Elana McGovern joins United Jewish Federation of Tidewater as director of Young Leadership Campaign Amy Zelenka Throughout her professional career, Elana McGovern has worked in non-profits and philanthropy, consistently centering her work on the essential Jewish value...
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End of Summer Shabbat features prayers, splashes, and friendship
Nofar Trem Children, grandparents, and everyone in between, joined PJ Library in Tidewater and UJFT’s Young Adult Division on Friday, August 25 at the Sandler Family Campus for a celebratory End of Summer Shabbat. Swimming with friends and family, adult deep-water...
Recycling Reusables
Staff Report The Simon Family JCC is partnering with Lynnhaven River Now (LRNOW) to collect and distribute reusable bags. This program will help Virginia Beach residents reduce plastic bag pollution and prepare for a future when grocery stores, convenience stores, and...
Linda Fulcher
VIRGINIA BEACH – Linda Fulcher, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away on August 30. Linda is survived by Bob, her husband of 39 years, daughter, Sheri, grandchildren, Madison and Griffin, daughter, Krissy (Dan), and step-daughter Kristen. She was...
Barbara Friedman Leibowitz
VIRGINIA BEACH – Barbara Friedman Leibowitz, 89, died peacefully at home on September 2. Barbara was predeceased by her parents, Murray and Esther Friedman, her brother, Richard Friedman, and her husband, Phillip (Buddy) Leibowitz. She is survived by her sister, Iris...
Herbert Bernard Luria, IV
VIRGINIA BEACH – Herbert Bernard Luria, IV passed away on September 4, in his newly adopted home of Virginia Beach, Va., from a difficult battle with cancer. Born on March 11, 1947, in Birmingham, Ala., Herbert was predeceased by his parents, Elaine Daniel Luria and...
Joe Perlov’s innovative map exercises create a new understanding of Israel throughout Tidewater
Israel expert Joe Perlov took Tidewater by storm with more than a dozen events over the course of just a few days—engaging with hundreds of people from both the Jewish and general community. Though Perlov focuses on the changing map of Israel, from the 23 border...
JDC country director briefs community groups on ongoing efforts in Ukraine
In a whirlwind stopover, en route to the JFNA General Assembly in Chicago, Karina Sokolowska, JDC’s (the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee) country director for Poland, gave a series of...
Dear Readers: The Holiday Season is About to Begin
Dear Readers, It seems we just finished shaking the lulav for Sukkot and unrolling the Torah for Simcha Torah and here we are in mid-November preparing to set our Thanksgiving tables! And, for some of us, in addition to thoughts of turkey and sweet potatoes, we’ve got...
Here come the giant menorahs again!
Chanukah Extravaganza: Sunday, December 18, 4 pm, Mt. Trashmore According to Rabbi Aron Margolin, director of Chabad Tidewater, in the Hanukkah story, the small army of Maccabees fought for the right to worship God freely. “The purpose of the menorah is to...
Nearly a century and going strong: Interfaith effort brings togetherness in annual Joint Thanksgiving Service
Freemason Street Baptist Church and Ohef Sholom Temple have more things in common than may meet the eye: bringing the community together, breaking bread, giving thanks, and observing their faith in prayer and song for an impressive 95 years. As the story goes,...
Congregation Beth Chaverim celebrates 40th anniversary
Established by five area families in 1982, Congregation Beth Chaverim is “House of Friends” in Hebrew. Initially, the group began meeting in each other’s homes, and as they grew, started meeting in local churches. With the community’s support, the growing congregation...
Nearly half of U.S. adults believe America should be a ‘Christian nation’
(JTA)—Forty-five percent of American adults believe the United States should be a “Christian nation,” according to the results of a new survey published Thursday, October 27 by the Pew Research Center—the latest data point finding modern support for Christian...
Israeli and U.S. space agencies welcome private sector R&D and commercial partnerships to advance the $1 trillion space tech market
Israel is now a leading player in space tech. “A private Israeli space venture recently propelled our nation into the club of four countries that have landed on the moon,” said Director General of the Israel Space Agency, Uri Oran, at a U.S.-Israel Space Tech event....
It’s time to start thinking about end-of-year planning
Winding down from the whirlwind of family High Holiday celebrations and gearing up for Thanksgiving, I am reminded that our worldview is relative. For example, instead of focusing on the volatility in the market this past quarter, we should take the long view over...
After Israel’s election, these Jewish groups are reticent about speaking out about extremists
WASHINGTON (JTA)—Few of the American Jewish groups who would not speak out about the prospect of extremists in government before Israel’s elections have done so the day after, even though Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right provocateur, seems headed for a position of power....
Holiday shopping and Judaica needs met in four area gift shops
Smaller is sometimes better, especially in the case of something other than mainstream for this holiday season, as well as for everyday Judaica needs. Here are four shops in Tidewater where you can find interesting and one-of-a-kind items in a friendly and welcoming...
BeAR literacy program welcomes new and returning mentors for the 2022/2023 school year
The Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Be a Reader (BeAR) program held its Kickoff/Workshop for the 2022/2023 school year on October 24. It was the first meeting of the group since the COVID-19 pandemic began. It was a...
Linda Cohen Loigman’s novel tells intergenerational story of matchmaking
Tuesday, December 6, 12 pm Watch from Home–Register for the link to join The Matchmaker’s Gift: A Novel Linda Cohen Loigman St. Martin’s Press 320 pages, 2022 Do you believe in love at first sight? Do you believe in soulmates? The Matchmaker’s Gift is a...
Jewish Book Festival guest highlights Jewish impact on Italian food
Monday, December 5, 7:30 pm Watch from Home—Register for the link to join Cooking alla Giudia: A Celebration of the Jewish Food of Italy Benedetta Jasmine Guetta Artisan Books 352 pages, 2022 Italian food. Just those two words bring to mind so many wonderful...
Award-wining author Jessica Nordell to speak on overcoming unconscious bias
Thursday, December 8, 7:30 pm Sandler Family Campus, Free Bias in society is something everyone knows of and has encountered, but what about the unconscious bias within each person that informs everyday actions? Have you ever taken the time to examine the preconceived...
Torah study gets prophetic
Tuesday, November 29, 7 pm A Torah study class led by Rabbi Ellen Jaffe-Gill, rabbi of Tidewater Chavurah, is finishing up Second Kings in November and plans to begin the prophets for whom books are named, starting with Isaiah. The Torah study is virtual on Zoom and...
Ms. magazine co-founder and author of Shanda to speak at Jewish Book Festival
Lee and Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival Thursday, November 17, 7:30 pm, Sandler Family Campus, free “What a shanda!” I remember the first time I heard that phrase—it came from Sally, one of the Sisterhood ladies who invited me to join their dinner table...
The aleph-bet, a mystical journey that even adults will love
Presentation: Tuesday, November 29, 12 pm, online Workshop: Monday, December 12, 12 pm, Sandler Family Campus Art on view through December: Leon Family Gallery Part bedtime story, part poem, and filled with highly evocative illustrations, Malkah’s Notebook: A Journey...
Beyond the Bible
Course begins: Thursday, December 1, 12–1 pm Simon Family JCC Four weekly sessions: $60 Rabbi Michael Panitz and Sierra Lautman Last month, in a course offered by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Konikoff Center for Learning, Origins: Ancient Jewish History in...
Hanukkah Sunday Fun Day
Sunday, December 11, 1–4 pm, Simon Family JCC Families with children of all ages are invited to begin their Hanukkah festivities early at the Simon Family JCC with a special Sunday Fun Day. Toddlers through teens will enjoy Hanukkah-themed crafts and glow-in-the-dark...