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Four young women, with childhood roots in Jewish Tidewater, have nuptials on the mind. Now spread out across the country, three of these Virginia natives recently married, while one is still in the planning stages. Hannah Diehl Testa and her husband, Kevin...
A junior at Cape Henry Collegiate, Henry Scolnick was recently named one of this year’s recipients for the Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award. Henry is the youngest recipient in this year’s cohort. Awarded annually by The Helen Diller Family Foundation, up to 15...
The ODU Alumni Association celebrates distinguished and outstanding ODU graduates, as well as friends of the University, who have excelled in their professions and made lasting impacts on their communities and #MonarchNation. Honorees may be recognized as...
In 1925, Fanny Goldstein, a Jewish librarian at the Boston Public Library, decided Jewish books and Jewish pride deserved celebration. She created a display of Jewish books at the West End Branch, launching the first Jewish Book Week. By 1927, Jewish communities...
As 2025 winds down, now is the ideal time to revisit personal charitable giving strategy. Legislative changes and shifting tax thresholds can affect how to give and how far dollars go to make a difference. “The close of the calendar year is when charitable and...
They’re at it again! Local Mah Jongg Mavens Amy Levy and Stephanie Calliott are on a mission to make sure everyone has the opportunity to learn the game. With their contagious enthusiasm, Mah Jongg is fast becoming a multigenerational favorite — and now it’s the next...
The first installment of the Judaism and the Arts series invited participants to explore both the meaning and the beauty of one of Judaism’s most familiar symbols: the mezuzah. Attendees first learned about the history, symbolism, and spiritual significance of the...
Residents of Aviva Pembroke joined community members for the launch of Knots of Kindness, a knitting and crocheting circle in partnership with Jewish Family Service of Tidewater and Aviva Pembroke on Thursday, October 16. The gathering was filled with warmth,...
I am sure you, like us, are filled with emotion after seeing the 20 living hostages returned home to Israel and their families. We continue to pray for the imminent return of the remaining hostages and for their families and loved ones to be able to give them...
Synagogues have always been the roots of a Jewish community. Wherever Jewish people have gone, they have gathered for communal prayer and congregational support. Jewish community provides a feeling of home in this big, often scary world. For...
When I joined the Jewish Family Service board in 2020, I thought I knew what JFS was all about. Helping out in the community? Sure. Supporting seniors? Absolutely. But wow—I had no idea how deep their work really goes. I hadn’t even heard of PAM! I figured it was just...
International Kallah is where BBYO members from across the globe come together to explore their Jewish identity and learn about their shared Jewish heritage, all while enjoying adventures in a beautiful camp setting. It takes place for 20 days during the summer at the...
Camp JCC is not just an excellent summer camp, it is a place where children, teens, and young adults connect, build community, learn, play, and grow with each other throughout the year. The skills, friendships, memories, and joy of Camp JCC are not limited to two...
Sunday, November 2, 4 - 7 pm Rabbi Rosalin Mandelberg has been weaving her unique and essential thread in Jewish Tidewater’s tapestry with steadfast grace and love for more than 20 years. As senior rabbi at Ohef Sholom Temple, she has led with wisdom, devotion, and...
Program launches November 1 Jewish Family Service helps local Jewish families of all ages. Many of these families are single parents coping with financial challenges. Here is one such story, written on behalf of a JFS client: A young mother approached JFS for...
In sanctuaries across the nation, in fact, across the globe, rabbis and cantors spent much of the recent High Holidays speaking about the rifts – the competing views – that exist within their congregations concerning Israel, Gaza, and the political divides in the...
When students in more than 300 Tidewater schools opened their library doors this fall, they found something new on the shelves: stories that reflect the richness of Jewish life and history. Thanks to the Konikoff Center for Learning of United Jewish Federation of...
For decades, the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater has worked to ensure the lessons of the Holocaust are not forgotten. At the heart of this effort is the White Rose Project, an educational initiative that provides books to schools...
The ketubah, or Jewish marriage contract, has traditionally spelled out the groom’s obligations to his wife, including financial responsibilities and his commitment to provide for his bride’s basic needs, such as food, shelter, and intimacy. In the orthodox tradition,...
The Strelitz International Academy’s 37th Annual Golf Tournament, held on Wednesday, September 10 at the Virginia Beach National Golf Club, proved that not even rainy skies could dampen the spirit of community and generosity. Known as the Bob Josephberg Classic, this...
The Be A Reader (BeAR) Literacy Project celebrated the start of its 2025/26 school year with an enormously successful kickoff breakfast on Monday, Sept. 15 at the Sandler Family Campus. The event gathered more than 90 BeAR mentors, both new and returning, for a...
Thirty-five members and prospects (17 AZA and 18 BBG) gathered at Top Golf to kick off the new programming term for BBYO. Sports, socializing, and snacks were enjoyed by all. To learn about more programming, contact Courtney Krutoy, city director - Tidewater...
The smell of fresh dough and the sound of laughter filled the Sandler Family Campus on Monday, Sept. 8, as community members of all ages gathered around tables dusted with flour. Jewish Family Service, in partnership with the Konikoff Center for Learning, hosted a...
Dr. Ben Rubenstein and Eric Miller joined the advisory committee last month for Tidewater BBYO’s Old Dominion AZA. BBYO advisors serve as role models working in partnership with staff members to supervise and guide AZA and BBG chapters. Advisors empower each BBYO...
Julie Giarrana, a registered dietician who recently started offering personal nutrition services at the Simon Family JCC, originally got to the Center by responding to an ad for a substitute yoga instructor. It was Giarrana’s nutrition background, however, that caught...
As we enter this High Holiday season of reflection and renewal together, I am reminded that these holidays invite us to pause, look inward, and reconnect—with our traditions, our communities, and with our loved ones. This year, more than ever, we are reminded of the...
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Young Adult Division (YAD) has a new name and a new way of doing business. Now officially rebranded as Next Gen 757, this bold new identity reflects its mission, its members, and the vibrant future UJFT is helping to shape in...
Jewish Tidewater celebrates Sukkot with an array of events throughout the region. All listings are open to the public. Chabad of Tidewater Community Sukkot Dinner and Dessert in the Sukkah Monday, October 6, 7:30 pm Suggested donation $18/person RSVP:...
On Sunday, September 14, I hosted a charity mini golf fundraising tournament at the Sandler Family Campus. We had 25 people show up to play and donate to Jewish Family Service. The tournament was split into three rounds. The first round was a normal round, and...
RICHMOND, Va. — Attorney General Jason S. Miyares announced the publication of a new Virginia Rules lesson focused on combating antisemitism. The announcement was made in August. This new module will be added to the broader Virginia Rules program, which provides...
Honey is an integral ingredient for Rosh Hashanah, as Jews worldwide dip both challah and apples into this golden, syrupy liquid as part of their New Year traditions. But honey comes from a bee, an insect that stings and creates pain. Why isn’t the sweet apple enough...
Each year, more than 200,000 Jewish students leave home to attend institutions of higher learning in the United States and Canada. Most of these teenagers have celebrated the High Holidays with their families their entire lives – never apart from them. Still, these...