“I was fortunate to have that opportunity.” 25 years after 9/11, one local Jewish Marine remembers Ground Zero
On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, David Ashe was at home in Virginia Beach watching the Today Show while on terminal leave from the Marine Corps.He had recently completed his first active-duty tour and was stationed in San Diego. At the moment, however, Ashe was at...
Saying sorry: Observing Yom Kippur with little ones
Where Rosh Hashanah brings sweetness and celebration, Yom Kippur asks something different — stillness, honesty, and the harder work of reflection. For young children, that’s a tricky needle to thread. Three local families share how they’ve made it meaningful. Jennie...
Rabbi Levi’s newest trope sidekick is his own 13-year-old son
Conservative Jews like me who have read from the Torah for years either memorize the words, vowels, and musical notes…or trope…or just manage to get through typically a handful of sentences from an eighth of a third of the sedrah or weekly portion (the triennial cycle...
More than a summer goodbye
Families gathered at the Sandler Family Campus on Friday, August 21 for United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s and PJ Library’s annual End-of-Summer Shabbat.The celebration was originally planned as a pool party, but unexpected weather required a change of plans....
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JTA News
Two Israelis critically wounded by Palestinian gunfire in West Bank
Ammunition cache found in gunmen’s vehicle; IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said a larger terror attack was thwarted.
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The post Two Israelis critically wounded by Palestinian gunfire in West Bank appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Will this election end the battle over drafting haredi men into the Israeli army?
By 2050, over 40% of 18-year-old potential male Jewish recruits will be haredi.
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The post Will this election end the battle over drafting haredi men into the Israeli army? appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Why a new ultra-Orthodox party supports drafting haredi men to the IDF
The issue of mandatory military service has reached a boiling point as the country heads to the polls next week.
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The post Why a new ultra-Orthodox party supports drafting haredi men to the IDF appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
The discovery of a Jewish Negro League star forces a rewrite of Jewish baseball history
A Jamaican birth, a Sephardic lineage and an arm that dominated the Negro Leagues: How Oscar Levis changes what we thought we knew about Jews in baseball.
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The post The discovery of a Jewish Negro League star forces a rewrite of Jewish baseball history appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Latest News
Yom Kippur: When “Impossible” becomes “I’m Possible”
There is something about Yom Kippur that makes time feel different. Perhaps it is the haunting melody of Kol Nidrei, or the fasting, or simply the knowledge that Jews around the world are standing before the same ancient questions: Who have I become? What have I taken...
Mizrahi in Motion: Connecting through art, food, and movement
Two dozen or so women gathered to immerse themselves in Mizrahi culture on the evening of Sunday, August 23. The event was led by Jackie Dratch, creator of the Mizrahi Dance Archive, and organized by NextGen757, a community group for young Jewish adults ages 21 -...
Havdalah on the beach
It was another beautiful evening at the beach on Saturday, August 29, when 68 people (but who is counting) gathered in our backyard to celebrate Havdalah together.Known for separating the Shabbat from the ordinary weekdays, Havdalah is a joyful service and a great...
America at 250 Spotlight: Tidewater Jewish Hero: Henry Scolnick, a community creator
Seventeen-year-old Henry Scolnick has already accomplished what many adults only hope to achieve. As the founder of Ballers Basketball, he has built far more than an adaptive sports league, he has created a community where children with unique abilities, teenage...
ODU ProfessorAmy Milligan receives award from national academic organization
In recognition of her leadership in combating antisemitism and fostering a safer, more welcoming campus environment for Jewish and Zionist students, Professor Amy K. Milligan, Batten Endowed Associate Professor of Jewish Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies at Old...
Camp JCC finishes a memorable season
“Unforgettable” is an appropriate way to describe Camp JCC’s 2026 summer. The season was packed with exciting field trips, spirited theme days, new campers, and an incredible staff team, including the additions of Christine Carnahan as camp manager, and Blake Sisler,...
Sweetness and shofars: Celebrating Rosh Hashanah with little ones
Rosh Hashanah is a special holiday, offering observers a sense of renewal and the opportunity for a fresh start. It is a time for reflecting on the previous year and considering what to do differently in the year to come. The concept might not immediately...
Reverse Tashlich: Repentance as environmental action
The ritual of Tashlich is an all-encompassing symbolic representation of the High Holidays. This process of releasing sins into the river comes directly from the book of Micah, verse 19: “He will again have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou...
Other News
Beth Chaverim’s Beach Sisterhood – a house of (women) friends – reading books together
Book clubs are everywhere these days. Beth Chaverim’s Beach Sisterhood Book Club is comprised of a cordial group of Jewish women who meet monthly to discuss a selected book.The Sisterhood Book Club meetings take place at a local home with everyone contributing to a...
Be A Reader is back to school
The High Holy Days just offered a time to pause, reflect, and think about the year ahead – how to do better, how to give more, and, hopefully, how to make a difference.Now it’s time to get busy!This is one of Be A Reader (BeAR) Literacy Project’s favorite times of the...
A partner in planning: How TJF helps advisors help their clients
Attorneys, financial advisors, and other professional advisors often begin some of their most important conversations with clients with a simple question: What matters to you?For clients who are charitably inclined, that question can open the door to planning that...
Synagogues face the challenge to be safe, secure, welcoming, and legal
In 2018, a gunman killed 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history.In the years since, some Jewish writers have argued that congregants should be able to protect themselves. Rabbi Stuart...
What’s Happening
Israel on Trial with Judge Roy Altman
Thursday, December 10, 7 pm, Sandler Family Campus, Free What happens when a federal judge applies...
HINENU: Israel at Ten Million
Thursday, November 5, 7 pm, Sandler Family Campus, Free When Israel reached 10 million citizens,...
Ballroom dancing at the JCC
Next dance: Saturday, October 24, 7 - 10 pm, Simon Family JCC For anyone who has ever thought it...
Decades of Memories: Honoring the loss of peers and friends with Dr. Louise LubinA special program for seniors
Monday, October 19, 11 am - 12:30 pm, Sandler Family Campus Moving through life, everyone...
Obituaries
May the Source of Peace
send peace to all who mourn, and comfort to all who are bereaved.
Cabell Barker Cummings
Norfolk – Cabell B. Cummings, born August 14, 1977, passed away on September 5, 2026.Cabell was a man no one will ever forget. Throughout his life,...
Betty Glasser Bonnie Hecht
Virginia Beach – On September 17, 2026, Betty Glasser Bonnie Hecht, a native of Norfolk, Va., passed away at the age of 95.Betty was a loving wife...
Norman Hecht
Norfolk – Norman Hecht, 93, passed away on September 12, 2026, after a brief illness.A proud native of Norfolk, he was the son and youngest child of...
Richard H. Kline
Boca Raton, Fla. – Richard H. Kline died September 7, 2026.Richard H. Kline was a key figure in Virginia Beach’s community life and business world....