Cars started lining up down Corporate Woods Drive at 8 am on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, eagerly waiting for the Jewish Family Service Food Pantry to begin its Thanksgiving food distribution. Busy volunteers and staff were loading carts carrying bags of...
Month: December 2014
Archives
Another spirited Shabbat Project for Tidewater
The 2024 Tidewater Shabbat Project was once again a smashing success. The weekend began with the Travelling Chassidim leading Friday night services at B’nai Israel Congregation on Nov. 15. The synagogue came alive as everyone joined together in dance while singing the...
That’s A Wrap: Jewish Book Festival 2024
Over six weeks, the 2024 Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival brought together bestselling authors, emerging voices, and an audience hungry for stories. The festival began with a look into history, as novelist Rachel Beanland transported attendees back...
Catholic Church of St. Stephen creates holiday cheer for thousands
For the eighth consecutive year, clients at Jewish Family Service of Tidewater have been adopted by members of the Catholic Church of St. Stephen in Chesapeake. Carol Ehrbar, who coordinates this project for St. Stephen each year, helped collect more than 3,000 gifts...
Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day is just over a month away. Wondering why it is important to attend?
Wednesday, January 29, 7 am – 4 pm Sandler Family Campus to Richmond Date with the State, also known as Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day, provides an opportunity for the statewide Jewish community to come together to raise awareness around topics of importance such as...
‘Knitting for Others’ helps other keep warm
Tuesdays 10 am – 12 pm Sandler Family Campus A mighty group of knitters meets every week to create beautiful blankets, scarfs, and hats to donate to Jewish Family Service to be distributed to those who need an extra bit of warmth. The group welcomes knitters of all...
The Great Jewish Bookshelf: January’s picks
The Great Jewish Bookshelf is ready to inspire 2025 reading journeys, starting with an exceptional lineup for January. Beginning Jan. 1, subscribers will choose their first book from a selection of titles that touch on Jewish identity, history, and imagination....
Hanukkah stamp has an updated look
The United States Postal Service’s new Hanukkah stamp celebrates the holiday with an image of a hanukkiah, the nine-branch candelabra used on Hanukkah. Designed by art director and stamp designer Antonio Alcalá, the image was created in ink; the irregular lines of the...
An unfiltered look with Israeli photographer and IDF Reservist Shahar Dekel
Tuesday, January 14, 7:30 pm, Sandler Family Campus On the morning of October 7, Shahar Dekel and his now wife were fortunate to be away from their home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz. Many of their friends and neighbors, however, were not so fortunate and instead were killed or...
Stephen Lee Goldstein
Norfolk – Stephen Lee Goldstein, 83, passed away on Dec. 7, 2024 at home with his family by his side, after a long battle with chronic kidney disease. Steve was born in Norfolk on September 1, 1941 to the late Sol and Esther Goldstein. He graduated from Maury High...
Leslie Brown Zedd
Bethesda, Md. – Leslie Brown Zedd, born May 19, 1938, passed away peacefully on Friday, December 6, 2024, at her home. She was the daughter of the late Mary Wiener Brown and Oscar Abraham Brown. She was predeceased by her loving husband, Morton Miles Zedd, and her...
Frozen Flames proves to be an early hot Hanukkah night
More than 150 members of the 21-and-over Tidewater Jewish community and beyond gathered for Frozen Flames, a celebration of heritage, community, and inspiration on Saturday, Dec. 7. Held at the new Perry Glass Studio at the Chrysler Museum of Art, the event was a...
Maximize 2024 tax benefits with smart year-end giving
As the end of the year approaches, individuals and families are considering ways to maximize the financial benefits of their charitable giving. Tidewater Jewish Foundation offers guidance to help donors make informed decisions that align with their financial goals...
Women’s Philanthropy hosts an Israeli chef at its Annual Lion Tikva Chai Luncheon
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s 2025 Women’s Philanthropy Lion Tikva Chai Lunch took place on a cool, crisp day in the sunny and bright Fleishmann Lounge on the Sandler Family Campus. This annual lunch is a thank you for all women donors at the $1,800+...
Nadiv members tour USS Eisenhower
More than a young men’s fundraising group for United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Nadiv is a place to network, socialize, and learn about each other’s professional lives. On Friday, November 8, 12 Nadiv members toured the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. Jonathan Beha, a...
Philanthropy can start young
Some say it’s never too early to learn about generosity and tzedakah. That seems to be a prevailing philosophy for Alyson Gross and Michael Yaary, parents of two-year-old Asher. Instead of gifts for his recent birthday party, the Strelitz International Academy...
Seniors Club plans its annual holiday party
Wednesday, December 18, 12 pm YNOT PIZZA Landstown Commons Open to all JCC Seniors Club members and gamers, the Seniors Club annual holiday party includes a White Elephant Gift exchange (up to $10), for which all attendees should bring a gift. The Seniors Club...
Square Up for Maccabi Team Virginia Beach
In preparation for the 2025 JCC Maccabi Games in Tucson, Arizona, Team Virginia Beach is holding a fundraiser. . . Square Up for Maccabi. The 50/50 football square fundraiser involves no skill, talent, or knowledge of football, but it is an opportunity to win up to...
Increase your understanding of modern Jewish art
Sunday, Dec. 15, 2 pm, Chrysler Museum A renowned expert from Georgetown University, Ori Soltes, PhD, will offer a survey of 20th-century modern Jewish painting for the initial program of the Tidewater Jewish Visual Arts Advisory Board. The board was recently created...
Lev Ayzenshtok
NORFOLK - Lev Ayzenshtok, 86, passed away peacefully on November 4, 2024. Born in Russia in 1938 to Aleksander and Riva Ayzenshtok, Lev was a Holocaust survivor whose life was a testament to resilience and strength. After surviving the horrors of World War II, Lev...
Elizabeth I. Cohen
VIRGINIA BEACH - It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Elizabeth Ilene Ochs Cohen (Beth), who passed after a long illness on November 19, 2024 at the age of 72. A native of Norfolk, she graduated from Norview High School and spent most of her...
Beverly H. Diamonstein
NEWPORT NEWS - Beverly Hicks Diamonstein, the widow of the late Delegate Alan A. Diamonstein, passed away on November 10, 2024. When you think of Beverly, two things come to mind immediately. First, she lived the expression “she did everything a man did, only...
Lawrence Beryl Kreitzer
VIRGINIA BEACH - Lawrence Beryl Kreitzer, lovingly known as Larry to friends and family, passed away peacefully in his sleep on November 8, 2024 at the age of 81. Born on December 14, 1942, in Philadelphia to Harry and Selma Kreitzer, both of blessed memory,...
Reece Livingston
NORFOLK - Reece Livingston passed away on November 13, 2024 at the age of 90. He is survived by his loving partner, Merle Cogen; his children, Robin (Moss) Cohen (Durham, N.C.), Philip Livingston (Rehoboth Beach, Del.), and Barry Livingston (Buford, Ga.); his...
Martin S. Sheffer, Ph.D.
VIRGINIA BEACH - It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Martin Sheffer on November 19, 2024. He died peacefully, surrounded by family. He was 86 years old. Marty was born in the borough of Queens, New York City to the late Cecelia (Green) Sheffer and...
Arthur Frommer, ‘wandering Jew’ who launched a travel guide empire
(JTA) — Arthur Frommer, whose empire of travel guidebooks led one interviewer to call him the “quintessential wandering Jew,” died Monday, Nov. 18 at his home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. He was 95. Starting in 1957 with the bestselling Europe on 5...
Trump retakes presidency, heralding new era for the United States, its Jews, and its relationship with Israel
(JTA) — WASHINGTON — As midnight arrived on the East Coast, it appeared increasingly likely that Donald Trump would retake the presidency — a victory that would reshape the United States and that could change its relationship with Israel while ushering in an...
79% of Jews voted for Kamala Harris, according to largest preliminary exit poll
(JTA) — The first rule of exit polls is to be careful about interpreting early exit polls, which aren’t always accurate. The second rule is that, for now at least, they represent the best information we have about the question occupying Jews of all political...
JFS’s Chanukah Gift Program now accepting gifts for local Jewish children and teens
Jewish Family Service helps local Jewish families of all ages, including elderly people and their grandchildren. Here is one such story: A grandmother comes to JFS for help with her electric bill, and JFS provides the funds to keep her power bill current....
Mitzvah Projects deserve their own “Mazel Tov!”
Becoming a bar or bat mitzvah is a multi-faceted time for 13-year-olds and their families. Preparations for this special milestone include studying Jewish history and Hebrew, learning how to conduct a Shabbat service, interpreting a parsha, and applying its...
Mazel Tov! Beryl + Leonette Adler
Beryl Adler95 years old A retired estates attorney with Pender & Coward, Beryl Adler is a Norfolk native. He attended Taylor Elementary, Blair Junior High School, and Maury High School – all in Ghent. Married for 69 years to Leonette, whom he met at a dance at...
Mazel Tov! Lenny Brooke
Lenny Brooke 90 years old The former owner of Southern Packing Corporation, Lenny Brooke has been married to Ellie for 63 years and is nearly as active as ever. His son, Jeffrey Brooke says, “Even now after my father has turned 90, he still calls on a few customers...