Jewish News

Norfolk —Dr. Harvey Lee Aftel, 84, passed away at his home on July 14, 2017. Born to the late Samuel Aftel and Emma Goldsmith in Norfolk, Harvey graduated from Maury High School in 1950. Harvey attended The University of Virginia for two years and then attended Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tenn., where he [...]

The Undoing Project Michael Lewis 362 pp. W.W Norton & Co, 2017 ISBN 978-03932544594 362 pages, $28.95 In the early 1940s, young Danny Kahneman was walking the streets of Paris after curfew. He had gone to school early so he could take off his sweater before his classmates could see the yellow Star of David [...]

Mazel Tov to Jeffrey and Amy Brooke on the graduation of their daughter Chana Brooke from the Graduate Program at Touro College in Manhattan. Chana received her B.A. from Touro in 2015 and her M.S. in education in May of this year. She is also a graduate of BINA Girl’s High School in Norfolk and [...]

Mazel Tov to this year’s Congregation Beth El’s J. Samuel Goldback Scholarship recipients: • Elliana Friedman, a rising senior at James Madison University, with hopes of entering a career in public accounting, she has been active in Jewish life locally and at JMU. • Ethan Friedman, a recent graduate of Maury High School, who has [...]

Katelynn McAraw, 16, a participant in the Better Together Program, recently won its essay contest, earning her $8,000 toward a semester program in Israel. Better Together, a program that unites seniors and teens through monthly lunches and activities, is funded by a national Jewish philanthropic organization. One of the groups it has chosen to fund [...]

The Norfolk Forum, the nation’s oldest publicly subscribed speakers’ forum recently elected Jody M. Wagner, as its 2017–18 board president. Wagner is president of Jody’s Popcorn, which she and her husband, Alan Wagner, MD, founded in Virginia Beach in 2005. Wagner previously served as the Virginia Secretary of Finance (2006-2008) and Virginia State Treasurer (2002-2005), [...]

Wednesday, September 13, 1 pm Simon Family JCC, free Seniors at the Simon Family JCC will celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, with a Rosh Hashanah Paint Social featuring artist and art teacher Michele Barnes. The New Year ceremony will be facilitated by a local rabbi, and the participants will enjoy a traditional Rosh [...]

September 8 weekend The alumnae of Sigma Omega Pi sorority (SOPS) will celebrate their fifth annual reunion next month. SOPS was a national, Jewish social/ service organization for Jewish high school girls in Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach. It flourished in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, giving young Jewish women a social and philanthropic outlet, [...]

Monday, September 18, 11 am Sandler Family Campus Be A Reader kicks-off the 2017-2018 school year with a welcome breakfast and meeting next month. The event is an opportunity for potential new volunteers to learn more about the program, and for returning volunteers to talk about their experiences and share best practices. Be A Reader, [...]

Sunday, Sept. 10 and Sunday, Sept. 17, 2 pm Sandler Family Campus Panelists for the second session of Tidewater Chavurah’s two-part program on marriage between Jews and non-Jews, “Making Jewish Choices,” will explore issues arising from intermarriage such as transmission of Jewish identity and the role of extended family. The panelists include Sharon Wasserberg, director [...]