The United Jewish Fund for Charlottesville is a mechanism for people, regardless of affiliation, to support the local Jewish community and our values abroad.
Mcintire Park, Charlottesville, Virginia
Our Beginning
The first Jewish charitable fund in Charlottesville was started in the early 1980's by Ed Eitelberg. Upon arriving in 1978, "Eddie" as he was often called, was surprised to learn that there was no central Jewish philanthropy. Eddie sprang into action and started the first iteration of the UJFC.
“We all must do our part.”
— Ed Eitelberg, UJFC FOUNDER
When Eddie's fund became briefly inactive in the 1990s, it was renewed by Ruth Hanft in 2002, and with the help of Bill Gray, Sonia Haimes, Vikki Bravo, Faye Rosenthal, Rob Capon and numerous others, UJFC came into being as a 501 (C) (3) tax-deductible fund in 2003. It raised over $25,000 in its first year and has prospered ever since.
Our Mission
We embrace the notion that all Jews are responsible for one another.
Our purpose is to meet the existing and emerging needs of the Jewish community, here and abroad. We do so by:
Observing needs and opportunities
Raising awareness within the local Jewish community
Identifying programs and other mechanisms to meet these needs/opportunities, and
Supporting these projects by providing funding.
Get Involved
If you live in the Charlottesville area, are moving here, or just call our community home, please consider becoming involved. There are numerous opportunities to have an impact through personal involvement, volunteerism, leadership positions, board memberships or of course, donations.