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Kickoff event: Thursday August 15, 5:30 pm, Sandler Family Campus Life & Legacy, now branded as Life & Legacy Plus, is being relaunched by Tidewater Jewish Foundation. Life & Legacy Plus is a four-year extension of the partnership program of the Harold...
Last month, I attended the Christians United for Israel (CUFI) Summit. The event was a powerful demonstration of solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people, bringing together thousands of supporters from diverse backgrounds.From the moment I arrived, the atmosphere...
“Cardboard is evil!” At least it is when it’s backing for a framed document from 1878. As a result, when the volunteers who staff the Archive at Ohef Sholom Temple came across a framed document from 1878 that was backed with cardboard, the document was removed from...
Each year, the Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater sends a five-year calendar and information about the Jewish holidays to school superintendents, principals, and business, civic, and arts leaders in Hampton Roads. A letter...
I hear it over and over again – “Mi K’amcha Yisrael” – Who is like you the Jewish people?Enter the world of mitzvot – our secret weapon. How could that be? After all, what is a mitzvah? It’s a commandment in the Torah, which is 3,500 years old. How could doing a...
Guided by the principles of tzedakah (charity) and tikkun olam (repairing the world), Tidewater Jewish Foundation is dedicated to creating permanent resources for the Jewish community. The many facets of community involvement in which TJF is engaged have caused some...
Tidewater is starting its third year working with the Jewish Agency for Israel, hosting Shinshinim (Israeli Emissaries) to bring Israeli culture, knowledge, and experiences to people of all ages. Shinshin is an acronym for Shenat Sherut – a year of service given by an...
A recent Tidewater Jewish Foundation grant enabled Strelitz International Academy to purchase 50 enhanced emergency first aid and Stop the Bleed kits, significantly improving and enhancing the school’s emergency preparedness and response capabilities.In addition to...
Children signing brachot in American Sign Language (ASL). Students harmonizing with hand-drumming while singing Oseh Shalom. Kids laughing while playing drama games they learned at day camp. ASL interpreters at community events. What’s going on?Sharon Serbin is going...
A minor Jewish holiday, Tu B’Av is celebrated as a holiday of love. This year, it begins on the evening of Sunday, August 18 and ends at nightfall on Monday, August 19. There are few gestures that say “I love you” quite like making someone a meal. But as a chef, I...
Sherry Lieberman is the winner of the Jewish News contest for two passes to the Beyond Monet: The Immersive Experience at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. Sponsored by the Virginia Arts Festival, the Monet experience showcases more than 400 of Monet’s most iconic...
Windsurfing to wrestling – Jewish athletes earned at least 16 medals (at press time) at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.The stories about these Olympians are all interesting – even for those who don’t care all that much about sports. Read about them at JTA.org. Gold medals...
Staff report A seasoned professional in the field of philanthropy and development, Amy Weinstein is rejoining Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s team as its development strategist in March. “Amy’s return to TJF marks a significant milestone for us,” says Naomi Limor Sedek,...
Noach Gruen Why was it so hard for the university presidents of Harvard, Penn, and MIT to offer the most obvious directive of safety and stability to students of all faiths? How did college campuses become such tense places for Jewish students? I think the answer goes...
Jewish News: Where were you educated? Martin Brenner: I graduated from Granby High School and then went to University of Georgia where I received a degree in business administration. JN: What was your work history? Did you work anywhere besides Spertner Jewelers? MB:...
Jewish News: Where were you educated? Dr. Laurie Goldsticker: I spent my undergraduate years exploring the grounds of University of Virginia before attending graduate school at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. JN: What was your work history? LG: I was...
Jewish News: Where were you educated? Herman Shelanski, Vice Admiral, USN Retired: I have a Bachelor of Arts in Molecular, Cellular and Development Biology from University of Colorado at Boulder. I also have a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and Space...
Scott R. Saal The New Year is always a time to reflect, as well as to start planning for the year ahead. As we consider financial plans in 2024, we encourage clients to consider the charitable impact they hope to make. Of course, many of us know the cornerstones of a...
Stephanie Peck Through MadebyMouth on Etsy, Rebecca Koltun has sold approximately 200 unique pieces of art. Etsy is an online site where sellers list their handmade items and buyers find something unique to purchase. It is also where Koltun’s stellar, 5-star reviews...
Etsy Gruen It’s been a dream for many in Tidewater, and now it is a reality. Judaism invests in the mundane activity of eating with kedusha, special sanctity. . . eating kosher food, with the table upon which the food is eaten representing the holy altar, the...
Dave Flagler Another successful winter break camp wrapped up last month, concluding a fun-filled 2023 for Camp JCC. Covering two weeks of private school and public school closures, campers enjoyed winter themed crafts, indoor games, STEM projects, culinary creations...
Stephanie Peck At Chesapeake’s City Council meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 28, Mayor Rick West read a statement unequivocally condemning the recent rise in antisemitism and standing in solidarity with those affected by antisemitism. Before his remarks, Mayor West noted that...
Terri Denison After 18 years, the April 3, 2023 issue was Germaine Clair’s last as art director for Jewish News. Germaine served as art director for the final Renewal magazine published by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater in the fall of 2004. By 2005, she was...
Naomi Limor Sedek At Tidewater Jewish Foundation, a number of fund holders and donors enthusiastically embrace strategies for lifetime gifts and bequests. These champions of the “do it now” approach to charitable giving and their longstanding commitment to estate...
Due to the high demand for volunteer work in Israel, Masa has created Masa Volunteers, a new six-week volunteer program in Israel, turning compassion into action. This program, priced at just $350, offers various dates throughout December, January, and February,...
Elana McGovern Since October 7, young adults have rallied in support of each other and Israel, culminating in a heartwarming Pop-Up Shabbat experience on November 17. To strengthen ties and contribute to the Tidewater Supports Israel 2023 Emergency Campaign, members...
Philissa Cramer (JTA) — Elon Musk, the tech titan who is under fire for his role in amplifying antisemitism on his social media platform X, visited Israel on Monday, Nov. 27 and toured the devastation at a kibbutz ravaged by Hamas on Oct. 7 alongside Prime Minister...
Regent University stands unwaveringly against the alarming rise of antisemitism on college campuses today. As expressed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews....
Ron Kampeas WASHINGTON (JTA) — Organizers of a pro-Israel rally at the National Mall in Washington on Tuesday, Nov. 14, claim that 290,000 people showed up for the event, making it one of the largest gatherings of Jews in U.S. history at a time when an ongoing war in...
Naomi Limor Sedek In Tidewater and across the country, giving season is in full gear. The end of the year is a well-documented season of anxiety for many people, but meeting 2023 charitable goals does not have to be stressful. Tidewater Jewish Foundation is prepared...
Richmond, Va. — Attorney General Jason Miyares joined a coalition of 20 state attorneys general in sending a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas calling for the prompt removal of foreign student visa...
Kelly Burroughs Concerns in Israel have dominated most of our thoughts and prayers. The Jewish community’s generosity has enabled thousands of items and millions of dollars to be sent to support people in Israel. As hundreds of people came together on the Sandler...