A record year for the UJFT’s Community Campaign
As this article goes to press, the 2026 Community Campaign of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater has passed the $5.2 million mark for the very first time. It’s a major milestone, and the Federation is incredibly grateful to the donors and community members who...
Playground for Sandler Family Campus focuses on nature
Naturally curious creatures, children interact with the world around them through play. This instinctive engagement becomes even more pronounced in natural environments, where exploration is open-ended and sensory-rich.As one study by the National Wildlife Federation...
SIA celebrates the class of 2026
Graduation is always a meaningful and emotional milestone at Strelitz International Academy. For the fifth-grade students, many of whom have been part of the SIA community since infancy, it is a time to reflect on their growth, celebrate their accomplishments, and...
All Good News
A couple of weeks ago, Art Sandler casually, but enthusiastically, said, “We should publish a paper with all good news!”My response was something like, “Yeah. Right. Nothing about security or antisemitism or Israel or wars or . . .”“We’ve got so much good going on in...
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JTA News
13,000 Jews were driven out of Poland in 1968. Now, some are returning to tell their story.
A trip bringing back Jews who left Poland during a government-sponsored antisemitic campaign exposed a dark open wound in the country's history.
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UK Jewish leaders demand answers after Muslim police group paper calls Zionism a form of hatred
A leading Jewish group called the report a potential "direct challenge to the integrity of policing" in Britain.
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The post UK Jewish leaders demand answers after Muslim police group paper calls Zionism a form of hatred appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Gwyneth Paltrow draws backlash after starring in ad for luxury Israeli development
“It's refreshing to see A-listers who refuse to bow to pressure," said one industry insider.
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The post Gwyneth Paltrow draws backlash after starring in ad for luxury Israeli development appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Jacob Reses, Vance’s Jewish chief of staff, to leave administration
Reses is perhaps the closest Jewish official in the vice president's orbit.
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The post Jacob Reses, Vance’s Jewish chief of staff, to leave administration appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Latest News
Meet Tidewater’s new Shinshinim
The fifth cohort of Shinshinim will arrive in Tidewater later this summer. Shinshinim is an acronym for Shnat Sherut, a year of service undertaken between high school and army service— when Israeli teens spend a year connecting with Jewish communities around the...
America at 25✪ Spotlight:Minette Cooper:A life built on memory, music, and community
Bettie Minette Cooper remembered every person she met.Always known as Minette, she died on October 14, 2025, at 87 years young, leaving a legacy of commitment to family, her synagogue, the arts, and a variety of civic organizations and projects.Cooper’s story began in...
Israeli medical students gain clinical, cultural insight in Norfolk exchange
Jewish community has long extended beyond geography, linking people across continents who often recognize a shared sense of belonging.Liora Zerbib knows about this feeling of belonging after spending several weeks with a Jewish host family in Ghent.Zerbib, an Israeli...
JCC Fitness Center embraces new interactive cardio technology
The Simon Family JCC Fitness Center recently upgraded its cardio equipment with new treadmills, ellipticals, and rowing machines featuring iFit technology. These machines offer interactive global workouts and studio classes, with systems that automatically adjust...
The Simon family Legacy Society Celebration ignites vision for the future
Tidewater Jewish Foundation’s Simon Family Legacy Celebration on Wednesday, May 27 was an opportunity for communities to converge, gathering around a shared vision, shared responsibility, and shared purpose.More than 100 TJF fundholders, community leaders,...
Shavuot Mitzvah Fair at SIA
This year, Shavuot celebrated 3,338 years since the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai. To this very day, Jews continue to study the Torah, cherish it, and hold it close. The Torah serves as guidance on how to live and make the world a better place.SIA’s Primary Years...
The books that made me a BeAR
We all carry certain books with us long after childhood ends. They sit quietly on the shelves of our memory; dog-eared, underlined, loved, while shaping who we become and teaching us how to dream. Some stories came easily. Others were challenging, the kind where you...
Dive into summer at theMetzger Outdoor Aquatic Center
If you’re feeling ready to beat the summer heat poolside, you’re in luck. The Metzger Outdoor Aquatic Center opened on Saturday, June 6, marking the start of the Simon Family JCC’s seven-day-a-week summer pool season.The outdoor pool opens daily at 11:30 am, closing...
Other News
At the Vatican with Chicago’s mayor,a rabbi gave Pope Leo a White Sox kippah
(JTA) — Lizzi Heydemann didn’t plan what she was going to say to Pope Leo XIV.But when the Chicago rabbi found herself face-to-face with the new pontiff during a Vatican visit alongside a delegation of Chicago leaders, she thanked him for the way he has spoken about...
Local nurse practitioner offers different approach to hormone health
From postpartum recovery to perimenopause, women experience a range of life stages that can affect hormones and overall health.Dr. Kellie Frissora, a nurse practitioner and mother of three young children, understands how easily personal health can take a back seat...
Knowledge is power:JFS to partner with JScreen for vital genetic testing event
A strong community is a healthy community. Thursday, October 29, 6 pm • Sandler Family Campus To support Tidewater’s growing Jewish community, Jewish Family Service of Tidewater is partnering with JScreen to host a life-saving educational event this fall. Whether...
Patrons of the Arts goes to Aviva Pembroke for cinema and connection
Members of United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Patrons of the Arts gathered at Aviva Pembroke on Wednesday, May 20 for a screening of Once Upon My Mother. The film tells the story of a mother’s unwavering devotion as she helps her son, born with a clubfoot in...
What’s Happening
A journey of science, spirit, and the arts
My journey with the arts began in 1958, born out of a weekly compromise. Every Saturday, my...
Sunset on the Water: Kayaking, reflection, and Jewish learning
Sunday, June 28, 6:30–9 pm, Norfolk’s waterways | Optional afterparty: 9–10 pm Trade the usual...
Love and Light: A Tu B’Av community celebration
Sunday, July 26, 12 – 4 pm • Sandler Family Campus United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s NextGen...
For the first time, a kosher restaurant has won a Michelin star
(JTA) — As golden confetti rained down around him Thursday, May 28, Israeli chef Raz Shabtai broke...
Obituaries
May the Source of Peace
send peace to all who mourn, and comfort to all who are bereaved.
Joan Carole Bass Baydush
Lewisville, N.C. – Joan Carole Bass Baydush, 82, recently of Lewisville, N.C. and formerly of Norfolk, Va., died peacefully after a prolonged...
Rita Gamsey Burnat
Atlanta – Rita Gamsey Burnat, daughter of the late Milton Linwood Gamsey and Rosalind Gamsey, passed away on June 5 at her home in Atlanta, at the...
Dean Joel Casper
Norfolk – Dean Joel Casper, age 86, was born on August 22, 1939, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Jennie Goodman Casper and Israel Casper. He passed away on...
Alan David Galumbeck
Tazewell, Va – Alan David Galumbeck, 81, a technical guru for Landmark Communications at The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk and with The Weather Channel...