Milestone anniversaries worth celebrating
A wedding anniversary of any number is reason to celebrate, yet milestone anniversaries traditionally get special attention. Reaching a milestone is no easy feat and so Jewish News asked three of area couples about their secrets to the foundation of their...
Holocaust Commission marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day
The Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater hosted a moving community gathering in recognition of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27. Held on the Sandler Family Campus, the program brought people of all ages together to...
Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day highlights bipartisan support
Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day once again brought voices from across the Commonwealth to the State Capitol, underscoring a simple but powerful truth: showing up matters. Nearing the midpoint of the 2026 General Assembly session, Jewish community members...
My family runs to our safe room when the sirens sound. I try to believe it’s enough.
MODIIN, Israel — To get a sense of what life is like in Israel these days, consider the circumstances in which air raid sirens have caught me over the last several days: Reading the Purim megillah in a school bomb shelter near my synagogue. We closed the door when the...
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JTA News
Matzah pizza, Miriam and a ‘HUG-gadah’ star in new children’s books for Passover in 2026
Many of the books portray the holiday theme of opening one's seder table to guests.
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In Broadway’s ‘Giant,’ Roald Dahl is a warped messenger for a vital debate about Israel
John Lithgow stars in a new play about the beloved children’s author’s antisemitic outbursts.
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The post In Broadway’s ‘Giant,’ Roald Dahl is a warped messenger for a vital debate about Israel appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Cornell president rejects students’ anti-Israel resolutions
Plus, a group of Orthodox Jews were on board the plane that crashed while landing at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday.
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The post Cornell president rejects students’ anti-Israel resolutions appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Trump says US in ‘productive’ talks with Iran to end war, delays strikes after ultimatum
Trump's announcement comes days after Iran struck two southern Israeli cities on Saturday, injuring nearly 200.
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The post Trump says US in ‘productive’ talks with Iran to end war, delays strikes after ultimatum appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Latest News
JCC Lifeguard Josef Patar celebrates citizenship
His story could be a novel. . . and a page-turner, at that. This past December, Josef Patar added a chapter he’s been trying to write for a while. . . he became a naturalized U.S. citizen. With several supporters, including a couple of friends from Ohef...
Jonathan Zur honoredat ODU’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance
The Hugo A. Owens Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Award was presented to Jonathan C. Zur at Old Dominion University’s 41st Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance in January. Zur is president and CEO of the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities. Robin Mancoll,...
JFS volunteer honored as Food Bank Superhero of the Month
Laura Goldstein, a volunteer for Jewish Family Service of Tidewater, was recently honored by the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore as their Superhero of the Month. Goldstein was nominated and recognized for her dedication, compassion, and...
Turning the Page: 2026 JAHM books announced for Tidewater schools
One of the annual initiatives of Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM), which takes place in May, is the distribution of books to local schools. Through this program, thousands of students encounter Jewish stories, many for the very first time. The 2026 JAHM...
Beth Sholom Village launches new grant program to support seniors
Aging with dignity is a cornerstone of a strong community. Increasingly, that dignity is defined not only by care, but by connection, purpose, and opportunity. Through the newly launched Beth Sholom Village Grant Program, Beth Sholom Village is investing in innovative...
Accommodations for open participation at Sandler Family Campus
Providing accommodations for everyone who visits the Sandler Family Campus is an ongoing commitment for United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and the Simon Family JCC. The campus facilities continue to be at the forefront of making certain all may visit and take...
Legacy conversations begin around the table
The table was already cluttered. Half-empty glasses, a bowl of pasta passed one more time, someone reaching for the last challah crumbs. It wasn’t a planned conversation. No agenda. Just a familiar meal, shared with people who knew one another well enough to speak...
When dialogue unites: One table, three rabbis, and a shared hope.
I experienced one of those moments that reaffirms why sincere dialogue remains one of the most powerful tools we have as a society, on Wednesday, Dec. 17. Around a shared table sat three rabbis—Rabbi Shlomo Eisenberg of Congregation B’nai Israel,...
Other News
JCRC shares Purim spirit with community partners through mishloach manot
This Purim, the Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater took the joy and spirit of the holiday outside the Jewish community through its Purim Boxes, or mishloach manot, initiative. Rooted in the Purim tradition of sending gifts...
Purim with a purpose: Community delivers joy to area seniors
Jewish Family Service of Tidewater always looks forward to celebrating Purim, but this year felt especially meaningful. In addition to celebrating, the community made sure seniors living in assisted living facilities knew they were not forgotten. Purim is a...
In JFNA’s first ‘State of the Jewish Union’ address, security and antisemitism loom large
(JTA) — Speaking from Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Feb. 19, the president and CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, Eric Fingerhut, laid out his assessment of the state of Jewish life in America. “The state of the Jewish union in America is strong,...
Mike Goldsmith shares security expertise with community
After 35 years of service on the Norfolk Police Department fighting crime as a police officer, advancing through the ranks to become Norfolk’s Chief of Police, then on to a second career as an Assistant City Manager for Norfolk, Mike Goldsmith was more than entitled...
What’s Happening
Beth El partners with 92NY to bring world-Class programming to Norfolk
Monday, April 6, 7:30 pmCongregation Beth El Congregation Beth El recently launched a partnership...
Chrysler Museum of Art presents: Architects of Being: Louise Nevelson and Esphyr Slobodkina
Through May 31, 2026 A groundbreaking exhibition showcasing works by two pioneering female...
Yom HaShoah to commemorate, remember, and reaffirm
Monday, April 13, 6:45 pm, Congregation Beth El This year’s Yom HaShoah commemoration, presented...
Securing Houses of Worship:Countering Active Threat Training (CATT)
Sunday, March 22, 3 pm First Presbyterian Church, Norfolk Active threat situations are...
Obituaries
May the Source of Peace
send peace to all who mourn, and comfort to all who are bereaved.
Arnold “Arnie” Unterbach
Virgina Beach – Born in Brooklyn in 1946, Arnie Unterbach died on Mach 9, 2026. Arnie was the son of Louis Unterbach and Hilda Saltzman, both...
Andrea Weiss, trailblazing Reform rabbi who merged scholarship and activism
(JTA) — Rabbi Andrea Weiss, a former provost of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion who made history as the first woman to ordain...
Ashley Brooke Coleman
Virginia Beach – Ashley Brooke Coleman, age 46, passed away peacefully on February 18, 2026. She was born in Norfolk, Virginia to...
Helen Cohen Laibstain
Norfolk – After a brief illness, Helen Laibstain, 96 years old, died Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at her home. Born March 3, 1929, Helen...