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To commemorate this milestone 20th anniversary, Jewish News is planning a special section in the May 13 issue. We invite you to share your personal stories, memories, and photos of being on the Sandler Family Campus since 2004. Think about all the reasons that brought...
The Purim festival is an extraordinary fun-making of costumes and masks, which in a pandemic, save lives threatening all. The holiday masks and matches the extraordinary seriousness of the life and death issues behind it, allowing for the healthy release of pent-up...
In what may be the “sweetest” gala ever presented in its 31-year run, the 2024 Virginia Festival of Jewish Film celebrated the life and work of the late actor Gene Wilder during its “Wonka-themed” Saturday Night Celebration on Feb. 24. Remembering Gene Wilder was...
Dear Editor,As the mother-in-law of a Romanian, Elena, I am very appreciative of the Sandlers’ work in Romania.I’m a member of Ohef Sholom Temple and a relative newcomer to Hampton Roads (2011). We moved here after retiring to help care for our grand babies while...
The inaugural session of the Rabbi Jonathan Sacks Community Book Club took place on Sunday, Feb. 25 at Congregation Beth El. Participants included congregants of area synagogues as well as those without affiliation. As part of the series, sponsored by the Simon Family...
America is experiencing a strong uptick in antisemitism, especially on our college campuses. Jewish students feel unsafe and numerous attacks have been registered. University presidents have struggled to admit that advocating for the genocide of Jews is against school...
Registration for Camp JCC Summer 2024 is off to a very promising start – after all, it is “the place to be” this summer. In fact, enrollment is significantly higher compared to this point last year, with many of the families who have registered new to camp. Based on...
During the final days of staff training, camp directors across the country ask their teams to close their eyes and think about who their favorite camp counselors were and what was it about that person that made them special. What were their qualities? What interests...
Susan Byrne of Catering Concepts recently happened upon a bag of yamakas (kippot) – all from events where she had been the caterer. “It was fun to find them and have all of the memories come flooding back,” says Byrne. “Seeing those yamakas reminded me of viewing...
“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” – Albert Einstein We all want to feel that we truly make a difference. Participating in the Be A Reader (BeAR) Literacy Project of the United Jewish Federation Tidewater is an easy and rewarding way to accomplish...
“Strong legs, long life.” This is the mantra voiced by Tom Purcell during the LifeFit class he leads on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at the Simon Family JCC. It is just one among many positive thoughts Purcell shares during every class – all promoting fitness and...
Those who weren’t in Casablanca on Saturday, Feb. 3 missed out. Temple Emanuel’s Casablanca-themed Casino Night was the place to be and the numerous Ingrids and Humphreys in attendance can attest to that. It was an energetic, delicious, fun night on the town. Leslie...
After three decades, the Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, presented by Alma and Howard Laderberg, continues to evolve, bringing films that interest and excite, as well as meet the moment during times of turmoil. For the 31st annual festival, the Festival’s screening...
The lineup for the 31st Virginia Festival of Jewish Film, presented by Alma & Howard Laderberg, includes shorts, documentaries, and dramas and takes place next month at various locations throughout Tidewater. The Festival begins on Sunday, Feb. 18, with a special...
Kelly Burroughs and Jody LaibstainJewish Family Service’s Home Delivered Meals program is a continuum of the organization’s food service programs. Geared to older and disabled adults throughout Virginia Beach who qualify, a steadfast group of volunteers has been...
In anticipation of her nephew’s bar mitzvah in January, Tehilla Mostofsky bought tickets to Israel last July. Along with her husband, Sholom, and her parents, who had not been to Israel in 25 years, she planned to stay for five days to celebrate with her family. The...
Eitan Mor, Nathan Goldin, and Norman Goldin volunteered in Israel for two weeks in January. “Israel faces an existential threat, and I wanted to help and show my support,” says Norman Goldin. Both Goldins are physicians and hoped to provide medically related services....
On Martin Luther King Day, Vergie McCall was in her element, not just singing a spiritual to residents of Maimonides Health Center (formerly Beth Sholom Village), where she is a longtime volunteer, but leading a program with three “other” Jews. Yes, the 76-year-old...
I don’t “belong” to Ohef Sholom Temple, but on Saturday, Jan. 27, I felt as if I did. My friend, Paul Terkeltaub, invited me to attend Ohef’s first “Family Shabbat Experience” and to bring my son, daughter-in-law, and their two sons (ages 8 and 5), promising a morning...
While not every first date is centered around a meal, most involve some sort of dining, even if it’s not fancy fare or a sit-down meal. When Jewish News asked these couples to share their first dining experiences together, one unexpected result was that the settings...
Marriage has its ups and downs, challenges and stability, joy and sadness, romantic moments, and “just everyday” happenings. We often simply react and respond to what is happening around us. Sometimes, however, we are intentional – when we purposely start a process....
Thirty area Jewish teens attended BBYO’s bowling event at Pinboy’s on Sunday, Feb. 4. BBYO’s winter kickoff, the event was a perfect program, allowing potential members and newer members to meet older teens. Both Old Dominion AZA and Simcha BBG chapters led an opening...
Elka Mednick As Holocaust denial and antisemitism continue to spread at alarming rates, International Holocaust Remembrance Day provides an opportunity to learn and reflect upon this important event that connects in so many ways to the present environment. The United...
Charlie Nusbaum As chair of Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s board, I am proud to present our 2023 Annual Report, which is inserted in this edition of Jewish News. Unfathomable events have taken place globally over the past year, with the crisis and war in Israel...
Staff report A seasoned professional in the field of philanthropy and development, Amy Weinstein is rejoining Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s team as its development strategist in March. “Amy’s return to TJF marks a significant milestone for us,” says Naomi Limor Sedek,...
Noach Gruen Why was it so hard for the university presidents of Harvard, Penn, and MIT to offer the most obvious directive of safety and stability to students of all faiths? How did college campuses become such tense places for Jewish students? I think the answer goes...
Jewish News: Where were you educated? Martin Brenner: I graduated from Granby High School and then went to University of Georgia where I received a degree in business administration. JN: What was your work history? Did you work anywhere besides Spertner Jewelers? MB:...
Jewish News: Where were you educated? Dr. Laurie Goldsticker: I spent my undergraduate years exploring the grounds of University of Virginia before attending graduate school at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. JN: What was your work history? LG: I was...
Jewish News: Where were you educated? Herman Shelanski, Vice Admiral, USN Retired: I have a Bachelor of Arts in Molecular, Cellular and Development Biology from University of Colorado at Boulder. I also have a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and Space...
Scott R. Saal The New Year is always a time to reflect, as well as to start planning for the year ahead. As we consider financial plans in 2024, we encourage clients to consider the charitable impact they hope to make. Of course, many of us know the cornerstones of a...
Stephanie Peck Through MadebyMouth on Etsy, Rebecca Koltun has sold approximately 200 unique pieces of art. Etsy is an online site where sellers list their handmade items and buyers find something unique to purchase. It is also where Koltun’s stellar, 5-star reviews...
Etsy Gruen It’s been a dream for many in Tidewater, and now it is a reality. Judaism invests in the mundane activity of eating with kedusha, special sanctity. . . eating kosher food, with the table upon which the food is eaten representing the holy altar, the...