Southeastern Virginia: Chesapeake • Norfolk • Portsmouth • Suffolk • Virginia Beach
Archives
This month’s attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan is a stark reminder that antisemitic threats are real. The attack on the same day at Old Dominion University, though not targeting the Jewish community directly, hit close to home and underscores the...
A view from Israel / First Person While we knew there was a chance a war might break out, our nephew and niece were having a baby, and we were meeting our sister and brother in Zichron Ya’akov to celebrate. Zichron, as the Israelis call it, is an idyllic, small...
(JTA) — The director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center resigned on Tuesday, March 17, citing his objection to the Iran war and claiming that Israel tricked the United States into entering. “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,”...
(JTA) — Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a U.S. citizen who immigrated from Lebanon 15 years ago, armed with rifles and smoke bombs, who rammed into Temple Israel on Thursday, March 12 encountered a synagogue that was well prepared for just such an attack. He hit and...
(JTA) — A shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security since Feb. 14 is halting the review of millions of dollars in security funding for nonprofits, leaving Jewish institutions and other vulnerable groups in limbo at a moment of heightened concern about...
Israeli Chef’s Table - Wednesday, April 22, 7 pm Sandler Family Campus Yom Ha’Atzmaut - Sunday, April 26, 12 – 3 pm Sandler Family Campus As Israel continues to face a difficult moment, the bond between the nation and Jewish communities around the worldfeels...
How will the history of the Holocaust be told when the last witness, the last child or grandchild of a survivor has passed away? The records of the Holocaust are preserved in archives throughout the world. And sometimes archives are able to take an active role in...
A beautiful, high-end fancy seder plate might be the perfect centerpiece at the table. Other times though, the attraction might radiate from the memories of a beat-up, or a child-made, or an artistic piece that when placed on the table, manages to bring loved...
Compiled by Konikoff Center for Learning Looking for a Passover seder to attend this year? Check out these options and make a decision soon to secure a spot, as Passover begins at sundown on Wednesday, April 1. B’nai Israel Congregation Anyone who would like home...
Each Passover, families gather around the seder table to retell the story of the transformation of a people moving from oppression to freedom and into a renewed sense of responsibility to one another. That spirit of renewal is guiding a meaningful partnership between...
The Simon Family JCC welcomed families for Operation Hamantaschen on Sunday, March 1 – transforming the building into a vibrant hub of Purim celebration and connection. As families arrived, long rows of tables with rolling pins, flour, and an assortment of...
For 10 days in February, audiences across Tidewater gathered in theaters not just to watch films, but to experience them together. The 33rd Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, presented by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and the Simon Family JCC, transformed...
Virginia Beach – Spencer Zahn, 87, passed away in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on January 25, 2026. Born in Princess Anne County in 1938, he resided in Chesapeake, Virginia for over 50 years. Spencer retired from Civil Service as an auditor 32 years ago and...
Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, was set on fire predawn on Saturday, Jan. 10. Thankfully, no congregants or staff were injured, and the building was unoccupied at the time. The synagogue did have a security camera system, a fact which assisted in the...
Thanks to an emergency security matching grant from The Tepper Foundation, which is distributed through Jewish Federations of North America, and with the addition of contributions from community members, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater is able to make...
Over the past two months, an all too familiar scam has reared its ugly head again. In this case, it involves someone spoofing a local sheriff’s or police department’s office phone number to call a potential victim. The caller usually tells the recipient that they have...
(JTA) — The suspect arrested for allegedly setting fire to a Mississippi synagogue on Saturday, Jan. 10 confessed to the FBI that he had targeted the congregation due to its “Jewish ties.” Stephen Spencer Pittman was charged on Monday, Jan. 12 with maliciously...
In a letter sent earlier this month to all Virginia K–12 school superintendents and school boards, Attorney General Jason Miyares urged them to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism into their codes of conduct and...
“Electrifying,” is how Annie Sandler, JDC president, enthusiastically describes Buenos Aires and other parts of Argentina. One of her first trips as president of JDC, the leading global Jewish humanitarian organization, was to travel to this South...
Community advocacy strengthens security, combats antisemitism, and builds lasting relationships. Tuesday, Feb. 10, Richmond As the 2026 legislative session of the Virginia General Assembly gets underway this month, one message is clear: showing up matters. That’s why...
I was honored to represent the City of Virginia Beach at the 2025 Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism, convened by the Combat Antisemitism Movement, December 2 - 4 in New Orleans. The summit brought together local and national elected officials to better understand the...
Tuesday, Jan. 27, 7 pm, Sandler Family Campus For International Holocaust Remembrance Day, German historian Thomas Kemper will visit Tidewater to speak about his discoveries while investigating the history and fate of the Gonsenhauser and Bachenheimer families during...
My father, Gustave Hershkovitz, was born April 24, 1931, in Colojvad, Transylvania, the younger of Rozalia Lazar and Fred Hershkovitz, my grandparents, two children. His was a very religious family and he fondly remembered going to synagogue with his beloved...
The Jewish Education Project, an organization with the mission to inspire and empower educators to create transformative Jewish experiences, last month announced its annual Shine A Light on Antisemitism Civic Courage Award recipients—individuals across the United...
The Jewish community is taught from an early age that giving back is not optional. Values such as tikkun olam and tzedakah shape how families show up for one another and how the community strengthens Jewish life for future generations. In retirement, those same values...
Russell “Russ” Cronin recently joined Tidewater Jewish Foundation as its new chief operating officer and vice president of operations. Cronin brings strong professional expertise and a local connection to the organization’s leadership team. Raised in Virginia...
The opportunities for engagement for retirees and seniors presented by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and the Simon Family JCC are plentiful and varied and designed to offer something for nearly everyone. The Senior Club, for example, meets once a...
A Virginia Beach native, Beth Koonan Dorsk retired as a hospice nurse in 2025. She agreed to share with Jewish News some of her reasons for retiring and how it’s working out. Jewish News: Where were you educated? Beth Koonan Dorsk: Flagler Medical Assistant...
Camp JCC wrapped up another successful Winter Camp to conclude a fun-filled 2025. More than 45 children attended the camp during the two weeks of school holiday closures, enjoying the “Camp JCC Winter Lodge,” with each day featuring a special theme, including Snow...
February 15 - 25 The Virginia Festival of Jewish Film returns for its 33rd year with a fresh slate of films that spans history, suspense, and true‑life heroism—from the Yom Kippur War saga The Stronghold to the international sports thriller Tatami, the October 7th...
An informative program, Israel in Focus: Hamas’ War – Truth and Consequences, featuring internationally respected scholar and military analyst MAJ. John W. Spencer, USA (Ret.), took place on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at the Sandler Family Campus. Presented as part of the 15th...
The spirit of Hanukkah was alive and glowing at Aviva Pembroke on Thursday, Dec. 18, as seniors and their families gathered for a celebration filled with food, laughter, and togetherness. The Hanukkah party was a collaborative effort hosted by Beth Sholom Village,...