PORTSMOUTH - Richard Siff, devoted husband and father, passed away on November 11, 2025. Born in Norfolk, Virginia, he was the only child of Leon and Doris Siff. Richard cultivated an early interest in electronics through amateur radio, which led to a...
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David Louis Taetle
MCLEAN, VIRGINIA - David Louis Taetle, 75, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on November 15, 2025. Born in Washington, D.C., Mr. Taetle attended Bryant University before embarking on a long and successful career as a financial consultant to...
Be a hero in minutes. Simon Family JCC Annual Blood Drive
November 24, 2025, 11:00 AM–3:45 PM: Join the Simon Family JCC and Red Cross in the Jaffe Gymnasium, 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Virginia Beach, for a lifesaving blood drive. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood, and one donation can save up to...
Thank you to our supporters who recently donated to Jewish News!
Jewish News appreciates all who support the newspaper with generous contributions – whether in honor of or in memory of friends and loved ones or as a Friend of Jewish News. Friends of Jewish News Walter Fenska G-d Bless Israel Piotr and Charlotte Przyjemski Happy...
AJC responds to election of Zohran Mamdani
The day following the election of Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York City, Ted Deutch, CEO of American Jewish Committee, distributed the following email. The world’s attention is focused on New York City with Zohran Mamdani winning the mayoral election, and I...
A letter to the nonresident children of the donors of the Tidewater Jewish community
We got your letter. Initially, my thought was that you were young firebrands who wanted to shake up the world. Then I re-read what you wrote. And I thought about it for a while. Then I thought some more. And then I concluded you are propagandistic...
Harvey Theodore Pizor
VIRGINIA BEACH – Harvey Theodore Pizor was born in Wilmington, Del. on September 11, 1930, and passed away on June 8. He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 65 years, Joan Marilyn Pizor, and his brother, Jimmy Pizor. Harvey is survived by daughter Marcie...
Jacob Stromberg
PORTSMOUTH—Jacob Stromberg, 68, passed away peacefully on June 14. Jack was born in Ottawa, Ontario Canada on February 8, 1956, to Hyman and Lily Stromberg, of blessed memory. He is survived by his longtime partner, Mary Mihalczo, sister Deborah Stromberg...
Jewish Tidewater’s Graduates
Ayden Cohn Virginia Tech Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering and a Master of Science in Business Administration (Business Analytics). Ayden was awarded the Virginia Tech Engineering Outstanding Master’s Student award. Next: Ayden will work as an engineer...
Two new rabbis have Tidewater roots
Rabbi Madeline Torop Budman and Rabbi Aaron David Torop Budman were ordained at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion on Saturday, June 1. The ordination took place at the historic Plum Street Temple, a 158-year-old landmark in Cincinnati, Ohio. A Norfolk...
William Alperin
Norfolk – William Alperin was born in Norfolk, Virginia on July 30, 1933 and transitioned peacefully on June 5, 2024. Some of his nicknames were Will, Bill, Mr. Bill, Mr. Will, Willie, and Little Willie. He was the middle son of Sam and Jean Alperin (both...
Norma Janet Flax
NORFOLK - Norma Janet Flax passed away on May 22 at age 95. Born in New York City on August 15, 1928 to Esther Sherris Ginsburg and Hyman Ginsburg, she was proud to have lived in all five boroughs before meeting her husband, Jack Flax, on a Norfolk tennis court....
Sally Marx Hyman
Boynton Beach, Fla. – Sally Marx Hyman died peacefully on May 19 at Brookdale Senior Living. She was 91. The daughter of Edward Marx and Augusta Ehrlich Marx, Sally was born and grew up in Norfolk. As a student at Maury High School, she was editor-in-chief of...
Zipora Katz
VIRGINIA BEACH - Zipora Katz, 96, died on June 7. She was born in Łódž, Poland on March 4, 1928, and survived the horrors of the Holocaust. She immigrated to Israel in 1950 where she later met and married Herbert Katz, who brought her to the Tidewater area in...
Toby T. Newman
VIRGINIA BEACH – Toby Newman (nee Tasgal), born on May 26, 1931, peacefully passed away on May 31, at the age of 93. Toby was born in the Lower East Side of New York City to Pauline and Jacob (Jack) Tasgal. She is preceded in death by husband Raymond C. Newman and is...
Richard “Rick” Phillips
CHESAPEAKE – Richard “Rick” Phillips passed away unexpectedly at the age of 70 on June 4 at his home. Born on May 31, 1954, in Paterson, N.J., to parents William Phillips Jr. and Kathryn Vanderstad, Rick grew up in Norfolk, where he attended Lake Taylor High...
Dr. Ronald Jay Portman
EWING TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Dr. Ronald Jay Portman passed away peacefully on May 30, surrounded by his loving family. Ronald is survived by the love of his life for more than 50 years, Joan (Joni) Portman. Together they had three children, Wendi Portman Fried, Shayna...
Arthur Harvey Rosenfeld
NORFOLK – Arthur Harvey Rosenfeld, born in The Bronx, N.Y., on June 11, 1936, to Murray and Sophia Rosenfeld, left a profound legacy of intellectual curiosity, professional achievement, and compassionate leadership. He passed away on May 27, surrounded by his family,...
The 36th Annual Strelitz International Golf Tournament, “Bob Josephberg Classic”
Save the date for the Golf Tournament of the Year! Wednesday, August 28 • Virginia Beach National Golf Club Co-chaired by David Leon and Babbi Bangel, the 36th Annual Strelitz International Golf Tournament, proudly known as the “Bob Josephberg Classic” is set to be...
Knowledge is key. Some basic facts.
• 26 Iyar (Hebrew date for this issue of Jewish News) – Israel’s Six Day war began in 1967. (fushionglobal.org) • During the third quarter of 2023, Palestinians working in Israel brought back roughly $1 billion in income. In the fourth quarter, that was around $79...
Media’s coverage of war fosters ignorance and anti-Israel sentiment
Editor: Coverage of Israel’s war with Hamas has been endlessly frustrating, which is not surprising given the one-sided anti-Israel bias exhibited by most major newspapers during the past 40 years. This portrayal of Israel as the Oppressor and...
Open Letter from nearly 100 Retired U.S. Military Leaders in Support of Israel
Given our experience as retired American military leaders, we are very concerned about the security impacts of increasingly strained U.S.-Israel ties as Israel becomes a growing source of domestic division. We therefore feel compelled to declare that a strong Israel...
Mary Duty
WHITE HOUSE, TENNESSEE - Mary Jane Duty, with eyes of blue, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 4, after a long, hard battle with cancer. She was surrounded by loved ones, where she spent her final days in the home of her youngest daughter in Tennessee. She...
Norma Janet Flax
NORFOLK - Norma Janet Flax, born in New York, New York, passed away on May 22 at the age of 95. Norma was predeceased by her parents, Esther Sherris Ginsburg and Hyman Ginsburg, and her daughter, Patricia Flax-Jankosky. She is survived by her husband, Jack Flax,...
Diane B. Hoffman
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - Diane Berman Hoffman passed away on May 18. Diane was born on July 31, 1927 in West Hartford, Conn. to the late Aaron Berman and Gertrude Wigransky Berman. She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 59 years, Herbert Sidney Hoffman,...
Dr. Sidney B. Sward
VIRGINIA BEACH - Dr. Sidney B. Sward, 88, died peacefully in his sleep on March 18. He was kind and generous and a loving husband and father who put the needs of others above his own. A talented musician and PhD’d athlete, he taught at NSU for 32 years. He...