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Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s Simon Family Legacy Celebration on Wednesday, May 27 was an opportunity for communities to converge, gathering around a shared vision, shared responsibility, and shared purpose.More than 100 TJF fundholders, community leaders,...
This year, Shavuot celebrated 3,338 years since the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai. To this very day, Jews continue to study the Torah, cherish it, and hold it close. The Torah serves as guidance on how to live and make the world a better place.SIA’s Primary Years...
We all carry certain books with us long after childhood ends. They sit quietly on the shelves of our memory; dog-eared, underlined, loved, while shaping who we become and teaching us how to dream. Some stories came easily. Others were challenging, the kind where you...
If you’re feeling ready to beat the summer heat poolside, you’re in luck. The Metzger Outdoor Aquatic Center opened on Saturday, June 6, marking the start of the Simon Family JCC’s seven-day-a-week summer pool season.The outdoor pool opens daily at 11:30 am, closing...
What does it mean to age with dignity? Sometimes, it means having transportation to the grocery store or a doctor’s appointment. Sometimes, it means sharing a meal with friends, participating in a wellness program, or simply feeling connected to a community. Often,...
Reflections on leadership, legacy, and the future of Jewish Tidewater Two years have flown by. My term as chair of Tidewater Jewish Foundation is nearing its end. I have served with some of the most dedicated board members and staff anyone can ever be privileged to...
Earlier this year, Hampton Roads Association for Commercial Real Astate presented Skip Sacks with the 2026 F. Craig Read Service Award in recognition of “his exceptional service and long-standing commitment to the organization and the commercial real estate...
William & Mary has had a Hillel on campus for more than 60 years. Yet, 10 years ago there were only about 20 - 30 Jewish students attending programs annually. Meetings were held mainly in classrooms, and Entenmann’s and Krispy Kreme donuts was the fanciest kosher...
Ninety-seven poker players filed onto the Sandler Family Campus to compete in Nadiv’s Texas Hold ’Em tournament for the chance to win various prizes, including a $500 Amazon gift card on Tuesday, May 12. The event raised more than $25,000 with most of those...
Twenty Tidewater BBYO teens (11 AZA and nine BBG), along with City Director Courtney Krutoy and Simcha BBG Advisor Anya Dippold, attended Eastern Region’s Spring Cultural Convention, April 17-19 in Charlotte, North Carolina. More than 200 teens attended the convention...
Strelitz International Academy supports a large population of military families, including those serving in the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, NATO, the IDF, as well as other branches. Understanding the unique challenges military children face including frequent relocations,...
As summer approaches and children prepare for camps, day trips, and new environments, Toras Chaim Day School is making sure its students head into the season with something more than sunscreen and a packed lunch.This spring, the school brought in Debbie Fox and the...
Howard Roesen and Tom Purcell, Simon Family JCC’s Wellness director, ran the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 20. It was Roesen’s first Boston Marathon and Purcell’s third. Both avid runners have completed a lot of marathons over their years of friendship,...
For more than two years since October 7, the Jewish world has continued to grapple with grief, anger, fear, and deep internal division. Conversations about Israel and the Palestinians have strained relationships, fractured communities, and tested leadership at every...
Supporters of Jewish News help keep local Jewish journalism alive at a time when it feels as if it is disappearing almost everywhere else. Jewish News appreciates all who support the newspaper with generous contributions – whether in honor of or in memory...
This month holds many holidays for Israel and the Jewish people. The biggest and most important being Pesach, our redemption from Egypt, Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, and Yom Ha'Atzmaut, Israel Independence Day, commemorating the founding of the State of...
1936 - 2026 Reba Karp held the distinction of sitting in the editor’s chair at United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, editing this, and other publications, longer than anyone else. Reba passed away on March 17 after providing this community with more than three...
In honor of Women’s History Month, the Tidewater Jewish community gathered at the Sandler Family Campus on Thursday, March 19 for a screening and conversation with internationally acclaimed photographer Joan Roth. The evening featured A Feminist Lens: The Art and...
For the second year in a row, a Strelitz International Academy fifth grader won the prestigious IBMA Student Excellence Award, with Ari Mulligan’s selection as this year’s Primary Years Program Recipient. The IBMA (International Baccalaureate Mid-Atlantic) is a...
For one remarkable week in March, Tidewater experienced a different kind of medicine—one delivered with red noses, improvisation, and deep compassion. Representatives from the Dream Doctors Project, an Israeli nonprofit that integrates professional medical clowns into...
Darva Gruber and Sharon Grossman share something besides their long membership at Temple Israel. They both love crafting. So, when Gruber became aware that Visit Williamsburg, as part of the nation’s 250th Commemoration, intended to create The Great American Birthday...
This month’s attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan is a stark reminder that antisemitic threats are real. The attack on the same day at Old Dominion University, though not targeting the Jewish community directly, hit close to home and underscores the...
How will the history of the Holocaust be told when the last witness, the last child or grandchild of a survivor has passed away? The records of the Holocaust are preserved in archives throughout the world. And sometimes archives are able to take an active role in...
Compiled by Konikoff Center for Learning Looking for a Passover seder to attend this year? Check out these options and make a decision soon to secure a spot, as Passover begins at sundown on Wednesday, April 1. B’nai Israel Congregation Anyone who would like home...
The Simon Family JCC welcomed families for Operation Hamantaschen on Sunday, March 1 – transforming the building into a vibrant hub of Purim celebration and connection. As families arrived, long rows of tables with rolling pins, flour, and an assortment of...
Supporters of Jewish News help keep local Jewish journalism alive at a time when it feels as if it is disappearing almost everywhere else. Jewish News appreciates all who support the newspaper with generous contributions – whether in honor of or in memory...
And with stroke of a few pens, it was over! The closing documents were signed, the checks issued, and Kehillat Bet Hamidrash/Kempsville Conservative Synagogue (KBH) was officially a congregation without a building – yet with a new endowment fund. After...
The State of the Union. The State of the City. Most people have heard of or attended gatherings like these, where leaders reflect on the present and make projections about the future. Last month, Tidewater Jewish Foundation did just that. Board members gathered...
His story could be a novel. . . and a page-turner, at that. This past December, Josef Patar added a chapter he’s been trying to write for a while. . . he became a naturalized U.S. citizen. With several supporters, including a couple of friends from Ohef...
The Hugo A. Owens Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Award was presented to Jonathan C. Zur at Old Dominion University’s 41st Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance in January. Zur is president and CEO of the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities. Robin Mancoll,...
Laura Goldstein, a volunteer for Jewish Family Service of Tidewater, was recently honored by the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore as their Superhero of the Month. Goldstein was nominated and recognized for her dedication, compassion, and...
One of the annual initiatives of Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM), which takes place in May, is the distribution of books to local schools. Through this program, thousands of students encounter Jewish stories, many for the very first time. The 2026 JAHM...