What’s Happening

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...

Tuesday, October 17, Simon Family JCC Continuing Legal Education: 12–4 pm, $150 includes class and lunch Society of Professional networking event: 6–7 pm, $10 cover Community event: 7:30–8:30 pm, free A quick, one-day trip to Tidewater by Dr. Mark Goldfeder will...

Monday, October 30, 7:30 pm Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus What would you say to your childhood hero if you had the chance to meet? In June, thousands of Israelis got the opportunity to do just that when Bruce Smith, Joe Montana, “Mean” Joe Greene, and 16 other...

November 5–19 Simon Family JCC’s annual Lee & Bernard Jaffe* Family Jewish Book Festival returns with the promise of a great series of author engagements and to expand participants’ minds on such topics as: • Mindfulness and de-stressing, • How the short stories...

Thursday, Nov. 28, 10 am reception, 11 am service For 86 years, Ohef Sholom Temple has ushered in Thanksgiving with a joint interfaith service with Freemason Street Baptist Church. The temple and the church alternate each year hosting the service. The clergy from the...

Sunday, Dec. 15, 10 am–3 pm How well do you know your family tree? Did you know that one in four Jews is a carrier for at least one of 19 preventable Jewish genetic diseases? If both members of a couple are carriers for the same genetic disease, there is a 25% chance...

Sunday, Nov. 17, 2pm The second lecture in the Jewish Museum and Cultural Center series features Dr. Gary Zola, executive director of the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives and professor of the American Jewish Experience at Hebrew Union College....

Monday, Dec. 2, 5:30–7:30 pm First annual Latke Fest comes to the Simon Family JCC. Celebrate Chanukah with games, a special Chanukah craft, and dinner featuring a world class Latke bar. Games include Driedel spinning, Flip the latke in the frying pan, and Pin the...

Saturday, Dec. 7, 8 pm Join YAD at Light It Up, the biggest cultural event of the year. Celebrate Chanukah in style at this special evening featuring Vinyl Headlights. Ticket includes latke bar, doughnut bar, and open bar. Open to people ages 22+. Purchase tickets and...

Thursday, Dec. 5, 8 am to 6 pm Join the JCC Adults on the road as they travel to Richmond to the Bizarre Bazaar, which features more than 500 exhibitors, boutiques and designer accessories, gifts, gourmet foods, nationally known crafters, artists and more. $45...

Thursday, Nov. 12, 6 pm The Rumi Forum, a Washington, DC-based organization that fosters interfaith and intercultural dialogue is honoring Rabbi Michael Panitz at its 9th annual Friendship and Solidarity Dinner in Hampton Roads. The Rumi Forum is non-political and its...

Monday, Dec. 9, 7 pm The Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Congregation Beth Chaverim present Kyle Shideler of the Endowment for Middle East Truth, speaking about “The Threat of the World-Wide Muslim Brotherhood Movement.”...

Sunday, Nov. 24, 2 pm The second film of the Jewish Museum and Cultural Center’s Winter Film Series, “The Last Angry Man,” is a 1959 drama which tells the story of a television producer who profiles the life of a physician in a changing neighborhood. Paul Muni, David...

Thursday, Dec. 12, 7 pm The Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, in partnership with area synagogues, agencies, organizations, businesses and community members, presents Ishmael Khaldi as the first speaker in its 2013-2014...

Friday, Nov. 15–Sunday, Nov. 17 Ohef Sholom Temple’s 2013 Marvin and Lillian Davis Scholar in Residence Weekend will feature Dr. Gary P. Zola, associate professor of the American Jewish Experience at Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion and executive...

Saturday, Nov. 16, 7:30–10 pm Giddy up, Hampton Roads! Temple Israel is dressing up and placing bets for a night at the races when the synagogue hosts its first-ever Temple Israel Derby. The fast-paced action will happen inside “Brody Downs” (formerly Brody...

YAD and Chabad are teaming up for the seventh consecutive year to celebrate Shabbat. Dinner and lots of l’chaims are sure to make a great evening. Supervised playroom will be provided for children. $10 per adult; $5 per child. Chabad House is located at 1920 Colley...

Wednesday, Oct. 30, 3:30–4:30 pm Join the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and the Children and Family department of the Simon Family JCC to welcome Israeli Youth Ambassadors in their annual student exchange with Tallwood High...

Monday, Nov. 11, 11 am The Jewish War Veterans Monument on the Reba and Sam Sandler Campus of the Tidewater Jewish community was a dream come true for many local veterans. The Tidewater Jewish Foundation invites the community to attend its annual Veterans Day Memorial...

Sunday, Nov. 17, 1–3 pm The Simon Family JCC will celebrate Jewish heritage through Jewish-based learning in conjunciton with 350 communities worldwide as part of the Global Day of Jewish Learning. Conceived to mark the completion of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz’s historic...

Saturday, Nov. 2, 5:30pm The Virginia Symphony League and Young Audiences of Virginia are joining forces to honor Bettie Minette Cooper with a Gala. The celebration recognizes the 50 years of Cooper’s passionately persistent, vocal and philanthropic support of music...