Jewish News

For the first time in 19 years, Tidewater’s Jewish community is embarking on a community needs assesment. The Jewish Tidewater Survey is designed to gather information to build a stronger, more dynamic Jewish community. The last survey, the 2001 Jewish Community Demographic Study, revealed where Jewish people lived, how old they were, who comprised what [...]

The 27th Annual Virginia Festival of Jewish Film is one of the longest-running Jewish film festivals in the nation. A dedicated screening committee, led by Mark Robbins and William Laderberg, selected films meant to engage diverse Tidewater audiences—Jewish and non-Jewish alike—with a variety of topics and film genres. Love in Suspenders Thursday, February 20, 7:15 [...]

Sitting in my car at Norfolk International Airport on Wednesday, January 8, I was a little apprehensive. After months of preparation, I was about to meet the legendary Charlie Harary and drive him to the Simon Family JCC. Harary was visiting Tidewater as part of the Milton “Mickey” Kramer Scholar-in-Residence Fund of Congregation Beth El [...]

On a crisp autumn morning, on Sunday, October 27, 15 volunteers began cheering as a caravan of cars—with bike racks on the back—headed for Chickahominy Riverfront Park in Williamsburg. Bikers, of all ages and physical abilities, came out to demonstrate their support of the Friends of Israel Defense Force’s Virginia Chapter inaugural Biking for Soldiers. [...]

Filling a room with more than 250 people, Cleveland Clinic’s Chief Wellness Officer, plant-based nutrition advocate, and author of What to Eat When, Dr. Michael Roizen came with a few surprises and a healthy dose of scientific data to back them up. A pre-event warmup included a box lunch, group stretch, and a Q + [...]

If you ask chef Amy Brandt what makes Terrapin in Virginia Beach the area’s marriage proposal mecca, she’ll propose two main ingredients. “There’s only one restaurant in the area with the intimacy of Terrapin and 100% integrity in everything they do,” says the former Lucky Star chef/co-owner and farm-to-table trailblazer. “Every facet of Terrapin, from [...]

Programs focusing on including and enriching the lives of those with various forms of disabilities or special needs are a big part of Jewish Family Service’s work. For more than 25 years, for example, Jewish Family Service has collaborated with the Jewish Community Center to provide inclusion programming for children with special needs. Through a [...]

In order to best serve a community’s diverse needs, accountability and awareness co-exist with Kavod, the Hebrew term that translates to concepts of dignity, honor and respect. February is Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month. The community’s commitment to recognize and meet the emotional, functional and physical needs of people with all kinds of disabilities [...]

Now in its 27th year, Jewish Family Service of Tidewater’s Chanukah Gift program annually helps local Jewish families in financial need with gifts and gift cards for those with children and teens, and with VISA gift cards for those without children. The community response this year was the most successful since the program began. JFS [...]

For decades, the Simon Family JCC Youth Basketball League has mixed sportsmanship and athletic skill building with fun and friendship. The league is open to children of all faiths from kindergarten to 5th grade. The 2020 JCC Youth Basketball League season is dedicated to the life and memory of Sofia Ruiz Konikoff, a coach, mom, and [...]