A crowd of community members, including principal project partners and future residents, gathered on Friday, March 22 to celebrate another significant milestone towards the completion of the newest Virginia Beach senior living community, Aviva Pembroke. The level of diverse support emphasizes the positive response from the region to address senior housing needs. It also demonstrates how Beth Sholom Village and Pembroke Square Associates are rising to meet the overwhelming demand for such hybrid care options, including assisted and independent living with modern amenities. By 2030, it is estima ..read more

Jewish News is gathering and presenting some basic facts for this space to equip readers during this difficult time with the confidence needed to engage in conversation about Israel. This information is from Jewish Federations of North America, as of April 8. Six months of Israel-Hamas War Israel Defense Forces Approximately 300,000 IDF reserve soldiers were called up, of whom 8% are over 50 years old and 17% are women. 10,500 IDF soldiers have been exposed to traumatic events and developed symptoms of PTSD; 1,890 of these were unable to return to the field. IDF rescue helicopters have airlif ..read more

Ben Sales (JTA) — On Saturday night, April 13, Iran fired more than 200 missiles and drones at Israel. The unprecedented attack — from Iranian soil to Israeli territory — is the most direct confrontation ever between the two longtime adversaries. It threatens to spiral into a broader regional war whose consequences could also likewise be without precedent. In the meantime, it has led to fear and injury — a 10-year-old was wounded — as well as surreal scenes, such as weapons fired by the Islamic Republic flying past the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem, a Muslim holy site ..read more

It was Saturday night. One of my lecturers and I were on a Zoom call with a bubbly and cheerful English lecturer from Mexico planning a collaboration between our students. My phone rang and I saw it was my administrative coordinator, calling at 9 pm – which only means something serious happened. I calmly explained to our Mexican colleague that I needed to return the phone call. As I called my coordinator back, I also noticed that all my WhatsApp groups connected to the school system had blown up. My coordinator called to tell me that she would stay at home tomorrow instead of going to our onl ..read more

Earlier this year, the Forward wrote about the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s book, To Life: The Past is Present, including six of the publication’s stories. The article, with two of the stories, is reprinted here with permission. They survived harrowing Holocaust ordeals — and found extraordinary new lives in the U.S. Stories highlight the lasting trauma of the Shoah — and the ways survivors came to thrive, afterward. Camillo Barone Jewish children hidden in Catholic orphanages in Belgium; parents and grandparents forced to choose which of their children t ..read more

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine spent a couple of hours at the Sandler Family Campus last month chatting with members of Tidewater’s Jewish community about a host of issues, including Israel’s war with Hamas ..read more

Most first trips to Israel don’t begin with a tour of carnage, but Congresswoman Jen Kiggans’ did. In addition to meeting with families of hostages from the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, Kiggans and the other 14 members of Congress on the AIPAC trip spent time at Kibbutz Nir Oz where the group saw first-hand the destruction caused by the terrorists. She also visited the site of the Nova Music Festival where a memorial to the lives lost is now in place. Jerusalem’s Old City, Yad Vashem, Mt. Herzel where new graves of young soldiers are still fresh, a view from the Golan Heights to understand its str ..read more

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 you and your family to the Sandler Family Campus. . . Camp JCC, Hebrew Academy of Tidewater, community events, speakers, athletic leagues, swim team, bar and bat mitzvah parties, Yom Ha’Atzmaut. . . and share them with Jewish News readers! Send memories and photographs with a contact name and phone number to news@ujft.org with ..read more

Nothing prepares a woman for motherhood, a role which requires on-the-job training. Parenting books and podcasts abound, if she has the time and energy to read and listen; after all, she has just spent the day…cooking, driving, bathing, feeding, hugging, entertaining, planning, scheduling, sympathizing, tutoring, praising, explaining, rushing, encouraging, spoiling, cheering, understanding, exploring, playing, disciplining, volunteering, cleaning, coordinating, worrying, celebrating, loving… These six women are appreciated and celebrated by their children for myriad reasons. . . big and small ..read more

Standing as a shining example of community service and support for Jewish seniors in Tidewater, The Auxiliary of Beth Sholom Village’s membership exceeds 600 dedicated women. The Auxiliary is a non-profit organization that takes great pride in backing Beth Sholom Village’s mission to enhance the lives of area seniors. For decades, the Auxiliary has been a pillar of strength, providing essential resources, funding, and volunteer support to Beth Sholom Village. Their unwavering commitment has enabled Beth Sholom Village to offer exceptional care and services to seniors, ensuring they live with ..read more