As this article goes to press, the 2026 Community Campaign of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater has passed the $5.2 million mark for the very first time. It’s a major milestone, and the Federation is incredibly grateful to the donors and community members who have brought the campaign to this amazing total. With three weeks left of the campaign, the Federation hopes for additional pledges and donations at all levels.
“Reaching $5.2 million is certainly impressive, but what’s more impressive and more important is the additional work which can be done by the agencies and programs who receive funding from the campaign,” says Jason Hoffman, 2026 UJFT Campaign chair. “These are the frontline organizations that build and strengthen Jewish life – here at home and around the world.”
This increase comes at a time when additional funds are greatly needed. The costs of hardening and securing the community are real and growing. But UJFT’s commitment to enhancing Jewish life and celebrating the things that bind Jewish Tidewater as a people cannot suffer as a result. So, the Federation continues to work hard to balance the safety of the community with programs, events, and opportunities to bring people together in strength, celebration, and shared remembrance; in classes that bring everyone closer to Judaism; in gatherings which ensure the well-being of senior adults; and in many other ways.
The Tidewater Jewish community is truly special, and it is made so not by the size of the campaign, but by the dedication of community members ensuring its health and well-being. Doing so requires “time, talent, and treasure.”
So, through the lens of pure gratitude and appreciation, the Federation thanks its donors, its volunteers, and its lay and professional leaders for all that they have done and continue to do each year to make Jewish Tidewater the remarkable community that it is.
Working together, in service to the Jewish People… is there anything better?
If you’d like to help strengthen and secure the Jewish community with a gift to the 2026 UJFT Community Campaign, there is still time. Visit www.jewishva.org/donate, call Amy Zelenka, UJFT’s chief development officer, at 757-965-6139, or mail a check to the Federation with the note: “2026 UJFT Campaign” to 5000 Corporate Woods Drive, Suite 200, Virginia Beach, VA 23462.
Thank you in advance for your caring and support.