Top Stories
More than a weekend: How one Shabbat brought Jewish Tidewater Together
“We’re all Jews here. They just do Jewish different, but we’re all Jews.”It was a simple observation, shared by one child with another during the inaugural Tidewater Community Shabbaton. But those words captured the spirit of a weekend when differences took a back...
Six Jewish takeaways from the midterm elections
(JTA) —The sheer size and geographic scope of the Republican wipeout Nov. 3 makes it hard to read anything definitive into the results beyond a nationwide repudiation of President Donald Trump (and his candidate selections). The fallout will have a range of...
Milestone anniversaries worth celebrating
Anniversaries are measured in years, but these couples say the real story is in the small things: a question about basketball, a slice of cheesecake, a paper on Herbert Marcuse. Married from five to 50 years, these four area couples share how they met, what they have...
Dementia Cafe
When I first proposed the idea of a dementia café to our community, people asked various questions. Mainly, “What is this?”Dementia Cafés began in the Netherlands in 1997 when Dr. Bere Miesen, a clinical psychologist, opened the first one at Leiden University. He...
Michael Oren visits Tidewater to share perspective on Israel
Commentators across the political spectrum have expended countless words to describe and explain the current moment in Israel and the state of the U.S.-Israel relationship.In Tidewater last month, Michael Oren, Israel’s ambassador to the United States (2009-2013),...
2027 Super Sunday was truly different
This year’s UJFT Super Sunday was truly a Super Sunday unlike any other—prompting the question, “Ma nishtana ha-Super Sunday?” On a day that threatened not only bad weather but possible tornadoes, dozens of volunteers gathered at the Sandler Family Campus to make the...
UJFT’s 2027 Community Campaign kicks off with a celebration of community
The United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s 2027 Community Campaign kicked off on September 24 with a celebration at the Sandler Family Campus. It was an inspiring evening filled with personal stories and heartfelt testimonials from several of the Campaign’s...
Pots, pans and people: Joel Feldman celebrates 50 years of Kitchen Barn
It doesn’t take much to keep Joel Feldman motivated to go into work every day. His store is his sanctuary, a culmination of half a century of hard work. “When my car pulls in the parking lot, I’m excited,” he says. “Sometimes I get chills. I’ve also broken down in...
Community gathers to remember, reflect, and reaffirm its connection to Israel three years after October 7
Three years after the atrocities of October 7, 2023, members of the Tidewater Jewish community gathered not simply to recall a date, but to honor lives, bear witness to loss, and reaffirm their enduring connection to Israel and the Jewish people.Surrounding the...
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...
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,...
2026 Lee and Bernard Jaffee Family Jewish Book Festival
For more than 40 years, the Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival has brought extraordinary voices to Tidewater. Bestselling authors, journalists, diplomats, physicians, judges, artists, historians, and thought leaders visit the community to share ideas,...
SIA Golf Tournament scores a winning day
For 38 years, golfers, sponsors, volunteers, and friends of Strelitz International Academy have come together for a day that is about much more than golf. This year, that tradition reached a new milestone.The 38th Annual Bob Josephberg Classic & Strelitz...
“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...
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...
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....
Letter from the Editor
Dear Readers, The High Holidays are doing it again. . . they’re arriving early! Unlike the guest who rings the doorbell 15 minutes early without warning, the holidays don’t really sneak up on us. The first day of the Hebrew month Tishrei is where it always...
Time to reflect
As the High Holidays approach and we prepare to welcome the year 5787, I find myself reflecting on the past year in our Tidewater Jewish community and all that I witness and experience. Throughout the summer, I watched children playing and relishing their time...
Building partnerships, strengthening community safety
Temple Emanuel leadership recently welcomed Virginia Beach Chief of Police Paul Neudigate, members of his command staff, and 2nd Precinct Commander Captain James Gordon for a series of conversations focused on partnership, communication, and community safety. Joining...
Back to School at Strelitz International Academy
A new school year at Strelitz International Academy began on Monday, August 17 with the school’s faculty and staff welcoming both new and returning students to SIA for the 2026–2027 school year. In a special surprise, the Virginia Beach Police Department...
Standing witness in Verdun: Restoring identity to fallen heroes
Vice Admiral Herman Shelanski, USN (Retired) I joined the United States Navy in 1980 to protect the very freedoms that allowed me to live and pray as my Jewish ancestors did. Growing up with the heavy knowledge of the Holocaust, hearing on the news the persecution of...
Meet the guardians of Tidewater’s Jewish history
Every community has its keepers. As readers explore the congregations and organizations that comprise Jewish life in Tidewater in this issue’s Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater, it’s worth meeting some of the volunteers who safeguard myriad stories that came before...
Jewish Family Service holds 67th Biennial Meeting, celebrating generations of service and Jewish values in action
Gathering community members, leaders, volunteers, and supporters for an afternoon rooted in gratitude, purpose, and hope, Jewish Family Service of Tidewater held its 67th Biennial Meeting on Monday, June 22 at the Fred Huette Garden in Norfolk. More than a...
Where community begins
Every community has its “must-do” list. In Tidewater, it’s easy to find great restaurants, festivals, beaches, and museums. But some of the most memorable experiences aren’t places to visit – they are ways people choose to be part of the community. Jewish life...
America the Beautiful
As I’m sure you know, July 4, 2026, just took place, the Semiquincentennial, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. From America’s Block Party in Times Square to fireworks launched from the Golden Gate Bridge, we...
America at 250 Spotlight: Rashi Brashevitzky
Whether at a Shabbat table, in a classroom, or leading a Jewish holiday celebration, Rashi Brashevitzky is doing what she is most passionate about: helping people find meaningful ways to connect with Jewish life. Rooted in the traditions of Chabad,...
Jewish Tidewater’s Graduates
Jewish Tidewater has much to applaud with its graduates. We celebrate some here. See more 2026 graduates in last months edition. Mazel Tov to all these graduates and their families! Madeline “Maddie” Elyse Acosta Kempsville High School Graduating with Highest...
Welcome to the table with NextGen
Thanks to gracious community members, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s NextGen community has been on a roll with Pop-Up Shabbat dinners. The hosts who have opened their doors, hearts, and kitchens have done more than just cook a meal. They welcomed...
All Good News
A couple of weeks ago, Art Sandler casually, but enthusiastically, said, “We should publish a paper with all good news!”My response was something like, “Yeah. Right. Nothing about security or antisemitism or Israel or wars or . . .”“We’ve got so much good going on in...