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JERUSALEM (JTA)—Hundreds of haredi Orthodox men and women and religious Zionist female seminary students disrupted the monthly Rosh Chodesh morning service of the Women of the Wall group. About 150 women who gathered at the women’s section of the Western Wall Plaza to...
Supplement to Jewish News February 13, 2017
WASHINGTON (JTA)—Israeli settlements are no big problem. Wait—maybe they are, after all. The Iran deal is trash. No, the deal is here to stay, despite being “weak.” On Thursday, Feb. 2, the White House pronounced on Israel’s announced settlement expansion that it “may...
NEW YORK (JTA)—A person calls a Jewish institution, makes a bomb threat and hangs up. The call lasts no more than a minute, the caller’s voice is disguised and the call is made to look as if it came from inside the building. How do you catch the culprit? That’s the...
February 16, 2007 Rafel Harpaz, acting consul general for the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC, made his first visit to Tidewater to strengthen the relationship between Virginia and Israel o n economic and cultural levels. February 14, 1997 Virginia Beach Mayor Meyer...
TEL AVIV (JTA) – Defending his executive order directing the construction of a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico, President Donald Trump pointed to Israel as a model, saying “a wall protects.” With another swipe of his pen two days later, on Jan. 27, Trump...
Student’s artwork on display in the Leon Family Art Gallery Tuesday, Feb. 14–Thursday, March 2 Students throughout Tidewater diligently worked on their artistic poster submissions for the 5th Annual Israel Poster Contest, presented by the Community Relations Council...
More than 1,200 people experienced the diversity of Jewish/ Israeli films offered during Simon Family JCC’s 24th Annual Virginia Festival of Jewish Film presented by Alma* & Howard Laderberg. Seven films, from compelling documentaries to a poignant comedy, were...
When Hebrew Academy of Tidewater’s PTA volunteers met at the beginning of the school year, they wanted to create a fun community-building event for HAT parents. Robyn Bailey suggested a paint night and Monique Werby and Erica Kaplan agreed. The committee chose a night...
For 2017, Ohef Sholom Temple stepped up its congregation’s commitment to creation by working on the requirements for two national environmental certifications. The Union for Reform Judaism’s Religious Action Center and GreenFaith became partners in January 2016 to...
Caring for the elderly…funding scholarships to Jewish day school and summer camps…providing psychiatric and emotional support services…ensuring the future of Israel and other nations worldwide. These were among the various causes which drew donors to lend their...
Now in its 24th year, Jewish Family Service of Tidewater’s Chanukah Gift Program annually helps local Jewish families in financial need with gifts and gift cards for their children and teens, and with money for those without children. This year, JFS received donations...
Holocaust Commission members have been talking for years about taking a trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. One was finally set up for Oct. 30. Thanks to Hurricane Sandy, those looking forward to the trip would have to wait a little...
Over the past 20 years, Romania’s Jewish community has been completely transformed. “For us, Jewish life is really integrated with modern life,” says Luciana Friedmann, president of the Jewish community of Timisoara, Romania. “Two hundred and forty people singing...
Beth El members Craig and Joanna Schranz wanted to create an event that got people outside to raise awareness for a good cause. And so, with Congregation Beth El Men’s Club and the Mitzvah in Motion group, Tour De Mensch was born. Held on Nov. 4 to recognize the long...
Celebrated by schools across the country, National Mix It Up Day promotes respect and tolerance among children. The program, first introduced to Hebrew Academy of Tidewater by school guidance counselor Michele Fenley, LCSW, encourages children to broaden their...
In operation for just a few months, the Freda H. Gordon Hospice and Palliative Care of Tidewater has already made a big impact on many of its patients’ family members, including Irwin Kroskin. When his wife Ruthi became ill, Kroskin called on the hospice team. “When...
LOS ANGELES (JTA)—We need to celebrate a Lincoln Chanukah this year. It’s not because of the new Spielberg movie—that gives us something to do on Christmas Day—but because of the 150th anniversary of a little-known event in American history that threatened to expel a...
In her soothing voice, Vergie McCall recites Psalms 23 and 91 to her hospice patients. “Prayers are powerful,” she confirms. “When you leave this world, you are going to the presence of God,” her grandmother used to say. “In the spirit of the Divine, you are no longer...
The year 2012 has been one of highs and lows for the Holocaust Commission. The highs include the integration of our new What We Carry program into our educational offerings, and the lows last January as we lost two of our Speakers’ Bureau survivors, David Katz and...
ATID is the Hebrew word for future. And Atidim (futures) is the name of a breakthrough project designed to build a better, stronger Israel by enabling capable and talented young people from underprivileged communities to acquire higher education in order to share in...
Congregation Beth El is kicking-up its level of tikkun olam projects. In September, Rabbi Jeff Arnowitz initiated a “Mitzvah of the Month” program with the synagogue focusing attention on and supporting a particular cause each month. Congregants and especially BERS...
Approximately 60 people attended Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s third annual Veterans Day Memorial Service on Monday, Nov. 12. The Jewish War Veterans Monument, located on the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community, was unveiled in 2010....
Two matching gift programs are currently in place that give new or increased donations to the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater a higher monetary value. The programs translate into the community having a greater impact on improving the lives of Jews in Tidewater,...
In January, Ohef Sholom Temple will launch an innovative program designed specifically to make Jewish education accessible and tailored to children with special needs. “We believe that v’shinantam l’vanecha, you shall teach your children, refers to all children,” says...
The support of the sponsors of the 2012 Lee and Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival enabled the Simon Family JCC to present 12 authors and sell thousands of books. Business sponsors of this year’s festival were Barnes and Noble Booksellers, Monarch Bank,...
Some of the first thoughts that come to Americans’ minds when thinking about Israel are the Palestinian conflict, the threat of terrorism, and the treat of war with neighboring countries. While the reality of life in Israel, these issues do not define Israel or her...
When we’re young adults, we most often purchase life insurance to pay off our mortgage or provide some surety that our spouse would have a sum of cash should we become deceased before we’ve had the opportunity to build our estates. Over the years, the initial purpose...
Homework for elementary school children has fallen in and out of favor over the years. In the early 1900s, it was illegal in California for teachers to assign homework to young children who were instead expected to help on the farm or in the family business after...
The concept behind the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Learn@Lunch series is to provide education opportunities on a variety of issues, in different places, during business lunch hours. “We were hearing from some members of...
Comedian Dan Ahdoot, the first of three events at the Simon Family JCC in this season’s Performing Arts at the J, presented by Leah Wohl*, kept the jokes coming, pleasing adults of all ages on Saturday, Oct. 20. Susan Schwartzman, chairperson of the series, says the...
WASHINGTON (JTA)—President Obama’s Jewish numbers are down, but by how much and why? Expect four more years of tussling between Jewish Republicans and Democrats about the meaning of Obama’s dip from 78 percent Jewish support cited in 2008 exit polls to 69 percent this...