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...
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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...
Psagot Cabernet Sauvignon: It’s not just for Passover
Why on this night do we drink not one, but four cups of wine? I don’t know, but I like it! And I have found the perfect Passover wine. I just don’t know if I can limit myself to four cups. The Psagot Cabernet Sauvignon Single Vineyard 2013 has an ideal balance of...
Kosher food in Ghent
Rabbi Sholom Mostofsky of the Vaad HaKashrus of Tidewater has been in touch with the corporate offices of Harris Teeter, which recently acquired Farm Fresh on 21st Street in Ghent. The Farm Fresh store has been one of the main sources of kosher food in Norfolk. Harris...
The Shenkman Jewish Center at William & Mary: A Jewish center after 325 Years
For more than 300 years, Jewish students at the College of William & Mary have had to dream about having a Jewish home on campus. Jewish students have had to fight to book rooms for Shabbos and holidays. Kosher food was virtually impossible to get and having to...
Visiting Israeli chef and DJ will bring authentic food and music to community Israel Fest
Judaism Through the Arts Thursday, April 19, Congregation Beth El Israel Fest Sunday, April 22, Simon Family JCC Screenwriting professor by day, Tel Aviv DJ by night, Eyal Rob is a Tel Aviv guy, a native of that highly cosmopolitan metropolis of 440,000 people (the...
2018 Holocaust Commemoration to feature new exhibit, author
Wednesday, April 11, 6:45 pm Congregation Beth El The Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s annual Holocaust Day of Remembrance, Yom Hashoah, will take place this year at Congregation Beth El. The free event includes a guest speaker, a...
New York Times best selling author, Julie Lythcott-Haims inspires at first Tidewater Learning Connection
Stress and anxiety. It’s everywhere. Parents see it in their kids. Kids see it in their parents. From before they are even born, parents worry about their kids walking, talking, reading, taking the right classes, getting into the right classes…it never ends. “Not only...
Camp
2018 Summer Camp, March 26, 2018
Ohef Sholom Temple recognizes and thanks Soup Kitchen community partner
For more than eight years, Ohef Sholom Temple has opened its doors on the last Monday of every month for its Soup Kitchen, regularly serving approximately 75 guests. Dorianne Villani and her cadre of congregant and community volunteers prepare and serve a hot,...
Choosing to lead at AIPAC Policy Conference 2018
Earlier this month I attended my sixth American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference. Once again, the conference exceeded my expectations, bringing community and student activists from all 50 states together to learn about and advocate for issues...
Big prizes, big fun at Beth El’s annual Ben Gordon Family Bingo Night
Four players went home Saturday night, Feb. 10, with large, smart TVs, including Cantor Elihu Flax, who beamed over his 55-inch television that marked the midpoint game of Congregation Beth El’s 19th annual Ben Gordon Family Bingo Night. But the TV winners and many...
Manicures and Mitzvahs highlights Dress for Success
Beth El Sisterhood hosted Manicures and Mitzvahs at Changes Salon Thursday, Feb. 8 in support of Dress for Success. Twenty women enjoyed pampering, socializing, and a delicious food spread. Francesca Litow says it was a “Wonderful opportunity to pamper ourselves,...
Teens bond with seniors in Better Together Program
Though Leia Morrissey is in eighth grade, she knows she can make friends with anyone at any age. It’s a skill she picked up by participating in Better Together, a program that brings teens from area synagogues together with seniors at Beth Sholom Village. Now in its...
Gefilte fish and the bathtub
One of my favorite memories of Passover is hearing my grandfather tell stories about how his mother used to make the gefilte fish. I assumed like all families that they just went to the store and bought theirs. He explained to me that on the morning of Passover my...
Making it fun and meaningful for the younger generation
Every year I am reminded of the enthusiastic and spirited seders we had in South Africa with our extended family. Most of these family members are now dispersed around the world. We have five grandsons for whom I create fun and meaningful seders. This includes...
Our burnt Haggadah, gefilte fish that attracted neighbors, and puppets
My family has incorporated different Haggadot versions over the years, but we are always sure to use my Grandpa Jack’s original Haggadah, which has a burnt cover from when he nodded off during the seder and accidentally singed the book edges in the table candles. I...
Passover
March 5, 2018
A Great Passover Memory
Only one?? Impossible! I have so many great Passover memories because it has always been my favorite holiday, starting as a child sitting around my Aunt Florence’s dining room table in Baltimore with all the aunts, uncles, and cousins on my father’s side. I can’t...
Kibbutz seders were fun!
Every year for Passover, my family would drive 90 minutes to attend a seder at my aunt and uncle’s kibbutz. They lived on Kibbutz Beth Alpha, near Jordan, and we lived in Haifa. Hundreds of people attended, filling many long tables. The kibbutz created their own...
Grants available for first time campers to Jewish overnight camps
Elijah Arnowitz is a seventh grader who is already dreaming about camp this summer, which will be his fifth, at Camp Ramah New England. “It’s torturous to think about it because I miss it so much!” Elijah says. What does he like about camp? “Bunk activities, Shabbat...
Jewish camp in Hungary is first introduction to Judaism for some campers
Every summer, 1,500 Jewish campers from more than 20 countries attend Camp Szarvas in Hungary. Funded in part by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), the camp’s mission is to create an opportunity for young Jews from around the world to meet,...