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This issue of Jewish News is Stephanie Peck’s last as assistant editor. She joined the paper in July 2023 and made the decision several months ago to step away from the hectic world of newspaper deadlines. The paper appreciates that she offered to remain at her desk...
Earlier this year, Hampton Roads Community Foundation celebrated its 75th anniversary with an event at the Chesapeake Conference Center.“Now more than ever, America’s non-profit sector is an absolutely critical component in the democratic and economic framework that...
As we complete another incredibly successful year at Tidewater Jewish Foundation, I am heartened by the faith, trust, and confidence that is placed in us to safeguard personal heritage ideals.This past year, we grew our assets under management by 17%; 2% better than...
Written and illustrated by “Bub,” Eight Fairy Nights is crafted to nurture a meaningful and fun Hanukkah experience.The story captures the magic of Hanukkah and illuminates the importance of “standing up for what we believe.”The book engages children intellectually...
When I wrote my first piece about Nobody Wants This in Jewish News (December 2024), I analyzed its first season through the lens of the Argentine film Transmitzvah. In that essay, I highlighted how the film treated Judaism with humanity — characters who make mistakes,...
A collector of Judaica and a lifelong Norfolk resident, Clay Barr has launched an initiative with Chrysler Museum of Art to cultivate a permanent Judaica collection at the museum.When asked why a Judaica collection is important to the Chrysler Museum at this moment,...
Twelve Beth El congregants, led by Rabbi Yoni Warren, Rabbi Jacob Herber USCG, and Admiral Herm Shelanski, Ret., were treated to a special morning minyon aboard the USS Harry S. Truman on Thursday, Oct. 30.Some may recall when the Truman was commissioned in 1998. Now,...
Just in time for Thanksgiving, the BeAR Literacy Project partnered with Southern Packing Corporation to donate 16 turkeys to the Norfolk Federation of Teachers. The turkeys were set aside for retired school employees, including teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria...
Eighteen teens from Tidewater BBYO attended Eastern Region’s annual L’Dor V’Dor Convention outside Asheville, North Carolina. The convention, which took place in mid-November, was Eastern Region BBYO’s largest gathering since the start of COVID, with more than 180...
New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth R. Hyman was a featured speaker of the Lee and Benard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival on Thursday, Nov. 6 at the Sandler Family Campus.Hyman shared the story behind her new book, The Girl Bandits of the Warsaw Ghetto,...
This Thanksgiving season, Jewish Family Service of Tidewater extends heartfelt gratitude to the many volunteers who stepped forward to ensure that individuals and families in the community did not go without a holiday meal. Thanks to the generosity and dedication of...
Nearly 250 members of Jewish Tidewater gathered at the Simon Family JCC for this year’s Community Impact Day on Sunday, Nov. 23. Students from Congregation Beth El, Ohef Sholom Temple, and Temple Emanuel attended Religious School at the event instead of their usual...
International Kallah is where BBYO members from across the globe come together to explore their Jewish identity and learn about their shared Jewish heritage, all while enjoying adventures in a beautiful camp setting. It takes place for 20 days during the summer at the...
Camp JCC is not just an excellent summer camp, it is a place where children, teens, and young adults connect, build community, learn, play, and grow with each other throughout the year. The skills, friendships, memories, and joy of Camp JCC are not limited to two...
This Sukkot, Jewish Family Service celebrated the holiday’s spirit of gratitude and community by launching its “Fill the Sukkah” Food Drive — an initiative that combined tradition with tzedakah. Instead of decorating a traditional sukkah this year, JFS invited...
The online world can be confusing and scary for people of all ages. That is why on Wednesday, Sept. 17, Secure Community Network’s Regional Security Advisor for Tidewater, Mike Goldsmith, spoke with the JCC Senior’s Club about recognizing common scams. Protecting...
Sunday, November 2, 4 - 7 pm Rabbi Rosalin Mandelberg has been weaving her unique and essential thread in Jewish Tidewater’s tapestry with steadfast grace and love for more than 20 years. As senior rabbi at Ohef Sholom Temple, she has led with wisdom, devotion, and...
Program launches November 1 Jewish Family Service helps local Jewish families of all ages. Many of these families are single parents coping with financial challenges. Here is one such story, written on behalf of a JFS client: A young mother approached JFS for...
Saturday, November 8, 7 pm Congregation Beth El will celebrate 175 years of Jewish life in Tidewater with an evening featuring music, food, drinks, and highlights of the past 175 years – as well as insights into the future. This evening is for celebrating...
As 2025 winds down and Jewish Book Month marks its 100th year, the final stretch of Tidewater’s Jewish Book Festival offers a meaningful way to gather in community, reflect on the year behind us, and celebrate the stories that connect us. The conversation...
Sunday, January 11 Ohef Sholom Temple Jewish Family Service will host a special luncheon to celebrate the remarkable legacy of the Hebrew Ladies Society of Tidewater. Established in 1902, this pioneering group of women laid the foundation for what would later become...
Friday, November 21 10 am – 12 pmSandler Family Campus Jewish Family Service will host its annual Thanksgiving Drive the Friday prior to the holiday, offering people in need to pick up a free Thanksgiving meal through its drive-up pantry. To volunteer to help...
Tuesdays, 10 am -12 pm Sandler Family Campus Every other Thursday 10 – 12 pm, Aviva A combined knitting and crocheting group, Knots for Kindness is open to beginners and experienced makers alike. All are welcome. All projects — scarves, lap blankets, and full-sized...
Sunday, November 23, 10 am - 12 pm Sandler Family Campus Members of the Tidewater community will come together next month for Community Impact Day, a morning dedicated to learning, giving, and strengthening community connections. Now in its second year, the event will...
VIRGINIA BEACH - Lawrence Edward “Larry” Bress passed away peacefully on October 9, 2025, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Born in Norfolk on November 26, 1942, to Lewis and Bertha Bress, Larry was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and brother whose warmth,...
NORFOLK - With profound sadness, we announce that Bettie Minette Cooper, age 87, died on October 14, 2025. Minette was born on December 23, 1937, in New York City, N.Y. to Louis Leyens Switzer and Bettie Kleisdorf Switzer. She was raised in a family that valued music,...
VIRGINIA BEACH - Marsha Hirschler, 80, passed away at her home surrounded by family, on October 7, 2025. She was preceded in death by her father, Jack Thornton, Sr., mother, Ruth Thornton, and brother, Jack Thornton, II. Born in West Virginia, Marsha grew up in...
NORFOLK - Samuel Sandler, 59, passed away peacefully on October 6, 2025, surrounded by the love of his family. Born on December 7, 1966, to Jack and Jacqueline Sandler, Samuel grew up in a home filled with warmth, humor, and strong family values. He will be remembered...
VIRGINIA BEACH - With profound sadness and deep love, we announce the passing of George Walter Stein on October 7, 2025, at the age of 83. George was a devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather, and valued friend to many. George is preceded in death by his...
In sanctuaries across the nation, in fact, across the globe, rabbis and cantors spent much of the recent High Holidays speaking about the rifts – the competing views – that exist within their congregations concerning Israel, Gaza, and the political divides in the...
Editor: Ever since Oct.7, 2023 this country (and around the world) has seen a strong upsurge in antisemitism. Much of this originates with right-wing white supremacists and the left Muslim pro-Palestinian sectors. But a large contingent also comes from...
JTA) — On the second anniversary of the Hamas massacre, Israelis grappled with how to mark the date which overlapped with the first day of Sukkot, when Jewish tradition requires festivity. The government postponed official remembrances until the day after the Simchat...