Top Stories
Amie and Byron Harrell: Hineni Fellows develop connections and commitment
When Byron Harrell walked into his first Hineni leadership fellowship event in 2017, he was a rising star financial advisor at Davenport & Co. He was familiar with United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, having gifted money, knowing that it was dispersed to various...
Ohef Sholom Temple’s Sisterhood makes part of Mitzvah Day 2020 happen in 2021 with chemotherapy comfort bags
Like so many other events planned in 2020, Ohef Sholom Temple’s Mitzvah Day had to be postponed in April of last year. Planning for the big day was already underway when everything seemed to come to an abrupt halt. One of the projects scheduled for Mitzvah Day was the...
Camp JCC: a great place to be a kid this summer
Smiling faces and giddy laughter tell the story with absolutely zero words: Camp JCC 2021 is a resounding success. Days at Camp JCC are packed with activities that appeal to each age group and hit just about every interest. From fishing to golfing, swimming to...
Pam Blais is first-ever Only In America® Hometown Hero
The National Museum of American Jewish History held its inaugural Only in America® Hometown Hero contest earlier this summer. Tidewater’s Pam Blais was among the nominees and ultimately selected as the first ever Hometown Hero in the Museum’s Ed Snider Only in...
I’ve pledged support for the Jewish future. Here’s why.
Jody Wagner As we begin to emerge from the upheaval of this past year, many of us are reflecting on our goals and values. For me, it’s the importance of participating in the Jewish community and supporting Jewish causes. I was raised in the tight-knit community of...
Strelitz International Academy’s successful year concludes with graduation
Carin Simon, Admissions Director As the Strelitz International Academy graduates ascended the stage on June 8, 2021 for their special graduation ceremony, parents and supporters cheered with joy. The 2020–2021 school year commenced with an unsettled beginning of the...
JFS recognizes and honors employees
Shower with Appreciation was the theme of this year’s Jewish Family Service Employee Appreciation Celebration held on June 16. JFS pays tribute each year to its employees and honors those reaching specific levels of longevity. “Last year, during the pandemic,...
Take YAD out to the ballpark!
Young Adult Division (YAD) donors to United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Annual Campaign made their way to Harbor Park to see the Norfolk Tides take on the Gwinnett Stripers on Sunday, June 27. The young adults enjoyed the game, were thanked for their past...
United Jewish Federation of Tidewater/Simon Family JCC celebrates community with Biennial Meeting
The weather was as perfect as the mood when the community gathered in the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community’s “back yard” for United Jewish Federation of Tidewater/Simon Family JCC’s Biennial Meeting on Tuesday, June 15. It was the...
Slowing down is not an option for seniors on the move
Who says an 85-year-old retired dentist would never launch a third career crafting specialty ice cream cakes during a pandemic? What would stop a lifelong community activist from leveraging decades of knowledge gained as a board member (inside and outside the Jewish...
Happy 100th Birthday Olga Payes!
Dear Olga, On July 15, 2021, we will honor and celebrate your century of life. This is an incredible milestone, but not nearly as incredible as you are. May your 100th Birthday be filled with never-ending joy and pleasure. May you continue to enjoy the journey of...
Sunday Fun Day at the JCC pool: Cool fun in the sun (and shade)
The first Sunday Fun Day on June 13 was a splashing success! More than 200 people enjoyed perfect Tidewater weather, free sweet treats from the Kona Ice truck, impromptu water slam dunk contests, plenty of slide action, and a 2-hour music set by Dave Flagler, director...
JFS holds Biennial meeting in-person, the first in two years
Jewish Family Service of Tidewater opened its 65th Biennial meeting on Tuesday, June 8 with an invocation by Rabbi Batya Glazer, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Jewish Community Relations Council director. Following the invocation, Ellen Rosenblum, JFS board...
Rise in antisemitism and an updated spelling
The Virginian-Pilot printed two political cartoons that I found stunning on Monday, June 7. Both were commentaries on the recent surge in antisemitism with messages that the prejudice has just been hiding in the United States…that it’s never really disappeared. What...
Everything you need to know about the Israeli government that will replace Benjamin Netanyahu
(JTA)—After 12 straight years as Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu is losing power—and the government that’s about to replace him is remarkable in its own right. Netanyahu’s ouster is a huge deal on its own. Over the past decade-plus, as the country’s...
Governor Northam tweets condemnation of antisemitism
In tweet on Wednesday, June 2, Governor Ralph Northam, @GovernorVA wrote: Our country is seeing a disturbing rise in anti-Semitic attacks. Freedom of religion is a founding pillar of this nation—and it applies to every faith. Hate against anyone because of who they...
SIA first graders receive their first Siddur at first in-person event of this school year
It was a day of firsts for Strelitz International Academy’s first grade students. On Friday, May 21, SIA first graders each received their very own Siddur (prayer book). In line with the SIA Hebrew Language, SIA first grade students have been learning to read and...
The ancient antidote to tech-spiked antisemitism on college campuses
Antisemitic slurs have no expiration date. Despite raising awareness to the painful struggle of minorities via Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate—across every social media platform, and in countless consumer ads—stereotypes against Jews persist without hesitation...
Israel and Hamas agree to ceasefire after 11 days of bloodshed
(JTA)—After 11 days of fighting, Israel and Hamas agreed to a “mutual and simultaneous” ceasefire on Thursday, May 20 that began at 2 a.m. Friday Israel time. Israel’s security cabinet unanimously approved the truce, after military officials presented what they deemed...
UJFT opens Israel Emergency Fund
The brutal 11-day attack by Hamas on Israeli citizens demonstrated to the world just how fragile peace is between Israel and its neighbors. It also was a reminder for United Jewish Federation of Tidewater to unequivocally reaffirm its support of the State of Israel’s...
Congresswoman Elaine Luria joins group asking President Biden to fight anti-Semitism
A group of moderates, including Congresswoman Elaine Luria, sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Tuesday, May 25, condemning a series of comments they deem as anti-Semitic. They write: “We are deeply disturbed by the recent surge of antisemitic incidents in the...
What is the Iron Dome? All about the missile defense system that changed how Israelis experience war
(JTA)—Overnight between Thursday, May 13 and Friday, May 14, an arresting image appeared on social media: On the right, streaks of fire shot out into the night sky—rockets heading for a group of buildings illuminated in the darkness. But on the other side of the...
Life in Israel During Conflict: Perspectives from people with local connections
Several Tidewater Jewish community members have friends and relatives who live in Israel and were candid in talking about the current situation. When asked how their lives have been affected and how they feel about the ongoing con-flict, this is what they said: ARLENE...
‘Twas the year the Christmas lights went out for good: Joseph “Buddy” and Leonard Strelitz
This is the first in a series on generations of families in Jewish Tidewater. Joseph “Buddy” Strelitz honored his mother’s single dying wish and became a trailblazer for the Jewish tribe in her memory. Buddy’s son, John Strelitz, says that his grandmother’s only...
JCC Camp staff positions Calling all Grads!
“We want you (all graduates—high school and/or college) to embark on a leadership role with us at Camp JCC,” says Dave Flagler, director of Camp and Teen Engagement at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and Simon Family JCC. Camp JCC is hiring senior counselors...
What is Israel’s Mount Meron and why were so many Orthodox Jews gathered there for the Lag b’Omer holiday?
(JTA)—“If you haven’t seen the joy of Lag b’Omer on the grave of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, you haven’t seen joy at all,” wrote the author Shmuel Yosef Agnon, Israel’s first Nobel Prize laureate. That description reflects an aspect of the annual pilgrimage to Mount...
Start of school for 2021–2022 calendar year is revised for two local districts
Virginia Beach and Norfolk Public Schools will begin classes for the 2021–2022 school year on Thursday, September 9, 2021. This change will ease the transition back to school for Jewish families, eliminating the conflict between the first day of school and Rosh...
JDC Responds to COVID-19 Surge in India
Give at: www.jdc.org/COVIDIndia The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), in coordination with the Indian Jewish community and its local partner SEWA Cooperative Federation, is responding to the devastating COVID-19 surge in India by deploying...
Strelitz International Academy holds in-person student conferences
Communication between parents and teachers is an important part of the experience at Strelitz International Academy. Parents are always encouraged to contact their child’s teacher with questions or concerns that arise during the school year. SIA’s goal is to bring out...
Rare find available at Phoebus Auction Monday, May 31
The auction business can be an historian’s dream come true. People and Items connected to the events of history constantly appear. Provenance is a constant attraction. These people and events occupy the auctioneer’s thoughts and efforts, with family stories expanding...