Jewish News

Mitt Romney’s visit on Thursday, May 3 to Portsmouth was an exciting educational opportunity for the students of Toras Chaim. Seventh and eighth grade civics class students have been following the electoral process all year. Having them experience the process first hand, as well as meet many of the personalities they have been reading about, [...]

As a young child in Moldova, being Jewish meant two things to Zoya Shvartzman: her parents spoke a strange language at home, and she was pushed to be better than anyone else, particularly in school. The language wasn’t identified as Yiddish, nor was the expectation of excellence attributed to the discrimination and anti-Semitism that prevailed [...]

More than 320 notes and signatures were sent by the Tidewater community to Governor Bob McDonnell’s office, advocating for full funding for the Virginia Israel Advisory Board, $175,361 for FY2013 and FY2014. With this funding and a commitment for VIAB to remain an independent agency, the Virginia Israel Advisory Board is poised to continue its [...]

From physicians to nurses to physical therapists to conducting groundbreaking and life altering research to assisting people in need in impoverished nations to raising funds for medical supplies and care, Jews are involved and making contributions each and every day to improve the quality of life for all people. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, [...]

On May 5 I headed to Detroit for the annual Plenum of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, otherwise known as the JCPA, the Community Relations Council’s umbrella organization. The JCPA, the public affairs arm of the organized Jewish community, serves as the national coordinating and advisory body for the 14 national and 125 local [...]

Hands on Tidewater continued one of its longest running annual traditions of sending a delegation of volunteers for Jewish Family Service’s Run, Roll or Stroll Race at the Virginia Beach Boardwalk on Sunday, May 6. Hands on Tidewater is the community service/ social action branch of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Young Adult Division. [...]

Several groups of students worked together to build a replica of the Western Wall in Jerusalem for the Simon Family JCC’s Israel Festival. Students from Toras Chaim, JCC Kids Connection, Strelitz Early Childhood Center and Hebrew Academy of Tidewater constructed ‘brick stones’ from shoeboxes and brown paper. Strelitz and Hebrew Academy of Tidewater students later [...]

On May 2, the Tidewater Jewish Foundation hosted its biennial Simon Family Legacy Society tribute dinner at the Reba and Sam Sandler Family Campus of the Tidewater Jewish Community. With more than 70 in attendance, comprised of current members, affiliate leadership and their families, 17 new members were inducted into the Society. The Simon Family [...]

On the morning of Sunday, April 29, Ohef Sholom Temple’s sixth annual Mitzvah Day demonstrated tikkun olam with an emphasis on the environment, as well as helping those less fortunate. Its “Ohef Goes Green” theme helped kick off the efforts of the newest temple committee, OST Green Initiative, which will keep members apprised of their [...]

Students of the Perlman Music Project, along with their mentor, Itzhak Perlman, received three standing ovations at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts. The concert was copresented by the Virginia Arts Festival and the Marilyn and Marvin Simon Family JCC as the final Main Event of the season. The legendary violinist performed Mozart String [...]