Why on this night do we drink not one, but four cups of wine? I don’t know, but I like it! And I have found the perfect Passover wine. I just don’t know if I can limit myself to four cups. The Psagot Cabernet Sauvignon Single Vineyard 2013 has an ideal balance of...
Other News
Archives
Kosher food in Ghent
Rabbi Sholom Mostofsky of the Vaad HaKashrus of Tidewater has been in touch with the corporate offices of Harris Teeter, which recently acquired Farm Fresh on 21st Street in Ghent. The Farm Fresh store has been one of the main sources of kosher food in Norfolk. Harris...

The Shenkman Jewish Center at William & Mary: A Jewish center after 325 Years
For more than 300 years, Jewish students at the College of William & Mary have had to dream about having a Jewish home on campus. Jewish students have had to fight to book rooms for Shabbos and holidays. Kosher food was virtually impossible to get and having to...

Visiting Israeli chef and DJ will bring authentic food and music to community Israel Fest
Judaism Through the Arts Thursday, April 19, Congregation Beth El Israel Fest Sunday, April 22, Simon Family JCC Screenwriting professor by day, Tel Aviv DJ by night, Eyal Rob is a Tel Aviv guy, a native of that highly cosmopolitan metropolis of 440,000 people (the...

2018 Holocaust Commemoration to feature new exhibit, author
Wednesday, April 11, 6:45 pm Congregation Beth El The Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s annual Holocaust Day of Remembrance, Yom Hashoah, will take place this year at Congregation Beth El. The free event includes a guest speaker, a...

New York Times best selling author, Julie Lythcott-Haims inspires at first Tidewater Learning Connection
Stress and anxiety. It’s everywhere. Parents see it in their kids. Kids see it in their parents. From before they are even born, parents worry about their kids walking, talking, reading, taking the right classes, getting into the right classes…it never ends. “Not only...

Camp
2018 Summer Camp, March 26, 2018

Ohef Sholom Temple recognizes and thanks Soup Kitchen community partner
For more than eight years, Ohef Sholom Temple has opened its doors on the last Monday of every month for its Soup Kitchen, regularly serving approximately 75 guests. Dorianne Villani and her cadre of congregant and community volunteers prepare and serve a hot,...

Choosing to lead at AIPAC Policy Conference 2018
Earlier this month I attended my sixth American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference. Once again, the conference exceeded my expectations, bringing community and student activists from all 50 states together to learn about and advocate for issues...
Big prizes, big fun at Beth El’s annual Ben Gordon Family Bingo Night
Four players went home Saturday night, Feb. 10, with large, smart TVs, including Cantor Elihu Flax, who beamed over his 55-inch television that marked the midpoint game of Congregation Beth El’s 19th annual Ben Gordon Family Bingo Night. But the TV winners and many...
Manicures and Mitzvahs highlights Dress for Success
Beth El Sisterhood hosted Manicures and Mitzvahs at Changes Salon Thursday, Feb. 8 in support of Dress for Success. Twenty women enjoyed pampering, socializing, and a delicious food spread. Francesca Litow says it was a “Wonderful opportunity to pamper ourselves,...
Teens bond with seniors in Better Together Program
Though Leia Morrissey is in eighth grade, she knows she can make friends with anyone at any age. It’s a skill she picked up by participating in Better Together, a program that brings teens from area synagogues together with seniors at Beth Sholom Village. Now in its...
As 4,000 Jewish teens gather in Atlanta, funders urge more support for programs
ATLANTA (JTA)—More than 3,000 teenagers from multiple Jewish youth groups gathered in Atlanta over President’s weekend for a series of events aimed at strengthening Jewish identity among teens and rallying philanthropic support for such programs. The main attractions...
Date With the State 2015
More than 30 members of the local Jewish community traveled to the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond to be part of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Community Relations Council delegation for the annual Jewish Advocacy Day on Feb. 4. The Tidewater...
Denmark synagogue attack seen as ‘wake-up call’
(JTA) - From the window of the Jewish Community of Copenhagen’s crisis center, Finn Schwarz can see his country changing before his eyes. Hours after the slaying of a guard outside the Danish capital’s main synagogue early Sunday morning, Feb. 15, two police officers...
Gidi Grinstein to open Celebrate Israel Series
Thursday, Feb. 26, 7 pm, Simon Family JCC “In working with Gidi Grinstein and his team at the Reut Institute these past few years, we have delved into many topics. I believe Gidi is on the cutting edge of modern Jewish and Zionist thinking,” says David Brand....
Purimpalooza: a costume carnivale for the young adult crowd
Saturday, March 7, 8 pm Known for throwing great, community- wide parties, the Young Adult Division of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater is planning to hold an extravaganza next month at the Sandler Family Campus. In a nod to the international music fest of a...
Rabbi Ellen Jaffe-Gill joins Tidewater Chavurah
An unaffiliated group involved in Jewish fellowship, Tidewater Chavurah has engaged its first ordained rabbi as spiritual leader, Rabbi Ellen Jaffe-Gill. Rabbi Jaffe-Gill will lead Shabbat and High Holidays services using prayer books of the Reform movement. She will...
Exchange program launched by Eastern Virginia Medical School and Bar-Ilan University Medical School
Navigating effective ways to provide high quality community healthcare services to patients at risk both in America and northern Israel is among the major learning insights of medical students participating in the exchange program between Eastern Virginia Medical...
Virginia Festival of Jewish Film winds up a success
“I can’t thank this community enough for supporting the Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, presented by Alma* and Howard Laderberg,” said William Laderberg at the closing night of the film festival on Sunday, Jan. 25. “Thanks to them, their outpouring of support and...
Why Jewish families should vaccinate their kids
(Kveller via JTA)—Since the news of the recent Disneyland measles outbreak and the subsequent chatter on Facebook began, I discovered I have at least four Facebook friends (and likely a few more) with healthy, non-immunocompromised, vaccine-aged children who have...
Birthright trip to Israel in December
I arrived back in the United States on Wednesday, Jan. 7 at about 5 in the morning. I was excited that the next day I would be having sushi with my friends and telling them all about my trip; my spiritual journey. I had about a 10-hour layover at JFK to reflect on...
An introduction or re-introduction to AJC
Tidewater received a visit from the American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) Washington regional director, Alan Ronkin on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 22 and 23. As I prepared for Alan’s visit and mentioned AJC to community members, many responded with “what is AJC?” I went...
JCPA Leadership Mission to Poland and Israel
Journal entry Dec. 6, 2014 And so it begins…. On an adventure to Poland and Israel courtesy of Lois and Larry Frank of Atlanta and the JCPA, based on a recommendation from United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Robin Mancoll. The itinerary looks amazing and...
Survivors return to Auschwitz determined to share their stories
KRAKOW, Poland (JTA)—What kept you alive? Did your non-Jewish friends reject you? Could you ever forgive? Those were some of the questions posed by Jewish young adults to Holocaust survivor Marcel Tuchman on Monday, Jan. 26 at the Galicia Jewish Museum here. “What...
Charlie Hebdo: Freedom of speech and mutual respect
The recent assassinations of French citizens were horrendous acts of barbarity. In addition, they also were violent attacks on our concept of civil liberties. Most of us love our freedom of speech, lots of it and for very good reasons. And many of us enjoy social...
Indian River High School honors Dana Cohen
Dana Cohen does not seem to like to be the center of attention, though that was the case on Friday, Jan. 9, as it was “Dana Cohen Day” at Indian River High School in Chesapeake. Master teacher Craig Blackman, the Holocaust Commission’s Esther Goldman Education...
We’re going to Argentina! Want to come? Say si!
The United Jewish Federation of Tidewater will lead a mission to the Jewish community of Argentina in the fall. Beginning in Buenos Aires on Thursday, Oct. 15, the mission will include visits with Jewish community leaders and opportunities to see Federation’s Campaign...
The Rise of Anti-Semitism: Not only a “Jewish Issue”
Amidst horrific reports of anti-Semitic violence emanating from Europe, and just one day before hostages were killed at a kosher French market, the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater presented a timely program, The Rise of Anti-Semitism: A Resurgence of Evil. More...
Mayim Bialik’s reflections on the Paris attacks
(KVELLER/JTA)—I grew up in a public school that had enough Jewish kids that I felt represented. I went to Hebrew school twice a week and had a chavurah, or fellowship, through my Reform synagogue with kids my age. A portion of my family was Orthodox. I was surrounded...
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
The past few weeks have seen people rise up to protest the killings in France and all that they portend for civilization. There seemingly was no doubt that people understood that what occurred was reprehensible and a frighteningly fundamental attack on freedom and on...
Administrator gains national certification
Jessica Willingham, RN, BSN, administrator at the Freda H. Gordon Hospice and Palliative Care of Tidewater, achieved certification as a Hospice and Palliative Care Administrator last month from the National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses...