

On Yom Kippur we begin with Kol Nidre, say Yizkor and Al Chet, Viddui, Avinu Malkenu prayers and end with Neilah.

Erev Yom Kiper vern alleh ganovim frum.

On the eve of Yom Kippur all thieves become pious.

Jewish Service aims to

Repair the World’s National Days of Jewish Service (NDJS) is in full swing through Oct. 10 with opportunities designed to engage 10,000 individuals in meaningful volunteer service. During the Fall NDJS, Jewish individuals and organizations, alongside their neighbors in communities across the world, will engage in service events centered on the Jewish High Holidays and commemoration of the October 7th attacks.

“Volunteering connects Jews, especially young adults, with Jewish life, building purpose, community, and belonging,” says Melissa Levine, senior director of field activation, Repair the World. “The NDJS brings thousands of people together across differences to live their Jewish values while tackling issues like food insecurity, homelessness, and educational inequity. As we enter the High Holiday season, we’re channeling themes of renewal into meaningful action and showing up in service to create a brighter future.”

Jewish organizations can apply for microgrants for the remainder of the year

to host impactful service experiences that strengthen communities meeting pressing needs. In addition, individuals can receive volunteer stipends as Michael Kay Jewish Service Ambassadors to lead their peers in meaningful action.

Following the Fall NDJS, the initiative continues with MLK Day(s) of Service (January 15-19, 2026) focusing on “Justice, Equality, and Civil Rights,” and concludes with Spring NDJS opportunities (April 1-30, 2026) themed “Rooted in Tradition and Branching into Action,” incorporating Passover themes, Holocaust remembrance, and environmental stewardship.

Across all three NDJS activations, Repair will engage 10,000 volunteers across the Jewish service movement, uniting the global Jewish community through shared values of service, solidarity, achdoot, and mutual strengthening, hitchazkut.

Organizations and individuals ready to transform their communities through joyful Jewish service can learn more and get involved at werepair.org/get-involved/ campaign/ndjs/.

As the Jewish community prepares to welcome the new year, JBI Library is helping to ensure that people who are blind or have low vision can fully participate in every aspect of the High Holy Days.

JBI offers a wide range of downloadable High Holy Day materials for synagogues, families, and individuals, making key texts and prayers easily accessible and helping create a meaningful experience for all. Selections include Selichot, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur machzorim (Orthodox, Conservative,

and Sephardi versions), Yizkor, Tashlich, Sefer Yonah, Ecclesiastes, and family-friendly resources such as A Time to Grow: A PJ Library Family Guide for Starting the Jewish New Year.

Synagogues can further support accessibility by providing large-print or braille prayer books, training ushers to help those with vision loss, and ensuring placement of large-print and/or braille signage around buildings and entryways. JBI Library is available for consultation with organizations to help provide materials

and advise on steps that can assist people with vision loss feel included and valued during the holidays.

For more than 90 years, JBI has been dedicated to supporting people of all ages who are blind, have low vision, or have a print disability so that they may fully participate in Jewish life—from education and community to prayer and celebration.

All materials are available free of charge through JBILibrary.org or by calling 212-545-8025.

Please join Temple Israel for the 2019/5780 holidays!

Please join Temple Israel for the 2025/5786 holidays!

Please join Temple Israelforthe 2019/5780 holidays!

Celebrate the fullness ofJewish worship with us as togetherwe find spiritual meaning in the words of our sages. Youwill finda heartygreetingfroma warm congregationthatembracesboththetimelessandtheinnovative.

Come join us and let us welcome you home.

High Holiday 5786

Celebrate the fullness of Jewish worship with us as together we find spiritual meaning in the words of our sages. You will find a hearty greeting from a warm congregation that embraces both the timeless and the innovative. Come join us and let us welcome you home.

Celebrate the fullness ofJewish worship with us as togetherwe find spiritual meaning in the words of our sages. Youwill finda heartygreetingfroma warm congregationthatembracesboththetimelessandtheinnovative.

Come join us and let us welcome you home.

Sukkot 5786

Jewish Tidewater celebrates Sukkot with an array of events throughout the region. All listings are open to the public.

Chabad of Tidewater

Community Sukkot Dinner and Dessert in the Sukkah

Monday, October 6, 7:30 pm

Suggested donation $18/person

Simon Family JCC

Pizza in the Hut with Tidewater Shinshinim

Sunday, October 12, 1 – 3 pm

$5/person, $18/family

Visit: jewishva.org/shinshinim.

RSVP: www.chabadoftidewater.com/ sukkotdinner.

7255 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA 23505

757-489-4550

7255 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA 23505

Brownies in the Booth Dinner in the sukkah, brownie bar, lulav and etrog, playground, fun, and games

Temple Emanuel

First Night Sukkot service and desserts in the Sukkah

757-489-4550

www.templeisraelva.org

www.templeisraelva.org

Tuesday, October 7, 5 pm

Suggested donation $10/person

RSVP: www.chabadoftidewater.com/ brownies.

CTeen in the Sukkah

Dinner, lulav and etrog, games, and prizes

Middle and high school students

Sunday, October 12, 5 -6 pm

$10

RSVP: www.chabadoftidewater.com/ cteenrsvp.

Ohef Sholom Temple

Shake it in the Sukkah

Get immersed in the spirit of Sukkot by mixing up festive drinks that to tantalize taste buds. Join in the lively conversations and indulge in delicious treats. Babysitting is available upon request.

Ages 18+

Wednesday, October 8, 5:30 – 7:30 pm

RSVP by Wednesday, October 1 at 757-625-4295.

Monday, October 6, 6 – 7:30 pm

Contact: 757-428-2591 or office@tevb.org.

Burgers & Brews in the Sukkah

Thursday, October 9, 6 – 8 pm

$15 for burgers ($20 nonmembers)

$20 for burgers and beer ($25 nonmembers) Kids under 13 are free

Veggie burgers available

RSVP required. Contact: 757-428-2591 or office@tevb.org.

Pizza dinner in the Sukkah and Family Shabbat

Enjoy pizza, play fun holiday-themed games, create Sukkot crafts, and listen to Israeli music –all in the spirit of connection and celebration.

Friday, October 10, 6 – 8:30 pm

$15 for 13-year-olds plus; $7.50 for 6–12-year-olds; Free for 5 years and under Add $5 for nonmembers.

RSVP required. Contact: 757-428-2591 or office@tevb.org.

ADVOCATE

GIVE TO THE UNITED JEWISH FEDERATION OF TIDEWATER’S ANNUAL CAMPAIGN

By contributing to UJFT’s annual campaign, you strengthen Israel through vital support for humanitarian services delivered by our overseas partners. Your gift directly helps people in need. Give now at JewishVA.org/Donate

RAISE YOUR VOICE

Let your elected officials know how important Israel is to you, and help ensure that the needs of Israelis and global Jewry are heard. Elected officials pay more attention to personal communication Maintain a balance between urging action, expressing displeasure, and saying “thank you. ” Find your elected officials and their contact information at JewishVA.org/VALegislators

SPREAD AWARENESS

Amplify the truth and combat misinformation. Share posts and resources on social media to raise awareness about the hostages still being held in Gaza and inspire others to stand with the people of Israel. Visit JewishVA.org/IsraelResources for social channels to follow.

UNITED JEWISH FEDERATION OF TIDEWATER & SIMON FAMILY JCC

For more than 40 years, this annual celebration of Jewish writers, books, and ideas has brought together bold voices and fresh perspectives.

From Israel and her neighbors to Jewish tradition, from comedy to cuisine, from telling history to telling YOUR story, there is something for everyone. Engage as a community with thoughtprovoking conversations with award-winning journalists, inspirational rabbis, visionary founders, and more, as the festival explores identity, history, and the power of books to inspire, excite, and connect. Unless noted, all events are free and will take place at the Simon Family Jewish Community Center on the Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community. Pre-registration or tickets are required for all events. To register, visit JewishVA.org/ BookFest.

Support the festival by purchasing books online. When buying a book on BookShop. org/Shop/JewishVA, the festival receives 10% of each purchase. Books can also be purchased during event registration or at the Simon Family JCC. Stay after each event to meet the author and get books signed. For more information about the festival or to sponsor or volunteer, contact Hunter Thomas, UJFT’s director of Arts + Ideas, at HThomas@UJFT.org or 757-965-6137. To learn more or to register for events, visit JewishVA.org/BookFest.

ISRAEL’S BLIND SPOT: UNDERESTIMATING HAMAS

Yaakov Katz, former Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief

Co-author of While Israel Slept: How Hamas Surprised the Most Powerful Military in the Middle East

Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025 7:30 pm

Veteran journalist and author Yaakov Katz is back in Tidewater for an evening exploring how Hamas, Israel’s weakest enemy, succeeded in launching a surprise attack on one of the world’s most powerful militaries. This is a necessary conversation for anyone hoping to figure out what happened and how to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

“This searing, sobering, eye-opening book is necessary reading for anyone who wants to understand what happened on October 7 and why – and for everyone who cares about Israel's future.” -Sarah Hurwitz, former White House speechwriter and Book Festival guest.

Presented as part of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Federation of Tidewater, Simon Family JCC, & Community Partners’ 15th annual Israel Today series.

TINY PEP TALKS

Comedians Paula Skaggs and Josh Linden

Authors of Tiny Pep Talks: BiteSize Encouragement for Life’s Annoying, Stressful, and Flat-Out Lousy Moments

Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025

7:30 pm

Why wait for a big milestone to get a pep talk?

Comedians Paula Skaggs and Josh Linden deliver hilarious hype for life’s everyday struggles (sending a scary email, parallel parking), plus a few improvised pep talks just for audience members. Grab a drink, bring a friend, and get ready to laugh.

THE JEWISH WAY TO A GOOD LIFE

Shira Stutman, former senior rabbi at Sixth & I

Author of The Jewish Way to a Good Life: Find Happiness, Build Community, and Embrace Lovingkindness

Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025 7:30 pm

Learn how to live with more joy, deeper purpose, and stronger connections as Rabbi Shira Stutman shares how timeless Jewish traditions can help offer inspiration for anyone looking to bring meaning and balance to their everyday lives.

THE GIRL BANDITS OF THE WARSAW GHETTO

Elizabeth R. Hyman, historian

Author of The Girl Bandits of the Warsaw Ghetto: The True Story of Five Courageous Young Women Who Sparked an Uprising

Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025 12 pm

Five women. One uprising. Countless acts of courage.

Hear the untold stories of the Jewish women who fought, smuggled, and sabotaged during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. History overlooked them. You don’t have to.

$10 for JCC members, $18 for potential members. Includes dessert reception. Pre-registration required by October 20.

Presented in partnership with the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. $15 for JCC members, $20 for potential members. Includes lunch. Pre-registration required

UNITED JEWISH FEDERATION OF TIDEWATER & SIMON FAMILY JCC

KETUBAH RENAISSANCE

Michael Shapiro, Ketubah.com founder

Author of Ketubah Renaissance: The Artful Modern Revival of the Jewish Marriage Contract

Monday, Nov. 12, 2025

12 pm

Ketubah expert Michael Shapiro will guide this dazzling exploration of the Jewish marriage contract, from its ancient roots 2,500 years ago as a groom’s pledge, to a richly decorated modern work of art. Join Shapiro to celebrate the artists creating bold, contemporary ketubot that reflect today’s values and love stories.

A companion exhibit of ketubot created by various artists and curated by Michael Shapiro will be on display in the Simon Family JCC’s Leon Family Gallery, October 6 - November 16.

$15 for JCC members, $20 for potential members. Includes lunch. Preregistration required by November 4.

JEWISH BOOK MONTH @ 100

Angela Buchdahl, senior rabbi at Central Synagogue, in conversation with Abigail Pogrebin

Rabbi Angela Buchdahl is the author of Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi’s Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging

Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025

1 pm –Zoom

SESAME

Rachel Simons, Seed + Mill founder

Author of Sesame: Global Recipes & Stories of an Ancient Seed

Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025

7:30 pm

Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, the first Asian American to be ordained as a rabbi, and Abigail Pogrebin, author and journalist, will discuss Buchdahl’s memoir, a spiritual guide for everyday living.

Presented by the Jewish Book Council in celebration of 100 years of Jewish Book Month, in partnership with JBC member sites, including the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Preregistration required by November 17.

Who knew a tiny seed could tell such a big story? Meet Rachel Simons, the Aussieturned-NYC entrepreneur behind Seed+Mill at Chelsea Market, New York City’s first store devoted entirely to sesame. Simons will spill the secrets of the sesame seed from its ancient roots to its starring role in the foods we all know

FROM WARDS CORNER TO THE NORVA: A JEWISH KID’S SOUNDTRACK TO REBELLION

Rick Mersel, NorVa founder

Author of All Revved Up and Ready to Go: My Life in Concert

Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025

7:30 pm

Join Rick Mersel, a local Jewish kid who traded jazz for punk and helped build The NorVa from the ground up, for a loud, raw, and wildly funny journey through Norfolk’s back alleys, bar mitzvah dance floors, and beer-soaked music venues. All Revved Up and Ready to Go isn’t just a memoir, it’s a mixtape of Norfolk’s hidden soul.

$10 for JCC members, $18 for potential members. Includes dessert reception. Pre-registration required by November 12.

A STORY FOR EVERYTHING: AN EVENING OF STORIES, LAUGHTER, AND INSPIRATION

Corey Rosen, expert storyteller

Author of A Story for Everything: Mastering Diverse Storytelling for Any Occasion

Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025

7:30 pm

A great story can make you laugh, cry, and stick with you forever. A bad one? That’s how people end up talking to themselves at a party. Join master storyteller Corey Rosen as he guides the audience through the art of telling their own true stories, teaching the craft of storytelling along the way.

Presented in partnership with the Konikoff Center for Learning of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.

rspindel@spindelagency.com

christopherlyon@friedenagency.com

IT’S A WRAP

A joyful splash to end the summer

Sierra Lautman

Families of all ages gathered at the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus for the annual End of Summer Shabbat Dinner and Pool Party on Friday, August 22. Hosted by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, the multigenerational event brought together more than 150 community members to welcome Rabbi Jacob Herber of Congregation Beth El, along with Tidewater’s new ShinShinim, Noga Yaniv and Yarden Lahan.

The evening was enriched by the participation of several local Jewish clergy. Rabbi Herber led a brief Kabbalat Shabbat service, which was followed by Shabbat blessings led by Rabbi Ari Oliszewski, Rabbi Israel Zoberman, Cantor Elihu Flax, and Cantor David Proser. Each contributed to creating a warm Shabbat experience.

Following the service, guests enjoyed a classic BBQ Shabbat dinner and live music by the local band, TRIBE. Children played in the pool while adults relaxed and reconnected. This laid-back evening continues to be a favorite way for the community to mark the end of summer and the beginning of a new season.

To learn more about upcoming family programs, visit JewishVA.org/PJLibrary.

FIRST PERSON

Mini-Golf fundraiser was a big success

Niv Rubin

On Sunday, September 14, I hosted a charity mini golf fundraising tournament at the Sandler Family Campus. We had 25 people show up to play and donate to Jewish Family Service.

The tournament was split into three rounds. The first round was a normal round, and everyone played the course. The second was optional and you could gain -2 on your first round score. Then the third round was the same as the first.

In the end, 6th grader Hallie Long took home first place. Everyone had a great time, and we raised more than $1,000 for the Jewish Family Service food pantry.

Thank you to Sierra Lautman, Dave Flagler, and Kate-Lynn Cipolla for helping to plan a very fun, awesome, and meaningful day. Niv Rubin is a fifth-grade student at Strelitz International Academy.

Customer Service / Front Desk Representative

The Simon Family JCC is seeking a friendly, dependable team player to greet members/guests, process memberships, answer inquiries, and support front desk operations.

Must have 2+ years of customer service experience, strong computer skills, and excellent communication.

Part-time, flexible schedule (weekdays/weekends). $14/hr., based on experience. Complete job description at www.jewishva.org

to:

LISA BERTINI RECEIVES AWARD

The Chair Award was presented to Lisa Bertini on Friday, September 12 at the Virginia Bar Association’s Annual Labor and Employment Section meeting in front of 285 of her peers.

This award is presented every other year by the Chair to a lawyer who has rendered dedicated service to the Section and its Council, and who has demonstrated a commitment to professionalism and training of labor and employment attorneys.

After 38 years of active practice, Bertini now solely practices as a mediator and arbitrator individually and through the AAA both in Virginia and throughout the country.

We make it as easy as possible on the patient and referring physician by ACCEPTING

Harry Graber guides JCC Seniors Club through Chrysler Museum

Even in retirement, Harry Graber, former executive vice president of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, continues to be an active and beloved presence in the community. His dedication has never wavered, and he remains committed to sharing his time, talents, and energy in ways that enrich the lives of others.

From leading discussions with the Yiddish Club to volunteering his expertise as a docent at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Graber finds meaningful ways to stay engaged and connected. His passion for learning and teaching is evident, and those who spend time with him walk away inspired and uplifted.

On Wednesday, August 20, members of the JCC Seniors Club enjoyed a special treat when

Graber guided them through the Chrysler Museum. With warmth, humor, and knowledge, he brought the art and history to life, making the visit a memorable experience for all who attended.

Graber’s story reminds that community bonds do not end with retirement or titles – they continue to grow and strengthen through shared experiences. “We are never far from one another, especially when we have leaders like Harry who keep giving, teaching, and showing up for our community,” says Patsi Walton, Seniors Club president.

Want to be part of these connections? Join the JCC’s Seniors Club, explore the Yiddish Club, or take part in the lively roundtable conversations. Contact Shyanne Southern at 757-452-3184 or ssouthern@ujft.org to learn more.

When life’s events require extra care, Changing Tides can help you or your loved one safely remain happy and at home

“Recently my mother required 12 hour per day personal care assistance. On short notice, Changing Tides Home Care provided the necessary assistance. They have been responsive to my mother’s needs and have kept the family informed by telephone, text and portal. I am very pleased with their services.”

—Andrew H. Hook President of Hook Law Center

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Chanukah Gift Drive launch Begins Friday, October 31

Jewish Family Service is launching its annual Chanukah Gift Drive to support families in need this holiday season. Beginning October 31, JFS will begin accepting donations of gifts and monetary contributions. The deadline is December 5. All donations should be brought to Jewish Family Service.

For questions or more information, contact Maryann Kettyle at 757-321-2256 or mkettyle@jfshamptonroads.org.

JFS preparing for Thanksgiving Drive

Friday, November 21, 10 am – 12 pm

Community Commemoration

of October 7

Monday, October 6 9 am

Sandler Family Campus

Nofar Trem

Jewish Family Service will host its annual Thanksgiving Drive at the Sandler Family Campus when community members in need can pick up a free Thanksgiving meal through its drive-up pantry. Those who wish to volunteer to help pack bags or assist at the event, or anyone in need of a meal, should contact Emily Krouse at 757-799-9394

Hebrew Ladies Charity Society to be honored at luncheon

Sunday, January 11

Ohef Sholom Temple

Jewish Family Service will host a special luncheon to celebrate the remarkable legacy of the Hebrew Ladies Charity Society of Tidewater.

Established in 1902, this pioneering group of women laid the foundation for what would later become Jewish Family Service, ensuring a strong safety net for generations to

come. The event will honor their vision, share stories of their impact, and connect descendants and community members in recognizing this lasting legacy.

For information, contact Brooke Rush at 757-321-2238 or brush@jfshamptonroads.org.

Join Tidewater’s Shinshinim, Noga Yaniv and Yarden Lahan, in the Sandler Family Campus Sukkah for a heartfelt morning of remembrance and reflection. The program will begin with a short ceremony, honoring the memory of the lives lost during the atrocities of October 7 and standing in solidarity with the families of those still being held hostage.

Following the ceremony, the Shinshinim will lead a conversation about how October 7 impacted Israelis and Jewish communities across the globe, and how those communities continue to draw strength from one another in the face of tragedy. This commemoration provides an opportunity to remember, as well as to connect, support one another, and strengthen the bonds that tie Jewish Tidewater to Israel and to the Jewish people everywhere.

Learn more and register at JewishVA.org/Oct7 or contact Nofar Trem at NTrem@UJFT.org.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Israel’s blind spot: Underestimating Hamas – a conversation with Yaakov Katz

Thursday, October 23, 7:30 pm

Sandler Family Campus

Nofar Trem

Acclaimed author and journalist Yaakov Katz returns to Tidewater next month for a timely conversation about Israel, Hamas, and the lessons of October 7.

The former editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post and a leading voice on Israeli defense and politics, Katz will discuss the findings outlined in his new book, While Israel Slept: How the Most Powerful Country in the Middle East Was Surprised by Hamas on October 7. In this deeply reported account, Katz exposes the intelligence failures, policy missteps, and complacency that left Israel vulnerable to the deadliest attack in its history. Once considered Israel’s weakest adversary, Hamas transformed itself into a lethal enemy hiding in plain sight.

The book has drawn significant attention in Israel and abroad. Author and former Israel Today speaker, Matti Friedman (Spies of No Country, Pumpkinflowers) praised the book as “a shocking, detailed, and gripping investigation of the Israeli catastrophe of Oct. 7, 2023… a necessary book for anyone hoping to begin figuring out what happened and how to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

In addition to the rigor of an investigative journalist, Katz brings years of experience covering Israel’s security establishment. With insights beyond headlines, Katz will offer Tidewater a rare opportunity to hear first-hand from one of Israel’s most respected observers as the nation and the Jewish world continue to grapple with the aftermath of October 7 and its implications for Israel’s future.

This event is presented as part of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Simon Family JCC, and Community Partners’ 15th Annual Israel Today Series and the Lee and Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival. It is supported in part by the citizens of Virginia Beach through a grant from the City of Virginia Beach Arts and Humanities Commission and held in coordination with the Jewish Book Council, the longestrunning organization devoted exclusively to the support and celebration of Jewish literature.

For more information or to register, visit JewishVA.org/ IsraelToday or contact Nofar Trem at NTrem@UJFT.org.

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Our client relationships are anything but transactional. We are long-term partners, dedicated to the success of our clients, and most importantly, their people.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

New Shinshinim-led Israeli youth movement group for third through fifth graders Sundays, beginning October

19, 1-3 pm

Sandler Family Campus

This fall, Tidewater’s newest Shinshinim, Noga Yaniv and Yarden Lahan, are launching a brand-new Israeli youth movement inspired by the energy and spirit of the Israeli Scouts, “Tzofim.”

Open to third through fifth graders, the group will meet once a month, October through June. Each session will be filled with high-energy games, hands-on activities, and cultural exploration designed to build teamwork, leadership skills, and lasting friendships. From learning about Israeli traditions to working together on challenges, kids will con nect, grow, and most importantly, have fun!

Registration is $60 for JCC members and $75 for potential members.

To learn more or reserve a spot, visit JewishVA.org/Shinshinim or contact Nofar Trem at NTrem@UJFT.org.

Conversational Hebrew classes to begin Mondays, November 3 –May

25, 2026, 5:30 pm Sandler Family Campus

Ready to brush up on Hebrew in a fun, relaxed setting? Join Tidewater’s newest Shinshinim, Noga Yaniv and Yarden Lahan, for a weekly Conversational Hebrew Class.

Open to learners of all levels and ages, each six-week session will focus on a different topic, ranging from everyday Hebrew and personal descriptions and expressions to learning about Israel. These engaging classes focus on everyday vocabulary, Israeli slang, and real-life conversations – perfect for anyone looking to strengthen their Hebrew skills while connecting with Israeli culture. Each session is free for JCC members and children 13 and under, and $36 for

For more information and to register, go to JewishVA.org/Shinshinim or contact Nofar Trem at NTrem@UJFT.org.

A Mezuzot class and glass workshop

Thursday, October 16, 5:30 pm, Sandler Family Campus

Sunday, October 19, 2 pm or Tuesday, October 21, 7 pm

Perry Glass Studio, Norfolk

This two-part series includes a class about mezuzot, as well as an opportunity to create one of fused glass. It is presented by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Konikoff Center for Learning

A mezuzah, which means “doorpost” in Hebrew or mezuzot (plural), is affixed to the doorposts of Jewish homes.

The class with Rabbi Ari Oliszewski will take place on October 16, where participants will explore the artistry, significance, and history of the mezuzah.

Hands-on workshops to create a glass-fused mezuzah at the Chrysler Museum’s Perry Glass Studio in Norfolk will be available on Sunday, October 19 and Tuesday, October 21. Participants will choose to

attend one of the workshops.

The full experience, the class plus the glass fusing workshop, is $45 for JCC members and $60 for potential members.

To register, visit JewishVA.org/Judaica. For more information, contact Sierra Lautman, director of Jewish Innovation, at SLautman@UJFT.org.

CALENDAR

BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 25, TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS

Girls on the Run. An after-school program led by trained, caring coaches who empower teams of 8 to 15 girls to activate their limitless potential. Grades 3 - 5. 3:30 – 5 pm. Information and registration: erin@gotrhr.org or 757-378-6473.

Fall Soccer Shots. A program emphasizing character-forming lessons such as fair play, individual concentration, cooperation, and encouragement. 45-minute sessions include basic soccer skills, fun games, and healthy competition. Ages 3 – 5 years old. $130/ member, $160/potential member. Information and registration: Tom Edwards, athletic director, at 757-321-2308 or tedwards@simonfamilyjcc.org.

SEPTEMBER 28, SUNDAY

Cantor’s Concert. The entire community is invited. 4 – 8 pm. Temple Emanuel. Information: Temple Emanuel at 757-428-2591 or office@tevb.org.

OCTOBER 6, MONDAY

Oct. 7 Community Commemoration. Join Tidewater’s new Shinshinim in the Campus Sukkah for a short ceremony to recognize and remember the atrocities of October 7, honor the lives lost, and acknowledge the hostages still being held captive. 9 am. Sandler Family Campus. Information: JewishVA.org/Shinshinim or Nofar Trem at NTrem@UJFT.org. See page 32.

OCTOBER 8, WEDNESDAY

Next Gen 757 in the Sukkah is for young Jewish adults ages 22 – 45. 5:30 – 8 pm. Information: Amy Zelenka at 757-965-6139 or azelenka@ujft.org.

OCTOBER 12, SUNDAY

Pizza in the Hut with Tidewater’s Shinshinim. with Noga Yaniv and Yarden Lahan in the sukkah. Enjoy pizza, holiday-themed games, Sukkot crafts, and listen to Israeli music. $5/person, $18/family. 1 -3 pm. Sandler Family Campus. Information and to purchase tickets: JewishVA.org/Shinshinim or Nofar Trem at NTrem@UJFT.org.

OCTOBER 15, WEDNESDAY

Conversational Hebrew Conversational Hebrew

With the Shinshinim

STARTING NOVEMBER 3RD

Senior’s Club. Join active seniors to learn what is going on in the community. Meets the third Wednesday each month. 12 pm. Sandler Family Campus. Information: www.jewishva.org or Shyanne Southern at ssouthern@ujft.org or 757-452-3184.

OCTOBER 16, THURSDAY

Roundtable Conversation. Join community members of all ages for current events, politics, and much more. Meets the first and third Thursday each month. 1 pm. Sandler Family Campus. Information: www.jewishva.org or Shyanne Southern at ssouthern@ujft.org or 757-452-3184

OCTOBER 20, MONDAY

Book Club will read The Incorruptibles by Dan Slater. Author will join by Zoom. Meets the third Monday each month. 1:30 pm. Sandler Family Campus. Information: www.jewishva.org or Shyanne Southern at ssouthern@ujft.org or 757-452-3184.

OCTOBER 21, TUESDAY

Yiddish Club. Embrace Yiddish culture, language, and history through music, film, poetry, and literature. Meets the first Tuesday each month. 1 pm. Sandler Family Campus. Information: www.jewishva.org or Shyanne Southern at SSouthern@UJFT.org or 757-452-3184.

MONDAYS AT 5:30PM • REBA AND SAM SANDLER FAMILY CAMPUS

Each six-week session will focus on a different topic including everyday Hebrew, personal description and expression, and all about Israel

Each six week session: Free for JCC members, $36 for potential members

MONDAY, OCTOBER 27

7:00 pm • Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus

OBITUARIES

Birdie Glanzer Brundage

BOCA RATON, FLORIDA - Birdie Glanzer Brundage, 95, beloved mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, passed away on September 3, 2025.

Born March 28, 1930, in New York City to Dr. Joseph and Helen Weiser Glanzer, she graduated from the Birch Wathen School and Connecticut College. She and her husband, the late Stanley Brundage, raised their family in Norfolk, Virginia, later living in West Palm Beach and Boca Raton.

She is survived by her children, Peter (Susi) Brundage, Lisa (Randy) Shapiro, and Eric Brundage; seven grandchildren, Amy (James), Lauren (Esteban), Casey, Shane (Lori), Jared, Will (Caroline), and Molly (Casey); and 14 great-grandchildren.

Birdie was a member of Ohef Sholom Temple where she served as president of the Sisterhood and Sunday School teacher. She loved her involvement as docent and supporter at the Chrysler Museum, serving as chair of several committees.

Birdie will be remembered for her

loving spirit, radiant smile and brilliant blue eyes. She was as singularly lovely as her name.

Larry W. Dobrinsky

NORFOLK - It is with a heavy heart we announce the passing of Larry Wallis Dobrinsky, who passed away on September 7, 2025, at the age of 85.

Larry was a native of Norfolk, where he graduated from Maury High School. He lived in Norfolk most of his life and only left for a few years to live in Charlottesville where he attended and graduated from the University of Virginia (UVA).

Larry was a whiz with numbers, which was evident when he was employed at the IRS, as treasurer-vice president for Farm Fresh, and director of finance for the Mariners Museum. Larry was also a lifelong member of Congregation Beth El, where he held the position of treasurer for 25 years.

Those who knew Larry remember him as an avid golfer with a single digit handicap.

After graduating from UVA, he remained an active alumni supporter and proudly wore his UVA gear. He was also a lifelong fan of the New York Yankees.

Larry is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Judith Sherman Dobrinsky, children Andy (Jodi), and Robby (Tracy), and grandchildren Noah, Jordan, Brayden, and Ryan. He was known by his grandchildren as “Poppy.”

Larry will be remembered for the love he had for his family and friends, his laughter and use of Yiddish, and his contributions to the community where he worked, worshiped, and lived.

Services were conducted at Congregation Beth El in Norfolk. Burial was at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Norfolk.

EDUCATE

LEARN WITH BESTSELLING AUTHOR YAAKOV KATZ

Thursday, October 23, 7:30 PM, Sandler Family Campus

Welcome back bestselling author and former editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, Yaakov Katz, for an evening exploring how Hamas, Israel’s weakest enemy, succeeded in launching a surprise attack on one of the world’s most powerful militaries. Free and open to the community.

Learn more and register at JewishVA.org/IsraelToday

Presented by the Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Simon Family JCC, all area synagogues, and community partners’ 15th Annual Israel Today Series and the Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival.

FOLLOW VERIFIED NEWS SOURCES FOR DAILY UPDATES

Amplify the truth and combat misinformation Here are some of the sources we follow:

American Jewish Committee

Haaretz

The Times of Israel

Jerusalem Post

Israel21C

Ynet

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Israeli American Council

SHARE RESOURCES FROM THE JCRC

Knowledge empowers action Invite a friend to join you for Yaakov Katz on Oct 23, sign up for UJFT’s Israel Updates, and visit JewishVA.org/IsraelResources for curated tools to help you learn, share, and respond to Israel-related issues

OPINION

Take it from this rabbi: You should binge-watch Netflix’s ‘Long Story Short’ for the High Holidays

Rabbi Benjamin Resnick (JTA) — During Selichot services, I led members of our congregation in our first recitation of “Ashamnu,” the confessional acrostic that we accompany by striking our hearts.

There will be many recitations of the confessional to follow in the coming weeks. Yet it is the first — said late at night, and not, in my community, in the midst of a great throng but instead in an intimate circle — that always moves me the most. I have long loved Selichot, which on the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah begins a cycle of prayers for forgiveness. It is an experience that, for me, offers an invitation into the heights of the holidays themselves, but without the attendant rabbinic pressures — and it is often a highlight of my own Jewish year. So, it was this week.

And then I went home, still humming “Ashamnu” and still thinking about my friends and family who sang it along with me, and something rather incredible happened. I turned on Netflix and there they were again: “Ashamnu,” Selichot and the extraordinary drama of the High Holidays, as I have never before seen them depicted in anything remotely mainstream.

In a storytelling landscape that almost always depicts American Jewish ritual life in terms that are wildly unrealistic (Nobody Wants This), pediatric (You Are SO Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah), or chaotic bordering on hostile (Bad Shabbos), this was something different. In an unusually effective scene, one of the central characters in Long Story Short finds herself in shul, unexpectedly, on Yom Kippur. Like so many other scenes in Raphael Bob-Waksburg’s animated series about a Jewish family, it was letter-perfectly accurate, loving, and profound. It was astonishing.

If you have already seen it, then you know. And if you have not seen it, in all seriousness and as a rabbi, I am advising you to binge the entire 10-episode run in preparation for the High Holidays.

What is so incredible about the “Ashamnu” scene in particular — and this could also be said of the series as a whole — is how artfully it plays against much of what we’ve come to expect from depictions of synagogue life on television. Contemporary Jewish American artists, from Larry David to the Coen Brothers (many of them, perhaps, let down by synagogues at some point) tend to use synagogue scenes as grist for an endlessly satiric mill — the staid sanctuaries in which an unrepentant Larry commits his peccadillos, the horrific vacuousness of suburban Jewish life in A Serious Man. There are scattered exceptions, of course, and I admire both David and

the Coens as brilliant and important Jewish storytellers. But there is more to say about Jewish American life, and synagogue-going, than is possible to say from within the four narrow cubits of satire.

Enter Long Story Short,”which is certainly the most Jewish television show airing right now on any mainstream platform and also, very likely, among the most authentic pieces of Jewish American narrative art in the 21st century. And it is very funny. There are moments of satire, in particular a riotously funny send-up of bar mitzvah candlelighting ceremonies in the opening episode. But unlike most other shows of its ilk, Judaism and the Jewish characters that populate the story (which is all of them, more or less) aren’t the joke. They are simply the reality, the context by which tragedy transforms itself into farce and farce, in turn, transforms itself into tragedy again.

practice. That’s literally the only way it makes sense. I figured it out. And I gave it to my children because I love them. But they reject it because they want to reject me.”

And, though it might seem like a surprising thing to say about an animated series, it presents that reality with unflinching, almost documentary-like precision. Some examples:

• An unnamed character in the “Ashamnu“ scene appears in a full tallit (no church-style stole, like the one worn by Rabbi Noah Roklov in Nobody Wants This) and, when asked by a main character if he knows of “a guy named Noah here,” replies dryly, but not unkindly, “There are probably like 50 Noahs in here.”

• An old woman, also in a tallit, next to whom the main character takes a seat, explains lovingly that Jews confess in plural language.

• The episode that is largely devoted to parents trying to decide whether or not to send their children to a Jewish day school.

• The moment when an adult child, faced with a sibling’s increasing observance, tells their mother that there is no one right way to be Jewish, and the mother responds immediately (and I quote) with, “But there is — a progressive egalitarian Conservative Judaism with an emphasis on ritual and community over faith and blind

These examples — one of a vast number that I could recite — all speak to a core aspect of why I found the show so moving on Selichot night and why it is so wildly successful overall, both narratively and aesthetically. It’s packed with so many highly specific Jewish cultural and religious touchstones — not to mention untranslated and unexplained Hebrew phrases — that I suspect, absent a solid day-school education (BobWaksberg, the son of a Jewish educator, had one), aspects of it would seem abstruse if not unintelligible. It’s all so ardently, shockingly particularist, which is a crucial element of faithfully rendering any culture and something that I think about a lot, both as novelist and as a rabbi.

As Jews in America, most of us, either through osmosis or because we seek it out, come to know a great deal about the majority cultures that surround us. They know less about us. That has always been — and will always be — a structural aspect of minority experience. That is why it is an ongoing challenge, in many corners of the entertainment industry, to tell stories from the particularist perspectives of minority and under-represented groups. It’s a worthy, important goal, both ethically (because it’s the right thing to do) and aesthetically (because stories absent culture are bland).

But despite all the laudable effort towards diversifying the kinds of American stories we tell, I have never seen a show that depicts a Jewish American reality that is recognizable to me — hilarious, unabridged, profound and reverent. Until now.

Representation matters. Do yourself a favor and start binging.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media, or of Jewish News.

48 hostages have been held in Gaza for over 700 days since October 7, 2023. Support their families in their efforts to bring them home NOW. Visit Bri Th H N t t

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