Other News

On a cold weekend in February, the Tidewater community found the opportunity for warmth and reflection with guest sermons, classes, and gallery talks with artist Isaac Brynjegard-Bialik and Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik. This married couple combined Judaism, comic...

Transitioning to college life as a first-year student can be challenging. For undergraduates entering the University of Virginia over the past two years, that transition has, at times, been overwhelming. In addition to figuring out what supplies to stock up on and how...

(JTA)—From the halls of the United States Capitol to the streets of Europe, politicians and activists protesting against vaccine requirements have increasingly invoked the Holocaust. Some are wearing yellow stars, while others are sharing Nazi-era medical documents...

A friend recently said, “you do a great job of showing all sides of an issue in the paper.” Naturally, I appreciated his unsolicited comment, as balance and nuance are extremely important, especially with a readership with diverse opinions on seemingly every issue....

(JTA)—She may not have meant to, but Whoopi Goldberg waded into a charged discourse that has polarized the Jewish community—and those who seek to discriminate against them—for centuries. The controversy began brewing on The View, the daytime talk show she co-hosts,...

(JTA)—A rural Tennessee school board’s decision last month to remove Maus, the celebrated graphic novel about the Holocaust, from its curriculum has attracted fierce backlash from other pockets of the state and beyond. A nearby comic-book store is pledging to give...

The JFit training circuit at the Simon Family JCC has a new addition. It’s simply referred to as “The Chair” for those who speak “Pilates talk.” While many may have seen or be familiar with The Reformer—another, larger device used in Pilates training—the new Split...

Hunter Thomas joined United Jewish Federation of Tidewater as the new director of Arts & Ideas on Tuesday, Feb. 1. Thomas’ career began at Youngstown’s Jewish Community Center as a junior camp counselor. He later worked in various departments before most recently...

Being in Israel for my year abroad was such an amazing opportunity. Attending a year in seminary gave me the chance to form long-lasting friendships with girls from all over the world, including Mexico, Panama, London, and Switzerland. I was able to broaden my...

NADIV, established in 2016, is United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Young Adult Division’s Men’s Giving Circle. While NADIV is rooted in networking opportunities (which still holds true today) it has evolved to a giving circle that is connecting its participants in...

On Tuesday, Jan. 25, Toras Chaim converted its auditorium into a job fair for the school’s Career Day. Several stations were set up with local business people and professionals volunteering to share the highlights of their professions and the importance of getting an...

Created in December 2005 as a Jewish engagement and literacy program for Jewish and interfaith families with young children, PJ Library sends free Jewish children’s books and music on a monthly basis directly to families’ homes. PJ Library is a program of the Harold...

Amie and Byron Harrell do not seem like typical legacy donors. With two young sons and retirement still several decades away, they nevertheless felt compelled to help ensure the future of Tidewater’s Jewish community with a LIFE & LEGACY gift. Deeply committed to...

I have always been proud of our community. It’s what brought me to Jewish Family Service of Tidewater in 2003 after working in hospital administration. I was involved in our Federation’s young leadership programs and served on the executive board of the Jewish...

When I first walked off the plane into the Ben- Gurion Airport, I stepped straight onto a large bus that took me to my home for, what I believed, was just the next four months. I first noticed that Israel was not just a large desert, but it was more of a wonderland...

JELF (Jewish Educational Loan Fund) has assisted the Jewish community since 1889 when the doors of the Hebrew Orphans’ Home first opened in Atlanta, Georgia. Since its inception, JELF has served the five-state region of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South...

Starting this year, the standard deduction has doubled, which will significantly reduce the number of taxpayers who itemize their deductions. If you are 70½ or older (or know someone who is), here is an easy way to help the Jewish community. Rather than simply take...

JERUSALEM (JTA)— Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg described how grateful she was for her Jewish heritage during a screening of a new documentary film about her life and career at the Jerusalem Cinematheque. “The demand for justice, peace and enlightenment...

NEW YORK (JTA)—Not an hour after Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement as associate justice on the Supreme Court, the National Council of Jewish Women tweeted its dismay. “Justice Kennedy’s retirement could drastically shift the balance of the Supreme Court, and...

During the week in which the LGBTQAI community celebrates its local presence, Rabbi Ellen Jaffe-Gill, spiritual leader of Tidewater Chavurah, represented the Jewish community at Hampton Roads Pride’s interfaith event on June 26 at New Life Metropolitan Community...

When Jewish Family Service of Tidewater’s nurse’s aide Tiphaney Powell speaks about her clients, she does so with a great deal of respect, love, and admiration. After all, when your clients are two 93-year-old women and a 96-year-old man, a lot of life lessons may be...

I recently returned from leading my 38th Birthright Israel trip. Virginia-based students on this trip were from William and Mary, Christopher Newport University, and Old Dominion University. Students always ask if the trip gets old for me. After all, we go to mostly...

She speaks with a slight, but distinct, accent whose origin I had long suspected, but, given her age and all that implied, been hesitant to ask. One night at dinner, though, I posed the simple question to 95-year-old Elsie Hirsch, “Where are you from?” She looked at...

On April 20, 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed May to be Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM). The announcement was the crowning achievement in an effort by the Jewish Museum of Florida and South Florida Jewish community leaders. Their dedication resulted in...