TILBURG, Netherlands (JTA)— Although he lives in a city with only a few dozen Jews, the Israel-born photographer Idan Hemo and his family enjoy each spring what he calls “hardcore Purim” street festivities. “Everyone dresses up, including and especially the adults, in...
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Why show Animal House at a Jewish film festival
Wow! It is truly remarkable that the Virginia Festival of Jewish Film presented by Alma and Howard Laderberg* and Patricia and Avraham Ashkenazi has been around for a quarter of a century. That’s a long time to bring culture and entertainment to Tidewater by showing...
De Mommas and De Poppas’ tribute to parents draws big crowd to Beth Sholom Village
A cast of community members sang, danced, and joked about mothers, fathers, and kids during the A’Bisl Theater’s tribute to the Fifth Commandment during a spirited variety show at Beth Sholom Village on Sunday, Feb. 4. More than 200 people packed into the Pincus Paul...
UJFT’s Society of Professionals gets first look at Cavalier Hotel
The grand reopening of Virginia Beach’s historic Cavalier Hotel will take place in March, but United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Society of Professionals (SOP) received a special “sneak peak” on February 1. Axel Suray, executive vice president of Gold Key PHR,...
YAD MomME Time takes on Hiddur Mitzvah Project
As part of the Gary Rosenthal Hiddur Mitzvah Project, members of UJFT’s Young Adult Division’s MomMe made mosaic Shabbat candlesticks on Wednesday, Jan. 24 during a Tikkun Olam event at the Simon Family JCC. Gary Rosenthal is best known for his unique line of Judaica...
Dr. Bern Wollschlaeger captivated community with his personal story of discovery and transformation
More than 160 members of the community, including religious school students from Ohef Sholom Temple, Congregation Beth El, Temple Israel, and KBH attended a powerful and timely presentation by Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger on Sunday morning, Jan 28 at Ohef Sholom. Author of...
Ruth Bader Ginsburg says she will serve as long as she has ‘steam’
WASHINGTON (JTA)—Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg told a Jewish audience that she would serve on the U.S. Supreme Court as long as she felt up to it. Ginsburg, appearing Thursday, Feb. 1 at a Forward event at Adas Israel synagogue in Washington, D.C., appeared to confirm...
Retirement
Retirement, February 19, 2018
William L. Nusbaum to receive Humanitarian Award
Thursday, March 22, 5:45 pm The Westin, Virginia Beach Town Center The Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities has selected William L. Nusbaum to be among those receiving its prestigious Humanitarian Award this year, at their 54th annual dinner. The Tidewater...
Ready to graduate, Amanda Gladstone appreciates Stein Family College Scholarship
Amanda Gladstone, recipient of the Stein Family College Scholarship in 2014, has one semester left at Virginia Tech and radiates enthusiasm when she talks about her experience there. To say she loves Virginia Tech would be an understatement. A senior in marketing, she...
Caleb Peck establishes B’nai Tzedek Fund to continue helping homeless people
Taking action to help others is not new for Caleb Peck. His mom, Stephanie, tells the story of when Caleb was three years old he saw a homeless person and was genuinely concerned about why there wasn’t a place for him to live. He used to say that when he grows up he...
A little book with big Jewish appetizer ideas
Back in December when I was reading Jewish News (not much of a surprise there, I know!), an image in the advertisement for the Gift Shop at Decorum caught my attention. It was of a small book, Little Book of Jewish Appetizers. I had one within a few days. The book...
Mah Jongg at Beth Sholom Village goes retro
by Marcia Brodie The Annual Janet Gordon Mah Jongg Tournament at Beth Sholom Village proved to be spectacular. After lunch for 120 guests, 91 women played several hours of competitive Mah Jongg. The money raised each year goes directly to Beth Sholom Village. This...
Tangier Island—a proud friend to Israel in the Chesapeake Bay
by Betsy Karotkin In July, Eddie and I set sail for two and one half weeks on the Chesapeake Bay, as we do each summer. I don’t know which of us looks forward to it more. Our days are spent navigating, watching for crab pots (a real hazard to boaters), for shoals, for...
Lady Gaga in Israel
Pop icon Lady Gaga gave a show-stopping performance in Tel Aviv’s Hayarkon Park on Saturday, Sept. 13 as part of her “artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball” world tour. Some 30,000 concertgoers were also wowed with a surprise appearance by the legendary Tony Bennett, who performed...
Ready to read to a Bear Cub?
by Sherri Wisoff The BE A Reader or “BEAR” program is a literacy project that needs more volunteers to read to young children in area public schools. BEAR operates during the 39-week school year, September through June. Children in grades 1–3, are helped to acquire...
HAT and Strelitz preschool usher in the start of a new academic year
by Dee Dee Becker The kickoff of a new academic year for Hebrew Academy of Tidewater and the Strelitz Early Childhood Center preschool took place on Monday, Aug. 25. Filled with excitement and hope for the learning and growth that’s in store, students were welcomed...
A dream becomes a reality
by Karen Lombart For a very long time, Annie Sandler has wanted to share her excitement about the Romanian Jewish community with others in Tidewater. This summer, her dream came true. Learning that the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) was taking an...
YAD Family Shabbat filled with friends, food and fun
The annual Young Adult Division of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s End of the Summer Family Shabbat took place on Friday, Sept. 5, at the Simon Family JCC outdoor water park. With more than 85 people, this year’s YAD Summer Shabbat claimed the prize of...
Team Virginia Beach takes the GOLD at JCC Maccabi Games
by Ellie Bernstein Gold, Gold and more Gold! That is what Team Virginia Beach received at the JCC Maccabi Games held in Detroit last month. The Simon Family JCC’s 16 and under basketball team (comprised of Wayne Simon, Jake Levinson, Jacob Stern, Evan Roesen, Sheldon...
5th Annual Bringing Israel Home
by Laine M. Rutherford and Robin Mancoll Complicated. The military actions Israel has taken to defend its people. Palestinian civilian deaths. Feelings of teens entering the Israel Defense Forces. Life. All are very complicated. Speaking to 50 local Jewish college...
Optimism and uncertainty made July visit to Israel: Sunny, with a Chance of Rockets
The Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater accepted an invitation to present its innovative original program, What We Carry, at the 9th International Conference on Holocaust Education at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, July 7–10, 2014. The start of...
Brandeis University study shows American Jewish young adults overwhelmingly support Israel in war with Hamas
79% of respondents say Israel’s response is “justified” NEW YORK—Researchers from Brandeis University’s Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies (CMJS) released a study that finds that while American young adults may hold Israel responsible for the recent conflict in...
Bibi’s approval ratings, buoyed by war, are now plummeting—but why?
by Ben Sales TEL AVIV (JTA)— Israel’s war is over, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fight may only have just begun. The past month has seen Netanyahu’s approval rating plummet, according to polling by Israel’s Channel 2. On July 23, about a week after Israel...
Cease-fire marks end to Israel’s longest, bloodiest war in Gaza
by Ben Sales TEL AVIV (JTA)—A rocket barrage fell on Israel, a boom sounded over Tel Aviv and then it was over—at least for now. After 50 days of missiles, airstrikes, ground operations, tunnel incursions, truce talks, cease-fire proposals, death and destruction,...
Standing as one
These past months our community, world Jewry and the people of Israel have faced enormous political, moral and life threatening challenges. Facing these challenges requires collective and individual thoughtfulness, wisdom and fortitude. We must break down complex,...
Jewish News Advertiser Profile
Name: Ilene Leibowitz Lipton, admissions and marketing director at Leigh Hall Assisted Living in Norfolk. Age: 50 Education: University of Georgia, 1985 Children: Seth, 19 and Maya, 15 Hometown: Norfolk Favorite food: Hmmm, today it’s sushi, watermelon, Nutella and...
When one day isn’t enough: The UJFT Week of Extraordinary Deeds
Monday, Sept. 15–Sunday, Sept. 21 “Will It, Create It, Achieve It” Monday, Sept. 15, 7 pm • Mitzvah Day VA, Sunday, Sept. 21, 1:30 – 3:30 pm Every year, in order to nurture and enrich Jewish life in Tidewater, strengthen the global Jewish community, and care for...
Swordfish Swim Team celebrates winning season
by Leslie Shroyer As they took their final strokes of the season, members of the Simon Family JCC’s Swordfish Swim Team were all smiles and high fives on the last evening in July. The fifth and final swim meet for participants, ages 5 through 18, took place at the...
Hospice helps patients follow tough advice
by Norma Gaetani “It’s time to put your affairs in order.” This euphemism conveys a dramatic message in TV shows or films, but it is also practical advice for patients and families served by Freda H. Gordon Hospice & Palliative Care of Tidewater (HPCT). However,...
New leadership roles at Hebrew Academy
by Dee Dee Becker Hebrew Academy of Tidewater and the Strelitz Early Childhood Center will experience several new leadership changes and services for the start of the 2014-2015 academic year. Lorna Orleans, Strelitz preschool teacher, assumes the role of preschool...
After Harvard, Alan Dershowitz plans an active—and combative—retirement
by Anthony Weiss CHILMARK, Mass. (JTA)—Alan Dershowitz’s house is a bit of a mess. Most of the rooms in his Martha’s Vineyard home are cluttered with half-unpacked boxes filled with items from his Cambridge house, which he and his wife emptied recently and sold after...