Virginia Beach – Gerald Maury Hankin, better known as “Jerry,” a man of unwavering determination and boundless generosity, passed away peacefully on February 21, 2026, at the age of 80, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Born on December 30, 1945, in Camden, New...
Month: June 2014
Archives
Arnold “Arnie” Unterbach
Virgina Beach – Born in Brooklyn in 1946, Arnie Unterbach died on Mach 9, 2026. Arnie was the son of Louis Unterbach and Hilda Saltzman, both of whom immigrated from Warsaw Poland in 1927. Arnie’s first career was as a jazz bass player and toured with the USO...
Andrea Weiss, trailblazing Reform rabbi who merged scholarship and activism
(JTA) — Rabbi Andrea Weiss, a former provost of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion who made history as the first woman to ordain rabbis in the Reform movement, has died. Weiss died on Tuesday, March 3 surrounded by family at her home in Lower...
My family runs to our safe room when the sirens sound. I try to believe it’s enough.
MODIIN, Israel — To get a sense of what life is like in Israel these days, consider the circumstances in which air raid sirens have caught me over the last several days: Reading the Purim megillah in a school bomb shelter near my synagogue. We closed the door when the...
In JFNA’s first ‘State of the Jewish Union’ address, security and antisemitism loom large
(JTA) — Speaking from Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Feb. 19, the president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, Eric Fingerhut, laid out his assessment of the state of Jewish life in America. “The state of the Jewish union in America is strong,...
Thank you to our supporters who recently donated to Jewish News!
Supporters of Jewish News help keep local Jewish journalism alive at a time when it feels as if it is disappearing almost everywhere else. Jewish News appreciates all who support the newspaper with generous contributions – whether in honor of or in memory...
Mike Goldsmith shares security expertise with community
After 35 years of service on the Norfolk Police Department fighting crime as a police officer, advancing through the ranks to become Norfolk’s Chief of Police, then on to a second career as an Assistant City Manager for Norfolk, Mike Goldsmith was more than entitled...
7 years in prison for praying at the Western Wall? Netanyahu’s coalition is threatening a war on Jewish unity
(JTA) —During the recent Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations’ mission to Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded that Jews around the world stand strong and unified in support of Israel and against antisemitism. “Fight, fight, fight,” he...
KBH sells building, creates endowment
And with stroke of a few pens, it was over! The closing documents were signed, the checks issued, and Kehillat Bet Hamidrash/Kempsville Conservative Synagogue (KBH) was officially a congregation without a building – yet with a new endowment fund. After...
State of the Foundation: Securing Jewish life in Tidewater
The State of the Union. The State of the City. Most people have heard of or attended gatherings like these, where leaders reflect on the present and make projections about the future. Last month, Tidewater Jewish Foundation did just that. Board members gathered...
Jewish hockey star Jack Hughes’ overtime goal propels US to historic gold medal in Olympic hockey
(JTA) — Jewish hockey star Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal Sunday, Feb. 21 to clinch a gold medal for the U.S. men’s hockey team, its first since 1980. The New Jersey Devils star center, who had scored twice in Team USA’s semifinal win, sent the puck...
Investing in futures: JELF helps local students afford college –interest free
Applications for the 2026-2027 Academic Year accepted through April 30 In 2025, JELF (Jewish Educational Loan Fund) loaned $2.3 million in 0% interest loans to almost 500 students, allowing Jewish students to pursue higher education without the burden of...
Inspired at JFNA’s General Assembly
I have recently returned from the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) annual General Assembly (GA) in Washington, D.C., where Tidewater had a strong delegation of both lay leaders and United Jewish Federation of Tidewater professional staff. We joined more than...
Thank you to our supporters who recently donated to Jewish News!
Supporters of Jewish News help keep local Jewish journalism alive at a time when it feels as if it is disappearing almost everywhere else.Jewish News appreciates all who support the newspaper with generous contributions – whether in honor of or in memory of friends or...
Trump’s new White House ballroom architect is a Jewish immigrant who has advocated for refugees
(JTA) — After parting ways with the first architect hired to carry out his vision for the White House’s East Wing, President Donald Trump has picked a replacement — turning to a firm run by a prominent Jewish architect who once called on Trump to keep the country’s...
NYC rabbi who spurred anti-Mamdani push turns his criticism toward Jews and Israel at Zionist gathering
(JTA) — In the lead-up to New York City’s mayoral election last month, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove emerged as one of the most outspoken rabbinic critics of Zohran Mamdani, the anti-Zionist activist who is now the mayor-elect.On Monday, Dec. 8, speaking to a convention of...
Ambivalence is not leadership when Jews are targeted
The protest outside Park East Synagogue in New York was not a complicated sociological moment. It was a group of demonstrators shouting slurs, taunts, and explicitly hostile language at Jews entering a house of worship.That should be the starting point for any...
A lesson in Tikkun Olam at Jewish Family Service
When you hear the phrase Tikkun Olam—healing the world—you might picture simple acts of kindness: delivering meals, visiting the sick, or donating clothes. That’s what I imagined too when I joined the Jewish Family Service board in 2020. But I quickly realized I had...
Feldman Family Scholarship honors two recipients for 2025
When Dr. William and Mary Feldman created the Feldman Family Medical and Health Professional Scholarship Fund through Tidewater Jewish Foundation, their goal was to unite two lifelong passions, Judaism and medicine, by supporting Jewish students pursuing healthcare...
Frank Gehry, renowned architect who began life as Frank Goldberg
(JTA) — Frank Gehry, a Jewish architect who became one of the world’s most renowned innovators in his field for his contributions to modernist architecture, including the famed Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, has died at 96.His death following a brief respiratory...
Glenn Saucier retires from role at Sandler Family Campus
After serving as the facility director of the Sandler Family Campus for more than 18 years, Glenn Saucier will retire on Dec. 31, 2025.The Sandler Family Campus houses the offices of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Simon Family JCC, Jewish Family Service,...
Year-end decisions, opportunities, and possibilities
While bidding farewell to 2025, many may have free time during these final weeks to address tasks that have been put off for the last 11 months. Whether it’s crunch time for finances, shopping for last-minute Hanukkah gifts, or making plans for New Year’s Eve, Jewish...
It’s the most wonderful time of the year….to tip!
Year-end is a good time to remember those people in our lives, besides family and friends, who play a part in our daily activities. According to the Emily Post Institute, which has been weighing in on proper etiquette for five generations, during the holidays it’s...
2026 Annual Campaign on track for successful fundraising year
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s 2026 Annual Community Campaign kicked off in August and has been raising funds at a steady pace since. As this article goes to press, the campaign total has surpassed $4.3 million, well on its way to a $5.2 million goal.The...
Stephanie Peck says goodbye to newspaper deadlines
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...
Hampton Roads Community Foundation celebrates 75 years of philanthropic service to the community
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...
The will to build, together
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...
One of this year’s Hanukkah kids’ books offers a new sort of fairytale,z
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...
Faith is not a supporting character
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,...
Chrysler Museum of Art takes steps to build a permanent Judaica collection
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,...
USS Harry S. Truman Torah moves to a temporary home at Beth El
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,...
BeAR and Southern Packing deliver holiday goodwill
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...