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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...
I have recently returned from the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) annual General Assembly (GA) in Washington, D.C., where Tidewater had a strong delegation of both lay leaders and United Jewish Federation of Tidewater professional staff. We joined more than...
When Dr. William and Mary Feldman created the Feldman Family Medical and Health Professional Scholarship Fund through Tidewater Jewish Foundation, their goal was to unite two lifelong passions, Judaism and medicine, by supporting Jewish students pursuing healthcare...
After serving as the facility director of the Sandler Family Campus for more than 18 years, Glenn Saucier will retire on Dec. 31, 2025.The Sandler Family Campus houses the offices of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Simon Family JCC, Jewish Family Service,...
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...
Taking another step forward, Beth Sholom Village is relocating its offices to space within Jewish Family Service at the Sandler Family Campus. This move represents more than a change of address; it reflects a deepened commitment to area seniors and a renewed vision...
Graduations are a time to recognize achievements, formally bid farewell to a valued educational institution, prepare for the next steps along life’s journey, and of course, to celebrate!In the June 2 issue of Jewish News, nearly 40 area graduates were featured. Here...
Meets every 2nd, 3rd and 4th Monday (except holidays), Sandler Family Campus Mah Jongg Mondays are going strong.Stephanie Calliott and Amy Levy have presented and entertained at some fantastic teaching sessions—with more to follow. Nearly 30 enthusiastic women have...
Jewish Tidewater gathered on Thursday, May 29 to celebrate Jewish learning across the lifespan. Bringing together clergy, educators, and organizational leaders from across denominations and institutions, the evening was a powerful display of unity and a shared...
More than 450 people joined B’nai Israel to welcome the Maccabeats to the Sandler Family Campus for the Unity Concert last month.The concert was made possible by a Tidewater Jewish Foundation Community Impact Grant and organized in partnership with the Konikoff Center...
When Summer Hoffman was 15 years old, she received a One Happy Camper grant that allowed her to attend a three-week residential camp, BBYO International Kallah. For her interfaith family—half Jewish, half Christian—it was more than just a summer getaway. It became a...
An 84-year-old woman in the intensive care unit asked if the facility had a copy of her advance medical directive to support her healthcare wishes. The doctor explained that, in the hospital, this legal document did not serve the purpose she intended and instead...
Dr. Michael S. Weissman and his wife, Brina, opened Churchland Psychological Center in 1981, serving Hampton Roads for nearly 45 years.As clinical director, Weissman offers individual adult psychotherapy, family and marital counseling, and psychological testing, while...
Amid the demands of social services work, the staff at Jewish Family Service of Tidewater recently gained valuable insights and inspiration during a seminar led by Dr. Louise B. Lubin, a distinguished clinical psychologist with 40 years of experience.With a focus on...
Jewish Family Service of Tidewater presented at the formal session of the Virginia Beach City Council on Tuesday, May 27. JFS was nominated by Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer, Councilmen Michael Berlucchi of District 3, and Joash Schulman of District 9 in recognition...
Kiddish is a Jewish News column celebrating little people – their first introductions, milestones, simchas, and accomplishments. Sharing these special moments and achievements with Jewish Tidewater creates a collective kvell! Noa Hanna DratchBorn January 9,...
Elections for Tidewater BBYO chapters took place on Saturday, May 10. The positions of president; vice president, programming; and vice president, membership are elected for a school-year term, while the other three positions are elected for fall and spring terms....
In keeping with the ViBe’s 10-year anniversary celebrations, the Virginia Beach City Council recognized the ViBe Creative District with a Resolution at its meeting on Tuesday, May 20. The City Council thanked ViBe co-founders Andrew Fine and Laura Wood and executive...
Falling on the 82nd anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, this year’s Yom Hashoah community commemoration reminded Tidewater’s Jewish community of how important it is to remember those who perished in the Holocaust and honor those who survived. More than 350...
Jewish Family Service of Tidewater hosted the 21st Annual Run, Roll, or Stroll at the Sandler Family Campus on Sunday, May 4. The event kicked off at 10:30 am in the field behind the Simon Family Jewish Community Center. Despite rainy and uncertain weather, families,...
I am not a card player, nor have I played one on TV. But when my son Danny Rubin, the founder of the young men’s Giving Circle (now part of the Campaign division of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater), Nadiv, asked if I would be a dealer for their May 13 Texas...
It’s a classic American love story—football player meets a pretty girl. They begin a courtship, marry, and the rest is history. Sixty-four years later, Helen and Warren Aleck still tell that story with a gleam in their eyes. Who knew that a chance high school romance...
Governor Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 48 Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Religious Bigotry in Virginia Public Schools and Institutions of Higher Education to further expand his efforts to combat antisemitism at Virginia public schools and institutions of...
The Marty Einhorn Pavilion at the Sandler Family Campus was filled with laughter, conversation, and the unmistakable sense of unity on Thursday, May 1 for the second annual Israeli Chef’s Table Experience. Hosted by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and presented...
The 2025 Annual Campaign of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater recently crossed over the milestone $5 million mark, on its way to a successful close. The campaign year officially closes on Monday, June 30. Every attempt is made to have all gifts closed before...