Almost 40 men – sons, brothers, fathers, and grandfathers came together on Thursday, August 22, for what has become an annual tradition, the Men’s Major Gifts Luncheon for the 2025 Annual Community Campaign. The event was chaired by John Strelitz and Jay Klebanoff, UJFT past presidents, and hosted by Steve and Art Sandler, also past presidents.
Traditionally the kick-off for the annual campaign, this luncheon usually results in commitments that represent more than 50% of the gifts to meet the needs of Jewish Tidewater and college students throughout Virginia, as well as of global Jewry.
This year, as can be found on page 8, the ladies of the community set the pace with their generosity. As with the Ruby Lion of Judah event, David Makovsky, of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, provided the
men with an insightful briefing on the complex dynamics in the Middle East.
As the men turned to commitments for the Annual Campaign, the longstanding tradition of generosity in Tidewater’s Jewish community shone through. Not only through stories told by multiple generations of numerous families present for the luncheon, but also by recounting memories of prior campaigns, trips to Israel, and examples of the generosity of the men who came before them.
It was an inspiring and motivational afternoon. Much work lies ahead to meet the challenges that face the Jewish world, but the generosity of these individuals and families is representative of the generosity of Jewish Tidewater. These men have set the pace. Now, it is up to the rest of the community.