VIRGINIA BEACH – Ida Sara Rines, beloved daughter, sister, aunt, friend, co-worker, cat mom, and pure soul passed away peacefully on October 15, 2026. She spent her remaining days in the care of hospice, just a few houses down from Point O'View Elementary School,...
Month: December 2014
Archives
Jay Jacob Selter
VIRGINIA BEACH – Jay Jacob Selter, a devoted father, esteemed electrical technician, and cherished member of his community, passed away on September 18, 2026, in Virginia Beach.Born on November 29, 1952, in New York, Jay lived a full and meaningful life, passing at...
2027 Super Sunday brings Jewish Tidewater together to learn, play, act, and give
Sunday, October 11, 12 - 3 pm, Sandler Family Campus Tidewater’s Jewish community will gather for a very special Super Sunday this month. 2027 Super Sunday is a day dedicated to learning, family fun, volunteerism, and giving, while connecting with local and global...
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...
Hundreds rally at UN to urge world leaders to address antisemitism
(New York Jewish Week) —Hundreds of members of New York’s Jewish community competed against stand-still traffic, security details and dozens of black SUVs on the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 23 to reach Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza near the United Nations.Their plea? For...
$2 million endowment for new Curator of Photography at Chrysler Museum honors Germaine Clair, former Jewish News art director
A transformative $2 million gift from longtime Chrysler Museum supporter and former curator Brooks Johnson will establish an endowed Curator of Photography position at the Chrysler Museum of Art. The newly created Germaine Clair and Brooks Johnson Curator of...
Sixteen elections later, voting still matters
This election season marks my 16th election with United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Jewish Community Relations Council.Over those 16 election cycles, I’ve watched elections energize the community, spark debate, shape public policy, and help determine the...
Tidewater Ruby Lions celebrate philanthropy, legacy, and sisterhood
On a beautiful September afternoon, just days before Rosh Hashanah, Tidewater’s Ruby Lions gathered at Jodi Klebanoff’s home for a luncheon celebrating friendship, philanthropy, and the impact of women’s leadership.Alicia London Friedman, Women’s Philanthropy chair,...
Be A Reader is back to school
The High Holy Days just offered a time to pause, reflect, and think about the year ahead – how to do better, how to give more, and, hopefully, how to make a difference.Now it’s time to get busy!This is one of Be A Reader (BeAR) Literacy Project’s favorite times of the...
Honoring one’s father and mother
“Honor your father and your mother” is one of the most recognizable of the Ten Commandments – simple enough for a child to memorize, yet its sentiment sticks with many Jews far more into adulthood.Kibud av v’em, the Jewish obligation to honor one’s parents, doesn’t...
A partner in planning: How TJF helps advisors help their clients
Attorneys, financial advisors, and other professional advisors often begin some of their most important conversations with clients with a simple question: What matters to you?For clients who are charitably inclined, that question can open the door to planning that...
Synagogues face the challenge to be safe, secure, welcoming, and legal
In 2018, a gunman killed 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history.In the years since, some Jewish writers have argued that congregants should be able to protect themselves. Rabbi Stuart...
“I was fortunate to have that opportunity.” 25 years after 9/11, one local Jewish Marine remembers Ground Zero
On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, David Ashe was at home in Virginia Beach watching the Today Show while on terminal leave from the Marine Corps.He had recently completed his first active-duty tour and was stationed in San Diego. At the moment, however, Ashe was at...
Gloria Steinem, Jewish feminist trailblazer
Ron Kampeas(JTA) — Gloria Steinem, the trailblazing feminist who turbocharged the women’s rights movement’s second wave by casting the liberation of women as part of the broader project of eliminating other bigotries including antisemitism, died at 92 on Wednesday,...
A legacy of opportunity
Harry Mansbach, of blessed memory, believed that opportunity carried responsibility. His daughter, Sally Herman, remembers a father who understood how much circumstance could shape a person’s path. She says he believed those who had been fortunate had a responsibility...
Saying sorry: Observing Yom Kippur with little ones
Where Rosh Hashanah brings sweetness and celebration, Yom Kippur asks something different — stillness, honesty, and the harder work of reflection. For young children, that’s a tricky needle to thread. Three local families share how they’ve made it meaningful. Jennie...
Celebrating the Jewish Harvest holiday in Tidewater
Sukkot, which literally translates to “booths” or “huts,” is akin to a fall harvest festival. It’s a holiday that celebrates all God gives, both in terms of crops and shelter. Eating, dwelling, and even sleeping in the sukkah commemorates the time of Jews living in...
Yom Kippur: When “Impossible” becomes “I’m Possible”
There is something about Yom Kippur that makes time feel different. Perhaps it is the haunting melody of Kol Nidrei, or the fasting, or simply the knowledge that Jews around the world are standing before the same ancient questions: Who have I become? What have I taken...
Rabbi Levi’s newest trope sidekick is his own 13-year-old son
Conservative Jews like me who have read from the Torah for years either memorize the words, vowels, and musical notes…or trope…or just manage to get through typically a handful of sentences from an eighth of a third of the sedrah or weekly portion (the triennial cycle...
More than a summer goodbye
Families gathered at the Sandler Family Campus on Friday, August 21 for United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s and PJ Library’s annual End-of-Summer Shabbat.The celebration was originally planned as a pool party, but unexpected weather required a change of plans....
Mizrahi in Motion: Connecting through art, food, and movement
Two dozen or so women gathered to immerse themselves in Mizrahi culture on the evening of Sunday, August 23. The event was led by Jackie Dratch, creator of the Mizrahi Dance Archive, and organized by NextGen757, a community group for young Jewish adults ages 21 -...
Havdalah on the beach
It was another beautiful evening at the beach on Saturday, August 29, when 68 people (but who is counting) gathered in our backyard to celebrate Havdalah together.Known for separating the Shabbat from the ordinary weekdays, Havdalah is a joyful service and a great...
Senior Speaker Series features
Monday, October 19, 11 AM- 12:30 PM • Sandler Family Campus Dr. Louise B. Lubin Join Jewish Family Service for its Senior Speaker Series featuring Dr. Louise B. Lubin, Ph.D., presenting Decades of Memories: Honoring the Loss of Our Peers and Friends.Dr. Lubin, a...
A new BeAR year and a new school Annual kickoff
Thursday, October 8, 12 pm • Sandler Family Campus Sharpen the pencils, stack the books, and get ready: BeAR is heading back to school.The Be A Reader (BeAR) Literacy Project’s annual kickoff of the school year is part reunion, part training, part eating, and a whole...
JFS Dementia Cafe
Monday, October 12, 1 –3 pm • Sandler Family Campus Jewish Family Service invites caregivers and individuals living with dementia to join its monthly Dementia Café. Held on the second Monday of every month, the Dementia Café provides a welcoming, supportive...
Tidewater Community Shabbaton
For one weekend, the diverse Jewish Tidewater becomes one. The Community Shabbaton is a chance to step away from the busyness of everyday life and experience the joy of Shabbat alongside neighbors from across the community. Participants of all ages, backgrounds, and...
In Their Own Words: American Jewish History Through Autobiography
Begins September 22, Tuesdays, 11 am • Sandler Family Campus Led by Rabbi Michael Panitz, this 10-week seminar brings to life the stories of Jewish men and women whose lives, experiences, and contributions helped shape the nation. Through their own words, participants...
NextGen 757 Pop-Up Shabbat
There is nothing quite like sitting around a vibrant Shabbat table to remind of the power of the Jewish people. When showing up for each other at the table, the local community remains strong, connected, and thriving.Pop-Up Shabbat is supported by the Richard Glasser...
Conversational Hebrew with the Shinshinim
October 19-May 24, Mondays, 5 pm • Sandler Family Campus Join the Tidewater Shinshinim for weekly conversational Hebrew classes designed to help participants build confidence in speaking and understanding modern Hebrew. Through interactive activities, games, real-life...
A thriving Jewish community starts with a healthy community: JFS partners with JScreen
Thursday, October 29, 6 pm, Sandler Family Campus Jewish Family Service of Tidewater is partnering with JScreen to bring important genetic testing and education to Tidewater’s Jewish community. The event is an opportunity to learn more about genetic testing,...
Merle S. Becker
Princeton, NJ – Merle Louise Skoler Becker, 91, of Princeton, died on August 20, 2026, at Princeton Medical Center following a brief illness.Merle was born on June 6, 1935, in New York City to Sam Skoler, an accountant, and Dorothy Fraiman, a homemaker. Merle’s mother...
Edythe Colton Harrison
Boca Raton, Fla. – Edythe Colton Harrison, a Virginia civic leader, arts advocate, legislator, and political pioneer, whose career was closely identified with Norfolk and the development of performing arts in Virginia, passed away peacefully in the presence of her...