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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...
Nearly 200 members of Tidewater’s Jewish community gathered at the Simon Family JCC for the first-ever Community Impact Day on the last Sunday of November. Partnering with 18 local non-profits and seven Jewish camps, participants raised more than $700 while fostering...
Cars started lining up down Corporate Woods Drive at 8 am on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, eagerly waiting for the Jewish Family Service Food Pantry to begin its Thanksgiving food distribution. Busy volunteers and staff were loading carts carrying bags of...
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...
Meet “Ellen,” a perpetual giver. From her synagogue, the Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia, and Hillels, to her alma maters, Ellen supports a wide array of causes on a monthly or yearly basis. Some contributions come directly from her cash flow, while others are...
Every year, the Jewish Family Service Food Pantry—a cornerstone of Jewish Tidewater’s support system—assembles Rosh Hashanah care packages for more than 120 seniors, many of whom live in nursing homes or are homebound. These holiday bags, filled with essentials such...
The first meeting of the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Next Generation group occurred on Sunday, August 11 in the Survivor’s Room at the Sandler Family Campus. Comprised of children of Holocaust survivors, as well as third...
The men of Nadiv voted and chose Camp JCC as the recipient of the group’s fundraising efforts during the ‘24-‘25 programming year. Nadiv gathered on Thursday, Sept. 5 at the Virginia Beach home of Laura and Fred Gross to socialize and discuss where to direct the...
The Strelitz International Academy’s (SIA) 36th Annual Golf Tournament, held on Wednesday, August 28 at the Virginia Beach National Golf Club, proved to be another hole-in-one event. Known as the Bob Josephberg Classic, this tournament remains SIA’s premier annual...
Typically, as we prepare for the New Year, I would share the enormous impact of our 2024 Annual Campaign where, together as a community, we raised more than $5 million to support the needs of the Jewish people and organizations locally, on college campuses around...
Almost 40 men – sons, brothers, fathers, and grandfathers came together on Thursday, August 22, for what has become an annual tradition, the Men’s Major Gifts Luncheon for the 2025 Annual Community Campaign. The event was chaired by John Strelitz and Jay Klebanoff,...
Seven members of the Team Virginia Beach delegation to the JCC Maccabi Games & Access 2024 arrived on August 5 at the Houston airport at 1 am – delayed but excited for the upcoming competitions. More than 1,700 teens from across the globe convened in this Texan...
Several members of Old Dominion University’s Hillel attended Congressman Bobby Scott’s 43rd Annual Labor Day Cookout in Newport News. Amy K. Milligan, PhD, ODU’s Batten Endowed Associate Professor of Jewish Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies, director, Institute...