BETH AHABAH VOICES: NATAN BERENSHTEYN
12/21/2017 11:43:37 AM
by Natan Berenshteyn
On November 15 Atlee High School’s top mixed choir, Illusion, was invited to sing at the Virginia School Board Association conference at Williamsburg, VA. Illusion is a show choir, where 21 girls and 21 boys sing and dance...Read more...
BETH AHABAH VOICES: SANDY AND ALAN CORBETT
11/09/2017 08:08:06 PM
by Sandy and Alan Corbett
Harkening to the siren calls of the baseball gods, Sandy and Alan Corbett have set...Read more...
BETH AHABAH VOICES: KEN OLSHANSKY
09/26/2017 01:22:09 PM
by Ken Olshansky
In 2008 just before I was ready to stop my surgical practice, I met with Peter Bernard, the then CEO of the Bon Secours Virginia Hospital System. I mentioned that despite closing my practice, I was still interested in working part time and would love to...Read more...
BETH AHABAH VOICES: VICKI LYNN
09/18/2017 01:26:39 PM
By Vicki Lynn
This summer Miles and I traveled to Israel—a trip that has long been on our bucket list. Our trip was made possible through the Charles E. Noell '70 Travel Grant from St....Read more...
BETH AHABAH VOICES: JIM SCHMIDT
09/01/2017 10:47:45 AM
by Jim Schmidt
My name is Jim Schmidt and I grew up in the New York City area and married Rachel Cohen in 1975. In the 1980’s we had two children, Michael and Molly, and in the 1990’s our family moved to Richmond, Virginia.
Growing...Read more...
BETH AHABAH VOICES: LAURA DAVIDSON
08/28/2017 03:57:16 PM
by Laura Davidson
I think my children, Liz, 27 and Sarah, 24, were genuinely concerned about how I would occupy my time when Sarah left for college. I managed – supplementing my hobbies (mostly sewing) with more volunteerism. An important part...Read more...
BETH AHABAH VOICES: ZACH MCELGUNN
07/03/2017 03:53:28 PM
by Zach McElgunn
My name is Zach McElgunn, and I have been a member of Beth Ahabah since my family moved to Richmond, VA in 2001. I was in third grade at the time. In the intervening sixteen years, I have had my Bar Mitzvah, been confirmed, graduated...Read more...
BETH AHABAH VOICES: RENA BERLIN
06/19/2017 03:51:18 PM
by Rena Berlin
I’m a weaver. I was a middle school social studies teacher, an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program coordinator, a Director of Education with the Virginia Holocaust Museum. Now I am a weaver. My husband, Bert,...Read more...
BETH AHABAH VOICES: COFFEE BOURNE
06/05/2017 03:49:53 PM
by Coffee Bourne
I grew up in a different religion. I never felt at home in my beliefs. I always felt a pull to Judaism. When I met my husband, Adam, during my freshman year of college at The University of Texas at Austin, religious beliefs were...Read more...
BETH AHABAH VOICES: ANNE BLANKMAN
05/22/2017 03:38:06 PM
by Anne Blankman
We never know where our passions will lead us. For Anne Blankman, her love of writing brought her to Judaism.
A few years ago, Anne was a part-time librarian and new mom living in Yorktown, VA when she had an idea...Read more...
BETH AHABAH VOICES: IKE KOZIOL
05/08/2017 03:36:40 PM
by Ike Kozi0l
I came to America as as toddler. During my childhood I remember my parents Goldie and Julius and my uncle Joe and aunt Lucy packing clothing in cartons to ship to places like Uruguay, Israel and Poland. I remember sealing...Read more...
BETH AHABAH VOICES: ROBERTA OPPER: WHY I BECAME A BREAST CANCER RESEARCH ADVOCATE
04/18/2017 03:30:55 PM
by Roberta Opper
We all know the grim statistics—each year approximately 250,000 American women and men are diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and about 40,000 die. Since my breast cancer diagnosis 25 years ago, I have spent an enormous...Read more...
BETH AHABAH VOICES: JOHN MARSHAK: THOUGHTS ABOUT MY PASSION: WOODWORKING
04/10/2017 03:30:09 PM
by John Marshak
When one is as enthusiastic about woodworking as I am, it should be easy to share thoughts on the subject. However, as I started thinking about this article, too many thoughts flooded my brain. What is most important to share? What...Read more...
BETH AHABAH VOICES: SUSAN ADOLF
03/16/2017 03:28:51 PM
by Susan Adolf
My name is Susan Weiner Adolf and I am a retailer. Since as long as I can remember I worked or pretended to work for my parents who owned Saxon Shoes. Before I could even see over the front desk I was trying to be a cashier. As our...Read more...
BETH AHABAH VOICES: JUDITH KOZIOL: AGELESS GRACE: TIMELESS FITNESS FOR BODY AND MIND
03/02/2017 03:27:05 PM
by Judith Koziol
Three years ago I had a wonderful and definitely life-changing experience! Someone suggested I check out an Ageless Grace class at ACAC. I did not know what to expect as I walked into a room of 20 or so men and women and 1...Read more...
BETH AHABAH VOICES: DAVID GARDNER: TEACHING AN OLD DOG A NEW TRICK
02/16/2017 03:26:17 PM
by David Gardner
As I approached my 70th birthday and retirement about three years ago, I began to think about new adventures and challenges. In the past I had run marathons, cycled, skied, played tennis, etc.—all of which provided...Read more...
BETH AHABAH VOICES: RENATE FORSSMANN-FALCK: TREKKING KILIMANJARO
02/02/2017 03:21:41 PM
by Renate Forssmann-Falck
It started in spring of 2014 with an advertisement of the Massey Cancer Center. It showed a man hiking in a desolate landscape. The voice said something like “He finished his cancer treatment and is now on the...Read more...
BETH AHABAH VOICES: KAREN OLSHANSKY: RENEWAL AFTER RETIREMENT
01/19/2017 03:15:32 PM
After retirement, I revived a passion that had been dormant for the 35 years that I practiced clinical social work. I have always loved poetry, and had even tried writing some poems in my high school and college years and then again as a young...Read more...
Beth Ahabah Voices: Brandon Farbstein
01/05/2017 03:10:04 PM
“I’m Meant to Make a Difference for Somebody”
On stage and in the community, a young Richmonder proves he’s more than his disability
by Samantha Willis
The young man sitting across the table from me inside Alchemy...Read more...
Beth Ahabah Voices: Earl Ferguson
12/21/2016 03:06:27 PM
One of the most delightful parts of my position as Chair of North American Camping and Israel Programs for the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) is that I get the opportunity to visit the various camps around North America. Most of our congregants...Read more...
TRAVEL: GOMEZ MILL HOUSE (C.1714)
12/11/2016 03:13:08 PM
by Jim Schuyler
During the Labor Day weekend, Frank and I drove to Northern New Jersey to celebrate my grandniece’s Bat Mitzvah. We decided to continue north to New York’s Hudson River Valley, where we reserved a lovely cottage near...Read more...
BETH AHABAH VOICES: DEBRA GARDNER
12/08/2016 04:00:31 PM
When I was about to turn 60 and planning to retire from almost 30 years practicing law, I had a major problem. What was I going to do? My brain was going to turn to mush! I was having lunch with a friend and expressed my concerns. She suggested I...Read more...
