This year’s JAHM programming in Tidewater, presented by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and community partners, brings together film, history, art, sports, music, and family‑friendly events, inviting participants of all backgrounds to engage thoughtfully with the Jewish American story.

Moses Ezekiel: Portrait of a Lost Artist 

Monday, May 4, 1 pm, Sandler Family Campus

The month opens with a focused exploration of Moses Jacob Ezekiel, one of the most complex figures in American Jewish art history. UJFT will present the documentary Moses Ezekiel: Portrait of a Lost Artist, which examines Ezekiel’s international acclaim alongside his support of the Confederacy and the legacy of the memorials he created. 

Guided walk‑and‑talk tours 

Tuesday, May 5, and Tuesday, May 12, 10 am, Norfolk Botanical Garden

The conversation about Ezekiel continues with guided walk‑and‑talk tours at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, where participants will explore the Moses Ezekiel Statuary Vista Garden and view Carrara marble sculptures he created in Rome between 1879 and 1884.

Jewish American Heritage Month Night at the Tides game

Wednesday, May 6, Harbor Park, 6:35 pm, Harbor Park

JAHM also creates space for celebration and shared experience when the community is invited to Harbor Park for a Norfolk Tides game, honoring Jewish contributions to America’s favorite pastime. Tidewater native and award‑winning Jewish country artist Troy Breslow will sing the National Anthem. Tickets are $19.99.

Architects of Being

Tuesday, May 12 and Sunday May 17, 2 pm, Chrysler Museum

Visual art is highlighted through a continued partnership between UJFT and the Chrysler Museum of Art, with guided tours focusing on the exhibition Architects of Being, which features the work of Jewish‑American immigrants Louise Nevelson and Esphyr Slobodkina.

Jason Schachter McKinney 

• Thursday, May 28, 6 pm, Jewish Museum and Cultural Center 

• Friday, May 29, 10:30 am, Central Library, Virginia Beach

• Friday, May 29, 6:30 pm, Ohef Sholom Temple

• Saturday, May 30, 10 am, KBH 

• Sunday, May 31,10 am, Second Presbyterian Church, Norfolk

• Sunday, May 31, 11 am, Moses Myers House

A defining focus of this year’s JAHM programming is the residency of musician and author Jason Schachter McKinney. 

McKinney will perform at UJFT’s Konikoff Center for Learning’s third‑annual Celebration of Lifelong Learning at the Jewish Museum and Cultural Center in Portsmouth, bringing together learners from preschool age through nonagenarians for an evening of music, reflection, and shared learning.

Families are invited to a story time at the Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library in Virginia Beach featuring Jason Belongs, his autobiographical children’s book that explores identity, belonging, and what it means to be both Black and Jewish. 

 His residency continues through participation in Shabbat services at Ohef Sholom Temple and at Kehillat Beit Hamidrash (Kempsville Conservative Synagogue), in partnership with Temple Israel and Temple Emanuel. McKinney will also take part in a conversation about faith and music and an interfaith service at Second Presbyterian Church in Norfolk alongside Pastor Craig Wansink and Rabbi Michael Panitz. That conversation will be followed by services at 11am, which are open to all.

 Later that day, Rabbi Panitz will conclude the month at the historic Myers House by exploring the life of Moses Myers, one of Norfolk’s first permanent Jewish residents, and what his story reveals about early American Jewish ideas of citizenship and belonging.

Advance registration or tickets are required for all events. For more information, visit JewishVA.org/JAHM, or contact UJFT’s programs department at Programs@UJFT.org.

Voices echo through time, periodically serving as a springboard for societal change. In one such echo, the stories of Elsie Robinson and Linda Dayan Frimer intersect.

Elsie Robinson, a trailblazing journalist and advocate, wielded her pen like a sword, challenging societal norms and amplifying marginalized voices through her nationally syndicated column, Listen World! Her commitment to dialogue and debate, rooted in the rich tradition of Jewish discourse, laid the groundwork for social change long before the feminist movement gained mainstream attention.

Similarly, Linda Dayan Frimer, in her book Luminous: An Artist’s Story as a Guide to Radical Creativity, demonstrates the power of voice and creativity as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery guided by the vibrant hues of her paintings and her Jewish heritage’s wisdom. Through her art, Frimer seeks to bridge divides and illuminate the universal language of creativity, transcending barriers of culture and ideology.

These two women will be highlighted in programs presented by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Simon Family JCC during Women’s History Month.

Allison Gilbert, co-author of Listen World: How the Intrepid Elsie Robinson Became America’s Most-Read Woman, will join Tidewater for an online program as a part of the Konikoff Center for Learning’s Unsung SHEroes series. In conversation with Dr. Amy K. Milligan, Batten Endowed Associate Professor of Jewish Studies and Women’s Studies and the director of the Institute of Jewish Studies and Interfaith Understanding at Old Dominion University, Gilbert will explain how Robinson transformed her column into a platform for collective empowerment, embodying the essence of tikkun olam, the Jewish concept of repairing the world.

A collection of Linda Dayan Frimer’s art will be displayed in the Simon Family JCC’s Leon Family Gallery beginning this month. Frimer’s online conversation will focus on her artwork and new book.

Despite different mediums, Robinson’s and Frimer’s messages converge on a shared belief in the transformative power of expression and the importance of engaging in meaningful dialogue. While Robinson wielded words to challenge injustice and spark debate beginning in the 1920s, Frimer harnesses art’s visual language to inspire introspection and connection. Whether through words or brush strokes, their stories remind that every voice matters and every act of creation has the potential to ignite change.

To learn more or register for Listen World: How the Intrepid Elise Robinson Became America’s Most-Read Woman, visit JewishVA.org/UnsungSHEroes. For more information and to register for Luminous: An Artist’s Story as a Guide to Radical Creativity, visit JewishVA.org/Gallery.