Mazel Tov

Rachel and David Abraham are excited to announce the engagement of their daughter Anne Louise to Alex Brandon Peljovich. Anne attended James Madison University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology. She is employed by the American Association for...

Mazel Tov to Michael and Mattie Brooke on the birth of a daughter, Brocha. Michael and Mattie were married on August 27, 2020. Michael attended Hebrew Academy of Tidewater, Toras Chaim Yeshiva, and received a bachelor’s degree in Talmudic Studies from Bais Medrash...

Mazel tov to Jeff Flax, who is one of six qualifiers from the United States to qualify in the Masters Golf Division for the Israeli Maccabi Games. Masters is ages 50 and up. The games are in Israel next July. This is his first time playing in the Israeli Maccabi...

Mazel tov to Dr. Amy K. Milligan of Old Dominion University, for being named an associate editor of the new journal, Jewish Folklore and Ethnology, published by Wayne State University Press. The first of its kind in English, JFE is a peer-reviewed annual journal. An...

Originally published in the June 28, 2021 issue. Mazel Tov to Eric N. Schloss, of Saltzberg & Schloss, who became the 68th president of the Maryland Association for Justice (MAJ). With 1,200 members, the MAJ is the largest Specialty Bar Association in Maryland....

Originally published in the June 14, 2021 issue.  Mazel Tov to Pam Blais on her selection as a finalist in the Hometown Hero category of the National Museum of American Jewish History's Only in America Gallery/Hall of Fame for her work in feeding and caring for...

Originally published in the June 14, 2021 issue. Mazel Tov to Zach and Courtney Lewis on the birth of their son, William David Lewis, born on April 18. His excited big sister is Carrington. Paternal grandparents Beth and Nathan Jaffe, great-grandparents Joan and Bob...

Originally published in the May 31, 2021 issue.  Mazel tov to Dr. Julie Forman-Kay, on being named a Fellow of the highly prestigious Royal Society. The Royal Society’s fundamental purpose is to recognize, promote, and support excellence in science and to encourage...

Originally published in the May 31, 2021 issue.  Mazel tov to Rabbi Rosalin Mandelberg on receiving her Honorary Doctorate on Thursday, May 27 from Hebrew Union College—Jewish Institute of Religion for 25 years in the rabbinate.

Mazel Tov to Beth and Nathan Jaffe on the birth of their first grandchild, Carrington Lee Lewis (Carrie), born July 17. The proud parents are Zach and Courtney Lewis of Virginia Beach. An extended mazel-tov to first-time great grandparents, Joan and Bob Cohen.

Beth and Barry Dorsk, Anthony and Grace Baschetta, and David Moy on the birth of their granddaughter, Lilly Gray Dorsk, born December 2, 2018 to parents, Chad and Maria, and big sister, Layla Rose Dorsk. Great grandparents are Barbara Krampf and Peggy Dorsk, Jack...

Achievement Skip Sacks, who received the 2019 Robert M. Stanton Real Estate Teaching Award from Old Dominion University’s Strome College of Business. The award was presented by Jeff Tanner, dean of the Strome College of Business in recognition of Sack’s role as an...

Achievement Lisa Bertini of Bertini Law, who was named Top 50 Women Lawyers in the 2019 Virginia Super Lawyers edition for 2019. This is the fifth year she has been honored with this distinction. Bertini has also been named again to the Top 100 Lawyers in all of...

Kaitlyn Oelsner joined Tidewater Jewish Foundation last month as its new development associate/LIFE & LEGACY™ coordinator. Oelsner recently moved to Virginia Beach from California after receiving her bachelor of science degree from Cal Polytech and her master of...

Achievement Julius Miller, MD FACP, who was awarded Senior Fellow of Hospital Medicine at the Society of Hospital Medicine meeting held in Washington, DC on March 25. Miller is also being recognized by the American College of Physicians Virginia Chapter with the 2018...

B’nai Mitzvah Isabella Rose Leon will become a Bat Mitzvah on March 23, 2019 at Congregation Beth El. She is the daughter of Lisa and David Leon and the sister of Emily. Isabella is the granddaughter of Dr. Abraham and Lynn Finkel of Schenectady, N.Y., and of Arnold...

Jerome Blackman, MD, professor of Psychiatry at EVMS, was recently appointed Distinguished Professor of Mental Health At Shanxi Medical University in Taiyuan, China, and appointed chair of the North American Teachers Group for Lingyu International Psychology Center...

Mazel Tov to Norman David Soroko on becoming president of the board of directors of the Jewish Museum and Cultural Center in Portsmouth. Soroko served as executive vice president for four years. He also serves as program chairman for fundraising. In March, 2018, he...

Mazel Tov to Pamela Herod, daughter of Zena Herod, on receiving her Doctoral degree from Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia on December 14. Herod’s current research has been adopted by a large health system in the southeast and is focused on improving the...

Mazel Tov to Madeline Budman on her acceptance to Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion for rabbinic ordination. A 2018 graduate of Georgetown University, she is a member of Ohef Sholom Temple and is currently employed at Washington Hebrew Congregation...

Aaron Brenner and Kate Belleman on their engagement. Aaron is the son of Janet Peck and Jeff Kramer, and Martin and Pam Brenner. He is the grandson of Nancy and Stanley Peck, and Ramona and Lawrence Brenner. Kate is the daughter of Nancy and Scott Belleman of...

Zach and Courtney Lewis on their recent marriage. Zach is the son of Beth Cohen Jaffe, the step-son of Nathan Jaffe and grandson of Joan and Bob Cohen. Courtney is the daughter of Diane and Randy Carrington, of Midlothian, Virginia. The couple were married at the...

Jody and Erin Balaban on their marriage, June 23, 2018 at Ohef Sholom Temple. Erin is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel McGrattan, Jr. and Jody is the son of Mr. and Mrs. David Balaban.

Five years into a successful career as a sales agent with William E. Wood and Associates (now Howard Hanna) Nancy Evans was identified as suited for management. Now, after a 25-year-career of managing, negotiating, coaching, and advising an office full of successful...

A native New Yorker, Fern Leibowitz always was attracted to jewelry. While working as a CPA in New York City where she had contacts with wholesale jewelers, that attraction continue to grow. In Virginia Beach, Leibowitz followed her jewelry passion and went to work at...

Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman’s article on Israel’s 70th Anniversary, which was published in the Virginian-Pilot, was inserted into the Congressional Record by Congressman Scott Taylor. Dr. Zoberman is the founding rabbi of Congregation Beth Chaverim and Honorary Senior...

Erin Ashley McGrattan on her conversion to Judaism. Her family and friends are so proud of her.

The Band’s Visit, about a troupe of Egyptian musicians that winds up in a tiny Israeli village, garnered 11 Tony nominations, including for best musical. The musical, based on a popular 2007 film of the same name directed by Israel’s Eran Kolirin, also scooped up...

Although the British royal family presumably does not speak a word of Hebrew, there were plenty of mazel tovs to go around after the announcement that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, aka Prince William and Kate Middleton, welcomed the arrival of a baby boy. The...