What’s Happening

Since 1997, Virginia Arts Festival has brought world class performing artists each spring to venues and stages in Tidewater. The Festival plans to mark this milestone with a season suitably spectacular. Anchoring the celebration are some grand performances: the return...

Tuesdays and Thursdays “It is tough—but rewarding. I am learning to focus, have patience, and to train my brain. I am also getting stronger and having fun!” says Spirit Fighting Arts self-defense student C.J. Fenley about his experience with the new classes offered at...

Tuesday, February 8, 4 pm Simon Family JCC and/or remotely Tidewater teens and pre-teens will not have to travel far to see Israel. In collaboration with Lost Tribe ESports, local teens will be able to learn about fun sites in Israel through games and challenges....

July 31–August 4 The Simon Family JCC Athletics Department is searching for Jewish teen athletes to travel as a group this summer to the JCC Maccabi Games in San Diego, California. Tom Edwards, the Simon Family JCC’s athletics director, is organizing players...

Tidewater Together with Isaac and Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik All events online Friday, February 4: Shabbat sermon Ohef Sholom Temple, 6:30 pm, Free, ohefsholom.org Saturday, February 5: Shabbat sermon Congregation Beth El, 9:45 am; Free, bethelnorfolk.com...

Sunday, January 9, 3–4:30 pm Tu B’Shevat is considered the New Year of the Trees, marking the start of spring in Israel—when trees begin to bloom after a long, cold winter. In celebration of Tu B’Shevat, PJ Library in Tidewater is going to the Norfolk Botanical...

Friday, January 14 and Saturday, January 15 As B’nai Israel celebrates 75 years, the congregation is ‘on the hunt’ for beautiful memories. Help B’nai Israel personalize its dedicatory book with flashbacks throughout the years. Share photos or memories such as a...

Shabbos: Friday, January 14–Saturday, January 15 Services begin at 8:45 am followed by a Gala Kiddush at noon To celebrate the congregation’s 75th anniversary, B’nai Israel is planning an awe-inspiring and memorable Shabbos featuring world renowned singer and Chazzan...

Friday, June 8, 7 pm A “congregation without walls,” Tidewater Chavurah’s events are held in members’ homes or at other locations. Their second Friday of the month Shabbat service will be at the home of Hal and Elaine in the Great Neck Meadows area of Virginia Beach....

JCamp begins next month, and as in past years, preparations are underway for this summer’s visiting Israeli Shlichim. Noya Arazi and Eilon Katzav arrive in Tidewater on June 12 to infuse JCamp with Israeli culture. They each bring a wealth of talents to enrich...

Saturday, May 5, 6–9 pm, Ohef Sholom Temple No Frill Grill. One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning. Cooper Hurley Personal Injury Lawyers. Bite. What do these businesses have in common? They are all owned by Ohef Sholom Temple members. “In my years of board service,...

Luncheon: Tuesday, May 1, 11 am–12:30 pm, Congregation Beth El Beth El is bustling with activity in the art studio now being run in the Park Place School. Each week, under the direction of art therapist Kimberly Fisher, all 65 of the second through sixth graders...

Thursday, May 3, 5–7 pm, Simon Family JCC Food, drinks, activities for kids, a bonfire, and fun are planned for this annual celebration. For information, contact Adi Abramov, Jewish Life and Learning program coordinator, at 757-321-2334 aabramov@ujft.org.

Monday, May 7–Thursday, May 31 The 2018 Elie Wiesel Competition student art show, with more than 50 amazing student artworks, will come “home” this year to the Cardo of the Simon Family JCC. A reception for student winners and their families will take place on...

ALUT—Courageous Expressions In observance of Autism Awareness Month April An original and captivating art exhibition that champions self-expression, particularly as a powerful tool of connectivity for those lacking alternative modes of communication, Courageous...

Wednesday, April 11, 6:45 pm, Congregation Beth El United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Holocaust Commission’s annual Holocaust Day of Remembrance, Yom Hashoah will feature Dr. Mark Wygoda, who will share the story of his father, Hermann Wygoda. Known as...

April Courageous Expressions is a mixed media, group exhibition based on a variety of works created by untrained artists from the Israeli Society for Autistic Children (the ALUT Institute), a leading care provider for individuals with autism in Israel. The...

Simon Feil, an accomplished Jewish actor from New York City, is in Hampton Roads performing in Virginia Stage Company’s production of the Pulitzer Prizewinning drama, Disgraced. The play revolves around a dinner party that Issac, played by Feil, attends with his...

Sunday, May 6, 2–4 pm Jane Gardner, survivor of four types of cancer, a former TV anchor, and a former health reporter, will be the guest speaker for this year’s 7th Annual Pink Tea. Hosted by Temple Emanuel, the event continues the legacy of its founder, Renee Heyman...

Thursday, April 19, 6:30 pm, Congregation Beth El On 5 Iyar, 1948 the entire world watched as Israel became an independent nation. On 5 Iyar, 2018 (April 19), the entire world will celebrate as Israel turns 70. Eyal Rob, a screenwriting professor by day and Tel Aviv...

Sunday, April 22, 2:30 pm You have seen them at big football games and concerts, stock car races, and patriotic festivals—“card stunts”—with regular folks holding up colored material to form words, numbers, and symbols. Now it’s Tidewater’s turn. During Israel Fest,...

Sunday, May 20, 1–4 pm, ages 7–15 The Simon Family JCC is the local regional host for the USA Triathlon Youth Aquathlon Splash & Dash for kids ages 7–15. This sports event combines swimming and running. Ages 7-10 have a 100-meter swim and 1-mile run, and ages...

Sunday, April 15, 10 am, Temple Israel Norman Soroko is being honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Seaboard Region, Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, at it’s annual recognition breakfast. Soroko became involved in Men’s Club in the late 1980s at B’nai...

Thursday, April 19, 6:30 pm, Congregation Beth El Celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut with a free and open to the community event. From Holy Land to Club Land: The Evolution of Israel through Music, Rob will bring the Tel Aviv music scene to Tidewater, reflecting the young Jewish...

Tuesday, March 27, 12:30 pm • Sandler Family Campus Based on an installation of 1,000 umbrellas adorning Yoel Moshe Solomon Street in Jerusalem during the summer of 2015, UJFT’s Community Relations Council is launching a similar installation in the Simon Family JCC’s...