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Just a few days are left to vote in an election that gives American Jews an opportunity to directly shape Israel’s future.The U.S. election for seats in the 39th World Zionist Congress will help determine the balance of power in the legislative authority of a Zionist...
Cantor Elihu Flax to serve as part-time chaplain • Saturday, May 17, 10 am With a number of its Jewish and even some non-Jewish residents looking on, Cantor Elihu Flax affixed a fully kosher Mezuzah on the front door of Aviva Pembroke senior housing, located at...
Established in 2006 when President George W. Bush proclaimed May as Jewish American Heritage Month, the designated month acknowledges Jewish contributions to American culture, history, military, science, government, and more.The proclamation by President Bush was a...
In 2010 when the Holocaust Commission conceived of what would become the What We Carry program, its previously robust survivor Speakers Bureau was beginning to shrink. Witnesses to history continued to leave us, but eventually the program grew, and consisted of films...
Laura Gauld, an educator in Bath, Maine, describes a mother’s role in three, distinct stages. To a young child, a mom is a drill sergeant: “Brush your teeth before bed,” or “Hold my hand when we cross the street.” In the middle years, the mom becomes a manager: “Don’t...
I’ve been trying—unsuccessfully—to get Naomi Limor Sedek, president and CEO of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation, to listen to this song for weeks now. Man Smart, Woman Smarter, by Grateful Dead, has always made me smile, not just because of its catchy tune, but because...
A small group of “exhausted-from-Passover-prepping” YAD women took time out on a Thursday evening to come together, swap advice, share stories, and create beautiful kosher for Passover dessert charcuterie boards.Combining classic sweets such as jelly rings, chocolate...
Earlier this month, Erica Reisner Ausch, with the assistance of her daughter, Linda Ausch, made Matzah Ball Soup with her grandson, Leo Woodward, and his family: Erika Woodward, and Ausch’s great grandchildren, Wells and Bridget Woodward. L’dor V’dor. Aunty Linda...
Eastern Region’s BBYO teens gathered for the annual Spring Cultural Convention at Camp Thunderbird in Lake Wylie, S.C. earlier this month. Eastern Region is comprised of three councils: Virginia Council (all of Virginia excluding Northern Virginia), North Carolina...
More than 60 active adults gathered for a meaningful Model Passover Seder on Tuesday, April 9. Led by Rabbi David Bockman of Congregation Beth El with Dave Flagler, Simon Family JCC’s camp director, on guitar, the event took place at the Sandler Family Campus. The...
It started with a simple question during a meeting of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Innovation Steering Committee: If children have the privilege of receiving Jewish-themed books monthly through PJ Library, why shouldn’t adults have their own version? PJ...
Wednesday, May 15, 7 pm Sandler Family Campus Jewish Family Service and NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) are partnering to bring something special to Tidewater—a screening of the film Orchestrating Change, about mental health and music.The film tells the...
Tuesday, May 13, 6 pm • Sandler Family Campus The first-ever Nadiv Poker Night is set for launch.Registrations are coming in as poker players prepare for a large-scale tournament in the Fleder Multipurpose Room on the Sandler Family Campus.Nadiv’s signature event of...
(JTA) — Almost all of the Holocaust survivors alive today will be dead in 15 years, a new projection by a leading organization advocating for their compensation finds.While the timeline is something of an actuarial inevitability — the Holocaust ended 80 years ago,...
Six-week course begins Tuesday June 17, 6:45 pm, online The Konikoff Center for Learning of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater is hosting a six-week course this summer, Understanding Zionism: The Return to the Jewish Homeland. The course will offer an in-depth...
Wednesday, May 21 - Wednesday, July 2 • Virginia Beach Public Library TCC Joint-Use Library As the world continues to grapple with the complexities of history and its ongoing impact on society, the Virginia Beach Public Library, at the TCC Joint-Use Library is set to...
The Jewish Museum and Cultural Center - JMCC (formerly Chevra T’Helim synagogue), United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, and the Chrysler Museum, are collaborating to present a special series of events. A three-year project, L’Dor v’Dor (from Generation to...
Sunday, May 4, 10:30 am, Sandler Family Campus Jewish Family Service of Tidewater, in partnership with Embrace Counseling, is busy preparing for the 21st Annual Run, Roll, Stroll on the Sandler Family Campus. This year’s event promises to be more fun and exciting than...
Friday, May 23, 8:30 am, Jewish War Veterans Flagpole, Sandler Family Campus Memorial Day’s origins lie in the aftermath of the Civil War, a conflict that claimed more American lives than any other. The immense loss overwhelmed the nation, leading to the establishment...
NORFOLK - Ellen Manassee, a sharp, independent woman with a deep appreciation for the arts and culture, passed away peacefully on April 10, 2025, at Harbor’s Edge, where she had lived for the past 18 years. She was 90 years old.Born in the Bronx, Ellen carried her New...
NORFOLK - Rebecca “Betty” Sacks, age 84, passed away peacefully at home on April 6, 2025.She is survived by her loving children, David (Kathy) Sacks, Steven Sacks, and Elisa (Chris) Luck; sister-in-law, Maryann Sacks; and nephew, Jonathan Sacks. She was preceded in...
(JTA) — Pope Francis, who significantly advanced the Catholic Church’s relationship with Jews by actively promoting dialogue, reconciliation, and a strong stance against antisemitism — relations that were tested after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war — died...
Survey after survey reports that fewer adults and even fewer young people are aware of the Holocaust, or at least of its scale. In fact, denying the Holocaust or its enormity continues to gain followers and receive prominent placement on the national stage. With books...
Voting is underway in an election that gives American Jews an opportunity to directly shape Israel’s future.The U.S. election for seats in the 39th World Zionist Congress will help determine the balance of power in the legislative authority of a Zionist organization...
Grace Gilson(JTA) — When she was five years old, Kitty Saks’ home in Vienna was commandeered by the Nazis, leading her family to flee to Brussels, where she was hidden in a convent until the Allies liberated Belgium. Twenty-seven members of her family were killed in...
Wednesday, April 23, Ohef Sholom Temple, 6:45 pm Dr. Irving Berkowitz is the keynote speaker for the community’s Yom Hashoah commemoration, which is presented each year by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Holocaust Commission. Dr. Berkowitz is the son of...
As Jewish college students across North America experience unprecedented levels of antisemitism on campus, the University of Virginia has joined Hillel International’s flagship Campus Climate Initiative (CCI) program.Hillel’s CCI program is the nation’s leading...
U.S. Senator Mark R. Warner met with members of Tidewater’s Jewish community last month to discuss a range of issues, including Israel, the state of college campuses, and antisemitism.The former governor and senior senator from Virginia began the conversation by...
Recent federal budget cuts have significantly impacted food banks across the country, and the food pantry at Jewish Family Service is no exception.The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has eliminated more than $1 billion in funding for programs that helped schools...
In a time when combating antisemitism requires strong allies and open conversations, expanding circles and having friends is more important than ever. One such friend who has deepened his engagement with the Jewish community by attending events and having meaningful...
Jacob Herber arrives in Norfolk July 15 Cyclist, scholar, father, mentor, musician, soccer, hockey, and baseball fan, U.S. history buff, Coast Guard Chaplain…and rabbi.That pretty much describes Jacob Herber, who assumes the pulpit at Norfolk’s Congregation Beth El in...
Robert C. Goodman, Jr., an attorney at Kaufman & Canoles, has practiced law for more than 50 years. His knowledge and expertise cover an array of subjects, including the complexity of estate planning and charitable giving.When consulting with clients about wills,...