Passover gets props as one of the most universally celebrated holidays on the Hebrew calendar. Even disengaged and unaffiliated Jews find their way to the Seder table once a year. What is it about Passover that attracts Jews of all stripes, and arouses wonder in non-Jews? Part of the Passover package is inclusivity and universality. [...]
Archive | March, 2020
Passover Envy: A food-focused celebration of freedom is chicken soup for the storytellers’ soul

At UJFT, repairing the world means maintaining a long-term partnership with JDC
March 22, 2020
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For decades, United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s partnership with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, known as JDC, has been an integral component of the Federation’s global outreach. JDC was founded in 1914, during World War 1, as the first Jewish organization in the United States to dispense large scale funding for international relief. Nothing [...]
Film Festival takes the plunge. Underwater photographer waits 11 years and six days to meet his polar bear family
March 21, 2020
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Great stories have the power to fuel and feed people. Epic ones grab your attention and hold it until your mind’s altered and your heart’s pounding. That lust for transformation never dies and was the driving force behind the 2020 Virginia Festival of Jewish Film. Films chosen reflect tension between the community’s desire for contemporary, [...]
Virginia Jewish Advocacy Day 2020: A bus ride with people who care about actively practicing democracy is nourishment for me.
March 21, 2020
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On February 5, I joined more than 40 fellow early morning risers and got on a bus to Richmond for Virginia’s annual Jewish Advocacy Day with the Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Nearly 200 advocates from Tidewater, the Peninsula, Richmond, and Northern Virginia came together to meet with our Delegates [...]
The Charles Barker model for giving: Focus on ‘the kids we leave our world.’
March 21, 2020
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In the car business, mentors make better models. Early in his career, Charles Barker was fortunate enough to work under a successful businessman in the car industry who inspired him and put him on his path to financial and personal success. Before Charles Barker Automotive (CBA) became a brand of its own, with its hit [...]
Living, learning and lunging uninterrupted. Physical separation invites new ways to connect and serve
March 21, 2020
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With indefinite closings looming due to the spread of COVID-19, everyone is trying to adjust to new routines and establish a new normal. The goal throughout Jewish Tidewater is to minimize disruption and provide continuity of care and services. Above all, the Jewish community’s top priorities will continue to be the implementation of procedures to [...]
Jewish Tidewater: Taking care of each other
March 20, 2020
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The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic engulfing the globe is impacting our every moment. For United Jewish Federation of Tidewater and the Simon Family JCC, it is forcing us to make decisions we never thought possible. It is also challenging us to imagine new ways to conduct our work and the business of taking care of our [...]
Asian Americans are facing violent xenophobia during the coronavirus outbreak. Jews have a responsibility to speak out.
March 20, 2020
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NEW YORK (JTA)—In recent weeks, we’ve seen an unprecedented epidemic of the coronavirus spread across the world. Unfortunately, we’ve also seen a spike in anti-Asian violence and prejudice. In the U.S., racist and xenophobic outbursts, assaults and discriminatory practices against Asian Americans have been reported from coast to coast. Chinese restaurants are witnessing 30 to 80 [...]
2 for Seder pivots with virtual direction
March 20, 2020
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Wednesday, April 1, 7:30 pm 2 For Seder launched the expansion of its highly successful first-year campaign to combat anti-Semitism in February. Today, with the concerns surrounding the novel coronavirus, and new CDC guidelines for social gatherings, 2 for Seder is pivoting in a new direction. With a growing number of organizations being established to [...]
Rona and David Proser: Celebrating and ensuring Jewish lives in Tidewater
March 20, 2020
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Having lived in Virginia Beach for close to 40 years, Rona and David Prosers’ lives and leadership have been interwoven into the fabric of Tidewater’s Jewish community. Rona taught at Hebrew Academy of Tidewater for 30 years, making a positive impact on the lives of thousands of Jewish children and their families. As chazzan at [...]
March 23, 2020
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