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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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
NORFOLK - Dr. Howard Kesser, beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and devoted husband, passed away peacefully at the age of 91 on August 26, 2025.Born on May 9, 1934, to Leah Salsbury Kesser and Clifford Kesser, Howard lived a life marked by dedication—to...
Cocoa Beach, Fla. - Phillip Morton Levy passed away on August 26, 2025, at the age of 94, surrounded by the love of his family and memories of a well-lived life.Born in Newport News to Nathan and Sara (Sassi) Levy, Phil’s generous spirit, unwavering integrity, humor,...
VIRGINIA BEACH - Babette Odessky Lustig, beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully on August 18, 2025, at the age of 98, surrounded by her family.She was born on December 9, 1926, in Reading, Pennsylvania, to Alice and Bernard Lustig....
It’s now been 18 months of “on the ground” visits since I began my presidency of JDC. One of my personal goals when I took office was to visit the global communities we serve, especially those I had not previously visited. In my first year I visited Israel three...
In these trying times, advice from a security professional can go a long way to assuring personal and community safety in public, as well as, in private spaces. Mike Goldsmith, SCN regional security advisor, will offer a couple of easy-to-follow tips here, and in the...
(JTA) — Rabbi Rick Jacobs, the president of the Union for Reform Judaism, arrived at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Churchwide Assembly with decades of experience building ties between the Lutheran and Jewish communities.But on Wednesday, July 30, as...
For decades, Super Sunday has been a flagship event in the lifecycle of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s community campaign. It’s been a day of community mobilization – bringing volunteers together in a room buzzing with energy, armed with phones, stacks of...
(JTA) — On Monday, July 28, my son was inducted into the IDF. He started thinking about joining as a hayal boded, a “lone soldier” (someone who makes aliyah alone with the intention of serving) while in high school. After his friend was murdered by Hamas terrorists at...
(JTA) — The board of directors for the National Education Association, the United States’ largest teachers union, rejected a proposal by its delegates to sever ties with the Anti-Defamation League.The rejection on Friday, July 18, came after the delegates’ proposal...
When I began my journey with the Tidewater Jewish Foundation in July 2020, I walked into a world unlike anything we had known. It was the height of the pandemic.Introductions were made over Zoom and relationship-building required more persistence, patience, and heart...
Hamas’s attack on the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023, caused a massive surge in anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiments across the United States, and notably, on college campuses. Virginia’s university and college campuses were not immune to protests and...
Virginia Kehillat Bet Hamidrash (KBH), also known as Kempsville Conservative Synagogue, is entering a transformative new chapter as it prepares to relocate its synagogue from Indian Lakes Boulevard to the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish...
The Konikoff Center of Learning aims to “inspire individuals to deepen their Jewish knowledge and connection.” As part of this goal, KCL offers courses by the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning.One such course is “Understanding Zionism: The Return to the...
The Simon Family Jewish Community Center’s Fleischmann Lounge was filled with warmth and excitement as members of the Seniors Club gathered for their July meeting, which included the formal installation of the club’s 2025–2026 Executive Board.The new officers are:...
The men of Nadiv visited Camp JCC on Friday, July 25 to spend the afternoon with campers and see firsthand the impact of the group’s fundraising efforts.Nadiv, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s young men’s fundraising group, donated more than $25,000 to assist...
Over the past year, we have had the privilege of creating a second home in Tidewater, through the open arms, hearts, and doors of the amazing people we have met. We eagerly seized the incredible opportunity to engage with everyone we could, knowing that we would learn...
Women’s Philanthropy proved again that when you mix limoncello with purpose and a passionate group of women, magic happens.Held last month in the Sandler Family Campus’ Fleishman/Moss Lounge, Girls’ Night Out – Round 2 brought together a vibrant group of women for an...
Tidewater is entering its fourth year of collaboration with the Jewish Agency for Israel to host Shinshinim (Israeli Emissaries) on their mission to share Israeli culture, knowledge, and experiences with community members of all ages. Shinshin is an acronym for Shenat...
The summer of 2025 is a special year for the swimming pool at the Simon Family JCC, with a record number of 40 guards, enabling the pool to remain open throughout the summer without closures due to staff shortages. But what is truly unique about the summer of 2025 is...
A bit of Yiddish has managed to slip into everyday language. In fact, it’s not uncommon to hear people of all backgrounds talk about chutzpah. And most who do, have no idea they’re speaking Yiddish, a language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews.A combination of...