After reaching capacity this summer, the Strelitz International Academy will open a new class for two-year-olds in January 2020. Once that class is filled, incoming students will have to wait until the June summer camp registration. SIA classes fill up quickly due to...
Other News
Archives
Sierra Lautman is UJFT’s new director of Jewish Innovation
Education, and particularly Jewish education, has been the focus of Sierra Lautman’s professional life for years. Lautman and her family recently moved to Virginia Beach from Pittsburgh, where she was the Religious School director at Adat Shalom Synagogue. Before...
Patty Shelanski joins UJFT as Arts + Ideas manager
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s new Arts + Ideas manager, Patty Shelanski, is no stranger to Tidewater. Shelanski and her husband, Herm, recently returned to Norfolk after five years in Washington, DC, and she says, “we are so happy to be back in this...
Protesting rewritten history in Budapest
Wandering through the heart of Budapest, it is easy to stumble across Liberty Square. Entering the Park from the South, you are immediately confronted with a monument for “Victims of the German Occupation of 1944.” Hungary, represented by a helpless angel Gabriel, is...
A life of gratitude and generosity: Joseph Fleischmann
In 1938, Joseph Fleischmann, along with his mother, Ida, and sister, Rachel, fled Nuremberg, Germany. It was the end of a cold November, just weeks after a period of devastating violence known as Kristallnact or Night of Broken Glass. Members of Fleischmann’s family,...
Matthew Cooper: Legal work in Israel
When Matthew Cooper joined American and Israeli attorneys to sue Iran on behalf of terror victims who were harmed by Iran for financial support to terrorist organizations, he certainly stepped up his summer. As a legal intern for the Israeli non-profit Shurat HaDin,...
Nadiv completes third year with a donation to One Happy Camper
The young men’s giving circle through UJFT’s Young Adult Division, Nadiv, finished its third year of existence with banner fundraising. Members of the group—Jewish men in their 20s, 30s and 40s—donated $1,500 to One Happy Camper, a program implemented by Tidewater...
Foster kittens bring smiles to Beth Sholom Village residents
Faces light up when Gabrielle Exum, art therapist, walks around Beth Sholom Village carrying foster kittens. As part of her work, she began fostering the kitties, not just to help them find permanent homes, but also to engage with residents looking for something to...
Art at home For some people, art is décor—either purchased at an art show or gallery or chosen by an interior designer. For others, though, art is personal because it is their own creation. Jewish News spoke with several area artists to learn a little about their...
Evan Roesen: First step toward a bright future
A summer filled with firsts for Evan Roesen meant living in an apartment in Tel Aviv, working in an early-stage startup, and contributing to a marketing plan for Israeli, American, and European schools. Earlier in the summer, Roesen participated in Birthright Israel...
Jared Berklee and fellow BBYO Ambassadors bond in Italy
Tulane sophomore Jared Berklee traveled to Israel for the Alumni Leadership Seminar in Israel (ALSI). He went for training as a lead counselor in BBYO’s Perlman summer program. BBYO is the core influence in Berklee’s Jewish life. “I take pride in being a part of...
Disloyalty: The deep roots of an anti-Semitic accusation
Our American Jewish community has been much agitated in 2019 by accusations of disloyalty. These charges have come from different quarters of the political spectrum, and they carry various nuances. But what do they have in common? For this, we need to understand the...
Meningitis is preventable with a vaccine
Disclaimer: The contents of this article are not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult your physician for personalized medical advice. A little fact about me: I am the oldest of six girls, affectionately...
Blueberry muffins and tea
My parents visited us for two weeks. I see them at least every two months, but I always drive to New Jersey. This time it was their adventure to take the train to Richmond and see some sites, as many grandchildren as possible, and of course, me and my sister who live...
Janet Green and her Jewish journey
Janet V. Green told her Jewish journey at a Friday night service at Ohef Sholom Temple last year. She agreed to share her remarks with Jewish News. I am honored to have been asked to speak with you tonight. I am particularly pleased that the person who introduced and...
Women
Dear Readers, In this special section devoted to women, we offer articles that reflect the many varied and interesting ways women choose to lead their lives…here in Tidewater, throughout the nation and in Israel. Last year I heard Janet Green speak about her Jewish...
What we know, and don’t know, about how Jews voted in New York
NEW YORK (JTA)—For a people obsessed with numbers, the Jews have relatively scant concrete data about how, exactly, the Jews voted in the Tuesday, April 19 presidential primaries in New York. But we do know enough to make some educated guesses. Here’s what we know:...
A conversation with Congressman Randy Forbes
Congressman Randy Forbes has been the U.S. Representative for Virginia’s 4th congressional district since 2001. A member of the Republican Party, Forbes is chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee. He also is...
From the Hal Sacks Jewish News Archives
April 21, 2006 Community members planned to travel by bus from the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus to Washington, DC to participate in the March for Darfur. April 12, 1996 Bernard Jaffe was to be honored at a “Roast and Toast” benefit dinner. Sponsored by the...
Friedman is wrong about AIPAC
Samuel Freedman is a respected author and astute observer of the American Jewish scene. His recent article in the Forward, however, comparing AIPAC to the notorious National Rifle Organization, falls victim to the mistaken, if now in vogue view, that AIPAC has gone...
Mitzvah project aims to help kids surf in Israel
I wanted to find a mitzvah project that would be new and fun to learn about and to share with others. Since I am a student at Virginia Beach Middle School’s Gifted Art Program and live at the beach with surfers all around me, tying art and my love of the ocean into a...
CRC Israel Poster Contest
Vote online through April 20 The Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s 4th annual Israel Poster Contest is now in its final days of voting. For the contest, students in grades 1 through 12 illustrated a cool fact about Israel for a...
Tidewater: Thanks for the cookies— a note from Kuwait
The community make-and-bake cookie project known as Operation Hamantaschen, was a one-day event held on March 6 at the Simon Family JCC. Its impact, however, didn’t end at the day’s conclusion when the last volunteers shook out their aprons and washed off their...
My AIPAC experience
Last month I had the amazing opportunity to attend the American Israeli Publican Affairs Committees (AIPAC) annual policy conference. The conference attracted more than 18,700 pro-Israel Americans, including 4,000 college students with the goal of strengthening the...
The Simon Family JCC is getting physically fit, point by point
When it comes to success, people have learned that there is no one giant step that does it; it’s a lot of little steps. The Simon Family JCC utilizes this approach when assisting its members with reaching their fitness goals. The JCC implemented their new Ultimate...
The Scouts are returning to town
One scout can make a difference, but together they can rock the world. Each year, two scouts from Tzofim, Israel are selected to live in Virginia Beach and work at the JCC Summer Camp as counselors. This program offers the scouts an opportunity to understand the...
Passover
Dear Readers, As much as we all love our Passover traditions and reminiscing about them, this is a holiday that consistently offers a new recipe, a new twist, a new way to celebrate and observe. In fact, according to Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz’s Torah Thought, the rabbis...
Tidewater gets update on World ORT
The local chapter of ORT, a Jewish organization devoted to education, held its annual spring lunch last month at the Sandler Family Campus. The event’s special guest was Harry Nadler, North American representative for World ORT, the international non-governmental...
Baseball’s back: Here’s a look at 8 Jewish major leaguers and a manager
(JTA) – Will Joc Pederson rebound from his second-half struggles of last season? Can Kevin Pillar build on his strong 2015 campaign? Will injuries derail one-time MVP Ryan Braun? These are some of the questions to be answered as these Jewish players and others get set...
Federation celebrates campaign volunteer solicitors
Volunteer solicitors from across all divisions of the 2016 UJFT campaign came together at the home of John and Renee Strelitz to celebrate the successes of the campaign to date, and to get energized to close the remaining open gifts. After being warmly welcomed by the...
From the Hal Sacks Jewish News Archives
April 7, 2006 The Tidewater Chapter of Hadassah held its second annual hamantashen baking event for adults and kids. Baskets were decorated, filled with hamantashen and donated to Jewish Family Service. April 12, 1996 The Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s Charitable Gift...
Hoop House added to preschool garden for year-round growing
Planting, harvesting, and baking are not typical activities for an early childhood curriculum. But they are at Strelitz Early Childhood Education Center, which is leading the way in providing a well-rounded education for its students. Three and four-year-old children...