Mazel Tov

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.

Originally published in the May 31, 2021 issue.  Mazel tov to Rabbi Israel Zoberman for having Congresswoman Elaine G. Luria insert his article on the 73rd anniversary of the State of Israel into the Congressional Record. In addition, Congressman A. Donald McEachin...

Originally published in the May 31, 2021 issue.  Mazel tov to Avi and Chana Horowitz on the birth of their daughter. Chana’s parents are Amy and Jeffrey Brooke and her grandparents are Bina and Herb Zukerman and Elli and Leonard Brooke. Avi’s mother is Linda...

Originally published in the March 8, 2021 issue. Lisa Richmon In 2020, Carin Joffe Simon and husband Mike Simon planned the first Tidewater virtual Bar Mitzvah for their son, Nate. When Betty Ann Levin watched the event, which was livestreamed on Facebook from their...

Originally published in the March 8, 2021 issue. Lisa Richmon If you think the new sitcom, Call Your Mother is about children avoiding their mothers during the pandemic, you would be half right. The show, starring Kyra Sedgwick, is based, however, on life after the...

Originally published in the March 8, 2021 issue. As Hayden Caplan prepared for his upcoming bar mitzvah in May, there was no question what he wanted to do for his mitzvah project. A friend from his pre-school days at Hebrew Academy of Tidewater, Benjamin Goldberg, an...

Jack Rephan receives recognition from Board of Governors of the Virginia State Bar’s Construction Law and Public Contracts Section The Board of Governors of the Virginia State Bar’s of recognition to Jack Rephan in appreciation and gratitude for his work as a founder...

Achievement Bonnie Lindenberg, Jewish Family Service 2019 Volunteer of the Year. Lindenberg volunteers in the JFS PAM department. She prepares more than 60 tax returns each year for clients who cannot afford to pay a tax preparation fee. Lindenberg is a certified...

Cantor Elihu Flax, who directs religious services at Beth Sholom Village, is the new president of the Board of Rabbis and Cantors of Hampton Roads. The board addresses issues pertaining to the Jewish community as they relate to the area’s Orthodox, Conservative, and...

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...

I have had the pleasure of having Jared Berklee in my advisory the past four years…watching him grow from a young and curious freshman into a compassionate, hard-working leader. I have no doubt Jared will leave a positive mark on the world. Interested in pursuing...

Elliot Warsof, who was the recipient of the Bob Reinhard Campaign Award from the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond on Thursday, March 22. Warsof is a graduate of the University of Miami and a real estate broker for S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co. He is a board member of...

Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman, founding rabbi of Congregation Beth Chaverim, whose article God’s Divinity and Human Dignity Are Indivisible, is included in a newly published book, Sacred Journeys: Ecumenical Perspectives on Spiritual Care. Edited by Dr. Michael J. Kurtz,...

Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman, founding rabbi of Congregation Beth Chaverim, whose article on President Trump’s Jerusalem Declaration was inserted into the Congressional Record by Congressman Scott Taylor. Rabbi Zoberman also was the keynote speaker at the 25th...

Fay and Charles Silverman on the birth of their first grandchild, Frederick Quinn Silverman. Born November 17, 2017 to Sam and Nicole Silverman of Columbus, Ga., he is the nephew of Paul (PJ) Silverman. His grandparents are “thrilled, proud, and over the moon!”

Leah Mostofsky on her engagement to Eli Krischer of Brooklyn N.Y. Leah is the daughter of Rabbi Sholom and Tehilla Mostofsky. The couple plan to get married on December 25, 2017 in Lakewood, N.J. They will live in New York.

New York, NY— The Jewish Council for Public Affairs ( JCPA) recently announced the fifth cohort of the prestigious JCPA Frank Family Leadership Institute for Emerging Leaders. The JCPA Fellowship is a mentoring opportunity for emerging leaders in the community...

Mr. and Mrs. Alan Peltz on the engagement of their son, Harry Louis Peltz to Lauren Ann Foltz, daughter of Jeff and Marcee Foltz of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. Harry is a graduate of Norfolk Collegiate High School and Syracuse University School of Architecture. He...