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In 1925, Fanny Goldstein, a Jewish librarian at the Boston Public Library, decided Jewish books and Jewish pride deserved celebration. She created a display of Jewish books at the West End Branch, launching the first Jewish Book Week. By 1927, Jewish communities...
Nunez Fine Jewelers, located at Hilltop in Virginia Beach, is celebrating a milestone anniversary this year. For 20 years, this family-owned business has offered personalized service, on-site repairs, and quality custom work. Pete Nunez, the store’s...
A combination of High German and Hebrew, Yiddish is a language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. In Tidewater, the Yiddish Club embraces Yiddish culture, language, and history with music, film, poetry, and literature at its monthly meetings. For...
As 2025 winds down, now is the ideal time to revisit personal charitable giving strategy. Legislative changes and shifting tax thresholds can affect how to give and how far dollars go to make a difference. “The close of the calendar year is when charitable and...
Former editor of the Jerusalem Post and senior fellow at the Jewish People’s Policy Institute, Yaakov Katz returned to Tidewater on Thursday, October 23 to discuss Israel’s Blind Spot – Understanding Hamas. The evening’s conversation was based on Katz’s recent...
They’re at it again! Local Mah Jongg Mavens Amy Levy and Stephanie Calliott are on a mission to make sure everyone has the opportunity to learn the game. With their contagious enthusiasm, Mah Jongg is fast becoming a multigenerational favorite — and now it’s the next...
The first installment of the Judaism and the Arts series invited participants to explore both the meaning and the beauty of one of Judaism’s most familiar symbols: the mezuzah. Attendees first learned about the history, symbolism, and spiritual significance of the...
Middle School programming began this year with the Middle School Movie Night on Saturday, October 25. After a pizza dinner, the participants melted various chocolate combinations over their popcorn and enjoyed more sweet, salty, and chewy treats throughout the...
Residents of Aviva Pembroke joined community members for the launch of Knots of Kindness, a knitting and crocheting circle in partnership with Jewish Family Service of Tidewater and Aviva Pembroke on Thursday, October 16. The gathering was filled with warmth,...
As food prices continue to rise and benefits such as SNAP decrease, more neighbors are struggling to put meals on the table. In fact, Jewish Family Service’s Food Pantry has seen a significant increase in visitors—people who never imagined they would need to ask for...
Rick Mersel is the author of All Revved Up and Ready to Go: My Life in Concert. He is a featured author 2025 Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival. Mersel will join his business partner and fellow Tidewater native Jessica Gordon for a conversation about...
Thursday, December 11, 7:30 pm There’s a story behind everything, and in December, master storyteller Corey Rosen will help people in Tidewater discover the power and joy of sharing theirs. A writer, performer, and longtime host for The Moth StorySLAM in San...
Over three warm and engaging Thursday mornings this summer, the Simon Family JCC became a hub of reflection and connection for parents. Led by Rabbi Aryeh Kravetz, the “Bagels & Balance” series invited participants to explore the art of positive parents, focusing...
The Israel on Campus Coalition’s (ICC) National Leadership Summit (NLS) is a three-day conference open to Jewish college students across the country, with the aim to “address today’s critical issues and inspire student leaders.”This year, the largest gathering of...
The phrase that best describes the recently completed Camp JCC Summer 2025 is “tremendous growth.” In addition to the number of campers this past summer, “tremendous growth” refers to the growth of the Camp JCC program over the past five years.In summer 2025, more...
This past June, I participated in the Jewish Federation of North America’s 2025 LGBTQ+ Pride Month mission to Israel, the first trip of its kind in nearly a decade. I joined nearly 100 LGBTQ+ Jewish leaders representing 26 Jewish Federations from across North America....
For five hot days, July 27 - August 1, TeamVB’s four-person squad competed against delegations from across the country, plus Ukrainian, Israeli, and Canadian delegations at the JCC Maccabi–Access Games in Tucson, Arizona.Returning athletes from Tidewater joined...
New Jewish Community Services Manager for Jewish Family Service Julie Kievit with her family: Ken, Alexandra, and Ruby. Julie Kievit Jewish Family Service of Tidewater recently announced the appointment of Julie Kievit as its new Jewish community services...
Jewish Family Service has long been the safety net of Tidewater’s Jewish community—but it all began with a group of determined women.In March 1902, the Hebrew Ladies Charity Society was formed when Fannie Brenner gathered a small group of Jewish women to create a...
Monday, October 27 • 7 pm • Sandler Family Campus United Jewish Federation of Tidewater will host its first Partners in Jewish Life program – an evening that promises to be a meaningful opportunity for Jewish community members of all backgrounds to gather in learning...
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...
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...
Thursday, September 18 • 7 pm • Webb Center, Old Dominion University Old Dominion University’s Institute for Jewish Studies and Interfaith Understanding and ODU Hillel will welcome Shye Klein, a photographer and NOVA survivor of October 7, whose work documents the...
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...
Thursday, October 23 • 7:30 pm • Sandler Family Campus Acclaimed author and former Jerusalem Post editor-in chief Yaakov Katz will be in town to discuss his new book, While Israel Slept. In the book, Katz delivers a gripping account of how years of complacency, flawed...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...