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Abbey Pachter’s “A Monarch in Winter” launches to rave reviews
Terri Denison A Monarch in Winter, Abbey Pachter’s “Biography of a Butterfly” was celebrated at a book launch earlier this month. The book details the life of a male monarch butterfly, which Pachter rescued from freezing when it was a caterpillar. Over the span of a...
Norfolk’s Grand Illumination Parade includes Hanukkah
Amy Milligan I cried in Norfolk’s Grand Illumination parade on Saturday evening, Nov. 18 when 14 of us chose Jewish joy and marched with a giant Hanukkah balloon– despite some of us feeling afraid. It wasn’t lost on us that we were the only group that had multiple...
Hanukkah 2023 in Jewish Tidewater
With the lighting of the first Hanukkah candle taking place on Thursday, December 7, ample opportunities exist to celebrate the festival of lights with community in Tidewater. Be sure to confirm or RSVP to the events if requested. Happy Hanukkah! Chabad of Tidewater...
A decade of the Shabbat Project
Craig Schranz Tidewater celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Shabbat Project, Nov. 3 – 4, with an abundance of opportunities for unity and inspiration. The Shabbat Project was conceived by Warren Goldstein, chief rabbi of South Africa, who envisioned Jews across the...
Special Section – Happy Hanukkah
Shehecheyanu, Sarajevo
Simon Fink The last time I wrote for the Jewish News, I shared my experience as one the U.S.’s young adult delegation to March of the Living. I’ve similarly just returned from a JDC trip to Bosnia and Croatia as part of its young adult program, Entwine. It was meant...
Tidewater to Israel: Supplies for soldiers and families
Stephanie Peck Eighteen pallets filled with toiletries, clothes, tactical gear, and first aid supplies were sent to Israel from Virginia Beach last month for soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces and families displaced by the war in Israel. These items were donated...
A view from Israel
Levi Margolin Last month, I joined forces with some amazing people to visit soldiers, displaced families, and families sitting Shiva. We raised money for Israel Defense Forces units, and we transported gear to the necessary places. We cooked for families forced out of...
Embracing change: Beth Sholom Village’s new strategic vision
Amy Weinstein After 43 years of dedicated service to the community, Beth Sholom Village has embarked on a transformative journey to craft a new strategic vision. This strategic shift is driven by a commitment to better meet the evolving needs of the senior and Jewish...
Survivor of Supernova music festival meets with Senator Tim Kaine
Terri Denison A string of coincidences brought Natalie Sanandaji to U.S. Senator Tim Kaine’s (D- Va.) office on Thursday, Oct. 19, just before the vote on Senate Resolution (S.RES. 417), affirming support for Israel, was scheduled to take place. Sanandaji was in...
Virginia Beach City Council passes resolution in support of Israel
Terri Denison As a “show of solidarity for our friends in Israel,” Mayor Robert “Bobby” Dyer announced a resolution by the Virginia Beach City Council in support of Israel, at its meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 17. The resolution was introduced by Councilman Joashua P....
Caught on Camera
Luca Calliott proves that one can never begin reading the Jewish News too early.
Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day 2023: The day in Richmond is over, but action is still needed.
Almost 50 early morning risers boarded a bus to Richmond for Virginia’s annual Jewish Advocacy Day on Wednesday, Feb. 8. Organized by the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, the delegation joined nearly 200 citizen...
Holocaust Commission educates and remembers with the publication of To Life: The Past Is Present
International Holocaust Remembrance Day was observed this year by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Holocaust Commission with the publication of To Life: The Past Is Present, Holocaust Stories of Hampton Roads Survivors, Liberators, and Rescuers. This collection...
Dear Readers: Mazel Tov!
Dear Readers, Longevity unwittingly turned into the theme for this issue’s Mazel Tov section. Doing so makes perfect sense, and frankly, I wonder why we’ve never done it before. After all, when celebrating at weddings we hope the marriages will be “forever” and when a...
Mazel Tov, Minette and Charles Cooper: 65 years
Jewish News: When and where did you meet? Minette and Charles Cooper: In New York on a blind date through Marjorie Quarte, a senior in Minette’s house at Smith College who was dating Charles’s brother Joel. JN: Charles, how did you convince Minette to move to Norfolk?...
Caught on camera: Dani Weinstein reading Jewish News
Caught on Camera: Dani Weinstein says she wants to read Jewish News to see who she knows in each issue.
Sandy Goldberg: Smiling, staying fit, and selling at 80
Next month, Sandy Goldberg, account executive at Jewish News, turns 80. If he hadn’t shared the news, no one would know. He’s always active…traveling with his wife Anne, busy with his family, entertaining, exercising at the Simon Family JCC, and working the phones and...
Winter activities with the Tidewater ShinShinim
Tidewater’s ShinShinim, Aya Sever and Alma Ben Chorin, have been busy this winter spreading Israeli culture and education throughout the community. In addition to leading programs at the Simon Family JCC, they have engaged with students at Strelitz International...
Dear Readers: Investing and Retiring
Dear Readers, Last month I listened to an Apple News In Conversation podcast featuring an interview with Steve Lopez, author of Independence Day: What I Learned About Retirement From Some Who’ve Done It and Some Who Never Will. In his mid-60s and considering...
Filling days with family, friends, and activities: Stephanie Adler Calliott
Jewish News: Where were you educated? Stephanie Adler Calliott: I attended the University of Maryland College Park and had the best four years as a Terp. My college roomies and I are still very close. JN: What was your work history? SAC: When I graduated from college,...
Playing a good balance: Bernie Mayer
Jewish News: Where are you from and where were you educated? Bernie Mayer: I am from Cincinnati, Ohio. My undergraduate degree was from Miami University (Ohio), and I completed my Master of Science in Social Work at The University of Louisville (Kent School of Social...
Interests are important: Edward H. Karotkin, MD
Jewish News: Where were you educated? Edward Karotkin: I earned my Bachelor of Science degree at Union College, Schenectady, New York; and attended medical school at Wake Forest, formerly Bowman Gray School of Medicine. JN: What was your work history? EK: I have been...
Teens learn about and practice charitable giving
The B’nai Tzedek Teen Philanthropy Program encourages teens to become involved in tzedakah by establishing a fund for Jewish charitable giving. The program also aims to help teens explore what Jewish values are important to them for positively impacting the world....
Jewish community of Tidewater gets down to the Tachlis—the brass tacks
Zack Bodner, CEO of the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto, Calif., spends much of his time reflecting on how to ensure that Jewish life remains meaningful, relevant, and joyful for future generations. Through reflections and conversations with colleagues and friends,...
JCC Youth Basketball League earns cheers during ODU game
The Old Dominion University men’s basketball team played Georgia State on their home turf at Chartway Arena in Norfolk on Thursday, Jan. 19. But for many in attendance, the highlight of the evening came at halftime: When young athletes from the Simon Family JCC Youth...
Locals delve into bias through book discussions
For many people, discussions about a book conjure notions of a Book Club—a social gathering of friends to converse amiably about a creative, enjoyable read, possibly one that offers an escape from the daily round of life. A group of intrepid readers gathered at the...
Rabbi Ari Oliszewski arrives at Temple Emanuel
With his four-year-old daughter Lea nestled on one side and his two-year-old son Ben snuggling the other, Rabbi Ari Oliszewski leans back in his office chair and smiles. A smile is a simple thing, but to Rabbi Ari, it’s everything. His smile is how he introduced...
Dear Readers: Food & Romance
Dear Readers, Food, drink, and romance seem to be as linked as love and hugs. Think about it…do you recall many first dates that didn’t involve a drink or a meal? I don’t. Or can you name many meetups with friends and relatives that don’t feature some sort of food...
A Taste of Jewish Soul… The Humusiya
I think my parents did a very smart thing in giving me a very uniquely Jewish-Israeli name. They made it so that my Jewish identity would be inescapable and ever present, although I also think they didn’t realize how much more challenging they would be making my life....