Mazel Tov

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...

Linda and Leigh Baltuch, on the engagement of their daughter, Rachel, to Brian Dombroski. Brian is the son of Carole Dombroski of Old Forge, Pennsylvania. Rachel is the granddaughter of Alma Laderberg (of blessed memory) and Howard Laderberg. The wedding will take...

Eliana Edery of Norfolk, daughter of ingrid and David Edery and granddaughter of Vicki and Abraham Kalfus, to Merric Srour, son of Nino and Joyce Dworsky Srour of Silver Spring, Md. Eliana attended Hebrew Academy, Toras Chaim and BiNA High School. She spent a year in...

Joel N. Zaba, MA, OD, on receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southern College of Optometry. For more than four decades in private practice, Zaba has distinguished himself in the area of learning-related visual problems, lecturing internationally and...

Benjamin Reed Saunders on becoming a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, September 17. Benjamin is the son of Stephanie and Jeff Saunders, brother to Carleigh Saunders, and grandson to larry and Natalie Saunders of Virginia Beach, Marie Eardley and Murray Eckstein of Medford,...

Ariella Weiss and Jacob Epstein on their marriage. Ariella is the daughter of Edie Weiss of Virginia Beach, and Dr. Howard Weiss, of Denver, Colorado. Jacob is the son of Dr. William and Vickie Epstein of Blacksburg, Virginia. The wedding was officiated by Rabbi Marc...

Shaina and Andreu Moore on the birth of their son, Benjamin Grayson Moore, on June 24, 2016. He is the brother of Caleb Jerome Moore, grandson of Brenda Gordon and Ben Gordon (of blessed memory), and Tom and Darlene Tupper.

The Hebrew Academy of Tidewater celebrates the many accomplishments of its students throughout the years. The school also supports them through important academic and social challenges and nurtures them as they grow and develop throughout their elementary years. One...

WYNCOTE, PA—Reconstructionist Rabbinical College awarded one of the first five grants of the Auerbach Entrepreneurial Grant Program to Rabbi Ellen Jaffe-Gill, spiritual leader of Tidewater Chavurah. Rabbi Jaffe-Gill, a 2014 graduate of the seminary, will use her...

Rabbi Aron and Rychel Margolin on the engagement of their son, Levi Margolin to Aidel Gestetner. Levi is director of marketing for Birthright Israel: MAYANOT. Aidel is a licensed tour guide in Israel. They both currently live in Jerusalem, will get married in June and...

Keano Rich, along with his Symposium teammates, Evan Allan and Ryan Nguyen — a l l freshmen at the Mathematics and Science Academy at Ocean Lakes High School— for winning first place in the Senior Division of Behavioral and Social Science category of the 65th Annual...

Jerry Nadler, MD, an internationally known physician/scientist who is making potentially game-changing advances in diabetes research, has been named Virginia’s Outstanding Scientist for 2016. Governor Terry McAuliffe presented the award to Nadler on Thursday, Feb. 25...

Deni Budman for her election last month as communications vice president of North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) for 2016–2017. For more than 75 years, NFTY has offered thousands of young people the opportunity to explore and live Reform Judaism. Today,...

Sherry and Irving Frank on the engagement of their son Matthew Frank of Arlington, Va. to Melissa Doman of Rockville, Md. Matthew is the brother of Marc and Kara, and the grandson of Ray Salken, Lucille Frank and Joe Frank (of blessed memory). Melissa is the daughter...

Rabbi Arthur Ruberg and Miriam Brunn Ruberg on the birth of their second grandchild, Noah Lev on February 2. Parents are Adina (Ruberg) and Ben Kozberg of Columbus, Ohio.

Ohef Sholom Temple for receiving the Elizabeth River Project’s recognition for the first time as a “River Star Business” at the Two-Star Achievement Level for 2015. This distinction is attained after a Restoration Advisory Committee reviews applications and decides...

Robin and Ross Kantor on the birth of their son, Brody James Kantor on November 1, 2015. He is the brother of Joseph Adam Kantor, grandson of Dorothy and Edwin Salomonsky and Kathy and J. Jerry Kantor and great-grandson of Evelyn Adler

Graham Eilberg, who, while golfing with his Dad, Seth at the Jamestown, RI course, got a hole in one on the 114 yard par 3 fifth hole. Graham Eilberg, age 11, is the grandson of Susan and Jim Eilberg of Norfolk.

Josh Lannik and Liz Shayne on the birth of their daughter, who was born on August 3, 2015, 18th Av, 5775. Proud grandparents are David and Phyllis Lannik of Norfolk and Mark and Yael Shayne of Great Neck, N.Y. and her great grandmother Marilyn Shayne of Floral Park,...

Dr. Sharon Weinstein, who is exhibiting two watercolors and one mixed media painting at The Artists Gallery on Norfolk Ave. in Virginia Beach. The show’s theme is Textures and runs through August.