JEWISH TIDEWATER Women draw inspiration from Julie Platt, JFNA chair

Amy Zelenka to the Netanyahu government’s proposed judicial changes. JFNA was invited by both Netanyahu and opposition leader Yair Lapid to discuss the proposals. And they made their position clear.

In the beautiful Rodriguez room at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach, more than 50 women from the Jewish community celebrated the approaching end of a very successful 2023 United Jewish Federation of Tidewater Community Campaign and witnessed the biennial turnover of leadership in the Women’s Division.

Platt, chair of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) board. JFNA is the umbrella organization for 146 Jewish Federations (including UJFT) and more than 300 Network communities across North America, representing more than 300,000 donors and supporting a wide range of programs and services for Jewish communities in North America and around the world.

Platt spoke of the incredible work being done to address the situation in Ukraine, citing statistic after impressive

Betty Ann Levin, UJFT executive vice president, welcomed everyone and introduced the featured speaker, Julie

Platt brought greetings from JFNA and talked about the work taking place with Federation partners to address the most pressing issues facing the global Jewish community. She started by discussing the current situations in Israel – both the rocket attacks from Gaza and the ongoing judicial controversies, noting that JFNA, for the first time in its history, took a public stance on Israeli politics – in opposition statistic of the life-saving services, food, and medical supplies that UJFT and JFNA have been able to deliver to the Jewish communities of Ukraine through its Emergency campaigns and overseas partners. Platt also spoke to the great numbers of both Ukrainian Jews and Jews from the Former Soviet Union who’ve made Aliyah to Israel since the outbreak of the war in February of 2022.

During the recently held JFNA General Assembly in Israel (celebrating Israel’s 75th birthday), participants – in a show of solidarity with the vast majority of Israeli citizens who likewise oppose the proposed Judicial changes – stood shoulder to shoulder with Israelis on Israel’s Memorial Day (Yom HaZikaron) and on Independence Day (Yom Ha’atzmaut). For the first time ever, JFNA made the decision NOT to hold its own ceremonies for GA participants, but rather to participate in existing neighborhood programs, memorial events, and celebrations throughout the country.