As the worldwide Jewish and pro-Israel communities celebrate Israel’s 70th anniversary, the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater is offering a new type of exhibit: The Tidewater Umbrella Project.
For the past five years, the Community Relations Council has held the Israel Poster Contest. This year, the CRC did something a little different. With The Tidewater Umbrella Project, the CRC asked students in grades K-12 to paint their vision of what Israel looks like to them— whether it be a landscape, people, food, etc.—on a white umbrella provided by the CRC. The results are now on view at the Simon Family JCC, which is adorned with a “sky” filled with umbrellas to resemble similar installations on the streets of Jerusalem and other cities around the world.
Thanks to the generous support of the Helen G. Gifford Foundation, more than 300 umbrellas were distributed to nearly all local Sunday schools, Jewish Day Schools, as well as other groups including students at Maury High School, Tallwood High School, Teens with a Purpose, and the JCC Seniors Club.
For more information on the Tidewater Umbrella Project, contact Wendy Weissman at WWeissman@ujft.org or 757-965-6107.
– Wendy Weissman, Assistant CRC Director