Jewish News

Virginia Beach—Gerald Pributsky, 94, of Virginia Beach, passed away peacefully on November 25, 2020, at his home after a long illness. Born May 9, 1926 in Fall River, Massachusetts, he was the only son in a family with three sisters. He is predeceased by his parents Jesse and Charles Pributsky and sister Minnie Cohen (all [...]

Norfolk—Sheila Elkins Silverstein Emanuel passed away on November 23, 2020, at the age of 81. She was the daughter of Robert and Iris Elkins. Sheila was born and raised in New York and relocated to Richmond in 1969 where she lived until she moved to Norfolk 30 years ago. Sheila is the adored mother and [...]

Virginia Beach—Cynthia Mae Strom passed away on November 23, 2020 after testing positive for COVID-19 on November 14, 2020. She was rushed to Virginia Beach General ER on Friday, November 20 and battled throughout the weekend. Cindy loved her family, she loved taking care of and decorating her beautiful home. If she could, she would’ve spent [...]

(JTA)—Prince Charles of the United Kingdom called former British Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks a “light unto this nation” at a tribute marking the end of Judaism’s 30 days of mourning since Sacks’ death. Prince Charles, whose title is the Prince of Wales, eulogized Sacks, who died at 72 on Nov. 7, on a prerecorded video [...]

James Wolfensohn, the World Bank president and philanthropist who helped shepherd Israel’s exit from the Gaza Strip, has died at 86. Wolfensohn died last month at his Manhattan home of pneumonia. His wife of 59 years, Elaine, died in August. Wolfensohn, who was born and raised in Australia, was an investment banker whose philanthropic endeavors [...]

Women’s American ORT, Organization for Rehabilitation and Training, has always been an educational and vocational game changer for students in the U.S. and around the world. Lifelong volunteer Sara Trub has been ORT-immersed for 48 years. An e-mail she received from a graduate of ORT Buenos Aires, demonstrates ORT’s future impact on the world. “What [...]

Each year the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater sponsors the Elie Wiesel Visual Arts Competition. Hundreds of student artists from Tidewater, as well as nationally, create works of art that respond to various topics and guidelines which generally include the Holocaust, social issues, moral courage, and heroes who inspire them to [...]

One year ago, the American Jewish Committee (AJC) released a groundbreaking piece of research—the first-ever survey of American Jews on anti-Semitism in America. Released on the first anniversary of the deadly Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, the worst anti-Semitic attack in American history, the findings revealed grave cause for concern about rising anti-Semitism and deep concern that [...]

When the COVID-19 pandemic started breaking out across the United States, Pam Blais began receiving a slew of phone calls. A former 18-year-emergency department registered nurse, Blais had countless friends and co-workers that were suddenly thrust to the frontlines during the biggest global pandemic in more than 100 years. “People were just calling to vent [...]

As we approach the end of 2020, I believe most of us can agree that it has been tumultuous and that 2021 cannot come soon enough! Still, in the face of unprecedented challenges, our Jewish community remains strong, engaged, and committed. The strength of our community is demonstrated every day in so many ways—by organizations [...]