Richard Siegel, educator who co-edited The Jewish Catalog

Andrew Silow-Carroll

NEW YORK (JTA)—Richard Siegel, an educator who advocated for Jewish culture and arts and co-edited the seminal Jewish
Catalog series of guides to “do-it-yourself” Judaism, died Thursday, July 12 in Los Angeles.

He was 70 and had been battling cancer for two years, according to a friend and colleague, Barry Holtz, a professor of Jewish education at The Jewish Theological Seminary.

Siegel was the director emeritus of the Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles, which trains communal professionals for work in Jewish organizations.

For 28 years he worked at the National Foundation for Jewish Culture (renamed the Foundation for Jewish Culture), and served as its executive director from 1978 to 2006. According to HUC, he created the Jewish Endowment for the Arts and
Humanities to provide funding for artists, scholars and cultural institutions, and initiated the Fund for Jewish Documentary
Filmmaking, the Fund for New Play Commissions in Jewish Theater and the 6-Points Fellowships in the Arts.

In 1973, along with Michael Strassfeld and Sharon Strassfeld—fellow members of Havurat Shalom, a lay-led congregation in
Somerville, Massachusetts—he published what became known as The First Jewish Catalog. It’s subtitle was A Do-It-Yourself Kit, and it offered instructions on everything from making a seder to crafting a tallit to protest for Soviet Jewry. Its target audience was young Jews who wanted to return to the traditions of their grandparents, but weren’t exactly sure how.

Inspired by The Whole Earth Catalog, a source of “tools and ideas” for the hippie generation, Siegel and the Strassfelds found contributors who, like them, boasted excellent Jewish and even rabbinic educations.

The book became an instant bestseller for the Jewish Publication Society. It and two subsequent volumes were credited with empowering young Jews who felt alienated from synagogue life and popularizing an ethos of pluralism and gender egalitarianism. Critics objected to the very elements that its fans considered its strengths: that it leaned too heavily on the ethos of the 1960s counterculture and gave too little respect to the major Jewish denominations and institutions.

“We did have a legitimate critique of American Jewish life, and we were offering some new ideas for its reinvigoration,”
Siegel recalled in 2015 in an address to HUC’s graduates. “To be clear, we weren’t just pointing out the Jewish community’s faults and admonishing it to change its priorities. As activists, we were working to make the change happen, to ‘be the change we wanted to see,’ to use a contemporary aphorism.”

As his generation of young activists themselves became part of the Jewish establishment, Siegel turned to promoting Jewish culture and training professionals for work in Jewish institutions.

In his 2015 speech, he said, “Now more than ever, Jewish organizations, whether startups or legacy institutions, need business-savvy, Jewishly educated, and visionary professional leaders to help them address both the enormous challenges and
significant opportunities facing the Jewish world and the broader society.”

In recent years he worked with his wife, Rabbi Laura Geller, on a forthcoming book titled Good at Getting Older: A Practical
Catalog Grounded in Jewish Wisdom, to be published by Behrman House.

His other books included The Jewish Almanac (1981) and The Writer in the Jewish Community: An Israel-North America
Dialogue (1993).

Siegel also was one of the founding members of Minyan Maat, a lay-led congregation that meets at Ansche Chesed, an egalitarian, Conservative synagogue on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

“Richard Siegel was a transformative force in the Jewish world through his commitment to strengthening professional
education, enhancing Jewish culture and advancing contemporary Jewish identity formation,” the Zelikow School said in a
statement announcing his death.

Raised in Pittsburgh, Siegel received a master’s degree in contemporary Jewish studies (now the Hornstein Program) at  Brandeis University in 1972 and another master’s in Jewish history from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1974. His master’s thesis at Brandeis was subsequently developed into The Jewish Catalog.

He was the Hillel director, its first, at the State University of New York at Stony Brook from 1974 to 1978, where he founded the Long Island Jewish Arts Festival.

He is survived by his wife, the senior rabbi emerita of Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, and their children, Andy, Ruth, Josh and Elana.

Charlotte Rae, who starred as Mrs. Garrett on The Facts of Life

Actress Charlotte Rae, who won acclaim playing the housemother Edna Garrett on the sitcom The Facts of Life, has died. She
was 92.

Rae, who was nominated for Emmy and Tony awards, died Sunday, August 5 at her home in Los Angeles. She was diagnosed
last year with bone cancer; she had survived pancreatic cancer.

Rae first appeared as Mrs. Garrett in a recurring role as a housekeeper on the popular sitcom Diff’rent Strokes, and then for seven years on its spinoff, The Facts of Life, beginning in 1979. Her Emmy nomination was for the show.

Her career also featured appearances on more than 50 television shows.

Rae worked in theater before her TV career took off, garnering two Tony nominations—in 1966 as best featured actress in a musical in Pickwick, and in 1969 for best actress in a play for Morning, Noon and Night.

Her last role in a feature film was alongside Meryl Streep in the 2015 movie Rikki and the Flash. She also appeared in films such as Woody Allen’s Bananas in 1971, Hair in 1979 and the Adam Sandler comedy You Don’t Mess with the Zohan in
2008.

Rae was born Charlotte Rae Lubotsky in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Russian Jewish immigrants. Her mother, Esther, was a
childhood friend of the future Israeli prime minister Golda Meir, also a Milwaukee native. Rae reportedly dropped her Jewish-sounding surname on the advice of an unnamed radio personality.

She released her autobiography, The Facts of My Life, in 2015, co-written by her son Larry Strauss.

Rae was married for 25 years to composer John Strauss, but divorced in 1976 when he came out as bisexual. Her son Andrew, who was diagnosed with autism, died in his mid-40s of a heart attack in 1999.

She is survived by her son, Larry; three grandchildren; and a sister, Miriam Guten.

Jackie Gothard, who led rebuilding of New Orleans congregation after Hurricane Katrina

As the president of her New Orleans Orthodox congregation in 2005, Jackie Gothard oversaw the burial of seven Torah
scrolls ruined by flooding from Hurricane Katrina.

Then she made sure her synagogue would be reborn.

Gothard, the driving force behind the rebuilding of Congregation Beth Israel, died last month of heart failure following emergency surgery, The Crescent City Jewish News reported. She was 83.

The first female president of Beth Israel in the Lakeview section of New Orleans, Gothard was in office when Katrina struck.
She recalled burying the Torah scrolls in a story she recounted 10 years later for The My Katrina Story project, a multimedia
partnership of the Loyola University School of Mass Communication, the Center for the Study of New Orleans and  NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune.

Some 150 people attended the burial in a cemetery plot of the Torah scrolls.

A year later, a girl named Hayley Fields from Los Angeles, who for her bat mitzvah project sold plastic watches for $5 each to raise money for a refurbished Torah, brought the new scroll to the synagogue on the first anniversary of Katrina.

“It was amazing. All around us church bells were ringing [to mark the anniversary],” Gothard recalled for the My Katrina  Project story. “We had klezmer music and were dancing in the street outside Gates of Prayer with our new Torah. Four additional refurbished Torahs were donated. Each one that came was amazing. It was such a celebration for Beth Israel.”

Gothard guided the building of Beth Israel’s new home in suburban Metairie alongside the Reform synagogue Congregation Gates of Prayer.

The New Orleans-based Crescent City Jewish News called Gothard the “primary author of the then-101 year-old Orthodox  congregation’s recovery.” Gothard was the first to meet with the Gates of Prayer rabbi and administrator to discuss relocating
next door to the Reform synagogue and, the newspaper said, “it was Gothard who rallied the dispersed members, suggesting a comeback from such a tragedy  was possible.”

She also traveled to Milwaukee to meet with representatives of the Orthodox Union to express her congregation’s desperate
plight and seek financial assistance. She returned home with a six-figure contribution from the umbrella group to help in the recovery effort.

Gothard was a social worker for Child Protective Services at the New Orleans Department of Welfare, and later worked as a travel agent specializing in trips to Israel. She also led six-week teen tours of Israel for six years.

Gothard was involved in Hadassah, Jewish Family Services—she was active in the Teen Life Counts suicide prevention
program—the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans and the Jewish War Veterans of America.

She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Sol; five children; 11 grandchildren and one great-grandson; and a sister. (JTA)

Thursday, September 6, 6 pm Sandler Family Campus

United Jewish Federation of Tidewater will launch the 2019 Annual Campaign with Izzy Ezagui, the first one-armed military sharp shooter and author of Disarmed; presented in partnership with The Lee & Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival. The evening begins with a reception. Contact Amy Zelenka at azelenka@ujft.org or 757-965-6139 for more information.

*of blessed memory

Mondays, beginning August 13, 7 pm, Simon Family JCC

The Simon Family JCC is offering a free Hebrew Reading Crash Course that is designed to teach those with no basic knowledge of Hebrew how to read the language in five easy lessons—just in time to be better prepared for High Holiday services.

An estimated four million American Jews are not affiliated with any religious denomination or institution. For many, the inability to read Hebrew and understand synagogue services is an effective barrier to active participation in Jewish life. By teaching them to read Hebrew and making them feel comfortable in synagogues, NJOP, sponsor of the Hebrew Reading Crash Course, hopes to open the door to Jewish growth and commitment for previously uninvolved or marginally affiliated Jews.

“The Hebrew Reading Crash Course opened a new dimension in my life,” says Larry Diamond, a Manhattan businessman. “Before the Crash Course, I rarely set foot inside a synagogue except for weddings and Bar Mitzvahs. I felt like a fish out of water because I couldn’t even read the writing over the holy ark. Thanks to NJOP, I now attend synagogue every Sabbath, and I am overjoyed that I can pray along with the rest of the congregation in the original Hebrew text.”

The five-week Hebrew Reading Crash Course is geared toward “Jewish beginners,” as well as those who feel left out during synagogue services, unable to follow or appreciate the liturgy. The course begins with learning the Hebrew alphabet and covers basic reading skills, preparing participants to read and understand the prayer book and other Jewish texts. Those who complete the course will be able to read Hebrew and gain a rudimentary understanding of the prayers in their original language.

Classes will be taught by Rabbi Sender Haber of B’nai Israel. For more information or to reserve a seat for the class, call 757- 321-2304 or email Meichelbaum@ujft.org.

Hebrew Reading Crash Course

Simon Family JCC

• August 13
• August 20
• August 27
• September 4
• September 12

NJOP was established in 1987 by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald. NJOP offers free programs at more than 5,000 locations across North America and in 41 countries worldwide. Through programs such as Shabbat Across America and Canada and Read Hebrew America and Canada, NJOP has successfully reached more than 1,600,500 North American Jews, and engaged them in Jewish life.

Israelis living in communities on the border with Gaza, known as the Gaza Envelope, are facing a wave of extreme terrorism.

Since April, rockets—made from kites, balloons, and other devices—have barraged the region, causing fires that have burned thousands of acres of farmland and forests, putting the safety of residents at risk, and causing extensive emotional, physical, and environmental damage.

The massive fires have destroyed the habitat supporting the region’s wildlife and caused many animals to die. Fields that were once a place for families and friends to gather for picnics and for animals to graze, are now charred and burned. As kites continue to wreak havoc, firefighters and volunteers work around the clock to counter the harm being inflicted on their land.

Operation Black South began as a group of Israeli photographers trying to bring more attention to the terror kites’ devastation. It is now the largest photography project in Israel with more than 300 photographers sharing their experiences through their cameras.

In their pursuit to capture every single piece of land torched by the terror kites, the photographers of Operation Black South are presenting these pictures as their way to say “thank you” to the land that has provided them with radiance and pleasant memories. The photographers are showing the world what is going on in their own backyard.

For each photograph sold, one tree will be planted in Israel through Jewish National Fund. The balance of the proceeds will assist with other needs in the region.

Moshe Rivlin, world chairman of the Jewish National Fund, says, “In most countries, people are born to forests, and forests are given to them by nature. But here in this country, if you see a tree, it was planted by somebody.”

The Leon Family Gallery is located at the Simon Family JCC, 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Virginia Beach. Contact Naty Horev, with questions about this exhibit or the Leon Family Gallery, at 757-321-3186 or NHorev@simonfamilyjcc.org.

 Friday, August 24, 5 pm Simon Family JCC’s outdoor waterpark

While the end of summer is almost here, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Young Adult Division still has plenty of fun planned, especially at its annual End of Summer Shabbat Dinner and Pool Party.

With a variety of activities for both kids and adults, the evening kicks off with a Splash Fest that includes a Slip-N-Dip, relay races in the pool for all ages, and more. Shabbat blessings and dinner start at 6 pm, and includes summer classics such as chicken barbeque, corn on the cob, and refreshing adult beverages. And, save room for the all-ages hot dog eating contest beginning at 6:40 pm.

Rain or shine, this Shabbat dinner is a time to gather and celebrate, as well as an opportunity to welcome new members and families to Tidewater.

To purchase tickets, visit www.simonfamilyjcc. org/shabbat, stop by the JCC front desk, or call 757-321-2338. Early bird tickets, purchased by August 17, are $8 for kids ages 3-12, $12 for adults, and $35 for families. After August 17, prices are $10 for kids, $15 for adults, and $45 for families. All children under three years of age are free.

For more information, contact Carly Glikman, Young Adult Division associate director, at cglikman@ujft.org or 757-965-6127.

 Tuesday, August 28, 10:30 am, Tee-off, 12 pm Cypress Point Country Club, Virginia Beach

The 30th Annual Hebrew Academy of Tidewater’s Bob Josephberg Classic, which raises money for Hebrew Academy of Tidewater and Strelitz Early Childhood Education Center, will include a continental breakfast, on course lunch, beverages, snacks, and a post-tournament awards reception and dinner.

To register online, go to https://www.hebrewacademy.net/support-us/golf. Registration is also possible at the event.

Sponsors will be acknowledged on golf course sponsor signs, in the tournament brochure, and the Jewish News. For more information and to become a sponsor, contact Patti Seeman, HAT director of development, at 757-424-4327 or pseeman@hebrewacademy.net.

After 30 years of dedicated service to Tidewater’s Jewish community, Harry Graber retired on June 30. Attended by hundreds of well-wishers, a celebration in his honor took place on June 14 at the Sandler Family Campus. Graber served from 1988 to 2003 as executive vice president of Jewish Family Service, followed by 15 years as executive vice president of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.

The evening, which celebrated Graber’s vast and varied accomplishments, opened with a cocktail reception. Local and national Jewish leaders, volunteers, Tidewater community leaders and associates, Graber friends and family members, and those who have worked with him over the years filled the Cardo at the Sandler Family Campus. All wanted to affectionately shake Graber’s hand, hug him, or pat him on the back for a job well done.

A program followed the reception, with Ron Kramer, a past UJFT president, serving as the evening’s emcee. Kramer praised Graber’s character and leadership: “Working with Harry gave me a chance to really get to know and appreciate him for the funny, sometimes quirky, but ultimately brilliant leader that he was and is.”

Art Sandler, another past UJFT president and community leader, spoke warmly about his relationship with Graber and how many things he undertook during his time at JFS and UJFT—many of them quietly, so that few even knew of his involvement. Sandler thanked Graber, and his wife Joyce, for their devotion to the community.

Graber’s sons, Alex and Zach, spoke of their father being a prominent figure in the Jewish community and their experiences growing up. They recalled these particular words of wisdom their father had imparted to them: “‘If you see something that’s fundamentally wrong,’ he would tell us, ‘You cannot un-see it, and you must do something to make it right.’”

In a speech that began in Yiddish, but gradually turned to English, Graber remarked on the great satisfaction he had received in his years of work in the Jewish community, and of being grateful for his partnerships with lay leaders. He thanked his family for their constant support, and assured all of his confidence in leaving the community in the capable hands of his successor, Betty Ann Levin.

John Strelitz, UJFT president, presented Graber with numerous awards, including an autographed ODU Lady Monarchs basketball and a metal and fused glass Hanukkiah by artist Gary Rosenthal featuring the Jerusalem skyline and inscribed to mark the occasion. World ORT took the unprecedented action of awarding Graber membership in its 1880 Society, the organization’s elite donor’s group. On behalf of Virginia Beach Mayor Louis R. Jones, Strelitz read a proclamation declaring June 14 “Harry Graber Day.”

In an especially meaningful tribute, the Jewish Communal Professional Award, which is presented bi-annually to an exemplary Jewish professional, was named in honor of Graber—a past recipient of the award, himself. Strelitz also announced the establishment of the Harry & Joyce Graber Family Fund of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation. Created by donations in honor of Graber’s service to the community, the Grabers will be able to make charitable distributions from the fund. Annie Sandler presents Harry Graber with a piece of art from JDC. Harry Graber addresses the crowd. John Strelitz presents Harry Graber with the Harry Graber Jewish Communal Professional Award.

(JTA)—For North American Jews, the Jewish year 5778 began with tensions between Israel and the Diaspora over egalitarian prayer at the Western Wall and ended with more tension over a controversial nationality law. In between, North American Jews grappled with the impact of the #MeToo movement, the Trump administration relocated the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv and actress Natalie Portman made headlines for turning down a chance to collect a top prize in Israel.

September 2017

A survey finds that American Jews overwhelmingly disapprove of President Donald Trump’s performance. The poll, conducted by the American Jewish Committee, shows that 77 percent view Trump’s performance unfavorably and 21 percent view it favorably – figures considerably worse than Trump’s performance in polls of the general population conducted at the same time.

Edie Windsor, whose landmark Supreme Court case paved the way for gay marriage in the United States, dies at 88. Windsor’s 2013 lawsuit resulted in the court’s overturning part of the Defense of Marriage Act that had defined marriage for federal purposes as the union between a man and a woman.

Disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner is sentenced to 21 months in prison for transferring obscene material to a teenage girl. The former House of Representatives member from New York had pleaded guilty in the case, which followed multiple instances of sharing sexually explicit material online.

A French Jewish leader and his family are assaulted in their home near Paris amid a spate of violent break-ins, including deadly ones, targeting Jewish victims, according to authorities.

October 2017

The United States announces its intention to withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization over its anti-Israel bias. The decision, which will go into effect at the end of 2019, reflects concerns about the general need for reform of the organization as well as “continuing anti-Israel bias at UNESCO,” the State Department says.

Harvey Weinstein is fired from the film production company he founded in the wake of multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against him. Weinstein, who co-founded Miramax (later The Weinstein Company) with his brother Bob, also is expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization that awards the Oscars. The Weinstein revelations spur similar allegations against numerous powerful men, leading to the #MeToo movement.

S.I. Newhouse Jr., the billionaire media mogul who ran dozens of magazines and newspapers, dies at 89 in New York. The grandson of Russian immigrants, whose initials stand for Samuel Irving, since 1975 had run the magazine division of Advance Publications, known as Conde Nast, which publishes Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker.

Monty Hall, host of the long-running television game show Let’s Make a Deal, dies at 96 in Los Angeles. Born Monte Halperin in Winnipeg, Canada, Hall hosted thousands of episodes of the show over more than two decades.

November 2017

Alex Bregman stars as his Houston Astros win their first World Series championship. The Jewish infielder hits two home runs and in Game 5 becomes the first Jewish player to win a  Series game with a walk-off hit. On the losing side, outfielder Joc Pederson of the Los Angeles Dodgers breaks the record for most homers in a Series by a Jewish player with three, beating the mark of two set by Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg in 1934. Eight months later, Bregman is named the All-Star Game MVP for slugging the tie-breaking homer in the American League’s victory.

The umbrella group of North American Jewish federations demands Israel reverse its “divisive and damaging” steps to freeze an agreement on egalitarian prayer at the Western Wall, warning that ignoring the concerns of non-Orthodox Jews could undermine the Zionist vision. A resolution slamming Israel’s moves on pluralism is adopted by the board of trustees of the Jewish Federations of North America at its annual General Assembly in Los Angeles.

Israeli actress Gal Gadot is named GQ magazine’s 2017 Woman of the Year. Gadot soared to international celebrity as the star of the blockbuster film Wonder Woman.

The U.S. Department of Justice begins distributing $772.5 million in recovered funds to some victims of Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. The sum, which was returned eight years after the Jewish investment adviser pleaded guilty to committing one of the largest fraud schemes in U.S. history, represents only a fraction of the more than $4 billion in assets that U.S. law enforcement is able to recover for Madoff’s victims.

Actress Natalie Portman is named winner of the 2018 Genesis Prize. The award, dubbed the “Jewish Nobel,” honors individual Jews of outstanding professional achievement and commitment to Jewish values. The award comes with a $1 million prize.

Canadian Jews take issue with a government report showing a decline of 56 percent in the country’s Jewish population between 2011 and 2016. Statistics Canada says the number of Canadian Jews dropped to 143,665 in 2016 from 329,500 in 2011.

December 2017

Sen. Al Franken announces he will resign from Congress following accusations of sexual misconduct by several women. The Minnesota Democrat had faced increasing calls to step down by leading members of his own party.

Trump signs a proclamation recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and directing the State Department to begin planning for a U.S. Embassy in the city. Soon after, the president signs a waiver delaying the embassy move for another six months.

A Brooklyn woman and three of her children are killed in a house fire sparked by a Hanukkah menorah. Aliza Azan, 39, and children Moshe, 11; Yitzah, 7; and Henrietta, 3, are buried in Israel. Yosi, three other children and a cousin sustain injuries in the blaze.

A Syrian asylum seeker breaks into a kosher restaurant in Amsterdam while waving a Palestinian flag as police officers look on. His sentence of 52 days in jail and absence of hate crime charges in his indictment anger Dutch Jews.

January 2018

The Reconstructionist movement announces that its rabbinical school and congregational umbrella will change their names to Reconstructing Judaism and the College for Reconstructing Judaism, respectively.

A Pew Research Center poll finds that the split between Democrats and Republicans over Israel is the greatest since 1978. The survey reports that 79 percent of Republicans and 27 percent of Democrats sympathize with Israel over the Palestinians.

Singer Neil Diamond announces he will cease touring following a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. The Jewish singer and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee has 10 No. 1 singles to his credit and starred in the 1980 remake of The Jazz Singer, in which he played a synagogue cantor who pursues a pop music career.

A photograph of former President Barack Obama with the Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan surfaces, prompting the Anti-Defamation League to ask Obama to again denounce Farrakhan, who has drawn regular criticism for anti-Semitic rhetoric. The photo was taken in 2005 during a Congressional Black Caucus meeting in Washington, D.C., when Obama was a senator representing Illinois.

Poland’s parliament passes a controversial law that criminalizes blaming the Polish nation for Nazi crimes. The law triggers a diplomatic row with Israel, prompting the law’s amendment to remove criminal charges against would-be offenders.

Anti-Semitic incidents reach a record high in Britain and Ukraine.

February 2018

Malcolm Hoenlein announces he will step aside as executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations after more than three decades at the helm.

The Anti-Defamation League reports a spike in anti-Semitic incidents in the United States in 2017. The 1,986 acts recorded in the U.S. that year represents a 57 percent increase over the 1,267 in 2016, representing the largest one-year rise ever. The ADL says the jump is due in part to an increase in people reporting incidents of anti-Semitism.

Ten Jewish organizations urge the Trump administration not to reinstate a question about citizenship in the 2020 Census, saying it will raise fears among immigrants. Among the signers of a letter sent to Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross are the Anti-Defamation League, the Union for Reform Judaism, Jewish Federations of North America, Hadassah and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs.

March 2018

Two senior Jewish members of the Trump administration—Gary Cohen and David Shulkin—leave their posts. Cohen resigns as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors. He reportedly had been considering leaving the previous year following President Trump’s equivocal response to the violence surrounding a white supremacist rally in Virginia. Shulkin is fired as Veterans Affairs secretary after becoming embroiled in scandals, including overspending on travel and infighting with senior White House officials.

The president of the World Jewish Congress issues a rare rebuke of Israeli government policies. In an op-ed in the New York Times, Ronald Lauder excoriates Israeli actions that threaten the two-state solution and enshrine Orthodox control of various aspects of Israeli life, including marriage and organized prayer at the Western Wall.

The Canadian House of Commons unanimously passes legislation establishing the month of May as Canadian Jewish Heritage Month. The bill had previously passed the Senate.

The heads of 139 Jewish day schools sign an open letter urging Trump and federal and state legislators to take action on gun violence following a deadly shooting at a Florida high school. The letter calls for “common sense legislation that addresses all factors contributing to a safe and secure educational community, including restrictions and safeguards related to guns.”

Tens of thousands of Gaza demonstrators approach the Israeli border in the so-called March of Return, launching months of protests on successive Fridays that turn violent and result in the deaths of some 156 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier shot dead by a sniper. In one protest in May, 62 protesters are killed; Hamas claims 50 as members. Israel’s actions prompt international outrage, with the U.N. General Assembly condemning Israel for an “excessive use of force.” Gaza Palestinians later turn to sending incendiary airborne objects into Israel, resulting in the destruction of thousands of acres of farmland and natural forest.

April 2018

B’nai Brith Canada reports a record number of anti-Semitic incidents in 2017. Its annual audit shows 1,752 incidents of harassment, vandalism and violence, which is a 1.4 percent increase over the 1,728 from the previous year.

Natalie Portman says she won’t attend the Genesis Prize ceremony in Jerusalem because she does not want to appear to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In response, the Genesis Prize Foundation announces it is canceling the award ceremony and the Jewish actress will not get to distribute the prize money to charity, but the group declines to rescind the honor outright.

Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, publicly advises Jews to avoid wearing kippahs in some urban settings following the assault of an Arab-Israeli man who is trying to prove to his friend that wearing a yarmulke is safe in Germany.

May 2018

In a speech he deems a “history lesson,” Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says that Jews caused the Holocaust with their “social behavior,” including money lending, prompting swift condemnation from both liberal and conservative groups in Israel and across the Diaspora.

President Trump declares he will not waive sanctions on Iran, effectively pulling out of the 2015 nuclear deal reached by his predecessor, Barack Obama. Israel had been pressing Trump to withdraw from the agreement, which trades the removal of economic sanctions for a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program. Germany, France and the United Kingdom all urge Trump to remain in the deal.

Philip Roth, the towering literary figure and legendary chronicler of the American Jewish experience, dies at 85 in New York. An immensely celebrated novelist, Roth won virtually every major literary accolade, including two National Book Awards, two National Book Critics Circle awards, three PEN/Faulkner Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Man Booker International Prize.

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens resigns after facing months of scandal stemming from an extramarital affair and other alleged misdeeds. A former Navy SEAL and the state’s first Jewish governor, Greitens had been considered a rising star in the Republican Party.

Israel wins the Eurovision song contest, with the song Toy by Netta Barzilai securing the victory in the finals in Portugal.

The United States dedicates its newly established embassy in Jerusalem in a high-profile ceremony attended by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trump’s daughter and son-in-law, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. The embassy move, mandated by a 1995 law but delayed on national security grounds by successive presidential administrations, is widely condemned by other world leaders.

Rabbi Aaron Panken, the president of the Reform movement’s rabbinical seminary, dies while piloting a small aircraft in upstate New York. Panken, a licensed commercial pilot, was 53 and had led the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion since 2014.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman resigns hours after the publication of a report detailing allegations of physical abuse by four women. In a statement, Schneiderman denies he had ever assaulted anyone or engaged in nonconsensual sexual activity.

Ken Livingstone, a former mayor of London and harsh critic of Israel, resigns from Britian’s Labour Party amid a review of his claims that Adolf Hitler supported Zionism. Livingstone’s membership exposed the party to allegations that it tolerates anti-Semitism under the leadership of its hard-left leader, Jeremy Corbyn.

June 2018

Twenty-six Jewish groups sign a letter calling the U.S. policy of separating children from their migrant parents “unconscionable.” The signatories included three major Jewish religious movements—Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist—as well as the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, HIAS, Jewish Women’s International, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and Uri L’Tzedek, an Orthodox social justice organization.

The Band’s Visit, a musical based on an Israeli film about an Egyptian band stranded in a hardscrabble Negev town, dominates the 72nd annual Tony Awards, winning 10 awards, including best musical. The play also takes home trophies for best actor in a musical, best direction of a musical and best original score.

An Israeli court convicts a 19-year-old American Israeli of making hundreds of bomb threats against Jewish community centers and schools across the United States. Michael Kadar is convicted on several counts, including extortion, conspiracy to commit a crime, money laundering and assaulting a police officer. Kadar’s threats in the first three months of 2017—along with eight made by a St. Louis man—had forced widespread evacuations of American Jewish institutions and sparked fear of  resurgent anti-Semitism.

The United States withdraws from the U.N. Human Rights Council, citing the body’s bias against Israel. Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, says the council is “not worthy of its name” and that the decision to withdraw had come after a “good faith” effort to reform the body had failed.

Czech President Milos Zeman announces that he will work to move his country’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem—the first such public pledge by a European head of state.

July 2018

Continued incendiary kites and balloons launched from Gaza by Palestinian protesters ignite countless fires in Israel, with one of the largest burning in southern Israel’s Kibbutz Or Haner.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travels to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The leaders discuss Syria, Iran, Israel’s security needs—and the 2018 World Cup.

The Knesset passes a controversial nationality law that cements Israel as the “nation-state of the Jewish people” and recognizes Hebrew as the sole official language, among other  proclamations. The measure prompts anger from Jewish and Arab groups in Israel and Jewish groups in the Diaspora that view the bill as discriminatory.

– by Ben Harris

Giving the art of caricature an innovative look while shedding new light on today’s most familiar faces, Israel Today Artist-in-Residence’s Hanoch Piven’s caricatures have appeared in major American magazines and newspapers such as Time, Newsweek, Rolling Stone,The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, Entertainment Weekly and the New York Times. His work has also appeared in publications in Spain, France, England, Norway, Italy, and Israel.

Born in Uruguay, raised in Israel, and educated at The School of Visual Arts in New York City, Piven was awarded a gold medal from the Society of Illustrators of New York for his illustration of Barbra Streisand.

Piven’s art, made with everyday found objects, suggests viewing the world in a playful new way. In fact, many schools and institutions in the U.S. and abroad use Piven’s collage method to make art and visual communication more accessible, comprehensible, and achievable.

Beyond his art, Piven has emerged as a humorous and captivating speaker, conducting creative workshops, and cultivating spaces of creative communication amongst educators, executives, and professional leaders.

Taken from the pages of his book with the same name, Faces: Portraits from Madonna to the Pope, including the categories of TV, film, music, American politics, the world, and finance, this exhibit presents deliciously wicked takes on the likes of such diverse folks as Bruce Springsteen, Marilyn Monroe, and Larry David. With a minimalist stroke of his deft hand, combined with an object related to what the subject is noted for—along with his sharp wit—Piven presents his vision of the celebrities he portrays.

Stop by the Leon Family Gallery during October to see Steven Spielberg’s beard and mustache expressed with strips of film; Kim Jon Il’s rocket eyes, and Steve Job’s body as an iPhone.

Family Workshop with the artist: Sunday, October 21, 10 am or 12 pm at the Simon Family JCC, during United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s annual Super Sunday.

For more information about the Family Workshop with Israel Today’s Artist in Residence, Hanoch Piven, or on the Leon Family Gallery, contact Callah Terkeltaub, Arts + Ideas Manager, at CTerkeltaub@ujft.org or 757-321-2331.

WASHINGTON  (JTA)—A  Jew  makes  news,  but  does  that  make  it  Jewish  news?

Take  the  case  of  Michael  Cohen,  who  pleaded  guilty  Tuesday,  August  21  to  fraud  and  campaign  finance  improprieties,  directly  implicating  his  former  boss,  President  Donald  Trump. Cohen, whose  father  survived  the  Holocaust,  began  his  education  at  a  yeshiva  day  school  but transferred to  the  Lawrence  Woodmere  Academy.  He  once  described  himself  as  an  “agnostic  Jew.”

But  little  else  in  his  story  connects  him  to  Jewish  life  in  an  interesting  or  newsworthy  way.  it’s  not  that  he  is  a  perceived  villain;  perps  like  Bernie  Madoff  demanded  wide  and  deep  coverage  in  the  Jewish  media  when  he  cultivated  Jewish  business  networks  and  philanthropic  circles  to  fleece  thousands  of  people  and,  yes,  Jewish  organizations.

We  plumbed  JTA  archives  for  Cohen’s  Jewish  moments  and  they  reinforce  the  impression  that  his  faith  and  upbringing  just  don’t  resonate  in  the  story  that  brought  him  national  attention:  Trump’s  campaign,  and  the  scandals  now  besetting  the  presidency.

Cohen  cited  the  Holocaust  twice.

In  July  2015,  just  after  Trump  launched  his  campaign,  former  Arkansas  Gov.  Mike  Huckabee,  then  also  vying  for  the  Republican  presidential  nomination,  accused  President  Barack  Obama  of  leading  Jews  to  the  “doors  of  the  oven”  with  the  Iran  nuclear  deal.

That  earned  a  rebuke  from Israel’s  ambassador  to  the  United  States,  Ron  Dermer,  who  vigorously  worked  to  kill  the  deal,  as  well  as  from  an  array  of  Jewish  organizations  and  from  fellow  Republicans.  Dermer  said  it  was  “inappropriate”  to  liken  the  mass  murder  of  Jews  to  policy  differences.

But  not  from  Trump.  Speaking  for  his  boss,  Cohen,thought Huckabee  was  on  target.

“I’m  not  offended  by  the  words,”  Cohen  told  CNN,  noting  that  his  father  survived  the  Holocaust.  “What  I  am  is  I’m  concerned.  I’m  truly  concerned  for  the  safety  of  not  just  this  country  but  the  countries  all  around  the  world.”

Cohen’s  father  and  his  survival  came  up  more  recently  when  he  explained  why  he  was  quitting  the  Republican  National  Committee,  where  he  was  vice  chairman  of  the  party’s  fundraising  committee.

“As  the  son  of  a  Polish  Holocaust  survivor,  the  images  and  sounds  of  this  family  separation  policy  is  heart-wrenching,”  Cohen wrote in  his  resignation  letter  in  June,  referring  to  a  policy  that  had  been  in  place  for  months.  “While  I strongly  support  measures  that  will  secure  our  porous  borders,  children  should  never  be  used  as  bargaining  chips.”

Cohen  didn’t  mention  it,  but  the  resignation  also  may  have  been  related  to  the  launch  of  Cohen’s  talks  with  prosecutors.

Cohen  got  mad  at  rabbis  who  were  mad  at  Trump.

Cohen  rarely  addresses  Jewish  issues  on  his  Twitter  feed.  Last  year  he  retweeted  Yom  Kippur  greetings  from  Trump  and  Vice  President  Mike  Pence,  and  Cohen  lumped  Passover  and  Easter  greetings  into  a  single tweet in  April.

An  exception  was  ahead  of  Trump’s  speech  to  the  American  Israel  Public  Affairs  Committee  in  2016  when  he  learned  that  a  number  of  rabbis  were  planning  to  protest.

“Anyone  who  believes  that  @realDonaldTrump  is  a  racist  doesn’t  know  #Trump  at  all,”  he said on  Twitter.  “Shame  on  the  protesting  rabbis  with  #AiPAC.”

He  delayed  his  son’s  bar  mitzvah  moment  for  Trump,  who,  shall  we  say,  was  not  appreciative.

Cohen  invited  Trump  to  his  son’s  bar  mitzvah  in  2012,  the  Wall  Street  Journal  reported  in  a deep  dive earlier  this  year  into  the  difficult  Trump-Cohen  bromance.

Trump  ran  late,  and  Cohen  delayed  the  blessings  ahead  of  the  Torah  readings  until  his  boss  showed.  Here’s  how  Trump  repaid  the  honor,  per the  Journal,  quoting  an  attendee:  “After  Mr.  Trump  arrived,  he  gave  a  speech,  telling  guests  he  hadn’t  planned  to  come,  but  he  relented  after  Mr.  Cohen  had  repeatedly  called  him,  his  secretary  and  his  children  begging  him  to  appear.The  guests  laughed  because  ‘every-one  knew  it  was  very realistic-sounding.’”

The  marital  rape  thing

One  of  the  first  times  that  many  people  probably  even  heard  Cohen’s  name  was  in  July  2015,  when  he insisted  to  the  Daily  Beast  that  Trump  could  not  have  raped  his  ex-wife,  Ivana,  as  she  had  alleged  in  a  divorce  deposition.

“It  is  true:  You  cannot  rape  your  spouse.  And  there’s  very  clear  case  law,”  Cohen  said.

It’s  not  true;  all  50  states  make  it  a  crime.  Cohen apologized.

OK,  not  quite  a  Jewish  moment,  but  an  opportunity  to  note  that  spousal  rape  has  also  been against  Jewish  law  for  millennia.

Maybe  Cohen  should  have  stayed  in  yeshiva.

Cohen  turned  on  Trump  at  urging  of  his  Holocaust  survivor  father

Michael  Cohen’s  decision  to  turn  on  one-time  patron  Donald  Trump  was  partly  motivated  by  a  conversation  with  his  father,  a  Holocaust  survivor.

Maurice  Cohen  reportedly  told  his  son  that  he  did  not  survive  the  Nazi  genocide  to  have  the  family  name  dragged  through  the  mud  by  Trump,  the  Wall  Street  Journal  reported.

– Ron  Kampeas

HERTFORD,  NC—Eugene  Alfred  “Gene”  Denison,  88,  passed  away  Saturday,  August  25,  2018  in  his  home.

Mr.  Denison  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.  on  February  20,  1930,  and  was  the  son  of  the  late  Theodore  Edward  and  Miriam  Weisman  Denison.  in  1948  he  graduated  from  Central  High  School  in  Philadelphia  as  part  of  its  190th  graduating  class.  He  attended  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  Wharton  School,  where  he  was  a  member  of  Beta  Sigma  Rho  fraternity,  which  later  merged  with  Pi  Lambda  Phi,  and  graduated  in  1952  with  a  degree  in  Economics  and  industrial  Management.  After  working  in  the  industry  for  several  years,  he  later  owned  and  operated  a  women’s  apparel  store,  Denison’s,  for  45  years.  in  1978,  he  married  his  second  wife,  Frances  Jean  “Becky”  Campbell.  After  retiring,  Gene  went  to  work  on  a  third  career  at  the  Suffolk  News  Herald,  where  he  enjoyed  his  varied  jobs  for  almost  nine  more  years.  When  he  married  Margaret  Ann,  he  moved  one  more  time  to  his  final  home  in  Hertford,  and  began  a  new  career  as  a  salesman  with  Northeastern  Garage  Door  Company.  His  hobbies  included  woodworking,  gardening,  and  photography.  He  enjoyed  all  of  his  careers  for  the  opportunities  they  gave  him  to  meet  people.

During  his  years  in  Suffolk,  he  became  active  in  civic  and  community  affairs,  serving  six  years  as  president  of  the  original  Downtown  Suffolk  Association,  eight  years  on  the  Advisory  Board  of  the  Suffolk  Redevelopment  and  Housing  Authority  (one  year  as  vice-chairman  and  one  as  chairman),  and  12  years  on  the  Suffolk  Salvation  Army  Advisory  Board  (one  as  chairman).  He  was  also  active  with  the  Career  and  Technical  Education  pro-grams  in  both  the  Suffolk  Public  Schools  and  the  Pruden  Center  for  industry  and  Technology.  Gene  served  as  a  member  of  both  councils  and  as  chairman  of  each  for  one  year.  He  also  served  on  several  blue-ribbon  committees  of  the  Suffolk  City  Council.  His  involvement  in  the  community  continued  with  membership  in  the  Suffolk  chapter  of  the  Kiwanis  Club  international.  As  both  a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  and  as  president  twice,  he  remained  active  for  more  than  20  years.

Gene  attended  Hertford  United  Methodist  Church  with  his  wife,  Margaret  Ann,  but  he  remained  a  member  of  Congregation  Beth  El  in  Norfolk,  and  never  wavered  in  adhering  to  his  Jewish  faith.

In  addition  to  his  parents  and  his  second  wife  of  23  years,  he  was  preceded  in  death  by  his  older  brother,  Matthew  Richard  Denison;  his  brother-in-law,  Charlie  Banks;  and  Margaret  Ann’s  son,  Scott  Williams.

Surviving  along  with  his  wife  of  14  years,  Margaret  Ann  Banks  Denison,  are  his  daughter,  Terri  Joan  Budman  (Steve);  his  son,  Karl  Louis  Denison  (Lisa);  five  grandchildren,  Madeline  and  Deni  Budman,  and  Jacob,  Sammy,  and  Zara  Denison.  Also  surviving  are  his  first  wife  and  mother  of  his  children,  Helen  Lesser  Koltun;  Margaret  Ann’s  son,  Howard  Williams  (Vicki);  her  daughter,  Sherry  Kostman;  her  four  grandchildren,  Will  Williams,  Lauren  Johnson  (Travis),  Jennifer  Traynor  (Kevin),  and  Robyn  Kravitz;  two  great-granddaughters;  her  sisters,  Linda  Banks,  Brenda  White  (Kent),  and  Lee  Ann  Banks;  her  nieces  and  nephews,  and  Gene’s  many  dear  and  loving  friends.

A  memorial  service  was  held  in  the  Miller  &  Van  Essendelft  Funeral  Chapel  in  Hertford,  with  Cantor  Jennifer  Rueben  officiating.  Memorial  contributions  to  Ohef  Sholom  Temple.  Online  condolences  may  be  made  by  visiting www.millerfhc.com

VIRGINIA BEACH —It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather, friend and mentor, Gerald (Jerry) Frank Levy. Jerry passed unexpectedly Sunday, August 12, in Norfolk, surrounded by family. He was 80.

Jerry was born in Paterson New Jersey in 1938 to parents Oscar and Isabella Levy. After attaining his doctorate at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, he moved to Virginia with his wife, Paula and young family. Jerry was an active member of the community, serving many roles: Eagle Scout, college professor, temple president, Mason, scout leader, friend, son, brother, father, and husband. Of these, he was most passionate about his marriage to Paula. Married for 58 years, Jerry and Paula shared a continuing love for each other that was obvious to everyone who spent time with them.

During his university years, Jerry could often be found in the Great Dismal Swamp, where he hiked, camped, and canoed with friends, family, and students. He knew the scientific name of every plant and found happiness sharing that knowledge with others. Jerry took profound joy in his leadership at Congregation Beth Chaverim, started by Jerry, Paula, and seven other families in 1982. Jerry was the congregation’s first president.

Jerry is predeceased by his daughter Linda Flick and is survived by his wife Paula Levy, children David, Debbie, and Karen; grandchildren Steven, Aaron, Emily, Hayley, Isa, Amber, Gregory, Jesica and Josh; great granddaughters Riley and Joleigh-ann; sister Lois; and best friend Roger. A graveside service was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery. Donations to the Jerry Levy Beth Chaverim Future Fund, Congregation Beth Chaverim, PO Box 56168, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23456. Online condolences may be offered to the family at hdoliver.com.

NORFOLK —Shirley Sylvia Newman, 90, of Livingston Manor, New York, passed away on August 18, 2018 in Norfolk, after a long and hard battle with cancer. She was fearless and brave until the end with her family by her side.

Shirley Newman was born in New York City to Helen Silver Fisher and Eugene Fisher on September 14, 1927.

She went to high school at Julia Richmond High for girls and graduated in 1945. She worked as a waitress for 25 years at the Triangle Restaurant, learning all she could from Hymie and Hilda Heller. It was never beneath her to carry a tray, serve others, or teach the art of fine dining and service. She was devoted to raising her four daughters and being a wife. In 1979, her dream of opening her own restaurant came true, The Oak Table Restaurant in Livingston Manor. Shirley was ahead of her time, owning and operating a business when women were supposed to stay at home. She absolutely loved Opera, gambling, dining out, shopping, and traveling with her best friend Iris Jacobs-Cornell. The absolute pride and joy of her life, were her four daughters. She raised them to be independent and successful professional women. She took great pride in raising funds for the Livingston Manor Ambulance Corp, as a member of the Livingston Manor Ladies Auxiliary of the Volunteer Fire Department, a member of the Livingston Manor Chamber of Commerce.

Shirley is survived by her daughters: Helen Mia Newman-Koerner (Joseph) of Livingston Manor; Dr. Rosanne Newman (Francois Holder) of Norfolk; Sandi Newman (Dan O’Shea) of Pompano Beach, Florida; and Andrea Newman-Fisher (Allan Fisher) of Long Branch, New Jersey. She has five grandchildren: Benjamin Koerner of Norfolk, Sara Koerner-Dugan ( Justin Dugan) of Acworth Georgia, Simone Holder-Cassidy (Chris Cassidy) of Scottsdale, Arizona, Jordan Holder of Boone, North Carolina, and Louis Fisher of Venice Beach, California. She has two great grandchildren and her favorite cousins Jerry and Jami Politzer. She also has many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her husband Robby Newman, parents Helen Silver-Fisher and Eugene Fisher, and her brother David Fisher.

Memorial donations may be made to American Cancer Society: www. cancer.org/involved/donate/memorial-giving.html or to American Macular Degeneration Foundation: https://www.macular.org/what-macular-degeneration. The family wishes to extend their gratitude to Province House of De Paul, Norfolk, Virginia & Freda H Gordon Hospice and Palliative Care of Tidewater. Funeral service was held at Agudas Achim Synagogue in Livingston Manor with Rabbi Fred Pomerantz officiating. Burial followed at Agudas Achim Cemetery.

NORFOLK —Barbara Berlin Patish passed away on August 20, 2018.

She was born in Norfolk.

She is predeceased by her parents, Florence and Leon Berlin and her husband of 40 years, Joseph Patish.

Barbara received her master’s degree in education from the University of Miami. She was a reading specialist for the Norfolk City Public Schools. She was a member of Congregation Beth El, the Hebrew Ladies Charity Society, a Lifetime Member of Hadassah, ORT, B’nai Brith Women, ADK Sorority, and the Beth Sholom Home Auxiliary.

Her hobbies included crocheting and reading. She is survived by her sister Judith Berlin Kaufman, and by her children Michael Patish, Ellie and Barry Bernstein, Larry and Dana Patish, and Deborah Patish Smith. She is also survived by her grandchildren Lovie and Jake Patish, Elyssa and Aaron Mackey, Max and Sydney Bernstein, Melanie, Stacey and Jessica Patish and Franklin Smith, as well as loving nieces and nephews.

The graveside funeral at Forest Lawn Cemetery was officiated by Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz and Cantor Wendy Fried. Donations to the Beth Sholom Home of Eastern Virginia, Congregation Beth El, or the charity of choice.

NORFOLK —Melvin Jay Radin of Norfolk, Virginia, passed away on August 20, 2018.

He was born on December 28, 1937, in Norfolk, Virginia, to George and Mollie Radin of blessed memory.

Melvin was predeceased by Linda Kay Radin, his wife of 48 years, of blessed memory. He is survived by his daughters Tara Jai Radin and Romy Lynn Radin; sonin- law Tony Armentrout; and beloved grandchildren Zachary Radin Armentrout and Mollie Margaret Radin Armentrout, who adored their “G-Daddy.”

Melvin was a graduate of Maury High School, Tulane University, and the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William & Mary. Melvin loved the law. He practiced law in Norfolk, Virginia, for more than 50 years. He was a lifetime member of Ohef Sholom Temple. A graveside service was held at Forest Lawn Cemetery followed by a reception/ meal of consolation at Ohef Sholom Temple.

Memorial contributions to the George and Mollie Foundation, c/o Michele, 2200 Colonial Ave., Suite 6, Norfolk, VA 23517, or the American Heart Association. H. D. Oliver Funeral Apts. Online condolences may be sent to the family at hdoliver.com.

JERUSALEM (JTA)—Uri Avnery, 94, a longtime peace activist and one of the first Israelis to advocate for the establishment of a Palestinian state, has died.

Avnery was among the first Israelis to meet with Palestine Liberation Organization chief Yasser Arafat. He was hospitalized last month following a stroke and died Monday, August 20 in Tel Aviv.

The founder of the far-left Gush Shalom movement, Avnery was long the face of Israel’s far left after being on the far right during Israel’s fight for independence.

“Uri Avnery was a courageous journalist and a rare and groundbreaking man,” former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said on Twitter. “He stood up for his positions despite attacks and he planted the ideas of peace and moderation in the hearts of Israel.”

It was his meeting with Arafat in Beirut in 1982, during the First Lebanon War, that was Avnery’s most enduring legacy. The controversial move led to high-profile calls that Avnery be tried for treason.

Avnery spent much of his career as a writer and journalist, publishing books both controversial and popular, and editing the weekly news magazine Haolam Hazeh (This World) from 1950 to 1990.

Starting in the 1960s, Avnery became more of a political activist and was elected to the Knesset in 1969.

The Germany native was brought to pre-state Israel by his parents in 1933 at the age of 10. Initially on the far right of the political spectrum, Avnery joined the Irgun as a teenager, distributing propaganda for the Revisionist militant group.

He later told Haaretz that he regretted his affiliation with the group, saying it made him culpable for its attacks against Arabs that “killed dozens of women and children.”

At first he supported the idea of a binational state and expressed disappointment with the 1947 U.N. Partition Plan that led to the establishment of the State of Israel, saying he “couldn’t accept the partition of the country.”

Despite his reservations, however, Avnery fought in the 1948 War of Independence as part of a commando unit. Following his wartime experiences he dropped his support for a one-state solution, instead backing a two-state paradigm nearly half a century before the signing of the Oslo Accords.

According to Haaretz, Avnery believed that his ideas had won intellectually but had been defeated on the field of domestic politics.

(JTA)—Playwright Neil Simon, known for such Broadway hits as The Odd Couple, Barefoot in the Park, and Lost in Yonkers, has died.

Simon, who earned a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award, died Saturday, August 25 at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City from complications with pneumonia at the age of 91.

No writer of non-musical comedies was more successful in the second half of the 20th century, and no one else so frequently, successfully nor wittily plumbed the anxieties of middle-class American Jews and the family issues that plagued them. The themes of his plays include romance, adultery, divorce, sibling rivalry, cancer and fear of aging—but with a knack for one-liners that kept audiences laughing through the pain.

Simon began his career in television, on the writing staff for Sid Caesar for Your Show of Shows, working with future Jewish comedy legends Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner and Larry Gelbart. He later wrote for The Phil Silvers Show.

In 1961, his first play, Come Blow Your Horn, hit Broadway. It was a modest success, but was the start of something big. The Odd Couple would have a wildly successful run, would be adapted into a smash movie with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemon in the roles of a slovenly sportswriter and his fastidious roommate, and inspire a sitcom that ran for years on ABC. In 1966 he had four plays running on Broadway at the same time.

During his career he wrote more than 30 plays and about the same amount of movie screenplays, some original and most adaptions of his plays. The Goodbye Girl won an Academy Award for Richard Dreyfuss, playing the role of an incorrigible actor; The Heartbreak Kid, starring Charles Grodin and Cybill Shepherd and directed by Elaine May, has been described as a worthy successor to Hollywood’s classic screwball comedies and a disparaging, overly stereotypical portrayal of marital discord among suburban Jews.

The Sunshine Boys (1976), about another pair of bickering frenemies, earned an Oscar for the then-elderly George Burns, playing one half of a legendary, estranged and fatally dysfunctional vaudeville duo.

Simon gained additional fame in the 1980s with his semi-autobiographical trilogy—Brighton Beach Memoirs (1983), Biloxi Blues (1985), and Broadway Bound (1986)—which critics agreed brought gravitas and fresh life to a career that had begun to flag after the huge hits of the ’60s and ’70s.

In 1991 he won both the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Lost in Yonkers, another autobiographical comedy.

Simon was born in New York to Irving Simon, a garment salesman, and Mamie (Levy) Simon, a homemaker. His parents had what he described as a “tempestuous marriage,” in which his father left the family at least eight times. Simon said he took refuge in movie theaters to escape his troubles at home. Those troubles also inspired him to become a writer, which he said helped him to become independent of emotional family issues.

An interviewer once asked Simon what effect his being Jewish had on his humor. “That’s a tough question,’’ Simon replied. ‘’Humor is a way of expressing your protest and being able to laugh, too. What Jews do is laugh at their predicament, and it’s what blacks do, too. I do my funniest writing when I’m in a predicament. If a play is out of town and needs work, I’ll do my best work. When I’m in an elevator that’s stuck, I can keep everyone laughing. The other thing about Jewish humor—I don’t know if it was always this way; I don’t know if the Jews in Egypt were making jokes about Pharaoh—is that it takes a great deal of intelligence. It takes an adventurous mind.’’

He and his older brother Danny Simon, in addition to cranking out sketches for comedians like Caesar, Jerry Lewis and Jackie Gleason, wrote summer revues for the Tamiment resort located in the Pocono Mountains.

He was married five times: to dancer Joan Baim, who died of cancer (1953–1973), actress Marsha Mason (1973-1983), twice to actress Diane Lander (1987–1988 and 1990–1998), and to actress Elaine Joyce (1999-2018).

Gideon Lichtman, an American fighter pilot who as a volunteer during Israel’s War of Independence scored its nascent air force’s first aerial kill of an enemy fighter, was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Lichtman, who died in March at 94 and was buried in Hollywood, Florida, was interred at the cemetery in suburban Washington, D.C. He fought for the United States in the Pacific during World War II .

He was a member of the Machal 101 squadron, a unit of American volunteers— many of them non-Jewish—who came to fight for the fledgling Jewish state in 1948 and helped stop the Egyptian army’s advance on Tel Aviv. He was the unit’s last surviving member.

After the war he returned to the U.S. and subsequently fought in Korea. In the 1960s he again returned to Israel, spending a stint there as a test pilot.

“I was risking my citizenship and possibly jail time,” he said in Above and Beyond, a 2015 documentary by Nancy Spielberg. “I didn’t give a s**t. I was gonna help the Jews out. I was going to help my people out.”

According to the Miami Herald, Lichtman, a high school teacher, spent more than 30 years working under an assumed name because, according to his son Bruce, “he was told by Ezer Weizman, president of Israel and former minister of defense, that Israel had intercepted Arab intelligence that they were intent on targeting foreign pilots who served in Israel.” (JTA)

What better way to start off the New Year, than with a little bit of cleaning?

When Israel Today’s first ever Artist-in-Residence, Hanoch Piven, arrives in Tidewater, supplies will be needed. In order to have a workshop based on found objects, the Community Relations Council is seeking donations of random objects. In fact, lots of random objects—to create portraits.

The following items are just ideas— think of others and bring them to the Simon Family JCC front desk by October 12.

Anything (clean and safe) may be included:

• Combs
• Hairpins
• Screws
• Old photos
• Little figures/dolls
• Feathers
• Nuts and Bolts
• Buttons
• Old computer parts
• Old/broken toys
• Broken electronic devices
• Kitchenware (clean)
• Shoelaces
• Plastic flowers
• Egg cartons
• Different types of stones
• Seashells
• Small wooden objects
• Magnets
• Puzzles
• Stuffed animals
• Small sticks
• Pine needles
• Old eyeglasses
• Leaves
• String
• Old/broken jewelry

Also needed: bulk poster board, colored paper, X-Acto knives, plyers, wire, scissors, glue, glue guns and sticks, extension cords, plastic bowls, and baskets.

Bring anything and everything—especially creativity.