LOS ANGELES (JTA)—It’s a story that would not sound too out of place in 2019: New York’s leading newspaper accuses the president of the United States of corruption and the latter sues the paper’s publisher for libel. Striking back, the publisher declares in an...
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The Robert Kraft prostitute scandal is another PR headache for the ‘Jewish Nobel’ prize
(JTA)—With the announcement in January that it had picked Robert Kraft as its 2019 laureate, the Genesis Prize seemed poised for a calmer year. Last year the foundation that awards the “Jewish Nobel,” as it’s called, picked actress and director Natalie Portman as an...
Time to Write
I formally retired from my Cardiology group after 45 years of practice in July 2018. Fortunate to be able to ease into retirement by ending night and weekend call after 35 years (which is obviously quite demanding and stressful), for the last several years, my...
‘Golden Years’ filled with family, travel, and…work
I’m glad to have this opportunity to reflect on my “golden years.” My long-suffering wife of 45 years, Carol, and I are worriers. So, prior to retiring, we spent lots of time worrying about having adequate health care and income so that once we retired we would, for...
What Retirement?
“What will I do?” After more than 40 years as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist/ Laboratory manager, I decided to retire. It was a wonderful career of hospital lab work and work in a private practice with the Group for Internal Medicine, where I had the privilege of...
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, interfaith activist who raised millions in Christian donations for Israel, dies at 67
To the many colleagues and supporters of Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, who died Wednesday, Feb. 6 at the age of 67, he was a man of vision whose enormous drive to succeed both facilitated and complicated his relentless efforts on behalf of the Jewish people. As head of...
A national Jewish group says community relations are in crisis
WASHINGTON (JTA)—An increase in anti-Semitism, an intensification of anti-Israel activity and decades of neglect have created a crisis in the Jewish community relations field, according to the umbrella group for Jewish public policy organizations, the Jewish Council...
Right-wing killings eclipsed all other extremist-related murders in 2018. The numbers don’t lie.
NEW YORK (JTA)—Every year, extremism takes a deadly toll around the world. No region is immune—not the Middle East, not Europe, and not the United States. In 2018, there were at least 50 Americans killed by extremists from different movements. Many of the victims were...
Amos Oz, iconic Israeli novelist and peace activist
Amos Oz, one of Israel’s most widely read and best-known writers, died December 28, 2018. He was 79. The cause was cancer, the Israeli media reported. Barely older than the country he chronicled in dozens of novels, essays and nonfiction books, Oz represented a...
Here I am!
First Person From YAD Cabinet In late spring of 2018, I received an invitation from Eliot Weinstein, Young Adult Division (YAD) Cabinet chair, and Jasmine Amitay, YAD director, to join the 2018-2019 YAD Cabinet. I had already participated in two of the United Jewish...
Art in the Family at Temple Israel
Like many synagogues, Temple Israel possesses art and artifacts that both enrich and inspire. On Saturday, December 8 and Sunday, December 9, the temple’s Art in the Family program offered a trio of experiences centered around its collection of Jewish-themed art,...
Amy Milligan honored at 35th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast
Amy Milligan, Old Dominion University’s Batten Endowed Assistant Professor in Jewish Studies and Women’s Studies and director of the Institute of Jewish Studies and Interfaith Understanding, received a community leader award at the 35th annual Urban League of Hampton...
How Justice Scalia’s death impacts five cases that matter to Jews
WASHINGTON (JTA)—With the sudden passing of Justice Antonin Scalia, the Supreme Court is now split 4-4 between liberals and conservatives, throwing into doubt how the court will rule on a raft of cases—including several watched by Jewish organizations. Scalia, who was...
Gomley Chesed’s lions come home to Beth El
Gomley Chesed Synagogue’s Lions of Judah—bronze-like sculptures with fierce snarling mouths and red-glowing eyes—were objects of affection for generations of that once vibrant Portsmouth congregation. But neither the lions, most of the active members, or the memories...
Rebuilding homes and faith through Bridges
I’ve always been fascinated with Judaism because of the many layers of my faith that I see in various aspects of modern day life. With that strong presence, one of the most challenging opportunities we have today is to educate and learn from all types of spiritual and...
Joe Fleischmann’s gift of computer knowledge
Classes begin Monday, Feb. 15 The Simon Family JCC was Joe Fleischmann’s home away from home. He knew everyone and spent at least a few full days a week at the JCC taking classes, exercising, eating lunch, and being with friends. When he passed away last year at 89,...
Super Sunday success
An “old-fashioned,” Jewish community Super Sunday phone-a-thon still works in 2016. The proof? The 80 volunteers who came to make phone calls and provide support on Sunday, Jan. 31, at the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus. And the community members who answered...
Ohef Sholom’s Confirmation Class holds retreat at the beach
The Ohef Sholom Temple 2016 Confirmation Class held a one-day retreat in December at Edgar Cayce’s A.R.E. Health Center at the oceanfront in Virginia Beach. This annual event for the Confirmation Class was a meaningful and bonding experience for the 15 members who...
Temple Israel continues tradition of volunteering on Christmas
In December, the local Jewish community continued its 20-year tradition of bringing good cheer—and good food—to needy people on Christmas. Nineteen people cooked and served dinner to homeless families at Haven House, a shelter operated by ForKids in Norfolk. The...
Oh frog-et about it!
4th Annual Community Relations Council Israel Poster Contest is going to be wild! Spiders and raptors and frogs, oh my! Those words are not the synopsis of a play starring arachnids, birds, and amphibians, but a few details from the list of Cool Facts about Israel...
Jewish community of Argentina going strong despite challenges
Sixteen members of the Tidewater Jewish community recently returned from a special mission to the Jewish community of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The mission, sponsored by the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, allowed local donors to “follow their campaign dollars”...
Studying success Israeli style
Prof. Jack Habib and his colleague Dr. Keri Zelson Warshawsky enjoyed a walk through Seashore State Park on Thursday, Dec. 17 as their last experience in Tidewater before they flew back to Israel. Invited to Tidewater by Annie Sandler, the researchers experienced two...
Jewish Family Service of Tidewater’s holiday outreach takes many forms
Each year during the holidays, Jewish Family Service of Tidewater reaches out to those in the community who need a little help. Whether it is meals, gift baskets, hand-knitted items, or bags of goodies, the gifts serve as a reminder to the recipients that they are...
HAT students amaze with Chanukah De-Lights
Hebrew Academy students put on its annual Hanukkah performance last month, with a show chock full of talent, including singing, dancing, acting and artwork. The production is a cherished school tradition that brings together students, faculty, family and friends year...
Super Sunday: It’s Your Move online, in person and over the phone
Sunday, Jan. 31, 9 am–1 pm United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s annual phone-a-thon, Super Sunday, perpetuates the mitzvah of Tzedakah and is a grassroots, community-driven, community- building effort. This year, a social media aspect is included with the Monopoly...
Film Festival opens to record crowd
The 23rd annual Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, presented by Alma* and Howard Laderberg, opened to a record crowd of 450 at the Sandler Center on Saturday, Jan. 16. After viewing the comedy Dough, a reception catered by Village Caterers was heartily enjoyed. Opening...
Mazel Tov
Dear Readers, Probably 95% (I made up the number, it could be more) of us celebrate our simchas on our home turf. For myriad reasons, however, some choose to have destination events. One popular place, especially for b’nai mitzvot, is Israel. As such, we feature two...
Women’s PLUS ONE event packs the house for Israel speaker Viva Sara Press
In early December, the Women’s Cabinet of the UJFT invited the women of the community to a PLUS ONE engagement event featuring Israeli journalist and blogger Viva Sara Press, who presented to a standing room only crowd at the Sandler Family Campus. To quote an...
The Huberman Violin
My violin is more than 300 years old. Known as the Gibson ex Huberman, the revered instrument came into my life one fateful day during the summer of 2001. I was in London, getting ready to play a ‘Proms’ concert at the Royal Albert Hall and decided to stop by the...
Governor McAuliffe hosts Hanukkah party at Executive Mansion
After a warm welcome to more than 100 members of the Jewish community from throughout the Commonwealth by Governor Terry McAuliffe, remarks by the Interfaith Alliance’s Rabbi Jack Moline, and the menorah lighting by Richmond’s Rabbis Michael Knopf and Dovid Asher,...
Bryan Mesh and Pam Guthrie honored at Beth Sholom Village
It was a bittersweet celebration. More than 80 staff members, friends and family gathered on Thursday, Dec. 10 to say farewell to Bryan Mesh, development director and former CEO of Beth Sholom Village, and to Pam Guthrie, administrator of The Terrace and former BSV...
Jewish Family Service Chanukah Gift Program 2015
Jewish Family Service of Tidewater’s 23rd Annual Chanukah Gift Program was a huge success. Each year, JFS provides local Jewish families in financial need with gifts and gift cards for their children and teens, as well as money for those without children. In 2015 JFS...
