The State of the Union. The State of the City. Most people have heard of or attended gatherings like these, where leaders reflect on the present and make projections about the future.
Last month, Tidewater Jewish Foundation did just that. Board members gathered for the Foundation’s annual State of the Foundation to strengthen the strategy forward. It was a purposeful pause to name both the successes and challenges of supporting Jewish life in Tidewater, and to align around a path ahead.
Over the past decade, TJF has helped turn local generosity into real support, fueling grants and long-term charitable funds that strengthen Jewish life across the region. In plain terms, the Foundation has been growing its ability to help; supporting organizations now while also building long-term stability that can carry the community through changing needs and future challenges.
The State of the Foundation gathering focused on what comes next. Board members heard from Eddie Kramer, TJF board chair and Paul Peck, chair-elect, about the Foundation’s forward-looking strategy, how it plans to secure the resources that sustain Jewish education, synagogue life, cultural programming, social services, and community wellbeing, so future generations are not forced to rebuild what can be secured today.
For Naomi Limor Sedek, TJF president and CEO, those conversations often begin with something deeply human: people care, but they don’t always have the words, or a clear plan. “It’s not that they haven’t thought about their legacy, they just can’t always articulate it,” she says. TJF’s role is to help individuals and families, at any stage of life, define what they want to perpetuate and then struct-
ure a meaningful, lasting plan to support the Jewish community.
Community members who want to participate can begin with a simple conversation. Whether someone is early in their career, raising a family, planning for retirement, or reflecting on the legacy they hope to leave, TJF can help translate values into action, through donor-advised funds, legacy commitments, endowment planning, or other giving vehicles that align with personal goals.
The future of Jewish Tidewater is not abstract. It is built decision by decision, family by family. And it begins with asking one powerful question: What do I want my legacy to be?
To start the conversation about your own legacy, contact Naomi Limor Sedek at Tidewater Jewish Foundation, 757-965-6109 or nsedek@tjfva.org.
