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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...
Ashkenazi traditions are so pervasive in Jewish American communities, that many – Jews and non-Jews – think that those traditions are THE Jewish ways to observe and celebrate holidays. Those of Sephardic and Mizrahi heritage would most likely disagree.In fact, a new...
The Israel on Campus Coalition’s (ICC) National Leadership Summit (NLS) is a three-day conference open to Jewish college students across the country, with the aim to “address today’s critical issues and inspire student leaders.”This year, the largest gathering of...
The phrase that best describes the recently completed Camp JCC Summer 2025 is “tremendous growth.” In addition to the number of campers this past summer, “tremendous growth” refers to the growth of the Camp JCC program over the past five years.In summer 2025, more...
This past June, I participated in the Jewish Federation of North America’s 2025 LGBTQ+ Pride Month mission to Israel, the first trip of its kind in nearly a decade. I joined nearly 100 LGBTQ+ Jewish leaders representing 26 Jewish Federations from across North America....
For five hot days, July 27 - August 1, TeamVB’s four-person squad competed against delegations from across the country, plus Ukrainian, Israeli, and Canadian delegations at the JCC Maccabi–Access Games in Tucson, Arizona.Returning athletes from Tidewater joined...
Hamas’s attack on the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023, caused a massive surge in anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiments across the United States, and notably, on college campuses. Virginia’s university and college campuses were not immune to protests and...
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...
(JTA) — The first rule of exit polls is to be careful about interpreting early exit polls, which aren’t always accurate. The second rule is that, for now at least, they represent the best information we have about the question occupying Jews of all political...
Jewish Family Service helps local Jewish families of all ages, including elderly people and their grandchildren. Here is one such story: A grandmother comes to JFS for help with her electric bill, and JFS provides the funds to keep her power bill current....
Becoming a bar or bat mitzvah is a multi-faceted time for 13-year-olds and their families. Preparations for this special milestone include studying Jewish history and Hebrew, learning how to conduct a Shabbat service, interpreting a parsha, and applying its...
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,...
Nearly a year on from the horrific events of October 7th, dozens of participants from several United Jewish Federation of Tidewater Israel Missions met at the home of Ashley and Greg Zittrain to welcome, hear, and learn from their beloved Israeli tour guide and...
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...
Camp Fair at the Simon Family JCC Sunday, November 24, 10 am – 12 pm, Sandler Family Campus | Learn more and register at JewishVA.org/CampsandKindness As part of Community Impact Day: Creating Kindness and Jewish Camp Curiosity, a Camp Fair will offer an opportunity...
Recognized around town as the guys in the TV commercials touting their One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning business, Ryan Kletz joined his dad, Todd Kletz, at work in 2008. Theirs is a story of appreciating the strengths of each other’s generational skills and...
A family-owned and operated business for more than 80 years, Ronnie Brooke and his cousin, Todd Goldman, keep the communication lines open and always find something to laugh about. Ronnie Brooke Southern Packing Corporation, Wholesale Meats Jewish News:...
Start spreading the news…Ess-a-Bagel has made its way from New York to Tidewater. Baker’s Crust Bagel, a new concept by restauranteur John Stein, is now open at The Shops at Hilltop. The eatery features a full menu of Ess-a-Bagel bagels, deli sandwiches, and Three...
Most people know or have heard that a Donor Advised fund at Tidewater Jewish Foundation offers the convenience of a one-stop-shop. Cash (or, ideally, appreciated stock) tax-deductible contributions are made to the fund, and then the fund’s owner recommends grants to...
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...
With permission to reprint from Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington and Washington Jewish Week, this is a recent Q&A with candidates for the U.S. Senate, Senator Tim Kaine and Hung Cao. Printed are the candidates’ responses to two questions...
October 7, 2023, changed us. The attack on our beloved Israel was truly soul crushing for our entire community. We followed the news hour by hour, spoke with friends and family in Israel, and prayed for their safety. Beyond October 7, seeing what was starting to...
(How are you?) מה שלומך? (What's up?) מה נשמע? These simple, innocent questions that we automatically use at the beginning of an interaction with someone we know have, since October 7, 2023, become loaded in Israel. With every phone call or conversation with my...
Lay leaders are integral to the functioning of Jewish Tidewater. With multiple synagogues, day schools, and various agencies meeting myriad needs of the community, Jewish Tidewater’s lay leadership helps steer the missions and define the goals of each organization, as...
At Tavss, Fletcher, Maiden & Reed, Richard Tavss and his daughter, Besianne Tavss Maiden, specialize in different areas of law, yet they communicate and share ideas multiple times each day. Both attorneys look forward to the next generation joining the firm, when...
Boaz Kritchman, an Israeli with two adult children living in Tidewater, facilitated the donation of a painting last month to the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. The impetus for the donation, by his son, Lotan Kritchman, stems from a desire to remember...
As we usher in 5785 this week, I again wish you and your families l’shana tova tikatevu. May each of us be inscribed in the Book of Life. And may we find better days ahead for all of Israel and the Jewish people.In this issue of Jewish News, I want to take a moment...