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The final year of the decade witnessed another robust year for Tidewater’s Jewish community—one filled with elation, intellectual stimulation, fun, and grief. A few highlights, as well as low points, for the community follows. JANUARY 2019 The once fledgling Team...

Everyone loves latkes. Making them is another story. is buying frozen potato pancakes at Trader Joe’s selling out? Some say, ‘most definitely.’ This is the first article (of two) featuring serious cooks who ‘play with their food’ and riff on the universally revered...

Strelitz International Academy—A school wearing many HATs! You don’t have to be Jewish to love Strelitz International Academy. (Still, it doesn’t hurt.) Hebrew Academy of Tidewater (HAT) has been recognized as an exceptional learning experience for nearly 65 years....

The ways to give just got super easy Sunday, November 17, 9:30 am–1 pm, Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus Super Sunday, Nov. 17 9:30 am—Training 10 am–1 pm—Phone-a-thon 10–11:30 am—Shift 1 11:30 am–1 pm—Shift 2 Super Sunday, as always, is being planned by a group of...

It’s been 18 years since Tidewater’s Jewish community conducted any type of survey—and that one focused on demographics. Called the 2001 Jewish Community demographic Study, it revealed where Jewish people lived, how old they were, who comprised what households (ages...

When three teenage Jews approached an American lawyer on the streets of Bucharest with three bold questions, they unknowingly inspired a future U.S. Presidential advisor, UN Watch chairman, and U.S. ambassador to Romania who changed the lives of countless Romanian...

(JTA)—U.S. Jews know more about religion in general than their non-Jewish neighbors, a new survey shows. Americans who are not Jewish, meanwhile, don’t know a lot about Judaism. But they like Jews more than any other religious group. And they think there are more Jews...

Beach and ocean and exotic trips aren’t the only ways to experience summer fun. In fact, for many members of Tidewater’s Jewish community, that fun happens by incorporating something Jewish into a summer trip or activity. Within the following pages, we highlight a few...

With a significant contribution from United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Cemetery Fund, coupled with the tireless work of numerous volunteers, B’nai Israel Cemetery is showing the results of a massive restoration effort that began 14 months ago. B’nai Israel...

Amy Moss Levy assumes Federation presidency at biennial meeting The installation of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s new president and a recap of the year’s highlights were among the items that took place during the 2019 Biennial Meeting on Thursday, June 13....

The horrific shooting that took place on Friday, May 31 at Virginia Beach’s Municipal Center, resulting in 13 deaths, shook the entire Hampton Roads community and brought world-wide attention and offers of sympathy to the area. It was the type of attention Virginia...

Community Campaign tops $4.8-million and looks to finish strong! The 2019 Annual Campaign is winding down and what a year it’s been. Starting in June 2018, 38 community members participated in the Journey Home Mission to Israel. Co-chaired by John Strelitz, UJFT...

Sunday, May 19, 11 am–4 pm Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus Spring is officially here and that means every weekend is filled with local festivals and outdoor activities. Still, Israel Fest is the one outdoor festival not to miss! Here are five reasons why Israel...

When I think about Mickey Kramer, of blessed memory, I think about his love of his family, his synagogue, learning, and our community. In 2004, his passion for education and devotion to the Jewish community led his friends and family to establish the Milton “Mickey”...

Groundbreaking: Sunday, March 10, 1:30–3:30 pm 425 Washington Park, Norfolk When Sarah Lipman moved from New Jersey to Tidewater less than four years ago, she saw a need for improvement in one particular aspect of the Jewish community. “I came and loved the community,...

(JTA)—I lived in Minnesota for five years. My wife is from there; her family still lives there. When we return to visit, we have to reckon with a frightening reality: My in-laws’ newly elected congressional representative is deeply implicated in anti-Semitism. We are...

Hands United Building Bridges Week 2019 Hands United Building Bridges’ (HUBB) second annual Building Bridges Week brought the Tidewater community together for several meaningful events including a Shabbat service at Ohef Sholom Temple on Friday, January 11; the Summit...

The BIG Saturday Night Celebration of Jewish Film and champagne reception Saturday, January 26, 7:15 pm, Sandler Center for the Performing Arts Tickets: $35; Under 21: $18 Ty Kelly, Team Israel and New York Mets player, and Seth Kramer, director, will speak following...

Presented by Alma & Howard Laderberg and Patricia & Avraham Ashkenazi January 21 – January 30 As one of the longest-running Jewish film festivals in the nation, the mission of the 26th Annual Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, presented by Alma & Howard...

Tidewater’s musical weekend with Rick Recht combines fun and inspiration Rick Recht spent four days in Tidewater connecting with educators, NFTY and BBYO high school students, Hebrew Academy of Tidewater and Strelitz Early Childhood Center students and their families,...

Singer-Songwriter Rick Recht to perform community concerts in Tidewater Thursday, November 29–Sunday, December 2 A popular Jewish rock star, Rick Recht is also an educator and leadership motivator. During his visit to Tidewater’s Jewish community, Recht will bring his...

Across the nation, vigils, services, and town hall meetings have taken place since the horrific murders at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh on Saturday, October 27. The same is true for Tidewater. In sanctuaries and in public spaces and in private schools, the...

The 11 victims of the Saturday, October 27 attack on a Pittsburgh synagogue included two brothers with intellectual disabilities, a married couple and a physician who assisted patients in the early days of the AIDS crisis. The chief medical examiner of Pittsburgh's...

Israel Today’s first ever artist-in-residence, Hanoch Piven, will lead a variety of workshops for people of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities, as well as display his work in the Leon Family Gallery during his two-week Tidewater visit, October 15–October 26.

The United Jewish Federation of Tidewater kicked-off its 2019 Annual Campaign to a standing room only crowd on Thursday, Sept. 6 at the Sandler Family Campus. Featured speaker Izzy Ezagui— IDF soldier and author—addressed the packed room, and kept the audience spellbound as he recounted the harrowing and heartening experiences of his life.

(JTA)—For North American Jews, the Jewish year 5778 began with tensions between Israel and the Diaspora over egalitarian prayer at the Western Wall and ended with more tension over a controversial nationality law. In between, North American Jews grappled with the impact of the #MeToo movement, the Trump administration relocated the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv and actress Natalie Portman made headlines for turning down a chance to collect a top prize in Israel.

An annual reminder of what it means to be Jewish, this year the High Holidays get their ‘ jump start’ on September 1 with the joyful Selichot services. The following Thursday, another motivator to start 5779 on a positive note—inspiring personal growth and commitment to one’s self as well as to the greater Jewish community—takes place at the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Annual Campaign Kickoff.