Kelly Burroughs
Concerns in Israel have dominated most of our thoughts and prayers. The Jewish community’s generosity has enabled thousands of items and millions of dollars to be sent to support people in Israel. As hundreds of people came together on the Sandler Family Campus to create care packages for soldiers and families in Israel, Jewish Family Service of Tidewater was busy creating care packages for local Jews, as well.
JFS filled gift bags and delivered them to area seniors for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. These bags included challah rolls, apples, honey, and a Jewish calendar. Each bag also included beautiful handmade cards and decorated honey jars by Strelitz International Academy’s Mitzvah Club and Simon Family JCC’s PJ Library participants. Local synagogues and community partners held food drives for the JFS Food Pantry, stocking the shelves for the High Holidays, and in preparation for the influx of need at Thanksgiving, enabling the Pantry to make certain that at least 60 families received a turkey and all the trimmings for a Thanksgiving meal.
With Hanukkah just around the corner, there is still time to donate gifts for the Annual Chanukah Gift Project. For the last 31 years, JFS has collected donations of gifts, gift cards, and cash that support area teens and children with gifts during the holiday. Donate in honor of Hanukkah and JFS will do the shopping! All donations are needed by Tuesday, Nov. 28.
Kelly Burroughs is CEO of Jewish Family Service.