Southeastern Virginia: Chesapeake • Norfolk • Portsmouth • Suffolk • Virginia Beach
Archives
Voting is underway in an election that gives American Jews an opportunity to directly shape Israel’s future.The U.S. election for seats in the 39th World Zionist Congress will help determine the balance of power in the legislative authority of a Zionist organization...
As Jewish college students across North America experience unprecedented levels of antisemitism on campus, the University of Virginia has joined Hillel International’s flagship Campus Climate Initiative (CCI) program.Hillel’s CCI program is the nation’s leading...
In a time when combating antisemitism requires strong allies and open conversations, expanding circles and having friends is more important than ever. One such friend who has deepened his engagement with the Jewish community by attending events and having meaningful...
Robert C. Goodman, Jr., an attorney at Kaufman & Canoles, has practiced law for more than 50 years. His knowledge and expertise cover an array of subjects, including the complexity of estate planning and charitable giving.When consulting with clients about wills,...
Thoughout 2025, the Hampton Roads Community Foundation is celebrating 75 years of philanthropic service to the local community.Since it began in 1950, the Foundation has grown to become the largest provider of grants and scholarships in the region, supporting...
Each summer, local Jewish children could be eligible for a one-time, One Happy Camper® grant to help cover some of the costs associated with Jewish overnight camp.To secure the future of this opportunity, Naomi Limor Sedek, Tidewater Jewish Foundation president and...
Rarely does a day go by that Marcia Brodie doesn’t have a conversation with people who are unprepared for the unknown.Through her business, Marcia Trains, Brodie teaches caregivers and family members the best practices for working with someone with cognitive...
Jewish News wants to hear from you!The memory could be from last year, the last decade, or the previous century. The memory could be from a Day Camp or Residential Camp, as a Camper or Counselor. Length: 100 - 150 words, plus the camp’s name and a photo of the camper...
On the Tuesday prior to Purim, in coordination with Rabbi Levi Brashevitsky, the seventh and eighth grade boys from Toras Chaim took a trip to Harbor’s Edge in Norfolk to deliver Mishloach Manos packed at the school.The boys had a special opportunity to dance and talk...
A dozen young Jewish Adults from United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s YAD division got together last month for an evening of food, drinks, and… axe throwing!Josh Leibowitz, YAD chair, distinguished himself as the most improved thrower (while still guarding his...
An excellent community turnout greeted Operation Hamantaschen’s return to the Simon Family JCC on Sunday, March 9.The JCC was abuzz with cookie-making and engagement for people of all ages. BBYO volunteers jumped to the challenge of setting up for the event, running...
Two generations of young Jewish men combined forces on Sunday, March 30 to revitalize the garden at Strelitz International Academy.Nadiv, the young professional men’s fundraising group for United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, worked with Old Dominion AZA, the boys’...
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...