Other News

During this sacred season, let us reflect on the impact we want to make on the world and how we can align our philanthropic goals with our values. Naomi Sedek As the High Holidays approach, we find ourselves standing at the threshold of a new year, an opportunity for...

The recipient of the 2023 Feldman Family Medical & Health Professions Student Scholarship is Nophar Tzilil Yarden, a third-year medical school student at Virginia Commonwealth University. The scholarship is administered through Tidewater Jewish Foundation. Raised...

All area congregations offer High Holiday services. For exact times, ticket requirements, and virtual options, it is best to contact them in advance. CONGREGATIONS B’NAI ISRAEL CONGREGATION 420 Spotswood Ave., Norfolk, VA 23517 757-627-7358 bnaiisrael.org,...

Stephanie Peck This year celebrates the sixth, worldwide Reverse Tashlich, an effort to tackle the global pollution problem by cleaning up our waterways. Tashlich comes from the Hebrew word, meaning “to cast.” Each Rosh Hashanah, Jews cast away their sins during the...

Stephanie Peck Among its many activities, Jewish Family Service attempts to make all the major Jewish holidays better for those who might need a bit of a boost or metaphorical hug. Prior to Rosh Hashanah, for example, Jewish Family Service will deliver holiday gift...

Following four years of service to Orlando’s Jewish community, Rabbi Meir and Adina Lessoff have brought their passion and commitment to Virginia Beach. Their mission: to reach Jews in search of a deeper connection to their heritage. Arriving as newcomers to Virginia...

Financial aid applications for 2023-24 school year re-open. Deadline: September 30, 2023 With more than 45 million Americans in some form of outstanding interest-bearing student loan debt, 0% interest loans can help save borrowers thousands of dollars in high...

Nofar Trem A blazing sun over the Metzger Outdoor Aquatic Center at the Simon Family Jewish Community Center helped make certain temperatures were up – in a good way – for Sunday Fun Day in August. The afternoon was a heartwarming convergence of community members,...

On Wednesday, June 19, I had the honor of joining leadership from our Jewish community, as well as leadership from Jewish communities and organizations around the country to hear Israeli President Isaac Herzog address a joint session of the United States Congress. I...

In response to the Knesset’s vote earlier today (July 24, 2023) on the Reasonableness Law, Jewish Federations of North America issued the following statement: “The Jewish Federations of North America are deeply pained over the growing polarization we have witnessed in...

A friend recently said, “you do a great job of showing all sides of an issue in the paper.” Naturally, I appreciated his unsolicited comment, as balance and nuance are extremely important, especially with a readership with diverse opinions on seemingly every issue....

(JTA)—She may not have meant to, but Whoopi Goldberg waded into a charged discourse that has polarized the Jewish community—and those who seek to discriminate against them—for centuries. The controversy began brewing on The View, the daytime talk show she co-hosts,...

(JTA)—A rural Tennessee school board’s decision last month to remove Maus, the celebrated graphic novel about the Holocaust, from its curriculum has attracted fierce backlash from other pockets of the state and beyond. A nearby comic-book store is pledging to give...

The JFit training circuit at the Simon Family JCC has a new addition. It’s simply referred to as “The Chair” for those who speak “Pilates talk.” While many may have seen or be familiar with The Reformer—another, larger device used in Pilates training—the new Split...

Hunter Thomas joined United Jewish Federation of Tidewater as the new director of Arts & Ideas on Tuesday, Feb. 1. Thomas’ career began at Youngstown’s Jewish Community Center as a junior camp counselor. He later worked in various departments before most recently...

Being in Israel for my year abroad was such an amazing opportunity. Attending a year in seminary gave me the chance to form long-lasting friendships with girls from all over the world, including Mexico, Panama, London, and Switzerland. I was able to broaden my...

NADIV, established in 2016, is United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Young Adult Division’s Men’s Giving Circle. While NADIV is rooted in networking opportunities (which still holds true today) it has evolved to a giving circle that is connecting its participants in...

On Tuesday, Jan. 25, Toras Chaim converted its auditorium into a job fair for the school’s Career Day. Several stations were set up with local business people and professionals volunteering to share the highlights of their professions and the importance of getting an...

In celebration of trees, PJ Library in Tidewater visited Norfolk Botanical Garden for a guided tour on January 9. Families learned about the trees, plants, and flowers that are native to Tidewater and enjoyed a read-aloud of the book, Trees Make Perfect Pets by Paul...

BBYO has maintained an active presence for its members, overcoming many obstacles this winter. The cold, the snow, and the impacts of the Omicron COVID-19 variant were among the challenges the teens faced. The Winter Regional Convention in Durham was cancelled...

To better protect the members of the Jewish community who worship and attend area synagogues, day schools, and other Jewish agencies in Tidewater, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater with support from a Tidewater Jewish Foundation community impact grant, joined with...

(JTA)—All four hostages at a synagogue in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas area were declared “out alive and safe” by Texas Governor Greg Abbott at 9:33 pm CST on Saturday, January 15, following a 12-hour standoff with an armed assailant in an unfolding saga that...

On January 14, 2022, the UJFT Community campaign stood at $4,595,000 from 1,000 individual gifts. This total is about $88,000 ahead of where the campaign stood on the same day last year. And even better: there are a good number of potential gifts still “out there” in...

The word kosher is associated with dietary provisions one chooses to follow in support of deeply held religious beliefs. The role of the VAAD (Hampton Roads’ kosher supervisory resource) is instinctively tethered to Jews’ freedom to enjoy kosher meals in restaurants,...

Now in its 29th year, Jewish Family Service of Tidewater’s Annual Hanukkah outreach programs helped local Jewish families in financial need. Because of safety concerns with COVID-19, families received assorted gift cards for each child, along with a small bag filled...

Leaders at Kehillat Bet Hamidrash/Kempsville Conservative Synagogue worked on 2020 High Holiday plans for more than two months to create a safe and meaningful holiday experience for their congregants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, on September 18, just as Rosh...

Tender at the Bone is the title of a memoir by Jewish food icon Ruth Reichl. It doubles as a culinary storyteller’s nod to the alchemy of ingredients that make the Soup Love, an Amy Markman original. Fueled by a foodie father, and a healer’s heart, Markman re-imagined...

Nearly 30 Jewish teens came together for an afternoon at the movies on Sunday, December 12. The teens, ranging from sixth through 12th graders, represented OSTY, BBYO, and many area synagogues. Everyone enjoyed popcorn, refills of soft drinks, making new friends,...

For Temple Israel, in many ways, 2021 went out with a bang. From collecting more than $3,880 in gift cards for needy children in the community to collecting school supplies for children at Granby Elementary School, which netted more than $8,500, a summer Jewish Family...