Norfolk – Dr. Stephen Willis Tonelson died peacefully on September 17, 2026.His wife, Lona, and his daughters, Claire and Rachel, were with him. He was predeceased by his parents, Dr. A. Rufus and Mrs. Sara Tonelson, and his older brother, Dr. Louis Tonelson.Steve was...
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A Community Commemoration of October 7
Join Tidewater’s Jewish community to commemorate the lives lost on October 7, 2023, and honor the strength and resilience of the Israeli people.Community members will create a visual tribute by planting 1,200 Israeli flags on the grounds of the Reba and Sam Sandler...
ODU Hillel plans memorial event for October 7
Wednesday, October 7, 12:30 -1:30 pmWebb Center, Old Dominion University This year’s October 7 Memorial at Old Dominion University centers on the voices of students. They will read, share personal reflections, remember those whose lives were changed by October 7, and...
Jay M. Woodman
Virginia Beach – Jay M. Woodman, 77, passed away peacefully at home on Monday, September 7, 2026.Jay was born in Hampton, Va. to the late Theodore and Frances Woodman, and was preceded in death by his in-laws, Shirley and Leon Harris, and son-in-law Joel Prohofsky....
Joan Naomi Thompson
Marco Island, Fla. – Joan Naomi Thompson, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and cherished friend, passed away peacefully on August 19, 2026. She leaves behind a legacy of love, devotion, and family that will continue to live on through the generations.Joan was the...
Senior Speaker Series features
Monday, October 19, 11 AM- 12:30 PM • Sandler Family Campus Dr. Louise B. Lubin Join Jewish Family Service for its Senior Speaker Series featuring Dr. Louise B. Lubin, Ph.D., presenting Decades of Memories: Honoring the Loss of Our Peers and Friends.Dr. Lubin, a...
Helene Berger Frost
VIRGINIA BEACH - After 13 courageous years of fighting Scleroderma, Helene Berger Frost, 78, peacefully passed away on November 26, 2025, surrounded by her adoring family.Through unwavering perseverance, she defied the conventions of medical expectations with her...
Matthew A. Krakower
Chesapeake - Matthew Arthur Krakower, age 88 and ¾, passed away on November 20, 2025.He was the best husband, father, and Papa his family could ever have hoped for, and he loved us all with unwavering devotion.Born in the Bronx, N.Y., Matthew was the beloved son of...
Dr. Jay T. Lazier
NORFOLK - Jay T. Lazier passed away after a six-month illness on November 28, 2025.He was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., to his loving parents, Joseph and Gertrude Lazier. He was 82 years old. He was a deeply caring, warm, and kind man who devoted his professional life to...
Martin Marin
VIRGINIA BEACH - Marty Marin passed away on October 14, 2025.Marty is survived by his wife Lora Marin, son Jeffrey Marin, and daughter Sheryl Ryan. Private burial services were arranged by the family in New York, N.Y.
Steering through the currents of discord in the Jewish community
In sanctuaries across the nation, in fact, across the globe, rabbis and cantors spent much of the recent High Holidays speaking about the rifts – the competing views – that exist within their congregations concerning Israel, Gaza, and the political divides in the...
2025 Virginia General Election Jewish Voters’ Guide
The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Greater Washington and Washington Jewish Week produced a Virginia General Election Jewish Voters’ Guide for the 2025 statewide races. This publication provides information about the candidates running for Governor,...
Christian Broadcasting Network, CBN Israel, and Regent University partner with JewBelong for Antisemitism Awareness Campaign
Campaign features three billboards in Tidewater and four billboards near Ivy League universities In response to the alarming rise in antisemitic incidents in the Commonwealth of Virginia and across the nation, the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), CBN Israel, and...
Attorney General Miyares publishes new Virginia Rules Resources to combat antisemitism
RICHMOND, Va. — Attorney General Jason S. Miyares announced the publication of a new Virginia Rules lesson focused on combating antisemitism. The announcement was made in August. This new module will be added to the broader Virginia Rules program, which provides...
A Sephardic Rosh Hashanah
Ashkenazi traditions are so pervasive in Jewish American communities, that many – Jews and non-Jews – think that those traditions are THE Jewish ways to observe and celebrate holidays. Those of Sephardic and Mizrahi heritage would most likely disagree.In fact, a new...
A bissel of Yiddish for Rosh Hashanah
A combination of High German and Hebrew, Yiddish is a language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. Efforts are underway to keep the language alive through clubs, Youtube videos, classes, books, and performances.In Tidewater, the Yiddish Club is making a comeback....
The Art of the High Holidays: A Jewish Art Education virtual presentation
Sunday, September 21, 7 pm, $9 (half a chai*) - $36 Rosh Hashanah (Head of the Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) will come to life through 1,500 years of Jewish art with the virtual presentation, The Art of the High Holidays.Presented by Jewish Art Education,...
New Hires
New Jewish Community Services Manager for Jewish Family Service Julie Kievit with her family: Ken, Alexandra, and Ruby. Julie Kievit Jewish Family Service of Tidewater recently announced the appointment of Julie Kievit as its new Jewish community services...
From Sinai to Seinfeld: Jews and their Jokes returns
Course begins: Monday, November 3 • 6:45 pm • online Taught by Dr. Amy K. Milligan, From Sinai to Seinfeld: Jews and Their Jokes, a Melton course presented by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Konikoff Center for Learning, is back by popular demand.Originally...
Artist inResidence weekend planned at Temple Israel
Saturday, November 15 at 9:30 am and 7 pm Sunday, November 16, at 10 am Get ready for a super weekend as Temple Israel hosts Jordan Gorfinkel, or “Gorf,” for its Artist in Residence weekend.Gorf, a former editor of the Batman comics series and author of the Passover...
Photographer and survivor of the Oct. 7 NOVA Musical Festival massacre to speak at ODU
Thursday, September 18 • 7 pm • Webb Center, Old Dominion University Old Dominion University’s Institute for Jewish Studies and Interfaith Understanding and ODU Hillel will welcome Shye Klein, a photographer and NOVA survivor of October 7, whose work documents the...
Israel’s blind spot: Underestimating Hamas A conversation with Yaakov Katz, former Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief
Thursday, October 23 • 7:30 pm • Sandler Family Campus Acclaimed author and former Jerusalem Post editor-in chief Yaakov Katz will be in town to discuss his new book, While Israel Slept. In the book, Katz delivers a gripping account of how years of complacency, flawed...
Virginia Beach election system presentation planned
Monday, September 22 • 6 – 8 pm • Princess Anne High School Virginia Beach City Councilmember Joash Schulman will hold a District 9 community meeting to explain and discuss the local election system referendum. Representatives from the Virginia Beach City Attorney’s...
Mazel Tov!
Ilana Peck and Meir Leibler were married on August 5 at Luciana Restaurant in the Mamilla Mall, in an intimate outdoor chuppah overlooking the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.An earlier wedding had been planned for June, but the war with Iran forced a...
William Jeremy Baughan
NAGS HEAD, N.C. - William Jeremy Baughan, known as Billy, passed away on August 14, 2025, surrounded by family and loved ones. He was 50 years old.Billy was the beloved son of Michele Baughan Robbins and Perry Robbins. He is survived by his cherished daughter,...
Susan Margolin Brewer
NORFOLK - Susan Margolin Brewer, 88, passed away peacefully on August 5, 2025.Born on September 30, 1936, in Baltimore, Maryland, Susan was the daughter of Ellis and Hilda Margolin. She pursued her education at the University of Maryland, laying the foundation for a...