What’s Happening

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...

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...

Tuesday, Oct. 1, 7:30 pm Through a grant from the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and with the support of the Milton Kramer Scholar-in- Residence Fund, Congregation Beth El will host Malcolm Gladwell in a program broadcast live via satellite from the 92nd Street...

Sundays, Oct. 13–Nov. 10 9 to 10 am Since learning doesn’t stop at a particular age or after finishing formal schooling, consider a five-week introductory course in Hebrew to become more inspired and active Jewish learners. This course consists of learning basic...

Saturday, Sept. 28, 7:30 pm—Sunday, Sept. 29, 9 am Six through eighth graders are invited to join friends at the Simon Family JCC Middle School Lock In. Kick off the new school year with plenty of fun, food, games, movies and more. $15 for JCC members; $30 for...

Tuesday, Sept. 24, 11 am Mindle Crystel Gross, a teacher of conversational Yiddish, will be the featured speaker at The Yiddish Club at the Simon Family JCC. This meeting is open to everyone, Yiddish club members and nonmembers, Yiddish speakers, and those who speak...

Sunday, Sept. 22, 5–6:30 pm “PJ” stands for “pajamas,” and invokes that time at the end of the day when parents and children strengthen their bond through love and learning by cuddling up with a book. The PJ Library® is an international, award-winning Jewish family...

September brings a new Spinning® program, Power Yoga, and Tai Chi in the water class, among other new additions, to the Simon Family JCC Fitness Center. On Sept. 22, JCC cycle instructors will participate in a day-long Spinning® certification to become Spinning®...

Wednesday, Sept. 11, 4:30 -6:30 pm The Afro-Semitic Experience, a band beyond categorization, will perform their special, “soul-driven” music in a concert presented by Old Dominion University’s Institute for Jewish Studies and Interfaith Understanding. The bad is a...

Saturday, Sept. 21, 7 pm The UJFT’s Young Adult Division is hosting a progressive dinner like you’ve never seen before! Join this Sukkah Hop, at the homes of several YADian’s living in Middle Plantation in Virginia Beach. For $10, the evening will include appetizers,...

Sunday, Sept. 22, 10 am Temple Israel and the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater invite the community to join them for a free community briefing at the temple. Professor Amos Guiora will share insight on the renewed...

A trip for eligible young adults who have not gone on their free 10-day trip to Israel with Taglit-Birthright Israel, is being offered by Network JCFR. The organization is sending a group of 22–27-year-olds to Israel this winter. Registration opens Sept. 9, so...

Monday, Nov. 11, 11 am When the nation celebrates Veterans Day, a solemn ceremony will also take place at the Jewish Veterans Memorial on the Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish community. Now three years old, the memorial was created through significant...

Mondays, Sept. 16 and 30 and Oct. 14 and 28, 7–8:30 pm You know it isn’t true. You want to stand up for Israel. You’ve got 30 seconds before you lose them. What do you say? Actually, it takes about three minutes to make a clear case that Israel isn’t a racist state,...

The aftermath of the July 3 ouster of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has been tragically bloody, yet deeply illuminating for students of the Muslim Brotherhood. The secretive organization, once mislabeled as secular and moderate by U.S. Director of National...

Aug. 5-6 In his 2006 book Sophie Scholl and the White Rose, co-author Jud Newborn explores the actions of a group of college students in Nazi Germany who protested against the human and civil rights violations they saw occurring in their country. Despite certain...

Tuesday, August 20, 8 am A caravan of Simon JCC “Day Trippers” is headed to Petersburg and Richmond. Open to adults of any age, the first stop of the day will be at the Virginia Diner for breakfast and shopping. The bus will then travel to Old Towne Petersburg, an...

Sunday, July 28, 7 pm Area rabbis promise a lively discussion following the showing of a critically acclaimed film at the Naro Expanded Cinema. They will discuss, Fill the Void, an award-winning Israeli drama about a naive 18-year-old girl in an ultra-orthodox Hasidic...