Other News

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...

I’m a single mother of a young child. I work full time and attend college classes in the evening. I have some wonderful neighbors and friends who help with watching my child when I am away. My child’s father doesn’t have a job, and is not able to pay any child support...

NEW YORK (JTA)—This month, I opened The New York Times to Rick Gladstone’s article, “Historical Certainty Proves Elusive at Jerusalem’s Holiest Place,” happy that the newspaper of record would explain to its audience the historical context of this embattled piece of...

“I didn’t know until recently that some families can’t afford the full tuition of Camp JCC each summer,” says Linda Spindel, active JCC board member. “I just took it for granted that all kids who wanted to come to Camp JCC could attend.” Reading recently that the...

Cantor Wendi Portman Fried joined Congregation Beth El on August 1 and has been in constant motion since her first day. Cantor Wendi, as she is best known, most recently served the Congregation of Shaare Tefillah and the community of Olney, Md. for 10 years....

NEW YORK (JTA)—This is a momentous time—not only because it is Judaism’s most sacred season, but also because as we welcome 5776, we in North America are also welcoming Pope Francis, one of the most inspiring religious leaders of our time. Rather than hiding in...

(JTA)—One conspiracy theory making the rounds is that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s various Iran-related confrontations with President Barack Obama are part of a Sheldon Adelson plot to turn American Jews into Republican Party voters in 2016. Even if one rejects...

There is a face behind every tragedy. A real family living in a neighborhood. A real person possessing a name. A real child clutching a toy. Teaching about the Holocaust is teaching about people. It is not just about dates and places and religions. It’s about people....

For the fourth consecutive year, members of Beth El enjoyed another beautiful summer Sunday at the beach with the annual Schmooze at the Shore by playing in the sand, swimming in the bay, eating a tasty dinner, spending time with friends and meeting new people. It was...

I never thought of myself as a child survivor until April 2011, when the Yom Hashoah guest speaker was Ruth Kap Hartz. It must have been an act of fate, “beshert,” that I met Ruth, herself a child survivor. When she spoke about her experience as a child, hidden in the...

The Business & Legal Society of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater recently launched the 2015–2016 Business & Legal Directory, a source for Jewish professionals in Tidewater. This online directory may be found by visiting...

The Terrace at Beth Sholom Village, an assisted living facility, earned a violation- free inspection report that resulted in a three-year license renewal. “We could not be prouder of Pam Guthrie, administrator, Robin Gordon, director of nursing and the entire team at...

(JTA)—Donald Trump has called the Iran deal “terrible” in recent months. But in an interview on Sept. 3, the current Republican front-runner revealed some gaps in his knowledge of the Middle East. Trump spoke with Hugh Hewitt, a popular conservative radio host, who...

WASHINGTON (JTA)—The moment the Iran nuclear deal becomes law, as seems increasingly likely given growing congressional support for the agreement, the focus of the U.S.-Israel conversation will shift to the question of what’s next. What more will Washington do to...