As Tidewater’s Lee and Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival was gearing up, the Lessans Family Annual Book Festival at the Bender JCC of Greater Washington was winding down. For its closing program on Sunday, Nov. 13, Jennifer Smith, director of arts and culture...
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100 anti-Semitic incidents reported in US post-election, watchdog finds
One hundred anti-Semitic incidents occurred in the 10 days following the presidential election, representing about 12 percent of hate incidents in the U.S. recorded by a civil rights watchdog. The report by the Southern Poverty Law Center looked at 867 hate incidents...
“Worst fears, best hopes” for the Trump presidency
(JTA)—The upset victory by Donald Trump in the 2016 elections stunned a Jewish activist and leadership class that is at times as divided as the electorate at large. JTA asked some of those leaders to describe their concerns and expectations in a series of brief...
Time to stand up
On Saturday, Nov. 19, the leader of the white nationalist think tank, the National Policy Institute, Richard Spencer, addressed his faithful at the Ronald Reagan building, blocks from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. His words did not veil their references...
Making miracles
Friends, As the year ends, we look back at events, visitors, and achievements— and yes, the challenges—the Tidewater Jewish community experienced in 2016. Our gratitude toward this community’s commitments, its accomplishments, its devotion and its dedication to...
TJF honors Veterans with Veterans Day ceremony
Approximately 60 people attended Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s 7th Annual Veterans Day ceremony on Friday, Nov. 11. Scott Kaplan, president and CEO of TJF, welcomed guests to the ceremony and Captain James Eilberg, SC, USN (Ret), officiated. Other local clergy who...
Local high school students selected to attend AIPAC’s Schusterman Advocacy Institute in Washington
For three days last month, more than 400 high school students from across the nation attended AIPAC’s Schusterman Advocacy Institute High School Summit in Washington, D.C for Israel advocacy and political activism training. Six students from Tidewater attended, with...
Joyce “Gila” Strelitz—A Woman of Valor January 9, 1932–November 5, 2016
Joyce Strelitz demonstrated her kindness and caring for others each and every day, inspiring peers and young leaders alike to joyfully engage in Tikkun Olam. Having served on (and often chaired) nearly every local Jewish board in Tidewater, as well as on area...
Created with love—Ohef Sholom Temple crafters sew one-of-a-kind quilts to give to JFS clients
The Leon Family Art Gallery wall on the second floor of the Simon Family JCC has been awash in both color and love the past few weeks. Twelve handmade, one-of-a-kind quilts showcased the craftsmanship of their creators, members of the Tzedakah Quilting Group, part of...
New Hanukkah Forever Stamp gets warm reception at dedication ceremony
Music, dance, and a few, brief history lessons were part of the buildup which led to the colorful unveiling of the United States Postal Service’s 2016 Hanukkah Forever Stamp on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk. An enlargement of the stamp...
Happy Hanukkah
Jewish News Hanukkah, December 5, 2016
End of year giving opportunities
This is the time of year we think about other people, friends and family. This year, I hope you will also think about your community and the many ways you can make a difference. Before 2016 comes to an end, consider these exciting programs and matching gift...
Virginia Israel Advisory Board funded for FY2013 and FY2014 thanks to Tidewater and state-wide grass roots efforts
More than 320 notes and signatures were sent by the Tidewater community to Governor Bob McDonnell’s office, advocating for full funding for the Virginia Israel Advisory Board, $175,361 for FY2013 and FY2014. With this funding and a commitment for VIAB to remain an...
Jewish Council for Public Affairs Annual Plenum 2012 in Detroit
On May 5 I headed to Detroit for the annual Plenum of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, otherwise known as the JCPA, the Community Relations Council’s umbrella organization. The JCPA, the public affairs arm of the organized Jewish community, serves as the...
Ohef Sholom’s Mitzvah Day: Social action and community
On the morning of Sunday, April 29, Ohef Sholom Temple’s sixth annual Mitzvah Day demonstrated tikkun olam with an emphasis on the environment, as well as helping those less fortunate. Its “Ohef Goes Green” theme helped kick off the efforts of the newest temple...
Nominate a Jewish Community Hero
The next time you’re out in the Jewish community, look to your left, look to your right; look at yourself. Chances are you’ll see a Jewish Community Hero. The United Jewish Federation of Tidewater wants to recognize these heroes, sharing the passion and dedication...
Bill Nusbaum honored at Ohef Sholom with Kaufmann award
Ohef Sholom Temple’s Men’s Club presented William L. Nusbaum with its prestigious Henry B. Kaufmann Award for Service to the temple and the community on Sunday, May 6. Emceed by the Honorable Lou Sherman, several speakers took the podium to praise Nusbaum’s...
Burle Usher Stromberg: Following in his father’s footsteps
“It warms my heart that there are so many exciting events taking place at HAT. Not only are we teaching our students, but we are also educating our parents, grandparents and siblings,” says Burle Stromberg, president of the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater board. When...
JCC embarks on first annual fundraising appeal
The Simon Family JCC serves many different needs in its role as a Community Center. In order to better help those who need assistance to benefit from the JCC’s resources, the center is requesting support from the community. As a recent letter outlined, there are many...
Toras Chaim celebrates 10th Anniversary
Toras Chaim recently hosted a gala dinner to celebrate its 10 years of providing Jewish education in Tidewater. The program opened with welcoming remarks from Ephriam Adler, the current president of the school. He emphasized that Toras Chaim was founded and continues...
Beth Sholom Village honors volunteers
Beth Sholom Village honored its volunteers at a Recognition Luncheon on Thursday, April 26. More than 60 guests enjoyed a delicious lunch catered by The Village Caterers. David Abraham, executive vice president, and Neil Friedman, board president, thanked the...
Jewish Women’s Salon tackles tough topics shown in film
A primary goal of the newly launched Jewish Women’s Salon is to form a community of women—both live and virtual—where diverse demographic, geographic and Jewish backgrounds are welcome. Another is to initiate and encourage discussions on topics that impact 21st...
Commemoration of Rachel Weeping For Her Children
People of all backgrounds gathered at The Sacred Heart Cathedral in Richmond on Sunday, April 22 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the dedication of “Rachel Weeping for her Children,” the Holocaust sculpture commissioned by Bishop Walter Sullivan of the Diocese...
JDC Global Archives website brings Jewish history to life
Which U.S. president publicly urged Americans to support the first campaign aiding war-ravaged Jews overseas? Which organization brought the first John Deere tractor to Ukraine? What killer disease was eradicated in Ottoman Palestine by a Jewish doctor? Such...
Bye, Bye Boychik at Temple Israel
It was a night to remember. The congregation laughed, cried and wept. Purim night at Temple Israel featured talented Megillah readers and a troupe of young Purim players who spoke in “Fakespearean prose.” The adults offered a creative interpretation of the Book of...
Shir Darom sings a new song!
October 2011 marked the rebirth of Shir Darom, the Jewish Community Chorus of Hampton Roads, under the direction of Madeline Rossettini. Founded in 1998, Shir Darom, or Song of the South, has recently performed at the Simon Family JCC’s American Jewish Composers...
Virginia Tech’s Seth Greenberg named head coach for USA Open Men’s Basketball Team
The head men’s basketball coach at Virginia Tech, Seth Greenberg, has been named the head coach for the USA Open Men’s Basketball Team competing at the 19th World Maccabiah Games in Israel, July 2013. Greenberg just completed his ninth season as head coach at Virginia...
News from Pardes Katz
Tal Markowich, youth director at the Matnas, has written about a very special project they have been working on in the youth department. Developed in cooperation between the Pardes Katz community and BMC Software, the project provides one-on-one tutoring for 13...
Amid mainstream success, Regina Spektor stays true to Jewish roots
NEW YORK (JTA)—Regina Spektor has a cold—or as she calls it, “a nondescript New York disease.” The singer is onstage at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York headlining a benefit concert for the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, or HIAS, which helped resettle her family in...