Southeastern Virginia: Chesapeake • Norfolk • Portsmouth • Suffolk • Virginia Beach
Archives
Of the many Jewish holidays that dot the calendar, one of my son’s favorites is Purim. For children, Purim is celebrated with costumes, festival foods like hamantaschen, donations to those in need, and a community reading of the Book of Esther, which joyously...
Members of Tidewater’s Jewish community annually support programs and initiatives that strengthen Jewish life locally, in Israel, and around the world through programs and initiatives not only funded, but, in some cases, are led by United Jewish Federation of...
✡️ Simon Family JCC Seniors ClubModel Passover SederLed by Rabbi David BockmanWednesday, April 9, 12 – 2 pmSimon Family JCCInformation: Mia Klein, programdepartment/seniors program coordinator, 757-452-3184 or MKlein@UJFT.org ✡️Beth ChaverimPassover Community Seder...
The Be A Reader (BeAR) Literacy Project has always been about resilience, adaptability, and community. The program even managed to create a space during the COVID-19 pandemic. As BeAR celebrates 25 years of fostering literacy among young students, it is navigating yet...
(JTA) — Leaders in Israel, the United States, and worldwide expressed their sadness and horror as the bodies of four dead hostages returned to Israel from Gaza on Thursday, Feb. 20.Many of the messages focused on Shiri Bibas and her children Ariel and Kfir, ages 4 and...
(JTA) — The new banners hanging outside a public building in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, channeled the college town’s history of progressive activism.One depicted a member of the Chapel Hill Nine, Black activists whose 1960 sit-in at a local lunch counter kicked off...
Whether identifying as Reform, Conservative, or Orthodox, the Norfolk Mikvah enables every Jew in Tidewater to access the transformative, rejuvenating power of a mikvah.Brides before their wedding, those in the process of converting to Judaism, married women who keep...
As the year begins, many people are recommitting to the charities they hold dear – whether as donors, volunteers, board members, or a combination of roles.In Tidewater, and across the nation, hundreds of thousands of charities contribute to meaningful causes every...
A philanthropic journey is personal and often begins with a simple conversation.For Norfolk native Ellen Rostov Hundley, this journey has been a natural extension of the values instilled by her family and her commitment to community – all culminating in a legacy of...
The dichotomy I recently experienced during my first trip to Israel is a testament to the emotional complexities of the country. Organized by the iCenter in partnership with the JCCA, this journey brought 24 JCC professionals together for a Mifgash (Encounter) that...
Charlie’s Middle Eastern Cuisine opened in Norfolk’s Ghent neighborhood in November. The intimate and friendly kosher restaurant is supervised under the Vaad HaKasharus of Tidewater.Yogev Kremisi, the restaurant’s owner, also owns Dream the La Cream, an ice cream...
Traditions are so important for children – giving them a sense of belonging to something special that becomes part of their identity. Lighting the menorah at Hanukkah, for example, is one such tradition.For 32 years, the Jewish Family Service Chanukah Gift Program has...
The JCC Seniors Club members had an incredible time at last month’s meeting. ‘Patsy Cline’ was back in the building and had everyone singing along and tapping their feet to her timeless tunes.Members also got a sneak peek of this year’s Virginia Festival of Jewish...
Nearly 200 people gathered for a powerful and emotional conversation with Shahar Dekel, a photographer and IDF reservist soldier, and Jay Klebanoff, a former United Jewish Federation of Tidewater president, on Tuesday, Jan. 14. Held at the Sandler Family Campus, the...
In a significant step toward greater inclusivity and accessibility, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, located on the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus, recently installed 13 new ADA-compliant doors. This initiative was made possible through the generous support...
One of the best ways to remember or recognize loved ones is to send a card. Whether to celebrate someone’s birthday or bar or bat mitzvah or to honor someone who has passed, one option is to pay tribute to them with a card benefitting JFS’s programs.To purchase a card...
Wednesday, January 16, 2025 President Joe BidenToday, after many months of intensive diplomacy by the United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire and hostage deal. This deal will halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much needed...
(JTA) — The antique silver menorah. The shabbos candlesticks. The tiny tefillin set. The last remnants from Europe that my grandparents, all Holocaust survivors, managed to shlep to America. And I need to get them out of my house. Right now.I had this thought during a...
(JTA) — Nearly half of adults around the world have “elevated levels of antisemitic attitudes,” the Anti-Defamation League reported in its latest global survey of anti-Jewish beliefs.In addition, the survey found that one-fifth of the world has not heard of the...
It’s January—the holidays are behind us, and college students are back at it, hitting the books for their final semester. For seniors, the countdown to graduation is officially underway. While the focus is on finishing strong, now is also the time to start thinking...
Turning 65 years old has its advantages, and one of them is Silver Sneakers. A health and fitness program designed for adults 65 and older, many Medicare Advantage plans and other health insurance coverages offer this no-cost access to gyms and other fitness...
The incredible BeAR volunteers regularly demonstrate what it means to serve, inspire, and share a little extra love wherever they go. Two dedicated Larrymore BeAR captains, for example, were recently spotted at Chesterfield Academy Elementary.Larrymore captains Irene...
For one special hour before winter break, BeAR Literacy Project volunteers filled classrooms, libraries, and cafeterias with holiday cheer and the magic of reading. Students were treated to a whirlwind of fun that celebrated the joy of books and included festive story...
Among the many ways – classes, gym workouts, personal trainers – it offers to help members stay fit, the Simon Family JCC is adding another alternative: virtual personal training. In this option, participants and trainers work remotely via a digital platform, allowing...
Courtney Krutoy has joined Tidewater BBYO as its new city director.“After a long search, we have found the right person who has BBYO knowledge, a dedication to this role, and who is excited to jump in,” says Lauren Revenson, regional director, BBYO’s Eastern...
This past November in Washington, DC, a small group of colleagues and lay leaders from our Jewish community joined thousands of Jewish leaders from around the world at the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) General Assembly (GA).Personally, I drew much...
The fragile yet formidable Chanukah candles We tenderly lit, daringly defy the suffocating Darkness around us and in us, Soothing and softening, we pray, all who Their magic of evoked memories of elation And trepidation with oil – dripping levivot (Potato...
If you free associate on the word “Hanukkah,” it is likely that among your first mental images will be a Hanukkiyah – maybe a craft project, the work of your own Sunday School-age hands? Or the family’s customary menorah when you were a child? Or an inheritance...
Light up the holiday by attending one or more of these community-oriented experiences. With some events geared for children and others for adults, some in Virginia Beach and others in Norfolk, plenty of options are available to celebrate Hanukkah with community. Chag...
Love may be a universal theme, but the way it is portrayed can vary profoundly from one work to another. This is evident in the series Nobody Wants This and the film Transmitzvah. Both productions, available on Netflix, revolve around dilemmas involving Judaism,...
Career exploration workshop: Wednesday, January 15, Sandler Family Campus Summer employment workshop: Wednesday, February 19, Sandler Family Campus Interested in the Hampton Roads job market or in returning home for a career opportunity? Through a new...
Jewish News continues to gather and present some basic facts to equip readers with the confidence needed to engage in conversation about Israel and antisemitism. • Israel’s government is a parliamentary democracy and has three branches: executive, legislative,...