May 27, 2024 may have been memorable this year because it was Memorial Day, but it also marked yet another milestone for Lois and Barry Einhorn as they completed 29 years (save for the pandemic) of “reading on the radio” for The WHRO Voice. For those of you unfamiliar with this FREE service, The WHRO Voice is a streaming radio service for individuals who are blind, visually impaired or have other conditions preventing them from reading standard printed material. Volunteers either read LIVE in the studio or record from home from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, with several readings (like The Virginian Pilot and the Daily Press) rebroadcast each evening. In addition to readings from local and national newspapers, depending on the day of the week, you can even catch a short story or even the grocery ads!
Just go to whro.org/voice or ask your smart speaker to “play The WHRO Voice.”
When Barry and Lois retired from Barry's dental practice 29 years ago, they were looking for something (else) to fill their hard-earned free time. They were somewhat familiar with The Voice from an old friend from their acting days at the Norfolk Little Theater and decided to give it a try. From their first sign-on as “I'm Barry, I'm Lois and we're the Einhorns,” they knew immediately they had made the right choice. For 29 years, on the second and fourth Mondays of every month, you could find them in the WHRO studio, taking turns reading The Virginian Pilot. That's 29 years of volunteering for an unknown audience, never knowing if anyone was even listening!
On June 6, they finally got their answer at a WHRO volunteer luncheon where Bert Schmidt not only presented them each with a certificate of recognition (and a WHRO jacket) but also invited two listeners to speak about how much The Voice has meant to them over the years. Barry and Lois describe it as among the most rewarding efforts they have undertaken in their lives.
Typically, Barry and Lois have been wonderful ambassadors for The Voice, recruiting other Temple Israel members to read: Cantor Aaron Sacknoff, of blessed memory, was a reader; Hal and Jeanette Juren read The Virginian Pilot; Richard Yanku reads the Daily Press; and Wendy Brodsky records the grocery ads remotely (which allows her to take her “readings” on the road to Denver, Nags Head, New York and even Jerusalem!)
The WHRO Voice coordinator James Holzer is always on the lookout for new readers; if you have an interest, any of the current volunteers would love to talk to you or you can reach Jim at james.holzer@whro.org or 757-889-9379. Just say the Einhorns sent you!
*Article was first published in Temple Israel Bulletin. Reprinted with permission.