Other News

America’s bipartisan pro-Israel organization, AIPAC holds the Schusterman Advocacy Institute High School Summit in Washington, DC each year for students from across the country. More than 500 teenagers attended the summit this year, including two members from...

Toras Chaim conducted their 36-hour matching campaign fundraiser on Sunday, Oct. 14. The campaign goal of $40,000 was met within the first four hours of the event. Ultimately, Toras Chaim raised more than $60,000 from over 230 donors. This success comes as Toras Chaim...

Donors to Jewish Family Service of Tidewater’s Chanukah Gift Program probably know how much joy they bring to the children who receive the gifts. What they may not know is how much of a burden they lift off of the parents. Without these gifts, many families would have...

Kelly Burroughs, MA, LAC, BHP, CCTP recently joined Jewish Family Service of Tidewater as the agency’s new chief executive officer. She replaces Betty Ann Levin, who joined United Jewish Federation of Tidewater in July as its executive vice president. Burroughs brings...

When U.S. Naval Lt. Commander Adam Goldberg was stationed in Rhode Island, he was an active member of its Jewish War Veterans Post. So, in 2013 when he was transferred to Norfolk, Va., it was only natural to him that he join JWV Post 158, one of the oldest chapters in...

The brave men and women of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) put their lives on the line each day to protect the hopes and dreams inspired by the Jewish state. Since 1981, Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) has supported the defenders of Israel with educational...

During Avraham Infeld’s recent threeday visit to Tidewater, he made many statements that caught my attention. While here, Infeld spoke with various groups—from BBYO teens to rising young adult leaders, to senior Federation leaders. Infeld is president emeritus of...

JTA)—Before he shot dead 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue, Robert Bowers blamed one Jewish organization: HIAS, an immigrant aid group that has been helping refugees since the 1880s. “HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people,” he wrote on his website. “I...

WHEREAS, the clergy, leadership and congregation of Christ and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Norfolk, Virginia, are committed to striving for justice and peace among all people and respecting the dignity of every human being; WHEREAS, we as a congregation are blessed...

On Monday morning, October 29, Norfolk Academy Headmaster Dennis Manning spoke to Upper School students and faculty about the necessity to respond to evil by “exercising moral agency” in the world. An excerpt: We have a local, regional, and school  history, all of...

Old Dominion University hosted a gathering on Monday, October 29. The program, attended by several hundred people, was sponsored by the Institute of Jewish Studies and Interfaith Understanding, ODU Hillel, Student Engagement and Enrollment Services, and the University...

(JTA)—Earlier this year, our colleagues at the three leading Jewish newspapers in the United Kingdom published the same front-page headline and joint editorial voicing concern over rising anti-Semitism in Britain’s Labour Party. Today we have found a mournful occasion...

NEW YORK (JTA)—Donald Trump’s call this month to bar all Muslims from entering the United States “until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on” has set off a deluge of criticism in America and around the world, from U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan...

NEW YORK (JTA)—They were called “so-called” refugees, told they were alien to American culture and warned against as potential enemies of the United States. This heated anti-refugee rhetoric in America was directed against Jews trying to flee Europe, not Mexicans or...

NEW YORK (JTA)—Ever since Zero Mostel imagined himself as a rich man in the original 1964 Broadway production, Fiddler on the Roof has been a cultural landmark on Broadway and in the Jewish sphere. It’s one of those musicals that always seems to be in rotation. Over...

For moms and dads who are into baseball and have a five-year-old child, here is another reason to enroll him or her at Hebrew Academy of Tidewater: There will be an opportunity to talk about the national pastime, baseball, with kindergarten teacher Terri Kraly, whose...

Ending the 2015 calendar year on a very high note, the Tidewater Jewish Foundation recently rolled out several exciting initiatives. These include two matching incentives to help energize philanthropy, including a Legacy Match Life Insurance Program, a Donor Advised...

WASHINGTON (JTA)—American Jewish organizations don’t see the Syrian refugees as a threat; they see them as a reminder. With rare unanimity on an issue that has stirred partisan passion, a cross-section of the community has defended the Obama administration’s refugee...

SHORT HILLS, N.J. (JTA)—“Show your support for the people of Paris by temporarily updating your profile picture with this new template we created,” read the Facebook-sponsored text promoted not 24 hours after last month’s terror attacks in Paris. The social media...

Friends, As the year ends, we look back at events, visitors, and achievements— and yes, the challenges—the Tidewater Jewish community experienced in 2015. Our gratitude toward this community’s commitments, its accomplishments, its devotion and its dedication to...

In November, the weather tends to cool a bit and family activities start to move indoors. This month, the Simon Family JCC drew crowds for three special events. On Saturday, Nov. 7, families gathered for Hoedown Havdallah, complete with a petting zoo. Children helped...

February 23, 1929–October 30, 2015 A giant in the community, Tavia Gordon is remembered by Rabbi Jeff Arnowitz and Rabbi Arthur Ruberg. Their eulogies from his funeral at Congregation Beth El are excerpted here: As we gather to remember and celebrate the life of Tavia...

Congregation Beth El and Hazak ‘Got Healthy’ on Sunday, Nov. 1 when Hazak hosted a program exploring the benefits of maintaining a healthy lifestyle to achieve longevity. Approximately 80 people attended. The morning began with a breakfast buffet that included healthy...