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A nationally recognized and dynamic Jewish leader, Rabbi Shira Stutman will visit Tidewater next month as part of the Lee & Bernard Jaffe Family Jewish Book Festival. As the full-time rabbi of Aspen Jewish Congregation, she is known for bringing Jewish wisdom to...
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...
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...
Sunday, Dec. 15, 2 pm, Chrysler Museum, $18 Ori Z. Soltes, PhD, former director and chief curator of the B’nai B’rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum, will be the first presenter for The Jewish Museum and Cultural Center’s Tidewater Jewish Visual Arts Advisory...
Thursday, November 21, 6:30 pm Sandler Family Campus Strelitz International Academy, in partnership with the Simon Family JCC, will present Lenore Skenazy, founder of the Let Grow movement and author of Free-Range Kids, for an engaging event at the Simon Family JCC....
Tuesday, October 29 6:00 - 7:15 pm Simon Family JCC Calling all 6th-8th Graders for the 3rd annual Middle School Kick Off. At this gathering, connect with new and old friends, enjoy a pizza dinner, share ideas, plan future get-togethers, and have fun. This...
Class starts: Tuesday October 15, 11:30 am Sandler Family Campus How does your family’s history fit into the broader sweep of modern Jewish history? Were they recent immigrants or part of a long line of Jewish families? This fall, explore those connections in the new...
Many Jewish holidays that aim to bring in a sweet new year take place this month. Since the Seniors Club meeting falls on Erev Sukkot, it will be held in the Sandler Family Campus sukkah. Emily Patyuk, one of Tidewater’s ShinShinim (Israeli ambassadors) will lead...
A day of family fun for the entire Tidewater community Sunday, October 27, 11 am - 3 pm, Sandler Family Campus Fall is a season of excitement at Strelitz International Academy. From decorating the sukkah and harvesting its fall garden to enjoying seasonal sensory...
Next book club meeting: Sunday, October 2710 am, B’nai Israel Synagogue The Rabbi Sacks Tidewater Community Book Club met last month at Ohef Sholom Temple to discuss To Heal a Fractured World. This was the fourth book reviewed as part of a yearlong effort to dig...
Sunday, October 20 11 am – 3pm Jewish Museum and Cultural Center Portsmouth The Daffodil Project Rededication Ceremony, which commemorates the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust, will take place at the Jewish Museum and Cultural Center...
A common advertising refrain, “Membership has its benefits,” takes on extra meaning at the Simon Family JCC, where membership includes opportunities that feature fitness and swim options, cultural arts programs, clubs for all ages and interests, leagues, and an...
Monday, October 21, 1:30 pm Sandler Family Campus In March 2024, Christopher Gorham spoke virtually in partnership with United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and the Konikoff Center for Learning about his novel, The Confidante. The JCC Book Club will go into more...
Monday, October 7, 6 pm, Temple Emanuel Nearly a year has passed since the tragic events of October 7, 2023, a day that will forever be seared into the collective memory of our people. On that fateful day, Hamas brutally murdered a multitude of people. Families were...
Sunday, December 15, 2 pm Chrysler Museum The inaugural presentation of the Tidewater Jewish Visual Arts Advisory Board, a creation of the Jewish Museum and Cultural Center’s visual arts committee, will feature a nationally known professor, lecturer, and art expert,...
Class begins Wednesday October 30, 11:30 am In times of crisis, the Jewish community’s support has been remarkable, with donations, supplies, and love continuing to pour in. But what else can be done? Enter the power of mitzvot—a secret weapon. A mitzvah, a...
Next meeting: Tuesday, December 2, 6:45 pm, Sandler Family People often ask, “What is Moon Circle? What do you do? What is it about?’ Here's a breakdown of what Moon Circle is, with the hope that more will join in this meaningful experience. Rosh Chodesh, the birth of...
An opportunity to deepen connections to Jewish heritage, culture, and contemporary thought A new initiative of the Konikoff Center for Learning of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, the Great Jewish Bookshelf invites Jewish adults—or anyone interested in the...