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“UJC: A Lifetime of Caring”

The Jewish

Community NewsNews of the Peninsula Jewish Community March 2014/5774

Community Purim Carnivalat the JCC

401 Middle Ground Boulevard Newport News

Sunday, March 16, 201412 Noon - 2:00 PM

Come join us at the JCC Purim Carnival in cooperation with allPeninsula Synagogues for a day of fun, prizes and merriment (get a

free raffle ticket for a fabulous prize for attending Megillah readingat your local synagogue!!) No exceptions!!!!

gFor more information please call 757-930-1422

gThis event is being sponsored by the United JewishCommunity in cooperation with PeninsulaSynagogues. gLunch will be for sale gActivities free

**New Directions to the JCC:

From Warwick or from Oyster Point Road

* Turn onto Nettles Drive

* Access to the United Jewish Community

Center campus will be from Nettles onto

Middle Ground Boulevard and into the UJC

driveway.

* Watch for the signs on Nettles and look

for road outlined by red barrels.

2 News of the Peninsula Jewish Community March 2014/5774


President’s Message

UJC Hires New Executive DirectorDr. Guy Levy, President

Change has a badreputation in oursociety. But it isn't allbad — not by anymeans. In fact, changeis necessary in life — tokeep us moving ... tokeep us growing ... tokeep us interested . ...Imagine life withoutchange. It would bestatic ... boring ... dull."

— Dr. Dennis O'Gradyin Bottom Line -

Personal

Last year when Robert “Bob the Builder”Kessler announced his retirement, our

Jewish community faced the monumental taskof replacing one of the most loved andrespected professional Jewish leaders in theFederation System of North America. Anoutstanding and dedicated search committee,ably assisted by Ricki Wasserman of theMandel Center for Leadership Excellence,spent almost a year and countless hours in amethodical search process that includedreviewing the credentials of many candidates,Skype interviews, and visits by threecandidates to our community. Throughout theprocess, the committee was careful to includeinput from a wide array of communitymembers.

On behalf of the search committee and allcommunity members who participated in thisendeavor, I am happy and pleased to report wehave a winner!! On Tuesday, February 11,2014, our UJC Board of Directors approvedthe contract to hire Steven R. Wendell ofConnecticut.

Steve currently serves as President and CEOof the Jewish Center for Community Servicesof Eastern Fairfield County, Connecticut.That community was entering a period oftremendous and challenging changes when it

reached out to Steve, who had worked in thecommunity many years before, to help guidethe community through the difficult times thatwere fast approaching. By all reports, Stevehas performed in an outstanding manner.

Steve has over 25 years of experience as aprofessional leader in the Jewish community.Steve’s background has not only includedcommand of functional federationcommunities, but is also highlighted byextensive leadership experience in Jewishcamping, as National Director of American

Programs for Hadassah’s Young Judaea.Interestingly, Steve and his lovely wife,Charlene, who is an accomplished Jewishprofessional in her own right, were introducedthrough their involvement as leaders in Jewishcamping.

Most importantly, our communication withSteve’s current and former communitymembers revealed unanimous love and respectfor Steve, as well as for Charlene.

It is with great anticipation and excitementthat we welcome Steve and Charlene to ourUnited Jewish Community of the VirginiaPeninsula. Steve and Charlene will join ourcommunity this summer.



Executive Director’s ReportRobert H. Kessler

A NEW LOOK!

Every now and then we take a look at ourselves and decideit might be time for a change or even a new look. Change

is sometimes referred to as progress, or re-shaping, or perhapsre-branding.

Well, thirty years have passed since we made a change andthe UJCVP is growing and building and it is now time for usto have a new look. So, with the help of Howard Waters ofWaters and Bridgman, and input from our board of directors,we have “A NEW LOOK.”

The new logo consists of our UJCVP initials as well as aMenorah and flame imbedded within a Magen David. Ourcolors are blue and gold and can be seen in color on ourwebpage and colored printed materials. I hope you like the change!

WHERE AM I GOING?

Afunny thing happened to me on my way to the Kiddushlast Shabbat. As Meryl and I were waiting for everyone

to gather in the lobby area, two members of our communityasked us where we were going. We looked at each other witha question mark and asked them what they meant. Well, onesaid, are you retiring this year and moving away? Again,confused, we looked at one another and laughed. I askedwhere they heard this and they could not recall other thanthey said they heard we were moving.

So, to put this rumor to rest once and for all here is theanswer. I am retiring this summer, but Meryl and I are notmoving away from Newport News. Our plan is to stay wherewe are, do some traveling, and enjoy a slower life style. Welike this community and our friends and plan to just enjoy.

Be Happy

It’s Adar

Here we go again!!Construction work begins for the Sarfan Infant Toddler Center at the JCC



Campaign CapsulesSarah Barnett, Campaign Associate

The completion of Campaign 2014 is just about here!Thanks to our energetic, enthusiastic and motivational

Campaign chair, Kenny Murov, and his scores of volunteers,we have had an encouraging “up” year. We anticipate thatthis year’s campaign will finish with over $760,000 inpledges which accounts for a more than 4% increase overlast year. About 500 individuals and families will have madea commitment to the community. We have been able toachieve these positive results even while continuing torealize some significant losses at the top level of ourcampaign. Thankfully, increases from previous donors, abumper crop of new donors, and the return of some donorswe have missed for several years, have all contributed to thispositive trend. In fact, we have doubled the number ofdonors new to our Campaign this year, in large part becauseof the tremendous efforts of our Lead Jew leadershipdevelopment team and their pre-Super Sunday “DrinkGlobally” party that drew over 50 people most of them newcontributors. It is never too late to decide to make acontribution to the UJCVP. Pledges are never due in fulluntil December of the current calendar year and can be madeby visiting us at www.ujcvp.org.

g g gGesher

Get going with Gesher for the month of Adar and BeHappy. Save the date for a Joint Hump Day Happy Hour

and Mishloach Manot bag assembly (bags will be given toelderly Peninsula residents who are living alone)on Wednesday, March 12 . Location to be determined. Forth

more information email [email protected]

Jewish Advocacy Day

Jewish Advocacy Day in Richmond on February 5 was ath

great opportunity for six of us to head to Richmond withhundreds of other Jews from around the state to make ourvoices heard on issues that are important to our community.With able leadership from CRC (Community RelationsCouncil) Chair Richard Gordon, our Peninsula group visitedlocal representatives and senators communicating ourconcerns regarding legislation that would leave the dooropen to more opportunities for religious expression duringthe public school day, and the teaching of creationism. Inaddition, we asked for support for budget amendments thatwould support VIAB (The Virginia Israel Advisory Board)and the PAM program run by Jewish Family Service ofTidewater, both positive programs for our State. VIAB is astate run agency that promotes economic developmentbetween Israel and Virginia and helps Israeli companieslocate in Virginia, the most notable of which is SabraHummus products. PAM ( Personal Affairs Management) isa crucial guardianship program run through JFS that allowscourts to appoint JFS as guardian for over 600 of our state’smost vulnerable and alone residents. A proposed cut for thisprogram in Governor McDonnell’s original budget would bedevastating for this valuable program.

With Richard’s detailed preparation, all six of us, Richard,Bob and Meryl Kessler, Sarah Barnett, Mike Stupar, andRita Cooper, presented specific information regarding theseissues to brand new representatives, Monty Mason, andGordon Helsel. In addition we met with Tommy Norment’slegislative aid and had a productive conversation with ourold friend John Miller, who is always responsive to ourconcerns.

Our Community Relations Council is a volunteer ledcommittee that does the quiet but important work of makingsure that our Jewish voice is heard in the community whennecessary. Jewish Advocacy Day is open to everyone and isa terrific way to not only take the opportunity to speak up,but also to learn about and witness our State democracy upclose and personal.

Sarah Barnett

The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it,and join the dance.

~~Alan Watts, English Philosopher

mailto:[email protected]



Living Voices

Seven years later and it’s still an amazing program! Everyyear for the past seven years the UJC in conjunction

with the Tidewater Jewish Federation has participated in theLiving Voices program,“Through the Eyes of aFriend”. ElizabethReiner, an actress fromBrooklyn, New Yorkcomes to the Peninsulafor two days andperforms an interactivefilm/play at four middleor high schools in thearea. The students get tosee the world of AnneFrank “Through the Eyesof a Friend.” The studentswitness the pain, loss andhope of young peopleduring the Holocaust.This moving program is apoignant portrait offriendship and survivalthrough the eyes of Anne Frank’s best friend, Sarah Weis.Sarah is a composite character inspired by the experiencesand testimonies of many individuals who knew Anne Frankat certain points in her life.

This past year over 500 students were able to witness theone hour program at York Middle School (two days),Achievable Dream Middle and High School and PassageMiddle School. The importance of this program is magnifiedby the fact that over the years more than 4000 students haveheard about the atrocities of the WWII and the Holocaust,some for the first time. They are reminded year after yearthat we cannot be bystanders when we see injustices andthat hate is a very dangerous emotion. If you are interestedin seeing one of these programs, contact Leslie Needham forthe 2015 showing in February.

The funding for this program is made possible with a verygenerous donation from the William and LillianDiamonstein Scholarship Fund for Holocaust Studies.

The United Jewish CommunityCenter along with Temple Sinai,

CNU Hillel and Rumi Forum ispleased to announce a very

important program.

"Interfaith Dialogue”Sunday, March 9 th

at Temple Sinai, 11620 Warwick Blvd.

Newport News, VA 23601

4:30-6:30 PM Join us for a free program

featuring the documentary

“Desperate Hours–Turkey’s Rescue of

Jews”

Followed by a full Turkish mealprepared by the Local TurkishCommunity and the Rumi Forum

RSVP by March 2 to the UJC atnd

930-1422



Rabbi’s Message...

God Needs Us to Act: The Hidden Message of Purim

Rabbi Gilah Dror, Rodef Sholom Temple

Ilove Purim because it reminds me of how lucky we all areto have such a vibrant Jewish community on the

Peninsula.

Beneath the revelry, the costumes, the groggers, thefestivities, the noise, the Megillah [Scroll of Esther] reading,the mishloach manot [exchanging gifts of food], and thegiving of tzedakah, there is a deep spiritual message toPurim. And, although God’s name does not appear evenonce in the Megillah, the message is clear. Miracles occur.

What miracles, you might ask? Nothing described in theMegillah resembles the Biblical story of the splitting of theRed Sea or of the sun remaining suspended in the sky wellpast the normal time of sunset…. The miracles described inthe Scroll of Esther are subtle - no grand changes in theorder of creation; no altering of the laws of nature; no voicesfrom Heaven telling us what to expect.

Faced with an existential threat to the existence of ourpeople, Mordecai and Esther take action in the real world tobring about our people’s salvation.

It is the voice of our people that is heard in the Megillah.The actions of a few leaders, informed by their connectionto the world, and to the Jewish community, undergird thepositive outcome of the Purim story.

Does this mean that we do not need God? Not at all! Itmeans that God needs us! And, God needs us to stayconnected!

The story of Purim reminds us that we must be ready to stepup to the plate. We must show that we care. And, we mustdo so in the context of Jewish community!

Esther planned and strategized, along with her uncle,Mordecai, but part of her plan was to stay connected toJewish community, even though she was “at home” in thecorridors of power of the Kingdom of Persia.

Strengthening herself for the task at hand, Esther prayed andfasted and she asked that the entire Jewish community pray

and fast along with her before she undertook her mission.I suppose that Esther would have described herself as being“spiritual.” But, she was more than that….

Often, people describe themselves as being “spiritual, butnot religious.” What I understand this to mean is that someof us sense the presence of a force greater than ourselves inour individual lives but do not see ourselves as easilyconnected to “organized religion.”

Being spiritual is important. It means that we sense that ourvalues come from a higher source. But Jewish traditionenvisions more. It would have us translate our values intoaction.

By being connected to religious community we giveourselves the opportunity to function more effectively as weseek to translate our spiritual values into action. Together,in community, we can effect greater miracles.

Purim is so wonderful because it reminds us that God iswith us, most especially when we stay focused on ourvalues, connected to people who share those values, andprepared to work together to meet the challenges and tomaximize the opportunities of the day! And, on thePeninsula, we have so many reasons to be grateful and tocelebrate!

I take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones avery Happy Purim!



Purim Events at RSTMegillah Reading +

Pirate Purim Party for Adults

Saturday, March 15 at 8:30 p.m.

+ Pick up your Booty for every member!

Then…

Religious School Purim Mitzvot Education Event

Sunday, March 16 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.th

Ending in time for the Noon Carnival at the JCC



CONGREGATION EMET V’OR emetvor.org 757/952-3737 Shabbat*, 7:00PM, at the UJCC, at their new address - 401 Middle Ground Blvd.,

use the new entrance off Nettles Rd.

Yom Hashoah ObservanceSunday, April 27 at 2:00 PM at the JCCth

Guest Speaker - Ruth Hartz

Ruth Kapp Hartz was a four year old, hidden child during the Holocaust in southern France.

During that time she had to change her name to Renee to hide her Jewish identity. In

addition to being sheltered by an ordinary French farm family, she spent six months in a small

Catholic convent to avoid capture by both the Vichy French Police and the Gestapo. When

informants told the authorities that the nuns were hiding Jewish children, the Mother Superior

was forced to lie to keep Ruth and the other children safe. Only the Mother Superior knew that

the children were Jewish. The other nuns thought they were just orphans. Ruth remembers that

the convent had blue windows so authorities could not see inside, and the chapel had a trap door

where the children would hide when hunted.

Through unusual good fortune, Ruth and her parents survived the war and returned to Paris

shortly thereafter. Ruth eventually graduated from the Sorbonne University with a degree in

Biochemistry. In 1958, she came to the United States where she married and raised a family. She

became a teacher of French language, literature and culture at the Springside School in

Philadelphia where she worked for 22 years.

In 1999 she published her childhood memoir, Your Name is Renée, and in 2005, a French

translation, Tu t’appelles Renée. She is also the director and producer of “A Legacy of

Goodness,” a DVD about her rescuers. Watch your mail for more information and your invitation

to this annual memorial program.

MARCH EVENTS Havdalah & Cabaret 1Chai Mitzvah for Adults 2Torah Study 5,12,19,26 *Shabbat Services 7, 21Cooking Jewish! 9,11

Purim – The Story of Esther 15Parent & Preschooler 16Community Purim Carnival 16Kabbalat Shabbat & Dinner 28

Please RSVP for each event, so we have an accurate count.Chai Mitzvah is a monthly adult class, 10AM-11:30AM, 3/2, 4/6, 5/18, 6/1 - $18. It is not too late to

RSVP [email protected]

Havdalah & Cabaret 3/1, 6PM, at UJCC, then to Hampton Roads Academy to see the show! -- $12.

RSVP [email protected]

Torah Study study the weekly texts, 5:15-6PM, Vayikra, Tzav, Shmini, Tazria. [email protected]

Parent & Preschooler introduce your children to the joys of Judaism. Synagogue affiliation is not required. 10:30AM

– 12PM. RSVP [email protected]

Cooking Jewish! Hamantashen, challah, kugel, brisket, and more! Sundays, 2:30PM, 3/9, 4/13, 5/18, 6/8 or Tuesdays,

7PM, 3/11, 4/8, 5/20, 6/10. RSVP [email protected]

Purim 3/15, 6PM, the Story of Esther, but you’ve never heard a story like this! Come see our children’s interpretation

with princes, princesses, and even Mickey Mouse. RSVP [email protected]

Kabbalat Shabbat & Dinner 3/28, 5:30PM, restaurant to be determined. RSVP [email protected]









"Why Courts Matter & What ICan Do To Ensure a Fair andImpartial Judiciary"

Program sponsored by NationalCouncil of Jewish Women (NCJW) at

Temple Sinai

� Speakers: Judge Judith Kline and Lindsay

Morris, NCJW Grassroots Associate

� Date: Sunday May 4th @ 2pm

� Location: Temple Sinai, 11620 Warwick

Blvd., Newport News, VA

Temple Sinai11620 Warwick Blvd.

Newport News, VA 23601

Our religious school students, teachers and parents present“Shushan Tonight,” an original Purim play on Friday,

March 14 at 7:30 p.m. The evening will begin with a readingof the megillah, followed by an Oneg with hamantaschenmade by our religious school students and members of theSisterhood and then the performance.On March 28 there will be a special music service featuringcantor Jonathan Rathsam and organist Dorothy Lorenz.

Temple Sinai will host a showing of the documentary film,“Desperate Hours-Turkey’s Rescue of Jews,” on Sunday,March 9 at 4:30 p.m. The film is part of an “InterfaithDialogue,’ co-sponsored by the United Jewish CommunityCenter, Temple Sinai, CNU Hillel and the Rumi Forum. Thefilm will be followed by a full Turkish meal prepared by theAmerican Friends of Turkey and the Rumi Forum. PleaseRSVP to the UJC at 930-1422 or Temple Sinai at 596-8352by March 2.

The next Brotherhood Breakfast will feature our Templepresident Paul Brindza in his day job, talking about his workat Jefferson Labs. Brindza’s work was recently featured inan article in the Newport News Daily Press, so here’s achance to learn more about it. The breakfast will be heldSunday, March 30 at 10 a.m. cost is $6 for non-members.

The National Council of Jewish Women and Temple SinaiSisterhood will hold a community-wide Women’s DessertSeder on Wednesday, March 19 at 7 p.m. Join us for aspecial evening of joy and celebration. Cost is only $5 perperson. Please RSVP to Gloria Ostroff at 757-877-9455 oremail [email protected].

The Temple Sinai Sisterhood gift shop has new items forPurim, including masks and greggers. The next Sisterhoodmeeting is Monday, March 10 at 7 p.m. at the Temple.

Keep up with all the news from your Temple atwww.templesinai-nn.com or on our Facebook page.

Community Activities Sponsored byNational Council of Jewish Women

(NCJW)

Join in our Community-Wide Women’sDessert Seder

� Discover the significance of the orange on the seder plate.� Read from a Women’s Haggadah prepared especially forthis seder.�Feast on dessert, symbolic seder foods and wine.�Experience a great evening of joy and celebration.

Cost: $5.00 per personRSVP by March 14 to Gloria Ostroff

757-877-9455 or [email protected]

Schedule for March

Services are held every Friday at 7:30 p.m.

Rabbi Lawrence Forman will conduct

services March 7 and 21

http://www.templesinai-nn.com



JCC Seniors/Grand ClubPrograms

Don’t forget to come to the JCC for lunch on Tuesdays.

If you are over 60 and looking for a good place to have

lunch and meet other seniors, come join us at the JCC.

Lunch is $2.50 and transportation is provided by reservation

in the UJC bus. Call the JCC at 930-1422 to make your

reservations

March 4: Bingo and Mah JongMarch 11: Bingo/Mah Jong and Blood PressureChecksMarch 18: Lunch sponsored by Temple SinaiSisterhood, Purim CelebrationMarch 25: OUT TO LUNCH

Temple Sinai Sisterhood

Will Host the

Grand Club Luncheon

March 18, 2014

at

The Jewish Community Center

Lunch will be served at 12 noon

Please RSVP (930-1422) if you are not a

usual attendee.

Don’t Forget the Homeless

Do you have the soaps, shampoos, and other toiletries that

are in your hotel rooms when you travel? People in

homeless shelters, centers for abused women and other

havens for the less fortunate can always use these items.

Please bring them by the JCC when you can and they will be

distributed to persons in need. If you have any questions,

please get in touch with Stan Glasofer at 930-4606 or

[email protected].

mailto:[email protected].



PASSOVER SHOPPINGIn Richmond

The Westbury MarketSunday, April 6, 2014

Leave from the JCC at 9:30 AM

Shop, Lunch in Richmond at the

Westbury Café (Lunch on Your Own)

Cost of Trip: $10.00Must Have 10 People to Go

Come to the JCC for interestingand informative lectures and

lunch Time: 12 Noon

Cost: $10.00

April 17 –Former Governor George Allen (The

story of how he discovered his Jewish roots)

May 15: State Delegate David Yancey

His mother’s story of the escape from the

Holocaust as a Jew and her later conversion.)

Call JCC to RSVP - 930-1422



Why Hebrew School Works:Carmela Malkin-Kuhn, UJC Education Director

"There is divinebeauty in learning...To learn means toaccept the postulatethat life did not beginat my birth. Othershave been herebefore me, and Iwalk in theirfootsteps. The booksI have read werecomposed bygenerations offathers and sons,mothers anddaughters, teachersand disciples. I amthe sum total oftheir experiences,their quests. And soare you."

~~Elie Wiesel

Most Jewish educators would think I’m crazyfor writing this article when the rest of the

Jewish education world is chock full of articlesabout why supplemental Jewish education failsand why we need to change our systems,curricula, and approaches. And, they are correct.As responsible professionals we always need toevaluate and adjust. At the UJCVP we do and wehave and we will. However, I am here to say thatafter a quarter century being involved in,teaching in, and directing our UJCVPCommunity Hebrew School….it works! But whatdoes this mean? What exactly is our success? There is no doubt that “Hebrew School” is atough nut to crack. We function in the lateafternoon when our children have already had along day. If you asked the majority of students onany given day if they wanted to attend HebrewSchool I imagine the answer might be aresounding “no.” Nonetheless, with ourcontrolled chaos, and unique individualizedapproach to Hebrew reading we provide a fun,relaxed atmosphere.

We begin with a short T’fillot (prayer) servicegathering together for an opportunity to hear thesounds of Judaism and learn the rudiments ofbasic Hebrew prayer. Afterwards we split intoclasses where traditional lecturing is kept to aminimum. Children are encouraged to worktogether in pairs, going at their own pace, andmaking themselves physically comfortable.Sitting on chairs is not a requirement forlearning. We recognize that little boys and girlshave “ants in their pants” in the afternoon andmay be more squirmy and yes, even a littledisruptive, so appropriate slack is givenwhenever possible. Our “academic” goal is to teach the decoding ofHebrew words so that when children child leaveour program at the end of 6 grade they have ath

respectable comfort level with reading andfollowing a prayer book, and are able toeffectively study a Torah and Haftarah portion

for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah ceremony. We alsoexpect a level of familiarity with prayers that arecommon to all congregations like the Shma,Kaddish, Michamochah and the Amidah. Likeany acquisition of skill that we desire for ourchildren, this doesn’t happen over night and itdoesn’t happen without some consistency ofattendance. In addition, our policy is not to assignhomework or grade children makingaccountability more difficult on our end. Werecognize that children don’t need morehomework on their plates and that a skill level ofHebrew reading is NOT what makes a childJewish. Sometimes the results are slowand uneven, but I challenge any communitymember, parent or friend to attend a t’fillotsession and hear what our children cando! The vast majority of our regularly attendingchildren are reaching these measurable goals.

The unmeasurable goals are more difficult toachieve; the attempt to create a positive Jewishmemory while meeting all benchmarks. How dowe create an environment in which children arehaving fun, building positive Jewish memories,and excelling at the same time? Should “HebrewSchool” be more like school or like camp whichwe know has a measurable positive effect on achild’s Jewish outlook? Can it be both? For theJewish educator who ultimately figures out theperfect path towards this end, I believe there istruly a pot of gold at the end of his or herrainbow. Over the years I have struggled withthis balance between fun, work, structure, andcontrolled chaos, and believe that we aresuccessfully ahead of the national curve in thisarena. Are there moments when we sacrificeindividual progress for a little Jewish fun?Definitely, but never with the purpose of leavinganything out in the long run.

(Continued next page)



Hebrew School ... continued

We Jewish educators should never stop striving for theperfect program with the best results and should never beafraid to try new approaches. How do we best accommodatea culture that is very heavy on scheduling children whileexpecting the highest levels of achievement in all that theydo? How can we best help parents and congregations adaptto this culture while encouraging the integration ofmeaningful Jewish living and practice into families’daily lives? These are huge questions. Part of the answer isthe realization that any supplemental Hebrew school is onlya small piece of a very large pie that will ideally includehome practices, synagogue life, and greater Jewishcommunal participation.

Afternoon Hebrew school was never meant to and shouldnever be the totality of a child’s Jewish life, a religious andcultural experience that is optimally filled with fun holidays,observances, stories and family time. When our childrenlearn to read English we assume that they will havepreschool readiness skills, home reading practice, and aworld full of books and examples of others reading. LearningHebrew reading is no different. Hebrew School giveschildren the aleph bet, the vowels, the introduction, andwhat could be described as minimal practice. From firstthrough sixth grade there are approximately 360opportunities to attend a session. This is plenty, in fact morethan some children need for the goals that have been setout here if there is regularity of attendance over a period ofyears. The question of how many days, for how many hours,for how many years may well be different for each familyand child. Yet, I have plenty of anecdotal evidencethat “consistency over time” works. In addition, this year theUJCVP has made Hebrew School free for all children and theyear is not yet done, so if you haven’t considered this offerthere is still time!

As sympathetic stewards of Jewish educationwe do recognize that parents are coming from very diversebackgrounds and that many parents don’t have the skills toprovide optimal reinforcement so we always welcomeparents to learn along side their children. Indeed, there arethose in the Jewish education world who believe that familyeducation is the key to learning in the future andthey may be right. In conjunction with our local synagogueswe ought to be able to provide ample opportunities formeaningful Jewish learning and practice and I know that ourlocal congregations, who themselves have wonderful

educators hard at work, are increasingly doing this in creativeand engaging ways.

So, as you can see, it’s a difficult notion this HebrewSchool. Considering this, it’s pretty amazing we achievewhat we do! Though a child may be happy to “graduate”after 6 grade and enter their years of teenage angst andth

questioning, most of them do not look back having hadmiserable Hebrew school experiences at the UJCVP. Manyof them have had a lot of fun with their peers and teachersand have learned their Hebrew reading as well.

My hope and prayer is that as a community of parents,congregations and educators we can move forward with ourefforts to provide our children and families with the best,cutting edge educational and Hebrew programmingavailable. To this end I welcome all of your input, ideas, andparticipation as we move forward from strength to strength.

UJC Fund Donations

RHODA H. & MARVIN I MAZUR EDUCATION FUNDDeb Lipsett in memory of Rhoda Mazur.Jonathan Weintraub and Family in memory of Rhoda Mazur.

GRAND CLUB/JCC SENIORSLeslie and Randy Needham in memory of DorothyNeulander.Barbara Wiesen in memory of Dorothy Neulander.

PRESCHOOL FUNDBetty and Buddy Levin in honor of L. J. and TzinaRichman’s new grandson.orene and Mayer Sarfan in loving memory of Reva LeeMayer.Bonnie and Norman Katzenberg in honor of Carmela MalkinKuhn and all the hard work that she does.



! A copy of George Washington's letter, dated 1791,replying to a congratulatory letter by the Hebrew

congregations of Philadelphia, New York, Charleston and Richmond

! A 1723 Ketubbah (marriage contract) illuminated withsigns of the zodiac

!A Masonic ritual book, The New Ahimon Rezon,printed in Richmond in 1791

! Past Masters' Jewels from the Fraternal MasonicLodge #53 (Richmond)

! Hand-painted 19th century Torah binders

! A Richmond-made silver Kiddush cup, crafted byHenry Hyman in 1851

! Confederate War Bonds, bearing the signature ofJudah P. Benjamin, Secretary of State

! Silver ceremonial objects created by Jewish craftsmenduring the Civil War era

! Portraits of families who immigrated to Richmond inthe 1830's and 40's

�A selective Holocaust collection!The cornerstone of a German synagogue, burned

during Kristallnacht in 1938

Special day planned for anyone who justneeds a day away!

May 21, 2014

Leave the JCC at 9:00 AM for a fun day in Richmond.

Begin the day with a private guided tour of the Lewis GinterBotanical Gardens followed by a catered hot buffet lunch on thegrounds. After lunch we will head to the Beth Ahabah Museum

and Archives located 10 minutes from the gardens, for a short tour of the museum.Notable items in the collection are:

Cost for the trip is $36.00 per person. A lite snack, bus tours and lunch included.We must have 15 people to take the trip so RSVP as soon as possible to 930-1422.

The Peninsula Jewish Historical Society

and the United Jewish Community

will present

Peninsula’s Artful Pursuits Exhibition

Featuring local Jewish Artists on

October 19-31, 2014

At the United Jewish Community Center

401 Middle Ground Boulevard, Newport News, VA .

For more information or any further questions

Please Call Leslie Needham 930-1422



Oldest Known Holocaust Survivor Dies at 110 (AP)London, February 23, 2014

Herz-Sommer's love of her son — and music — gave her the determination and skill to play pianoto survive two years in Terezin, where 33,430 Jews were slaughtered by the Nazis.

Alice Herz-Sommer, believed to bethe oldest-known survivor of the

Holocaust, died in London on Sundaymorning at the age of 110, a familymember said.

Herz-Sommer’s devotion to the pianoand to her son sustained her throughtwo years in a Nazi prison camp, and afilm about her has been nominated forbest short documentary at next week’sAcademy Awards.

She died in a hospital Sunday morningafter being admitted Friday, daughter-in-law Genevieve Sommer said.

“We all came to believe that she wouldjust never die,” said Frederic Bohbot,producer of the documentary “TheLady in Number 6: Music Saved MyLife.” “There was no question in mymind, ‘would she ever see the Oscars.”’An accomplished pianist, Herz-Sommer, her husband and her son weresent from Prague in 1943 to aconcentration camp in the Czech city ofTerezin — Theresienstadt in German— where inmates were allowed to stageconcerts in which she frequentlystarred.

An estimated 140,000 Jews were sentto Terezin and 33,430 died there.About 88,000 were moved on toAuschwitz and other death camps,where most of them were killed. Herz-Sommer and her son, Stephan, wereamong fewer than 20,000 who werefreed when the notorious camp wasliberated by the Soviet army in May1945.Yet she remembered herself as “alwayslaughing” during her time in Terezin,

where the joy of making music keptthem going.

“These concerts, the people are sittingthere, old people, desolated and ill, andthey came to the concerts and thismusic was for them our food. Musicwas our food. Through making musicwe were kept alive,” she once recalled.“When we can play it cannot be soterrible.”

Though she never learned where hermother died after being rounded up,and her husband died of typhus atDachau, in her old age she expressedlittle bitterness.

“We are all the same,” she said. “Good,and bad.”

Herz-Sommer was born on Nov. 26,1903, in Prague, and started learningthe piano from her sister at age 5. As agirl, she met the author Franz Kafka, afriend of her brother-in-law, anddelighted in the stories that he told.She also remembered Kafka saying, “Inthis world to bring up children: in thisworld?”

Alice married Leopold Sommer in1931. Their son was born in 1937, twoyears before the Nazi invasion ofCzechoslovakia. “This was especiallyfor Jews a very, very hard time. I didn’tmind, because I enjoyed to be a motherand I was full of enthusiasm aboutbeing a mother, so I didn’t mind somuch,” she said.Jews were allowed to shop for only halfan hour in the afternoon, by which timethe shops were empty. Most Jewishfamilies were forced to leave their

family apartments and were crammedinto one apartment with other families,but her family was allowed to keep itshome.

“We were poor, and we knew that theywill send us away, and we knewalready in this time that it was ourend,” she said.

In 1942, her 73-year-old mother wastransported to Terezin, then a fewmonths later to Treblinka, anextermination camp.

“And I went with her of course till thelast moment. This was the lowest pointin my life. She was sent away. Till nowI don’t know where she was, till now Idon’t know when she died, nothing.

“When I went home from bringing herto this place I remember I had to stop inthe middle of the street and I listened toa voice, an inner voice: ‘Now, nobodycan help you, not your husband, notyour little child, not the doctor.”’

From then on, she took refuge in the 24Etudes of Frederic Chopin, adauntingly difficult monument of therepertoire. She labored at them for upto eight hours a day.

Continued .... next page



Holocaust Survivor .... continued

She recalled an awkward conversation on the night beforeher departure to the concentration camp with a Nazi wholived upstairs and called to say that he would miss herplaying. She remembered him saying: “‘I hope you willcome back. What I want to tell you is that I admire you, yourplaying, hours and hours, the patience and the beauty of themusic.”’

Other neighbors, she said, stopped by only to take whateverthe family wasn’t able to bring to the camp. “So the Naziwas a human, the only human. The Nazi, he thanked me,”she said. The camp’s artistic side was a blessing; youngStephan, then 6, was recruited to play a sparrow in an opera.“My boy was full of enthusiasm,” she recalled. “I was sohappy because I knew my little boy was happy there.”

The opera was “Brundibar,” a 40-minute piece for childrencomposed by Hans Krasa, a Czech who was also imprisonedin the camp. It was first performed in Prague but got onlyone other performance before he was interned. “Brundibar”became a showpiece for the camp, performed at least 55

times including once when Terezin, which had beenextensively spruced up for the occasion, was inspected by aRed Cross delegation in June 1944. The opera featured ina 1944 propaganda film which shows more than 40 youngperformers filling the small stage during the finale.

Herz-Sommer’s life inspired two books: “A Garden of Edenin Hell” (2006) by Melissa Mueller and Reinhard Piechocki,and “A Century of Wisdom: Lessons from the Life of AliceHerz-Sommer, the World’s Oldest Living HolocaustSurvivor” (2012) by Caroline Stoessinger.

In 1949, she left Czechoslovakia to join her twin sisterMizzi in Jerusalem. She taught at the JerusalemConservatory until 1986, when she moved to London. Herson, who changed his first name to Raphael after the war,made a career as a concert cellist. He died in 2001.

A film telling her story, 'The Lady in Number 6: MusicSaved My Life,' has been nominated for a best short

documentary Oscar.

Babies & Bagels Playgroup for 0 – 30 month olds. Play monthly at the Jewish Community Center!

This Babies & Bagels free monthly playdate is the perfect opportunity for you and your little one tointeract and socialize with peers. Play groups are an excellent way to make friends, learn from otherswith children the same age, and enjoy a social break during the day. These playdates have a Jewish holiday focus that is age appropriate for your little one.

Join in the fun and have some adult conversation while you watch your children learn to socialize withothers in their age group. It is from 11:00 AM-11:45 AM.

r March 26 Passoverth

rApril 23 Israel’s Independence Dayrd

r May 28 Shavuot

Mark your calendar and call at least a week before to reserve a space. Call Jennifer @ 757-930-1422 or email:

[email protected] to RSVP and for details.



5K RACE SPONSOR LEVELS

PLATINUM SPONSOR: $2,500Sponsor deadline for this category is: April 25, 2014- Your name and logo will appear on the front of all race t-shirts- Your name and logo will be listed on race website, race advertising, and JCC website- You will receive four half-page ads in the UJC monthly newsletter distributed

to approximately 1100households on the peninsula- You will receive five complimentary race entries- You will receive five complimentary race t-shirtsGOLD LEVEL SPONSOR: $1,000 - $2,499Sponsor deadline for this category is: April 25, 2014- Your name and logo will appear boldly on the back of all race t-shirts- Your name and logo will be listed on race website, race advertising, and JCC website- You will receive four quarter page ads in the UJC monthly newsletter distributed to

approximately 1100 households on the peninsula- You will receive three complimentary race entries- You will receive three complimentary race t-shirtsSILVER LEVEL SPONSOR: $500 - $999Sponsor deadline for this category is: April 25, 2014- Your name and logo will appear on the back of all race t-shirts- Your name and logo will be listed on race website, race advertising, and JCC website- You will receive two quarter page ads in the UJC monthly newsletter distributed to approximately 1100

households on the peninsula- You will receive two complimentary race entries- You will receive two complimentary race t-shirtsBRONZE LEVEL SPONSOR: $250 - $499Sponsor deadline for this category is: April 25, 2014- Your name and logo will appear on the back of all race t-shirts- Your name and logo will be listed on race website- You will receive two complimentary race entries- You will receive two complimentary race t-shirtsFRIENDS LEVEL SPONSOR: $100-249Sponsor deadline for this category is: April 25, 2014- Your name and logo will appear on the back of all race t-shirts- Your name and logo will be listed on race website

Company Information: Sponsorship Level

(Please circle one):

Company Name: _____________________________________________________________ Platinum

Contact Person: ________________________________________ ______________________ Gold

Address: ______________________________________ ______________________________ Silver

______________________________________ ______________________________________ Bronze

Phone: _____________________________________-________________________________ Friends

Fax: ______________________________________

Amount of Sponsorship/Donation: ______________

Do you have a company logo you would like us to use: Yes No

Please make checks payable to UJC* and send to: United Jewish Community Center

401 Middle Ground Blvd. , Newport News, VA 23606

*Please list JCC 5K Race in the Memo section of your check



SAVE THE DATE: Sunday, May 4, 2014

Sarfan Early Childhood Center

5K Race

NEW LOCATIONThe Mariners’ Museum

100 Museum Drive, Newport News (Get your running shoes ready…)

See inside back page for sponsorship opportunities.Registration form enclosed in this newsletter

Dr. Guy Levy, President

Robert H. Kessler, Executive Director

Linda Molin, Newsletter Editor

(757 )930-1422 b Fax (757) 930-3762

UJC Email address: [email protected] - UJC Web Page - http://www.ujcvp.org/


http://www.ujcvp.org/



MARCH 2014/5774

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