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Rabbi Murray Ezring doesn’t hold a grudge. But he does get even. Thirty-one years after he was a candidate to be the rabbi of Congregation Beth El in Norfolk, he is returning to Beth El to serve as an interim replacement for Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz, the man who...

The Emerging Philanthropists Council was established with a Fund created at Tidewater Jewish Foundation to help Jewish teens learn about philanthropy by conducting their own grants process. In its first year, the EPC learned about tzedakah and how to think about...

The theme throughout the evening was awareness, but as the stories unfolded, an even stronger message came through: organ donation is LOVE. The Thursday, May 16 program, “Organ Donation: The Gift of Life” featured keynote speaker Janet S. Wright, MD FACC, acting...

YAD’s Beachside Social event was a huge success. New people, people who haven’t been to an event in years, people who aren’t new to the area, but are new to the Young Adult Division of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, as well as loyal ‘YADians,’ attended....

Toras Chaim held its annual dinner at B’nai Israel Congregation on Monday, June 3, honoring Amy and Kevin Lefcoe with the Gesher award for building bridges in community and education. The Lefcoes have been involved with the Jewish community on so many different levels...

Still going strong! Last year, Hadassah focused practically an entire issue of its magazine on ‘The Art of Aging.’ The idea being, of course, that age is just a number. It’s possible, according to nearly every article in that issue, to ‘grow older, without getting...

I am so excited to announce the birth, pun intended, of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s new initiative, Shalom Baby! When I gave birth to my son, Yuvi, two years ago, I was living in North Carolina in a new city and didn’t know a single person. Luckily, my...

Thousands from across Tidewater joined the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Simon Family JCC at the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus to celebrate Israel’s 71st year on a bright, sun-filled day. Israel Fest 2019 was packed with authentic Israeli food, music,...

The 33rd day of the Omer was celebrated this year with beautiful weather and people from all congregations together at the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus. As in past years, DJ Silver provided celebratory Israeli and Jewish tunes...

Celebrated on the third Sunday in June, Father’s Day was made a permanent national holiday by, you’ll never guess, President Richard Nixon, in 1972. Who knew? Father’s Day is usually filled with cards, gifts, and cookouts…though some dads get lucky and, like most moms...

This past Memorial Day, my family and I went to a few of the local Jewish cemeteries in Tidewater to place American Flags on the graves of those who have, “borne the brunt of battle.” Ever since we moved to the area, some seven years ago, we have made this a family...

The Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s month-long 2019 Elie Wiesel Visual Arts exhibit officially closed on May 31. The annual Elie Wiesel Competitions for students include visual arts and writing. TowneBank and the Simon Family...

Exchange program between Eastern Virginia Medical School and Bar-Ilan University Medical School Providing high quality community healthcare services to patients at risk both in America and northern Israel is among the major learning insights of medical students...

Healthcare impacts us all in one way or another. That’s probably why there’s seemingly no limit to articles and shows on the subject, and why we do this section each year. Our first article on page 18 introduces three young Israeli medical students who are...

The College of William and Mary was chartered in 1693. Since then, Jewish life on campus has been difficult, if not scarce, at times. Students got together, met on occasion, tried to find rooms to gather in for holidays, and held occasional social events. Over the...

This year’s Yom Hashoah Commemoration, which honors the victims and survivors of the Holocaust as well as liberators and righteous gentiles, brought the community together to move forward with tolerance and remember those who have fought for justice and fallen to...

This trip will leave you with more questions than answers. That’s what our guide, Avi Marcovitz, told our group as we gathered in Warsaw’s airport. By we, I mean the 23 young adults from across the U.S. and two from South Africa, who had come to Poland to participate...

Nearly 100 community members cycled through the Leon Family Gallery on the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus on April 30 to tour the exhibit, Home: Lens on Israel, with David Schizer, CEO of the American Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). Home showcases JDC’s impact...

On May 7, in the rainbow glow of a giant Chihuly sculpture at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach, the Women’s Cabinet of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, held its annual Spring Lunch and Installation. Janet Mercadante, outgoing chair,...

While April 1, 2019 wasn’t your typical April Fool’s Day filled with children’s pranks, laughter abounded at a merged UJFT Women’s Cabinet and Women’s Young Adult Division event, hosted by Leora Drory. For the first time, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s...