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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...
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...
The Simon Family Jewish Community Center’s Fleischmann Lounge was filled with warmth and excitement as members of the Seniors Club gathered for their July meeting, which included the formal installation of the club’s 2025–2026 Executive Board.The new officers are:...
The men of Nadiv visited Camp JCC on Friday, July 25 to spend the afternoon with campers and see firsthand the impact of the group’s fundraising efforts.Nadiv, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s young men’s fundraising group, donated more than $25,000 to assist...
Women’s Philanthropy proved again that when you mix limoncello with purpose and a passionate group of women, magic happens.Held last month in the Sandler Family Campus’ Fleishman/Moss Lounge, Girls’ Night Out – Round 2 brought together a vibrant group of women for an...
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...
The summer of 2025 is a special year for the swimming pool at the Simon Family JCC, with a record number of 40 guards, enabling the pool to remain open throughout the summer without closures due to staff shortages. But what is truly unique about the summer of 2025 is...
As summer transitions into fall, the Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater annually takes deliberate steps to ensure Jewish students, families, and professionals are recognized and respected in their schools, workplaces, and...
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...
Taking another step forward, Beth Sholom Village is relocating its offices to space within Jewish Family Service at the Sandler Family Campus. This move represents more than a change of address; it reflects a deepened commitment to area seniors and a renewed vision...
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...
Meets every 2nd, 3rd and 4th Monday (except holidays), Sandler Family Campus Mah Jongg Mondays are going strong.Stephanie Calliott and Amy Levy have presented and entertained at some fantastic teaching sessions—with more to follow. Nearly 30 enthusiastic women have...
Elections for Tidewater BBYO chapters took place on Saturday, May 10. The positions of president; vice president, programming; and vice president, membership are elected for a school-year term, while the other three positions are elected for fall and spring terms....
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...
Falling on the 82nd anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, this year’s Yom Hashoah community commemoration reminded Tidewater’s Jewish community of how important it is to remember those who perished in the Holocaust and honor those who survived. More than 350...
Jewish Family Service of Tidewater hosted the 21st Annual Run, Roll, or Stroll at the Sandler Family Campus on Sunday, May 4. The event kicked off at 10:30 am in the field behind the Simon Family Jewish Community Center. Despite rainy and uncertain weather, families,...
I am not a card player, nor have I played one on TV. But when my son Danny Rubin, the founder of the young men’s Giving Circle (now part of the Campaign division of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater), Nadiv, asked if I would be a dealer for their May 13 Texas...
It’s a classic American love story—football player meets a pretty girl. They begin a courtship, marry, and the rest is history. Sixty-four years later, Helen and Warren Aleck still tell that story with a gleam in their eyes. Who knew that a chance high school romance...
Governor Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 48 Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Religious Bigotry in Virginia Public Schools and Institutions of Higher Education to further expand his efforts to combat antisemitism at Virginia public schools and institutions of...
The Marty Einhorn Pavilion at the Sandler Family Campus was filled with laughter, conversation, and the unmistakable sense of unity on Thursday, May 1 for the second annual Israeli Chef’s Table Experience. Hosted by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and presented...
The 2025 Annual Campaign of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater recently crossed over the milestone $5 million mark, on its way to a successful close. The campaign year officially closes on Monday, June 30. Every attempt is made to have all gifts closed before...
Lag BaOmer is Friday, May 16 From Passover to Shavuot, the Torah teaches that the days must be counted to prepare to receive the Torah. This counting is known as Sefirat HaOmer. It is a period marked by introspection and mourning, which is unexpectedly interrupted by...
On the third try, I landed at an overnight camp that was the right fit for me.The first, an all-girls sleepaway camp, located in New England, required an eight-week commitment, where campers dressed in uniform bloomers and saddle shoes to have “fun.” I was nine years...
On a glorious spring Sunday morning, 10 young moms came together for a fun brunch and flower arranging workshop.Hostess Bo Lepchitz and her sister, Sunny, provided a plethora of floral options and the ladies “went to town.” Everyone created a beautiful centerpiece to...
When schools close for winter and spring breaks and other federal holidays, Camp JCC School Days Out is the fun place to be for campers and a convenient and flexible option for parents.Registration was available for individual days, 5- and 10-day bundles, and for the...
Sunday, April 6 turned into a very warm and sunny day for Sunday Fun Day at Hunt Club Farm. The event sold out and had a waiting list of families that wanted to join the farm fun. Families put on their sunscreen, hats, and tennis shoes and arrived at the first...
In 2010 when the Holocaust Commission conceived of what would become the What We Carry program, its previously robust survivor Speakers Bureau was beginning to shrink. Witnesses to history continued to leave us, but eventually the program grew, and consisted of films...
I’ve been trying—unsuccessfully—to get Naomi Limor Sedek, president and CEO of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation, to listen to this song for weeks now. Man Smart, Woman Smarter, by Grateful Dead, has always made me smile, not just because of its catchy tune, but because...
A small group of “exhausted-from-Passover-prepping” YAD women took time out on a Thursday evening to come together, swap advice, share stories, and create beautiful kosher for Passover dessert charcuterie boards.Combining classic sweets such as jelly rings, chocolate...
Eastern Region’s BBYO teens gathered for the annual Spring Cultural Convention at Camp Thunderbird in Lake Wylie, S.C. earlier this month. Eastern Region is comprised of three councils: Virginia Council (all of Virginia excluding Northern Virginia), North Carolina...
(JTA) — Almost all of the Holocaust survivors alive today will be dead in 15 years, a new projection by a leading organization advocating for their compensation finds.While the timeline is something of an actuarial inevitability — the Holocaust ended 80 years ago,...
Survey after survey reports that fewer adults and even fewer young people are aware of the Holocaust, or at least of its scale. In fact, denying the Holocaust or its enormity continues to gain followers and receive prominent placement on the national stage. With books...