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Time flies. It’s hard to believe the beginner’s Hebrew course at the Simon Family JCC has already concluded. What began as the simple challenge of mastering the Aleph-Bet quickly grew into a shared experience of discovery, laughter, and deep connection. Week...
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater recently announced the addition of Blake Sisler as the new coordinator of Youth and Family Engagement. Sisler will oversee PJ Library and Shalom Baby programs as well as support Jewish learning initiatives offered through the...
As the Tidewater Jewish community welcomes 5786 and looks ahead to marking a century of Jewish Book Month, the Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival launches its first half with a vibrant mix of events that reflect the spirit of renewal, resilience, and...
Sunday, October 26, 11 am – 3 pm, Sandler Family Campus At Strelitz International Academy, fall is a season bursting with joy, tradition, and community spirit. From decorating the sukkah and harvesting the school’s vibrant Fall Garden to exploring handson seasonal...
Saturday Nov. 8, 7 pm Congregation Beth El is planning to celebrate 175 years of Jewish life in Tidewater with an evening featuring music, food, drinks, and highlights of the past 175 years – as well as insights into the future. Synagogues have always been...
Julie Giarrana, a registered dietician who recently started offering personal nutrition services at the Simon Family JCC, originally got to the Center by responding to an ad for a substitute yoga instructor. It was Giarrana’s nutrition background, however, that caught...
Saturday, Nov. 15 and Sunday, Nov. 16 With the help of Artist in Residence Jordan Gorfinkel – “Gorf” to his many (and soon to be more) fans – Temple Israel will present a weekend in November of doing just that. And who could be more qualified to talk about...
Sunday, October 27, 7 pm, Sandler Family Campus United Jewish Federation of Tidewater invites every member of the community – every stream, and every story – to come together as one Jewish people for the inaugural Partners in Jewish Life (PJL) evening, presented by...
Monday, October 6 9 am Sandler Family Campus Join Tidewater’s Shinshinim, Noga Yaniv and Yarden Lahan, in the Sandler Family Campus Sukkah for a heartfelt morning of remembrance and reflection. The program will begin with a short ceremony, honoring the memory of the...
Sunday, January 11 Ohef Sholom Temple Jewish Family Service will host a special luncheon to celebrate the remarkable legacy of the Hebrew Ladies Charity Society of Tidewater. Established in 1902, this pioneering group of women laid the foundation for what...
Friday, November 21, 10 am – 12 pm Jewish Family Service will host its annual Thanksgiving Drive at the Sandler Family Campus when community members in need can pick up a free Thanksgiving meal through its drive-up pantry. Those who wish to volunteer to help...
Begins Friday, October 31 Jewish Family Service is launching its annual Chanukah Gift Drive to support families in need this holiday season. Beginning October 31, JFS will begin accepting donations of gifts and monetary contributions. The deadline is...
Saturday, April 26 • Weinstein JCC, Richmond The first Virginia Council BBYO reunion for teens from the 1970s was held in 2010. Now, 15 years later, and during the 100th anniversary year of the founding of BBYO, another reunion is planned to take place in April.“If...
Saturday, January 25, 5:30 – 8 pm Ohef Sholom Temple A food and wine experience in honor of “40 and Fabulous” Cantor Jen Rueben is slated to take place at Ohef Sholom Temple. Savor delicious bites from local restaurants, sip fine wines and craft beers, and toast to...
For the eighth consecutive year, clients at Jewish Family Service of Tidewater have been adopted by members of the Catholic Church of St. Stephen in Chesapeake. Carol Ehrbar, who coordinates this project for St. Stephen each year, helped collect more than 3,000 gifts...
Wednesday, January 29, 7 am – 4 pm Sandler Family Campus to Richmond Date with the State, also known as Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day, provides an opportunity for the statewide Jewish community to come together to raise awareness around topics of importance such as...
Tuesdays 10 am – 12 pm Sandler Family Campus A mighty group of knitters meets every week to create beautiful blankets, scarfs, and hats to donate to Jewish Family Service to be distributed to those who need an extra bit of warmth. The group welcomes knitters of all...
The Great Jewish Bookshelf is ready to inspire 2025 reading journeys, starting with an exceptional lineup for January. Beginning Jan. 1, subscribers will choose their first book from a selection of titles that touch on Jewish identity, history, and imagination....
The United States Postal Service’s new Hanukkah stamp celebrates the holiday with an image of a hanukkiah, the nine-branch candelabra used on Hanukkah. Designed by art director and stamp designer Antonio Alcalá, the image was created in ink; the irregular lines of the...
Tuesday, January 14, 7:30 pm, Sandler Family Campus On the morning of October 7, Shahar Dekel and his now wife were fortunate to be away from their home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz. Many of their friends and neighbors, however, were not so fortunate and instead were killed or...
Wednesday, December 18, 12 pm YNOT PIZZA Landstown Commons Open to all JCC Seniors Club members and gamers, the Seniors Club annual holiday party includes a White Elephant Gift exchange (up to $10), for which all attendees should bring a gift. The Seniors Club...
In preparation for the 2025 JCC Maccabi Games in Tucson, Arizona, Team Virginia Beach is holding a fundraiser. . . Square Up for Maccabi. The 50/50 football square fundraiser involves no skill, talent, or knowledge of football, but it is an opportunity to win up to...
Sunday, Dec. 15, 2 pm, Chrysler Museum A renowned expert from Georgetown University, Ori Soltes, PhD, will offer a survey of 20th-century modern Jewish painting for the initial program of the Tidewater Jewish Visual Arts Advisory Board. The board was recently created...
They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I would like to think that’s the case with our family. Over the years, we have donated to a host of causes, from Beth Sholom to Strelitz to Jewish Family Service (for whom I worked 31 years ago), and to...
Camp Fair at the Simon Family JCC Sunday, November 24, 10 am – 12 pm, Sandler Family Campus | Learn more and register at JewishVA.org/CampsandKindness As part of Community Impact Day: Creating Kindness and Jewish Camp Curiosity, a Camp Fair will offer an opportunity...
The Mitzvah Mall aspect of Community Impact Day is an amazing way for area youth and adults to know about all the incredible work that is taking place in Hampton Roads. Jewish Family Service serves and supports those in the community who are forgotten and vulnerable. ...
I am beyond excited to attend and present at the Community Impact Day: Creating Kindness and Jewish Camp Curiosity. The energy of being at Jewish overnight camp is unmatched, and I am thrilled that the camp I attended as a child and teen, and then worked at as...
Sunday, November 3, 1 pm, Simon Family JCC The terms “Ashkenazi” or “Sephardic,” might be familiar, but not as much for “Mizrahi.” Mizrahi comes from the Hebrew word “Mizrach,” which means east. Mizrahi Jewish communities, sometimes known as “Oriental Jews,”...
Tuesday, November 5, 1 pm, Sandler Family Campus The Yiddish Club offers a welcoming space for participants to engage in readings, discussions, and performances while enhancing their understanding of the Yiddish language. Attendees can expect lively conversations and...
Thursday, November 7, 1 pm, Sandler Family Campus To better align with the group’s goals, “Coffee and Conversations” is now “Roundtable Conversations: Agree to Disagree,” with thoughtful discussions focusing on tougher, more challenging topics. United Jewish...
Wednesday, November 20, 11:30 am Sandler Family Campus The Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival will host Susan and David Schwartz, authors of The Joy of Costco, for an exclusive 30-minute meet and greet with the JCC Seniors Club. The...
Friday, Nov. 22, 8:15 pm and Saturday, Nov. 23 3:30 pm and 4:45 pm B’nai Israel Saturday, Nov. 23 7:30 pm Sandler Family Campus B’nai Israel Congregation’s Ann Zukerman Memorial Scholar-in-Residence weekend will feature Rabbi Ken Spiro. Rabbi Spiro is a senior...