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An annual reminder of what it means to be Jewish, this year the High Holidays get their ‘ jump start’ on September 1 with the joyful Selichot services. The following Thursday, another motivator to start 5779 on a positive note—inspiring personal growth and commitment to one’s self as well as to the greater Jewish community—takes place at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Annual Campaign Kickoff.
( JTA)—Jewish tourists from North America are likely to notice one big difference when visiting synagogues around the world. Though a plethora of symbols, such as stars of David and menorahs, may be displayed, national flags are rare inside the sanctuary. Meanwhile,...
NAHAL OZ, Israel (JTA)—Dani Ben David fiddles with his radio, switching between it and his cellphone as he drives through the Beeri Forest, a nature reserve located on the border of Israel and the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. As his Jeep jolts over the dirt road, he...
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Society of Professionals (SOP) held its annual spring event ‘An Evening at the Cavalier’ on Wednesday, April 25. Sponsored by Insco Insurance Group, more than 100 people convened at the new Cavalier Hotel Crystal Ballroom to...
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Israeli leaders and citizens responded with euphoria as the Trump administration moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem on Monday, May 14, designating a pre-existing consular building as the official U.S. diplomatic mission to the Jewish State. Hundreds...
Promoted as a major celebration of the Jewish state on the eve of its 70th anniversary, Israel Fest lived up to its billing on Sunday, April 22. Some 2,500 persons from across the community, double what attended in 2017, filled the backlot of the Simon Family JCC to...
14th Annual Run, Roll or Stroll Sunday, May 6 24th Street Park Virginia Beach Boardwalk Jewish Family Service of Tidewater’s 14th Annual Run, Roll or Stroll features an 8K run, 5K run, 5K walk, and a 1 Mile run/walk. Families and individuals of all ages are encouraged...
David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, publicly read the Declaration of Independence of Israel on May 14, 1948. The anniversary of this date on the Jewish calendar is known as Yom Ha’atzmaut, and this year is Thursday, April 19. As the Tidewater Jewish...
Mixtape: The Stories Behind Israel’s Ultimate Playlist Sunday, April 15, 7:30 pm, Harbor Club at Waterside I first met Mishy Harman a year ago at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He was there to speak to my daughter’s group of Nachshon Fellows and I sat in on the...
The school shooting in Parkland, Florida last month has impacted and mobilized the Jewish community from Florida to Massachusetts and beyond. Consider: • Five of the 17 killed were Jewish. • The Sheriff leading the investigation is Jewish. • The Congressman...
How often are you asked by a state legislator for help with pushing his tax credit effort or guidance as to the current status of anti-Israel divestiture efforts? Probably not very often. But in my case, at last month’s statewide Jewish Advocacy Day in Richmond, I...
( JTA)—The world is about to revolve around Pyeongchang, a mountainous county in the northern half of South Korea, for the upcoming Winter Olympics. Jewish fans won’t have quite as many standout athletes to cheer for this year as they did in 2016, when multiple...
Members of the Jewish and Christian communities shared a special night honoring Israel, and one another, at Virginia Beach’s Rock Church on April 23. Organizations representing the two communities, including Christians United for Israel, the United Jewish Federation...
May 3–10 Jewish Family Service of Tidewater’s 9th Annual Week of Healthy Living will feature events and activities that promote wellness threefold: body, mind and “soles.” For the body, there is a program on Jewish genetic diseases. For the mind, there will be a...
Sunday, April 28, 12:30–5 pm The Simon Family Jewish Community Center will host a free*, family-centered celebration of Israel’s Independence Day— Yom Ha’Atzmaut—for the entire Tidewater community, reaching out to everyone who supports Israel and enjoys its culture....
(Jewish Exponent) -- “It was a beautiful day. I was so excited to run and having such a good run. The crowd was unbelievable. The whole experience was amazing. It was almost magical." That’s how the Boston Marathon began for Rabbi Benjamin David, head rabbi at Adath...
Sunday, April 14, 1–4 pm Avoiding the Desert to Find Enlightenment Starting with the evening of the second seder, we have been in the period known as Sephirat HaOmer, often called Sephira for short, or in English, the Counting of the Omer. During the sevenweek Sephira...
6:45 pm How often do memories of life during the Holocaust seep into Frank Grunwald’s mind? Every day—maybe 15 times or maybe 30—says this year’s guest speaker for the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s commemoration of Yom Hashoah,...
More than 200 people gathered on Sunday, Feb. 10 for brunch at Ohef Sholom Temple and for an inspiring America Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) event. Following a delicious brunch prepared by the Men’s Club of Ohef Sholom, who joined with the Sisterhood, Young...
Armed with talking points, folders filled with information, and an abundance of determination, a contingent of focused Jewish citizens took to the halls of the Virginia General Assembly building on January 22. The group of 36 who traveled by bus from Tidewater joined...
Likud leads, but rise of Yesh Atid, Jewish Home bode bumpy road ahead for Netanyahu TEL AVIV (JTA)—His party shrunk, his opponents grew and his challengers multiplied. But with the results in, it seems Benjamin Netanyahu survived the Knesset elections on Jan. 22 to...
When Jewish communities initiated the one-day Super Sunday phone-a-thon 30 or so years ago, they essentially were mirroring other successful fundraising events of the time, such as the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon. Volunteers called from a bank...
View the full film schedule here The Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, which will celebrate its 20th consecutive year as a major cultural event in this community Jan. 19–27, was a feat for a community this size when it began in 1993. Twenty years ago, Marty...
Jewish communities across the United States are grappling with the reality of dwindling synagogue memberships, struggling or shuttered JCCs, shrinking Day School enrollment and little opportunity for Jewish culture, education and interaction. This area is not immune...
(JTA) – As Israel and Hamas mostly stilled their guns after reaching a cease-fire agreement, ending eight days of intense bombardment, both sides took home some new lessons about their foes. By firing longer-range rockets capable of reaching Jerusalem and Tel Aviv,...
Cuba? Bucket list? Not on it for most of us, and by most of us, I mean the 28 women who signed on for last month’s United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s/Joint Distribution Committee sponsored women’s mission to Havana Cuba, led by mission chairs Laura Gross and Jodi...
Sunday, Nov. 4–Sunday, Nov. 18 The Cardo area of the Sandler Family Campus will be filled with books of all shapes and sizes next month when the Simon Family JCC presents The Lee and Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival 2012. In conjunction with its partner,...
Thursday, Oct. 25, 7 pm Represenative Scott Rigell and challenger Paul Hirschbiel will participate in a forum at the Sandler Family Campus, to which the community is invited and encouraged to attend. Jewish News presented the candidates with the following questions:...
Nearly 30 years ago, the world was forced to reconsider what it means to “look Jewish” when, through Operation Moses and, six years later, Operation Solomon, more than 22,000 Ethiopian Jews were airlifted to their new home in Israel. The United Jewish Federation of...
NEW YORK (JTA)—The following is a review of the news highlights of the Jewish year 5772. September 2011 • An Egyptian mob breaks into the Israeli Embassy in Cairo and Israeli personnel are stuck inside for hours until Egyptian commandos arrive at the scene. Israeli...
Eleven Jewish college students from Tidewater gathered on Thursday, June 14 to embark on their next adventure of pro-Israel advocacy. After sharing personal stories of anti- Israel sentiment on their campuses, as well as on a national level, the group decided “to step...
The 10th graduation of adults from the Simon Family JCC’s Florence Melton Adult Mini-School took place on June 4. Thirteen adults completed the “core” program which involves two years of classes for 30 weeks each year. After these two years, students celebrate their...