Thanks to our generous community, the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater (UJFT) has raised almost $4.8 million since October 7 to support humanitarian, emergency, and wartime needs through the UJFT’s Tidewater Supports Israel Emergency Fund. The second largest...
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17 Jewish organizations push for passage of Antisemitism Awareness Act
Jewish Federations of North America on Wednesday, Feb. 21, led 16 American Jewish organizations in a joint letter to members of the House of Representatives reaffirming their support for the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of...
Mikvah appreciation
Dear Editor, Thank you so much for accepting my article to the Jewish News on the new Keilim Mikvah, the mikvah for immersing vessels. I have received several comments on how much people appreciated seeing this article featured and knowing that we have made the mikvah...
Knowledge is key
Israel’s war with Hamas has resulted in vocal and aggressive anti-Zionism and antisemitism across the globe. Many American Jews lack basic knowledge about Israel to converse with certainty about the sole democracy in the Middle East. Beginning with this column, in...
Date with the State: Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day
On the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 7, a delegation of committed and proud Jews – ranging from ODU students to retirees – boarded a double-decker bus at the Sandler Family Campus in Virginia Beach destined for Richmond. There, we met up with other Jewish delegations...
Peace by Piece marks 25years of a unique partnership with JFS and Edmarc
February marked the 25th anniversary of Peace by Piece, a partnership between Jewish Family Service of Tidewater and Edmarc, a family-centered home health and hospice for children with life-threatening illnesses. Peace by Piece is an interfaith program for grieving...
Jewish Film Festival honors the victims of Hamas’ October 7 attacks in Israel
After three decades, the Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, presented by Alma and Howard Laderberg, continues to evolve, bringing films that interest and excite, as well as meet the moment during times of turmoil. For the 31st annual festival, the Festival’s screening...
Virginia Festival of Jewish Film: Shorts, documentaries, and dramas
The lineup for the 31st Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, presented by Alma & Howard Laderberg, includes shorts, documentaries, and dramas and takes place next month at various locations throughout Tidewater. The Festival begins on Sunday, Feb. 18, with a special...
JFS continues meal delivery program with new partner
Kelly Burroughs and Jody LaibstainJewish Family Service’s Home Delivered Meals program is a continuum of the organization’s food service programs. Geared to older and disabled adults throughout Virginia Beach who qualify, a steadfast group of volunteers has been...
Bar Mitzvah plans morph into supporting IDF soldiers for Mostofskys
In anticipation of her nephew’s bar mitzvah in January, Tehilla Mostofsky bought tickets to Israel last July. Along with her husband, Sholom, and her parents, who had not been to Israel in 25 years, she planned to stay for five days to celebrate with her family. The...
Three local men volunteer near Gaza
Eitan Mor, Nathan Goldin, and Norman Goldin volunteered in Israel for two weeks in January. “Israel faces an existential threat, and I wanted to help and show my support,” says Norman Goldin. Both Goldins are physicians and hoped to provide medically related services....
Vergie McCall brought us together to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King
On Martin Luther King Day, Vergie McCall was in her element, not just singing a spiritual to residents of Maimonides Health Center (formerly Beth Sholom Village), where she is a longtime volunteer, but leading a program with three “other” Jews. Yes, the 76-year-old...
We’re going to Israel this Purim! Want to come?
March 1–9, 2023 After a COVID-driven moratorium, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater is re-igniting its Missions Program for next March. Led by mission chairs Laura and Fred Gross, the trip will include an exciting “Purim in Tel Aviv” experience. Starting in...
Security while out and about: some timely reminders
All training is perishable and should be refreshed at least annually. As we move into the next round of holidays, this is a timely reminder. It is during this next period when auto burglaries, robberies, and residential burglaries increase. When you leave a location,...
Trump’s dinner with a Holocaust denier draws rare criticism from some of his Jewish allies
(JTA)—Two weeks after feting Donald Trump as America’s most pro-Israel president ever, the Zionist Organization of America had harsh words for the man who aspires to return to the White House. “ZOA deplores the fact that President Trump had a friendly dinner with such...
Hanukkah gifts for local Jewish children and teens
A local Jewish man with two young children came to Jewish Family Service for help with his family and overdue bills. He had lost his full-time job when his workplace unexpectedly shut down. He did not have enough funds to pay bills and have anything else left over....
Jewish Book Festival off to a strong start
The 2022–2023 Lee and Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival began last month with three authors, each with unique stories for the Tidewater community. Dan Grunfeld, author of By the Grace of the Game: The Holocaust, a Basketball Legacy, and an Unprecedented...
Nearly half of U.S. adults believe America should be a ‘Christian nation’
(JTA)—Forty-five percent of American adults believe the United States should be a “Christian nation,” according to the results of a new survey published Thursday, October 27 by the Pew Research Center—the latest data point finding modern support for Christian...
Israeli and U.S. space agencies welcome private sector R&D and commercial partnerships to advance the $1 trillion space tech market
Israel is now a leading player in space tech. “A private Israeli space venture recently propelled our nation into the club of four countries that have landed on the moon,” said Director General of the Israel Space Agency, Uri Oran, at a U.S.-Israel Space Tech event....
It’s time to start thinking about end-of-year planning
Winding down from the whirlwind of family High Holiday celebrations and gearing up for Thanksgiving, I am reminded that our worldview is relative. For example, instead of focusing on the volatility in the market this past quarter, we should take the long view over...
After Israel’s election, these Jewish groups are reticent about speaking out about extremists
WASHINGTON (JTA)—Few of the American Jewish groups who would not speak out about the prospect of extremists in government before Israel’s elections have done so the day after, even though Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right provocateur, seems headed for a position of power....
Holiday shopping and Judaica needs met in four area gift shops
Smaller is sometimes better, especially in the case of something other than mainstream for this holiday season, as well as for everyday Judaica needs. Here are four shops in Tidewater where you can find interesting and one-of-a-kind items in a friendly and welcoming...
BeAR literacy program welcomes new and returning mentors for the 2022/2023 school year
The Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Be a Reader (BeAR) program held its Kickoff/Workshop for the 2022/2023 school year on October 24. It was the first meeting of the group since the COVID-19 pandemic began. It was a...
Calling for a “Do-Over!”
“Do-over, do-over!” Many remember hearing or exclaiming this as a child at recess when a game was not fair, not conclusive, or maybe not to someone’s liking. At times, the need for a “do-over” was obvious and agreed upon, while other times merely uttering the phrase...
Seeing the business side of vision: Gilbert Eyecare
Gilbert Eyecare has been operating for more than 50 years and calls itself “your Hampton Roads designer eyewear headquarters.” A family-run business with locations in Virginia Beach and Norfolk, each offer medical offices and a retail eyewear center under one roof....
Investment firm earns positive returns on apartments and storage facilities
Cohen Investment Group (CIG) is a privately owned commercial real estate investment firm specializing in multifamily apartments and self-storage properties. The firm’s strategy is to identify and acquire well-located real estate assets below replacement cost while...
The Hyatt in Virginia Beach: A new property and its cousin in Town Center
The former Belvedere Hotel motor lodge at the Virginia Beach oceanfront was replaced by the new Hyatt Place Oceanfront beginning two years ago, with the Hyatt opening its doors this past June. Within four days of opening, according to Matthew Krogsund, the hotel’s...
Statement by President Joe Biden on breakthrough diplomacy in the Middle East
October 11, 2022 Today, I am pleased to announce a historic breakthrough in the Middle East. After months of mediation by the United States, the Governments of Israel and Lebanon have agreed to formally end their maritime boundary dispute and establish a permanent...
Your district, your vote: Virginia Beach’s new election system
Changes were recently made to Virginia Beach’s election system. In this year’s election on November 8, voters will only be able to select a city Council and a School Board representative who represents the specific district where a given voter resides. The previous...
For this year’s Sukkot, peace and Jewish agricultural law had Morocco’s etrog industry blossoming
(JTA)—A bumper crop of etrogs took a more direct route to Israel this year, thanks to a historic confluence of geopolitics and religious observance. Once home to the largest Jewish community in the Arab world, Morocco has a long history producing the citrus fruit used...
Tidewater Chavurah’s most recent mitzvah
Under the well-organized leadership of Adele Muller and Carol Smith, another Mitzvah was carried out and “is in the books.” A group of Tidewater Chavurah members prepared and fed a nutritious dinner at the Judeo Christian Outreach Center. They served baked rigatoni...
Rosh Hashanah with the ShinShinim
In Tidewater for a little more than a month, ShinShinim Aya Sever and Alma Ben Chorin are engaging community members of all ages. Since mid-September, the two Israelis have been busy celebrating and teaching about the Jewish holidays, adding an Israeli flair to...