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I don’t “belong” to Ohef Sholom Temple, but on Saturday, Jan. 27, I felt as if I did. My friend, Paul Terkeltaub, invited me to attend Ohef’s first “Family Shabbat Experience” and to bring my son, daughter-in-law, and their two sons (ages 8 and 5), promising a morning...
While not every first date is centered around a meal, most involve some sort of dining, even if it’s not fancy fare or a sit-down meal. When Jewish News asked these couples to share their first dining experiences together, one unexpected result was that the settings...
Marriage has its ups and downs, challenges and stability, joy and sadness, romantic moments, and “just everyday” happenings. We often simply react and respond to what is happening around us. Sometimes, however, we are intentional – when we purposely start a process....
Thirty area Jewish teens attended BBYO’s bowling event at Pinboy’s on Sunday, Feb. 4. BBYO’s winter kickoff, the event was a perfect program, allowing potential members and newer members to meet older teens. Both Old Dominion AZA and Simcha BBG chapters led an opening...
Elka Mednick As Holocaust denial and antisemitism continue to spread at alarming rates, International Holocaust Remembrance Day provides an opportunity to learn and reflect upon this important event that connects in so many ways to the present environment. The United...
Charlie Nusbaum As chair of Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s board, I am proud to present our 2023 Annual Report, which is inserted in this edition of Jewish News. Unfathomable events have taken place globally over the past year, with the crisis and war in Israel...
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...
In preparation for the upcoming school year and High Holy Days, it is important to proactively communicate with school faculty about the Jewish holidays to ensure Jewish students have the opportunity to observe the holidays without penalty. While schools often try to...
If you’ve ever been in the Sandler Family Campus’ Cardo dining area around noon, there’s a good chance you’ve noticed a table with a group of lively, lovely seniors. Usually, the first four to show up are Vicki Corneille, Nona Lipsey, and Nancy and Steven Rosenberg....
David Abraham, Beth Sholom Village’s president and CEO, was recently appointed by Governor Glenn Youngkin to serve on the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority. “I am pleased to appoint our newest board members to serve in their respective administration...
B’Tayavon is equivalent to French’s Bon Appetit. In Jewish News, B’Tayavon is where locals share favorite recipes. This issue features Philip Sifen’s favorites. Philip Sifen Does it annoy you when you look for a recipe online; and you have to scroll through a research...
A unique educational experience for the Jewish community took place last month at the Sandler Family Campus. Hosted by Tidewater Jewish Foundation, the event, Grants in Action: Meet & Greet with a Sofer, offered an opportunity to meet a Sofer, learn what they do,...
Isaac and Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik visited Tidewater for three days last month through the Milton “Mickey” Kramer Scholar-in-Residence Fund of the Congregation Beth El Foundation’s Tidewater Together Series. This in-person series was a follow-up to the variety...
The Simon Family JCC Seniors Club figured out how to beat-the-heat at its July meeting. Stifling summer heat? Not with this group! The Seniors Club enjoyed an indoor picnic of kosher hamburgers and hot dogs (with all the fixins’), friends, and karaoke. JCC’s Yolanda...
No one likes to say goodbye. Teachers like to keep students connected. Learners like to keep the material in focus. Jews want to keep the traditions alive. “Hadran Alach”—We shall return to you; the opening words of a special tefillah (prayer) recited upon completing...
David Proser, cantor at Kempsville Conservative Synagogue, Kehillat Bet Hamidrash, has recently been chosen to lead the Hampton Roads Board of Rabbis and Cantors as president. The organization’s mission, according to Proser, is to provide an opportunity for local...
Sharon Serbin recently joined Congregation Beth El as its new director of the Patricia Sarah Ashkenazi Religious School (PSARS). Serbin arrives in Tidewater from Pittsburgh, Pa., where she has worked in Jewish education for the past 30-plus years. An esteemed...
Previews began July 20 at the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles for the new play If I Forget, and a young actor with ties to Virginia Beach is playing the part of Joey. Jacob Zelonky, who has been in the Broadway tour of Billy Elliot, is one of three children of Barb...
(JTA)—Yair Lapid might only be Israel’s interim prime minister, but he appears to be determined to maximize the position in the four months he is guaranteed to occupy it. In a speech delivered Saturday, July 2, Lapid laid out a set of beliefs that he said bind...
WASHINGTON (JTA)—Pam Scheininger and J. David Bleich have this much in common: They are Orthodox Jews who are preoccupied with Jewish ethics and teach at New York City law schools. But when Scheininger looks at an American map, she sees 16 states where Orthodox Jewish...
(JTA)—Agudath Israel of America, the national Orthodox Jewish organization for which I work, welcomed the U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade. Predictably, we were immediately cast into an “enemy” or “ally” box, depending on who was doing the casting. The...
WASHINGTON (JTA)—The Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Seattle-area football coach who lost his job after leading prayers on the field following his team’s victories, in a decision that could have ramifications for Jews in public schools and the military. A number of...
(JTA)—Brad Schneider knows from Chicagoland July 4 parades. The Jewish Democratic congressman has been working them since 2011, when he started running for his first term in Illinois’ 10th district. He packs five parades in on the day, and he can rattle off the...
Edie Weiss has embraced a life of travel and learned volumes about archeology, food, fashion, and how people relate to one another as a global community. A retired self-employed CPA, she shares what she’s learned about seeing the world and soaking it all in. Jewish...
A casual movie-goer until his mid-30s, Rabbi Michael Panitz, PhD, found that the invention of the VHS allowed him to enjoy films at home—and he began to study them. At the same time, he realized that films on Jewish subjects would be very useful in his work as a rabbi...
The Bonk-Rivin Holocaust Collection at Ohef Sholom Temple is managed by David Titus, a former college professor and academic librarian, and it is here that all corners of the Holocaust are explored. Titus has been a librarian for more than 45 years. He tells Jewish...
Third Mondays, 1:30 pm, Sandler Family Campus Simon Family Jewish Community Center’s Book Club has been active since it began in February 2008. When I was senior adult program coordinator for Jewish Family Service and Jewish Community Center, I recognized the need and...