VIRGINA BEACH - Toby Ann Grim, 76, passed away on December 6. Born on May 12, 1947, Toby was the beloved daughter of Beatrice and David Alpert. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Marvin and Norman Alpert, her daughter Bonnie Ungar Dowdy, her...
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Barbara Joy Helfant
VIRGINIA BEACH - Barbara Joy Helfant, 94, passed away on December 10. Besides her parents, the late Murray and Fanny Wacke, Barbara was preceded in death by her loving husband, Seymour, with whom she ran off and eloped when she was only 18. They remained married until...
Marcia Sachs Hofheimer
VIRGINIA BEACH - Marcia Sachs Hofheimer passed away peacefully on January 2. She was born on August 5, 1937 in the Bronx, N.Y. She is survived by her daughters Leigh (Jon) and Stacie (Marc), son, Joshua (Lisa), seven grandchildren, one great grandchild, and her dear...
Shyrlee Hurwitz
VIRGINIA BEACH - Shyrlee Belle Hurwitz passed away peacefully at her home on December 26. She was the beloved daughter of the late Albert Handen and Marie Livingston Handen of Baltimore, Md. Shyrlee was predeceased by her devoted husband, Harry J. Hurwitz. Shyrlee was...
Gerald Coleman Jaffe
VIRGINIA BEACH - Gerald Coleman Jaffe – who friends called Jerry and family called Pop – passed away peacefully at home on January 6. Jerry was the youngest of Rachel and Solomon Jaffe’s nine children. In his wonderful 96 years, Jerry shared 70 anniversaries with his...
Ephraim Katz
PEABODY, MA. - Ephraim S. Katz passed away peacefully on December 24 in his sleep from a long illness with cancer. Ephraim was the beloved son of Stuart Katz and Margaret Gardner of London, dear brother of Mark Katz of Shiloh, N.C., Samuel Katz of Lynn, Mass., Matthew...
Paula Goodman
NORFOLK - Paula Goodman passed away peacefully at her home in Ghent on November 9, 2023, having lived a full life. She was 89. Paula was born in Baltimore, Md. on March 25, 1934, the youngest of three daughters of Max Field and Helen Rockman Field. She was very close...
Marilyn Joy Schwartz
VIRGINIA BEACH – Marilyn Joy Schwartz was born on June 14, 1926, Flag Day, and passed away on September 24, 2023, at the age of 97. She was predeceased by her parents Richard and Beatrice Rosendahl and her beloved husband of 70 years, Henry K. Schwartz. Marilyn leaves...
Marching again
Naomi Limor Sedek In 1987, when I was 12 years old, I hopped on a bus that was arranged by the local Federation that left from the JCC to march in Washington on Freedom Sunday for the Soviet Jews. That was 36 years ago and made such a vivid impression on me and shaped...
Special Section – Happy Hanukkah
Area college students reflect on campus atmosphere since Oct. 7
Stephanie Peck Israel’s war with Hamas permeates campus life at colleges and universities across the nation with protests and threats upending daily life. Jewish News asked several Jewish students from Tidewater about their reactions to their school’s approach to the...
William & Mary students experience antisemitism
Stephanie Peck Prior to the terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7, William & Mary students from various faith groups would come together on campus and a positive relationship existed between Muslim and Jewish students. This peaceful exchange collapsed when Hamas...
Shehecheyanu, Sarajevo
Simon Fink The last time I wrote for the Jewish News, I shared my experience as one the U.S.’s young adult delegation to March of the Living. I’ve similarly just returned from a JDC trip to Bosnia and Croatia as part of its young adult program, Entwine. It was meant...
Tidewater to Israel: Supplies for soldiers and families
Stephanie Peck Eighteen pallets filled with toiletries, clothes, tactical gear, and first aid supplies were sent to Israel from Virginia Beach last month for soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces and families displaced by the war in Israel. These items were donated...
A view from Israel
Levi Margolin Last month, I joined forces with some amazing people to visit soldiers, displaced families, and families sitting Shiva. We raised money for Israel Defense Forces units, and we transported gear to the necessary places. We cooked for families forced out of...
Americans March for Israel, to free hostages, and against antisemitism
Tuesday, November 14, National Mall, Washington, DC, 1 pm Encouraging people who stand with Israel to be a voice for those who can’t be heard, the Americans March for Israel is being organized by Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference for Presidents of...
Embracing change: Beth Sholom Village’s new strategic vision
Amy Weinstein After 43 years of dedicated service to the community, Beth Sholom Village has embarked on a transformative journey to craft a new strategic vision. This strategic shift is driven by a commitment to better meet the evolving needs of the senior and Jewish...
Craft a legacy, secure the Jewish future
Naomi Limor Sedek Nestled beside one of the area’s fastest-growing congregations, a new playground gleams under the sun. While it may appear as just slides and swings, it’s much more for the young Jewish families of B’nai Israel. Funded through a Tidewater Jewish...
Shinshinim program is successful and important
Rabbi Ron Koas In the past month I was asked by my colleagues about our Shinshinim, and the secret of their success in our (Congregation Beth El) school, congregation, and community. I realize that not everyone is aware of this program, so please allow me to share a...
Daffodil Project is planted at Jewish Museum and Culture Center
Myrna Amdursky The stars lined up correctly on Sunday, Oct. 22 for Tidewater’s 2nd Annual Daffodil Planting Day at the Jewish Museum and Cultural Center in Portsmouth. The sun was shining brightly, the temperature was comfortable, Bob and Jeanne Zentz played music,...
Tidewater women donors come together in support of Israel and the Jewish People
Amy Zelenka Dozens of women gathered at the Sandler Family Campus for the annual United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Lion Tikva Chai lunch on Monday, Oct. 23. The lunch is a ‘Thank you’ for all women donors at the $1,800+ level of giving. The event’s featured...
Strelitz International Academy Fall Festival: A new event in Tidewater
Carin Simon Beyond the games, the food, and the festivities, the Strelitz International Academy Fall Festival demonstrated the power of community with more than 750 people attending. Held on Sunday, Oct. 22 at the Sandler Family Campus, the event exceeded...
Rabbi Diana Fersko shares message of hope, urges community to speak up against antisemitism
Mia Klein In a visit to Tidewater, Rabbi Diana Fersko, author of We Need to Talk About Antisemitism and the rabbi at the Village Temple in Manhattan, shared a message of hope amid the ongoing war against Hamas in Israel and rising antisemitism around the world. “I...
Mothers Against College Antisemitism, a new Facebook group and movement, has 42K members and counting
Philissa Cramer (JTA) — As Elizabeth Rand watched an unnerving number of incidents pile up at colleges where her son was considering applying, she felt she had to do something. The longtime administrator of a Facebook group for people interested in discussing the...
Mary Rose Foxworth Becker
NORFOLK - Mary Rose Foxworth Becker, 70, died peacefully on the morning of Saturday, October 28. She was born to the late Rosetta Foxworth and William Johnson, Jr. on May 9, 1953, in Norfolk, Virginia. She was predeceased by her husband, Bryan Rall Becker. Mary...
Helen Katz Sterling
VIRGINIA BEACH - Helen Katz Sterling passed away peacefully at her home on October 27, after a long and beautiful life. She was 95. Helen was born in Lithuania on February 19, 1928, the youngest of five children of Aaron and Esther Katz. The family moved to...