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Get ready for the 3rd Annual Strelitz Fall Festival

Get ready for the 3rd Annual Strelitz Fall Festival

Sunday, October 26, 11 am – 3 pm, Sandler Family Campus At Strelitz International Academy, fall is a season bursting with joy, tradition, and community spirit. From decorating the sukkah and harvesting the school’s vibrant Fall Garden to exploring handson seasonal...

Beth El set to celebrate 175th anniversary

Beth El set to celebrate 175th anniversary

Saturday Nov. 8, 7 pm Congregation Beth El is planning to celebrate 175 years of Jewish life in Tidewater with an evening featuring music, food, drinks, and highlights of the past 175 years – as well as insights into the future.   Synagogues have always been...

Make Judaism Your Superpower’ at Temple Israel

Make Judaism Your Superpower’ at Temple Israel

Saturday, Nov. 15 and Sunday, Nov. 16 With the help of Artist in Residence Jordan Gorfinkel – “Gorf” to his many (and soon to be more) fans – Temple Israel will present a weekend in November of doing just that.  And who could be more qualified to talk about...

Community Commemoration of October 7

Community Commemoration of October 7

Monday, October 6 9 am Sandler Family Campus Join Tidewater’s Shinshinim, Noga Yaniv and Yarden Lahan, in the Sandler Family Campus Sukkah for a heartfelt morning of remembrance and reflection. The program will begin with a short ceremony, honoring the memory of the...

Hebrew Ladies Charity Society to be honored at luncheon 

Hebrew Ladies Charity Society to be honored at luncheon 

Sunday, January 11 Ohef Sholom Temple Jewish Family Service will host a special luncheon to celebrate the remarkable legacy of the Hebrew Ladies Charity Society of Tidewater.   Established in 1902, this pioneering group of women laid the foundation for what...

JFS preparing for Thanksgiving Drive

JFS preparing for Thanksgiving Drive

Friday, November 21, 10 am – 12 pm Jewish Family Service will host its annual Thanksgiving Drive at the Sandler Family Campus when community members in need can pick up a free Thanksgiving meal through its drive-up pantry.   Those who wish to volunteer to help...

Chanukah Gift Drive launch

Chanukah Gift Drive launch

Begins Friday, October 31  Jewish Family Service is launching its annual Chanukah Gift Drive to support families in need this holiday season.  Beginning October 31, JFS will begin accepting donations of gifts and monetary contributions. The deadline is...

Kids Night Out: Supreme Pool Party

Saturday, April 26, 5 – 9 pm Sandler Family Campus The last Kids Night Out of the school year will be a special Supreme Pool Party Edition.With lots of beach balls, noodles, and dive toys, this Kids Night Out is sure to end the year with a splash! Kids will hang out...

Tidewater’s Great Jewish Bookshelf welcomes new subscribers

Off to an exciting start, the Great Jewish Bookshelf is engaging readers throughout Tidewater with powerful stories and new ideas. Even though the year is already underway, there’s still time to register for the subscription program. Late registrants can also select...

Applications now open for JELF

Students who seek loans for higher education may now apply to JELF – Jewish Education Loan Fund. The deadline is April 30, 2025.JELF offers 0% interest loans for full-time students from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia (excluding metro...

Celebrate Tu B’Shevat in Tidewater

The Jewish New Year of the Trees, Tu B’Shevat starts on Wednesday, Feb. 12. In the 17th century, Kabbalists created a ritual for the holiday that is similar to a Passover seder. Several options to participate in a modern version of the Tu B’Shevat seder are listed...

The New Christian Zionism: A panel discussion

“You can count on me. I’ll be there.” It was a simple text message, but one that meant a great deal to me.In the last year, I have watched a relationship blossom between ODU Hillel and the Institute for Jewish Life and Interfaith Understanding and Regent University’s...

A History of Hatred:New course explores threat of antisemitism

Six-week course begins Tuesday March 18, 6:45 pm, online In moments of collective astonishment about the state of the world, there’s an underlying awareness that much of what is taking place is not new. Antisemitism has resurfaced with alarming intensity, taking on...

Course empowers learners to advocate for justice

Class begins Tuesday, March 18, online Sometimes called “the longest hatred,” antisemitism has persisted in many forms for more than 2,000 years. It has evolved, taking various forms and adapting to the era’s prevailing social, political, and religious ideologies....

When a seemingly odd couple becomes friends and Torah study buddies

Monday, March 10, 7:30 pm • Sandler Family Campus What happens when an Orthodox rabbi and a Reform Jewish journalist team up to study and debate the Torah? Find out when Rabbi Dov Linzer and Abigail Pogrebin bring their unique perspectives to the Simon Family JCC for...

CommUNITY Play-In and Sing-along

Sunday, February 2, 4:30 pm, Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall, Norfolk State University The Virginia Symphony Orchestra, in partnership with the City of Norfolk, will host its annual CommUNITY Play-In and Sing-Along concert.Members of the community who play any...

Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day: An important date with the state

Wednesday, January 29, 7 am – 4 pm, Sandler Family Campus to Richmond Date with the State, also known as Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day, provides an opportunity for the statewide Jewish community to raise awareness around topics of importance such as countering...

Round Table Conversation: What’s in a name?

Thursday, February 6, 1 pm Sandler Family Campus Formerly known as Coffee and Conversation, Round Table Conversation is a lively discussion group that provides a welcoming space to discuss politics, history, and worldly events, with each participant offering a unique...

Virginia Council BBYO Reunion: Teens of the 1970’s and 1980’s

Saturday, April 26 • Weinstein JCC, Richmond The first Virginia Council BBYO reunion for teens from the 1970s was held in 2010. Now, 15 years later, and during the 100th anniversary year of the founding of BBYO, another reunion is planned to take place in April.“If...

Ohef Sholom Temple’s Taste of the Town to celebrate Cantor Jen

Saturday, January 25, 5:30 – 8 pm Ohef Sholom Temple A food and wine experience in honor of “40 and Fabulous” Cantor Jen Rueben is slated to take place at Ohef Sholom Temple. Savor delicious bites from local restaurants, sip fine wines and craft beers, and toast to...

Catholic Church of St. Stephen creates holiday cheer for thousands

For the eighth consecutive year, clients at Jewish Family Service of Tidewater have been adopted by members of the Catholic Church of St. Stephen in Chesapeake. Carol Ehrbar, who coordinates this project for St. Stephen each year, helped collect more than 3,000 gifts...

‘Knitting for Others’ helps other keep warm

Tuesdays 10 am – 12 pm Sandler Family Campus A mighty group of knitters meets every week to create beautiful blankets, scarfs, and hats to donate to Jewish Family Service to be distributed to those who need an extra bit of warmth. The group welcomes knitters of all...

The Great Jewish Bookshelf: January’s picks

The Great Jewish Bookshelf is ready to inspire 2025 reading journeys, starting with an exceptional lineup for January. Beginning Jan. 1, subscribers will choose their first book from a selection of titles that touch on Jewish identity, history, and imagination....