Beth Sholom Village has a new president. On June 19 at BSV’s annual meeting, Matthew Weinstein, president of Managed Networks of America, assumed the presidency, as attorney Stuart Nachman became the immediate past president. Lawrence Siegel, first vice-president;...
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Ellen Rosenblum installed as new president of Jewish Family Service of Tidewater
With a theme of “Honoring Our Past, Envisioning Our Future,” Jewish Family Service of Tidewater (JFS) held its 64th Biennial Meeting on June 17. At the meeting, JFS installed Ellen Rosenblum as the president for 2019–2021, thanked Jeff Cooper for serving as president...
Bill Nusbaum named to Virginia Israel Advisory Board
Richmond, Va.—On behalf of the Virginia House of Delegates, Speaker Kirk Cox has named Bill Nusbaum to the Virginia Israel Advisory Board (VIAB). Nusbaum is an attorney with Williams Mullen. VIAB is a government agency that helps Israeli companies locate and grow...
Legal Matters in the Jewish Community
Ruth Bader Ginsburg donates $9,000 to Israeli schools teaching Arabic and Hebrew Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg says she is donating $9,000 to a network of bilingual Hebrew and Arabic schools in Israel. The grant to schools operated by Hand in Hand comes...
Virginia Council BBYO elects several from Tidewater
Local BBYO members were recently elected to serve on Virginia Council’s board. They are:
There’s a new rabbi in town: Rabbi Murray Ezring at Beth El
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...
Emerging Philanthropists Council distributes first funds
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...
JFS organ donation program dispels myths, spreads awareness
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...
Games and camaraderie make YAD’s Beachside Social successful
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....
Amy and Kevin Lefoce honored at Toras Chaim Annual Dinner
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...
Senior Living
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...
The newest kid in town: Shalom Baby
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...
YAD Mitzvah Purim party recalls Bar and Bat Mitzvah days
Tidewater’s young Jewish adults showed up ready to party at YAD’s Purim party on Saturday, March, 23. It took no time for the popular ‘DJ Richard’ to get the party going with dance hits, games, and glow necklaces as young adults celebrated the festive holiday. This...
Recent JDC Study Mission to the Philippines
This is an open thank you letter to our community, the Tidewater Jewish community, for its unwavering support and care for Jewish communities around the world. This care takes into account our strong values of tikkun olam, the concept of leaving the world a better...
Passover 5779
Dear Readers, Passover is in the air. The kinda light, kinda panic feeling arrives each year along with the blossoms and warmer temps. The sense that something good, something unifying, uplifting, and yes, even that something happy is about to take place, comes with...
$17-million reasons to celebrate
Community gathers to celebrate second year of the LIFE & LEGACY™ program Tidewater Jewish Foundation (TJF) honored its community partners and donors at the 2nd annual LIFE & LEGACY event on Monday, March 18. The evening celebrated the success of the...
Men’s trip to the Rebbe’s Ohel
Its dark and cold, and practically the middle of the night. It’s 4:30 am on Wednesday, January 16 and this morning, I’m standing with a group of eight others, ready to embark on a journey unlike any other I’ve experienced. To be honest, as we load the minibus, which...
Congresswoman Elaine Luria spoke in support of a resolution condemning Anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry
WASHINGTON—In a speech on the House Floor on Thursday, March 7, Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02), a 20-year Navy veteran, spoke in support of a House resolution condemning anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry. The resolution passed later that day, 407–23. A...
Brith Sholom hosts myriad speakers
Among Brith Sholom’s many activities, the club often features informative and engaging speakers at its meetings. Jerry Sandler, program chairman, has arranged speakers from such places as the F.B.I, the Virginian-Pilot, and the Red Cross. And, Congresswoman Elaine...
Israel’s Threat Matrix: A survey of the challenges on Israel’s borders and beyond
Dr. Jonathan Schanzer, the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, Simon Family JCC, and community partners’ latest Israel Today expert, visited Tidewater February 19–21, where he spoke to more than 1,100 people. The senior vice...
2019 Summer Camp
Camp provides a time and space for fun, as well as for development of confidence and new skills—all in a protected and caring environment. In fact, studies consistently demonstrate the long-term benefits of a summer camp experience for both campers and counselors....
Leading archaeologist and Jewish Studies scholar to lead new CNU program
Bertram and Gladys Aaron Endowed Professorship in Jewish Studies Dr. Richard Freund, a prominent archaeologist, historian, and explorer, has been appointed to a new position at Christopher Newport University where he will lead Judaic Studies and build strong ties with...
Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day 2019
Forty delegates from Tidewater boarded a bus on the morning of February 6, making their way to Richmond for Virginia’s annual Jewish Advocacy Day with the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Nearly 200 delegates from Tidewater,...
Artist-In-Residence Hillel Smith leaves his mark on Tidewater
With several workshops and discussions on contemporary Judaica, graphic artist Hillel Smith lectured, inspired, encouraged, and produced art during his mid-February visit. Smith led a lunch discussion on his book, Parsha Posters, as a part of the Simon Family JCC’s...
Mazel Tov
Moments before writing this, I gave Scott Kaplan, president and CEO of Tidewater Jewish Foundation, an enthusiastic “Mazel Tov!” on hiring a new development associate and LIFE & LEGACY coordinator. “So?” you may ask. The point is, we say “Mazel Tov!” for many...
Father Patrick Desbois shared his powerful humanitarian work at Sandler Center
In a first ever joint event, the Norfolk and Virginia Beach Forums came together, and with the Holocaust Commission, brought the powerful message of Father Patrick Desbois to Tidewater. The idea to bring this internationally known scholar and humanitarian to Tidewater...
Rave reviews for Film Festival
The 26th Annual Virginia Festival of Jewish Film presented by Alma & Howard Laderberg and Patricia & Avraham Ashkenazi was “one of the most successful in the 26-year history of the festival,” according to Mark Robbins, Film Festival screening committee...
Retirement in Style
Ever wonder why Tidewater and the Jewish community have so many active retirees and busy seniors? We all know that our weather is mild (everything is relative, I know, as I’m always checking temps in Boston, DC, and points south), getting from place to place is easy,...
Join us as we Break Ground for the new Norfolk Mikvah
Jewish Family Service receives gift from Kaufman & Canoles
As part of its 100th Anniversary Giving Campaign, Kaufman & Canoles donated $500 to Jewish Family Service of Tidewater. Each week in 2019, the law firm’s employees are selecting a charity to receive the donation, and JFS was chosen as one of the initial...
Jonathan Schanzer in Tidewater
Wednesday, February 20, 7:30 pm Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus, Free As part of the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and community partners’ annual Israel Today series, Jonathan Schanzer, the senior vice president for...
Food is Love
Food connects people,” says Dalit Gvirtsman, a co-founder of Cooking Up, an international network of food classes. “Food is love,” she continues. Gvirtsman might have a point. After all, consider how many dates, celebrations, and even interviews take place at...