Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat, former U.S. Ambassador to the European Union and Deputy Secretary of both Treasury and State, visited Tidewater on Monday, Nov. 18 to discuss his new book The Art of Diplomacy – How American Negotiators Reached Historic Agreements that...
It’s a Wrap
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Community Impact Day:Learning, tzedakah, and community
Nearly 200 members of Tidewater’s Jewish community gathered at the Simon Family JCC for the first-ever Community Impact Day on the last Sunday of November. Partnering with 18 local non-profits and seven Jewish camps, participants raised more than $700 while fostering...
JFS makes Thanksgiving meals possible for hundreds
Cars started lining up down Corporate Woods Drive at 8 am on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, eagerly waiting for the Jewish Family Service Food Pantry to begin its Thanksgiving food distribution. Busy volunteers and staff were loading carts carrying bags of...
Another spirited Shabbat Project for Tidewater
The 2024 Tidewater Shabbat Project was once again a smashing success. The weekend began with the Travelling Chassidim leading Friday night services at B’nai Israel Congregation on Nov. 15. The synagogue came alive as everyone joined together in dance while singing the...
That’s A Wrap: Jewish Book Festival 2024
Over six weeks, the 2024 Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival brought together bestselling authors, emerging voices, and an audience hungry for stories. The festival began with a look into history, as novelist Rachel Beanland transported attendees back...
Women’s Philanthropy hosts an Israeli chef at its Annual Lion Tikva Chai Luncheon
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s 2025 Women’s Philanthropy Lion Tikva Chai Lunch took place on a cool, crisp day in the sunny and bright Fleishmann Lounge on the Sandler Family Campus. This annual lunch is a thank you for all women donors at the $1,800+...
Nadiv members tour USS Eisenhower
More than a young men’s fundraising group for United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Nadiv is a place to network, socialize, and learn about each other’s professional lives. On Friday, November 8, 12 Nadiv members toured the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. Jonathan Beha, a...
Strelitz Fall Festival creates an unforgettable autumn celebration
On a cool Sunday in October, the Sandler Family Campus transformed into a magical Fall Wonderland for the 2nd Annual Strelitz Fall Festival. This signature Strelitz International Academy event brought the community together with delicious food, unique vendors,...
Strelitz International Academy students dive into STEM and Jewish culture
Fourth-grade students at Strelitz International Academy engaged in an exciting blend of STEM education and cultural exploration as part of the school’s International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) on Tuesday, Oct. 16. Incorporating themes from recent...
Supporting grieving children for 25 years
Twenty-five years ago, Jewish Family Service and Edmarc, a children’s hospice program, partnered to develop Peace by Piece, an emotional safe haven for kids and teens who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Adult support groups for the caregivers are also...
BeAR begins 25th year
The Be A Reader (BeAR) Literacy Program is celebrating a major milestone this year, and what better way to begin the year than with United Jewish Federation hosting the largest ever BeAR kickoff luncheon. Now in its 25th year, the BeAR program continues to ignite a...
BBYO in Tidewater begins new year with increased participation
Last month’s BBYO kickoff event had a great turnout with about 20 Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA) boys and 16 B’nai Brith Girls (BBG) attending. The teens swam, ate pizza, caught up with old friends, and met some new additions to BBYO Tidewater. The night wrapped...
Next Generation Group gathers for the first time
The first meeting of the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Next Generation group occurred on Sunday, August 11 in the Survivor’s Room at the Sandler Family Campus. Comprised of children of Holocaust survivors, as well as third...
Nadiv Kicks off new year with big crowd, important cause
The men of Nadiv voted and chose Camp JCC as the recipient of the group’s fundraising efforts during the ‘24-‘25 programming year. Nadiv gathered on Thursday, Sept. 5 at the Virginia Beach home of Laura and Fred Gross to socialize and discuss where to direct the...
36th Annual Strelitz International Golf Tournament: A swinging success
The Strelitz International Academy’s (SIA) 36th Annual Golf Tournament, held on Wednesday, August 28 at the Virginia Beach National Golf Club, proved to be another hole-in-one event. Known as the Bob Josephberg Classic, this tournament remains SIA’s premier annual...
Tree of Life documentary inspires conversations
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and its partner, Secure Community Network, hosted three screeningsof the HBO documentary A Tree of Life: The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting on September 10. Each screening served a particular demographic: one for local first...
Tidewater earns medals at Maccabi
Seven members of the Team Virginia Beach delegation to the JCC Maccabi Games & Access 2024 arrived on August 5 at the Houston airport at 1 am – delayed but excited for the upcoming competitions. More than 1,700 teens from across the globe convened in this Texan...
ODU Hillel takes field trip to Bobby Scott’s Labor Day event
Several members of Old Dominion University’s Hillel attended Congressman Bobby Scott’s 43rd Annual Labor Day Cookout in Newport News. Amy K. Milligan, PhD, ODU’s Batten Endowed Associate Professor of Jewish Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies, director, Institute...
A splashing Shabbat: Tidewater welcomes Shabbat at annual pool party
New and familiar faces flooded the Metzger Outdoor Aquatic Center water park and splash pad at the Simon Family JCC for the annual End of Summer Shabbat and Pool Party, hosted by PJ Library in Tidewater, UJFT’s Young Adult Division, and the Tidewater ShinShinim....
Life & Legacy Plus Leadership Launch: Securing the community’s future
Tidewater Jewish Foundation hosted the Life & Legacy Plus Leadership Launch on Thursday, August 15. The event brought leaders of Tidewater’s Jewish organizations, agencies, and synagogues together, and marked the beginning of a renewed commitment to securing the...
Lasting memories for campers
Another successful summer concluded last month for Camp JCC. More than 230 campers attended this year – from Hampton Roads, as well as from California, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Washington DC, and Richmond In addition, families relocating to Hampton Roads...
Girls’ Night Out encourages women to build community through better understanding
The Women’s Division of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater held its first “Girl’s Night Out” on Thursday, July 25 at the Sandler Family Campus.Members of the Women’s Philanthropy committee were asked to each bring a friend or two to the event. The result was a...
Shabbat@Home series concludes with community dinner
The Shabbat@Home dinner on Friday, June 7 was a heartwarming culmination of a year-long series of learning sessions presented by the Konikoff Center for Learning and PJ Library of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, in partnership with Ignite757. The series...
Winner of passes to Beyond Monet
Sherry Lieberman is the winner of the Jewish News contest for two passes to the Beyond Monet: The Immersive Experience at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. Sponsored by the Virginia Arts Festival, the Monet experience showcases more than 400 of Monet’s most iconic...
Israeli, Australian, American Jews medal at the 2024 Olympics
Windsurfing to wrestling – Jewish athletes earned at least 16 medals (at press time) at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.The stories about these Olympians are all interesting – even for those who don’t care all that much about sports. Read about them at JTA.org. Gold medals...
Educators’ Conference asks “Who Will Tell Our Story?”
The successful 16th Biennial Educators' Conference, hosted by the Holocaust Commission and the Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, offered invaluable resources and insights to educators dedicated to teaching about...
Celebration of Lifelong Learning: A year of growth and commitment
The Konikoff Center for Learning of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater celebrated a remarkable year of Jewish education with a Celebration of Lifelong Learning event last month. This year, dedicated learners deepened their knowledge of Jewish history, thought,...
SIA students pick strawberries for ForKids
At Strelitz International Academy, a love for tzedakah, kindness, and helping others is fostered at each grade level. As students learn new tefillot (prayers) they explore Hashem’s kindness, and brainstorm ways to care for others. Tzedakah, helping those in need, is a...
Toras Chaim students visit Maimonides Health Center residents
The fifth and sixth grade girls from Toras Chaim took a trip to the Maimonides Health Center in Virginia Beach on Monday, June 10.An innovative idea of Kayla Weinreb to teach her students about the act of chessed (kindness) while bringing joy to the Center’s...
Be A Reader (BeAR) Literacy Project celebrates another fantastic year
After achieving plenty of recognition and success during the 2023- 2024 school year, the Be A Reader (BeAR) Literacy Project is now planning for the 2024-2025 school year.During this school year, BeAR worked with more than 100 second-grade students in Norfolk and...
National Senior Health and Fitness Day 2024
Adults over the age of 55 visited the Simon Family JCC to celebrate National Senior Health and Fitness Day on Wednesday, May 29. The day was filled with fun, laughter, health, and fitness – deeming it a huge success.Vendors from all over Tidewater offered information...
Strelitz International Academy Mitzvah Club shines at beach cleanup
The sun shone brightly on Sunday, June 2 as students and their families from the Strelitz International Academy Mitzvah Club gathered at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront for a beach cleanup event that blended service with fun.The day began with laughter as children...