When we saw the JCC campers playing with oversized Connect4 and checkers boards on the blacktop, an entire year of experimentation and hard work came full circle.
Yes, all the effort was worth it.
In fall 2016, YAD—United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Young Adult Division—launched Nadiv (Hebrew for “generosity”), a giving circle for young professional Jewish men. We currently have about 20 members.
The idea was twofold:
1) Provide a monthly opportunity to network and hear from interesting business- related speakers, and
2) Pool everyone’s $36 annual membership and choose—as a group—how to donate the funds.
On both fronts, Nadiv was a huge success.
We heard from a variety of engaging speakers including Glenn Sutch, head of the new Waterside District and George Metzger, an accomplished clothing manufacturer and distributor. With every speaker, the group learned important lessons for our own budding careers.
As for the giving circle, Nadiv held lengthy conversations on how and where to make our donation of approximately $800. We decided to give to the JCC Summer Camp and purchase several outdoor games like the giant Connect4 board, a checkers set, and Ladder Golf.
As a final meeting of the summer, we met with the campers and played the games we purchased. It was meaningful to see our hard work on display and how much the campers enjoyed the games.
“Nadiv is such an innovative project,” says inaugural member Byron Harrell. “We became closer as young professionals and helped children in our Jewish community. A total win-win.”
Heading into year two, Nadiv has even greater ambitions. We plan to create a signature event that will again impact the lives of children in our Jewish community. Stay tuned for more details.
The bottom line: Nadiv creates brotherhood, helps young men with their careers, and allows them to make a difference.
It’s a recipe for success, and we’re just getting started.
Want to join Nadiv? Contact Jasmine Amitay, YAD director, at jamitay@ujft.org or 757- 965-6138. Learn more about Nadiv at http://jewishva.org/nadiv.
– Danny Rubin, Nadiv chair