Setting goals and acquiring new skills are at the heart of kindergarten at Strelitz International Academy. This year, each student in Jamie Baker’s kindergarten class set a goal to accomplish with their classmates’ help. Goals included baking a Barbie cake, making and...
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Leah Steerman wins Southern Jewish essay contest
The Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience’s 2023 Middle School Essay contest’s first place winner is Leah Steerman of Virginia Beach. With the prompt, “If you were building a Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience, which 3 things would you put in it?” MSJE,...
Thelma Carroll: Education trailblazer in the Be A Reader (BeAR) Program
A trailblazer and an active Be A Reader (BeAR) mentor, Thelma Carroll has impacted many lives. In 1960, Carroll applied to and was accepted at Lincoln University, a historically black university in Pennsylvania. She majored in English and graduated in 1964 with...
Virginia Beach School Board reviews books in school libraries
The Virginia Beach School Board met on Tuesday, April 25, to discuss, among other topics on their agenda, potential changes to the library media centers in each of the division’s schools. Virginia Beach citizens of all backgrounds spoke at the meeting about their...
May is Jewish American Heritage Month
An annual recognition and celebration of the more than 350-year history of Jewish achievements and contributions to the fabric of American life and culture in the United States, Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) is held during the month of May. JAHM was first...
TJF seeks new donors for education tax credit program
Tidewater Jewish Foundation, an approved scholarship foundation under the Virginia Education Improvement Scholarship Tax Credit (EISTC) Program, is looking for new donors before its current fiscal/program year ends on June 30, 2023. BINA High School, Strelitz...
Don’t miss the Camp JCC experience
With summer right around the corner, Camp JCC is gearing up for another exciting season. Last year’s day camp program was so successful that this year’s spots are filling fast – good news for the camp and an incentive for parents to register children for a summer...
Judy Blume is having a moment. Here’s why Jewish women love her
Two films – one about her and one based on one of her most popular books – are screening now. . . before the summer heats up and more time is spent outside... away from theaters and televisions. (JTA) — As a young teenager growing up in Manhattan, Nina Kauder found it...
Thank you to the generous Israel Fest sponsors!
• Avraham and Karen Ashkenazi • Harbor Group International • ZIM Integrated Shipping Services • AIPAC • United Airlines • Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters • Dominion Energy • Worth Higgins & Associates • Jpixx • Hatcher & Frey Orthodontics • Jewish...
Ukrainian Humanity Center
In the summer of 2022, I took a Holocaust study trip to Poland, which I spoke about at Ohef Sholom and wrote about in the Jewish News. That article closed with the fact that I was working with some of my fellow travelers to “do something” for the Ukrainian mothers and...
AIPAC Political Student Leadership Summit: an enriching experience
Standing on the steps of the United States Capitol, I was filled with a sense of gratitude and awe as I thought about the generations of Jews who came before me. I imagined how they must have viewed the United States’ overwhelming support for Israel as an unattainable...
BeARS, books…and Coasties…OH MY!
Lieutenant Kelly Kuong and Chief Warrant Officer Melinda Skinner are part of a group of four United States Coast Guardsmen who serve as BeAR mentors at Chesterfield Academy Elementary School. From Jupiter, Fla., Kuong says of reading with her second grade BeAR...
Tidewater Chavurah feeds the homeless at JCOC
Volunteers with Tidewater Chavurah provided a mitzvah for the Judeo Christian Outreach Center’s (JCOC) guests with a warm and filling dinner of chili, salad, cornbread, oranges, and cookies. After months of diligent planning, it paid off as the congregation got...
Many reasons to give and lots of ways to see your donations at work
Make and pay your gift by December 31 to get your 2021 charitable tax deduction As the 2021 calendar year draws to a close, with Hanukkah behind us…and with a winter of “unknowns” fast approaching, now is the time to gather with friends and community members to...
Torah Live breathes new life into education
Gaming site creates game-changer for Jewish families and teachers In recent years, there’s been a noticeable downward spiral of students’ attention spans. In 2010, the trend was apparent when Rabbi Dan Roth walked into a classroom of American students in Israel who...
The Hurrah Players are back in action!
With 38 years of experience teaching the performing arts, The Hurrah Players, Virginia’s Leading Family Theatre Company, is thrilled to be back in-person with its students. From jazz to musical theater to camera acting, Hurrah Players students learn it all. Learning...
Brith Sholom: In-person again
Brith Sholom members have been patiently waiting for the time that they would be able to resume their monthly brunches in person. After all, it has been more than 20 months since they were able to be together and enjoy the camaraderie they looked forward to each...
New medical director for Freda H. Gordon Hospice and Palliative Care
The vision at Freda H. Gordon Hospice and Palliative Care is to reimagine what life with a serious illness can hold—providing patient-centered, holistic, and inclusive care to all eligible patients and their loved ones. As the organization soon enters its 10th year of...
A November “taste” of BBYO
November was a delicious month for Tidewater BBYO Teens. Despite the postponement of the annual Fall Fest due to rain, the cooler weather did not dampen the teens’ spirits with two fun food related events. On Sunday, November 14, 20 teens gathered for a Pizza Bake...
FIDF supporters welcome and hear from IDF Naval officers
Some 40 Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) supporters gathered last month at an event hosted by Betsy and Ed Karotkin and Rabbi Ron Koas to welcome and meet with visiting Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Naval officers from Ashdod Naval Base. The officers were...
Tidewater Chavurah celebrates Hanukkah
Tidewater Chavurah celebrated Hanukkah on the eighth night. While it was lovely seeing the fully lighted menorahs, the best part was getting together in person. The latkes were the stars of the show, but all of the food contributed to a great meal.
Immigration attorney sought to help the stranger
This past year, the Ohef Sholom Temple Immigration Committee and Commonwealth Catholic Charities conducted a community-wide needs assessment and discovered an almost shocking and complete absence of affordable legal services for poor immigrants in Tidewater....
This unique Hanukkah program celebrates a world of Jewish miracles
Ten years ago, Illya Buzunov never could have imagined that one day he’d be teaching Jews around the world how to prepare potato latkes. Until 2014, the Ukraine native didn’t even know he was Jewish. But that’s exactly what Buzunov, 24, will be doing on November...
TJF’s refreshed donor portal makes it easier to access and give online
Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s online donor portal recently received a visual upgrade. The update, which went live last month, aims to make the donor portal more accessible and straightforward for users. “We at TJF are committed to a positive donor experience. In...
Making Hampton Roads a more equitable community for all
What is racial equity? The phrase has been in the news, in communities, and in corporations with increasing attention of late. Simply put, racial equity means acknowledging that racism exists, working together to fix problems caused by discrimination, ensuring People...
The rabbi, spiritual care, and Beth Sholom Village
Beth Sholom Village is not a synagogue, but a skilled nursing and assisted living facility. At the same time, BSV is a Kosher facility and celebrates Jewish holidays and traditions, underscoring how it operates. Aside from Shabbat services, a Christian service and...
CARES Act provides $300 in charitable deductions for 2021
As December 31 approaches, tax filers should be aware of a provision in the CARES act passed last year for 2021. While many choose to file itemized deductions, those who utilize standard deductions on their federal taxes have a unique opportunity for additional...
What do the Strelitz International Academy and the Entrepreneurship and Business Academy at Kempsville High School have in common?
Strelitz International Academy is known for giving students a great foundation for life. SIA students graduate with the ability to apply to a range of excellent middle school and high school programs in the area, both public and private. Recently, a number of SIA...
Parenting (and playing) with sanity
A flurry of family-minded activity took place at the Simon Family JCC on Sunday, November 14. Parents and their children joined PJ Library in Tidewater for a special Sunday Fun Day that included a parenting workshop with Susan G. Groner, author of Parenting with...
Mitzvah Squad is busy at Temple Israel
November was a very big month for the Mitzvah Squad at Temple Israel in Norfolk. The congregation ended October by starting its Jewish Family Service Chanukah Gift Card Drive to benefit underprivilege children. Thanks to Temple Israel’s members, $3,737 in gift cards...
Havdalah with military families of Tidewater brings blessings, gratitude, and fun
Jewish Military Families of Tidewater joined PJ Library in Tidewater for a Havdalah ceremony in celebration of Veteran’s Day at the Simon Family JCC on Saturday, November 13. The Havdalah ceremony was led by Navy Rabbis Yoni Warren and Aaron Kleinman. The families...
Veterans Day activity at Toras Chaim
In honor of Veterans Day, the third and fourth grade class of Joanna Schranz at Toras Chaim School, under the leadership of Rabbi Yonah Lazar, held a special program to recognize the holiday. Craig Schranz a Commander in the United States Navy Reserve (and the...