THE ALLURE OF BIRD WATCHING

 

Those of us in retirement have adopted a slower pace with empty nests. No longer are we anchored to a punishing work schedule while nurturing a growing family. As seniors, we get to slow down and watch the frantic activities taking place in other unique nests. The action is year-round with a changing cast of characters. I am referring to birds.

According to the U.S. Field and Wildlife Service some 57 million Americans feed the birds for the allure of observing them from the comfort of their homes. During the pandemic, this number skyrocketed. Bird feeding is a big business. Americans spend $4 billion each year on about a billion pounds of bird seed. In addition, millions of pounds of suet are deployed throughout our nation’s backyards.

Bird watching outside the home has also caught on with older folks. My wife and I have visited many domestic and foreign locations where bird watching became part of the adventure. Observing the shore birds and twice-yearly migrations through Chincoteague, Virginia has always captivated us. We will never forget the many varieties of colorful hummingbirds or noisy parrots from Costa Rica. During our trip to the Serengeti in Kenya and Tanzania, we saw more varieties of unusual birds than mammals and reptiles combined.

However, nothing makes us happier than observing the life cycles of the local birds in our backyard aviary. From the short visits of Baltimore Orioles and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and the one-time nesting of a family of Brown Thrashers, to an unusual two-week show of Barred Owls at dusk, and our regular year-round bird population, there are always new surprises.

Watching a family of Chickadees or Cardinals nest, fledge and take over the yard keeps us filling the feeders and bird baths year-round. Coming face to face with a curious hummingbird is close to a spiritual experience.

Why does bird watching captivate us? One book to read is Feeding Wild Birds in America: Culture, Commerce and Conversation. (Baicich, 2015) The Council for Environmental education calls the book “a fascinating history of our love affair with feeding birds...wrapped with wonderful insights on how bird feeding can be used to connect people to nature right at our doorstep. It's a treasure.” In reviewing this study, the National Audubon society says “This book chronicles our growing love affair with birds.”

One of my favorite authors is Joanathan Franzen, fellow Swarthmore graduate and winner of the National Book Award. As Franzen got older and began looking up while walking through Central Park in New York City, he fell in love with birds. His observations in an Audubon Magazine interview are educational, heartwarming and worth repeating, “There have been two kinds of amazing animal developments.  One is us—in terms of totally transforming things—and the dinosaurs were the other. And the birds are what became of dinosaurs. The dinosaurs got all light and they got feathers, truly one of the remarkable adaptations in the history of evolution. They sing. They fly. They make nests. Flight, the complexity of their behavior, their beauty.  You can love nature in the abstract and care about it, but once you actually start having an emotional connection with part of nature like birds, then it becomes a wholly different thing.”

Other factors draw those of us in retirement to become enamored with birds. Bird seed is not expensive. Bird watchers in the field only need a pair of binoculars and a smart-phone app, or guide-book for identification. The moderate physical exercise is exactly what our physicians are recommending.

Retirement biological clocks often come into sync with the local bird population. We go to bed earlier, after the final robin chirps in mid-summer. We wake up early on spring mornings to a loud chorus of nest builders. Now we have the time to pay attention.

A study published in 2024 in the Journal of Environmental Psychology finds that “even half an hour of bird watching makes us happier, healthier and can help foster a deeper connection with nature.” The psychological concept of “noticing” is an essential aspect of awe. Noticing means that our full attention is on the birds rather than ourselves. Moreover, being in nature and noticing wildlife requires us to immerse ourselves in the activity. This provides “a deep engagement and profound sense of tranquility through prolonged observation.” 

Bird watchers become fully engrossed in identifying bird species, deciphering their behaviors, and observing their actions. After being “in the flow” birdwatchers “can experience a rush of endorphins and a profound sense of satisfaction and wellbeing.”

One would think that bird watching is an activity that is above the controversies that have recently divided America. After all, in our back yard, even the “red” cardinals and the “blue” jays seem to get along.  However, on Oct. 3, NPR reported that birders are arguing over a plan to change dozens of bird names. It seems that the American Ornithological Society wants to do away with those names that honor people. The goal is to rename over one hundred North and South American birds to purge names with links to racism and colonialism. Many birders are not happy and the upcoming debate promises to be bitter and divisive.

Thankfully, none of the bird species of Pennsylvania appear to be affected. We can continue to post the photos and common names of our backyard visitors without offending the neighbors.

 

 

 

RISING INCOME INEQUALITY HAS DECIMATED THE MIDDLE CLASS

 

“Income inequality is the defining challenge of our times.” Barack Obama 

According to the Pew Research Center, eight in ten registered voters (81 percent) say the economy will be very important to their vote in the 2024 presidential election. The state of the economy and inflation are the centerpiece of Republican attack ads against Democrats, notwithstanding a growing economy, lower inflation, lower unemployment, lower interest rates, cheaper gasoline, and a booming stock market.

Many middle-class voters have concluded that the Biden-Harris administration has adversely affected their economic welfare, and that a Trump presidency will improve it. However, the middle-class economic situation is more complex than these voters realize. Fifty years of income inequality, resulting in lower earning power, has decimated the middle class.

Last year’s inflation spike, largely caused by the pandemic and a booming economy, exposed a larger problem. An avalanche of adverse economic events has impacted the middle class since 1970.  Inflation is only one cause for the decrease in middle-class purchasing power. Other economic forces have long been at work to increase the net worth of the wealthy at the expense of the middle-class.

A recent Pew Research Report, The State of the American Middle Class, provides some background. “Not only do a smaller share of people live in the middle class today, the incomes of middle-class households have also not risen as quickly as the incomes of upper-income households. The median income of middle-class households increased from about $66,400 in 1970 to $106,100 in 2022, or 60%. Over this period, the median income of upper-income households increased 78 percent, from about $144,100 to $256,900. (Incomes are scaled to a three-person household and expressed in 2023 dollars.) 

“The median income of lower-income households grew more slowly than that of other households, increasing from about $22,800 in 1970 to $35,300 in 2022, or 55 percent. Consequently, there is now a larger gap between the incomes of upper-income households and other households. In 2022, the median income of upper-income households was 7.3 times that of lower-income households, up from 6.3 in 1970. It was 2.4 times the median income of middle-income households in 2022, up from 2.2 in 1970.”

A Brookings Institute study highlights four long-developing economic factors that have adversely affected middle class prosperity.  First, despite gains in national income over the past half-century, American households in the middle of the distribution curve have experienced very little income growth in recent decades.  Actually, there has been greater income growth over the last four years under President Biden. Most earners did well following the pandemic, when jobs were plentiful.

Second, while workers of all skill levels were hard-hit by the Great Recession that began in December 2007, those without four-year degrees saw the steepest earnings declines.

Third, upward mobility is no longer the almost-universal experience among America’s youth.  While 90 percent of those born in 1940s grew up to experience higher incomes, this proportion was only 50 percent among those born in the 1980s.

Fourth, middle-class families are more fragile and more dependent on two incomes. Were it not for women’s economic contributions, middle-class families would have experienced sharper reductions in income over the 1979 to 2020 period.  The rise in single parenthood has dropped many families into the lower middle-class, or worse.

The upper middle class is prospering and gaining wealth in a booming economy that is the envy of the world. These millions of economically well-off Trump supporters are not concerned with inflation or the price of eggs.  Their higher incomes, investments and increasing net worth more than compensate. Wealthy individuals are supporting Trump to keep Kamala Harris from raising their taxes and to keep their wealth accumulating at unprecedented rates. The economic priorities of Trump supporters from the upper middle class are exactly the opposite of those important to Trump supporters from the middle and lower classes.

Which candidates’ positions will actually help the middle class to recover from its fifty years of economic malaise? Kamala Harris would extend the Trump tax cuts for the middle class – but not for the wealthy individuals and corporations. She would raise taxes even higher for the richest Americans. The tax deduction for small business start-up expenses is currently $5,000. Vice President Harris’ plan would push for expanding this deduction to $50,000 for new small businesses to cover more of these costs and provide more flexibility on when and how they can claim it.

According to a recent essay in Newsweek Magazine, “Looking forward instead of backwards, only Harris has real proposals for the middle and working class. These include a plan to spend $40 billion to bring down home prices, incentives for developers to build affordable housing, a $2,000-a-year cap on prescription drug costs and a dramatic expansion of the child tax credit that would immediately relieve some of the pressure on middle-class families.”

Regarding Trump’s economic plan, Goldman Sachs wrote in a report in early September, “The hit to growth from tariffs and tighter immigration policy would outweigh the positive effects of tax cuts.” According to Moody’s analysis, “Trump’s tariff plan would spark a recession by mid-2025.”  Economists believe such a tariff will rapidly accelerate inflation and cost the average family $1,500 a year.

Negative political ads and FOX news commentators are not to be believed. The economic plight of the middle-class would steadily improve under a Kamala Harris administration.

WHY TRUMP IS UNFIT TO BE RE-ELECTED PRESIDENT

 

In January 2024, the Atlantic Magazine produced a special issue entitled If Trump Wins. A bipartisan group of political scientists, journalists, and historians weighed in on what a second Trump administration would mean for the country. The special issue was published long before Biden withdrew from the campaign, before the Supreme Court increased the reach of presidential power, before Project 2025 became well known, and before many prominent Republicans and conservatives endorsed Kamala Harris for president. Nonetheless, this collection of 24 essays, which examined a number of topics and outlined the negative consequences of Donald Trump returning to the presidency, remains spot on.

For an individual in search of hard facts and reasoned opinions, this special issue of The Atlantic is insightful. This commentary will summarize some of the important findings in this landmark attempt to educate voters on why Trump is unfit to be re-elected president.

Jeffery Goldberg, Editor’s Note. “The Atlantic is deliberately not a partisan magazine. We believe that a democracy needs, among other things, a strong conservative party in order to flourish. Our concern is that the Republican Party has mortgaged itself to an antidemocratic demagogue, one who is completely devoid of decency.”

David Frum, on Autocracy.  “It has always been Trump’s supreme political wish to wield both the law and institutional violence as personal weapons of power – a wish that many in his party seem determined to help him achieve.”

Anne Appelbaum on NATO. “As president, Trump threatened to withdraw from NATO many times – including infamously at the 2018 NATO summit. But during Trump’s time in office, there was always someone there to talk him out of it. If Trump is re-elected in 2024, none of those people will be in the White House.”

McKay Coppins on Loyalists, Lapdogs, and Cronies.  “The available supply of serious qualified people willing to serve in a Trump administration has dwindled. Just four [now 24] of Trump’s 44 Cabinet secretaries have endorsed his current bid. If Trump is elected, he is expected to sign an executive order eliminating civil service protection for up to 50,000 federal workers, making them political appointees. Those fired could see their positions filled with Trump loyalists.”

Sophie Gilbert on Misogyny. “Trump’s glee in smacking down women has filtered into every aspect of our culture. But what’s more chilling about a possible second Trump presidency is that he would certainly be unchecked in his attitudes toward women. The advisors who remain with him are the ones who bolster his darker impulses.”

Zoe Schlanger on Climate Change. “A second Trump administration could do major damage. The Heritage Foundation has already made a battle-plan to block electricity-grid updates that would allow for solar and wind expansion, and to gut clean-power divisions at the Department of Energy, among other things. Under a second Trump term, the EPA would be threatened with budget cuts as it was during the first.”

Franklin Foer on Corruption. “Trump’s history suggests that he regards the government as a lucrative instrument for his own gain. It was this scenario in which the virus of foreign interests implants itself in the American government that the Founders most feared. They designed a system of government intended to forestall such efforts. But Trump has no regard for that system and every incentive to replace it with one that will line his own coffers.”

Juliette Kayyem on Extremism. “Until the very end of his presidency, Donald Trump’s cultivation of the Proud Boys, the Oath Keepers, and other violent far-right groups was usually implicit. He counted on their political support but stopped short of asking them to do anything. After Nov. 3, 2020, his language became more direct. The President of the United States embraced violence as the natural extension of America’s democratic differences, and he has not stopped since.”

Megan Garber on Disinformation. “Donald Trump announced in 2018 that ‘his gut tells him more than anybody else’s brain can ever tell him.’ Facts are work. They require study; they require curiosity; they require patience; they require humility. Trump suggests he will ease the burden.  You can outsource your mind to his gut. Science lies to you. The media lies to you. Books lie to you. Courts lie to you. Other people lie to you. Democracy lies to you. The only thing you can trust, in this dizzying world, is the inveterate liar who would never lie to you.”

Clint Smith on History. “In a second term, Trump would have even more reason to promote the rewriting of the American past. The MAGA movement is already doing this in connection with Jan. 6, 2021, one of the darkest days in our country’s history. The most patriotic education is one that demands that we sit with the totality and complexity and moral inconsistencies of the American project. Trumpism seeks to censor attempts to tell this sort of story.”

Vann R. Newkirk II on Civil Rights.  “Under Trump, the Justice Department abandoned its active protection of voting rights. If Trump were to win in 2024, many of the remaining foundations of the civil rights era would be undone.”

Other essays in this special issue include science, immigration, the courts, abortion, and the way Trump induced anxiety while president. Before the most important election in our lifetime, I urge all voters to read them. https://www.theatlantic.com/if-trump-wins/

 

 

A LOOK AT THE VICE-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

 

“The vice presidency is not worth a bucket of warm spit.” John Nance Garner

There has long been disagreement among political scientists whether vice presidential candidates make a difference in presidential elections. The above quote sums up the traditional view that voters pay little attention to the second person on the national ticket.

In recent elections, this opinion has changed. For example, there is strong evidence that Sarah Palin damaged John McCain in 2008 and that Joe Biden garnered important votes for Barack Obama in the same election.

The definitive book on the subject is Do Running Mates Matter? The Influence of Vice-Presidential Candidates in Presidential Elections. (May 15, 2020 by Christopher Devine & Kyle Kopko). The authors concluded that a running mate who is experienced and well-qualified can improve the perception of the presidential candidate, capture some votes, and make a difference.

The following commentary provides background and opinion on each of the vice-presidential candidates in the upcoming election: Minnesota Democrat Governor Tim Walz and Ohio Republican Senator JD Vance. I gained some insights from those who live in the home state of each candidate and relied on the excellent deep dive reports published by POLITICO on each candidate’s history.

Democrat Governor Tim Walz.  Dana Ferguson from MN Public Radio reports that Walz “Was able to pass a balanced budget in the state with a Senate Republican majority and a House Democratic majority. In 2023 he passed “a child tax credit, legal protections for abortions, along with new protections for workers and for voters.”

I spoke with our cousin, Noel Bye, from Minneapolis, MN who was happy to see Governor Walz chosen to join Kamala Harris on the ticket. His impressions included, “Walz has been an amazing Governor and we are sorry to lose him. He has been able to reach across the aisle and accomplish many things including a free breakfast and lunch program for schools. He has actually worked for a living and understands the struggles the middle class faces every day.”

The POLITICO article, 55 Things to Know About Tim Walz, provides a lifetime of basic information. Walz was raised in Butte, Nebraska, a town of 400. He enlisted in the Army National Guard at 17. After college, he learned to speak Mandarin and traveled to China with a government sanctioned group to teach in Chinese high schools. Walz served in the Army for 24 years and retired as a Sergeant Major.

In MN, Walz taught geography and coached high school football. He was first elected to Congress in 2006 and re-elected five times in a mostly rural, conservative section of the state. In Congress, Walz was named the ranking member on the House Committee on Veteran’s Affairs. He often worked with Republicans to sponsor and pass legislation.

Walz is an avid hunter who is graded “F” by the NRA because of his forward-looking positions on gun control. In 2019, he ran for Governor of MN and defeated the Republican by 11 points. Walz was chosen to Chair the Democratic Governors Association, in 2023.

Walz has a theory that Trump-endorsed candidates “are weird,” and the voters are being turned off by their radical positions.

Republican Senator JD Vance. In OH, the Republican Attorney General has called Vance “A patriot and fighter for Ohio’s forgotten middle class.” A close friend from Columbus, Michele Wyatt, disagrees. She told me, “Vance’s move to OH was done to support his political aspirations. I think it is dangerous to have someone as ideologically fluid, with minimal experience, questionable ties, and unclear motivations hold the position of second-in-command.”

Returning to POLITICO, the article 55 Things to Know about JD Vance, is a similar in-depth study of Mr. Vance’s background. Vance grew up in a working-class family in post-industrial OH. He describes himself as a descendant of “hillbilly royalty” and was raised primarily by his grandparents. Vance wrote a bestselling memoir Hillbilly Elegy about his early years in Jackson, Ky. and Middleton, OH.

During the 2016 election, Vance emerged as a vocal critic of Donald Trump. In a TV interview, he stated “I am a Never Trump guy” and tweeted “my god, what an idiot.’” However, during Trump’s years as president, Vance came to support his policies. He voted for Trump in 2020.

After graduating from Yale Law School, Vance joined a venture capital firm run by the Silicon Valley Republican Peter Thiel. In 2022, Vance ran for and won the OH Senate seat, his first public office. He was endorsed by Trump and received over $10 million in donations from his employer.

During his brief time in the Senate, Vance has embraced the “new right” and has attempted to push the Republican Party in a more populist, nationalist, and culturally conservative direction. He is a leading critic of American support for Ukraine and has called the Democratic border policy “a deliberate strategy to kill Republican voters with fentanyl.”

In recent polls, Walz is clearly viewed as more experienced and more likeable than Vance. Vance has assumed the role of attack dog and Walz as a moderate Midwesterner. However, there is no evidence that either VP candidate will move the needle with Trump Republicans or Democrats that previously voted for Biden. Because more independents have an unfavorable view of Vance, like Sarah Palin in 2008, he could hurt the Trump ticket in the critical battleground states.

 

 

 

 

WASHINGTON COUNTY PROFILES IN COURAGE

  

In 1956, then-senator John F. Kennedy published a landmark book on the American political class that would win the Pulitzer Prize, Profiles In Courage. The book profiled eight Americans who placed courage and integrity above winning votes or retaining popularity to remain in office. The forward to the book tells us “These are not just stories of the past but hope and confidence for the future.”

In these times of political polarization, not just for the nation but also in Washington County, I have identified several local individuals who deserve to be profiled for their courage. One is a Washington County civil servant, who along with her office staff, were not elected to anything. Nonetheless, her work demonstrates courage and integrity every day. I have also profiled three local elected officials. 

Melanie Ostrander, Director, Washington Elections Office. Ostrander and her staff should have the most uneventful job of any county office. Supervising elections, processing mail-in ballots, training poll workers, securing voting equipment, keeping the public informed, and tabulating voting results have traditionally been conducted out of sight. Unfortunately, in recent years, the Washington Elections Office has come under attack and is often at the center of an ongoing political maelstrom.

Two factors are responsible for this unprecedented situation. First, in October 2019 Governor Wolf signed Act 77 into law. What were thought to be bipartisan election improvements on mail-in ballots and other matters have turned into a steady stream of bitter lawsuits to interpret the new election law. The Elections Office is often called upon to explain the actions taken by the three commissioners on the Election Board. It takes courage and integrity to keep the election process safe and secure in an environment of ever changing political and legal decisions made by others.

Second, for the last four years, local, state, and national Trump supporters have made her job a living hell. Numerous matters concerning local elections including voting machines, certification of vote counts, to mail-in ballots have come under fierce attack.

A well-organized group of election deniers show up at commissioners’ meetings and at Ostrander’s office to demean her important work. The encounters inexplicably included two “exorcisms” performed by the radicals. Rather than resign or back down in the face of hostility, she professionally implements the newest procedures and prepares for the next election.

Eugene Vittone, District Attorney. Eugene Vittone served as district attorney from 2012 until his untimely death in 2021. He was a proud Republican who was first elected at a time when Democrats still controlled local government. However, once in office, his sole objective was to serve all citizens.

In my experience, Vittone always did what he thought was best – no matter the political consequences. One evening he called me to discuss a project important to him. When he casually mentioned he had terminal cancer, it was not to gain sympathy. He wanted to make sure his work was completed before he passed.

A statement from the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association captures the courage and integrity of Mr. Vittone.

“Gene will be remembered for the tremendous contributions he made for the betterment of his community and profession. Humble and unassuming, Gene worked tirelessly to make Washington County and Pennsylvania safer. He was forward thinking in developing policy initiatives related to elder abuse and to mitigate the horrors of the opioid epidemic. Gene was a pioneer in utilizing prescription drug drop off boxes and Narcan to save lives that are now part of his legacy.”

Larry Maggi, Commissioner. Maggi is currently serving his sixth term as a Democrat commissioner. He has consistently been a watchdog of the public purse. Maggi is known for his integrity and courage in standing up for what he believes.

Rather than enjoy his retirement, Maggi was concerned about the harm that an inexperienced and unprincipled Republican majority could cause. Last November, he again ran for office. Over the last nine months, he has exposed and fought against numerous decisions by the Republican commissioners that are non-transparent, wasteful, undemocratic, and against the tenants of good government.

Maggi’s annual Christmas party is a rare example of encouraging bipartisan goodwill.  He invites elected leaders and county workers from both political parties to meet and reflect on their mutual mandate to work for and improve Washington County.

Diana Irey Vaughan.  For 28 years, Diana Irey Vaughan served as an elected Republican representative to the Washington County Board of Commissioners. When she was elected chairperson in 2019, Diana wanted to implement her long-held conservative and Christian values with honor and professionalism. She knew she could work with Democrats to keep Washington County’s economy flourishing and to improve local government.

Unfortunately, the Washington County Republican Party was taken over by the radical election deniers of Donald Trump. Diana’s positions were attacked, and her role as party leader was challenged. Irey Vaughn refused to agree with, manage, or manipulate the more threatening and outrageous elements of the Republican base to garner their support.

Ultimately, Irey Vaughn decided that her lifelong values to help those in need would be better served far from partisan political infighting. She did not seek reelection and, in 2003, became Director of the Washington City Mission where her experience will be invaluable.

Residents are fortunate that the above public servants have performed their duties for Washington County with courage and integrity. Each of them gives us hope for the future.

 

 

 

 

A WEEK IN THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY

 

When our friends floated the idea of an end of summer getaway to the Shenandoah Valley, we immediately agreed. On a beautiful week following Labor Day, it was time to get reacquainted with this rustic, historical part of Virginia.

The other couple had access to a condominium in the Massanutten Resort, conveniently placed on a mountain top in the middle of the valley. Nearby is an entrance to the Shenandoah National Park that includes the Skyline Drive, one of the most scenic drives in America. Opened in 1935, the park encompasses nearly 200,000 acres along the Blue Ridge Mountains. Skyline Drive offers a peaceful, slow-paced experience, as commercial trucks are not allowed in the park.

Massanutten was going through its annual transformation from summer to fall, shutting down the numerous outdoor pools as our week progressed. In several months, the resort becomes a popular ski resort with multiple runs throughout the mountain. There are two golf courses, several indoor recreation centers, tennis/pickle ball courts, hiking trails, and a water park available for guests. In late October, viewing the mountain fall foliage becomes a popular activity.

Interstate 81 cuts through the center of the Shenandoah Valley which makes it readily accessible to visitors from Washington via Interstates 79/ 68. The valley is 140 miles long and dotted with numerous small cities and towns, each with a rich history to offer tourists. There are plenty of activities for the serious or casual hiker, those interested in Civil War history, foodies, and those who like spending hours in regional antique malls.

The Shenandoah Valley contains a number of geologically significant limestone caves. The most famous are the Luray Caverns, designated a National Natural Landmark in 1974.

The Appalachian Trail winds through the region, including a long stretch within Shenandoah National Park. Maps available online highlight hiking trails that range from a short stroll in the woods to long excursions. Canoes and kayaks offer a refreshing way to experience the beauty of the valley on the James, Maury, Middle and Shenandoah Rivers. Black bears are common, and there seemed to be as many white-tailed deer as tourists.

At the time of the American Revolution, the Shenandoah Valley was still considered the American frontier. According to Wikipedia, “The Great Wagon Road”, later known as the Valley Pike, became the major thoroughfare for immigrants moving by wagons from Pennsylvania and northern Virginia into the backcountry of the southern states.”

The Shenandoah Valley was a major theater of the Civil War (1861–1865), with hundreds of skirmishes and engagements, including twenty battles. The valley's strategic location and economic importance made it a target for both Union and Confederate armies. For the Confederacy, the area was the backdoor for raids into Maryland, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania. Because of its strategic location, it was also the route for northern campaigns to attack the Confederate capital in Richmond. In the northern section of the valley, “the region’s settlers were deeply divided over their loyalties which led to bitter partisan fighting.”

In 1996, Congress designated eight counties in the valley as a National Battlefield Site. The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District preserves and interprets the region’s eleven more significant Civil War battlefields and related historic sites.

The Virginia Museum of the Civil War is located in the small town of New Market. It is connected to the New Market battlefield which commemorates hostilities that took place on May 15, 1864. The Museum also honors students as young as 15 years old from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) who fought in the battle. An Emmy-winning short film, Field of Lost Shoes is shown every hour to explain the battle and the role of the cadets. The 300-acre battlefield with walking trails features an historic farmstead with original structures and scenic overlooks of the Shenandoah River.

The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley is located in Winchester. The main attraction is the Glen Burnie House that founder James Wood settled in 1735.  In the 1950s, the 214-acre property was renovated and transformed into a beautiful estate surrounded by six acres of formal gardens. The home is furnished with a large collection of decorative arts. The complex became a public museum in 1997.

The town of Staunton offers the visitor historic sites, many dining options and unique shops. Staunton is the birthplace of our 28^th president, Woodrow Wilson. His childhood home is the current location of Wilson’s Presidential Library and Museum. Staunton is also the home of Virginia’s Scenic Railway. It offers two excursions through the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains.

This commentary has only touched upon the many attractions in the Shenandoah Valley. One of our favorite pastimes was exploring the many back- country roads and finding a lavender farm, antique establishment, or barbecue joint around the corner. Reading a book and taking a nap in the cool mountain air was a highpoint for me.

 

 

300-acre battlefield park with walking trails

 

 

 

300-acre battlefield park with walking trails

Historic farmstead with original structures several buildings to explore

Two scenic overlooks of the Shenandoah River

0300-acre battlefield park with walking trails

Historic farmstead with original structures several buildings to explore

Two scenic overlooks of the Shenandoah River

-acre battlefield park with walking trails

Historic farmstead with original structures several buildings to explore

Two scenic overlooks of the Shenandoah River

 

 

 

 

 A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BETH ISRAEL CONGREGATION

In June, one of the most historic houses of worship in Washington County, Beth Israel Synagogue, passed into history. The aging congregation with fewer members did not require a large facility. AMVETS (American Veterans) purchased the property to move its national headquarters to the synagogue building.

 Marilyn Posner, Beth Israel congregation member and past president, provided me with much of the background for this commentary. I knew I was in good hands because Mrs. Posner had been a reporter and assistant news editor for the Observer-Reporter and won several national and state writing/editing awards. In 1991, she painstakingly researched and wrote the 100-year history of Beth Israel.

Between 1881 and 1924, over two million Jews fled persecution and economic hardship from Eastern Europe to the United States. Washington County offered an inviting environment to raise a family and to worship. At one time, synagogues existed in all of the small river towns throughout the Monongahela Valley. With each passing year, additional Jewish retail establishments opened their doors on Main Street in the City of Washington and throughout the county.  

Washington’s Jewish community first held regular religious services at the home of Nathan Samuels on West Chestnut Street. The Samuels’ home soon became inadequate for the growing Jewish population. Two other locations were rented for a larger gathering place.

In 1891, Washington welcomed its first formal spiritual leader, Rabbi Jacob Goldfarb of Lithuania. He would serve the congregation for its first 50 years until 1941. Under his guidance, $4,500 was raised to build the first permanent Washington synagogue at North Franklin and West Spruce.

Beth Israel—the House of Israel—was the name chosen by the founding leadership. This congregation would become a source of prayer, education, faith, and consolation for the generations of Washington Jews who followed. In 1901, thirty-two men signed the original charter that was approved by the Washington County Court of Common Pleas to incorporate the congregation.

As the Washington Jewish community continued to grow, additions to the original structure could not keep pace with the demands of the larger congregation. After the Depression and World War II, the leadership took up the idea of building a new, expanded synagogue for congregational use.

Finally, in 1952, the 50th Anniversary of Beth Israel, a building campaign was initiated that resulted in the construction of the existing structure on North Avenue. On September 4, 1955, a farewell service was held at the old synagogue. At the conclusion, the congregation removed the sacred Torahs and marched to the new Beth Israel. The building’s cornerstone was a solid piece of marble quarried from the Judean hills of Israel.

On a weekend in December 1955, the public was invited to an open house to admire the new building. An astonishing 4,000 guests toured the facility. Beth Israel was truly a vibrant part of the Washington community. Over the years, programs on interfaith study were scheduled with Christian Ministers. Washington Community Theater and other groups used the auditorium/gymnasium for their programs. Beth Israel was living up to its potential in all respects.

I asked Mrs. Posner for her impressions on the status of Beth Israel when she first moved to Washington in 1972. She remembered that there were many young families with more than 50 children in the Sunday school. In addition to the Sabbath, the congregation held religious services during the week. Beth Israel was home to numerous Jewish charitable organizations and youth activities.

As time went on, demographic and occupational trends influenced the number of Jewish families in Washington County. According to the Virtual Jewish Library, “Children raised in smaller Pennsylvania towns began moving to cities with larger Jewish communities. Educated children did not return to the small family businesses.” In addition, shopping malls replaced many Main Street retail establishments.

Mrs. Posner recalled a more recent event with both great sorrow and pride. On Saturday, October 27, 2018, eleven Jewish worshipers were gunned down at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Some of the slain had relatives and friends at Beth Israel.

The following Friday night, at the regular Beth Israel Sabbath service, a memorial program was held that included speakers from Pittsburgh. The Washington Christian community and other supporters showed up en masse to mourn with the Beth Israel congregation. It was the final time that the main sanctuary was filed to capacity with rows of extra chairs to accommodate the many citizens who came to express their grief.

With the closing of the synagogue, Mrs. Posner has recently filled her days by finding good homes for the historical and religious materials accumulated by Beth Israel. The Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives, housed at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, accepted many important documents and artifacts. This program preserves the documentary history of Jews and Jewish communities of Western Pennsylvania, allowing them to be accessible for future research. Various prayer books and the synagogue’s many library books were distributed to public libraries, colleges, universities, prisons, other congregations, youth groups, and individuals.

While the ownership and use of the synagogue has changed, the remaining Jewish community continues to exist by holding regular Sabbath services on Zoom with attendees from across the country praying together.

Over the years, the building that housed Beth Israel played an important role in the religious and civic development of Washington County. This important history deserves to be remembered.