Newport News was blessed with fantastic Rabbonim in the 50’s and 60’s who were m’kariv the community over a span of years. For the most part, the men, while belonging to the Orthodox shul, were not Shomer Shabbos in terms of parnossa. Many had business in real estate and retail establishments. This was the situation in many Southern towns.
The eventual success of these Rabbonim, however, was the demise of the future frum community of Newport News. The Rabbonim (Rabbi Efrayim Kolatch, Rabbi Nachman Bulman, Rabbi Allan Mirvis, Rabbi Herschel Horowitz) had worked hard to start NCSY and a day school (Henrietta Kurzer Hebrew Academy) and most of the day school graduates stayed frum and ended up going to out of town yeshivas, i.e., Baltimore: Bais Yaakov, TA, Ner Israel; New York: Stern College, YU. But they married and didn’t return; so end of Newport News frum community and end of day school. The Rabbonim had a vision and now these kids are located all over America and Eretz Yisroel and are involved in Kollel; Chinuch; Kashrus; Rabbonis; and other worthy endeavors. They have created frum families and now have children and grandchildren who continue to grow. And all because of the mesiras nefesh of a few individuals and a community of very special women who wanted more out of Yiddishkeit for their children and themselves.
Every Jew in Newport News knew each other; and for that matter, the frum youngsters knew every other frum kid in Richmond, Norfolk, and Danville; all through NYCY.