Sundays, beginning October 19, 1-3 pm Sandler Family Campus This fall, Tidewater’s newest Shinshinim, Noga Yaniv and Yarden Lahan, are launching a brand-new Israeli youth movement inspired by the energy and spirit of the Israeli Scouts, “Tzofim.” Open to third...
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The Art of the High Holidays: A Jewish Art Education virtual presentation
Sunday, September 21, 7 pm, $9 (half a chai*) - $36 Rosh Hashanah (Head of the Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) will come to life through 1,500 years of Jewish art with the virtual presentation, The Art of the High Holidays.Presented by Jewish Art Education,...
New Hires
New Jewish Community Services Manager for Jewish Family Service Julie Kievit with her family: Ken, Alexandra, and Ruby. Julie Kievit Jewish Family Service of Tidewater recently announced the appointment of Julie Kievit as its new Jewish community services...
Hebrew Ladies Charity of Tidewater: Honoring a legacy
Jewish Family Service has long been the safety net of Tidewater’s Jewish community—but it all began with a group of determined women.In March 1902, the Hebrew Ladies Charity Society was formed when Fannie Brenner gathered a small group of Jewish women to create a...
Partners in Jewish Life comes to Tidewater: A night of connection and learning
Monday, October 27 • 7 pm • Sandler Family Campus United Jewish Federation of Tidewater will host its first Partners in Jewish Life program – an evening that promises to be a meaningful opportunity for Jewish community members of all backgrounds to gather in learning...
From Sinai to Seinfeld: Jews and their Jokes returns
Course begins: Monday, November 3 • 6:45 pm • online Taught by Dr. Amy K. Milligan, From Sinai to Seinfeld: Jews and Their Jokes, a Melton course presented by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Konikoff Center for Learning, is back by popular demand.Originally...
Artist inResidence weekend planned at Temple Israel
Saturday, November 15 at 9:30 am and 7 pm Sunday, November 16, at 10 am Get ready for a super weekend as Temple Israel hosts Jordan Gorfinkel, or “Gorf,” for its Artist in Residence weekend.Gorf, a former editor of the Batman comics series and author of the Passover...
Photographer and survivor of the Oct. 7 NOVA Musical Festival massacre to speak at ODU
Thursday, September 18 • 7 pm • Webb Center, Old Dominion University Old Dominion University’s Institute for Jewish Studies and Interfaith Understanding and ODU Hillel will welcome Shye Klein, a photographer and NOVA survivor of October 7, whose work documents the...
Read along with BeAR: One hour each week can change a child’s life
Be A Reader (BeAR) Literacy Project pairs caring adults with second graders in under-resourced schools for one-on-one reading time. For many of these children, the attention, encouragement, and joy the mentors bring during that single hour a week is more than just...
Israel’s blind spot: Underestimating Hamas A conversation with Yaakov Katz, former Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief
Thursday, October 23 • 7:30 pm • Sandler Family Campus Acclaimed author and former Jerusalem Post editor-in chief Yaakov Katz will be in town to discuss his new book, While Israel Slept. In the book, Katz delivers a gripping account of how years of complacency, flawed...
Dinner and mushroom art workshop with artist and author Bill Wurtzel
Tuesday, Sept. 16, 6 pm, Sandler Family Campus Award-winning artist Bill Wurtzel is set to share his remarkable journey from a playful breakfast to international acclaim. What began 64 years ago as a funny meal for his wife, Claire, has blossomed into seven books,...
One God, many meanings: A journey through Jewish monotheism
What does it mean to say, “God is One?” This simple phrase, central to Jewish belief, opens the door to a rich tradition of interpretation. From the biblical declaration of the Shema to the philosophical writings of Maimonides and the mystical teachings of the...
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...
The Stephanie Nakasian Jazz Trio performs Jewish Roots of the Great American Songbook
Saturday, February 1, 6:45 - 9 pm Congregation Beth El Congregation Beth El will present The Stephanie Nakasian Jazz Trio performing songs by legendary Jewish songwriters and performers such as Leonard Bernstein, George Gershwin, Barbra Streisand, and Irving...
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...
Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day is just over a month away. Wondering why it is important to attend?
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 come together to raise awareness around topics of importance such as...
‘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....
Hanukkah stamp has an updated look
The United States Postal Service’s new Hanukkah stamp celebrates the holiday with an image of a hanukkiah, the nine-branch candelabra used on Hanukkah. Designed by art director and stamp designer Antonio Alcalá, the image was created in ink; the irregular lines of the...
An unfiltered look with Israeli photographer and IDF Reservist Shahar Dekel
Tuesday, January 14, 7:30 pm, Sandler Family Campus On the morning of October 7, Shahar Dekel and his now wife were fortunate to be away from their home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz. Many of their friends and neighbors, however, were not so fortunate and instead were killed or...
Seniors Club plans its annual holiday party
Wednesday, December 18, 12 pm YNOT PIZZA Landstown Commons Open to all JCC Seniors Club members and gamers, the Seniors Club annual holiday party includes a White Elephant Gift exchange (up to $10), for which all attendees should bring a gift. The Seniors Club...
Square Up for Maccabi Team Virginia Beach
In preparation for the 2025 JCC Maccabi Games in Tucson, Arizona, Team Virginia Beach is holding a fundraiser. . . Square Up for Maccabi. The 50/50 football square fundraiser involves no skill, talent, or knowledge of football, but it is an opportunity to win up to...
Increase your understanding of modern Jewish art
Sunday, Dec. 15, 2 pm, Chrysler Museum A renowned expert from Georgetown University, Ori Soltes, PhD, will offer a survey of 20th-century modern Jewish painting for the initial program of the Tidewater Jewish Visual Arts Advisory Board. The board was recently created...
My grandsons and I will be on the Mitzvah Mall. Please join us.
They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I would like to think that’s the case with our family. Over the years, we have donated to a host of causes, from Beth Sholom to Strelitz to Jewish Family Service (for whom I worked 31 years ago), and to...
Community Impact Day: Creating kindness and Jewish camp curiosity
Camp Fair at the Simon Family JCC Sunday, November 24, 10 am – 12 pm, Sandler Family Campus | Learn more and register at JewishVA.org/CampsandKindness As part of Community Impact Day: Creating Kindness and Jewish Camp Curiosity, a Camp Fair will offer an opportunity...
Jewish Family Service of Tidewater looks forward to the Mitzvah Mall
The Mitzvah Mall aspect of Community Impact Day is an amazing way for area youth and adults to know about all the incredible work that is taking place in Hampton Roads. Jewish Family Service serves and supports those in the community who are forgotten and vulnerable. ...
Sharing my love of camp and community
I am beyond excited to attend and present at the Community Impact Day: Creating Kindness and Jewish Camp Curiosity. The energy of being at Jewish overnight camp is unmatched, and I am thrilled that the camp I attended as a child and teen, and then worked at as...
Mizrahi culture through music and dance: Experience the rich traditions of Middle Eastern Jewry
Sunday, November 3, 1 pm, Simon Family JCC The terms “Ashkenazi” or “Sephardic,” might be familiar, but not as much for “Mizrahi.” Mizrahi comes from the Hebrew word “Mizrach,” which means east. Mizrahi Jewish communities, sometimes known as “Oriental Jews,”...
Engaging Yiddish Club meets monthly
Tuesday, November 5, 1 pm, Sandler Family Campus The Yiddish Club offers a welcoming space for participants to engage in readings, discussions, and performances while enhancing their understanding of the Yiddish language. Attendees can expect lively conversations and...