October 7, 2023, changed us. The attack on our beloved Israel was truly soul crushing for our entire community. We followed the news hour by hour, spoke with friends and family in Israel, and prayed for their safety. Beyond October 7, seeing what was starting to...
Month: December 2014
Archives
Community commemorates October 7, 2023
Around the globe, Jewish communities held ceremonies, services, and other events in commemoration of the first anniversary of October 7. In Tidewater, Governor Glenn Youngkin declared October 7 as an official state day of remembrance for victims of the horrific...
Israeli family creates a home away from home in Tidewater
My name is Yoel, husband to Tali and father to Leo, Riley, and Kyla. A year ago, my family and I moved to Virginia Beach from Israel, but I write this today, still carrying the weight of the events of October 7th. I was born in Israel. My parents made...
After one year, “No, I’m not doing so well.”
(How are you?) מה שלומך? (What's up?) מה נשמע? These simple, innocent questions that we automatically use at the beginning of an interaction with someone we know have, since October 7, 2023, become loaded in Israel. With every phone call or conversation with my...
Lay leaders with legal degrees utilize their expertise for the community
Lay leaders are integral to the functioning of Jewish Tidewater. With multiple synagogues, day schools, and various agencies meeting myriad needs of the community, Jewish Tidewater’s lay leadership helps steer the missions and define the goals of each organization, as...
Generations at work together
Editor’s note: There was a time when it was practically expected that children would work in their parents’ business or profession when they reached adulthood. The nature of the business didn’t matter – from a mom-and-pop shop to a real estate office to a medical or...
Richard Tavss and Besianne Tavss Maiden: A model of appreciation of each other, their clients, and the future
At Tavss, Fletcher, Maiden & Reed, Richard Tavss and his daughter, Besianne Tavss Maiden, specialize in different areas of law, yet they communicate and share ideas multiple times each day. Both attorneys look forward to the next generation joining the firm, when...
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Simon Family JCC’s Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival 2024
October 28 - December 4 For more than 40 years, this annual celebration of Jewish writers, books, and ideas has featured authors from various backgrounds who have written about diverse topics. Featured author events allow the community to engage with bestselling and...
Guardianship and Conservatorship Summit hosted by Jewish Family Service
The first Guardianship and Conservatorship Summit, sponsored and presented by Jewish Family Service of Tidewater’s Personal Affairs Management Program, took place on September 24 at the Sandler Family Campus. Approximately 150 people from throughout Hampton Roads...
Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman’s poem, October 7, was included in the Congressional Record by Congresswoman Jen Kiggans on September 25, 2024.
Israeli painting is donated to United Jewish Federation of Tidewater
Boaz Kritchman, an Israeli with two adult children living in Tidewater, facilitated the donation of a painting last month to the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. The impetus for the donation, by his son, Lotan Kritchman, stems from a desire to remember...
From the Shtetl to the South: Explore your place in Jewish history
Class starts: Tuesday October 15, 11:30 am Sandler Family Campus How does your family’s history fit into the broader sweep of modern Jewish history? Were they recent immigrants or part of a long line of Jewish families? This fall, explore those connections in the new...
High Holiday Schedules 5785
Jewish News has compiled a list of High Holiday services taking place at local synagogues for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Contact synagogues for information about babysitting, live-stream, and Zoom services. B’nai Israel Congregation...
It’s like living in 2 realities at the same time’: Israelis navigate normal life amid danger and anxiety
(JTA) — TEL AVIV — As she read the news about a looming attack from Iran and its proxies, Adi Tamir faced a series of dilemmas: Should she go ahead with her weekend vacation on the banks of the Jordan River? Living in a town near Israel’s northern coastline — well...
Healing with tattoos and empathy
The journey to healing can take many roads. Two of those paths – therapy and art – intersected earlier this summer in Israel. Leyla Sandler participated in the process.A licensed, independent clinical social worker in Virginia and Washington D.C., Sandler has worked...
Brad Orsini on A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting documentary
Tuesday, September 10, 3:30 pm, Sandler Family Campus The national security director for Secure Community Network, Brad Orsini, will participate in a panel discussion following the showing of the HBO documentary, A Tree of Life: The Pittsburg Synagogue Shooting in...
TJF relaunches Life & Legacy Plus program
Kickoff event: Thursday August 15, 5:30 pm, Sandler Family Campus Life & Legacy, now branded as Life & Legacy Plus, is being relaunched by Tidewater Jewish Foundation. Life & Legacy Plus is a four-year extension of the partnership program of the Harold...
Christians United for Israel 2024 Summit
Last month, I attended the Christians United for Israel (CUFI) Summit. The event was a powerful demonstration of solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people, bringing together thousands of supporters from diverse backgrounds.From the moment I arrived, the atmosphere...
An archival journey through Tidewater Jewish history
“Cardboard is evil!” At least it is when it’s backing for a framed document from 1878. As a result, when the volunteers who staff the Archive at Ohef Sholom Temple came across a framed document from 1878 that was backed with cardboard, the document was removed from...
JCRC shares Holiday Calendar with local schools, businesses, and civic leaders
Each year, the Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater sends a five-year calendar and information about the Jewish holidays to school superintendents, principals, and business, civic, and arts leaders in Hampton Roads. A letter...
First Person – A secret weapon – Mitzvot Matter
I hear it over and over again – “Mi K’amcha Yisrael” – Who is like you the Jewish people?Enter the world of mitzvot – our secret weapon. How could that be? After all, what is a mitzvah? It’s a commandment in the Torah, which is 3,500 years old. How could doing a...
Myths vs. realities: Understanding Tidewater Jewish Foundation
Guided by the principles of tzedakah (charity) and tikkun olam (repairing the world), Tidewater Jewish Foundation is dedicated to creating permanent resources for the Jewish community. The many facets of community involvement in which TJF is engaged have caused some...
Meet Tidewater’s new Shinshinim
Tidewater is starting its third year working with the Jewish Agency for Israel, hosting Shinshinim (Israeli Emissaries) to bring Israeli culture, knowledge, and experiences to people of all ages. Shinshin is an acronym for Shenat Sherut – a year of service given by an...
Strelitz International Academy awarded prestigious VAIS Accreditation
An independent school serving students from infants and toddlers through kindergarten and then to 5th grade, Strelitz International Academy recently earned full accreditation from the Virginia Association of Independent Schools.Founded in 1973, VAIS is the leader in...
SIA receives TJF grant for Stop the Bleed and first aid kits
A recent Tidewater Jewish Foundation grant enabled Strelitz International Academy to purchase 50 enhanced emergency first aid and Stop the Bleed kits, significantly improving and enhancing the school’s emergency preparedness and response capabilities.In addition to...
Nixon’s resignation viewed through Israeli papers
Fifty years ago this month, 16 teens from Tidewater were experiencing a trip of a lifetime. . . their first to Israel. The month-long adventure was just after 1973’s Yom Kippur War, adding to these teens’ acute awareness of politics and news.It’s not such a surprise...
Building more than bridges
Children signing brachot in American Sign Language (ASL). Students harmonizing with hand-drumming while singing Oseh Shalom. Kids laughing while playing drama games they learned at day camp. ASL interpreters at community events. What’s going on?Sharon Serbin is going...
Summer with a Jewish twist
Cheering on favorite Olympians isn’t the only fun had this summer. There’s been plenty of pool and beach time, along with trips to a variety of exotic, and even more not-so-exotic (yet perfect), destinations. For some in Tidewater, time away also incorporated a Jewish...
Zachary Cohen’s bar mitzvah in Lisbon
After a tumultuous journey of delays and lots of preparation, my family touched down in beautiful Lisbon, Portugal. We were met by family from all over the world. Relatives reunited from South Africa, Israel, the UK, and Florida around a delicious dinner spread at...
A taste of Israel in NYC
Visiting five of New York City’s buzzing foodie hotspots to indulge in an exclusively curated tasting menu of Israeli delights, was a treat we won’t soon forget.The Israeli food tour ranged from sumptuous Yemenite soup dumplings to fire-roasted and creamy cool...
A multi-faceted visit to Israel
Joanna and I had the chance to visit our daughter Yael, who was in Israel this summer.It was our first chance to visit Israel since October 7th, and we were left inspired by the resiliency of Israeli society. The experience gave us a recharge for what has been a...
Beach, water, and Jewish fun with Sababa
I spent 12 days of my summer at Sababa Sleepaway, a Jewish camp at the beach.Sababa is located on the campus of Old Dominion University. Jewish kids from all over the country come to Sababa to learn about the beach and discover Judaism through nature.Almost every day...