ELLISHA CAPLAN:
I give back through giving tzedakah, but I also give my time, volunteering on committees and advocating for causes and issues that matter to me.
LISA DRIBAN:
I give back by volunteering my time and giving tzedakah. I am most committed to the Holiday Helpers program at JFS and have worked on this project since I was employed at JFS 20+ years ago. I have so much to be grateful for and it feels so nice to share my good fortune with the more vulnerable members of our community. Over the past few years this project has provided 75–100 bags of necessities and treats to individuals and families and for many, these are the only holiday gifts they receive. It’s so fulfilling to know I am helping to make a difference in the lives of these community members. 54 NOVEMBER 2024 | JEWISH LIVING DELAWARE | ShalomDelaware.org
SHARON FULLERTON:
If you know me personally, you know I’m rarely without my camera—but I’m not always working. It brings me joy to capture moments and milestones for others and fuels me to give back. From volunteering as historian at my synagogue, to shooting magazine covers for the larger Jewish community, to making sure every player on my daughter’s volleyball team has nice pictures—I freely share my personal time behind the lens. Giving back in this way makes my heart happy.
MEREDITH ROSENTHAL:
Giving back to the Jewish community has always been a core value that my family has embraced. I am careful never to say that “I sit” on a committee or board; instead, I choose to say that “I serve” on a committee or board. There’s a difference. I feel fulfilled by “Giving Back” as a longtime board member of the Siegel JCC, and as a new board member of University of Delaware’s Hillel. I also hope that my time as the former co-chair of Federation’s Jewish Living Delaware magazine was also impactful for our amazing community. I hope that I’m instilling in my children to always ask themselves, “What have I done for my Jewish community lately?” Giving back truly makes a difference.
