I grew up in a not so religious American Jewish household in a heavily Orthodox section of Brooklyn in the 1980s. I felt disconnected from my culture and outcast from the community, even though it surrounded me. Only a few generations removed from an Orthodox...
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Virginia Arts Festival’s education outreach makes learning leap to life
For more than 20 years, the Virginia Arts Festival has brought renowned artists from around the globe to Hampton Roads. In addition to the packed schedule of world-class performances, the Festival reaches out to students each year. In fact, during the past school...
Dance about Kristallnacht inspired by UJFT Holocaust Commission conference
Over many decades of creating choreography that conveys an emotional story, Elbert Watson, Norfolk Academy dance director, has covered many searing topics. Most notably, he has developed dances that explore aspects of African- American history, from slavery to the...
Setting all students up for success at Hebrew Academy of Tidewater
Jewish Proverb: “Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.” While a Jewish Day School experience is often considered a homogeneous education, within every group of students, a range of abilities always exists. Hebrew Academy of Tidewater’s goal, therefore, is...
Beth El welcomes the Park Place School
Walking through Congregation Beth El’s education wing on a weekday, one might be surprised to hear the sounds of violins. The source of the music is from students who attend the Park Place School, located at Beth El since August. Each of the 66 second through sixth...
US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital long overdue
In a move long overdue, the United States of America has finally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Congratulations to President Trump, congratulations to people of Israel, and congratulations to everyone who prayed to see this day. Over the past 50 years,...
Noted local artist’s work will have lead role in new Beth Sholom theater
Sunday, Feb. 4, 2 pm First performance will be tribute to mothers and fathers Lorraine Fink’s iconic artwork hangs on the walls of many Tidewater homes and galleries. A series of designs entitled “Seven Days of Creation” is permanently displayed at the Sandler Family...
Israel Today’s Rachel Fish speaks with myriad groups
Educator and editor, Rachel Fish, visited Tidewater in early November, making stops at local high schools, universities, and other public forums along the way. Fish, associate director of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University, began her trip...
Education
Education, December 18, 2017
Jerusalem recognition reaction
President Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States intends to move its embassy to Jerusalem as a recognition of that city’s status as the capital of Israel, has been met with myriad responses—from jubilation to dismay, from pride and relief to anger and...
What do cars, babies, and donuts have in common?
Local Jewish entrepreneurs participated on a panel, Conversations: Perspectives on Leadership, Success and Community, on Wednesday, Nov. 8, for United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Society of Professionals. The gathering, sponsored by Insco Insurance and moderated...
End of year giving opportunities for individuals and families
During the holiday season , people tend to think about family, friends, and those they care about. This year, why not also think about the community and the many ways it’s possible to make a difference. No matter a person’s age, there are many ways to get involved and...
Jewish groups decry Supreme Court’s town council prayer ruling
WASHINGTON (JTA)—An array of Jewish groups criticized a U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing prayers at town hall meetings. The 5–4 decision along conservative- liberal lines handed down Monday, May 5 reversed a lower appeals court decision in favor of a lawsuit...
Madeline Budman
Madeline Budman, who was the 2014 recipient of the Ben Topus “Ruach” Award at NFTY-MAR’s (North America Federation of Temple Youth-Mid Atlantic Region) Spring Kallah, Saturday, April 26. The award is given to the senior who demonstrates leadership while not serving as...
Forty years a rabbi: Rabbi Israel Zoberman
Sunday, June 1, 3 pm Rabbi Israel Zoberman , founding rabbi of Congregation Beth Chaverim in Virginia Beach, will celebrate his 40th ordination anniversary at the synagogue next month. Born in 1945 in Chu, Kazakhstan (USSR) to Polish Holocaust survivors who had met in...
Maimonides showcases global disaster relief
Two gripping stories of disaster and the relief efforts that came to the aid of those affected were shared with members of the Maimonides Society on Monday, March 31. Danny Pins, Joint Distribution Committee executive officer and director of Africa and Asia Special...
BINA hosts its first Grandparents & Grandfriends Day
A meaningful and unique program to allow students to connect with their Jewish heritage, their community and to strengthen relationships across the generations, BINA High School held its first Grandparents & Grandfriends Day on Monday, March 10. It was also an...
Pasta dinner and bingo at HAT — tradition continues!
Strelitz four-year-olds through Hebrew Academy fifth grade families celebrated good times at the Pasta Dinner and Bingo Night earlier this year. Held in the Sandler Family Campus multi-purpose room, the affair is a social tradition shared by board members, faculty and...
Congregation Beth El Sisterhood Shabbat
Congregation Beth El’s Sisterhood held its annual Sisterhood Shabbat on Saturday, March 28. The Sisterhood chose to emphasize the Women’s League theme for the year of “Mispachah” (family) as the message of the morning. The event was successfully chaired by Brenda...
Distinguished group of JDC representatives visits Tidewater
Representatives from the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) paid a special visit to the Tidewater Jewish Community earlier this spring. The group included Arnon Mantver, director of JDCIsrael, Sandy Katz, executive director of JDC International...
Passover in Ukraine
Jews of all ages across Ukraine celebrated Passover last month in spite of escalating challenges. To help make this a reality, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee provided nearly 53,000 boxes of matzah and coordinated scores of community Seders throughout the...
Jewish groups slam racist rant attributed to Donald Sterling
Donald Sterling, the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, was banned for life by the NBA and fined $2.5 million for making racist comments. Under the punishment laid down Tuesday, April 29 by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Sterling may not associate with the team or the...
A Minyan at the Philharmonic
3 Nisan is the Jewish calendar date on which my father passed away 12 years ago. It is my honor and obligation to say the Kaddish prayer on each anniversary of that date, his Yahrtzeit. This year in 5774, the third of Nisan fell in the evening of April 2, 2014 through...
Israel Today Forum tackles the timely topic of Geopolitics
Thursday, May 1, 7 pm With Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations at a contentious and critical point— the nine-month deadline for the American mediated discussions is April 29—Robert Satloff will have plenty to discuss as the featured Israel Today Forum speaker. The...
Israel Poster contest features flying cars, two flush system, bone glue, and more
The Community Relations Council invited first through 12th graders of Tidewater to participate in an Israel Poster Contest in February. Students were asked to illustrate a cool fact about Israel in a hand-made, 8.5” x 11” poster. More than 100 entries were on display...
On the Run/To or From… An inquiry into the creative life of Lorraine Fink
After raising five children and seeing them off to college, many might decide that it is time to relax, smooze and play a little mahjong. But, not Lorraine Fink. Instead, Fink was just beginning to create. For more than four decades, nothing has been able to hold back...
A personal account of Beth El’s trip to Israel
Empty nester…. Sounds so “empty” and negative-right? Wrong. My wife, Jody and I finally reached that stage of life this fall when our second daughter flew the coop and went off to college. It was sad for us, but we found ourselves able to make our first, long talked...
Positive feedback abounds after Tidewater Together community weekend
Intrigued by the concept of exploring the community’s Jewish future, Rear Adm. Janet Donovan and her husband Dan chose to attend the Tidewater Together discussion held on March 21 during the Friday night Shabbat service at Ohef Sholom Temple. More than 300 people...
Students impress at Hebrew Academy’s Annual Science Fair
March 25 marked Hebrew Academy’s Annual fourth and fifth grade Science Fair. Sixteen students proudly presented their projects in a packed cafeteria filled with parents, grandparents, faculty and students. Also in attendance were NASA scientists and contest judges,...
Olympic Games spark a Mitzvah-lympics at HAT and the Strelitz preschool
At Hebrew Academy and the Strelitz Early Childhood Center preschool, the Sochi Olympics sparked a unique twist on performing acts of kindness. After all, what is better than inspiring others to practice kindness and pass it on? Carlyn Goldstein, third grade teacher...
Community partners ensure future of Israel Today Forum
On May 1, the final presentation in the 2013–2014 Israel Today forum will take place as Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy discusses Geopolitics. The two presenters preceding Satloff in the well-respected speaker series...
Standing with Kansas City
On Sunday, April 13, three innocent lives were taken by bullets fueled by hatred, shot by a man consumed with bigotry. We echo the following sentiments initially expressed by the chair of the Jewish Federation of North America board of trustees: “We at the Jewish...
