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Passover is a uniquely Jewish holiday, with four cups of wine, matzah, 10 plagues, and the central Seder plate. Though traditions and rituals vary among families and different cultures, the Passover story, retold each year, celebrates freedom during the Exodus from...
Looking for a seat at a seder or a way to learn more about Passover in Tidewater? Check out this listing to see all that is taking place for the holiday around town. ✡Chabad of Tidewater Passover SedersSeders are led by Rabbis Margolin and BrashevitskyFirst Night...
Sunday, May 5, 6:45 pm Temple Emanuel The Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater invites the community to attend the annual Holocaust Day Remembrance, Yom Hashoah.The Commemoration will feature survivor and scholar Dr. Mordecai Paldiel, a...
Sunday, April 14Cinema Café, Kemps River Something is happening for everyone on Sunday, April 14. While the rest of the family participates in Sunday Fun Day, middle school aged children can enjoy time at the movies with friends while the visibility of eye rolls will...
Sunday, April 28, 10 am, Temple Emanuel The Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Tidewater Community Book Club will continue with its second book, The Great Partnership: Science, Religion and the Search for Meaning, which was a National Jewish Book Awards Finalist. Rabbi Sacks was...
The smell of fresh cookies baking filled the Sandler Family Campus on Sunday, March 10 for the annual “Operation Hamantaschen” PJ Library event.Children, parents, grandparents, and friends put on colorful aprons, pushed up their sleeves, and dove into the delicious,...
Rabbi Israel Zoberman with his certificate of “surviving” 50 years (1974-2024) in the rabbinate. He received an Honorary Life Membership from the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) at its national convention last month in Philadelphia, Pa.In recognition of...
Sunday April 14, 1 – 4 pm Sandler Family Campus Gather friends and family and head to the Simon Family JCC for an afternoon of spring-themed games, music, crafts, and a sweet treat. Come see familiar faces and meet new ones.This event is hosted by PJ Library in...
As the school year wraps up, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Be a Reader (BeAR) Literacy Project will honor its amazing mentors at the End-of-Year Mentor Appreciation Luncheon. This event is all about saying thank you for the incredible work the BeAR mentors...
Sunday, May 19, 12-3 pm, Sandler Family Campus An afternoon for community members of all ages filled with all-things-Israel where attendees can learn more about Israeli people, art, music, food, and history through myriad activities led by Camp JCC, the Tidewater...
Thursday, May 16, 7 pm, Sandler Family Campus, $54 or $72 with a signed book Israeli Chef, Yaniv Cohen, also known as The Spice Detective, will prepare and serve an exclusive menu. Dinner will include an Israeli wine bar and an opportunity to hear how growing up in a...
Wednesday, May 22, 1 pmCypress Point Golf Course It’s been a long time since Ohef Sholom hit the links, but congregants and friends are about to have the opportunity to swing the clubs together again for a fantastic cause – the temple. The Ohef Sholom Temple Kiddush...
More than 400 Jewish leaders and professionals from 65 communities (including 10 from Tidewater) traveled to Washington, DC in January to meet with more than 190 members of Congress (or their legislative aides) to advocate for legislation that supports Israel, combats...
Jews have been celebrating life-cycle milestones for what seems like forever – with events often including traditions dating back for what also seems like forever. . .or at least several centuries. While the significance of a bar or bat mitzvah or Jewish wedding may...
Susan Byrne of Catering Concepts recently happened upon a bag of yamakas (kippot) – all from events where she had been the caterer. “It was fun to find them and have all of the memories come flooding back,” says Byrne. “Seeing those yamakas reminded me of viewing...
Members of Tidewater’s two BBYO chapters – Old Dominion AZA and Simcha BBG – attended last month’s BBYO International Convention in Orlando, Fla.
“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” – Albert Einstein We all want to feel that we truly make a difference. Participating in the Be A Reader (BeAR) Literacy Project of the United Jewish Federation Tidewater is an easy and rewarding way to accomplish...
“Strong legs, long life.” This is the mantra voiced by Tom Purcell during the LifeFit class he leads on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at the Simon Family JCC. It is just one among many positive thoughts Purcell shares during every class – all promoting fitness and...
Those who weren’t in Casablanca on Saturday, Feb. 3 missed out. Temple Emanuel’s Casablanca-themed Casino Night was the place to be and the numerous Ingrids and Humphreys in attendance can attest to that. It was an energetic, delicious, fun night on the town. Leslie...
A strengthening Jewish presence is emerging at Old Dominion University – one that is quickly confirmed by all the activity on Old Dominion University’s Hillel’s accounts on Instagram and Facebook. ODU’s vibrant Jewish community is promoting a greater understanding and...
For the first time since Jewish News created its website in 2012, we’ve built an all new, easy-to- navigate site with loads of information that is both timely and that dates to the 1940s. The address remains the same: www.JewishNewsVa.org. When the site was first...
Old Dominion University’s basketball game on Thursday, Feb. 22 featured the Simon Family JCC Youth Basketball League during halftime. The popular JCC basketball youth league, now more than 60 years old, played on the ODU home court to an entertained crowd that cheered...
Thanks to our generous community, the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater (UJFT) has raised almost $4.8 million since October 7 to support humanitarian, emergency, and wartime needs through the UJFT’s Tidewater Supports Israel Emergency Fund. The second largest...
Since the start of 2024, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Young Adult Division has been bustling with activity, bringing together members for fun, meaningful, and community-building activities by holding events for families and young adults. So far this year,...
As the opening of Aviva Pembroke gets closer, excitement continues to build within the community. Operated by Beth Sholom Village, Aviva Pembroke plans to be open this October. The already strong demand for Aviva Pembroke underscores the appeal of its amenities,...
October 7th changed a lot about Jewish life in Israel and the diaspora. Conversations that used to be challenging have become even harder. Students have become confused, conflicted, and pulled by various narratives not knowing what to think. Jewish students have...
Jewish Federations of North America on Wednesday, Feb. 21, led 16 American Jewish organizations in a joint letter to members of the House of Representatives reaffirming their support for the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of...
Dear Editor, Thank you so much for accepting my article to the Jewish News on the new Keilim Mikvah, the mikvah for immersing vessels. I have received several comments on how much people appreciated seeing this article featured and knowing that we have made the mikvah...
Israel’s war with Hamas has resulted in vocal and aggressive anti-Zionism and antisemitism across the globe. Many American Jews lack basic knowledge about Israel to converse with certainty about the sole democracy in the Middle East. Beginning with this column, in...
On the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 7, a delegation of committed and proud Jews – ranging from ODU students to retirees – boarded a double-decker bus at the Sandler Family Campus in Virginia Beach destined for Richmond. There, we met up with other Jewish delegations...
Thursday, March 21, 5:45 pmThe Westin Virginia Beach Town Center Laura Geringer Gross is one of this year’s honorees for The Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities’ (VCIC) 60th annual Tidewater Humanitarian Awards. Individuals and organizations who have made...
While in Bucharest, Romania with JDC earlier this year, Annie Sandler was recognized by the Romanian government with Romania’s “Grand Officer of the National Order for Merit.”The ceremony took place on International Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27. Sandler was...