What’s Happening

Wednesday, October 6, 7:30 pm, Norfolk Academy Co-presented with the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater Virginia Arts Festival will present a concert showcasing instruments that echo with history and hope when violins recovered from the...

Mondays and Tuesdays August 23–October 12, 5:30 –6:30 pm Ages 3-6, $75 for JCC members; $105 for non-members Open to all children, ages 3–6, this Tee Ball league teaches the basic techniques and skills of the game including throwing, catching, hitting, base running,...

October 7–November 18, Tuesdays, 12–1:30 pm Ready to flex those spiritual muscles? This six-week course taught by Miriam Brunn Ruberg will lead participants through a focused, high-intensity journey through the Jewish perspective on some of life’s milestones: birth,...

Originally published in the July 19, 2021 issue.  August–September Robyn Sidersky Then, Now, & Looking Forward: Lorraine Fink Retrospective, featuring artwork created by Lorraine Fink over the last several decades, will be on display in the Leon Family Gallery at...

Originally published in the June 28, 2021 issue. Wednesdays, July 7, July 14, July 28, August 14, August 18, 7:30 pm The Jewish Museum and Cultural Center presents The Zelma G. Rivin Wonderful Wednesdays Summer Music Series each year. The 2021 season features five...

Originally published in the May 31, 2021 issue.  Monday, June 14,12 pm, Zoom Free with pre-registration required at JewishVA.org/BookFest Robyn Sidersky When Lisa Novick Goldberg was a child, she was often around Mafia figures—Venero Frank “Benny Eggs” Mangano was her...

Originally published in the May 31, 2021 issue.  June 6–9 Rabbi Batya Glazer The American Jewish Committee’s annual Global Forum will be virtual this year, making it possible to participate from home. This conference delves into the substantive topics and concern of...

Originally published in the May 31, 2021 issue.  Thursday, June 24, 8 pm, Sandler Family Campus, socially distant family-friendly cookout, 6:30 pm Tickets: $12 per person, children ages 12 and under are free Reservations by June 17 Robyn Sidersky The Bar and Bat...

Originally published in the May 10, 2021 issue.  Wednesday, May 12, noon, via Zoom, free Robyn Sidersky After Mimi Lemay wrote a letter to her son, Jacob, she realized she had more to say. The letter, turned into an essay that went viral, led her to write a book, What...

Originally published in the May 10, 2021 issue.  Thursday, May 13, 7:30 pm, Zoom, free Robyn Sidersky Hallie Ephron didn’t start writing until she was 40, and published her first book 10 years later. Unlike the rest of her immediate family, she didn’t initially want...

Originally published in the May 10, 2021 issue.  Saturday, May 15, 6 - 7:30 pm, Ohef Sholom Temple parking lot Cantor Jen will lead Havdalah at Ohef Sholom Temple’s first in-person, outdoor event of 2021. Bring chairs or blankets and a picnic style dinner to enjoy...

Originally published in the May 10, 2021 issue.  Blue Dove Foundation to speak about new book for Mental Health Awareness month Thursday, May 20, 7:30 pm, via Zoom Free, pre-registration required at JewishVA.org/BookFest Robyn Sidersky Jennifer Greenberg’s husband,...

Adam’s Animals by Rabbi Barry Schwartz Sunday, Nov. 12, 10:30 am, Congregation Beth El Adam’s Animals features Adam, who has a big job. God has asked him to name all the animals from A to Z. Some animals are happy with their names, others less so. A beautifully...

Sunday, Nov. 12, 1–5 pm Simon Family JCC The Simon Family JCC’s Jewish Life and Learning Department is offering an opportunity to join in a global movement with a taste of Limmud, bringing together local Jews of all persuasions to create and celebrate Jewish learning...

Ali Katz, author, Hot Mess to Mindful Mom Presented as part of the Lee and Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival, in partnership with Jewish Family Service Wednesday, Nov. 15, 11 am, Simon Family JCC There have been a few times in my life that I experienced what...

Award-winning author wraps up book festival Sunday, Nov. 19, 10:30 am, Ohef Sholom Temple Catching up with author Neville Frankel is like chatting with a favorite professor. He’s knowledgeable and kind and excited to share both his research tactics and his excitement...

The Simon Family Passport to Israel Fund, providing grants for trips for teens to Israel, is now accepting applications. The program’s purpose is to provide funds to enable and encourage Jewish students (ages 13–18*) to participate in an Israel trip experience. The...

Monday Oct. 30, 7:30 pm, Sandler Family Campus While being a Pro Football Hall of Famer comes with many perks, Bruce Smith had a different kind of opportunity when he traveled to Israel with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft in June. Born and raised in Norfolk,...

Sandler Family Campus What’s up now and next Erez Kaganovitz: Humans of Tel Aviv October As the human behind the Humans of Tel Aviv, photographer Erez Kaganovitz showcases the bright and inclusive culture of Israel. Kaganovitz wants his photographs to show a different...

Tuesday, November 14, 7:30 pm Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus Dr. Rachel Fish, Ivy League educator, documentarian, and activist, will discuss her latest book, which she co-edited with Ilan Troen, Essential Israel: Essays for the 21st Century, next month in...

Sunday, Nov. 19, 10:30 am, Ohef Sholom Temple Neville Frankel, author, On the Sickle’s Edge I’ve been speaking to many diverse groups lately about the writing of my recent novel, On the Sickle’s Edge. As I refined my talk, a most wonderful speech coach—let’s call her...

Wednesday, Nov. 15, 11 am, Simon Family JCC Ali Katz is a mindfulness guru. Her mission is to inspire people across the globe to leave stress and guilt behind and to embrace a life full of balance, presence, and joy. Katz began her journey when she realized that as a...

Thursday, Oct. 26, 7 pm Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus In 2013, on the Thursday evening before the first Shabbos Project in Johannesburg, South Africa, 2,500 women gathered to share in the joy and tradition of making challah. The Shabbos Project’s goal is to unite...

Thursday, Nov. 9, 6:30 pm, Beth El “Evil does not need your help, only your indifference.” These are the words of Holocaust survivor Hanns Loewenbach, z’l—and he would know—as he was in his hometown of Berlin the night of Nov. 9, 1938 and witnessed the flames,...

Thursday, October 26, 7 pm, Sandler Family Campus The 3rd Annual Great Big Challah Bake is slated to take place as a lead-up to the globally scheduled Shabbat Project, observed from sundown Friday, October 27 until sundown Saturday, October 28. This year’s Challah...

Monday, October 30, 7:30 pm, Sandler Family Campus, free Bruce Smith is no stranger to the spotlight. The defensive end holds the NFL career record for quarterback sacks, with 200. Smith was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009, and the College Football...

Erez Kaganovitz: Humans of Tel Aviv October The photojournalist behind Humans of Tel Aviv, Erez Kaganovitz has photographed thousands of Tel Aviv citizens, capturing their stories to share with the world. As Kaganovitz told Haaretz, “I’m not trying to bend reality; I...

Tuesday, October 10, 5:30 pm Simon Family JCC Erez Kaganovitz, photojournalist and creator of Humans of Tel Aviv, has an educational and fun event planned for families when he visits Tidewater as part of the Simon Family JCC, CRC, community partners’ Israel Today...

Mark Goldfeder, senior lecturer at Emory Law School and senior fellow at the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory Tuesday, October 17, 7:30 pm Sandler Family Campus “So long as institutions like the United Nations continue to issue one-sided statements...

Tuesday, November 14, 7:30 pm Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus What is the Arab/ Israeli conflict and why hasn’t it been resolved? What explains the failure of American diplomatic efforts to bring about peace in the Middle East? Can Israel be both a Jewish and a...

Sunday, November 12, 1–5 pm, Simon Family JCC Bringing people together of all backgrounds, religious affiliations, and ages to nurture, mentor, and celebrate Jewish life and learning for an afternoon is Tidewater Yom Limmud’s goal. In addition to offering interactive...