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The UJCVP has been bringing together people, partners and resources to both lead and serve the Virginia Peninsula for more than 80 years.  We seek to foster a compassionate community that cares for the vulnerable, that engages deeply with Israel and that embraces Jewish life and learning - all with a focus on engaging the community in vibrant Jewish life, both now and in the future.  

More than eighty after the UJCVP was founded, we are asking ourselves how we can ensure that the Jewish community of the Virginia Peninsula continues to thrive? 

Stronger Together  

Throughout our history, we have shown that is the Jewish people are fragmented, our strength is diminished, and our future is in doubt.  If we are divided, it compromises the integrity of the community itself.  That unity is only possible if we make space for each other.  Now more than ever we understand the importance that each organization and individual plays in the strength of our local and global Jewish community.  We are stronger together. 

 

OUR GOAL: Inspire a cohesive, collaborative and flourishing Jewish community where everyone feels belonging, connection and engagement.  

  • Expand collabrative programming both on and off the campus that fosters partnership with our Jewish congregations and agencies. 
  • Convene Jewish community leadership in dialogue to evaluate pressing community needs and nurture relationships. 
  • Enhance the UJCVP's commitment to pluralism that builds a culture of connection and values diverse expressions of Jewish practice. 

Broaden Engagement  

Countless people of diverse faiths and backgrounds walk through the doors of our UJCVP to send their children to preschool or youth activities, attend public programs, participate in recreational activities and find camaraderie through senior services.  They see the Hebrew language, hear the names of our holidays, and notice mezuzahs on the doorposts.  In this enviroment, we positively express and shore whom we are as Jews, throughout the diverse tapestry of the Virginia Peninsula. 

This broader, non-Jewish community appreciates the opportunity to learn, share a meal and debate together in these public spaces that we have built, making our Jewish community a tangible and significant contributor to the public good.  By intentionally broadening engagement through mission-driven initiatives, we can elevate Jewish life, by offering more.  

 

OUR GOAL: Strengthen Jewish life by expanding UJCVP programs, services and relationships through intentional outreach to the broader non-Jewish community.  

  • Establish consistent general interest programs to increase public participation and increase revenue. 
  • Increase the outlets for external communications and marketing to grow connections to broader community. 
  • Develop and implement a strategy to empower our community to address rising antisemitism. 
  • Build allyship in non-Jewish partners and diverse organizations that foster camaraderie in times of need and times of abundance. 

 

Investing in our Campus

"It is a luxury you can no longer afford,” read the 1988 UJCVP Strategic Plan that recommended the community sell the campus and revert to a store front. To the great credit of the leaders at the time, the proposal was rejected and the community rallied to raise the funds necessary to maintain the facility. It was a bold response, but the right response.

Today, our beautiful campus is home to an expansive hub of Jewish life stretching from youth programming and social services to recreation and spiritual sustenance. 

Thirty six years later, the campus is an asset we can’t afford not to invest in.

 

OUR GOAL: The UJCVP campus will serve as the hub of the community where people easily and routinely gather and form meaningful relationships with each other in a well-maintained facility.

  • Upgrade and mantain current facility space to accomodate the current and expanding program needs. 
  • Design informal, intergenerational gathering places for people to convene.  
  • Expand campus spaces to strengthen existing programs with established records of success.  

 

Deepening Philanthropy 

 

The UJCVP Annual Campaign generates the financial resources required to fund programs and services that address our community’s current, emerging and future needs.  Over the past 20 years, the number of contributors to our annual campaign has shrunk by 35% as the historic philanthropic leaders of our community age and move.  This crisis is also demographically skewed, in that the great majority of our giving is from community members over the age of 60, most of whom do not have children or grandchildren remaining in the community to continue their gift when they are gone.

At the same time, there are significant shifts in how people approach philanthropy– both in Virginia, and across the country. Donors are increasingly results-focused, data-driven and seek to feel the impact of their gifts. If we do not take action now to respond to these changes, the Virginia Peninsula Jewish community, and the UJCVP’s ability to support it, will face a crisis over the next decade.

 

OUR GOAL: Promote a culture of giving that fosters connections, diversifies philanthropic streams and engages the next generation of leaders. 

  • Build a committed cadre of new leaders who give of their resources and capabilities to ensure a secure financial future.
  • Increase the permanent philanthropic funds managed through the UJCVP Endowment to support the community of tomorrow.
  • Implement a corporate sponsorship program that elevates UJCVP impact.
  • Foster greater insight, transparency and ownership over Annual Campaign to the community.
  • Build a committed cadre of new leaders who give of their resources and capabilities to ensure a secure financial future.

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Strengthening Leadership 

 

The UJCVP Board of Directors serves as the governing body responsible for steering the UJCVP towards a sustainable future by adopting sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management, as well as ensuring the community has the resources to advance our mission.  The leadership plays a critical role in sharing its foresight, oversight, and insight.

Our research indicated a perceived exodus of young Jewish professionals and a small leadership pool to draw from. Concern was raised due to the “musical chairs” situation in Jewish leadership. Concern was expressed about these individuals losing steam or burning out, and the community being left without others to replace them.

Based on the history of the UJCVP, the current demographic realities, and the desire to implement the “Stronger Together” and “Deepening Philanthropy” goals, we concluded that the community has a shortage of leaders in the pipeline and many individuals serve on overlapping boards and committees.  The intellectual resource of qualified and committed future leadership needs to be further developed for the sustainability of the community.​

 

OUR GOAL: The Board of Directors will implement best practices into the governance of the organization to expand community voices, leverage intellectual resources and nurture future leadership.

  • Increase lay leadership involvement in the organization by restructuring and reenergizing committees and taskforces.
  • Embody diverse community voices over the next two board cycles.
  • Strengthen the board’s role as a deliberative body to engage in strategic thinking.