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(JTA) — The suspect arrested for allegedly setting fire to a Mississippi synagogue on Saturday, Jan. 10 confessed to the FBI that he had targeted the congregation due to its “Jewish ties.” Stephen Spencer Pittman was charged on Monday, Jan. 12 with maliciously...
This was another tough year for the global Jewish community – the continued war in Gaza, the escalation of antisemitic acts and outright discrimination, a slew of misinformation about Israel, the killings of two Israeli Embassy employees, and raised security alert...
While many people are making plans for gathering with family and friends for Thanksgiving, not everyone is anticipating the holiday with excitement. Others are anxious, concerned about the increasing cost of food and cuts to programs that help feed their...
Israel in Focus: Hamas’ War – Truth and Consequences. An evening with MAJ John W. Spencer, USA (Ret.) Wednesday, December 3, 7:30 pm, Sandler Family Campus, Free In an era where global conflicts are increasingly fought in dense urban environments, understanding the...
(JTA) — Like most synagogues, Congregation Beth El in South Orange, New Jersey added new rituals after the Oct. 7,2023 attacks that killed 1,200 in Israel, saw another 251 taken hostage, and launched a grinding war between Israel and Hamas. The...
JTA) — On the second anniversary of the Hamas massacre, Israelis grappled with how to mark the date which overlapped with the first day of Sukkot, when Jewish tradition requires festivity. The government postponed official remembrances until the day after the Simchat...
Puts out welcome mat to new congregants With music, prayer, and community spirit, Kehillat Bet Hamidrash (KBH), Kempsville Conservative Synagogue, has entered a new chapter in its nearly five-decade history On Saturday, September 6, KBH held its first Shabbat service...
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...
It’s now been 18 months of “on the ground” visits since I began my presidency of JDC. One of my personal goals when I took office was to visit the global communities we serve, especially those I had not previously visited. In my first year I visited Israel three...
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater held its Biennial meeting on Wednesday, June 11 at the Sandler Family Campus.The Fleder Multi-Purpose Room was packed with people from throughout the Jewish community who had come to cheer on award winners, to support new officers...
Israel’s strike on Iran starting early Friday, June 12 followed a dizzying 24 hours in which the international community rebuked Iran for its nuclear malfeasance, Iranian officials said they would retaliate by accelerating nuclearization and signs piled up of a...
Security professionals urge Jewish institutions to expand the security perimeter at their events. On Wednesday, May 21, three-armed security officers stood guard as the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington held its annual meeting in the nation’s...
Governor Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 48 Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Religious Bigotry in Virginia Public Schools and Institutions of Higher Education to further expand his efforts to combat antisemitism at Virginia public schools and institutions of...
The Marty Einhorn Pavilion at the Sandler Family Campus was filled with laughter, conversation, and the unmistakable sense of unity on Thursday, May 1 for the second annual Israeli Chef’s Table Experience. Hosted by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and presented...
Graduations are a time to recognize achievements, formally bid farewell to a valued educational institution, prepare for the next steps along life’s journey, and of course, to celebrate! Jewish Tidewater has much to applaud with its graduates – the awards, impressive...
Dinners and luncheons with a famed Israeli chef, Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day), and Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) were among myriad gatherings that took place throughout Jewish Tidewater just prior to this issue going to press. All were well...
Established in 2006 when President George W. Bush proclaimed May as Jewish American Heritage Month, the designated month acknowledges Jewish contributions to American culture, history, military, science, government, and more.The proclamation by President Bush was a...
Wednesday, April 23, Ohef Sholom Temple, 6:45 pm Dr. Irving Berkowitz is the keynote speaker for the community’s Yom Hashoah commemoration, which is presented each year by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Holocaust Commission. Dr. Berkowitz is the son of...
(JTA) — Voting is now open in an election that gives American Jews a rare chance to directly shape Israel’s future.The U.S. election for seats in the 39th World Zionist Congress will help determine the balance of power in the legislative authority of a Zionist...
The Israeli Embassy called for the lighting of buildings in orange in commemoration of the Bibas children, hoping that the illuminations would serve as a powerful gesture of remembrance and solidarity.The symbolic lightings were intended to honor the memories of Ariel...
Now in its third winter of war, the plight of Ukraine’s Jews and Jewish communities is no longer headline news. Israel, hostages, Gaza, a U.S. election, plane crashes, protests, antisemitism, wildfires, and so many other news-capturing events have diverted the world’s...
(JTA) — Hamas released four hostages on Saturday, January 25 in a choreographed ceremony in Gaza, making them the second group of captives to go free in the ceasefire that began earlier this week. The four hostages released on Saturday are Daniela Gilboa, Liri Albag,...
For the global Jewish community, the year’s beginning contained a heaviness as the war in Gaza continued to escalate, hostages were still held, and antisemitism ramped up to levels not experienced in most of our lifetimes.Campus protests, threats against synagogues,...
Thanksgiving and all its preparations and celebrations are nowover – a signal not to take a breath, but rather to focus on the next holiday: Hanukkah. Without missing a beat, it seems, congregations and schools are gearing up for a festive Hanukkah season,...
(JTA) — WASHINGTON — As midnight arrived on the East Coast, it appeared increasingly likely that Donald Trump would retake the presidency — a victory that would reshape the United States and that could change its relationship with Israel while ushering in an...
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Jewish Community Relations Council has compiled a toolkit to educate, engage, and inform Tidewater voters about ‘all things’ election. It offers information on how to register to vote, find the correct polling place, determine...
Around the globe, Jewish communities held ceremonies, services, and other events in commemoration of the first anniversary of October 7. In Tidewater, Governor Glenn Youngkin declared October 7 as an official state day of remembrance for victims of the horrific...
Monday, Oct. 7, 8:30 am Sandler Family Campus Hamas unleashed a vicious attack on Israel, killing more than 1,200 innocent people, taking more than 250 people as hostages, and shattering the global Jewish community’s sense of safety on Saturday, October 7, 2023. On...
At funeral, Israeli president asks for forgiveness from Goldberg-Polin family (JTA) — Israeli President Isaac Herzog apologized for Israel’s failure to free the captives held by Hamas in his comments at the funeral of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, the 23-year-old American...
(JTA) — TEL AVIV — As she read the news about a looming attack from Iran and its proxies, Adi Tamir faced a series of dilemmas: Should she go ahead with her weekend vacation on the banks of the Jordan River? Living in a town near Israel’s northern coastline — well...
Preparation is one of the key functions necessary to building a safe and secure community. This activity takes many forms. Training, facility hardening, drills, and exercises are all activities that allow for the preparation of effective response to a critical...
FIRST PERSON: A view from Israel When my mom asked my husband and me to write about our feelings and reactions to the events in the past week (June 3 – 9) in Israel (increased rocket and drone attacks by Hezbollah, raging fires across the Upper Galilee and the Golan...