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While bidding farewell to 2025, many may have free time during these final weeks to address tasks that have been put off for the last 11 months. Whether it’s crunch time for finances, shopping for last-minute Hanukkah gifts, or making plans for New Year’s Eve, Jewish...
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s 2026 Annual Community Campaign kicked off in August and has been raising funds at a steady pace since. As this article goes to press, the campaign total has surpassed $4.3 million, well on its way to a $5.2 million goal.The...
This issue of Jewish News is Stephanie Peck’s last as assistant editor. She joined the paper in July 2023 and made the decision several months ago to step away from the hectic world of newspaper deadlines. The paper appreciates that she offered to remain at her desk...
Earlier this year, Hampton Roads Community Foundation celebrated its 75th anniversary with an event at the Chesapeake Conference Center.“Now more than ever, America’s non-profit sector is an absolutely critical component in the democratic and economic framework that...
As we complete another incredibly successful year at Tidewater Jewish Foundation, I am heartened by the faith, trust, and confidence that is placed in us to safeguard personal heritage ideals.This past year, we grew our assets under management by 17%; 2% better than...
(JTA) — A new study by the Anti-Defamation League found that open-source artificial intelligence models can be “easily” manipulated into generating antisemitic and dangerous content.But in order to test the 17 open-source models in its study, the researchers had to...
The Nysmith School for Gifted Children entered into a settlement agreement with a Jewish family who alleged their children were wrongfully expelled after they complained to the school about their 11-year-old daughter being harassed based on her Jewish religion and...
Birthright Israel and Birthright Israel Foundation named Rabbi Gershon Litt the recipient of the 2025 Jeffrey R. Solomon Prize. The prestigious annual award recognizes an exceptional Jewish communal professional who has made a profound and lasting impact on the Jewish...
At Strelitz International Academy, the fall season is filled with excitement and meaning as students celebrate the holidays from Rosh Hashanah through Simchat Torah. The spirit of the holidays continues to shine at SIA as the community eagerly anticipates the SIA Fall...
The Cardo at the Sandler Family Camps was a whir of activity during the afternoon of Sunday, November 9. Roughly 40 volunteers – adults and children alike – busily prepared Thanksgiving meal kits for 350 families in need this holiday season. Jewish Family...
After experiencing vibrant and deeply moving Chaguim at Temple Emanuel, Pati, Lia, Ben, and I traveled to Buenos Aires, my hometown, to celebrate two very special occasions with our family there — my niece Martina’s Bat Mitzvah and my mother’s 75th birthday. We...
November 24, 2025, 11:00 AM–3:45 PM: Join the Simon Family JCC and Red Cross in the Jaffe Gymnasium, 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Virginia Beach, for a lifesaving blood drive. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood, and one donation can save up to...
Julie Giarrana, a registered dietician who recently started offering personal nutrition services at the Simon Family JCC, originally got to the Center by responding to an ad for a substitute yoga instructor. It was Giarrana’s nutrition background, however, that caught...
As we enter this High Holiday season of reflection and renewal together, I am reminded that these holidays invite us to pause, look inward, and reconnect—with our traditions, our communities, and with our loved ones. This year, more than ever, we are reminded of the...
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Young Adult Division (YAD) has a new name and a new way of doing business. Now officially rebranded as Next Gen 757, this bold new identity reflects its mission, its members, and the vibrant future UJFT is helping to shape in...
Jewish Tidewater celebrates Sukkot with an array of events throughout the region. All listings are open to the public. Chabad of Tidewater Community Sukkot Dinner and Dessert in the Sukkah Monday, October 6, 7:30 pm Suggested donation $18/person RSVP:...
On Sunday, September 14, I hosted a charity mini golf fundraising tournament at the Sandler Family Campus. We had 25 people show up to play and donate to Jewish Family Service. The tournament was split into three rounds. The first round was a normal round, and...
RICHMOND, Va. — Attorney General Jason S. Miyares announced the publication of a new Virginia Rules lesson focused on combating antisemitism. The announcement was made in August. This new module will be added to the broader Virginia Rules program, which provides...
Honey is an integral ingredient for Rosh Hashanah, as Jews worldwide dip both challah and apples into this golden, syrupy liquid as part of their New Year traditions. But honey comes from a bee, an insect that stings and creates pain. Why isn’t the sweet apple enough...
Each year, more than 200,000 Jewish students leave home to attend institutions of higher learning in the United States and Canada. Most of these teenagers have celebrated the High Holidays with their families their entire lives – never apart from them. Still, these...
Ashkenazi traditions are so pervasive in Jewish American communities, that many – Jews and non-Jews – think that those traditions are THE Jewish ways to observe and celebrate holidays. Those of Sephardic and Mizrahi heritage would most likely disagree.In fact, a new...
The Israel on Campus Coalition’s (ICC) National Leadership Summit (NLS) is a three-day conference open to Jewish college students across the country, with the aim to “address today’s critical issues and inspire student leaders.”This year, the largest gathering of...
The phrase that best describes the recently completed Camp JCC Summer 2025 is “tremendous growth.” In addition to the number of campers this past summer, “tremendous growth” refers to the growth of the Camp JCC program over the past five years.In summer 2025, more...
This past June, I participated in the Jewish Federation of North America’s 2025 LGBTQ+ Pride Month mission to Israel, the first trip of its kind in nearly a decade. I joined nearly 100 LGBTQ+ Jewish leaders representing 26 Jewish Federations from across North America....
For five hot days, July 27 - August 1, TeamVB’s four-person squad competed against delegations from across the country, plus Ukrainian, Israeli, and Canadian delegations at the JCC Maccabi–Access Games in Tucson, Arizona.Returning athletes from Tidewater joined...
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...