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Virginia Kehillat Bet Hamidrash (KBH), also known as Kempsville Conservative Synagogue, is entering a transformative new chapter as it prepares to relocate its synagogue from Indian Lakes Boulevard to the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish...
Tidewater is entering its fourth year of collaboration with the Jewish Agency for Israel to host Shinshinim (Israeli Emissaries) on their mission to share Israeli culture, knowledge, and experiences with community members of all ages. Shinshin is an acronym for Shenat...
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...
Beth Sholom Village’s Auxiliary recently awarded Jewish Family Service a gift that makes it possible for 20,000 meals to be provided to hungry people in Tidewater. Collaborative projects between Jewish Family Service and Beth Sholom Village have taken place for...
Wendy Goldberg has spent nearly 30 years helping clients make smart financial decisions. As a CPA and founder of her own practice, she brings a personal and practical approach to advising clients—especially when it comes to aligning financial planning with...
Heading into its 26th year, the Be A Reader (BeAR) Literacy Project is growing, adding two new partner schools to the BeAR family: Newtown Elementary in Virginia Beach and Suburban Park Elementary in Norfolk.The growth translates to more second graders to support,...
Shinshinim supervisors from communities supported by the Zeff Family Foundation gather each year with Diana Zeff, along with staff from the Jewish Agency for Israel and The Adelson Shlichut Institute.For the second time, I had the privilege of serving on the planning...
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!In the June 2 issue of Jewish News, nearly 40 area graduates were featured. Here...
Graduation is always a meaningful and emotional milestone at Strelitz International Academy. For the fifth-grade students, some of whom have been part of the SIA community since infancy, it marks a moment to reflect on their growth and prepare to spread their wings as...
When Summer Hoffman was 15 years old, she received a One Happy Camper grant that allowed her to attend a three-week residential camp, BBYO International Kallah. For her interfaith family—half Jewish, half Christian—it was more than just a summer getaway. It became a...
There is no denying that coffee and college have a legendary relationship, from fueling early-morning classes to sustaining late-night study sessions. But for college campuses, coffee and the places that serve it, are about more than just caffeine. These spaces create...
In keeping with the ViBe’s 10-year anniversary celebrations, the Virginia Beach City Council recognized the ViBe Creative District with a Resolution at its meeting on Tuesday, May 20. The City Council thanked ViBe co-founders Andrew Fine and Laura Wood and executive...
ShinShinim are exceptional Israeli high school graduates who postpone their mandatory military service to serve as cultural ambassadors in Jewish communities around the world. These young emissaries are chosen through a rigorous selection process that evaluates their...
Nadiv capped off another terrific year of Jewish philanthropy, social action, and networking during a social at the Virginia Beach home of Bonnie and David Brand on Tuesday, May 14. This past programming year (which ran from August 2023 to May 2024), Nadiv...
FIRST PERSON: A VIEW FROM ISRAEL I was in Israel for 10 days through a structured university trip called Israel Authentic (part of the Tlalim Group). Eight students on the trip were from Boston University and seven were from Virginia Tech, where I am a rising...
Joel and Sara Jo Rubin have long been dedicated to promoting Jewish education. “It began at home and participating in synagogue and Jewish events for our young family,” says Sara Jo. “We were adamant that our children (Molly and Danny) would be raised to practice and...
The Honorable Scott Joseph Flax was sworn in on May 1 to begin his eight-year term as a Judge of the Second Judicial Circuit Court. He is the third Jewish circuit court judge to be appointed in Virginia Beach, following the Honorable Jerry Friedman and Honorable Alan...
At 92, Ellie Porter is sharp as a tack with a keen memory, particularly of events 52 years ago that defined her life as a local community activist. “I was on the board of National B’nai Brith Women and a volunteer with Jewish Family Service here in Tidewater,”...
A 1977 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Jerry Miller recently received The Distinguished Graduate Award, an honor “given to living U.S. Naval Academy graduates who have made a distinctive contribution to their field or community and have demonstrated...
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...
As several major construction phases are wrapping up, much excitement is in the air regarding the completion of Aviva Pembroke. With an anticipated opening date of early October, prospective residents and neighbors within the Pembroke area are preparing for the...
In addition to the celebrations of graduation season, education tends to get a lot of attention.Tidewater Jewish Foundation can help donors make a difference in the lives of young people by funding education. While establishing a scholarship fund at TJF is one way to...
Proud to support Jewish military families, PJ Library is piloting a new Military Parent Connector program in partnership with the JWB – Jewish Chaplains Council and United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Although Parent Connectors have been in PJ Library...
The best of friends starting in kindergarten, Todd Copeland and Sam Brooke went to school together, spent time in each other’s homes as young friends do, and even travelled to Israel together. But they wouldn’t have old age together, as Sam passed away in 1993, around...
Hundreds of orthodox Jewish families rented homes in the Sandbridge section of Virginia Beach for the duration of this year’s eight-day Passover holiday. Families from outside of Virginia brought their traditions and kosher meals to Sandbridge, with 10 synagogues...
The Simon Family JCC hosted its annual Catch and Release Fishing Derby on Sunday, May 5. Nearly 100 anglers of all ages tried their luck at the pond, which was stocked with bass, catfish, and bluegill. The largest catch of the day, according to Tom Edwards, athletics...
When Max and Emma Bernstein married this spring, more than 15 friends from their days at Newport Avenue’s Jewish Community Center’s Shalom Children’s Center attended the wedding. The friends all met at the JCC preschool 25 years ago and later went to Hebrew Academy of...
Before you join a counter-protest, the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater encourages you to ask yourself: Is a counter-protest effective in supporting Israel? Does staging or attending a counter-protest serve the community’s support of Israel? Does...
U.S. Representative Rob Wittman spent a couple of hours at the Sandler Family Campus having lunch and speaking with and answering questions from members of Tidewater’s Jewish community on Friday, May 3.Congressman Wittman immediately addressed the current state of...
A crowd of community members and leaders, including principal project partners and future residents, gathered on Friday, March 22 to celebrate another significant milestone towards the completion of the newest Virginia Beach senior living community, Aviva Pembroke.The...
Resilience and determination. These two words are perfectly fitting for Evgeniia (Jenny) Kosatykh, the 2024 recipient of the Stein Family Scholarship. Kosatykh’s remarkable journey from war-torn Ukraine to the halls of Frank W. Cox High School in Virginia Beach is an...
Earlier this year, the Forward wrote about the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s book, To Life: The Past is Present, including six of the publication’s stories. The article, with two of the stories, is reprinted here with permission....