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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...
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...
Israelis have long taken pride in two things: the long arc of Jewish history, and their relentlessly dark humor in the face of unspeakable tragedy.For about a decade, the synthesis of those two qualities has been The Jews Are Coming, a sketch comedy show now in its...
The idea of a central Tidewater Jewish community campus had to start somewhere. That place might be traced to Charlotte, N.C. when a then 39-year-old Art Sandler, who was serving as president of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, visited that community and saw...
An Israeli Chef’s Table Experience • Thursday, May 16, 7 pm • Sandler Family Campus Israeli Chef Yaniv Cohen will visit Tidewater in honor of Israel’s 76th anniversary this week.In this conversation, Cohen offers insight into his world of cuisine, passion, and...
Ben Sales(JTA) — On Saturday night, April 13, Iran fired more than 200 missiles and drones at Israel.The unprecedented attack — from Iranian soil to Israeli territory — is the most direct confrontation ever between the two longtime adversaries. It threatens to spiral...
The Passover seder gets a post-Oct. 7 rethink. (JTA) — As the American Israeli poet Marty Herskovitz thought about the upcoming Passover holiday, the prospect of singing Dayenu at the first seder since his country was attacked didn’t sit right with him.The classic...
The Truman Holocaust Torah was returned to its home aboard the USS Harry S. Truman on Sunday, March 3 after being safeguarded at Temple Israel for the past year while the ship underwent repairs.The ceremony for the Torah’s return, which took place onboard the ship at...
More than 400 Jewish leaders and professionals from 65 communities (including 10 from Tidewater) traveled to Washington, DC in January to meet with more than 190 members of Congress (or their legislative aides) to advocate for legislation that supports Israel, combats...
One of the nation’s longest-running Jewish film festivals, the Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, presented by Alma & Howard Laderberg, entertains, educates, and engages the Tidewater community by presenting world-class films, repertory cinema, and associated...
Kirk Levy Over the past three months, most of us in the Jewish community have been affected by events in Israel, rallies in the streets both here and abroad, and antisemitism on college campuses. We’ve questioned what can be done to show support for Israel and ensure...
Stephanie Peck and Terri Denison Last year, the introduction to this section began “Jewish-related news made more mainstream headlines in 2022 than most of us could ever recall.” With Israel at war, the 400% uptick in antisemitism, comments by Elon Musk, etc., 2023...
Nofar Trem United Jewish Federation of Tidewater chartered two buses to drive community members to Washington, DC to show solidarity and support for Israel on Tuesday, Nov. 14. The group from Tidewater joined nearly 300,000 Jewish allies of Israel on the National Mall...
Stephanie Peck Israel’s war with Hamas permeates campus life at colleges and universities across the nation with protests and threats upending daily life. Jewish News asked several Jewish students from Tidewater about their reactions to their school’s approach to the...
Betty Ann Levin When Israel was brutally attacked on the morning of October 7, 2023, our community not only immediately condemned Hamas and stood in solidarity with Israel, but we also responded. On Sunday, Oct. 8, the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater opened the...
Stephanie Peck Jewish Tidewater gathered in support of Israel on Tuesday, October 10, three days after the tiny nation was brutally attacked. Nearly 500 people, including many political dignitaries, attended the Community Solidarity Gathering for Israel to condemn the...
Ron Kampeas WASHINGTON (JTA) — President Joe Biden issued a forceful condemnation of Hamas, and pledged American support for Israel, as he announced that the number of American dead from the terror group’s invasion of Israel is now 14 (as of Oct. 10). As many as 20...
(JTA) — Yoni Asher’s voice was steady but his urgency was unmistakable. “I ask anyone coming to Efrat Katz’s home to tell me they are there, I have not heard from them for four hours,” he said on Israel’s government-run Kan radio. “Them” for Asher was his...