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...
Other News
Archives
Association of Holocaust Organizations’ winter conference offers insights and opportunities
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...
Preparing for retirement: Investing in your personal future
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...
Never too old for this puzzler: Sandra Lefcoe
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,...
Jewish Community Relations Council and Holocaust Commission have new directors
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....
JCC Seniors— Great people, great programs, great space
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...
Clare Krell
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....
In Hungary, JDC provides warm respite for Jews from Ukraine
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...
A Bluffer’s guide to the wine list
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...
Tidewater’s seventh annual Great Big Challah Bake serves up lessons and fun
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...
Jewish Book Festival wraps up First Half of Season
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...
Temple Israel honors police officers at Law Enforcement Appreciation Shabbat
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...
Ben & Jerry’s stopped using social media after violence erupted in Israel. Why?
(JTA)–Pro-Palestinian activists were swarming the social media comments sections of Ben & Jerry’s to demand the company boycott Israel. In response, Ben & Jerry’s appears to have indeed entered a boycott—of social media itself. The international ice cream...
The Pew study cheat sheet: 10 key conclusions from the new survey of American Jews
Ben Sales (JTA)—Meet America’s Jews: They’re older, more educated, richer, and less religious, on average, than the rest of the country. They’re overwhelmingly white, though Jews under 30 are more diverse. Most of them care about Israel, though one in 10 support the...
Adult programming at the Simon Family JCC to return in-person
For more than a decade, the JCC Book Club has met, and in that time, has read more than 150 books. There’s no surprise, then, that this group did not let the pandemic slow them down. Not only did the group continue to read and meet over Zoom, but the JCC Book Club...
How an IRA Charitable Rollover gift can reduce taxes
For those who are 70½ or older who have an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and want to make a lasting impact on Tidewater’s Jewish community, an IRA Charitable Rollover with the Tidewater Jewish Foundation might be worth considering. By tapping into this asset,...
Bourbon, cigars, and conversation for Nadiv Men’s Giving Circle at the Cavalier
Nadiv Men’s Giving Circle met for the first time in more than a year at the Cavalier Golf and Yacht Club for an evening of cigars, bourbon, and community. The men discussed plans for the group for the upcoming year and celebrated being able to gather in-person. Nadiv...
Temple Israel’s Men’s Club earns international recognition
Temple Israel Men’s Club won the Gold Torch Award on Wednesday, June 9, during the weeklong Virtual International Men’s Club Convention held in Chicago. The Torch Awards are given in alternate years during the convention. After three days of preparation, the award was...
Shmoozing on the beach with YAD
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Young Adult Division, also known as YAD, gathered on the evening of Wednesday, June 16 at the home of Stephanie Calliott and Don London for a Seashore Shmooze event. As pandemic restrictions ease, YAD has a full calendar of...
Biden administration supports replenishing Iron Dome after Gaza conflict
WASHINGTON (JTA)—A Biden administration official said the U.S. government supports restocking Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system after it was depleted by last month’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza. Dozens of House members from both parties have said they would push...
Elie Wiesel’s son: Jews always speak up for everyone else. Now’s the time to stand up for ourselves
(New York Jewish Week via JTA)—In the 1960s, the Communist Party cut the Russian Jews off from the Jewish people. They prohibited them from wearing tefillin, or celebrating b’nai mitzvah, or expressing support for the State of Israel. They intimidated and imprisoned...
TJF Community Impact Grant helps Beth Sholom Village telehealth initiative
Tidewater Jewish Foundation awarded a $25,000 Community Impact Grant to Beth Sholom Village for their new comprehensive telehealth initiative in March. “We are very excited to introduce this technology program to our residents, families, and staff,” says Amy...
BINA bakes for Film Festival
BINA High School collaborated with United Jewish Federation of Tidewater at a recent Virginia Festival of Jewish Film program. The movie’s theme inspired the organizers to want to offer pastries for sale at the event. They contacted BINA High School, and the board...
Gifting stock…what you need to know
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s donors paying their campaign pledge balances—or making a donation with appreciated stock (an excellent tax savings way to pay)—should contact Patty Malone, UJFT Campaign administrative assistant, at pmalone@ujft.org or...
JCRC responds
Among the five core issues for United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Jewish Community Relations Council, the first listed on its website is: Combating antisemitism, bigotry, and racism. In response to the increase in antisemitic incidents, in addition to the JCRC’s...
It’s always a good time to say thank you
It is important to thank members of Congress who have spoken in support of Israel’s right to self-defense and condemned Hamas rocket attacks. This is an opportunity to let Congressional leaders know that their support for Israel matters and is appreciated. Several...
Anti-Semitic acts in US soared 80% in a month, Jewish security group reports
(JTA)—The organization that advises U.S. Jewish communities on security matters says it recorded an 80% spike in anti-Semitic acts in the last month amid Israel’s 11-day war with Hamas. One of the causes, according to the Secure Community Network, was disinformation...
Reaching out to the homeless
The pandemic has presented unfathomable difficulties for Norfolk’s homeless population. With every bed in local shelters full, street homeless-ness has roughly doubled, according to Sarah Paige Fuller, director of Norfolk’s Community Services Board. This thought hit...
Why I signed the Jewish Future Pledge: Danny Rubin
My son, Niv, knows the layout of the Simon Family JCC like the back of his hand. He’s only five, but can already point out the best kickballs on the white-top behind the building, the dogleg on the 6th hole of the mini-golf course, and how to reach max speed on the...
A fond farewell to Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s Kaitlyn Oelsner
After two years of serving the Tidewater Jewish community, Kaitlyn Oelsner, Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s director of Philanthropy, is leaving the organization. “I’ve decided to put a pause on my professional career to fully focus on being a mom,” says Oelsner, who is...
Women’s Cabinet Spring event offers unexpected inspiration
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Women’s Cabinet held its first ever virtual Spring Lunch and Installation on May 13. Mona Flax, Cabinet chair, having completed a two-year term in office, made the unusual announcement that she would not be stepping down as...
Bringing To Life back to life
The Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater is in the process of updating To Life: Stories of Courage and Survival, a collection of 67 personal stories published in 2002. With most of the individuals in the book now deceased, the Commission...