Southeastern Virginia: Chesapeake • Norfolk • Portsmouth • Suffolk • Virginia Beach
Archives
The death of any young person at the hands of a terrorist is horrific. The death of a young couple on the verge of getting engaged to be married reverberates further. The Mishnah tells us that to destroy any life is to destroy a world, but to destroy the lives of two...
Security professionals urge Jewish institutions to expand the security perimeter at their events. On Wednesday, May 21, three-armed security officers stood guard as the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington held its annual meeting in the nation’s...
Court rejected nonprofit’s efforts to delay oversight Attorney General Jason Miyares secured a court victory last month that will compel AJP Educational Foundation, also known as American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), to comply with the Attorney General’s Civil...
Wednesday, June 11, 6:30 pm, Sandler Family Campus Tidewater’s Jewish community often gathers for commemorations and celebrations. In fact, over the past several months, from Yom Hashoah to Yom Ha’Atzmaut, and for so many more occasions as well, we have gathered in...
Report an antisemitic incident at Federation.JewishVA.org/IncidentReportingIn an emergency, always call 9-1-1 first.If online reporting is not practical, contact local law enforcement and/or the relevant suspicious activity reporting authority.Also contact Mike...
When asked about neurodiversity, the odds are most people wouldn’t be able to answer. Social media, television, and film often misrepresent neurodiversity, either exaggerating its effects or minimizing its impact.Neurodiversity describes the unique ways people’s...
Get ready for summer when the Simon Family JCC’s outdoor pool opens on Saturday, May 24.Weekday aquatics exercise classes will move outside during the summer season, weather permitting, and many other events return to enjoy with friends and family. Among the special...
Stepping outside this time of year, one might initially squint because of the bright sun or the pollen, which means that bright summer days are ahead. One might even figuratively squint at the realization that the end of the school year is near. While those eyes are...
When Kenna Werby celebrated her Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, March 29, she didn’t just mark a major milestone in her own life – she made a lasting impact on the lives of countless young readers in Tidewater.For her Bat Mitzvah project, Kenna chose to support the Jewish...
Earlier this month, Erica Reisner Ausch, with the assistance of her daughter, Linda Ausch, made Matzah Ball Soup with her grandson, Leo Woodward, and his family: Erika Woodward, and Ausch’s great grandchildren, Wells and Bridget Woodward. L’dor V’dor. Aunty Linda...
More than 60 active adults gathered for a meaningful Model Passover Seder on Tuesday, April 9. Led by Rabbi David Bockman of Congregation Beth El with Dave Flagler, Simon Family JCC’s camp director, on guitar, the event took place at the Sandler Family Campus. The...
It started with a simple question during a meeting of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Innovation Steering Committee: If children have the privilege of receiving Jewish-themed books monthly through PJ Library, why shouldn’t adults have their own version? PJ...
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...