Norfolk—Judge Norman Olitsky, 96, passed away peacefully on April 8, 2021, after a courageous and debilitating battle with congestive heart failure. Born in Norfolk, Virginia, he was the only child of Jack and Celia Olitsky. His childhood years were happy and full,...
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Gloria Grossman Padersky
Norfolk—Gloria Grossman Padersky passed away on April 14, 2021 at the age of 94. She was predeceased by her husband of 74 years, Louis, just three days before. Gloria could not bear to be without him. She was also predeceased by her parents Charles and Lily Grossman....
Louis Padersky
Norfolk—Louis Padersky passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 11 2021 at the age of 95, surrounded by his loving family. He was survived by his wife of 74 years, Gloria and two daughters Michele (Skip) and Lynn (Burt). Lou adored his grandchildren who will miss “Papa...
Marianne Steiner, 101, stylish Holocaust survivor who supported research on German Jewry
(JTA)—As a young Jewish refugee in the late 1930s, Marianne Steiner brought creative flair to her job as a window dresser at Saks Fifth Avenue, the upscale department store in Manhattan. While her family was well off before fleeing Nazi Germany, their finances in New...
Dear Hampton Roads Friends and Family,
As you may have already heard, Rebecca Aleck Koltun, daughter of Virginia Beach native Audrey (Aleck) Koltun and her husband Scott, and the granddaughter of Helen and Warren Aleck, suffered a life-altering, horrific skiing accident on March 13. Rebeca severely...
your dollars at work: Romania Jews enjoy heart-to-heart Passover celebration without face-to-face contact
Like Jews around the globe, Romanian Jews have their own history and reason to be proud to belong to the big family of Bereshit, where they learn together and celebrate Judaism. “As we all turn to preparing for Pesah in our homes, I am proud to share what is taking...
Popular lifting class at the JCC
Classes begin Monday, Sept. 8 by Leslie Shroyer Designed for those who want to get lean, toned and fit fast, BODYPUMP tm is on its way to the Simon Family JCC. Members will have their choice of five classes offered weekly in the fitness center. The class, called “The...
Football competition for young athletes
Sunday, September 21, 10 am–3 pm (rolling enrollment) Simon Family JCC The Simon Family JCC will host a local Washington Redskins competition for NFL Punt, Pass & Kick. The competition is free and open to all boys and girls ages 6 to 15 (a valid birth certificate...
Ohef Sholom Temple offers free membership for young adults under 30
“We understand that starting off after college can be a financial challenge, especially for those with student debts to pay off,” says Barbara Dudley, chair of the dues committee. “So we are making it financially stress-free to get involved with our Temple community”...
Leadership group plans community-wide Mitzvah Day
Sunday, Sept. 21, 1:30–3:30 pm by Laine Mednick Rutherford An unpredicted outcome of the leadership group ATID (Hebrew for future) was the connection its members felt with each other, and with the Tidewater Jewish Community. When the United Jewish Federation of...
When one day isn’t enough: The UJFT Week of Extraordinary Deeds
Monday, Sept. 15–Sunday, Sept. 21 “Will It, Create It, Achieve It” Monday, Sept. 15, 7 pm • Mitzvah Day VA, Sunday, Sept. 21, 1:30 – 3:30 pm Every year, in order to nurture and enrich Jewish life in Tidewater, strengthen the global Jewish community, and care for...
Swordfish Swim Team celebrates winning season
by Leslie Shroyer As they took their final strokes of the season, members of the Simon Family JCC’s Swordfish Swim Team were all smiles and high fives on the last evening in July. The fifth and final swim meet for participants, ages 5 through 18, took place at the...
Hospice helps patients follow tough advice
by Norma Gaetani “It’s time to put your affairs in order.” This euphemism conveys a dramatic message in TV shows or films, but it is also practical advice for patients and families served by Freda H. Gordon Hospice & Palliative Care of Tidewater (HPCT). However,...
New leadership roles at Hebrew Academy
by Dee Dee Becker Hebrew Academy of Tidewater and the Strelitz Early Childhood Center will experience several new leadership changes and services for the start of the 2014-2015 academic year. Lorna Orleans, Strelitz preschool teacher, assumes the role of preschool...
Presbyterian Divestment from Israel discussed with local pastor
by Robin Mancoll, director, Community Relations Council, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater Earlier this summer, the Presbyterian Church USA (PC USA) voted by a very narrow margin (310-303) at its General Assembly in Detroit to divest from three companies who do...
First stage of Jewish News Archival Project now online
Thanks to the generosity of contributors, the Jewish News Archival Project is making great progress. In fact, readers can check out the results to date. Small Town Papers is converting old Jewish News issues to a readable format, easily accessed on the newspaper’s...
Guide to Jewish Living in Tidewater
Tidewater’s Jewish Community Calendar tends to be busy most months of the year. The reason? The myriad of welcoming organizations, synagogues and schools that are brimming with events. We’re fortunate, and most of us probably don’t realize it. I received a call a few...
After Harvard, Alan Dershowitz plans an active—and combative—retirement
by Anthony Weiss CHILMARK, Mass. (JTA)—Alan Dershowitz’s house is a bit of a mess. Most of the rooms in his Martha’s Vineyard home are cluttered with half-unpacked boxes filled with items from his Cambridge house, which he and his wife emptied recently and sold after...
Reflections on two journeys
by Mickey Held As a member of the Holocaust Commission for 20 years, I have been privileged to witness the impact we have made on our community with our many programs. As I escorted survivors to share their stories, I became transfixed by their journeys and inspired...
How much has Israel’s war in Gaza cost?
by Ben Sales TEL AVIV (JTA)—After the missiles have stopped, after the troops have come home, even after most of the wounded are out of the hospital, Israelis will still be feeling the burden of Operation Protective Edge—this time in their pockets. With the recent...
As chapter closes, Shimon Peres hailed by normally divided Knesset
by Ben Sales JERUSALEM (JTA)—In the midst of a grinding war in Gaza, a sometimes near-empty Knesset gallery was packed last month for an uplifting moment: what probably was the final political act of Israel’s elder statesman. Shimon Peres—former Israeli prime...
Standing room only crowd attends Stand Strong for Israel solidarity gathering
by Laine Mednick Rutherford With only three days notice, more than 550 people in Tidewater rearranged their calendars, braved stormy weather, and waited in long lines for security checks, all to show their dedicated and determined support for Israel. Stand Strong for...
Tidewater women join The Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project in Israel
by Amy Lefcoe The water was low, but our determination was high as we kayaked our way down the Jordan River, pushing at times instead of rowing. We had already been in the North for a day but it felt like much longer. We were 200 Jewish women from across the country,...
Report from Israel
by Rabbi Israel Zoberman I have just returned from an extraordinary experience last month in Israel, the land I first came to in 1949 at the tender age of three and a half, already a refugee, from post-World War II Europe. Yet nothing could have prepared me for the...
Facing the music at Pardes Katz
by Marilyn Goldberg Johns A visit to the Matnas (community center) at Pardes Katz, struck many chords with the Tidewater Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project. Located outside of Tel Aviv, Pardes Katz has been an Israeli sister community with Tidewater for more than 20...
A personal visit to see friends and family
Amy Becker — July 16–July 27 Since I am a teacher and had time off this summer, I planned a trip to Israel to see friends and family who had moved there. Leading up to the day of my trip, I sat and thought about whether or not to go. I went back and forth one million...