SARASOTA, Florida - Renee Fritsch passed away after a brief illness on October 28, 2025, at age 93. Renee and her beloved husband Bob celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary in June, and their life together was transformative. Renee grew up in the Catskills in...
Month: August 2014
Archives
Sandra Jean Smith
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. - Sandra Jean Deziel Smith, age 73, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, died at Sentara Albemarle Medical Center, on October 14, 2025. Born in Minneapolis, Minn., on August 2, 1952, to the late Frederick T. Deziel and Dorothy A. Johnson...
Phyllis Wallach Steen
VIRGINIA BEACH - Phyllis Steen passed away peacefully the morning of October 24, 2025, after a long illness. Earlier that week, she told her caregiver she was tired and wanted to “go be with Harvey,” her husband of 69 years whom she lost unexpectedly in...
Jewish Artists of the Past
Legacy 2025 L’ Dor V’Dor – From Generation to Generation Opening: December 6, 6:30 pm Sandler Family Campus Talk: Sunday, November 16, 4 pm Jewish Museum and Cultural Center Legacy 2025: Hampton Roads Jewish Artists of the Past arrives at the Simon Family Jewish...
Susan Stamberg, iconic Jewish ‘founding mother’ of NPR
(JTA) — When Susan Stamberg first sat behind the microphone to host a newfangled broadcasting venture called National Public Radio, in 1972, some board members had a concern: She sounded too Jewish. Though that wasn’t quite how they tended to phrase it, recalled...
An emotional reunion for all
I am sure you, like us, are filled with emotion after seeing the 20 living hostages returned home to Israel and their families. We continue to pray for the imminent return of the remaining hostages and for their families and loved ones to be able to give them...
Letting go: Jews retire yellow ribbons, dog tags, and other hostage symbols with gratitude and grief
(JTA) — Like most synagogues, Congregation Beth El in South Orange, New Jersey added new rituals after the Oct. 7,2023 attacks that killed 1,200 in Israel, saw another 251 taken hostage, and launched a grinding war between Israel and Hamas. The...
October 7 remembrances
Throughout the world, the nation, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and Tidewater, events took place marking Oct. 7, 2023 –recalling the horrors of that day, while praying for the safety and release of the 48 remaining hostages still in Gaza at the time.In addition to the...
Congregation Beth El marks 175 years
Synagogues have always been the roots of a Jewish community. Wherever Jewish people have gone, they have gathered for communal prayer and congregational support. Jewish community provides a feeling of home in this big, often scary world. For...
The story of Chuck and Donna
When I joined the Jewish Family Service board in 2020, I thought I knew what JFS was all about. Helping out in the community? Sure. Supporting seniors? Absolutely. But wow—I had no idea how deep their work really goes. I hadn’t even heard of PAM! I figured it was just...
Beloved family business closes its doors after 86 years
Since 1939, inventions such as nylon stockings, twistie ties, and microwave ovens have entered everyday life, not to mention cell phones and the internet. Fifteen presidents have resided in the White House and men have landed on the moon and spent months in space. And...
Planning with purpose: Estate Planning matters more than you think
October is National Estate Planning Month and marks Donor Advised Fund Day — an ideal time to begin planning Estate planning is one of those tasks people tend to put off — until life reminds them why it matters. That’s why Scott Alperin, J.D., founder of Alperin Law...
Blake Sisler joins UJFT staff
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater recently announced the addition of Blake Sisler as the new coordinator of Youth and Family Engagement. Sisler will oversee PJ Library and Shalom Baby programs as well as support Jewish learning initiatives offered through the...
Jewish Book Festival 2025: Celebrating Jewish Book Month at 100
As the Tidewater Jewish community welcomes 5786 and looks ahead to marking a century of Jewish Book Month, the Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival launches its first half with a vibrant mix of events that reflect the spirit of renewal, resilience, and...
Get ready for the 3rd Annual Strelitz Fall Festival
Sunday, October 26, 11 am – 3 pm, Sandler Family Campus At Strelitz International Academy, fall is a season bursting with joy, tradition, and community spirit. From decorating the sukkah and harvesting the school’s vibrant Fall Garden to exploring handson seasonal...
Beth El set to celebrate 175th anniversary
Saturday Nov. 8, 7 pm Congregation Beth El is planning to 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. Synagogues have always been...
Personal nutrition services now available at Simon Family JCC
Julie Giarrana, a registered dietician who recently started offering personal nutrition services at the Simon Family JCC, originally got to the Center by responding to an ad for a substitute yoga instructor. It was Giarrana’s nutrition background, however, that caught...
Make Judaism Your Superpower’ at Temple Israel
Saturday, Nov. 15 and Sunday, Nov. 16 With the help of Artist in Residence Jordan Gorfinkel – “Gorf” to his many (and soon to be more) fans – Temple Israel will present a weekend in November of doing just that. And who could be more qualified to talk about...
We Are One: Tidewater’s first Partners in Jewish Life gathering
Sunday, October 27, 7 pm, Sandler Family Campus United Jewish Federation of Tidewater invites every member of the community – every stream, and every story – to come together as one Jewish people for the inaugural Partners in Jewish Life (PJL) evening, presented by...
Charlotte Cooper Corey
NORFOLK - Charlotte Cooper Corey, some knew her as ‘CHICK,” has gone ‘Home” to dance once again with her beloved husband, Donald Leigh Corey. She was 92 when she passed and often spoke of what a wonderful life she had. She was anxious to join her friends and...
Robert P. James
PORTSMOUTH - Robert P. James, 87, passed away on August 25, 2025. Robert was born in Portsmouth, Va. He retired as a school bus driver after many years of service. He leaves to cherish his memories his only child, Nakita James, who will miss him dearly. A...
Ariel Joel Lazier
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Ari Lazier passed away unexpectedly on September 26, 2025. He was born in Norfolk, Va., to his loving parents, Jay and Nancy Lazier. He was 44 years old. He was a brilliant and voraciously energetic man who lived those years with...
2025 Virginia General Election Jewish Voters’ Guide
The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Greater Washington and Washington Jewish Week produced a Virginia General Election Jewish Voters’ Guide for the 2025 statewide races. This publication provides information about the candidates running for Governor,...
Jewish Book Festival 2025
For more than 40 years, this annual celebration of Jewish writers, books, and ideas has brought together bold voices and fresh perspectives. From Israel and her neighbors to Jewish tradition, from comedy to cuisine, from telling history to telling YOUR story, there...
Hope and joy in 5786
As we enter this High Holiday season of reflection and renewal together, I am reminded that these holidays invite us to pause, look inward, and reconnect—with our traditions, our communities, and with our loved ones. This year, more than ever, we are reminded of the...
Stay Safe
The High Holiday season is a sacred time for worship, reflection, and joy. It begins on the evening of Monday, September 22. “Our synagogues will see significant numbers of congregants coming to connect with their faith and the larger Jewish community,” says Mike...
Kehillat Bet Hamidrash marks new chapter with joyful relocation to Sandler Family Campus
Puts out welcome mat to new congregants With music, prayer, and community spirit, Kehillat Bet Hamidrash (KBH), Kempsville Conservative Synagogue, has entered a new chapter in its nearly five-decade history On Saturday, September 6, KBH held its first Shabbat service...
A journey of hope:reflections from my trip to Israel
This summer, I traveled to Israel for my niece’s wedding. It was a joyous occasion, full of laughter, dancing, and the kind of celebration that reminds us what it means to live fully and proudly as Jews. Surrounded by family, I felt the timeless bond that ties us to...
Introducing Next Gen 757:A new era for young Jewish adults in Tidewater
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Young Adult Division (YAD) has a new name and a new way of doing business. Now officially rebranded as Next Gen 757, this bold new identity reflects its mission, its members, and the vibrant future UJFT is helping to shape in...
Locals celebrate Sukkot in their home sukkah
Sukkot – also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths – celebrates the fall harvest and commemorates the Israelites’ 40 years of wandering in the desert after their Exodus from Egypt. The week-long Jewish festival is celebrated by building, dwelling, and...
A Bissel of Yiddish | A bissel of Yiddish for Yom Kippur
A combination of High German and Hebrew, Yiddish is a language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. In Tidewater, the Yiddish Club is embracing Yiddish culture, language, and history with music, film, poetry, and literature at its monthly meetings. For...
Sukkot 5786
Jewish Tidewater celebrates Sukkot with an array of events throughout the region. All listings are open to the public. Chabad of Tidewater Community Sukkot Dinner and Dessert in the Sukkah Monday, October 6, 7:30 pm Suggested donation $18/person RSVP:...