Anyone who’s worked alongside Karen Jaffe on committee or in community leadership will confirm: Karen Jaffe is special. A much-admired leader in the Tidewater Jewish community, Jaffe has been a role model for her family, friends, and an entire generation of emerging women leaders.
Leading by example, Jaffe inspires peers and young leaders alike to engage in meaningful service, philanthropy, and tikkun olam. Her many years of service on community boards and committees reflects a lifetime dedicated to strengthening and enhancing Jewish life in Tidewater and around world.
Jaffe is a champion of women’s philanthropy and empowerment. And she carries an unwavering love for Israel and the Jewish People – believing with her whole heart in the collective responsibility for world Jewry. Perhaps nothing illustrates this better than the fulfillment of her late parents’ vision to build a Jewish Family Service similar to the one in Jewish Tidewater in an at-risk community in Eastern Europe. Together with her brother, Nathan Jaffe, they brought the Jaffe Family JFS in Budapest, Hungary from a vision to a reality. And it was likely no coincidence that much of this took place during the time when Jaffe was the (national) chair of JDC – Europe. She then led Tidewater’s very first community mission to Budapest and Prague.
Through her every action, Jaffe embodies the spirit of the Lion of Judah, using her “join me” spirit to influence others and bring good in the world.
When asked to reflect on what being a Lion of Judah has meant to her, Jaffe had the following to say:
“I’ve always tried to live a values-driven life, and my values are Jewish values. My late-parents, Lee and Bernard, were wonderful role models – inspiring me to meaningful service, philanthropy, and tikkun olam. Looking back at the boards and committees on which I’ve served, I see a lifetime of working with others to build, strengthen, and enhance Jewish life at home and around world.
“As a proud Lion, I constantly try to be a force-multiplier for bringing good into the world.”
Jaffe will receive the Kipness/Wilson-Friedland award. Selected by their local federations, KWF award winners embody the values of the Lion of Judah. Winners of this prestigious, nationally-recognized award are leaders in their communities — women whose body of work has left and continues to leave an enormous imprint for generations to come; women who’ve inspired and motivated others to take an active role in philanthropy and Jewish community involvement.
Jaffe’s award will be presented in January at the International Lion of Judah Conference.
The Tidewater Jewish community is incredibly pleased to wish Karen Jaffe a hearty Mazel Tov on this much deserved award.
Amy Zelenka is United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s chief development officer.