By Steve Marks
Jewish Peninsula President

Many years ago, I was standing in line at Uncle Louie’s Jewish deli in Norfolk when a woman walked up to the counter. She said, “Hi… my friend told me I have to try the bagels and lox.”

Then she paused, looked puzzled, and asked with complete sincerity: “Which are the bagels and which are the loxes?”

It’s easy to laugh—and we should—but there’s also something beautiful in that moment. Here was someone who wanted in. She may not have fully understood, but she showed up anyway, ready to experience something new.

That’s the heart of the Jewish Peninsula community. You can read about Jewish traditions online. You can watch videos. You can even order a bagel from an app. But you can’t taste Jewish life—or feel Jewish belonging—without being here, in person. Laughing together. Learning together. Making space for one another.

In a world that often pulls us toward isolation and screens, community is the antidote.

Community draws us out of ourselves.

Community makes us part of something larger.

And when we come together, we don’t just keep traditions alive. We keep each other alive.

Whether you’ve known the difference between bagels and lox since childhood or you’re still figuring it out, you have a place here. That’s what makes our work so important: we’re not just preserving Jewish life, we’re ensuring that anyone who wants to be part of it can find their seat at the table.

So come take your seat. Join a class, celebrate a holiday, share a meal, make a friend.