Southeastern Virginia: Chesapeake • Norfolk • Portsmouth • Suffolk • Virginia Beach
Archives
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...
To Life: The Past Is Present, Holocaust Stories of Hampton Roads Survivors, Rescuers, and Liberators is a collection of stories and reflections from those who witnessed this brutal history. Published by the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of...
I stood in Nationals Park on November 10, 2024, gazing across the vast expanse of empty seats. While we hoped for a crowd of tens of thousands to gather in unity, the turnout of closer to 5,000 felt like a stark reminder of the challenges we face. The energy was...
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...
For the eighth consecutive year, clients at Jewish Family Service of Tidewater have been adopted by members of the Catholic Church of St. Stephen in Chesapeake. Carol Ehrbar, who coordinates this project for St. Stephen each year, helped collect more than 3,000 gifts...
As the 2024 calendar year nears the finish line, one pervasive question is: How is it possible to leave behind the stresses and anxieties of the past 12 months and approach 2025 with renewed hope and opportunity? With ongoing wars and hostilities in the Middle East...
Year end is fast approaching, and with it comes an opportunity to look back and assess… Did I do all I wanted to do over the past 12 months? Did I accomplish my goals? Stick with my New Year’s resolutions? Make the world better in some small way? Year end...
One unique aspect about this mother- daughter realtor duo – Janet Kramer and Kathryn Kramer – is their succession into real estate. Kathryn Kramer entered the field first and encouraged her mom to pivot from a career in architecture to selling homes. ...
As the end of the year approaches, individuals and families are considering ways to maximize the financial benefits of their charitable giving. Tidewater Jewish Foundation offers guidance to help donors make informed decisions that align with their financial goals...
There is a phrase from Isaiah that I find particularly relevant these days… “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who present darkness as light and light darkness, who present bitter as sweet and sweet bitter.” (Isaiah 5:20)On Passover, we eat maror and...
Call them a well “oyled” machine.I am speaking of the quartet of Carol Smith, DeAnne Lindsey, Gina Rose, and Marlene Rossen who (along with Patty Shelanski) lead the unofficial culinary committee of the Congregation Beth El Sisterhood that plans, purchases, cooks, and...
Some events simply cannot be missed. Apparently, that was the thought when young students at Strelitz International Academy were covered up with proper fashionable paper plates, in addition to the special protective sunglasses, to view the Solar Eclipse on April 8 at...
The American Jewish community is facing the most complex and dynamic threat environment in modern history. Christopher Wray, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has warned that antisemitism in the U.S. is rising to historic levels; Jews are the target of...
RICHMOND, VA – Governor Glenn Youngkin signed 100 bills, including SB7 and HB18 which safeguard Virginians from unlawful discrimination, hate crimes, and antisemitism on Tuesday, April 2. The Governor also vetoed four bills.“From day one, we have made combating...
Solidarity Trip to Israel: June 18 – 22 United Jewish Federation of Tidewater is now accepting deposits and applications for a Solidarity Trip to Israel. The four-day trip will visit sites in the south of the country to witness the destruction, meet the people, and...
Glasser family: Bern, Jessica, Jake, Lori, Michael, Ross, and Caroline (Ross’s significant other). Rose Frances Glasser was a living legacy. Her work within the Hampton Roads and global Jewish communities exemplified her commitment to its continuity. From being a...
Sunday, May 5, 6:45 pm Temple Emanuel The Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater invites the community to attend the annual Holocaust Day Remembrance, Yom Hashoah.The Commemoration will feature survivor and scholar Dr. Mordecai Paldiel, a...
Sunday, April 28, 10 am, Temple Emanuel The Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Tidewater Community Book Club will continue with its second book, The Great Partnership: Science, Religion and the Search for Meaning, which was a National Jewish Book Awards Finalist. Rabbi Sacks was...
The smell of fresh cookies baking filled the Sandler Family Campus on Sunday, March 10 for the annual “Operation Hamantaschen” PJ Library event.Children, parents, grandparents, and friends put on colorful aprons, pushed up their sleeves, and dove into the delicious,...
Rabbi Israel Zoberman with his certificate of “surviving” 50 years (1974-2024) in the rabbinate. He received an Honorary Life Membership from the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) at its national convention last month in Philadelphia, Pa.In recognition of...
I’ll be honest with you. I have never been a big fan of mass produced hamantaschen. I am generally not a sweets guy, but what I always found particularly underwhelming was the thick crust. When I worked in a bakery in Israel, we would start selling “oznei haman”...
Israel’s war with Hamas has inflamed vocal and aggressive antisemitism and anti-Zionism that has not been witnessed in the United States for many generations. Heated discussions have ensued, often with discrepancies about the facts.Helping to equip readers with basic...
VADM Herman Shelanski (retired) and Captain USS Harry S Truman 2016-2019It was President Truman who, despite contrary advice from his cabinet and closest advisors, was the first head of state in the world to recognize Israel on May 14, 1948. For this boldness, Hyman...
First major gift of Judaica in the University of Virginia’s history The Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia will expand its holdings with a promised gift of more than 150 Torah pointers, or yads, from Clay H. Barr and the Barr Foundation. This marks the...
On Friday, March 1, Attorney General Jason Miyares wrote the UVA Board of Visitors about a student led BDS referendum at the school. The complete text of the letter follows: I write to you today with grave concern about the recent student-led referendum at the...
Addressing the sensitive topics of money, mortality, and family relationships can be challenging, especially when it involves estate planning. The hesitation to have the discussion often stems from the perceived complexity and emotional weight of making decisions...
The Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, presented by Alma & Howard Laderberg wrapped up on Wednesday, Feb. 28. This year’s festival, which included five feature films in addition to a special event showcasing four Israeli short films, was attended by more than 600...
Welcome to Kiddish, a Jewish News column celebrating little people – their first introductions, milestones, simchas, and accomplishments. Sharing these special moments and achievements with Jewish Tidewater creates a collective kvell! Harding Parkes Nusbaum Born...
Jews have been celebrating life-cycle milestones for what seems like forever – with events often including traditions dating back for what also seems like forever. . .or at least several centuries. While the significance of a bar or bat mitzvah or Jewish wedding may...