Month: April 2012

Archives

Locals celebrate Sukkot in their home sukkah 

Locals celebrate Sukkot in their home sukkah 

Sukkot – also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths – celebrates the fall harvest and commemorates the Israelites’ 40 years of wandering in the desert after their Exodus from Egypt. The week-long Jewish festival is celebrated by building, dwelling, and...

A Bissel of Yiddish | A bissel of Yiddish for Yom Kippur

A Bissel of Yiddish | A bissel of Yiddish for Yom Kippur

A combination of High German and Hebrew, Yiddish is a language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews.  In Tidewater, the Yiddish Club is embracing Yiddish culture, language, and history with music, film, poetry, and literature at its monthly meetings. For...

Sukkot 5786

Sukkot 5786

Jewish Tidewater celebrates Sukkot with an array of events throughout the region. All listings are open to the public.  Chabad of Tidewater Community Sukkot Dinner and Dessert in the Sukkah   Monday, October 6, 7:30 pm Suggested donation $18/person RSVP:...

A joyful splash to end the summer

A joyful splash to end the summer

Families of all ages gathered at the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus for the annual End of Summer Shabbat Dinner and Pool Party on Friday, August 22. Hosted by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, the multigenerational event brought together more than 150...

Mini-Golf fundraiser was a big success

Mini-Golf fundraiser was a big success

On Sunday, September 14, I hosted a charity mini golf fundraising tournament at the Sandler Family Campus. We had 25 people show up to play and donate to Jewish Family Service.  The tournament was split into three rounds. The first round was a normal round, and...

Harry Graber guides JCC Seniors Club through Chrysler Museum

Harry Graber guides JCC Seniors Club through Chrysler Museum

Even in retirement, Harry Graber, former executive vice president of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, continues to be an active and beloved presence in the community. His dedication has never wavered, and he remains committed to sharing his time, talents, and...

Community Commemoration of October 7

Community Commemoration of October 7

Monday, October 6 9 am Sandler Family Campus Join Tidewater’s Shinshinim, Noga Yaniv and Yarden Lahan, in the Sandler Family Campus Sukkah for a heartfelt morning of remembrance and reflection. The program will begin with a short ceremony, honoring the memory of the...

Hebrew Ladies Charity Society to be honored at luncheon 

Hebrew Ladies Charity Society to be honored at luncheon 

Sunday, January 11 Ohef Sholom Temple Jewish Family Service will host a special luncheon to celebrate the remarkable legacy of the Hebrew Ladies Charity Society of Tidewater.   Established in 1902, this pioneering group of women laid the foundation for what...

JFS preparing for Thanksgiving Drive

JFS preparing for Thanksgiving Drive

Friday, November 21, 10 am – 12 pm Jewish Family Service will host its annual Thanksgiving Drive at the Sandler Family Campus when community members in need can pick up a free Thanksgiving meal through its drive-up pantry.   Those who wish to volunteer to help...

Chanukah Gift Drive launch

Chanukah Gift Drive launch

Begins Friday, October 31  Jewish Family Service is launching its annual Chanukah Gift Drive to support families in need this holiday season.  Beginning October 31, JFS will begin accepting donations of gifts and monetary contributions. The deadline is...

From Sinai to Seinfeld: Jews and their Jokes returns

Course begins: Monday, November 3 • 6:45 pm • online Taught by Dr. Amy K. Milligan, From Sinai to Seinfeld: Jews and Their Jokes, a Melton course presented by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Konikoff Center for Learning, is back by popular demand.Originally...

Artist inResidence weekend planned at Temple Israel

Saturday, November 15 at 9:30 am and 7 pm Sunday, November 16, at 10 am Get ready for a super weekend as Temple Israel hosts Jordan Gorfinkel, or “Gorf,” for its Artist in Residence weekend.Gorf, a former editor of the Batman comics series and author of the Passover...

Read along with BeAR: One hour each week can change a child’s life

Be A Reader (BeAR) Literacy Project pairs caring adults with second graders in under-resourced schools for one-on-one reading time. For many of these children, the attention, encouragement, and joy the mentors bring during that single hour a week is more than just...

Dinner and mushroom art workshop with artist and author Bill Wurtzel

Tuesday, Sept. 16, 6 pm, Sandler Family Campus Award-winning artist Bill Wurtzel is set to share his remarkable journey from a playful breakfast to international acclaim. What began 64 years ago as a funny meal for his wife, Claire, has blossomed into seven books,...

One God, many meanings: A journey through Jewish monotheism

What does it mean to say, “God is One?” This simple phrase, central to Jewish belief, opens the door to a rich tradition of interpretation. From the biblical declaration of the Shema to the philosophical writings of Maimonides and the mystical teachings of the...

Virginia Beach election system presentation planned

Monday, September 22 • 6 – 8 pm • Princess Anne High School Virginia Beach City Councilmember Joash Schulman will hold a District 9 community meeting to explain and discuss the local election system referendum. Representatives from the Virginia Beach City Attorney’s...

Mazel Tov!

Ilana Peck and Meir Leibler were married on August 5 at Luciana Restaurant in the Mamilla Mall, in an intimate outdoor chuppah overlooking the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.An earlier wedding had been planned for June, but the war with Iran forced a...

William Jeremy Baughan

NAGS HEAD, N.C. - William Jeremy Baughan, known as Billy, passed away on August 14, 2025, surrounded by family and loved ones. He was 50 years old.Billy was the beloved son of Michele Baughan Robbins and Perry Robbins. He is survived by his cherished daughter,...

Susan Margolin Brewer

NORFOLK - Susan Margolin Brewer, 88, passed away peacefully on August 5, 2025.Born on September 30, 1936, in Baltimore, Maryland, Susan was the daughter of Ellis and Hilda Margolin. She pursued her education at the University of Maryland, laying the foundation for a...

Julie Wendy Comess

VIRGINIA BEACH - EJulie Wendy Comess, passed away on August 18, 2025.She was born on September 29, 1967, to Sonya C. and Alan B. Comess, and lived a life dedicated to the service of caregiving, education, and advocacy.She graduated from Norfolk State University with a...

Timothy Cooper

NORFOLK - On July 23, Timothy Cooper lost his battle with a series of overwhelming illnesses, leaving a multitude of friends, relatives, and former members of the Naro Expanded Video to fondly remember this extraordinary man.With highly developed interests that...

Dorothy Stavin Goldman

VIRGINIA BEACH - Dorothy Stavin Goldman, known by most as “Dottie,” passed away peacefully on August 10, 2025, surrounded by her loving family.She courageously battled cancer since 2019. She fiercely fought with strength, bravery, determination, and plenty of humor...

Abe Goldstein

EDMONTON, ALBERTA - It is with deep sorrow, enduring love, and immense gratitude for the time we had together, that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, Zaidie, and friend, Abe Goldstein.Abe passed away surrounded by the love of his family — his...

Dr. Howard Kesser

NORFOLK - Dr. Howard Kesser, beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and devoted husband, passed away peacefully at the age of 91 on August 26, 2025.Born on May 9, 1934, to Leah Salsbury Kesser and Clifford Kesser, Howard lived a life marked by dedication—to...

Phillip Morton Levy

Cocoa Beach, Fla. - Phillip Morton Levy passed away on August 26, 2025, at the age of 94, surrounded by the love of his family and memories of a well-lived life.Born in Newport News to Nathan and Sara (Sassi) Levy, Phil’s generous spirit, unwavering integrity, humor,...

Babette Odessky Lustig

VIRGINIA BEACH - Babette Odessky Lustig, beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully on August 18, 2025, at the age of 98, surrounded by her family.She was born on December 9, 1926, in Reading, Pennsylvania, to Alice and Bernard Lustig....

JDC’s president reports on global initiatives

It’s now been 18 months of “on the ground” visits since I began my presidency of JDC. One of my personal goals when I took office was to visit the global communities we serve, especially those I had not previously visited. In my first year I visited Israel three...