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In what may be the “sweetest” gala ever presented in its 31-year run, the 2024 Virginia Festival of Jewish Film celebrated the life and work of the late actor Gene Wilder during its “Wonka-themed” Saturday Night Celebration on Feb. 24. Remembering Gene Wilder was...
Dear Editor,As the mother-in-law of a Romanian, Elena, I am very appreciative of the Sandlers’ work in Romania.I’m a member of Ohef Sholom Temple and a relative newcomer to Hampton Roads (2011). We moved here after retiring to help care for our grand babies while...
The inaugural session of the Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Community Book Club took place on Sunday, Feb. 25 at Congregation Beth El. Participants included congregants of area synagogues as well as those without affiliation. As part of the series, sponsored by the Simon Family...
America is experiencing a strong uptick in antisemitism, especially on our college campuses. Jewish students feel unsafe and numerous attacks have been registered. University presidents have struggled to admit that advocating for the genocide of Jews is against school...
Registration for Camp JCC Summer 2024 is off to a very promising start – after all, it is “the place to be” this summer. In fact, enrollment is significantly higher compared to this point last year, with many of the families who have registered new to camp. Based on...
During the final days of staff training, camp directors across the country ask their teams to close their eyes and think about who their favorite camp counselors were and what was it about that person that made them special. What were their qualities? What interests...
Susan Byrne of Catering Concepts recently happened upon a bag of yamakas (kippot) – all from events where she had been the caterer. “It was fun to find them and have all of the memories come flooding back,” says Byrne. “Seeing those yamakas reminded me of viewing...
“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” – Albert Einstein We all want to feel that we truly make a difference. Participating in the Be A Reader (BeAR) Literacy Project of the United Jewish Federation Tidewater is an easy and rewarding way to accomplish...
“Strong legs, long life.” This is the mantra voiced by Tom Purcell during the LifeFit class he leads on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at the Simon Family JCC. It is just one among many positive thoughts Purcell shares during every class – all promoting fitness and...
Those who weren’t in Casablanca on Saturday, Feb. 3 missed out. Temple Emanuel’s Casablanca-themed Casino Night was the place to be and the numerous Ingrids and Humphreys in attendance can attest to that. It was an energetic, delicious, fun night on the town. Leslie...
A strengthening Jewish presence is emerging at Old Dominion University – one that is quickly confirmed by all the activity on Old Dominion University’s Hillel’s accounts on Instagram and Facebook. ODU’s vibrant Jewish community is promoting a greater understanding and...
Old Dominion University’s basketball game on Thursday, Feb. 22 featured the Simon Family JCC Youth Basketball League during halftime. The popular JCC basketball youth league, now more than 60 years old, played on the ODU home court to an entertained crowd that cheered...
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...