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The Simon Family JCC hosted its annual Catch and Release Fishing Derby on Sunday, May 5. Nearly 100 anglers of all ages tried their luck at the pond, which was stocked with bass, catfish, and bluegill. The largest catch of the day, according to Tom Edwards, athletics...
Who doesn’t love a good cheesecake?!? For a group of people who are between 75 and 90% lactose intolerant, we must have a lot of chutzpah because we clearly won’t be denied our love of all things dairy. When I moved to Israel, I was actually shocked...
Given our experience as retired American military leaders, we are very concerned about the security impacts of increasingly strained U.S.-Israel ties as Israel becomes a growing source of domestic division. We therefore feel compelled to declare that a strong Israel...
At the risk of sounding cliché – it seems like yesterday. I joined Jewish Family Service of Tidewater in September of 2003 as the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community was under construction. What an honor to attend my first Simcha...
Jewish News is gathering and presenting some basic facts to equip readers during this difficult time with the confidence needed to engage in conversation about Israel and antisemitism. GenocideThis word is being used by protestors on campuses to describe Israel’s...
One of the crown jewels of the Sandler Family Campus sports a blue shirt and an easy smile – on a daily basis. Cecilio Brathwaite, better known as “Jaime” (pronounced Hymie for a Jewish reference), has been employed by the Tidewater Jewish community for 42 years,...
Those of us who attend major civic events, Jews and some non-Jews alike, wait for it. When a minister delivers the invocation, it is often with some religious fervor and a beseeching to the Savior “in whose name we pray.” But at the Hampton Roads Chamber’s recent...
During the Virginia Beach School Board meeting (via a consent agenda) last month, a Resolution was adopted in support of Jewish American Heritage Month, which takes place each year in May. The Resolution was read by Shannon Kendrick School, a member of the School...
The idea of a central Tidewater Jewish community campus had to start somewhere. That place might be traced to Charlotte, N.C. when a then 39-year-old Art Sandler, who was serving as president of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, visited that community and saw...
Twenty years ago, Andrew Fink was instrumental in the land acquisition, construction, and completion of the Sandler Family Campus. His involvement with the Campus continues today as he serves on several committees and boards. Jewish News: You were instrumental in the...
The epitome of distinguished and versatile leaders, it was no surprise that Bobby Copeland and Bob Josephberg took on the roles of co-chairs of the Simcha Campaign. As co-chairs, all aspects of the Sandler Family Campus project – fundraising, design, construction,...
The Simon Family JCC is an invaluable resource for many people, especially for those who frequent the aquatic and fitness areas. Several longtime members explain their commitment to exercise and how joining the JCC has improved their physical and mental well-being.And...
The Swordfish winter youth swim team may have been small, but they accomplished big things. Lead by coaches Leia Sabatini and Kayleigh Carnazza, the Swordfish broke 14 team records this season. During their three swim meets, Sawyer White, 9 years old, set three new...
(JTA)—An event that took place at James Madison University on Thursday, Jan. 26 to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day was scheduled to feature lectures about the legacies of Auschwitz and the intersection between white supremacy and antisemitism. There was...
February 5–11 Atlanta, Ga.—A national non-profit public health initiative dedicated to preventing genetic diseases, JScreen’s fourth annual Jewish Genetic Screening Awareness Week is taking place Sunday, Feb. 5 to Saturday, Feb. 11. Initiated in 2020 with...
One of the first items of business when someone is new to a role is to reach out to colleagues in the field to better understand how things work and learn best practices. I was fortunate to have the beginning of my tenure as director of United Jewish Federation of...
The question looms for most everyone in the workforce: When will I know I’m financially prepared to retire? Jeffrey S. Chernitzer, CPA/PFS (Personal Financial Specialist), a wealth advisor with Buckingham Strategic Wealth, agreed to offer Jewish News readers some...
New chapters and challenges seem to have always been the norm for Sandee Lefcoe. During the early years of her marriage, for example, she worked at the University of Virginia Hospital in Recreational Therapy in the psychiatric unit. Then, with one of her best friends,...
After a national search, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s program department started 2023 with new directors for its Holocaust Commission and Jewish Community Relations Council. Both directors quickly immersed themselves in their roles with projects and events....
The new membership year for the JCC Seniors Club is off to a great start, due in part to its active year in 2022. There is so much going on with this mainly retired and very active group that it’s hard to know where to start or who to feature. Here are a few...
Virginia Beach—Clare Krell passed away peacefully on January 29, 2023. She lived the life of a loving wife, a wonderful mother, adoring Savta and was loved by many. Clare is preceded in death by her parents Jacob and Sylvia Eichenbaum, her devoted husband David H....
Every week on Shabbat, we pray for peace—for our loved ones, for our world, and especially our extended Jewish family in Ukraine. Beginning this month through April, we’re ensuring 700 to 800 Jews from various cities in Ukraine will share in the peace of a 12-day...
We have all been there. You are in a fine restaurant with a good looking date (in some cases your spouse), and the waiter or steward presents you with a wine list. It may be a small card. It may be the size of a book. What do you do? Many folks in this situation will...
Women of all ages spent an evening in November at B’nai Israel Congregation celebrating the Jewish tradition of preparing for Shabbat and the spiritual joys of making challah. A partnership between B’nai Israel and the Konikoff Center for Learning of the United Jewish...
Four engaging authors presenting on a variety of topics were featured in the first half of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Simon Family JCC’s Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival in November and December. Italian cookbook author Benedetta...
It wasn’t long ago that no one could have imagined needing armed guards to conduct Shabbat services. Accustomed to hearing about that kind of thing in Europe, it wasn’t thought possible here—not in the U.S.A. That thinking was wrong. For Temple Israel, the “it can’t...
Camp JCC wrapped up a successful Winter Break Camp with diverse days, fun, and plenty of good spirit. Activities included gym games, free swim, winter crafts, indoor gaga, Israeli culture with the community ShinShiniot, Alma Ben Chorin and Aya Sever, and a daily...
In Sunday School, it is typical to learn the highlights of the sacred memories of the Jewish people of the Biblical period. Then, it gets a bit fuzzy. After the Bible, what was there? Some rabbis, perhaps? It gets clear again with the modern era, the past quarter...
A 10-session intensive course on the Holocaust, The Holocaust as Reflected in Diaries and Memoirs, invited students to dig into the first-person accounts of living through the Holocaust. Diaries and memoirs served as a looking glass into these individuals’ daily...
In a hands-on workshop offered by the Konikoff Center for Learning of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, community members explored the meaning of their name through a mystical interpretation of the aleph bet. Josh Baum, illustrator of Malka’s Notebook: A...
The Simon Family JCC was filled to the brim with children and their families during the January Sunday Fun Day on Jan. 8. Some made winter-themed crafts, others played interactive inflatable sports games, and all enjoyed spending time with friends, new and old, from...
As investment stewards, Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s Investment Committee recognizes its fiduciary responsibility to oversee the investment of the community’s assets and continues to review TJF’s Investment Policy Statement (IPS) and evaluate its implementation....