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Time is running out! Take the Jewish Tidewater survey ASAP.

Time is running out! Take the Jewish Tidewater survey ASAP.

Survey closes February 29 In just about 15 minutes you can let Tidewater’s organized Jewish community know what you think works and what doesn’t and what you’d like to see more or less of. And, you can do it anonymously for absolutely no cost from the comfort of your...

Anti-Semitism: Why Today?

Excerpted from Rabbi Rosalin Mandelberg’s sermon at Ohef Sholom Temple on February 7, 2020. As if the fear of the coronavirus isn’t enough, the Anti-Defamation League reports that extremists are promoting conspiracy theories blaming (guess who?) the Jews. February...

Disability with dignity

In recognition of February as Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusivity Month, this is the second of a two-piece spotlight on the community’s awareness and actions on behalf of people with disabilities. For Tidewater’s Jewish agencies, congregations, and buildings,...

Retirement works for Lois and Barry Einhorn

Retirement works for Lois and Barry Einhorn

Spending two hours and 36 minutes interviewing community activists Lois and Barry Einhorn about ‘retirement’ at The Talbot on Granby isn’t just enlightening and educational, it is like watching two improv masters. Preparing for my first meeting with two equally...

And on the doorposts of your…house?

And on the doorposts of your…house?

After four decades in the Rabbinate, the majority of them spent as the spiritual leader of Conservative congregations in New Jersey and Virginia, Temple Israel’s Rabbi, Dr. Michael Panitz, estimates he’s helped affix mezuzot to the doorposts of literally hundreds of...

Concert for social justice brings communities together

Concert for social justice brings communities together

Ohef Sholom Temple saw the climax of its 175th year celebration on Sunday, January 19, with a concert featuring two of the qualities the congregation is most proud of—the vigor of its dedication to social justice through civic outreach, and the joy of music as a fount...

Avi Melamed offers perspective from the Middle East

The Middle East is a place where one plus one rarely equals two. Rather, it is a multifaceted and extraordinarily complicated region that has experienced escalated turbulence and dramatic change. To maneuver through this Middle East confusion, one almost needs a map....

It’s all new at Simon Family JCC Fitness Center

New is the word at the Simon Family JCC Fitness Center. “We’ve got new equipment, new weights, new paint, new flooring, new practically everything,” says Howard Roesen, chair Simon Family JCC fitness and wellness committee. Among the many improvements, the fitness...

CRC announces 5th annual Israel Poster Contest

The Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater invites local first through 12th graders to participate in its fifth annual Israel Poster Contest. A list of “cool facts” about Israel is available at www.JewishVA.org/...

Washington, DC book festival pays tribute to Elie Wiesel

As Tidewater’s Lee and Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival was gearing up, the Lessans Family Annual Book Festival at the Bender JCC of Greater Washington was winding down. For its closing program on Sunday, Nov. 13, Jennifer Smith, director of arts and culture...

100 anti-Semitic incidents reported in US post-election, watchdog finds

One hundred anti-Semitic incidents occurred in the 10 days following the presidential election, representing about 12 percent of hate incidents in the U.S. recorded by a civil rights watchdog. The report by the Southern Poverty Law Center looked at 867 hate incidents...

“Worst fears, best hopes” for the Trump presidency

(JTA)—The upset victory by Donald Trump in the 2016 elections stunned a Jewish activist and leadership class that is at times as divided as the electorate at large. JTA asked some of those leaders to describe their concerns and expectations in a series of brief...

Time to stand up

On Saturday, Nov. 19, the leader of the white nationalist think tank, the National Policy Institute, Richard Spencer, addressed his faithful at the Ronald Reagan building, blocks from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. His words did not veil their references...

Making miracles

Friends, As the year ends, we look back at events, visitors, and achievements— and yes, the challenges—the Tidewater Jewish community experienced in 2016. Our gratitude toward this community’s commitments, its accomplishments, its devotion and its dedication to...

TJF honors Veterans with Veterans Day ceremony

Approximately 60 people attended Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s 7th Annual Veterans Day ceremony on Friday, Nov. 11. Scott Kaplan, president and CEO of TJF, welcomed guests to the ceremony and Captain James Eilberg, SC, USN (Ret), officiated. Other local clergy who...

New Hanukkah Forever Stamp gets warm reception at dedication ceremony

Music, dance, and a few, brief history lessons were part of the buildup which led to the colorful unveiling of the United States Postal Service’s 2016 Hanukkah Forever Stamp on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk. An enlargement of the stamp...

End of year giving opportunities

This is the time of year we think about other people, friends and family. This year, I hope you will also think about your community and the many ways you can make a difference. Before 2016 comes to an end, consider these exciting programs and matching gift...

With the wildfires tamed, Israelis seek answers

JERUSALEM (JTA)—As the wildfires that raged across this country for nearly a week were subdued Sunday, Nov. 27, Israelis surveyed the devastation in search of answers. The fires, which continued to flare, consumed as many as 32,000 acres of forest and brush across the...

From Generation to Generation

Learning from one another, some area seniors and teens have found that they may have more in common than they first imagined. To enrich the lives of both teens and seniors by forming friendships, Ohef Sholom Temple applied for and received a two-year grant to fund a...