Time to reflect
As the High Holidays approach and we prepare to welcome the year 5787, I find myself reflecting on the past year in our Tidewater Jewish community and all that I witness and experience. Throughout the summer, I watched children playing and relishing their time...
Building partnerships, strengthening community safety
Temple Emanuel leadership recently welcomed Virginia Beach Chief of Police Paul Neudigate, members of his command staff, and 2nd Precinct Commander Captain James Gordon for a series of conversations focused on partnership, communication, and community safety. Joining...
Back to School at Strelitz International Academy
A new school year at Strelitz International Academy began on Monday, August 17 with the school’s faculty and staff welcoming both new and returning students to SIA for the 2026–2027 school year. In a special surprise, the Virginia Beach Police Department...
Letter from the Editor
Dear Readers, The High Holidays are doing it again. . . they’re arriving early! Unlike the guest who rings the doorbell 15 minutes early without warning, the holidays don’t really sneak up on us. The first day of the Hebrew month Tishrei is where it always...
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Rabbi who coached Adam Brody for ‘Nobody Wants This’ calls him ‘ignorant Jew’ over Gaza ‘genocide’ comments
Steve Leder asserted his own view that “there is no genocide in Gaza.”
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The post Rabbi who coached Adam Brody for ‘Nobody Wants This’ calls him ‘ignorant Jew’ over Gaza ‘genocide’ comments appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Yizkor is for mourners. But what if everyone attended the service?
In a culture that hurries grief along, writes an educator, people need places to mourn and comfort.
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The post Yizkor is for mourners. But what if everyone attended the service? appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
ADL alleges ‘systemic’ anti-Jewish bias in cultural spaces
The antisemitism organization is monitoring museums, publishing and performance for exclusion of artists.
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The post ADL alleges ‘systemic’ anti-Jewish bias in cultural spaces appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Flydubai attacker went through ‘Islamist radical indoctrination,’ Netanyahu says
The Israeli prime minister noted that investigators had not determined whether the attack was connected to Iran.
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The post Flydubai attacker went through ‘Islamist radical indoctrination,’ Netanyahu says appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Latest News
When the shofar asks: Who am I?
Rosh Hashanah arrives each year carrying questions. What did I accomplish during the year that has passed? Where did I fall short? Whom did I help? Whom did I hurt? What needs to change? But beneath all these questions lies another, more...
Team Virginia Beach scores in Toronto
The JCC Maccabi Games and Access were held August 2-7 in two different host cities—Toronto and Kansas City. The Team Virginia Beach delegation went to the Games in Canada, joining more than 60 other delegations from nine countries. Eight athletes...
Dolly Parton’s Jewish connections
Singer, songwriter, and philanthropist Dolly Parton died Tuesday, August 25 at the age of 80. The outpouring of grief was immediate and universal. “PJ Library and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation team are sad to learn of the passing of musician, philanthropist,...
Thank you to our supporters who recently donated to Jewish News!
Supporters of Jewish News help keep local Jewish journalism alive at a time when it feels as if it is disappearing almost everywhere else. Jewish News appreciates all who support the newspaper with generous contributions – whether in honor of or in memory of...
Rose Frances Glasser and Bernard Glasser Philanthropic Fund makes gift to Jewish News
Among the various organizations and programs receiving recent gifts from the Rose Frances Glasser and Bernard Glasser Philanthropic Fund, was Jewish News. The distributions were determined by the late couple’s family. “My mother was a very astute businesswoman...
Kempsville’s Lauren Krajesky is leading the distribution of millions of dollars to organizations that help seniors
Growing up in the Bible Belt (Northern Georgia south of Chattanooga, Tennessee), Baptist bred Lauren Krajesky could never imagine where she would be today. “I have to pinch myself,” she says. “I really am in a dream job.” A decade after becoming an executive...
Creating communities of belonging: Highlights from the Inclusive Educators’ Conference
As educators prepare for a new school year, many are facing challenges that extend beyond academics. Rising incidents of antisemitism and other forms of bias, increasing polarization, and the need to foster safe classroom communities have made inclusive teaching...
NextGen community connects at Sunset on the Water
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s NextGen community recently teamed up with Norfolk Kayak Rentals for an eventful Sunset on the Water experience. Despite cloudy skies, the weather held out so that NextGen kayakers could enjoy time out on the water. ...
Other News
JFS receives grant from Beth Sholom Village Foundation to expand support for seniors
Rooted in Jewish values of dignity, compassion, and communal responsibility, caring for older adults and people with disabilities has long been central to Jewish Family Service of Tidewater’s mission. A new grant from the Beth Sholom Village Foundation will help JFS...
History preserves the past — memory preserves a people
My friend, the historian Niall Ferguson, recently posted something remarkable on social media. Reflecting on the resurgence of antisemitism, Holocaust denial, and what he called the “anti-history” engulfing much of the world, Ferguson reached a painful...
Temple Emanuel’s Religious School gets inspired renovation
What should a congregation do when a school’s enrollment grows year after year? Renovate the environment to match the dynamic energy, seems a reasonable response. Last December, volunteers at Temple Emanuel started this project by tearing down old coat...
Birthday
Wishing Stanwood Dickman a very Happy and Healthy 91st Birthday on Friday, August 28. His family will be celebrating with him.
What’s Happening
A new BeAR year and a new school Annual kickoff
Thursday, October 8, 12 pm • Sandler Family Campus Sharpen the pencils, stack the books, and get...
JFS Dementia Cafe
Monday, October 12, 1 –3 pm • Sandler Family Campus Jewish Family Service invites caregivers and...
Tidewater Community Shabbaton
For one weekend, the diverse Jewish Tidewater becomes one. The Community Shabbaton is a chance to...
In Their Own Words: American Jewish History Through Autobiography
Begins September 22, Tuesdays, 11 am • Sandler Family Campus Led by Rabbi Michael Panitz, this...
Obituaries
May the Source of Peace
send peace to all who mourn, and comfort to all who are bereaved.
Selma Oppleman Snyder
Virginia Beach – Selma Oppleman Snyder passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by her family, just four months shy of her 100th birthday.To know...
Dr. Stephen Willis Tonelson
Norfolk – Dr. Stephen Willis Tonelson died peacefully on September 17, 2026.His wife, Lona, and his daughters, Claire and Rachel, were with him. He...
Jay M. Woodman
Virginia Beach – Jay M. Woodman, 77, passed away peacefully at home on Monday, September 7, 2026.Jay was born in Hampton, Va. to the late Theodore...
Joan Naomi Thompson
Marco Island, Fla. – Joan Naomi Thompson, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and cherished friend, passed away peacefully on August 19, 2026. She...