For decades, Jewish Family Service of Tidewater and Beth Sholom Village shared a commitment to serving older adults through a continuum of care. The two agencies helped build successful hospice and palliative care services, while each also operated home health programs. As the healthcare landscape changed, JFS ended its home health program, and the hospice program was sold. Beth Sholom later closed its home health program and sold “the Home,” but its commitment to supporting Jewish seniors continued.

 Today, that shared legacy is taking new shape. JFS continues to offer a broad range of services, while Beth Sholom advances its mission through the Beth Sholom Village Foundation, which invited local organizations to apply for funding to support seniors. Jewish Family Service, along with several other organizations, received grant funding to help meet the growing and changing needs of older adults.

With support from the grant, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and JFS will work together to develop programs that engage Jewish seniors across multiple areas, including fitness, education, social connection, and cultural experiences. The agencies also hope to strengthen collaboration with other organizations serving older adults throughout the region. 

 “There is so much we can do by working together,” says Kelly Burroughs, chief executive officer of Jewish Family Service. “Increasing social and educational activities, cultural experiences, and accessibility for older adults is one of the agency’s primary initiatives this year. Doing this in partnership with our sister organizations means that we can make an even larger impact.” 

 Betty Ann Levin, executive vice president/CEO of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, agrees, noting that “the Sandler Family Campus is an ideal location for engagement across program areas, including health and wellness classes in conjunction with JFit, intergenerational engagement with PJ Library and Strelitz, and through our Center for Active Living at the Simon Family JCC.”

 The vision extends beyond campus-based programs. Through the BSV Foundation grant, JFS will expand its social service continuum for older Jewish adults by offering case management and coordination for critical support such as transportation, financial assistance, burial assistance, home safety modifications, shopping help, and light housekeeping. The need is already clear. “Within the first two weeks of the grant,” says Burroughs, “JFS received three requests for assistance with burial arrangements, two financial assistance requests for eviction prevention, and one request for repair of an air conditioning unit.” These services can make the difference between crisis and stability, helping older adults remain in their homes, age in place, and stay connected to community. One donor recipient, who was struggling to pay their mortgage due to some temporary challenges, recently shared their appreciation:

“It is difficult to put into words the immense relief and peace of mind your support has given me. Your kindness has made a profound difference in my life.”

Jewish Family Service, along with fellow grant recipients are building services that honor the generations who helped shape this community—and ensuring that older adults and people with disabilities continue to be cared for with dignity, compassion, and connection.

 Reflecting on the resurgence of antisemitism, Holocaust denial, and what he called the “anti-history” engulfing much of the world, Ferguson reached a painful conclusion. “The goal of my entire career as an historian was to ensure that citizens learned the lessons of history. … Yet today … anti-history is spreading like a cancer. The Holocaust is either denied or derided. I have to admit: I failed utterly.”

 His words resonated with me because they capture what many Jews are experiencing today. I understand why he feels defeated, but I simply don’t think defeat and failure are the same thing.

The purpose of historians

Antisemitism has returned to the mainstream. Holocaust denial has become fashionable and even expected in some circles. And far too many young people are historically ignorant and seem detached from even the most basic knowledge of the past.

 But I think Niall reached the wrong conclusion about both his work and that of history more generally.

 He did not fail. Rather, he expected history to accomplish work that history has never been able to achieve on its own.

 His mistake was understandable. Historians preserve the past. Their task is to recover it, explain it, place it in context and protect it from distortion. That is indispensable work. However, preserving the past and transmitting it are different responsibilities. Historians can document a civilization. They cannot, by themselves, persuade civilizations to remember.

 The Jewish tradition has understood that distinction for thousands of years. Judaism never assumed that facts speak for themselves or that historical knowledge automatically becomes moral wisdom. Instead, it taught those lessons around the dinner table, in the synagogue, and from one generation to the next.

Remember

The Hebrew word is zachor — remember. It is not advice; it is a command and is an idea that I first encountered when I was in elementary school. I vividly recall being taught to remember that we were strangers in Egypt, that we must remember Amalek and the Sabbath, and that very Covenant itself is sacred.

 Former Columbia University professor Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi observed in his landmark book, Zakhor, that “remember” appears in the Hebrew Bible no fewer than 169 times, with either God or Israel as its subject and that is no accident. Memory, in Judaism, is not simply a feeling or an act of nostalgia — it is an obligation.

 Yerushalmi’s central insight in Zakhor was that history grows more important precisely when memory grows weaker. As the ordinary practices that carried Jewish memory from one generation to the next became less secure, Jews increasingly turned to writing history. History expanded as memory contracted.

 That is a lesson worth remembering far beyond the Jewish experience. We often assume that historical knowledge is enough — that if people learn the facts, they will reach the right conclusions. But facts alone do not sustain a civilization. Judaism has always demanded something more: not simply that we know the past, but that we remember it.

 The holiday of Passover may be the clearest example. Every year Jews gather around the Seder table not simply to recall the Exodus but to enter it. The Haggadah instructs every person to see himself as if he personally came out of Egypt. Parents tell the story and children interrupt with questions; this is celebrated and encouraged. Meals, songs, ritual, and repetition give the story emotional weight until it becomes part of a family’s identity rather than simply another historical event.

 That is how Jewish memory survived nearly 2,000 years of exile, persecution, dispersion, and hate. History and scholarly pursuits certainly mattered and remain central to Jewish life, but they were never sufficient. For centuries, families, synagogues, schools, and local communities carried memory together until it became woven into the rhythm of ordinary Jewish life.

What has changed

Many of those institutions — Jewish and non-Jewish alike — are weaker today. Families spend less time together. Religious participation has declined. Voluntarism has declined. Civic organizations have withered. Schools often struggle to transmit a shared civic inheritance.

 I do not need polling to tell me something has changed. I have seen the resurgence of antisemitism where I teach, online where anonymity magnifies hatred, and on the streets of New York while walking with my children. What Ferguson describes is not an abstraction. It is part of daily Jewish life once again.

 It is tempting to blame social media and artificial intelligence for what we see today. I think that gets the causal arrow backward. AI and social media did not create this problem. They exposed our cultural weaknesses. We have become very good at preserving, but much less good at passing on memory.

 Immediately after the Shema, Jews are commanded: “You shall teach them diligently to your children.” That command assumes something important. Memory is fragile and if neglected or ignored, even the most important truths disappear.

 Bernard-Henri Lévy recognized this almost immediately when he responded to Ferguson online. “No, dear Niall,” he wrote, “this is not a failure; it is a defeat. … Antisemitism may win battles, but not the war.”

Handing down memory

Lévy was making a profoundly Jewish point. Judaism has never confused survival with uninterrupted success. The covenant never promised that evil would disappear or that exile would never come. Instead, it made remembering part of everyday Jewish life — in homes, holidays, prayer, and study. That is how the story endured.

 Historians preserve the past. They recover forgotten truths, challenge falsehoods, and help us understand where we have been. But they cannot do the work of memory. That responsibility belongs to families, schools, congregations, and communities.

 That work falls to the institutions that turn history into memory. It happens around dinner tables, in classrooms, in congregations, and anywhere one generation takes responsibility for the next.

 Years of studying politics, sociology, and my own religious tradition have led me to the same conclusion: Communities survive because they hand something down. Historians record that inheritance. Families and institutions transmit it.

 So no, Niall — my friend — you did not fail. The work to which you devoted your life still matters. I, for one, am grateful.

 You did what great historians are called to do: preserve the record, challenge falsehoods and help us better understand the past. But history alone cannot carry a people or stop dangerous, irrational movements like anti-history from gaining so much power and influence. I wish it could, but that work belongs to memory — to families, congregations, schools and communities willing to pass an inheritance from one generation to the next.

 History preserves the past. Memory preserves a people.

Samuel Abrams is a professor of politics at Sarah Lawrence College, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and a scholar with the Sutherland Institute.

 Last December, volunteers at Temple Emanuel started this project by tearing down old coat racks, repainting the walls a calming blue and installing stained glass paper on the windows to give the hallway a shiny glow. As it is with many projects, one bit of inspiration lead to another. The hallway was beautiful, but it was now glaringly obvious that the classrooms, floors, doors, and ceiling needed lots of TLC.  

Fast forward a few months and a lot of hard work, and thanks to a generous grant from Tidewater Jewish Foundation, Temple Emanuel Religious School has undergone extensive renovations and will be able to realize the dream of a new school building. 

The renovation goal is to modernize the aesthetic while maintaining historical integrity. First, the beautiful parquet floors were refinished. Next, volunteers and contractors tore down the textured, stained wallpaper and hand scraped glue off the walls, priming it for paint. The lower elementary classroom doubled in size to give the children a larger space to move through multi-sensory learning centers. Finally, ceiling tiles are being replaced, doors are being sanded and repainted, and all wall décor is being redesigned. 

The final product will be a cheerful, modern, nurturing school environment that will match the motivating energy from the teaching team. The grant helped transform an archaic space into a lively, energetic learning environment. 

Registered and prospective families are invited to Temple Emanuel Religious School’s open house on Sunday, Aug. 23 at 10 am to see the final product and learn more about the school. 

Dr. Sarah Davis is Temple Emanuel’s Religious School director.

As the recipient of this honor, Sacks will help lead as part of the Superintendent’s Professional Senate and will join the school board for all regular session meetings.

 Sacks was also selected to be the teacher in residence at UGA Marine Institute at Sapalo Island, a research facility run by the University of Georgia. At the facility, research is conducted on tides, animals that live in wetlands, and other related topics. The facility occasionally invites a public school teacher to participate. Sacks was invited last year and then was asked to present to the University’s graduate students regarding lessons he created for his students based on his experience on the island. Sacks got invited back this year, which is apparently unusual.

 Jewish News appreciates all who support the newspaper with generous contributions – whether in honor of or in memory of friends or loved ones or as a Friend of Jewish News.

In memory of
Mark McKenna
Terri and Steve Budman

To donate, please go to jewishnewsva.org/donate/ or send a check, 

with details of who should be notified of your contribution, to:

Jewish News

5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 200

Virginia Beach, VA 23462

No matter the reason for giving, all contributions are appreciated.

Thank you!

 One of the first conversations every family should have is about when additional support may be beneficial. Whether it’s help with daily activities, medication management, or simply the desire for greater social connection, understanding the differences between independent living, assisted living, memory care, rehabilitation, and skilled nursing can make future decisions less stressful.

 Another important discussion centers on financial planning. Many families have questions about how to pay for senior living, whether selling a home is necessary, what resources may be available, and how to prepare financially for the years ahead. Having these conversations early can help families make thoughtful decisions rather than rushed ones.

 Families should also discuss estate planning and legal documents. Ensuring wills, powers of attorney, advance medical directives, and other essential documents are up to date provides peace of mind and helps loved ones honor an individual’s wishes.

 Finally, understanding Medicare and insurance options can be invaluable. Navigating healthcare coverage can be confusing, and learning about available benefits before they are needed helps families make informed choices with confidence.

 Jewish tradition teaches the importance of honoring elders with dignity, compassion, and respect. Planning ahead reflects these values by ensuring older adults remain at the center of decisions about their own care and future.

 Whether personal planning or helping a loved one, starting the conversation today can make tomorrow’s decisions easier.

Ashley Harris BS, CTRS, CDP, is director of community relations at Village at Maimonides Health Center of Virginia Beach.

 This is how Jennifer Lenay, Simon Family JCC fitness instructor, guides students through gentle, breath-synced movement in Flowing Waters, an aquatic take on traditional tai chi. 

 Held Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon in the indoor therapy pool, the class combines slow, intentional movement with warm water, making it well-suited for people managing pain, injury, or limited mobility. 

 Movements are paired with steady inhalation and exhalation, creating a rhythm that participants carry through each motion. That connection between breath and movement helps shift the body out of stress responses. 

 “When we are stressed… we absorb those things,” Lenay explains. “Breathwork helps reset our nervous system, and it puts us back into a parasympathetic mode.” In this state, combined with the warm water, participants can fully work through pain points without accumulating further tension. 

 The class is a gamechanger for many of its participants who come with a variety of health concerns. 

 Sue Ellen Crounce, 78, for example, has been deeply involved in the JCC’s fitness community for years. Before discovering Flowing Waters, she was a regular at many JCC classes. Then life brought significant health challenges, including knee replacements and major heart surgery. Movements that once felt simple on land, such as stepping sideways, shifting weight, and maintaining balance, became difficult. When she tried Flowing Waters, she found that the therapy pool provided a safe container to work through those limitations. 

 Lenay echoes that sentiment, explaining the benefits of underwater exercise for older adults. 

 “With water, there is minimal impact, if not zero,” she says. “The strengthening is inevitable. Once that injury is under the water, you’re going to strengthen that area.” 

 Crounce is one of many seniors who have regained the confidence to strengthen vulnerable muscle groups without fear of injury. “I still feel safe,” she says. “But I can see what I need to work on.” 

 That sense of safety and feeling of stability extends beyond the class. “When I leave and go home after being in the therapy pool, I can sleep,” Crounce says. “I’m not achy.” 

 In fact, Crounce recalls nearly tripping over her rocking chair in the middle of the night and catching herself at the last moment using balance skills she developed in Flowing Waters. To her, the class is now a necessity. 

“I need this,” she says. 

 Crounce describes the class as her sanctuary and advocates for its future. When enrollment was low earlier this year, she was among a group of participants who petitioned the JCC to keep the class running. 

 To reinforce the class’s mental and spiritual benefits, Lenay asks participants to choose a word to carry with them through the movements. On a recent afternoon, Crounce chose “joy.” 

 “I have to find joy,” she says. “Even with everything happening, we can still find it in our day. We have life. We can pray for other people and remain in joy.” 

 For Crounce and many of her classmates, Flowing Waters is more than an exercise class. It is a place to find balance in mind, body, and spirit that can be carried into life outside of the pool.  

For information on Flowing Waters and other fitness classes at the Simon Family JCC, go to simonfamilyjcc.org.

 This new project will bring together fitness, lifelong learning, cultural, and social opportunities to help older adults across Tidewater stay active, connected, and engaged. By building on existing programs and strengthening community partnerships, the initiative will expand access and create more opportunities for meaningful connection. 

 Rooted in connection, lifelong learning, wellness, and purpose, this evolving approach is designed to help older adults across Tidewater stay active, engaged, and thriving. 

 More details will be announced soon. In the meantime, to learn about the current myriad opportunities for engagement, visit JewishVA.org/adults or contact Sarah Cooper, Center for Active Living manager, at Scooper@ujft.org or 757-452-3184.

 Boarding a charter bus, the 30 participants first stopped at the Session Café located in the original hospital building at the top of a hill on 67th Street. The Cafe’s seating boasts an almost entirely clear view of the oceanfront as tables wrap around a sun porch of the front and sides of the building. It also overlooks a stone labyrinth and reflexology path, as well as a meditation garden with a fishpond and bamboo forest. 

 Next, the group moved to the main Visitor Center and spent half an hour perusing the bookstore and gift shop. It was a warm day, so others sat and gathered in the foyer watching an informational video on Cayce. 

 Two knowledgeable guides led the group on a tour that started on the third floor where the Meditation Room is located. The room has seating for about 40 people, with a floor-to-ceiling view of the ocean, as well as large crystals in each corner. Vibrant stained-glass box windows shone at the top of one of the walls, each color representing one of the chakras. 

 Originally from Kentucky, Cayce decided to build the hospital in Virginia Beach after “being directed to do so in a reading.” Attendees learned that he saw himself as a servant and his mission was to offer practical, spiritual, and holistic guidance for living a purposeful life. Known as the Sleeping Prophet, the guide explained Cayce’s process of giving readings in a self-hypnotic state.

 The library is located on the second floor and although it was closed for renovations, it houses the sofa that Cayce laid on during his readings as well as an abundance of books on all aspects of spirituality. Detailed readings by Cayce are also archived and available for members of the center to view and study. 

 The trip was a success and proved that outings are desired by the senior community. In fact, at least five people wanted to join after the registration date closed. 

For more information on the Senior Club, senior activities, or to offer suggestions and feedback, contact Sarah Cooper at scooper@ujft.org or call 757-452-3184.