After a great deal of thought, discussion, planning, negotiating, shopping, cooking, and implementing—not to mention the counting, hard boiling and peeling of no fewer than 96 eggs—Temple Israel held its first Women’s Seder on April 24, 2019. TI member Shirley...
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Armed Forces Shabbat at Ohef Sholom
Congresswoman Elaine Luria was Ohef Sholom Temple’s guest speaker for Armed Forces Shabbat on Friday, May 17. She spoke of her experience commanding combatant ships in the Navy, and how this, along with her strong Jewish upbringing, led her to her current position...
More than pain, this book is also about lifestyle
Outsmart Your Pain! The Essential Guide to Overcoming Pain and Transforming Your Life Lisa Barr, MD Illustrations by Tim Sovine Synergy Health Quest, LLC, 2018 ISBN 13: 978-1-7320011-0-7 In the opening pages of Outsmart Your Pain!, Lisa Barr, MD, says, “The science of...
How stuttering helped me accept and embrace my adversities
Growing up in Toronto, I could have seemed like an ordinary kid. But there was something that made me sharply stand out. I stuttered. A lot. It began when I was three years old. My parents were told to ignore it—as “merely a stage in a child’s speech development,”...
Holocaust victims and survivors remembered by City of Virginia Beach mayor
Elie Wiesel poignantly stated, “to forget the Holocaust is to kill twice.” Thus, “we must bear witness [for] the living and the dead.” As Lisa Bertini, Holocaust Commission chair, said at the annual Yom Hashoah commemoration on May 1 at Temple Israel, “…for the...
Shalom Tidewater welcomes new and old to Jewish community
New to Tidewater? Lived here all your life, but are looking to get more involved? The United Jewish Federation of Tidewater would like to offer a special welcome. Through Shalom Tidewater, Carly Glikman, outreach manager, personally delivers welcome information and...
Amy Weinstein is new director of philanthropy at Beth Sholom Village
The new director of philanthropy at Beth Sholom Village is familiar to many people in the Hampton Roads Jewish community. Amy Weinstein spent six years at United Jewish Federation of Tidewater as director of the Young Adult Division, then two years as director of...
How Jewish organizations train people to prevent shootings like the one in Poway
(JTA)—Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein said his Chabad of Poway could not afford to hire an armed guard. Had it been able, or if the government had helped the synagogue bring in one, he believes the deadly attack there Saturday, April 27 could have been averted. “If I had the...
New York Times says its controversial cartoon shows ‘numbness’ to anti-Semitism
The New York Times editorial board said in an editorial published Tuesday, April 30, that the newspaper’s publishing of “an appalling political cartoon” is “evidence of a profound danger—not only of anti-Semitism but of numbness to its creep.” The newspaper also...
HAT’s Science Fair 2019
Fourth and fifth grade students at Hebrew Academy of Tidewater spent myriad hours of study and planning to prepare for the school’s recent Science Fair, the capstone of weeks of hard work. Almost 100 visitors attended this year, along with HAT’s familiar and dedicated...
In re-electing Netanyahu, Israelis chose stability
(JTA)—After the smoke clears from this contentious Israeli election, which amounted to a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s tenure, the question remains: How did he win again? As Israel’s former U.S. Ambassador Michael Oren said, “Our economy is...
Simon Family JCC Book Club celebrates 10 years and 100 Books
On Monday, March 18, the Simon Family JCC celebrated the JCC Book Club’s 10th anniversary and 100th read with book club author, Marilyn Simon Rothstein. Rothstein visited the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus as a part of her Jewish Book Council book tour and the Lee...
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...
Open the Gates includes special needs students at Ohef Sholom
In the Image of God—B’Tzelem Elohim At Ohef Sholom Temple (OST), Big Ideas are taught on Sunday mornings— ideas that enrich and move toward action throughout the week. One Big Jewish Idea from the Torah is B’tzelem Elohim—the idea that God created humanity “in the...
Film Festival committee members recap 23 years
Since the inception of the film festival, three committee members haven’t missed a single movie. The Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, presented by Alma* and Howard Laderberg is now in its 23rd year, and Lois and Barry Einhorn, along with Ellie Lipkin, have been...
Itzhak Perlman named winner of 2016 Genesis Prize
(JTA)—Itzhak Perlman, the Israeli-born violin virtuoso, was named the third winner of the Genesis Prize. Perlman was named the winner on Monday, Jan. 4 of the annual $1 million prize that has been dubbed the “Jewish Nobel.” He joins former New York City Mayor Michael...
Time to make “philanthropic” resolutions
As we turn our calendars to 2016, it is easy to think about the age old New Year’s resolutions, such as: • Exercise more • Lose weight • Eat healthier • Save more (get out of debt) • Spend more time with family (worklife balance) • Quit smoking But, have you thought...
Five reasons why children should learn coding
Learning to code is child’s play. Don’t believe it? Ask Rabbi Menda, who will say it’s true. As Hebrew Academy’s savvy Coding Club advisor (and Judaic Studies director), Rabbi Menda teaches students in grades three through five to code—and they’re having a blast...
Operation Understanding Hampton Roads program re-launches
Transformational experience for African American and Jewish teenagers to be coordinated by five community organizations A year long leadership development program for 40 African American and Jewish high school students in Tidewater, Operation Understanding Hampton...
One membership, two locations
Simon Family JCC and Town Center Fitness offer reciprocity Two local gyms are joining forces to create a fitness membership that offers access 365 days a year and 85 group fitness classes each week. Town Center Fitness, formed by Tom Purcell in 2004 as a convenient...
2015 news quiz
The ultimate test of Jewish and Israeli knowledge (JTA)—Bernie Sanders, Jenna Jameson, criminal rabbis: How much do you know about the Jews and their goings-on in 2015? 1. Which U.S. Jewish religious denomination made which landmark decision this year? a. The...
Will 2016 be the year of the female Orthodox rabbi?
WASHINGTON (JTA)—At first blush, it appears like a bombshell: The United States listened in on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s phone calls. But on closer examination, the revelations reported Dec. 29 by The Wall Street Journal might not be so far reaching....
United Nations to recognize Yom Kippur as official holiday
NEW YORK (JTA)—The United Nations will for the first time recognize Yom Kippur as an official holiday. Starting in 2016, no official meetings will take place on the Jewish day of atonement at the international body’s New York headquarters, and Jewish employees there...