On the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 7, a delegation of committed and proud Jews – ranging from ODU students to retirees – boarded a double-decker bus at the Sandler Family Campus in Virginia Beach destined for Richmond. There, we met up with other Jewish delegations from around the state for Advocacy Day, where we formed small groups to talk with state Senators and Delegates serving in the Virginia General Assembly about issues important to the community.

The politicians and their legislative aides who took time out of their busy days to meet with us could not have been more receptive. They listened attentively to the concerns, not just of Jews, but of Virginians.

We advocated for expanding the penalties and covered classes for hate crimes, a greater allocation of resources to be used towards funding security for synagogues and nonprofit organizations, and continued support of Virginia Israel Advisory Board.

Once our advocating ended, we headed for lunch with the other statewide delegations and heard from Governor Glenn Youngkin, Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, and Virginia Beach’s homegrown Attorney General, Jason Miyares. All were attentive and supportive to our issues.

Much of what we read and see in the media tends to focus on the war in Israel and its negative ramifications for Jews in the United States. Those who participated in Advocacy Day left Richmond knowing that many of our elected officials in the Commonwealth not only appreciate our concerns but are willing to stand up for Jewish causes.

To learn more about the Jewish Community Relations Council’s advocacy efforts or to get involved, contact RMancoll@ujft.org.

Kirk Levy is legislative chair of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater.