As a child in Houston, Linda attended Sunday School, became a Bar Mitzvah (he says his parents “made him,” but he’s now happy about that – especially since he’s still friends with his Bar Mitzvah Buddy), and went to synagogue with his family for all of the major holidays, and some of the minor ones, too.  

 Linda’s teen years were spent at Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, where half of each school day concentrated on theater classes, including everything from voice lessons to learning aspects of lighting, costumes, etc.  Those classes he says, ensures he really appreciates the behind-the-scenes people, who “work many more hours than I do.”

In 2016, Linda left Houston for Chicago to attend Northwestern University, where he majored in theater. He’s one of those 2020 graduates whose graduation ceremony and festivities took place via Zoom.  

Not to be deterred, however, he’s remained in the Windy City, appearing in several productions at various theaters. Among his favorites are the Band’s Visit and Fiddler on the Roof.

“I’m obsessed with the score of the Band’s Visit,” he muses.  

Besides singing and dancing, Linda plays the piano and is a self-taught percussionist.  

The original animated version of The Lion King, he says, was “on the VHS rotation at home” when he was a toddler. He first saw the stage production when he was 12 years old once the national touring company made it to Houston. 

 Linda’s audition for the show is a story filled with mishaps that sound as if they are perfect fodder for a film about the trials of young actors.  His agent encouraged him to put together an audition tape that turned out to be good enough to get him a ‘callback’ to New York City. His trip from Chicago included being “trapped in Milwaukee” due to a cancelled flight, managing to get the last seat on “a crack-of-the-dawn” Delta flight bound for New York, taking a cab to the wrong place, and basically “feeling like a train wreck running on four hours of sleep” when he finally arrived at his audition.  “Maybe all of that helped,” he laughs, as he got the job!

And it’s a job doing what he loves that is taking him around the country to see and experience new places, such as Norfolk. (When asked if he had ever been to this city, he first responded, “Is THAT how you say it?!?) Quickly getting the pronunciation correct, he says he hopes to explore the entire area as time permits.

Feeling like he’s standing on the shoulders of Jewish humorists such as Eugene Levy and Mel Brooks, as well as those of his great grandfather who ran the synagogue in Crowley, La., Linda is appreciative of his roots. That great grandfather had a truck spray-painted orange with ‘Shalom Y’all!’ on the side.

“I think I inherited some of that humor.  He wore his Jewishness on his sleeve.”

 “There’s no way I would be where I am without the support of my parents,” he says.  “They are my biggest support system.  I try to tell them I appreciate them when I can.”

Linda says he is “Super grateful that I get to do this.  It’s so cool.”

The touring schedule for The Lion King says, “To be continued,” so Sam Linda might be on the road for a good long while.

The Lion Kingruns through Sunday, May 17
at Norfolk’s Chrysler Hall. Tickets are available
at the Scope Arena box office and at Ticketmaster.com. 

A Norfolk native, Leibler has lived in Israel for nine years.

“I came home to visit my parents, Grandma Nancy and Zayde, and other extended family,” says Leibler. “It was supposed to be a 10-day trip and instead, it has turned into two months.” 

Not only is Leibler not where she lives, she’s not near her new husband, Meir Leibler. 

A Lone Soldier (an Israel Defense Forces member who serves without immediate family in Israel), Leibler met her husband during Reserve Duty after Oct. 7. 

The couple planned their wedding to take place in June 2025, but as Liebler muses, “Iran messed that up. We got married on Aug. 5, instead.”

At the time Leibler boarded her flight in Israel with Norfolk as her destination, she admits she knew there was a possibility that travel issues might occur, as murmurs of war were brewing. She says, however, she was not dissuaded from making the trip because, “I really wanted to see my family.”   

 When asked if this was the first time she and her husband had been separated, she was quick to laugh, “We’re not separated, we are just not physically together.”  In truth though, it is not their first ‘physical separation’ in their young marriage. . . “Three days after we got married, Meir was called into Reserve Duty, and we were apart for three weeks.”  

 While her husband is serving, communication, she notes, is limited.  

 “We have a What’s App group with all the wives of the soldiers and we get daily updates that everything is going well, but aside from that, communication is very limited,” says Liebler. 

 Being so far away from her Israeli home, Leibler says, “I am very concerned about my family and friends in Israel, but I am very fortunate to have my family and friends in Norfolk.” 

 Since Leibler works remotely, “I have been able to work, and my company is very understanding and accommodating during these difficult times.”   

Still, she can’t recall the last time she has spent this much time Norfolk since she was 16 years old.  

 The forced stay hasn’t been all bad. “The weather has been amazing,” says Leibler.   

“I ended up being here for Purim and Pesach – and even joined a gym.”

And there’s been an added bonus for her family: “I went to Bishulm Culinary School in Yaffa while I was living in Israel, so my parents have definitely enjoyed me cooking for them.”

  For Leibler, though, she says, “I can’t wait to get back to my husband and my blind dog Stevie.”   

Both avid runners have completed a lot of marathons over their years of friendship, which began at the Simon Family JCC when Purcell was hired and Roesen was head of the Wellness committee.

 “We have run many of the same races over the last several decades,” says Purcell. In fact, they have completed 20 straight years of the Rock ‘n’ Roll ½ marathon that was held in Virginia Beach on Labor Day Weekend. 

 To train for the Boston Marathon, they took a couple of 20- and 22-mile long runs together.  “We discussed our training and communicated weekly to see how we’re doing,” says Purcell.

 “It was a pleasure to run with Howard and to get to experience the Grand Race again,” he says. “I just turned 60 years old and wanted to run Boston one last time.  Now I can say I’ve run a full marathon in every decade of my life from my 20s.  I’ll keep running 1/2 marathons, but I’m closing the chapter in my 60s.”

The cool Boston temps didn’t seem to bother any runners, Purcell and Roesen included. “The weather was perfect,” says Purcell, noting that ideal marathon conditions are in the upper 40s to low 50s.  “There was very little wind, and it was slightly overcast.  We had a late start in our corral, so it wasn’t until 11:30 am when we started.”

The last time Purcell ran the Boston Marathon was 20 years ago when he turned 40. “Those conditions were perfect, too, as I ran a 2:39 time (6:07 pace per mile).  I wanted to run Boston this time and enjoy and have fun with my dear friend Howard,” he says.  

“We had a blast to soak in the 130 years of the tradition of the Boston Marathon.”

Reba Karp held the distinction of sitting in the editor’s chair at United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, editing this, and other publications, longer than anyone else. Reba passed away on March 17 after providing this community with more than three decades worth of newspapers – an enduring archive of life in Jewish Tidewater – until her retirement in 2004.

Reba was as creative and talented as she was driven and determined to do more – producing Renewal, a quarterly magazine and To Life, a book featuring testimonials of area Holocaust survivors, all while publishing paper after paper. She also found time to write her own books – novels and historical volumes.

Working for the Jewish community was personal for Reba. She travelled to Israel several times and took various other trips to Jewish sites throughout the world.  While not religious, she was committed to Israel, to calling out antisemitism, and to preserving the messages of the Holocaust and its survivors, especially those in Tidewater. 

“Her leadership made sure that antisemitism was fought and the diverse aspects of Judaism were heightened and celebrated,” recalls Harry Graber, former executive vice president of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.  

 “Reba was a robust and gifted professional whose leadership while editor was creative, visionary, and diligent,” he says.

Reba annually entered and won Press competitions, both with Virginia Press Women and the American Jewish Press Association. 

“Reba was one of a kind,” muses her old colleague and long-time friend Betsy Karotkin.

To call Reba, “one of a kind” is a lovely understatement.  Until just a couple of years ago, Reba drove a Corvette, with her VET GAL license plate moving to each new model she purchased. At the same time, she wore flowy dresses, and jewelry made from crystals and geodes. She spoke about her dreams and their meanings and predictions, along with the teachings of Edgar Caysee, the clairvoyant.

When I began my turn in Reba’s chair, she offered up lots of advice. Lots. And lots.  In fact, she called with more just several months ago.  Her suggestions usually made good sense, and plenty of them I follow to this day. 

 Along with her advice, Reba also ranted – as she did in our last call. She was funny, feisty, intelligent, foul-mouthed, and absolute in her convictions. The combination made for a fun conversation or interesting lunch. . .though she was very particular about choosing a restaurant.

 I’m still sitting in Reba’s chair, and the desk drawers still house her things. Some may call me crazy for not replacing the chair or not tossing her notes, but it’s really been out of respect for the extraordinary editor, and for the past 21 years, editor emeritus, that Reba was.    

 At her retirement, the late Hal Sacks, who was the paper’s book review editor and long-time friend of Reba’s wrote: 

Ode to the Queen

Here’s to Reba whose heavenly muse

Gave us three decades of the Jewish News;

Deadlines would beckon, arrive with a whoosh,

Reba delivered with a little shmoosh;

As we from this fair eve in September

Your great works will ere remember.

Reba made certain Jewish Tidewater will always remember.

To help Jewish News readers understand probate, Judy Rosenblatt, a Commissioner of Accounts for the Virginia Beach Circuit Court, agreed to answer some questions concerning the process. In her role as Commissioner of Accounts, Rosenblatt supervises fiduciaries and audits accountings and other filings by administrators and executors of estates, trustees of trusts, and foreclosure trustees, among other proceedings. 

Jewish News: What is the first thing the family needs to do?

Judy Rosenblatt: Find the will. If the will is not with the decedent’s other important papers, contact the bank or investment institution the decedent used or an attorney, if known.

JN: What is probate?

JR: “Probate” specifically refers to the act of submitting the will to the Clerk of the appropriate Circuit Court and “proving” with appropriate documentation or testimony from witnesses that the will is valid (that is, that it was signed and witnessed properly).

The term “probate” is also used in reference to the processes involved in qualifying as a personal representative and administering the decedent’s estate.

JN: How do you know if a will must be probated? 

JR: Probating a will is not always necessary.  For example, there may be no property that passes by will or the amount passing by will is less than $50,000.

Additionally, qualification is not necessary to transfer a motor vehicle title.  In these circumstances, the will is probated and proved and recorded and nothing further is done.  Other instances where formal qualification or administration may not be required are joint accounts with right of survivorship in banks, savings institutions, or credit unions.

The payment of life insurance proceeds, IRAs, retirement plan benefits, and other accounts or assets made payable to a specific person also do not need to be probated. The transfer of real estate to a surviving spouse also occurs outside of the estate.

JN: Where should the will be probated?

JR: The person who wants to qualify takes the original will and original codicils (if any), a certified death certificate, driver’s license or passport, and a personal check to the Clerk’s Office of the Circuit Court that has jurisdiction over the will.

Virginia does not have a separate probate court. The will should be probated in the Circuit Court of the city or county where the decedent resided or where the decedent owned real estate; or if none, where the decedent died or has any estate.

If the decedent died in a nursing home or similar institution, then that person’s residence is presumed to be where he or she resided prior to becoming a patient at such home.

JN: What types of reports are required by law?

JR: Notice of Probate: Within 30 days after probate and qualification, the personal representative sends a notice to the beneficiaries and heirs that the will has been probated.

Inventory: The personal representative files an inventory which lists all probate assets at their date-of-death values.  This is done within four months.

Accountings: The personal representative files an accounting every year. The accounting details what has occurred in the estate since the last report and lists all assets of the estate, all distributions and ending assets which remain.

JN. Any other advice?

JR: All cities in Virginia have a good website to assist you as you go through this process.  Both Norfolk Circuit Court and Virginia Beach Circuit Court have information online to assist you.  Norfolk has a Probate Process Manual.

My own seder plate does just that.  On my first trip to Israel when I was 17, I purchased a seder plate for my grandparents.  Eventually, it made its way to my mom’s table. Then, when my husband and I held our first seder, my mom happily handed it over, as she was thrilled to pass the task of hosting this holiday on to us. “You keep it,” she said without a hint of hesitation or appearance that she might ever take it back. After cleaning it that first year, I realized I had basically bought a souvenir. The back of the plate has a hook for easy hanging on the wall!  Never mind, all these decades later, it remains in good condition, with clearly labeled space for everything needed – the parsley, haroset, egg, etc. And when it goes on my seder table, it reminds me of so many memories and relatives. . .  and does the job!

I’m not alone in my affection for the “not so perfect” piece of Judaica for the holiday. Susan Cohen, Lynn Shoenbaum, and Sharon Grossman share images of their seder plates here, and the stories that go along with them.   

Susan and Andy Cohen

“We have a seder plate that I really love — we bought it from the Judaica shop at our synagogue in Northern Virginia,” says Susan Cohen. This was the plate, she says, that she and her husband, Andy, used “since our kids were young” at their annual Passover seders.

An even more special treasure for Cohen, however, is a mosaic orange that her Aunt Alice (of blessed memory) created for her family “that we display on the seder plate each year. My aunt was a very talented artist who studied Kabbalah. That inspired her,” says Cohen, “to create the orange to emphasize the centrality of women in Jewish families – in response to the apocryphal story of a rabbi who dismissively said a woman belongs on the bima the way an orange belongs on a seder plate.”

Cohen says, “I smile and think of her every year when I place it on our table.”

Lynn Schoenbaum

Old and ‘newish’ seder plates comprise Lynn Schoenbaum’s collection. 

The older plate is made of metal.  Schoenbaum’s mother, Ruth Ann, set this one on her table at family seders in Newport News and later in Williamsburg. 

“My grandfather always sat at the head of the table,” recalls Schoenbaum. “I remember him raising the plate to describe the significance of each item placed on it. “My Uncle Louis used it at a recent seder, and it brought back many fond memories.”

The ‘newish’ glass plates are from The Paisley Hippo, an artsy gift shop, that Schoenbaum owned in Ghent. 

And now, the plates, with much different looks occupy distinct but equally important memories of seders for Schoenbaum.

Sharon Grossman

“I actually made my ceramic seder plate and all ‘the pieces,’” says Sharon Grossman, a local artist. 

Grossman says she made it in the 1990s and has used it since. “I just got inspired to make something meaningful.  I’m very proud of it.”

The plate depicts the children of Israel crossing the desert with the Red Sea parting. A former slave carries a roasted egg on his head, for instance, and a little boy holds a frog.  To create the plate, she even used sand to conjure up the desert.

 In addition to lots of camels, Grossman’s seder table includes pyramid salt and pepper shakers, which get left behind in Egypt.

This past December, Josef Patar added a chapter he’s been trying to write for a while. . . he became a naturalized U.S. citizen.  With several supporters, including a couple of friends from Ohef Sholom Temple, he went to the Walter Hoffman United States Courthouse in Downtown Norfolk, made his citizenship official, and left waving an American flag.

A lifeguard and swim instructor at the Simon Family JCC, among other work endeavors, Patar escaped from Hungary at just 2 years old in 1956 with three siblings and his pregnant mother.  They left, he said, with nothing, not even any documents. His father stayed behind fighting for his country against Russia. “In the 1990s, my father got knighted by the Hungarian government for fighting the Russians,” recalls Patar.

Once his family made it to England, they were able to board the Empress of Great Britian ocean liner in Liverpool to head to Canada, which was accepting refugees. At the time, the U.S. was not. The ship docked in Halifax, and Canada was his home for three decades. His father was able to join the family after the war.

Patar’s first trip to Virginia was in January 1965 when he was ranked #2 in Canada in swimming at just 10 years old.  His team flew to Arlington, Va. for the competition, which by the way, Patar won, setting a record in his age category. He continued to set records throughout his swimming career.

Patar’s swimming success and ultimately, coaching, brought him to the United States many times, with his official move taking place in 1986 when he began a retail career in San Francisco. That work had him transferred throughout the country, living in Miami, Detroit, Colorado Springs, San Jose, New York, and Los Angeles, among other places. 

In 2024, Patar arrived in Virginia and has been a lifeguard and swim instructor at the JCC since that April. He says he “liked the Jewish community,” and decided to stay.

Mazel Tov Josef on your citizenship!

Mazel Tov to these couples and to all who are celebrating milestones in 2026!

Lori and Michael Glasser  

40th Anniversary 

Lori Hyman and Michael Glasser first met as teens at the JCC on Newport Ave. in Norfolk. Since Lori grew up in Virginia Beach and Michael in Norfolk, it was the Tuesday night BBYO meetings, Lori in Kruger BBG and Michael in Commonwealth AZA, where their paths crossed, but didn’t merge. 

Many years later, they saw each other at Waterside.  Michael “had just returned from a Singles Mission to Israel and was excited about his travels,” Lori recalls. “He told me to give him a call if I wanted to talk more later.”

Lori says she waited a few days before calling and “was really glad to learn he was out of the office.” The next day, she received a pink “While You Were Away” telephone message slip at work asking if she was hungry.  Their first date was a picnic lunch on the steps of Blair Junior High School in Ghent in September 1985.  By February, they were engaged and married on August 31, 1986. 

Their wedding took place in Ohef Sholom Temple’s chapel with 25 relatives and two friends each with a lively party that evening with more friends and relatives.

“I was fortunate to be a stay-at-home mom for our three boys, Bern, Jake, and Ross,” says Lori.  She volunteered at Hebrew Academy of Tidewater, where they attended, went on field trips, helped with the BeAR program, participated on a few boards, including the JCC, JFS, and Temple Israel.  Once the boys were all in school, she went to work at Michael’s law office.

At the same time, Michael was heavily involved in various organizations, including ADL, UJFT, and State of Israel Bonds, in addition to legal and bank-related boards.

All three sons are now married, “so we have three women in our lives, which we love,” says Lori.  Not to mention how “truly smitten!” they are with their young granddaughter, Sophia.

While Bern and Jolyn and Jake, Jess, and Sophia are Tidewater residents, Ross and Caroline have made their home in Denver.  Still, the family manages to gather most every Shabbat for a Facetime visit that includes lighting Shabbat candles and singing the blessings.

When asked about their favorite trips, there’s no surprise the response is “those with our family,” especially those 14 summers when they spent a couple of weeks in Maine and times visiting Israel. Plus, Lori adds that “Michael and I enjoy biking and have been on a couple of organized bike trips.

“We both grew up seeing loving and respectful partnerships, which were easy to emulate,” says Lori.  “Perhaps that’s our secret to a successful and happy marriage.”

“Forty years is a good chunk of a lifetime,” says Michael. “Marrying Lori was the smartest decision I have ever made.”  

 “Yes, we’ll be celebrating 40 years this August, so the warranty period is definitely over,” quips Lori.  Still, by all appearances, Lori and Michael must’ve found a secret lifetime warranty. 

Nancy and Alvin Wall  

50th Anniversary 

Family and the often-played game of “Jewish Geography” have played meaningful roles in Nancy and Alvin Wall’s more than 50-year-old story – and from the very start.

Norfolk native Nancy Harrison, and Charleston, S.C.-raised Alvin Wall graduated from University of South Carolina in 1974. Nancy earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Technology; Alvin an undergraduate degree in Banking and Finance. During four years of college, however, there was no meeting, no paths crossed for the couple.

The eventual meeting is credited to Alvin’s sister, Suzan, who was in her fourth year at The Medical College of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston, where Nancy was also studying. 

“In those days if you wanted a degree in med tech you were required to attend a medical college somewhere. My sister’s first three years were at University of Georgia,” says Alvin. There were 15 or so students in that MUSC class and Suzan and Nancy started to play Jewish geography. When Nancy said she was from Norfolk, Suzan asked if she knew Jack Frieden. Since Jack’s father, Lenny, and Nancy’s dad, Harry (Hap), were in the insurance business together, the answer was obvious. 

 “Suzan set us up and we took it from there,” says Alvin. “Since we were all moving to Atlanta after graduation and Suzan and Nancy shared an apartment, I was always accused of stealing Suzan’s roommate.”

About a year and a half later, on September 11, 1976, Nancy and Alvin married at Ohef Sholom Temple in Norfolk.  Very few weddings are challenge-free, and theirs was not an exception.  A Shriner’s convention was taking place in town that weekend and hotel rooms were scarce. “We suspect we were booked into one of the last vacant rooms at the OMNI Hotel,” recalls Nancy. Plus, something happened with the photographer’s camera equipment, resulting in very few photos of their wedding celebration.

 After living in Atlanta for almost seven years, Nancy asked Alvin about moving to Norfolk to be near family. In October 1981, they made the move with their oldest son Michael, who was six months old. Ben was born in 1984.  “Our most treasured accomplishment was raising our sons in Virginia Beach. We are very proud of them,” Nancy and Alvin say.

 Jewish Geography came to play again for the Walls when they moved to Tidewater. Alvin’s father was a WWII Veteran, and the family had been stationed all over the country. When in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (1956-1959), “my father and Hal Sacks worked together teaching the warships how to fire their guns,” says Alvin. “Hal’s wife, Annabel, was my kindergarten teacher in Cuba at the William T. Sampson School on the base. Fast forward to our move to Norfolk and Annabel takes me aside at a meeting and reminds me about being my teacher. Hal was also kind enough to mention this in his memoir.”  Small world.

During the Atlanta years, Nancy had begun her career at Crawford Long Hospital, with her ‘first retirement’ taking place in 1980. In Tidewater in 1989, with Michael and Ben both in school, Nancy reentered the work force at Pediatric Specialists. Nancy says she “worked with great doctors, nurses, and wonderful staff and made lifelong friends.” She retired after 25 years. 

Alvin’s accounting career began with Arthur Andersen in Atlanta in 1974. When he and Nancy moved to Tidewater, he became a partner at Goodman and Company in Norfolk and then left to form Wall, Einhorn & Chernitzer, CPAs in November 1989, with Marty Einhorn and Jeff Chernitzer. In December 2025, the firm merged with a Fargo, N.D.-based CPA firm listed among the Top 20 CPA firms in the United States. The new firm’s name is Eide Bailly. “Despite what you may hear, I continue to work full time,” muses Alvin.

Today, Nancy and Alvin keep busy with their sons and grandchildren: Michael and his wife, Robin, who live in Atlanta with their children, Tyler (9), Mia (6), and Cooper (3); and Ben, who lives with his partner Kyle Daniels in Oakland.

Volunteering is another way this extremely active couple spends their time. Nancy, known as a magical quilter, works with the Tzedakah Quilting Group at Ohef Sholom and sews mastectomy drain pockets, which she donates to anyone going through the process. Alvin serves on United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s board and as treasurer, on Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s board, the Towne Bank Norfolk Advisory board, and as vice chair and member of the board of trustees of Westminster Canterbury Chesapeake Bay. 

 And then, there’s their creative side. Nancy and Alvin throw pottery on the wheel “and have almost 50 years of pottery at home to prove it” even though they are constantly giving much of it away. . . to friends, vendors, non-profits. Nancy needlepoints and plays Mah Jongg and Alvin is a wildlife photographer and is learning from Nancy to play Mah Jongg and how to sew quilt panels. 

Not to outdo their creative spirit, Nancy and Alvin enjoy visiting and hiking in the National Parks System. Their last two trips were to the Grand Canyon (second time) and the Big Five Parks in Utah. “We walk together and have lifted weights twice a week for almost 20 years with Ray Beard at the Simon Family JCC.” This past year they added Pilates classes at Performance Pilates to the mix.  

“Our hobbies consume us in a good way,” says Alvin. “We’re always ready to learn something new.”

Nancy’s mom, Joan Harrison told her many years ago, “that anyone can get married, but it took hard work to stay married.” Nancy adds, “our parents were great marriage role models.”  That, Nancy and Alvin agree, is a big part of the secret sauce to their marriage, along with selflessness, cooperation, coordination, caring for each other, kindness towards each other, and of course, loving each other. 

Fifty years is a long time.

Rochelle and Tal Aviv

10th Anniversary

Rochelle Laderberg Aviv grew up in Tidewater and Tal Aviv in Los Angeles, Calif. 

So how did these coastal opposites meet? 

After Rochelle earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from VCU and Tal his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from UC Irvine and his MBA from George Washington University, they were both living in Arlington, Va.  It was the dating app, Coffee Meets Bagel, that did the trick. 

 “Our first date was July 2014 and we got engaged June 2015,” says Rochelle. 

Their wedding took place on June 11, 2016, at the MOCA in Virgina Beach.

 “Besides being one of the hottest days in Virginia Beach that summer, it was so amazing to have all of our friends and family come together from the West Coast and East Coast to come celebrate us,” says Rochelle. “Everyone danced and partied the whole night, and having orange crush cocktails gave the event a special Virginia Beach touch to it.”  

 Both Jewish, the couple says, “it’s incredibly important and meaningful to both of us to have a Jewish household/family, so that part has been easy.”  

 Tal’s parents are from Israel and moved to LA after they got married.  Both of his parents served in the Israeli Army and his dad grew up on a Kibbutz. Tal grew up going to private Jewish schools in LA and went to a Sephardic Synagogue when he was younger.  He also grew up speaking Hebrew with his family and his Israeli community. Rochelle grew up going to Ohef Sholom Temple, a Reform synagogue, “so our Jewish experiences growing up were very different,” says Rochelle. “We love being able to teach our kids the different traditions from their Ashkenazi and Sephardic family backgrounds.”

  Living in Northern Virginia with two toddlers, the couple realized during COVID how important it was to live closer to family, so they made the decision to move to Virginia Beach in 2022. Both of Rochelle’s parents were still in Virginia Beach and her sister and her husband and two young kids also decided to move back. “We realized how special and important it was going to be for our kids to grow up near their grandparents and cousins,” says Rochelle.  In fact, Rochelle’s younger brother also made the move back to Virginia Beach in July 2025 with his wife and kids from Austin, Texas. 

Busy parents of Ari, who is seven years old and Izzy, who is six years old, Rochelle works at Deloitte as a resource manager for the NY Tax Practice in the Financial Services Industry. Tal works at Guidehouse doing internal finance.

 “Our lives these days are run by what our kids have scheduled, which consists of Tae Kwon Do three days a week for Ari and Izzy, basketball and baseball for Ari, depending on the season, and dance for Izzy.

 Added to the mix of running from family to work, Rochelle and her siblings rotate hosting Shabbat Dinner every Friday night.  “It’s become a family tradition and all of the cousins love getting together to play every Friday night,” she says.

 During the summer they also spend a lot of time swimming in their pool, and going to the beach and Ocean Breeze.  “We recently started roller skating/rollerblading with the kids which has been fun,” she adds.

The Avivs’ secret to a good marriage?

 “I always go back to the beautiful words in our wedding ketubah.  It hangs above my desk, so I read it every day and it reminds me of the sacred covenant we made to each other,” she says.

These are Rochelle’s favorite lines from their ketubah that really guides their marriage:

“We shall treasure and respect each other with honor and integrity as we create a loving family together.  May our love provide us with the determination and courage to be who we are.  May our lives become whole and intertwined forever.  You are my best friend, my hopes and future, my strength, my soulmate.  Standing proudly beside you, in your eyes I see my love, and in your heart I see my dreams, and in our promise I see a union, true and steadfast, uniquely devoted to compassion, kindness and sincerity.  We pledge to cherish and sustain each other, meeting life’s trials with quiet strength and courage, and meeting life’s blessings with wonder, joy and laughter.  We will grow as individuals and delight in an elegant freedom born from mutual respect.  As life partners, we shall strive to build a home committed to our Jewish heritage. May the joy of living for one another bring smiles to our faces.” 

Prior to joining the Sandler Family Campus, Frissora spent 14 years with the United States Coast Guard, where, in addition to serving in an active-duty capacity, he held a wide range of roles. “I started off as a technician, completely hands on, working on ships where maintenance is a whole different world compared to a land based facility. As I progressed in my career, I took on more responsibility and leadership,” says Frissora.

Eventually, Frissora moved into command-level roles where he managed budgets, departments, boats, and multiple facilities — all while supporting a very high operational tempo. “The Coast Guard’s primary mission is life saving, so even while managing infrastructure, I was balancing that with operational readiness and mission execution,” he says.

 “Working on this campus is obviously a different environment, but a lot of the core skills translate directly: leadership, planning, being proactive, and making sure people have a safe and reliable place to do their work,” says Frissora. “The biggest difference is that now I get to focus fully on supporting a community instead of supporting an operational mission, and I’m really enjoying that shift.”

His goal for the Sandler Family Campus, he says, is to “maintain the high standard of excellence we already have here. This campus is an amazing place for families and our members, and I’m committed to keeping it that way while continuing to improve wherever we can. I plan to use the feedback and input we receive from our community to make sure we’re always meeting their needs.”

 Frissora says he focuses on a proactive approach to maintenance and leadership, rather than waiting for things to break or become issues. By staying ahead of potential problems, he says, “we can ensure our members always have the best facilities possible.”

 The Shrewsbury, Mass. native and his family (wife, Kellie; daughters, Sawyer and Peyton; and son, Declan) arrived in Virginia Beach in August 2025 with the Coast Guard and decided to stay when he left the service. 

 “One of the things I really like about this area is the balance it offers — it has the feel of a close, welcoming community, but it’s also surrounded by everything you could want: the ocean, great food, and plenty of places to explore. I also really appreciate the climate. We still get all four seasons, but none of them are too extreme. It’s a good middle ground, and it makes the area an easy and enjoyable place to live and work,” he says.

 Spearheaded by Clay Barr, the participants enjoyed a curator-led tour of the exhibition, followed by lunch at the museum’s restaurant. After lunch, the group toured the newly installed Judaica Gallery, guided by Sean Burrus, North Carolina Museum of Art’s curator of Judaica. 

The Book of Esther exhibition demonstrates how the story of Queen Esther was depicted in art and popular culture, expressing the ideas of political and religious freedom in the age of Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-69).

NCMA’s material for the exhibit says, “In the 1600s and beyond, the Book of Esther was a key source of inspiration for diverse communities in Holland, both Jewish and Christian.  For immigrant Jewish communities living with new freedom in more tolerant Amsterdam, celebrating Purim became a meaningful expression of Jewish culture.”

In addition to paintings, the exhibit contains a variety of artifacts including an Esther Scroll, a silver Purim collection cup, and a Tebah Cover, among other items.

“It was such a great opportunity to see a world class exhibition,” says Barr.  “The enthusiasm from all in attendance was a credit not only to the quality of the exhibit, but also to the educational input of the curators who led the tour.”

 The trip was part of Congregation Beth El’s initiative with the arts, which has also included docent led tours at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk.