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Erica Ausch celebrates her 90th with family and friends 

Erica Ausch celebrates her 90th with family and friends 

Family and friends gathered on a Saturday evening in January to celebrate an extraordinary milestone as Erica Reisner Ausch turned 90 years young. Her daughters – Jodie Woodward, Linda Ausch, and Bonnie Laibstain — brought together those who know her best and love her...

Hannah Yasemsky joins UJFT in newly formed position

Hannah Yasemsky joins UJFT in newly formed position

United Jewish Federation of Tidewater recently established the position of NextGen Engagement coordinator, a re-imagined role designed to strengthen connection and community among Jewish young adults in Tidewater. Hannah Yasemsky is the first person to assume the...

Learning and creating with Mizrach class and workshop 

Learning and creating with Mizrach class and workshop 

The recent Mizrach class and hands-on glass workshop offered by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Konikoff Center for Learning provided a journey from learning to creating.   The experience began with a class led by Rabbi Ari Oliszewski, who explored...

A heart-healthy President’s Day at Camp

A heart-healthy President’s Day at Camp

While school was out on Monday, Feb. 16, campers spent Presidents’ Day getting active and inspired at Camp JCC’s School Days Out program.   To celebrate American Heart Month, the day’s theme was all about heart health. Campers began the morning by...

Sandler Family Campus hires new facilities director

Sandler Family Campus hires new facilities director

Joseph Alex Frissora joined the Sandler Family Campus late last year as Facilities Director, working with Glenn Saucier until his retirement in December. Prior to joining the Sandler Family Campus, Frissora spent 14 years with the United States Coast Guard, where, in...

How Hamantaschen became a Purim staple

How Hamantaschen became a Purim staple

Today we think of hamantaschen, the triangle-shaped stuffed cookie, as the pastry of the Jewish holiday of Purim. But the original hamantaschen had no Jewish connection at all. According to Gil Marks in his landmark book, Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, the hamantaschen...

Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman turns 80

Celebrating his 80th birthday this month, Rabbi Israel Zoberman has packed a lot into his eight decades – including living on three continents. Tidewater has been his home since 1981.  Born on November 12, 1945, in Chu, Kazakhstan to Polish Holocaust survivors,...

Golden Lifestyle Partners celebrates 5th anniversary

Mikelle Rappaport, founder, owner, and executive director of Golden Lifestyle Partners, knows firsthand how difficult it can be to manage transitions for seniors. As a caregiver to her grandparents, and now to her mother with dementia, Rappaport understands that...

Nunez Fine Jewelers celebrates 20 years in business

Nunez Fine Jewelers, located at Hilltop in Virginia Beach, is celebrating a milestone anniversary this year. For 20 years, this family-owned business has offered personalized service, on-site repairs, and quality custom work.   Pete Nunez, the store’s...

A Bissel of Yiddish

A combination of High German and Hebrew, Yiddish is a language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews.  In Tidewater, the Yiddish Club embraces Yiddish culture, language, and history with music, film, poetry, and literature at its monthly meetings. For...

Planning with purpose: Estate Planning matters more than you think

October is National Estate Planning Month and marks Donor Advised Fund Day — an ideal time to begin planning   Estate planning is one of those tasks people tend to put off — until life reminds them why it matters. That’s why Scott Alperin, J.D., founder of Alperin Law...

Local firm has wide reach when purchasing investment properties 

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...

Filling the sukkah with kindness

This Sukkot, Jewish Family Service celebrated the holiday’s spirit of gratitude and community by launching its “Fill the Sukkah” Food Drive — an initiative that combined tradition with tzedakah.  Instead of decorating a traditional sukkah this year, JFS invited...

Mike Goldsmith, security expert, speaks with seniors

The online world can be confusing and scary for people of all ages. That is why on Wednesday, Sept. 17, Secure Community Network’s Regional Security Advisor for Tidewater, Mike Goldsmith, spoke with the JCC Senior’s Club about recognizing common scams. Protecting...

Biased reporting in the media

Editor: Ever since Oct.7, 2023 this country (and around the world) has seen a strong upsurge in antisemitism.  Much of this originates with right-wing white supremacists and the left Muslim pro-Palestinian sectors.  But a large contingent also comes from...

These Tidewater attorneys share a commitment to Jewish ethics

The three Jewish attorneys profiled on the following pages have several common characteristics. First of all, Steve Brown, Bill Nossen, and Neil Rose all hail from the northeast, landing in Tidewater for various reasons.  These men demonstrate their commitment to...

Rain didn’t stop the fun(gi): Celebrating food art with Bill Wurtzel

On a very rainy evening (some parts of Virginia Beach saw nearly a foot of rain on September 16), kids and grownups alike filled the Sandler Family Campus’ Fleischmann Lounge with joy as they played with their food with award-winning artist Bill Wurtzel.  After a...

Challah to cards: a community effort for Rosh Hashanah outreach

With the help of the community, Jewish Family Service delivered bags of joy and hope to Jewish seniors across the area residing in assisted living, care homes, long-term care facilities, and independent living communities.  Each Rosh Hashanah bag was filled with...

Blake Sisler joins UJFT staff 

United Jewish Federation of Tidewater recently announced the addition of Blake Sisler as the new coordinator of Youth and Family Engagement. Sisler will oversee PJ Library and Shalom Baby programs as well as support Jewish learning initiatives offered through the...

Stay Safe

The High Holiday season is a sacred time for worship, reflection, and joy. It begins on the evening of Monday, September 22. “Our synagogues will see significant numbers of congregants coming to connect with their faith and the larger Jewish community,” says Mike...

A Bissel of Yiddish | A bissel of Yiddish for Yom Kippur

A combination of High German and Hebrew, Yiddish is a language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews.  In Tidewater, the Yiddish Club is embracing Yiddish culture, language, and history with music, film, poetry, and literature at its monthly meetings. For...

Harry Graber guides JCC Seniors Club through Chrysler Museum

Even in retirement, Harry Graber, former executive vice president of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, continues to be an active and beloved presence in the community. His dedication has never wavered, and he remains committed to sharing his time, talents, and...

Safety Tips

In these trying times, advice from a security professional can go a long way to assuring personal and community safety in public, as well as, in private spaces. Here, Mike Goldsmith, SCN regional security advisor, offers a couple of easy-to-follow tips. Cybersecurity...