(JTA)—A bumper crop of etrogs took a more direct route to Israel this year, thanks to a historic confluence of geopolitics and religious observance. Once home to the largest Jewish community in the Arab world, Morocco has a long history producing the citrus fruit used...
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Tidewater Chavurah’s most recent mitzvah
Under the well-organized leadership of Adele Muller and Carol Smith, another Mitzvah was carried out and “is in the books.” A group of Tidewater Chavurah members prepared and fed a nutritious dinner at the Judeo Christian Outreach Center. They served baked rigatoni...
Rosh Hashanah with the ShinShinim
In Tidewater for a little more than a month, ShinShinim Aya Sever and Alma Ben Chorin are engaging community members of all ages. Since mid-September, the two Israelis have been busy celebrating and teaching about the Jewish holidays, adding an Israeli flair to...
Perspectives on basketball, the Holocaust, and what one author calls “Grace”
Dan Grunfeld: Wednesday, November 2, 7:30 pm By the Grace of the Game: The Holocaust, a Basketball Legacy, and an Unprecedented American Dream Dan Grunfeld Triumph Books 262 pages, 2021 The 2022-23 Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival kicks off this...
ESPN documentary focuses on Holocaust and Munich Olympics survivor Shaul Ladany
(JTA)—Frank Saraceno has worked for ESPN since 1994 and has produced hour-long documentaries on some of the biggest stars in sports for the cable channel’s Emmy Award-winning “E:60” series. But he thinks working on the episode that premiered September 20, might have...
Queen Elizabeth mattered. Civil religion explains why.
(JTA)—I am one of those people who gobble up films and television shows about the royal family almost as soon as they come out. And yet, watching The Crown, my thoughts would run like this: “This is great television,” I would say after nearly every episode. “But...
Area religious schools begin year with Israeli flair
Tidewater’s ShinShinim, Aya Sever and Alma Ben Chorin, are adding an Israeli touch to area religious schools this year. Sever will spend three weeks each month during the first semester with Ohef Sholom Temple while Ben Chorin is with Congregation Beth El. They will...
First Person: The impact of learner-centered Israel education
When I was a child in Jewish day school, we passed around the green, metal JNF box, sang Israeli songs, and watched videos about Israel’s beauty. Israel was our homeland, pure and simple. Since then, things have gotten much more complicated. Young Jewish adults do not...
What’s in the new Iran deal, and what’s holding it up?
(JTA)—Last month, the chances that the United States would rejoin the Iran nuclear deal seemed higher than they had been in years. CNN and Reuters reported that Iran had dropped multiple demands in the ongoing negotiations over a new accord that would update the...
Ken Burns’ PBS documentary The U.S. And The Holocaust asks hard questions about how Americans treated Jews and immigrants during wartime
Premier Sunday, September 18, 8 pm, WHRO (JTA) — One of the first people introduced in Ken Burns’ new documentary series about the Holocaust is Otto, a Jewish man seen in the series’ first episode who tries to secure passage to America for his family but gets stymied...
Programs department gets new coordinator
Mia Klein has joined United Jewish Federation of Tidewater as the new programs department coordinator. In her new role, she will work with the directors of Arts + Ideas, Jewish Innovation, and the Jewish Community Relations Council, chief programs officer, and, other...
ShinShinim find a warm welcome in Tidewater
Aya Sever and Alma Ben Chorin, Tidewater’s ShinShiniot, arrived in August and are getting to know the community. Shin Shin is an acronym in Hebrew that means Shnat Sherut—a year of service. Many Israeli teens choose to postpone their military service in the Israel...
Kerri Cohen joins UJFT/Simon Family JCC as development associate
Kerri Cohen recently joined United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and the Simon Family JCC as a development associate. Born and raised in Suffolk, Va. she has also lived in Texas, Mexico, and Massachusetts. Cohen holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership...
As Genesis Prize goes to a vote, its impact on Jewish causes grows
Doron Almog, a former head of the Israeli Defense Forces’ Southern Command, was one of the heroes of Israel’s 1976 hostage rescue operation in Entebbe, Uganda, and winner of the 2016 Israel Prize for lifetime achievement. But the thing he says he’s most proud of is...
On Rosh Hashanah call, Trump tells American Jews ‘We love your country’ and asks for their vote
WASHINGTON (JTA)—President Donald Trump spent much of his 20-minute call with American Jewish leaders making the case for more American Jews to vote for him. He closed by repeating a line that has raised their eyebrows before. “We really appreciate you,” Trump said as...
Saying goodbye.
Terminal agitation. That is the hospice verbiage for the loud moans my mom was making from the bed in Sonya’s Margate home. The mattress she occupied was the very one she had slept on for many married years with my father, now of blessed memory. Though she would die...
Ushering in 5781—Resilient Together
It is still hard to believe how much our world has changed in the last six months. How many times have we heard ‘unprecedented,’ and the ‘new normal?’ How many times have we heard the word ‘resilience?’ I happen to believe that ‘resilience’ perfectly describes our...
High Holiday Services in Jewish Tidewater 5781
Shalom Tidewater Beth Sholom Village www.bethsholomvillage.com 757-420-2512 In-person services for Beth Sholom Village residents only. Residents will be appropriately socially distanced apart, with two services per day to accommodate all residents in a safe manner....
Elie Wiesel Competition 2020
The arrival of the novel coronavirus brought many unexpected changes. One area that was not changed, however, was the amount of and timing of the entries for United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Holocaust Commission’s Elie Wiesel Competition. The deadline was just...
A world of change in JAFI’s Project Ten program
What if United Jewish Federation of Tidewater could fund one Jewish agency that developed one sustainable-development volunteer program for hundreds of young Jews to perform Tikkun Olam in a dozen countries around the world? It can and it does. Jewish Agency for...
Area congregations dig deep in search of safe and spiritually sound High Holiday services
From Reform to ultra-Orthodox and everything in between, Tidewater congregations in pursuit of prayer, have advanced more technologically in the last few months than in 30 years. Prior to 2020, rabbis and temple executives had no reason to believe they would become...
Shalom Baby! Shalom Tidewater!
Shalom Ya’ll! Two programs at United Jewish Federation of Tidewater are designed to say ‘welcome’ with a ‘Jewish Southern-hospitality flair. Shalom Baby is a project that welcomes babies to the Jewish community and Shalom Tidewater welcomes Jewish people moving to the...
The Neighborhood Harvest delivers on its promise to deliver and disrupt
Don’t call John Stein a disruptor. Those who know him best describe Stein as a gentle soul who avoids self-promotion and harsh words. The Baker’s Crust and Neighborhood Harvest CEO they see is always ready to rally behind an innovative food product or service that...
LEGAL PROFILE: Leonard (“Lenny”) J. Weinstein
Firm: Clayton, McKay & Bailey, PC Specialty: Intellectual Property–Patent and Trademark Prosecution and Litigation Education: 2002 BS Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology 2012 JD, George Washington University Law School Family: Wife, Luisa...
LEGAL PROFILE: Valerie Brodsky White
Firm: Retired from private law practice; “In-House Counsel” for Matval Enterprises, LLC, our real estate investment business that I set up with my husband, Matthew. Specialty: Practiced Immigration Law for 17 years; then worked part-time in Real Estate Law in our...
LEGAL PROFILE: Igor A. Vaserfirer
Firm: Stokes Law Group, PLC–a business and real estate boutique Specialty: Corporate/Commercial Real Estate Leasing and Development Education: William & Mary/Villanova University School of Law Family: Herbert, my Yorkie Jewish Organizations: YAD Cabinet, Nadiv...
How and where the Democrats and Republicans are trying to woo Jewish swing voters
WASHINGTON (JTA)—One thing we know about elections is that Jewish voters can make a difference. Take Florida: The Sunshine State’s Jewish voters helped deliver its critical electoral votes to Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. Problematic ballots in heavily Jewish Broward...
Hot dogs are the greatest American Jewish food. Here’s why.
American Jewish food is most typically defined as pastrami sandwiches, chocolate babka or bagels and lox. But I am here to argue that the greatest American Jewish food may actually be the humble hot dog. No dish better embodies the totality of the American Jewish...
With a nod to Carl Reiner, My Favorite Year recalls the infancy of TV sketch comedy
Social distancing and staying inside is hard. Thankfully, accessing good things to watch during this time is not. This is another installation of a column on Jewish movies and TV shows to stream in quarantine. My Favorite Year Available for rent: Amazon Prime, Apple...
Community Relations Council
Recent weeks have been extremely difficult for our country. The Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater is appalled and angered by the death of George Floyd at the hands of officers in the Minneapolis Police Department. Our...
The Joy of the J – You can’t keep a good senior down
When the Simon Family JCC opened on Monday, June 8, seniors bounced back in real numbers. Even with the necessary implemented regulations and other logistics, “overjoyed” was the overall response. In particular, Silver Sneaker students say they are thrilled to be...
Mystery Wine Night a huge hit for YAD during quarantine
A Zoom chat room of Young Adult Division (YAD) members was filled with clinking glasses, generous pours, and lots of laughter on Thursday, May 21. That’s because YAD hosted its first-ever, Mystery Wine Night. YADians conducted blind taste tests of four wines and...