While we knew there was a chance a war might break out, our nephew and niece were having a baby, and we were meeting our sister and brother in Zichron Ya’akov to celebrate.  Zichron, as the Israelis call it, is an idyllic, small hill town 30 minutes south of Haifa with great ice cream.

 Just before our arrival, our great nephew was born after two girls. We were to be there for the Bris. Then things started to change.

• Israeli airspace closed.

• Our sister and brother’s flight was diverted to Athens two hours outside Tel Aviv.

• We were thrown into Israeli wartime life.

War in Zichron Ya’akov

We were staying at the beautiful ELMA Luxury Art Hotel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The hotel has three shelters. One in the underground parking lot (-4); one in a more comfortable building but without internet; a safe room in the gym.  To get to -4 was a 15-minute walk. We got it down to 6 minutes. BUT if it’s a rocket you only have 90 seconds to get there safely.  So, after many trips to -4, we opted for the gym, which was under 90 seconds from our room and more comfortable, if not quite as safe, but this was Zichron.

 If you look at the Home Front Command app warning map, which is new for each missile/rocket launched, Zichron is among the safest places in Israel as it is out of the range of the Hezbollah rockets and not a place of interest for Iran with few people and no strategic sites. Still, people are vigilant and take all this seriously.

Each night we had dinner at our nephew and niece’s home with their three children.  Our nephew made delicious meals as we gathered around their table.

 The Bris became a private event for 30 as public gatherings were not allowed.  It was still marvelous with a joyous welcome to our newest family member, Noam Avraham Levin. The maternal Safta grew up in Egypt in the Karaite community, so we experienced his rich traditions for a Brit melah where the ceremony parallels a Jewish wedding…heartfelt and meaningful.

 Accompanied by music, the baby was escorted in by the mother carrying him on a pillow and flanked by the maternal and paternal grandmothers. He was presented to the mother’s uncle who walked back and forth seven times.  The baby was then placed on the father’s lap on the pillow.

 With 35 years of experience, the most amazing mohel performed the circumcision in the blink of an eye with nary a peep from the baby.

 Both grandfathers delivered beautiful tributes to the baby and family. Neill and I were honored to be stand in grandparents for our diverted sister and brother.

 Since it was Purim, our nephew had arranged a chanting of the Megillah. With 13 grandchildren, parents, and grandparents, the groggers sounded loud each time Haman’s name was mentioned. Kids and some adults were in costume, many with face paint. 

 Midway through the Megillah reading we got an email from our hotel that they were closing the next day after breakfast. We would deal with that later. It was a gorgeous day, so we decided to walk the mile and a quarter back to our hotel.

Visitors to Zichron 

Our first visitor of the afternoon was a close friend we call “Mr. Israel”. During his drive to Zichron from Tel Aviv, he had to stop under an overpass as a siren sounded. He showed us a video of the Iron Dome intercepting a missile right next to where he was. Incredible! He counseled us to move to Tel Aviv, and we set a plan to help us exit the country in time for my upcoming scans and next chemo infusion.

 Our second visitor was a friend who now lives in Caesaria, 10 kilometers south of Zichron.  We had a heartfelt catch up and were all grateful for the time together. He came despite his daughter’s concern.  His Sabra wife understood.

 The next morning our beloved driver, Moti, picked us up to drive to Tel Aviv. Thankfully, it was uneventful.

Tel Aviv – a horse of a different color

Within our first five hours in Tel Aviv, we were in the shelters more times than we were in five days in Zichron.  By now, Hezbollah had entered the war. The northern Galilee towns were once again evacuated. As the Upper Galilee is the San Francisco Bay Area Federation’s sister community, we were all too familiar with what that meant. Both Neill and I served on the San Francisco Jewish Federation’s Overseas Committee (me as chair), and we have visited Israel more than 40 times.

 A member of our hotel’s security team educated us on the difference between a missile from Iran which takes 9 to 10 minutes to arrive in Israel, and a rocket from Southern Lebanon fired by Hezbollah, which arrives in 90 seconds.  While the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and other interceptor systems are amazing, they are not perfect so one MUST do exactly as prescribed to remain safe.

 Our new hotel in Tel Aviv had a mamad-like shelter on each floor.  These are inside the building; the rooms have no windows and a special door that protects from the bombs should they hit where you are. It’s what most people have in their homes. Then there is a -4 underground parking shelter, which is the safest, but takes longer to get there, and a Safe Room at -2.  We were in all of them for one siren or another. Staff was wonderful making sure everyone got into the shelter and the door was properly closed. Everyone goes into the shelter, and anyone outside who wants to come in is included. People talk to each other and exchange stories. It’s instant camaraderie. 

 Tel Aviv is a top place of interest for Iran so many missiles came our way, and we experienced many days of in and out of the shelters. On Shabbat they particularly wanted to disrupt our special day; seven times in the shelter from Shabbat dinner until 5 am the following morning. We were having Shabbat dinner with our cousin and her family when the first alarm sounded just as we were finishing our soup. Down we went to the shelter where the many children instantly started to play.

 Like 10 million Israelis, we trusted the IDF to protect us and to let us know exactly when we needed to head to a shelter. Two apps guide you.

Life goes on.

As the U.S. and Israel weakened Iran and Hezbollah, restrictions in Israel began to loosen. Our most amazing highlight was a remarkable visit to the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem. We were privileged to have more than two hours with the chair of the board and CEO of NLI. We left with a deep understanding of this most remarkable institution by, for, and of the people of Israel and the Jewish Diaspora. If you have not been able to visit, put it at the top of your list. If you can’t visit, sign up for free and explore their website (nli.org.il) to your heart’s content. We promise it is like no other library you will have ever visited. If you think we are exaggerating, ask my childhood friend, Art Sandler, who serves on the NLI U.S.A. board.

 We enjoyed a bonus visit with our family in Jerusalem before heading back to Tel Aviv.  The next day we had more visits with family and friends, including another childhood friend from Norfolk, Joyce Bigio, who lives in Tel Aviv.

 Tel Aviv also claims one of the most beautiful waterfront promenades, and we took advantage of getting some fresh air and watching everything from yoga to volleyball to beach paddle ball, fitness training, joggers, and dog walkers all enjoying Shabbat in their own way. 

 The two weeks passed so quickly and despite our unique circumstances of war, we chose to make lemonade out of lemons with every step. Although we were diligent, we were never afraid. Israelis are strong and brave and grasp life like no one else. We tried to follow in their footsteps. 

 Am Yisrael Chai.

A Norfolk native, Linda Snyder Brownstein and her husband, Neill, live in Deer Valley, Utah 

 By coincidence, mohn sounds like Haman (Hamohn in Hebrew), the supervillain of the Purim story who plotted to annihilate the Jews of Persia. German Jews, writes Marks, “renamed this Teutonic cookie as hamantasch ..meaning ‘Haman’s pocket.’” It was common, in Jewish communities all around the world, to prepare foods for Purim that somehow alluded to Haman, his body, the clothes he wore, or to other characters in the Purim story. In eating those pastries, writes Marks, a person “symbolically erases Haman’s name.”

 Following the Black Plague in the 14th century, many German Jews fled their homes and migrated eastward, bringing their poppy seed stuffed pastries with them. 

 Shmil Holland, a restaurateur, expert on Eastern European Jewish food, and author of the cookbook, Schmaltz, says that over time, this “haman’s pocket” cookie became associated with Purim in Eastern Europe, and poppy seed became the “ultimate Purim filling.” But other fillings gained popularity, too.

 The choices were limited by the time of year and what was available in the markets and the cellars of Eastern Europe. Since Purim falls at the end of winter, the abundant fresh fruits and berries, like cherries, strawberries, and raspberries found in the woods and orchards of that region in the warm weather were not an option. Winter fare such as dried fruits, nuts, poppy seeds, honey, or kasha (buckwheat) was.

 In Poland, says Holland, hamantaschen were sometimes stuffed with “dried pears that were soaked in water or alcohol, then chopped and mixed with walnuts.” Jews in Bukovina (an area that is divided today between Ukraine and Romania), Serbia and Moldova filled their holiday cookies with a walnut paste combined with honey.

 Following a Purim-like story of their own, the Jews in Bohemia and Czechoslovakia (today’s Czech Republic and Slovakia) embraced a special hamantaschen filling called povidl (known as lekvar in the United States) which is a thick spread made from slow cooking the dark purple Damson plums that are harvested in Eastern Europe at the very end of summer. After the fruit and its peel are cooked for 48 hours on a low flame, says Holland, they become a sweet paste. It lasts for months when kept cool in the basement, and it was used in kugels, strudels, cakes, and blintzes in central and Eastern Europe. Those same plums are used, too, to make slivovitz, the fiery, high proof plum brandy.

 According to Holland, about 300 years ago a Jewish shopkeeper named David Brandeis was accused of selling poisoned povidl to a Christian family. After eating Brandeis’ povidl, the Christian customers fell ill — one of them died — and Brandeis and his caramel-like confection were blamed. Brandeis was imprisoned. 

 An investigation uncovered, however, that the person who died met his end from the flu, and not from anything purchased from Brandeis. So, just as the Jews in Persia were saved from Haman’s evil plot at the last moment, so, too, were David Brandeis and the Bohemian Jewish community in Brandeis’ town. As fate would have it, Brandeis was released from jail four days before Purim. To commemorate that miracle, the Jews of that region forever after filled their hamantaschen with the thick, sweet plum spread.

 While most Purim baked goods are sweet, symbolic of a sweet future, there were savory options, too. In Poland, says Holland, kasha, a widely available grain, was prepared with fried onions, seasoned with salt and black pepper, stuffed into the triangle-shaped pastry, and then topped with whole poppy seeds. 

 In Israel today, stores begin filling up with this Eastern European pastry weeks before Purim. You can still get the classic poppy seed filling, but the choices today spread across the culinary spectrum. “Every year,” says Holland, “fillings get more creative. You can get hamantaschen filled with pastry cream and chocolate.” Of course, here in the United States we also have an expansive list of flavors that become part of the always-changing Jewish food landscape. It all started with one humble poppy seed pastry. 

This article first appeared in The Nosher.

(JTA) One of the main advantages for Jewish kids in a Christian world is that — thanks to Purim — they get two “Halloweens.” And for parents, it’s nice to get double use out of that overpriced probably-toxic-plastic monstrosity you rush-ordered from Amazon on October 28. More broadly, Purim celebrations are probably the most accessible entry point for getting the littles to associate Judaism with “fun.” Passover strains mightily to do this, and sometimes succeeds. Hanukkah succeeds, but at the price of sometimes becoming a sad Christmas knockoff. 

 Purim is just unlimited sweets, grown-ups making fools of themselves, and kids getting to be loud. Game over.

 But for anyone who actually reads the original “whole Megillah,” there’s a lot going on in there that’s very far from fun. And extremely far from “family-friendly.” Raging alcoholism. Domestic strife. Female exploitation. Genocidal antisemitism. Slaughter in the tens of 1,000s. Literal asphyxiation, 11 times over. 

 So how did that dark, telenovela-like book become the only Jewish holiday when we’d even think of having a “Carnival?”

 One reason is, Megillat Esther, or the Book of Esther, is famously the only book of the Bible where God is never mentioned. In a way, this frees up a spirit of irreverence, bordering on blasphemy. Purim stands apart from other, more theologically formulaic Jewish narrative holidays with its wild roller coaster narrative. And this briefly gives the religion of rules a refreshing “anything goes” vibe.

 Purim has also served some historical functions that give it a different flavor. For some, it’s a sly way to knock back down to earth the high and mighty. And/or a cathartic storyline to insert whatever villain is currently threatening the Jewish people. And finally, with its only halachic orders involving how to celebrate, Purim has been a great avenue for much-needed escapism.   

  But to get back to the story: How can it be so readily boiled down and leeched of its naughty adult parts? Perhaps because the basic tale is very simply hero and villain: an unlikely underdog girl gets to be royalty and fight and defeat a two-dimensionally cartoonish villain. It almost comes across as a Disney movie.

 All of which was apropos for me recently, because I’m a professional screenwriter who was actually hired to adapt the Purim story into a family-friendly film. I read the previous drafts — one where they adapted it so literally it would have been rated X, the next where they went to the other extreme and made it about Esther and her wacky talking animal friends. 

 I was the Goldberglocks asked to find the balance, and it was an interesting challenge. I had to find ways to make some of its barbarities more palatable — for example, reducing King Ahasuerus into an innocent, gullible dupe of Haman so he could be an actual love interest for Esther that we like, rather than what he actually was like. And I tried to bring a little silliness to Haman, so that his actual terrifying plans could be felt to be more ridiculous and unlikely.

 It didn’t hurt that I’d been producing and sometimes appearing in Purim spiels (staged, often riotously comedic re-stagings of the Book of Esther) for more than 20 years. I knew the story had so many unlikely twists and turns, hidden identities, incredible coincidences, it was an endless mine of possibility. 

 And I think, in a way, this is why it’s actually a good thing that Megillat Esther has been popularly boiled down to a kiddie-version. Because the main theme of the story, and holiday, “v’nahafoch hu” (Hebrew for “and it all got turned upside down”), is an extremely powerful Jewish idea that shines through it. Ever since the Golden Calf, we Jews have been trying to get the world to not take human-made institutions too seriously and reminding everyone that everything can change in a flash. As well as the idea that we live behind masks that hide our true selves.

 Kids may come to Purim celebrations dressed as everything from princesses to Pokemons, and not understand a word of that ancient thing being sung up on the bimah. But they see the big authority figures in their lives not taking themselves too seriously, the hallowed halls of their synagogue briefly turned into a free-for-all where hierarchy is temporarily abandoned. And, even when they know or intuit that Big Sad Adult Things Are Happening in the world, they feel powerfully how the Jewish people respond to, and survive, them: through unfettered joy and celebration of what we have, and our continued peoplehood.

 And that’s an even better value for that costume than getting to use it twice a year. 

Rob Kutner is an Emmy-winning comedy writer and author who has written for The Daily Show, CONAN, and Marvel. His comedic book of Jewish history The Jews: 5,000 Years and Counting (HINT: a perfect bar/bat mitzvah gift!) arrived last year just in time for Purim!

This article first appeared on Kveller.

Purim 2026

The festival of Purim begins this year on the evening of Monday, March 2 and runs through Tuesday, March 3.

Recounted in the Book of Esther, the holiday commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from annihilation at the hands of Haman. Purim is generally celebrated with joy, fun, and downright silliness. Carnivals, costumes, Purim spiels (skits or plays), Hamantaschen cookies, and for some, alcohol, all contribute to the holiday’s festivities.

Other Purim traditions include sending food gifts (mishloach manot) to friends and neighbors and giving to the poor (matanot l’evyonim).

Family, friends, and photographers to capture the moment, are all part of today’s engagement event. Each event, however, always come with a twist. . .a special place, a surprise, a perfectly planned personal moment that the couple will, hopefully, treasure forever.

Four Tidewater-connected couples share their magical engagement stories with Jewish News for this section.  While all are unique, each did involve a couple in love, a ring, and a photographer.  

Not one, but two engagements took place in the Zelenka family over the past 12 months

As told to Terri Denison

From the time they were babies, Adam Zelenka and his brother, Sam Zelenka, were regular fixtures around the Sandler Family Campus– whether at the then-Hebrew Academy of Tidewater (now Strelitz International Academy) or JCC Summer Camp as campers then CITs and later counselors, or just visiting their mom, Amy Zelenka in her office upstairs at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. 

Both brothers (about five years apart with Adam being the older), went on to attend and graduate from Virginia Tech and start their adult lives. Both were also fortunate to meet their future life partners (now fiancées) a few years ago. And both will soon marry the loves of their lives.

Adam and Caroline

Adam, a software engineer in the aerospace industry, lives and works in Northern Virginia. 

Caroline Coppersmith, his fiancée, is a Writing Center coordinator at American University. The couple chose to have their engagement photos taken at a park near their home where they walk their dog. They wanted to have a place that was a landmark to them that they could revisit and always celebrate the day of their engagement.  The couple will marry this April in Chadds Ford, Pa.

Sam and Christa

A commercial property manager at SL Nusbaum Realty Co., Sam and his fiancée, Christa Van Geluwe, a speech language pathologist at Ivy Rehab, live in Virginia Beach.

Sam proposed to Christa at First Landing Park near the water.  He also wanted a place they could always revisit.  For the proposal, Sam secretly hired a photographer and said, “let’s go get our pictures taken.” 

They left First Landing to go tell her parents, where a surprise party was waiting that included his parents and brother, along with friends. 

Deni Budman and Jacob Gurvis have a perfect engagement day in LA 

Jacob Gurvis

As I set out to plan my proposal to Deni, I knew pulling off a complete surprise was likely off the table. We had been dating for seven and a half years, and we had gone ring shopping together. Still, my goal was to put together a fun day with enough red herrings to keep her on her toes! 

We began with brunch in downtown Los Angeles (our friends “shockingly” cancelled on us when we were already on the way, turning it into a romantic table for two), followed by a “spontaneous” trip to LA’s famous flower market, where we built a bouquet together. Next, we went to get manicures — admittedly not so subtle — before picking up lunch from one of our favorite local cafes. While we ate, we scrapbooked in our shared bullet journal that I had made Deni for our one-year anniversary.

We changed for dinner and set out for the Kenneth Hahn Recreation Area, a sprawling park where I had scoped out a spot with a gorgeous view of the L.A. skyline framed by mountains. A photographer hid behind a tree, waiting to capture the moment. When the light was just right, I got down on one knee. Luckily, she said yes!

After snapping a few more pictures and calling our families, Deni and I went to dinner, where we shared a bottle of champagne and I told her the full story of my proposal planning. The only thing I didn’t reveal was the final (planned) stop of the night. After dinner, we went to a bar where nearly a dozen of our closest friends waited to surprise Deni and celebrate with us. 

Then, in the spur of the moment, we realized our favorite ice cream shop, which was only blocks away, was closing in 15 minutes. Celebratory balloons in hand, we all paraded down Abbot Kinney Boulevard to close down Salt & Straw — collecting cheers and “Mazel Tovs” from passersby. It was the perfect end to a perfect day.

 The couple got married in October 2025 at the Chrysler Museum of Art.

Nikki  Grossman and Tim  Thornton: An engagement worth waiting for

As told to Terri Denison

This Virginia Beach couple’s romance began in high school when Tim Thornton, trying to earn money to purchase a car, held summer jobs at Coyote Café, a once popular Beach restaurant and at Ocean Ices, a cart selling flavored ices at the Oceanfront.

At the same time, Nikki Grossman was working as a summer manager for Ocean Ices. During one fateful shift, Nikki worked the cart with Tim, which happened to be located in front of the Elvis stage at the Oceanfront, presenting ample opportunities for sarcastic and silly comments and laughs. With a connection made, the young couple started to date.

Different colleges in different states, the long distance, and other boy and girlfriends resulted in Nikki and Tim remaining friends but not being romantically involved. Then, in 2007, Nikki returned to town and they began to date again, now as young adults.

Seven years later and still dating, in 2014, Nikki and Tim, along with their friend Wess Sandler and his date, travelled to Steve Sandler’s home in Anguilla for a weekend of celebration; and a surprise proposal. Sandler arranged to have a photographer on the beach when Tim proposed to Nikki on his 30th birthday, April 3.  Tim muses that he chose that date so that he’ll never forget.  He also recalls that Nikki’s scream of surprise and “Yes!” was so loud that 200 yards away in the house with closed windows, the chef heard her.  

One year later, Nikki and Tim married at the Half Moon Cruise and Celebration Center in Norfolk with approximately 400 people attending to witness the nuptials and celebrate. Family friend, Joel Rubin, officiated.

 Stephanie Peck, JFS president, welcomed guests and set the tone for a gathering centered on gratitude, remembrance, and community pride. From the very beginning, it was clear that this was not only a look back at history, but a celebration of values that continue to guide Jewish life today.

 At the heart of the program was honoring Dorothy Spitalney and Linda Samuels, the last two remaining members of Hebrew Ladies Charity Society. They were presented with tzedakah boxes, a symbol of a lifetime devoted to caring for others. The boxes represented not only their personal commitment, but the countless acts of charity carried out by generations of women who quietly ensured that those in need were never forgotten.

 The room was filled with thoughtful details, such as the tin cans and mason jars filled with flowers and historic photographs that symbolized Jewish Family Service’s long-standing work feeding the hungry, a mission rooted in the same values championed by the Hebrew Ladies Charity Society.

 Each attendee received a white handkerchief as a keepsake, representing the white handkerchiefs the original Hebrew Ladies used to collect spare change to help community members. This powerful symbol reflected the creativity, humility, and determination of the women who found ways to care for others with whatever resources they had.

 The program also included a D’var Torah by Cantor Jen Reuben, grounding the gathering in Jewish tradition and reinforcing the values of tzedakah and communal responsibility that defined the Hebrew Ladies Charity Society from its founding.

 Ellen Hundley gave the keynote address. She spoke about her family’s heritage, sharing the story of her great-grandmother, Fanny Brenner, the first member of Hebrew Ladies Charity Society in 1902 – bringing the organization’s history to life through a personal lens.

 “My great-grandmother didn’t see this as charity—she saw it as responsibility,” Hundley said. “These women showed up for their community in quiet, powerful ways, and their work reminds us that caring for one another is how Jewish life has always been sustained.”

 While the luncheon honored the past, it also looked ahead. Guests were reminded that the Hebrew Ladies Charity Society’s work continues today through Jewish Family Service, and that the legacy of caring for one another lives on through volunteering, generosity, and community involvement.

 To volunteer with Jewish Family Service, donate, or leave a legacy gift, contact Brooke Rush, director of development, at BRUSH@jfshamptonroads.org.

Julie Kievit is Jewish Community Services manager for Jewish Family Service of Tidewater. 

The Virginia Festival of Jewish Film returns for its 33rd year with a fresh slate of films that spans history, suspense, and true‑life heroism—from the Yom Kippur War saga The Stronghold to the international sports thriller Tatami, the October 7th rescue chronicle The Road Between Us, and more.

As one of the nation’s longest-running Jewish film festivals, the Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, presented by Alma & Howard Laderberg, educates and engages diverse Tidewater communities, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, by presenting world-class films and creating shared experiences and connections inspired by Jewish legacy and values.

With films that cannot be seen at mainstream theaters, emotions that can only be felt in a room full of moviegoers, and the BIG Saturday Night Celebration of Jewish Film, the festival is NOT your average movie night. Tickets are limited, so purchase them ASAP at JewishVA.org/FilmFest.

The Stronghold 

Sunday, February 15• 2:30 pm

Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center at Virginia Wesleyan University, 5817 Wesleyan Drive, Virginia Beach

Director Lior Chefetz • 113 min • Israel • 2024  Hebrew with English subtitles • Historical Narrative Feature • Not rated

Sinai Desert, Yom Kippur War, 1973. In a remote outpost, a company of Israeli soldiers are overwhelmed by a sudden Egyptian onslaught. After a week of ceaseless assaults, the survivors face imminent doom. With lives hanging by a thread, a young lieutenant and an army doctor confront a soul-shattering choice: a desperate last stand or a perilous gamble that could betray everything they stand for.

This film contains violence and themes that may be distressing to some viewers.

The Ring

Thursday, February 19 • 2:30 and 7:30 pm

Cinema Cafe Kemps River, 1220 Fordham Drive, Virginia Beach

Directors Adir Miller, Doron Paz, Yoav Paz • 122 min Israel, Hungary • 2024 • Hebrew and Hungarian with English subtitles • Narrative Feature • Not rated

Arnon Noble was saved as a baby when his mother bribed a Hungarian soldier with a precious ring to spare his life during the Holocaust. Now a devout man living in Israel, his world is shaken when his beloved mother is hospitalized. Determined to uncover the truth behind his family’s past, he embarks on an emotional journey to Budapest with his estranged daughter, searching for the ring in the hope that it might once again bring salvation.

THE BIG SATURDAY NIGHT CELEBRATION OF JEWISH FILM (Followed by a dessert reception)

Tatami

Saturday, February 21 • 7:30 pm

Kramer Family Theater at Cape Henry Collegiate,
1320 Mill Dam Road, Virginia Beach

Directors Guy Nattiv and Zar Amir Ebrahami • 105 min • Israel, Iran, Georgia • 2025 • English, Farsi with English subtitles • Narrative Feature • Not rated

In this searing political sports thriller, a female Iranian judo champion and her coach face a harrowing ultimatum in a championship match against an Israeli opponent. Set during the Judo World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, rising star Leila is on the brink of victory when the Iranian regime intervenes, ordering her to forfeit to avoid a potentially humiliating loss. Her coach, Maryam, joins her in an agonizing decision: withdraw under false pretenses to protect family in Iran or risk everything and defy the regime. 

 The first film ever co-directed by an Israeli and an Iranian filmmaker, Tatami pairs stark black-and-white visuals with kinetic camerawork to amplify the adrenaline of competition and expose authoritarian rule.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Awards

WINNER, Freedom of Expression Award | Venice International Film Festival, 2023

WINNER, Best Actress (Zar Amir-Ebrahimi) | Tokyo International Film Festival, 2023

This film contains scenes with brief nudity and themes that may be distressing to some viewers.

The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue

Sunday, February 22 • 2:30 pm

Kramer Family Theater at Cape Henry Collegiate,
1320 Mill Dam Road, Virginia Beach

Director Barry Avrich • 95 min • Canada • 2025 • English • Captioned • Documentary • Rated R

In a harrowing real-life story, The Road Between Us follows retired Israeli General Noam Tibon, who on October 7, 2023, received a desperate text from his son: terrorists had stormed his home, and he, his wife, and their two young daughters feared for their lives. With no time to spare, Tibon and his wife, Gali, embarked on a 10-hour mission across a country under siege to save their family. Relying only on his instincts and military training, Tibon navigated ambushes, roadblocks, and a collapsing security system in a relentless race against time.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Awards

WINNER, People’s Choice Award, Documentary | Toronto International Film Festival, 2025

This film contains scenes with brief nudity and themes that may be distressing to some viewers.

The Blond Boy from the Casbah

Monday, February 23 • 7:15 pm

Naro Expanded Cinema, 1507 Colley Avenue, Norfolk

Director Alexandre Arcady • 128 min • France • 2024 • French with English subtitles • Narrative Feature Not rated

Having emigrated to France with his family years earlier, Antoine reconnects with his roots in a neighborhood of Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Nostalgic memories flood back—school, friends, his Sephardic upbringing, and his early fascination with cinema—as he presents his new film, an account of his childhood shaped by the unrest that ultimately forced them to flee. As father and son bond over shared history, this sentimental sojourn, adapted from director Alexandre Arcady’s memoir, is brought to life on the vibrant streets of Algiers, evoking a bygone time.

For the Love of a Woman

Wednesday, February 25 • 2:30 and 7:30 pm

Cinema Cafe Pembroke Meadows, 752 Independence Boulevard, Virginia Beach

Director Guido Chiesa • 117 min • Italy • 2025 English •Narrative Feature • Not rated

Set across two eras, this evocative drama masterfully intertwines a love story with a gripping historical mystery, as a woman’s journey through 1970s Israel unearths the long-buried passions and secrets of another’s life in the same land in the 1930s.

This film contains violence and themes that may be distressing to some viewers.

BEYOND THE FESTIVAL offerings:

A Feminist Lens: The Art & Activism of Photographer

Followed by a conversation with Joan Roth and Melanie Roth Gorelick (Executive producer/writer)

Tuesday, February 3 • 7:30 pm

Sandler Family Campus, 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Virginia Beach

Director Pamela French • 45 min • USA • 2023 English • Documentary • Not rated

An intimate portrait of internationally acclaimed photographer Joan Roth, this film focuses on five decades of Roth’s pioneering photography, in which she used her camera to advocate for homeless women in New York City, documented leaders in the U.S. Women’s Movement from the 1970s through today, and illuminated the diverse lives of Jewish women around the world. Free. RSVP at JewishVA.org/Roth

Art Spiegelman: Disaster is My Muse

Followed by a conversation with directors Molly Bernstein and Philip Dolin

Sunday, March 15 • 2 pm

Chrysler Museum of Art, 1 Memorial Place, Norfolk

Directors Molly Bernstein, Philip Dolin • 100 min USA • 2024 • English • Documentary • Rated TV-MA

This eye-opening documentary offers an intimate look at the Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of Maus, exploring how personal trauma, cultural catastrophe, and political unrest have shaped Spiegelman’s life and work. Tickets are included in the full festival pass. Standalone tickets are $8 for Chrysler Museum of Art members, $16 for non-members. Register at JewishVA.org/Muse.

Presented in partnership with the Chrysler Museum of Art and the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater

The Details

Full Festival passes are available for $80 and include entry to all films. Festival Passes must be purchased by Sunday, February 1. Individual tickets are $45 for the BIG Saturday Night Celebration of Jewish Film and $15 for all other films. 

Kids Night Out babysitting is available at the Simon Family JCC for the BIG Saturday Night Celebration of Jewish Film. Registration is required in advance. Space is limited. Register at JewishVA.org/KNO.

The Virginia Festival of Jewish Film is presented by the Alma & Howard Laderberg Virginia Festival of Jewish Film Restricted Fund of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation and funded in part by the citizens of Virginia Beach and Norfolk through grants from the City of Virginia Beach Arts and Humanities Commission and the Norfolk Arts. 

2026 Virginia Festival of Jewish Film Screening Committee 

Anne Fleder, Arts + Ideas chair 

Neil Rose, Festival co-chair

Beth Scharlop, Festival co-chair

Mark Robbins, Screening chair

Rebecca Auerbach

Rob Copeland 

Nathan Goldin

Helen Goldsticker Sissel

Evalyn Horowitz 

Scott Levin 

Amy Levy

Pati Olizewski

Judit Roth 

Dorothy Shiloff Hughes

Gloria Siegel 

Larry Stein 

Shelly Stein

JCC Seniors Club is for adults who are at least 55 years old who are interested in education, culture, and connections to others and the Jewish community.

Join active seniors to learn what’s going on in the community and how to get involved. January’s discussion will focus on Jews in the Confederacy.

The Seniors Club meets on the third Wednesday of each month. The membership fee is $15 per year. For more information, visit jewishva.org/Adults or contact Hunter Thomas at HThomas@UJFT.org.

 More specifically, Ryan, who was pushed out of the role over the summer amid mounting GOP pressure on the public university, cited the topic as an example of why he was confused about the “DEI ban” imposed earlier this year by the public school’s board. The ban had been drafted by the office of the state’s Republican governor.

 “It’s not clear even today what it means to kill DEI,” Ryan wrote in a letter Friday, Nov. 14 to the UVA faculty senate telling his side of the story. 

 He went on: “For example, did it mean that we could no longer try to recruit qualified first-generation students from rural parts of Virginia, or offer financial aid, or even serve matzah in the dining halls during Passover, because each of those efforts would be advancing diversity, equity, and/or inclusion?”

 The candid look behind the curtain was a reflection of broader struggles on campuses to satisfy conservative demands on both antisemitism and DEI. As the Trump administration has taken up the mantle of campus antisemitism after the Oct. 7 attacks, it has strong-armed universities to make substantial changes to preserve their federal funding — not just to its dealings with Jewish students, but also to other conservative hobbyhorses like DEI initiatives. 

 The first public university to strike a deal with Trump to end an antisemitism investigation, UVA was also quick to fall in behind a “DEI ban.” The school is now becoming a flashpoint as Glenn Youngkin, the outgoing Republican governor who pushed the DEI ban, and Democratic Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger, elected as part of a broader “blue wave” opposing Trump, are warring over who gets to appoint Ryan’s replacement. 

 Ryan, who remains an emeritus professor at the school, wrote that he felt compelled to revisit his resignation because Youngkin’s assertions about the state of affairs at UVA needed to be corrected.

 “I think it is time to set the record straight, which will hopefully enable UVA to make all necessary changes in order to end this chapter and begin a fresh, new chapter in the history of a remarkable university,” Ryan wrote.

 The DEI ban was only part of UVA’s turmoil this summer. A subsequent Justice Department investigation into the school’s student admissions and hiring practices, Ryan wrote, soon expanded without warning into an antisemitism investigation.

 “We assembled voluminous information related to admissions for one or more of our twelve schools, and a few days before the deadline for submission, we would receive another DOJ inquiry asking about another school,” he wrote. “They also sent a letter asking about antisemitism and one alleged incident of antisemitism in particular. Each time the scope of the DOJ inquiry expanded, our lawyers asked for and received extensions for submission of material.”

 Ryan did not elaborate on the specifics of the “one alleged incident of antisemitism” in his letter but said that investigators’ interest in antisemitism seemed to be “part of a pattern” of the DOJ throwing more and more allegations against the school. He also speculated that the investigators were simply using such allegations as a leverage tactic against the school.

 “It is impossible for me to know, but the timing of the DOJ letters, the ever-expanding scope of their inquiries, and their willingness to give us extension after extension made me wonder more than once if the DOJ was not actually interested in our response,” he wrote. He came to conclude that the government wouldn’t drop its investigations, including on antisemitism, unless he stepped down.

 Ryan did so this June, after which UVA reached a settlement with the government to drop its antisemitism investigation and others. Unlike other university deals with Trump, this one did not require UVA to pay a fine. Instead, the school agreed to abide by Justice Department guidelines on other issues not related to antisemitism, including the school’s existing general ban on DEI.

 As for matzah in the dining hall, no school has yet been criticized as excessively inclusive for offering kosher food. In fact, several universities facing allegations of antisemitism tied to their handling of anti-Israel protests have expanded their kosher dining-hall offerings as part of their overtures to Jewish students.

Jewish Tidewater heard about the needs and responded with generosity. Local synagogues and other Jewish service programs collected donations from food drives totaling nearly $9,000 and financial contributions totaling nearly $30,000.

 In November, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (aka SNAP) benefits were suspended. According to the Federation of Virginia Food Banks, families with children comprise 67% of Virginia’s SNAP recipients as of 2024, and more than 80% of the families who receive SNAP have been employed in the past year. 

 “Even before the SNAP cuts, we were concerned about the increased utilization of our food pantry,” says Kelly Burroughs, Jewish Family Service CEO. Earlier in the year, funding to Food Banks nationwide was massively cut. “These cuts have already led to fewer resources for food banks whose empty shelves bear witness to the greater need for their services.” 

 In addition to the funding cuts, the price of food increased by 2.9% from July 2024 to July 2025, according to USDA. Smaller pantries could not afford to keep their shelves stocked or their doors open. Many of them closed, which led to an increased number of people using the pantry at JFS each week.  In fact, this Thanksgiving, JFS has more than 300 people signed up to receive meals—nearly twice as many as last year. Each family averages four to five people, meaning that almost 1,500 people this year will benefit from the generosity of Tidewater’s Jewish community’s support.

 JFS often relies on monetary contributions to purchase supplemental items that are not available through the food bank, such as toilet paper and other hygiene products. “We are so grateful for the monetary donations and food drives that benefit JFS’ clients every day and even more considering the cuts to funding at Thanksgiving time,” says Brooke Rush, JFS director of development.

 In addition to the food pantry, JFS also delivers meals through its partnership with Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia and Meals on Wheels of Chesapeake. “There is a myth that there is no hunger in Jewish households. But the truth is, one in four people who receive home delivered meals by JFS is Jewish,” says Rush.

 “The community coming together to support one another is an incredible testament of tzedakah. No one should go hungry, and no one should be ashamed of need. That is why we exist,” Burroughs adds. “I think people underestimate how quickly we can be those people in line that we serve.”

Born in Minneapolis, Minn., on August 2, 1952, to the late Frederick T. Deziel and Dorothy A. Johnson Deziel, she was the wife of Russell “Russ” J. Smith for 45 years.

Working as a bookkeeper for a law firm, her attention to detail and commitment were highly valued. Beyond her professional life, Sandra was a devoted family woman who cherished every moment spent with her loved ones. 

She lived a life full of love, joy, and adventure. Sandra found immense joy in traveling, exploring new places, and creating cherished memories with her family. She also enjoyed playing games and watching sporting events with her family, bringing laughter and excitement into their home. The beach and water held a special place in her heart, offering a sense of peace and relaxation, as well as the VFW Auxiliary.

Sandra is survived by her loving husband, Russ; her two sons, Brennan J. Smith (Diana) of Virginia Beach, Va., and Michael J. Smith of South Mills, N.C.; her brothers, Ted Deziel (Barb) and John Deizel (Judy); her cherished grandchildren, Logan and Emmett Smith; and all of her beloved nieces and nephews and their children. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, Tom Deziel.

A memorial service was held at Twiford Memorial Chapel with Chaplain Kevin Reiver officiating.

The family suggests memorial donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (donors@stjude.org), 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Twiford Funeral Homes, 405 E. Church Street, Elizabeth City, NC, is assisting the Smith Family. Condolences and memories may be shared at www.TwifordFH.com.