What’s Happening

Saturday, May 28 The Simon Family JCC is planning a full outdoor summer at the Metzger Outdoor Aquatics Center—enjoying its first near-normal season since 2020—when the pool opens on Memorial Day weekend. The pool’s opening also signals the re-start of the Swordfish...

Throughout May, Sandler Family Campus Winners of the Elie Wiesel Visual Arts Competition from local and national schools in the Junior and Senior divisions, as well as other works of art selected for judging, are currently on display in the Cardo of the Sandler Family...

Friday, May 27, 9:00–9:30 am Veterans Memorial on the Sandler Family Campus The Jewish community of Tidewater will hold a brief ceremony to commemorate Memorial Day in preparation for the long weekend on Friday, May 27. Hosted by the local Navy Chaplains, in...

Saturday, June 11, 9:45 am Shabbat morning services at Congregation Beth El will include a ‘fond farewell’ to Rabbi Arthur and Miriam Brunn-Ruberg on Saturday, June 11. A festive luncheon will follow. RSVP to sandy@bethelnorfolk.com.

Thursday, May 19 Family Fun, 5 pm Happy Hour (21+), 6:30 pm Join YAD and Chabad of Tidewater for a night of socializing, networking, relaxing, and celebration of Lag B’Omer in the new Marty Einhorn Pavilion at the Sandler Family Campus. Kosher BBQ graciously provided...

Sunday, May 22 If you have Shaimos that you would like to dispose of, please be in touch with Matthew Kramer-Morning at mkmorning@ujft.org for instructions on drop off at the Sandler Family Campus the week of May 16. Collections will then be buried in Mikro Kodesh...

Saturday, June 11 9:45 am Shabbat morning services at Congregation Beth El will include a ‘fond farewell’ to Rabbi Arthur and Miriam Brunn-Ruberg on Saturday, June 11. A festive luncheon will follow. RSVP to sandy@bethelnorfolk.com.

Thursday, May 19–Saturday, May 21 Rabbi Tzvi Flaum has been involved in women’s collegiate education for more than 50 years. He currently serves as the Dean of Religion at the Landers College of Touro in Manhattan, as well as a professor of the honors courses dealing...

Sunday, May 22, 1–4 pm, Sandler Family Campus Anglers get that gear ready for the Simon Family JCC’s Catch and Release Fishing Derby at Lake Sandler. This is the one day of the year that the public is invited to the Sandler Family Campus to fish on its private lake...

Sunday, May 15, 4 pm, Sandler Family Campus Tidewater Jewish Foundation will host the 2022 Simon Family Legacy Celebration, an event honoring donors, agencies, and organizations serving the current and future Tidewater Jewish community. TJF’s first in-person event in...

Sunday, May 1, 31st Street Park Virginia Beach Oceanfront 5K Run/Walk: begins at 8 am 1 Mile Run/Walk: begins at 9am Jewish Family Service of Tidewater’s annual Run, Roll, or Stroll race as part of its Spring Into Healthy Living returns to the Virginia Beach...

Tuesday, May 3, 6 pm, Sandler Family Campus You may have heard that America is moving away from fossil fuels and to renewables to generate clean energy to power homes, businesses, and other structures. Well, that’s very good news for Hampton Roads because Dominion...

Wednesday, April 10, 7:30 pm, Sandler Family Campus On happy occasions we wish each other “Mazel tov!” and when we want something good to happen we hope that we have a little “mazel,” or luck. But good luck doesn’t just drop from the sky. People have more control over...

Saturday, April 6, Bnai Israel Toras Chaim’s Shabbos lunch features an opportunity to see projects and artwork made by students, hear divrei Torah given by students, and view pictures of what is taking place in the local Torah day school. Shabbos Parshas Tazria and...

Sunday, June 2, 2 pm, KBH Kempsville Conservative Synagogue, Kehillat Bet Hamidrash (KBH) just turned 40. The small, but mighty congregation has so much to celebrate. The congregation will officially acknowledge this milestone with an event to be held at the...

First program: Thursday, May 9, 6–9 pm A series for Jewish high school students, Cause An Effect offers students and their parents resources and tools to strategically respond to acts of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel rhetoric currently seen on campuses. The program is...

Saturday, October 19 Hilton Hotel Oceanfront, Virginia Beach Does “We’re the boys of chapter 370, we’ve got plenty of…” sound familiar? If it does, you’re in for a fabulous treat! For many Jewish males who grew up in Tidewater during the early 1960’s through the early...

Tuesday, April 2, 10:45 am–1:15 pm Congregation Beth El Dine, shop, and celebrate Park Place School community partners who are changing children’s lives. Auction and art items for sale starting at 10:45 am. Lunch begins promptly at 11:30 am and will conclude promptly...

Thursday, April 18, 11:30 am, Simon Family JCC The Simon Family JCC will host a seder open to all seniors. Rabbi Israel Zoberman will lead participants in a service followed by a traditional Passover meal. Tickets are $10. The registration deadline is Thursday, April...

Thursday, March 28, 5:45 pm The Westin Virginia Beach Town Center “I am honored to receive the VCIC Humanitarian award on behalf of the outstanding agencies whose endeavors I have been privileged to support,” says Patricia P. Wainger, one of this year’s honorees of...

March 29–31 Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, the highly respected scholar and bestselling author of 18 books, including A Code of Jewish Ethics, Jewish Literacy, and The Nine Questions People Ask About Judaism, co-authored with Dennis Prager, will lead a weekend of learning as...

Purim is a particularly dear holiday to me for many reasons. Not only does the holiday celebrate when my namesake saved our people with wit, intellect, and bravery, it also is a time of good cheer to celebrate and have fun with friends—old and new! The nature of Purim...

Thursday, March 21, 5:30 pm, Wyndham Garden Hotel, across from Scope David Crone, an acclaimed ventrilogquist, will bring his array of charming “dummys”—puppets and other props—to life in a hilarious performance, drawing on classic Jewish and Purim-related themes—for...

Attention, college basketball fans! Nadiv, the young men’s giving circle through UJFT’s Young Adult Division (YAD), will host a community-wide fundraiser during the 2019 NCAA tournament. Here’s how it works: Every year in mid-March, the NCAA unveils a 68-team bracket....

The former editor-in-chief of Parade magazine, Janice Kaplan is the author of 14 popular books, including The New York Times bestseller The Gratitude Diaries, which received international praise. Kaplan will speak to the Tidewater community about her latest book, How...

Author Marilyn Simon Rothstein will discuss her latest novel, Husbands and Other Sharp Objects at a luncheon as the Simon Family JCC Book Club celebrates its 100th read. Marilyn Simon Rothstein is the author of Life and Separate, winner of the Star Award, presented by...

Friday, February 22–Saturday, February 23 Congregation B’nai Israel of Norfolk and Keneseth Beth Israel of Richmond are joining forces for a weekend of unity and inspiration in Norfolk. The weekend will kick off with a “Carlebach” style Kabbalat Shabbat. After...

March 2019 Leon Family Gallery at the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus A young child just learns that her father has died from an accident at work. Who can she talk to about her feelings? How can she cope with this tragic loss? How will her family cope and begin to...

Sunday, February 24, 9:30 am–12:45 pm Sandler Family Campus, $10 An initiative of the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater, Konikoff Center of Learning, Tidewater Learning Connection brings nationally recognized authors, speakers, and expert educators to engage the community...

Thursday, March 28, 2019, 5:45 pm The Westin Virginia Beach Town Center The Humanitarian Award of the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities is presented to those individuals who have demonstrated a personal commitment to the promotion of respect and understanding...

Friday, February 22–Saturday, February 23 Two Orthodox shuls in Virginia have embarked on a journey to bring two Jewish communities closer together. Congregation B’nai Israel of Norfolk and Keneseth Beth Israel of Richmond are joining forces for an innovative program,...