Sunday, May 19, 11 am–4 pm Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus Spring is officially here and that means every weekend is filled with local festivals and outdoor activities. Still, Israel Fest is the one outdoor festival not to miss! Here are five reasons why Israel...
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Experience Israel at Israel Fest 2019
Sunday, May 19, 11 am–4 pm Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus, Virginia Beach Celebrating Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel’s 71st anniversary, the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Simon Family JCC have exciting plans for the annual event that offers opportunities to...
JFS Run, Roll or Stroll celebrates 15 years
Sunday, May 5, 24th Street Park in Virginia Beach Onsite Registration 6:45–7:45 am 8K Run, 5K Run, and 5K Walk 8 am 1 Mile Run/Walk 9:15 am Fifteen years ago, runners and walkers hit the pavement at Norfolk Botanical Garden to participate in Jewish Family Service of...
Tidewater Together with Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
When I think about Mickey Kramer, of blessed memory, I think about his love of his family, his synagogue, learning, and our community. In 2004, his passion for education and devotion to the Jewish community led his friends and family to establish the Milton “Mickey”...
Norfolk Mikvah expansion underway
Groundbreaking: Sunday, March 10, 1:30–3:30 pm 425 Washington Park, Norfolk When Sarah Lipman moved from New Jersey to Tidewater less than four years ago, she saw a need for improvement in one particular aspect of the Jewish community. “I came and loved the community,...
When the right and left fight over anti-Semitism, Jews are caught in the middle
(JTA)—I lived in Minnesota for five years. My wife is from there; her family still lives there. When we return to visit, we have to reckon with a frightening reality: My in-laws’ newly elected congressional representative is deeply implicated in anti-Semitism. We are...
Hands United Building Bridges Week unites, inspires
Hands United Building Bridges Week 2019 Hands United Building Bridges’ (HUBB) second annual Building Bridges Week brought the Tidewater community together for several meaningful events including a Shabbat service at Ohef Sholom Temple on Friday, January 11; the Summit...
Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel
The BIG Saturday Night Celebration of Jewish Film and champagne reception Saturday, January 26, 7:15 pm, Sandler Center for the Performing Arts Tickets: $35; Under 21: $18 Ty Kelly, Team Israel and New York Mets player, and Seth Kramer, director, will speak following...
Virginia Festival of Jewish Film
Presented by Alma & Howard Laderberg and Patricia & Avraham Ashkenazi January 21 – January 30 As one of the longest-running Jewish film festivals in the nation, the mission of the 26th Annual Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, presented by Alma & Howard...
A Spirited Community Shabbat with Rick Recht
Tidewater’s musical weekend with Rick Recht combines fun and inspiration Rick Recht spent four days in Tidewater connecting with educators, NFTY and BBYO high school students, Hebrew Academy of Tidewater and Strelitz Early Childhood Center students and their families,...
A Weekend with Rick Recht | November 29 to December 2
Singer-Songwriter Rick Recht to perform community concerts in Tidewater Thursday, November 29–Sunday, December 2 A popular Jewish rock star, Rick Recht is also an educator and leadership motivator. During his visit to Tidewater’s Jewish community, Recht will bring his...
Standing with Pittsburgh
Across the nation, vigils, services, and town hall meetings have taken place since the horrific murders at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh on Saturday, October 27. The same is true for Tidewater. In sanctuaries and in public spaces and in private schools, the...
What’s Your Story?
Dispersed, threatened, hidden and reunited, but always a Jew. Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, modern Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox, but always a Jew. Zionist, Secularist, Yiddishist and Culturalist, but always a Jew. A people that have withstood much and...
22nd Annual Viginia Festival of Jewish Film
With multiple venues and times, there’s a show for everyone When the Virginia Festival of Jewish Film presented by Alma* and Howard Laderberg opens next month, it will celebrate its 22nd year, one of the longest running festivals of its kind in the nation. In an...
Ira Forman to discuss Global Anti-Semitism Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015, 7:30 pm
The disturbing regularity of incidents of anti-Semitism taking place across the globe has alerted Jewish leaders and government officials to a need to combat the growing trend. Ira N. Forman, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism for the U.S. State...
Reba and Sam Sandler Campus 10th Anniversary
Dear Readers, The journey to the moment in the summer of 2004 when the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus began operations was the culmination of many years of diligent pursuit by a host of people who had vision and a commitment to the future of Tidewater’s Jewish...
Beneath The Helmet: From High School to the Home Front
Tidewater premier: Thursday, Nov. 20, 7 pm Beneath the Helmet: From High School to the Home Front is a new full-length documentary film from Jerusalem U, the creators of the PBS-featured documentary Israel Inside: How a Small Nation Makes a Big Difference. The...
Nine author presentations, thousands of books
November 2–16 by Leslie Shroyer Fresh books and colorful book covers means book festival time at the Simon Family JCC. The Cardo area of the Sandler Family Campus will be filled with books of all shapes and sizes, as the JCC presents The Lee and Bernard Jaffe* Family...
4th Annual Israel Today Forum brings diverse voices, new perspectives and international experts to Tidewater
by Robin Mancoll Einat Wilf: Thursday, Oct. 30, 7:30 pm Compelling speakers, interesting topics and timely discussions have characterized the past three seasons of the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Israel Today Forum. With...
Annual Campaign Kick Off: It all starts with one
by Laine Mednick Rutherford Drawing on the past to inspire the future, the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater inaugurated its 2015 Annual Campaign by showcasing the words and deeds of two relatively contemporary Jewish role models. On Monday, Sept. 15, community...
Week of Extraordinary Deeds motivates community to “do good”
Monday, Sept. 15, 6:30 pm, Campaign Kick Off Sunday, Sept. 21, 1:30–3:30 pm, Mitzvah Day VA If you survey a group of community members and ask them to name one of the most admired Jewish leaders of all time, odds are that you’ll hear the name Golda Meir. The great,...
Standing room only crowd attends Stand Strong for Israel solidarity gathering
by Laine Mednick Rutherford With only three days notice, more than 550 people in Tidewater rearranged their calendars, braved stormy weather, and waited in long lines for security checks, all to show their dedicated and determined support for Israel. Stand Strong for...
Operation Protective Edge: Day 17
THE SITUATION Iranian-backed Gazan Hamas terrorists have fired a total of 2,114 rockets into Israel since the start of Operation Protective Edge. Three hundred and thirty three of these rockets fired at Israeli urban centers, were intercepted by the Iron Dome defense...
Update on Operation Protective Edge, Day 9
News and links to photographs, videos and other information from Israel: THE SITUATION -- After the Israeli government accepted the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire agreement Tuesday, Hamas rejected the reported text, saying, "Our battle with the enemy continues and will...
Update on Operation Protective Edge, Day 8
News and links to photographs, videos and other information from Israel: THE SITUATION -- The Israeli Security Cabinet voted 6-2 to accept a ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt. Hamas rejected its terms and has continued to fire rockets at Israel. U.S. Secretary of...
UJFT provides community with up-to-date information about Operation Protective Edge
The escalating conflict in Israel, with Hamas firing missiles into populated areas from Gaza and the Israel Defense Forces launching Operation Protective Edge to protect its citizens, is changing daily, sometimes even hourly. Members of the Tidewater Jewish community...
Picnic or Shabbat dinner, recipes for a delicious and easy 4th of July celebration
For many Tidewater residents, Fourth of July celebrations conjure up vivid images of picnics in a park or on the beach, festive red, white and blue neighborhood parades, cookouts with family and friends, and fireworks lighting up the night sky. This year’s...
Ballpark event a homerun for Business & Legal Society
The theme of the Business & Legal Society of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s final event of the year involved a serendipitously timed topic: the construction of a proposed 18,000-seat arena in Virginia Beach, and attracting a major league sports team...
Beyond fundraising: UJFT’s Israel and Overseas allocations
The responsibility of raising millions of dollars each year through the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Annual Campaign is an effort that is undertaken by a small core of staff members and a larger, dedicated group of community leaders and volunteers. Over a...
Tee up and head out to the Simon Family JCC’s Annual Golf Tournament
Tuesday, June 24, noon Heron Ridge Golf Club Virginia Beach The Simon Family JCC’s 4th Annual Presidents’ Cup Tournament has actually existed as a golf tournament since the 1980s. It was renamed the Presidents’ Cup to honor past presidents who have served as leaders...
Yom Ha’Atzmaut Israel Independence Day: Hungry for Israel Fest?
Sunday, May 18, 11am–5pm • Simon Family JCC With the Simon Family JCC’s annual Israel Fest fast approaching, the kitchens of area temples and Beth Sholom Village are busy preparing for the festival’s largest food component ever. Participation from every synagogue will...
Celebrating 10 years of the Week of Healthy Living
Ten years ago, Jewish Family Service’s board of directors and leaders wanted a way to give back to the community while at the same time, raise funds for the agency. “The Week of Healthy Living was created to not only hold a fundraising event that would bring together...