Israel is now a leading player in space tech. “A private Israeli space venture recently propelled our nation into the club of four countries that have landed on the moon,” said Director General of the Israel Space Agency, Uri Oran, at a U.S.-Israel Space Tech event....
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It’s time to start thinking about end-of-year planning
Winding down from the whirlwind of family High Holiday celebrations and gearing up for Thanksgiving, I am reminded that our worldview is relative. For example, instead of focusing on the volatility in the market this past quarter, we should take the long view over...
After Israel’s election, these Jewish groups are reticent about speaking out about extremists
WASHINGTON (JTA)—Few of the American Jewish groups who would not speak out about the prospect of extremists in government before Israel’s elections have done so the day after, even though Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right provocateur, seems headed for a position of power....
Holiday shopping and Judaica needs met in four area gift shops
Smaller is sometimes better, especially in the case of something other than mainstream for this holiday season, as well as for everyday Judaica needs. Here are four shops in Tidewater where you can find interesting and one-of-a-kind items in a friendly and welcoming...
BeAR literacy program welcomes new and returning mentors for the 2022/2023 school year
The Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Be a Reader (BeAR) program held its Kickoff/Workshop for the 2022/2023 school year on October 24. It was the first meeting of the group since the COVID-19 pandemic began. It was a...
Calling for a “Do-Over!”
“Do-over, do-over!” Many remember hearing or exclaiming this as a child at recess when a game was not fair, not conclusive, or maybe not to someone’s liking. At times, the need for a “do-over” was obvious and agreed upon, while other times merely uttering the phrase...
Seeing the business side of vision: Gilbert Eyecare
Gilbert Eyecare has been operating for more than 50 years and calls itself “your Hampton Roads designer eyewear headquarters.” A family-run business with locations in Virginia Beach and Norfolk, each offer medical offices and a retail eyewear center under one roof....
Investment firm earns positive returns on apartments and storage facilities
Cohen Investment Group (CIG) is a privately owned commercial real estate investment firm specializing in multifamily apartments and self-storage properties. The firm’s strategy is to identify and acquire well-located real estate assets below replacement cost while...
The Hyatt in Virginia Beach: A new property and its cousin in Town Center
The former Belvedere Hotel motor lodge at the Virginia Beach oceanfront was replaced by the new Hyatt Place Oceanfront beginning two years ago, with the Hyatt opening its doors this past June. Within four days of opening, according to Matthew Krogsund, the hotel’s...
Statement by President Joe Biden on breakthrough diplomacy in the Middle East
October 11, 2022 Today, I am pleased to announce a historic breakthrough in the Middle East. After months of mediation by the United States, the Governments of Israel and Lebanon have agreed to formally end their maritime boundary dispute and establish a permanent...
Your district, your vote: Virginia Beach’s new election system
Changes were recently made to Virginia Beach’s election system. In this year’s election on November 8, voters will only be able to select a city Council and a School Board representative who represents the specific district where a given voter resides. The previous...
For this year’s Sukkot, peace and Jewish agricultural law had Morocco’s etrog industry blossoming
(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...
New Young Leadership Campaign Manager at UJFT
Matthew Kramer-Morning joined United Jewish Federation of Tidewater as Young Leadership Campaign manager this month. Originally from Northern Wisconsin, Matt Kramer-Morning has a diverse background in the professional Jewish world. Most recently, he served in a...
Hasidic Jews have rebbes. Secular Jews have RBG.
(JTA)—In the haredi Orthodox world, a gadol is a Torah sage of such outstanding scholarly achievement that their legal conclusions are widely accepted and their words are deemed worthy of close study and repetition. More than just a mere expert, a gadol’s very persona...
I co-officiated a wedding with Justice Ginsburg—and it exposed a tension in Orthodox life
(JTA)—There was an audible gasp as she entered the room. Flanked by bodyguards, with her white gloves prominent, Ruth Bader Ginsburg took a seat next to the bride and groom as cameras clicked rapidly. I had never co-officiated a marriage ceremony before, let alone...
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...