Next meeting: Sunday, April 3
LeeAnne Mallory, administrative secretary of Brith Sholom, put it quite succinctly in the organization’s bulletin when she wrote, “This has been a hard time for all, but our Brith Sholom group has not stopped being a vital part of the community.”
Although meeting in-person for the usual “deluxe” brunches, camaraderie, and inspirational speakers has not been an option since early 2020, the group has gone virtual and meets the first Sunday of the month on Zoom.
Ray Rebby, program chair, has repeatedly brought a wide variety of interesting guest speakers to these Zoom meetings. “I want to provide meaningful and informative topics,” he says. For the next Zoom meeting on Sunday, April 3, he has planned a presentation from the Holocaust Museum in Richmond. Zoom bingo, held on the third Sunday of each month, has been a welcome source of entertainment for members throughout the pandemic.
The group was able to hold in-person brunches in October and November at the Masonic Temple on Granby Street, rather than their usual home at Beth Sholom Village. Unfortunately, the rise of the Omicron variant caused these in-person meetings to be halted. The group hopes to resume these brunches again in April at the Masonic Temple. The organization looks forward to returning to their “home” in Beth Sholom as soon as it is deemed safe to do so.
Brith Sholom is not just a social group, but also a philanthropic organization. Alene Jo Kaufman, chair of the Charities Committee, says, “As noted in the organization’s constitution, ‘Brith Sholom is created as a charitable, benevolent and non-political organization for the purpose of fostering and perpetuating the spirit, ideals and traditions of Judaism.’
“With this in mind, the organization continues to distribute annual gifts for educational purposes to local Jewish non-profit organizations,” says Kaufman. “The Brith Sholom membership looks forward to continuing to donate to our community’s Jewish institutions to help ensure our Jewish future.”
For more information about Brith Sholom and its programs, contact LeeAnne Mallory at 757-461-1150 or Brith.Sholom1@gmail.com. New members are welcome.