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Rabbi Ron Koas In the past month I was asked by my colleagues about our Shinshinim, and the secret of their success in our (Congregation Beth El) school, congregation, and community. I realize that not everyone is aware of this program, so please allow me to share a...
Myrna Amdursky The stars lined up correctly on Sunday, Oct. 22 for Tidewater’s 2nd Annual Daffodil Planting Day at the Jewish Museum and Cultural Center in Portsmouth. The sun was shining brightly, the temperature was comfortable, Bob and Jeanne Zentz played music,...
Carin Simon Beyond the games, the food, and the festivities, the Strelitz International Academy Fall Festival demonstrated the power of community with more than 750 people attending. Held on Sunday, Oct. 22 at the Sandler Family Campus, the event exceeded...
Mia Klein In a visit to Tidewater, Rabbi Diana Fersko, author of We Need to Talk About Antisemitism and the rabbi at the Village Temple in Manhattan, shared a message of hope amid the ongoing war against Hamas in Israel and rising antisemitism around the world. “I...
Philissa Cramer (JTA) — As Elizabeth Rand watched an unnerving number of incidents pile up at colleges where her son was considering applying, she felt she had to do something. The longtime administrator of a Facebook group for people interested in discussing the...
The Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater joined with more than 120 Jewish organizations earlier this month in signing a letter prepared by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. The letter reads: THE JEWISH COMMUNITY REJECTS...
Naomi Limor Sedek In these turbulent times, as we witness the horrific wave of violence and terrorism striking deep within Israel, our hearts and prayers are with our Israeli families, friends, and all those affected. The scenes of unrest shatter our hearts but...
This piece was originally published Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023 in the Jerusalem Post’s special edition for the visit of President Joe Biden to Israel. Yaron Ashkenazi On October 7, I was awakened to a nightmare. From my house in Toronto, Canada, I saw the atrocities...
On April 12, 1945, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe, accompanied by United States Generals George S. Patton and Omar Bradley, toured the Ohrdruf concentration camp, the first camp to be liberated by US forces after...
Stephanie Peck Avraham Ashkenazi has lived in the United States for almost half of his life, but there is no disputing that he’s an Israeli, first and foremost. Forty years in this country has not altered his thick accent, nor has it diminished his love for Israel....
Stephanie Peck Looking for an investment in residential real estate? Opinions vary as to whether or not this is a good time for a non-owner-occupied buyer to purchase a house or duplex to rent or flip. Mortgage rates are at a 20-year high, and inventory is low in...
Todd Holcomb Excitement and anticipation were percolating for months around the opening of Fiddler on the Roof at the historic—and newly renovated—Wells Theatre. Finally, after all the intricate planning, midnight rehearsals, and engaging lead-up events, the Tidewater...
Think about it: the world went through a pandemic, a lockdown, reintegration, new variants, social isolation, and financial uncertainty. Why wouldn’t anxiety be at an all-time high? “The level of stress has exploded,” says Debra Mayer, LCSW, CT director of clinical...
Staying on top of current research in pain management is very important to Dr. Lisa Barr, who has more than 30 years of experience as a board-certified physician treating patients in Tidewater with muscle, nerve, and joint problems related to sports injuries and...
Enthusiasts of the Jewish Art Education classes offered by the Konikoff Center for Learning at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and other members of the Simon Family JCC, joined Clay Barr for a private tour of The Guiding Hand: The Barr Foundation Collection...
Primary Years students at Strelitz International Academy had excitement in their eyes as they entered the room for the Shavuot Mitzvah Fair on Friday, June 3. Richard Glasser’s family dedicated the unique holiday celebration in his memory. His brother Michael,...
Aya Sever of Kefar Sava, located 15 miles north of Tel Aviv, and Alma Ben Chorin, of Hertzliya, will fly into Norfolk this August to live in Tidewater through summer 2023. Both 18, Sever and Chorin are two of the 200 Israeli high school graduates that are among...
LOS ANGELES (JTA)—For Jewish sports fans around the world, Sandy Koufax has for decades occupied an unmatched legendary status. Now, 57 years after the Hall of Fame pitcher sat out a World Series game to observe Yom Kippur, Koufax has officially been immortalized with...
On the day when the shooting happens, I finally unlock what some say is the most vital part of the American dream. My husband and I have a house in the suburbs now, big trees towering above —no picket fence, but a wide expanse of green and room for the pattering of...
(New York Jewish Week)—When Alan Rosen, the third-generation owner of Junior’s Restaurant, read the headlines back in April about a 12-year-old Brooklyn boy who was shot and killed while eating in the backseat of a car, the only thing he could think was, “enough...
(JTA)—In the early 1930s, Victor Perez was on top of the world. The Tunisian Jewish boxer, who fought under the ring name “Young Perez,” became the World Flyweight Champion in 1931 and 1932 after moving from Tunis to Paris. He became a bona fide celebrity, dating...
The Simon Family JCC’s Annual Catch and Release Fishing Derby at Lake Sandler took place Sunday, May 22. The Annual Fishing Derby is the only day of the year that Lake Sandler is open to the public for fishing—and word is out that it’s a great place to “reel ‘em in.”...
Mental health and wellbeing has received a larger spotlight over the past few years. With the COVID-19 pandemic, quarantines, lack of in-person contact, and day-to-day stress, it’s no surprise that everyone from Olympic athletes to college students have made mental...
If fun, community, food, entertainment, and friends that are all at least 55 years old are of interest, now is the time join the JCC Seniors Club. The Club’s May meeting hosted Frank Sings Frank with Frank Cubillo singing many of Frank Sinatra’s greatest hits. Patsi...
The virtual conference of the Jewish Book Council Network recently took place with lay leaders and staff of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater attending. The JBC Network, which includes roughly 120 member organizations across North America, provides an annual...
A new six-week class on Jewish art through United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Konikoff Center of Learning has received the support of an anonymous donor, making the classes free for all who attended. The classes were a part of the curriculum offered by Jewish Art...
BBYO celebrated the end of the school year at Harbor Park watching the Norfolk Tides on Sunday, May 15. BBYO members, prospects, and their families enjoyed lunch and plenty of cold soft drinks on a private patio during this warm afternoon. While not the final program,...
Debbie Burke, an award-winning author and editor, and the founder of Queen Esther Publishing LLC, joined Jewish News last month as a staff copywriter. Burke has edited hundreds of books and articles for authors around the world, as well as for many boutique and...
(JTA)—In the 1920s, the National Council of Jewish Women helped establish the first 10 birth control clinics in the United States, which later became Planned Parenthood clinics. Now, with the right to abortion under threat, the group is partnering with the National...
WASHINGTON (JTA)—Antisemitism is often not taken seriously until it becomes deadly, said Deborah Lipstadt, the Holocaust scholar whose nomination to be the State Department’s antisemitism monitor was delayed as she tangled with Republican senators who were peeved at...
(JTA)—The man charged with killing 10 people at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket Saturday, May 14, allegedly was motivated by a conspiracy theory that has spurred recent deadly attacks on Jews, among others. An online manifesto attributed to Payton Gendron, 18,...
Jewish Family Service of Tidewater hosted its 18th annual Run, Roll, or Stroll race day event on Sunday, May 1. After two years of postponing due to COVID, this year’s Run, Roll, or Stroll came back in a big way with a record turn-out, with more than 350 people...