Tidewater Jewish Foundation celebrated donors, community milestones, and philanthropic accomplishments at the 2022 Simon Family Legacy Celebration on Sunday, May 17 at the Sandler Family Campus. The first in-person event in three years, the celebration highlighted the continued success of the LIFE & LEGACY program, new initiatives such as the Jewish Future Pledge, and the wide-reaching impact TJF donors had over the past few years.
“It was so amazing to finally come together as a community and celebrate Jewish Tidewater’s incredible philanthropic accomplishments,” says Naomi Limor Sedek, president and CEO of Tidewater Jewish Foundation. “This community has given so much, especially over the past year, so it was important to thank and celebrate with people in person.”
Central to the remarks was the community’s continued support of Ukraine. Since the start of the Russian invasion earlier this year, more than $340,000 has been donated to emergency support and relief. Many donors, who utilized their TJF donor advised funds, gave more than $240,000 directly to United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Ukraine Emergency Fund, which has supported agencies and organizations such as the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), and others that are on the ground every day. An additional $200,000 match from an anonymous donor for gifts to support the UJFT Ukraine Emergency Fund will continue to support JDC and JAFI and other organizations including United Hatzalah.
“Watching our community support our brothers and sisters in Ukraine has been inspiring,” says Sedek. “It highlights how, no matter where we are in the world, Jews take care of each other. Donor advised fund holders are encouraged to continue to respond and organizations on the ground are spending a million dollars a day supporting critical care for the refugees and those unable to leave.”
Additionally, at the event, TJF unveiled its revamped Book of Life website, which features a new interface, updated graphics, mobile responsiveness, and quality of life features that will make it easier to update names, dates, and information.
“Our revamped Book of Life website is a long-term investment for the Tidewater Jewish community,” says Sedek. “This revamp will make it easier to see and navigate existing entries and entice individuals to share their legacy stories when they join our Book of Life.”
To view TJF’s revamped Book of Life, visit bit.ly/tjf-book-of-life. For more information on how you can achieve your philanthropic goals with TJF, contact Naomi Limor Sedek at nsedek@ujft.org or 757-965-6109.
Photography by David Hollingsworth
–Thomas Mills