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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...
Recent federal budget cuts have significantly impacted food banks across the country, and the food pantry at Jewish Family Service is no exception.The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has eliminated more than $1 billion in funding for programs that helped schools...
Jacob Herber arrives in Norfolk July 15 Cyclist, scholar, father, mentor, musician, soccer, hockey, and baseball fan, U.S. history buff, Coast Guard Chaplain…and rabbi.That pretty much describes Jacob Herber, who assumes the pulpit at Norfolk’s Congregation Beth El in...
When “Judy” sat down with her daughter over Rosh Hashanah dinner, their conversation drifted from brisket to legacy. She had just learned about the Life & Legacy program and felt inspired to share her own hopes for the future of Tidewater’s Jewish community. “It’s...
Lois Einhorn and her late husband, Barry, moved to The Talbot in 2019. The senior, independent living community in Norfolk opened more than 20 years prior to their move, in the same neighborhood as the couple’s long-time home.A random solicitation in the mail offering...
(JTA) — Reactions from partisan American Jewish groups to President Donald Trump’s proposals for Gaza — that “all” Palestinians leave and the United States “take over” the territory — began flowing in just as soon as their leaders picked their jaws up off the floor on...
Jewish News appreciates all who support the newspaper with generous contributions – whether in honor of or in memory of friends and loved ones or as a Friend of Jewish News. Friends of Jewish News Terri and Steve BudmanMr. Walter FenskaMr. and Mrs. Donald FriedmanDr....
I know you join me in the joy we all feel for the return of Israeli hostages.Each one of the hostages is special to many people, especially their families who have long waited for their return. It also turns out we have a special connection to one of the hostages,...
Baking is a science that requires the precise chemistry of all ingredients. One misstep and a decadent dessert devolves into a tragic mess, a puffy souffle deflates into a cavernous hollow, or a delicate confection becomes a misshapen blob. ❦ David Leon, Joel Nied,...
“Stunning” was the most frequent word heard as Beth Sholom Village and its friends in the Jewish community celebrated the official opening of Aviva Pembroke with development partner Pembroke Square Associates inside the seven-story structure off Constitution Drive in...
The final installment of the What We Carry film series, featuring the remarkable story of Colonel Edward Shames, premiered at the Sandler Family Campus on Monday, January 27. Held on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the event drew an engaged audience to honor...
On a very chilly Sunday morning last month, Mona Flax, president-elect of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Jodi Klebanoff, past UJFT Women’s Philanthropy chair, Amy Zelenka, UJFT chief development officer, and I travelled to the 2025 International Lion of Judah...
The Jewish New Year of the Trees, Tu B’Shevat starts on Wednesday, Feb. 12 Rabbi Wolf Zitomirer was an innkeeper in a village. A Jewish wagon driver entered and asked for a glass of wine. When he was about to drink it without saying a blessing, the rabbi stopped him...
(JTA) — Israel and Hamas have reportedly agreed to a deal that will cease more than a year of fighting in Gaza and Israel, bring dozens of Israeli hostages home and free hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners.The agreement was reportedly confirmed by multiple...
It’s certainly been a chaotic start to 2025.We were barely finished singing Auld Lang Syne when we heard the news about the deadly attack in New Orleans by a man displaying an ISIS flag. (page 4) The threat of Lone Wolves, we’re told, is one of the many reasons to...
At the funeral service for Dr. Bernard Einhorn, Rabbi Michael Panitz noted that “Barry had the unusual gift of positively intersecting” with countless people. The nearly full Temple Israel sanctuary was proof of his remark.Personally, I know Rabbi Panitz’s words to be...
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.In 2005, to commemorate the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the United Nations General Assembly designated January 27 asInternational Holocaust Remembrance Day.The resolution stated that...
Janet Mercadante Since many people spend money that they don’t have, Mercadante stresses, “No matter what you’re earning, live within it.” She counsels college grads and retirees with the same advice: “It’s going to take a little while to figure out how much you’re...
Imagine this: You’re getting ready to be discharged from the hospital when you get the news that your care team is recommending you go to a rehabilitation center to get stronger. You may ask, “Can’t I just go home with home health?” The answer is yes, but the benefits...
A heartfelt celebration that brings together students, families, and friends to honor the special bonds between generations, Strelitz International Academy’s annual Grandparents and Grandfriends Day achieved its goals. The event was marked by warmth, gratitude, and...
A trip that brought the stories of Hampton Roads’ Jewish history to life was the culmination of From the Shtetl to the South, a 10-week course hosted by the Konikoff Center for Learning of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Participants joined Rabbi Michael...
Camp JCC wrapped up another successful Winter Camp to conclude a fun filled 2024. More than 50 children attended the camp during the two weeks of school holiday closures, enjoying the “Camp JCC Winter Cabin” with each day featuring its own song as its theme for the...
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...