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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...
What if there were a place where Jewish children could safely explore and express their heritage? A place where the values and traditions learned at home are not only reinforced but shared and lived among peers. A place where identity is not questioned but cultivated....
Christine Carnahan, Camp JCC’s new manager, will oversee daily camp operations as well as support campers and staff. She will also provide year-round support for the Simon Family JCC and related programs.A Virginia Beach native, Carnahan’s background is in retail...
The BeAR Literacy Project concluded another meaningful school year with its annual End-of-the-Year Mentor Luncheon, a celebration of the extraordinary volunteers whose time, patience, and compassion continue to change children’s lives.Approximately 140 students...
Long before leadership titles and community recognition, Aiden Vonegloffstein was learning what it meant to serve in the most ordinary moments. As a child, his mother taught him to notice when someone needed help, to carry groceries for a neighbor, to lend a...
The role of Uncle Henry in the Jewish Community Center of Houston’s production of The Wizard of Oz was Sam Linda’s first real experience on stage. He was eight years old. Linda says he knew then that he was hooked on acting – and he’s been performing ever since...
Tidewater’s Sharon Goretsky, past president of Hadassah Southern Seaboard Region, was among the group of 200 leaders of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, who arrived on Capitol Hill from across the country for the organization’s Day of Impact in...
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...
Aging with dignity is a cornerstone of a strong community. Increasingly, that dignity is defined not only by care, but by connection, purpose, and opportunity. Through the newly launched Beth Sholom Village Grant Program, Beth Sholom Village is investing in innovative...
Providing accommodations for everyone who visits the Sandler Family Campus is an ongoing commitment for United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and the Simon Family JCC. The campus facilities continue to be at the forefront of making certain all may visit and take...
The table was already cluttered. Half-empty glasses, a bowl of pasta passed one more time, someone reaching for the last challah crumbs. It wasn’t a planned conversation. No agenda. Just a familiar meal, shared with people who knew one another well enough to speak...
I experienced one of those moments that reaffirms why sincere dialogue remains one of the most powerful tools we have as a society, on Wednesday, Dec. 17. Around a shared table sat three rabbis—Rabbi Shlomo Eisenberg of Congregation B’nai Israel,...
Halfway through the school year may not feel like the moment to start something new, but for BeAR, it is one of the most critical times to step in. The Be A Reader (BeAR) Literacy Project needs additional mentors for Willard Model Elementary (Norfolk) and...
Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, was set on fire predawn on Saturday, Jan. 10. Thankfully, no congregants or staff were injured, and the building was unoccupied at the time. The synagogue did have a security camera system, a fact which assisted in the...
Community advocacy strengthens security, combats antisemitism, and builds lasting relationships. Tuesday, Feb. 10, Richmond As the 2026 legislative session of the Virginia General Assembly gets underway this month, one message is clear: showing up matters. That’s why...
I was honored to represent the City of Virginia Beach at the 2025 Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism, convened by the Combat Antisemitism Movement, December 2 - 4 in New Orleans. The summit brought together local and national elected officials to better understand the...
Tuesday, Jan. 27, 7 pm, Sandler Family Campus For International Holocaust Remembrance Day, German historian Thomas Kemper will visit Tidewater to speak about his discoveries while investigating the history and fate of the Gonsenhauser and Bachenheimer families during...
The Jewish Education Project, an organization with the mission to inspire and empower educators to create transformative Jewish experiences, last month announced its annual Shine A Light on Antisemitism Civic Courage Award recipients—individuals across the United...
A Virginia Beach native, Beth Koonan Dorsk retired as a hospice nurse in 2025. She agreed to share with Jewish News some of her reasons for retiring and how it’s working out. Jewish News: Where were you educated? Beth Koonan Dorsk: Flagler Medical Assistant...
An informative program, Israel in Focus: Hamas’ War – Truth and Consequences, featuring internationally respected scholar and military analyst MAJ. John W. Spencer, USA (Ret.), took place on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at the Sandler Family Campus. Presented as part of the 15th...
What do you do when a childhood friend asks if you want to go on an adventure with other cool Jewish women? And chocolate is involved? You say, “YES, I AM IN!” That is what I did, and it turned out to be a wonderful experience. My dear...
A visit to the Simon Family JCC inspires. During the Thanksgiving holiday, I visited the Simon Family Jewish Community Center of Tidewater (the JCC), a place I had visited before, but never truly experienced as it was meant to be lived. My earlier encounter had been...