by Ben Sales TEL AVIV (JTA)—After the missiles have stopped, after the troops have come home, even after most of the wounded are out of the hospital, Israelis will still be feeling the burden of Operation Protective Edge—this time in their pockets. With the recent...
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Stand Strong for Israel Community Gathering
Thursday, July 24 | 7:00 p.m. Sandler Family Campus 5000 Corporate Woods Dr., Virginia Beach, VA Please join the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, the Community Relations Council of the UJFT, and the entire community, as we gather to show our solidarity with...
Update on Operation Protective Edge, Day 10
News and links to photographs, videos and other information from Israel: THE SITUATION - IDF ground forces entered Gaza just after 10pm Thursday night. A further 18,000 reserve soldiers were called up during the night. In total, 48,000 reserve soldiers have been...
Gomley Chesed’s ceiling falls, Ohef Sholom offers a sanctuary
This is the story of a bad ceiling and cooperating congregations. On the Wednesday prior to Kol Nidre, part of Gomley Chesed Synagogue’s ceiling caved in. If that wasn’t bad enough, asbestos was found, which meant the property was not habitable and could not be...
At Sukkot, turning oy into the season of joy
LOS ANGELES (JTA)—In open opposition to Kohelet (Ecclesiastes), which tells us on Sukkot “there is nothing new under the sun,” I decided to build a solar sukkah this fall. To energize my plan, I went to the 99 Cent Store to buy some solar yard lights to adapt for use...
Jewish War Veterans chapter has full schedule
At a recent meeting of Jewish War Veterans Post 158 held at the Simon Family JCC, Lt. Cdr. Oliver Herion gave a lecture on being an Explosive Ordnance Demolition Technician in the navy. One might say the discussion was dynamite! Commander Herion also made an...
Hebrew Academy of Tidewater graduates class of 2013
Every year it happens in May and early June: Spring, a season of renewal and beauty, which grows from determination and hard work. It is also a season of graduations everywhere…an event that also commemorates growth, hard work and new beginnings. Coincidence? Probably...
Families enjoy lively Shabbat celebration
The hour before Shabbat is typically a quiet one at the Simon Family Jewish Community Center at the Sandler Family Campus. That wasn’t the case on April 12. Young children and their families prayed, sang, ran, ate, laughed, crafted and ran some more—at a Family...
Tikkun Tidewater Recycling Day at the J helps repair the world
The Tidewater community showed its commitment to the Jewish practice of tikkun olam—repairing the world—at the 2nd Annual Tikkun Tidewater Community Recycling Day. Held on April 14 in the parking lot of the Simon Family Jewish Community Center at the Sandler Family...
Israel Today Forum features Middle East peace expert just back from Israel
Thursday, May 23, 7 pm Information “hot off the press” is how David Makovsky characterizes what he’ll be discussing at the third and final Israel Today forum at the Simon Family JCC on the Sandler Family Campus in Virginia Beach. Makovsky is flying to Virginia Beach...
New friends and old films— a great “Movie Combo”
Three-dozen women met at Cinema Café in Virginia Beach to make new friends and watch a modernday “classic” on Sunday, April 21. Directed by Barry Levinson, “Avalon” is a coming-of-age story for countless Eastern European Jewish immigrants, who came to the United...
Salute to a dozen Jewish moms for Mother’s Day 2013
NEW YORK (JTA)—What do Golda Meir, Natalie Portman and Aviva Shalit have in common? They’re all on JTA’s Top Jewish Moms list. With Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 12, we present our select group (in alphabetical order but for our final choice): Bella Abzug The first...
Perlman performance rouses audience at Virginia Arts Festival concert
Students of the Perlman Music Project, along with their mentor, Itzhak Perlman, received three standing ovations at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts. The concert was copresented by the Virginia Arts Festival and the Marilyn and Marvin Simon Family JCC as the...
Students get help from Federation gifts
Students at the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater are fortunate to have some of the most modern, technologicallyforward learning tools in their classrooms. Some of the hi-tech tools come via the use of Interactive White Boards, commonly known as smart boards, which allow...
Dr. Jason K. Wagner: Making time for “doing Jewish”
Jason Wagner, MD, 27, lights up when he talks about his ketubah that he and his wife Shauna signed at their wedding on Nov. 12, 2011. “It was so cool to explore ketuba.com on the internet and design our own document. We chose the graphics and also the wording.” It...
Ohef Sholom Temple and Temple Sinai join together
Two congregations will soon officially be one. On Sunday, June 3, Temple Sinai of Portsmouth and Ohef Sholom Temple of Norfolk will come together as one congregational family. The day will begin with a ceremony at Temple Sinai, where Rabbi Arthur Steinberg will speak...
Jewish Education Night, 2012
Jewish learning—its teachers and administrators of all the community Jewish schools were honored at this year’s Jewish Education Night on May 14 at the Simon Family JCC. Many awards and recognitions were given to deserving teachers and youth. Annabel Sacks, chair of...
Burle Usher Stromberg: Following in his father’s footsteps
“It warms my heart that there are so many exciting events taking place at HAT. Not only are we teaching our students, but we are also educating our parents, grandparents and siblings,” says Burle Stromberg, president of the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater board. When...
Gordon Family Philanthropy continues through naming of new hospice Freda H. Gordon Hospice and Palliative Care of Tidewater
Freda Gordon, of blessed memory, spent her life quietly and humbly nurturing her family and community. Now her legacy of caring and compassion will live on through the Freda H. Gordon Hospice and Palliative Care of Tidewater. “Our family is pleased to make this lead...
Gratitude and remembrance mark Yom Hashoah ceremony at Beth El
Interspersed within the reverent mood that marked much of the Yom Hashoah ceremony on April 19 at Congregation Beth El, were touches of passion, expressions of hope, and displays of dedication to remembering the lessons of the Holocaust. The Holocaust Commission of...
Community enthusiastically participates in Tikkun Tidewater 2012
Held on Earth Sunday, April 22, Tikkun Tidewater 2012 could easily have been called Rain Day and become a complete washout. Instead, the three-hour event supporting the Jewish ideal of repairing and caring for the world for future generations was an overwhelming...
Expanded Maimonides Society off to a healthy start
The Maimonides Society of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater gathered at the home of Jody and Alan Wagner, MD last month to socialize and discuss future plans. Comprised of a variety of Jewish healthcare professionals, Maimonides Society members have been a...
New film promotes positive view of Israel
On Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel Independence Day, community members were treated to a special Israel Independence Day treat, complete with popcorn and candy. The Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater showed a free screening of the...
White families jointly contribute to begin endowment fund at Temple Israel
When Sam White passed away in February at age 89, he left behind four children, six grandchildren and a wife who has a treasure trove of great memories of life with a man who made his mark on his family, his community and his temple. “We were there at the beginning of...
Barbara Kaufman Pributsky: Expanding her Jewish tent
By using a map and AAA travel books, Barbara Pributsky navigates the route that she and Gerry, her husband of almost 56 years, take as they tent across North America. They have travelled by car from the Bay of Fundy to the Florida Keys; from Mexico to Washington State...
Alyssa and Jonathan Muhlendorf Create a Jewish Legacy
Alyssa and Jonathan Muhlendorf believe in sharing what they have. Whether that’s the laughter and beauty of their children, Elijah and Nyla, their professional expertise, their time, or their commitment to the Tidewater Jewish community, if there’s a way, this young...
Poll results emphasize need to articulate Pro-Israeli message
When measuring peoples’ opinions about Israel, pollster Nathan Klein has found that something as small as the letter “i” can make a big difference. Speaking to an audience at Ohef Sholom Temple on Sunday, April 15, Klein revealed poll findings that showed questions...
Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut Wednesday, April 25 • Thursday, April 27
Memorial Day for most people in Tidewater, or throughout America, for that matter, generally signals the opening of neighborhood pools, a three-day weekend, and maybe a day to remember and honor those who have fought to defend America’s freedom. In Israel, it means...
Israeli lawmakers nix U.S. conference over visa rejection
A delegation of Israeli lawmakers will not attend a Washington conference because the United States has barred entry to one member because he belonged to a banned terrorist group.