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Nadiv, the young professional men’s fundraising group for United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, held a social event on Monday, Feb. 17 at Q-Masters Billiards in Virginia Beach.More than 25 men in their 20s, 30s, and 40s attended – some were Nadiv ‘regulars,’ while...
Community members gathered on Thursday, Feb. 25 for a poignant ceremony led by Tidewater’s Shinshinim, Danielle Hartman and Emily Patyuk, to commemorate more than 500 days of war in Israel and to honor the countless lives lost since October 7, 2023. The ceremony also...
The 32nd Annual Virginia Festival of Jewish Film overcame a chilly beginning to deliver a week of outstanding films and vibrant community spirit across Virginia Beach and Norfolk.After a strong start on Sunday, Feb.16 with the Israeli film, Running on Sand, the...
The Sandler Family Campus was unrecognizable on Saturday, March 1, as partygoers stepped into Mordechai’s Time Machine for an unforgettable Purim celebration. Immersive décor transported guests across time and space — from a 1920s speakeasy to a garden of Eden. Every...
Deep learning and spirited conversation took place when Abigail Pogrebin and Rabbi Dov Linzer led a thought-provoking discussion at It Takes Two to Torah. Hosted by the Konikoff Center for Learning of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, the event earlier this...
Carin Simon, Strelitz International Academy’s director of development, and Ally St. Pierre, SIA’s admissions manager, recently attended the 2025 Prizmah Conference in Boston, Massachusetts. This gathering brought together Jewish day school leaders from across the...
Tidewater BBYO had its spring kickoff at Surge Adventure Park, a multi-adventure trampoline park, ninja course, and arcade in Virginia Beach on Saturday, Feb 8. Eighteen teens attended the event, connecting with Jewish friends over pizza and an afternoon of fun. Henry...
The Temple Israel Men’s Club met on Sunday, February 9 for the annual Worldwide Wrap, a program of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Club. The 12 members who attended included a few who have never put on tefillin and a pre–Bat Mitzvah young lady. After everyone had a...
The Square Up for Maccabi football pool fundraiser raised more than $3,500 this year for the Team Virginia Beach delegation of the JCC Maccabi program.Using the last digit of each team’s cumulative score at the end of each quarter, winners were determined based on the...
Traditions are so important for children – giving them a sense of belonging to something special that becomes part of their identity. Lighting the menorah at Hanukkah, for example, is one such tradition.For 32 years, the Jewish Family Service Chanukah Gift Program has...
“Stunning” was the most frequent word heard as Beth Sholom Village and its friends in the Jewish community celebrated the official opening of Aviva Pembroke with development partner Pembroke Square Associates inside the seven-story structure off Constitution Drive in...
The final installment of the What We Carry film series, featuring the remarkable story of Colonel Edward Shames, premiered at the Sandler Family Campus on Monday, January 27. Held on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the event drew an engaged audience to honor...
On a very chilly Sunday morning last month, Mona Flax, president-elect of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Jodi Klebanoff, past UJFT Women’s Philanthropy chair, Amy Zelenka, UJFT chief development officer, and I travelled to the 2025 International Lion of Judah...
The JCC Seniors Club members had an incredible time at last month’s meeting. ‘Patsy Cline’ was back in the building and had everyone singing along and tapping their feet to her timeless tunes.Members also got a sneak peek of this year’s Virginia Festival of Jewish...
Nearly 200 people gathered for a powerful and emotional conversation with Shahar Dekel, a photographer and IDF reservist soldier, and Jay Klebanoff, a former United Jewish Federation of Tidewater president, on Tuesday, Jan. 14. Held at the Sandler Family Campus, the...
The incredible BeAR volunteers regularly demonstrate what it means to serve, inspire, and share a little extra love wherever they go. Two dedicated Larrymore BeAR captains, for example, were recently spotted at Chesterfield Academy Elementary.Larrymore captains Irene...
For one special hour before winter break, BeAR Literacy Project volunteers filled classrooms, libraries, and cafeterias with holiday cheer and the magic of reading. Students were treated to a whirlwind of fun that celebrated the joy of books and included festive story...
A heartfelt celebration that brings together students, families, and friends to honor the special bonds between generations, Strelitz International Academy’s annual Grandparents and Grandfriends Day achieved its goals. The event was marked by warmth, gratitude, and...
A trip that brought the stories of Hampton Roads’ Jewish history to life was the culmination of From the Shtetl to the South, a 10-week course hosted by the Konikoff Center for Learning of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Participants joined Rabbi Michael...
Camp JCC wrapped up another successful Winter Camp to conclude a fun filled 2024. More than 50 children attended the camp during the two weeks of school holiday closures, enjoying the “Camp JCC Winter Cabin” with each day featuring its own song as its theme for the...
The alarming rise in antisemitism and hate crimes was the topic for a gathering of community leaders hosted by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Jewish Community Relations Council and Holocaust Commission on Thursday, December 12. Meredith Weisel, regional...
Hanukkah came early to the 29 participants of this year’s Beach Sisterhood Hanukkah Party, which was held in Temple Emanuel’s social hall on December 10. Holiday foods such as latkes with a side of applesauce or sour cream and jelly filled munchkins, along with pizza...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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+...
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...
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,...
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...
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...