For Lion of Judah Perri Wittgrove, giving is rooted in
the values her grandparents passed down: education, Jewish heritage, and tzedakah.
A San Diegan since 1984, Perri shares how those early lessons continue to guide
her philanthropy, what inspired her Lion of Judah Endowment, and what gives her
hope for the Jewish future.
What is
your background and connection to the San Diego Jewish community?
I am the product of an East Coast suburban Jewish
upbringing. My grandparents arrived from Ukraine in the early twentieth century,
like many escaping Czarist Russia’s pogroms and antisemitism. They arrived in
Philadelphia and worked hard, barely eking out a living. They raised their
children to value two things: education and their priceless Jewish heritage.
Somehow my grandparents found money for their children’s college, and always,
incredibly, for tzedakah, in spite of their circumstances (Israel Bonds,
JNF, and Pioneer Women in those days).
My parents, their children, echoed those values. From a
young age, my brothers and I absorbed. We grew up in suburban Washington, D.C.,
attending Hebrew school, Jewish/Zionist youth groups, and Jewish summer camps.
I arrived in San Diego in 1984, stationed here by the U.S. Navy (the Navy
financed my medical school education). I married shortly thereafter and became
a member of Temple Emanu-El.
A time-demanding career and raising a family precluded
much hands-on volunteerism in the Jewish community, but between the synagogue,
Federation, the San Diego Jewish Academy, and AIPAC, I was able to stay
connected, donate, and volunteer as time allowed. In retirement, I’ve been
grateful to be able to connect more broadly.
How have
you seen women make an impact through their philanthropy, volunteerism, and/or
leadership?
As presidents, public office holders, CEOs, board and
committee chairs, committee members, Rabbis, and even as mothers and wives
raising Jewish families. Amazing women have been the backbone of much of the
San Diego Jewish community. They have inspired others to give their time and
treasure since before I arrived; they continue serving as examples today.
What does
being a Lion mean to you?
Being a Lion is an opportunity for to “walk the walk.” It
allows me to tangibly express the importance I place on the health, vibrancy,
and continuity of the Jewish community – locally, nationally, and
internationally.
What
inspired you to create your Lion of Judah Endowment?
Talking the talk is important – words can shape minds.
But when I think of the legacy I want to leave my family and my community –
leaving the tools to help ensure health, vibrancy, and continuity – this
endowment expresses my Jewish pride and values concretely and better than
anything I can say.
I am truly grateful to be able to donate, to be able to
stand on the shoulders of those that came before me, and to be a link in the
chain to those that come after.
If you
could invite any Jewish woman – past or present – to coffee, who would it be
and why?
I’m not sure she would have time to stop for coffee; she
was such a dynamo! Henrietta Szold. Through a twist of fate, she made her first
trip to Ottoman Palestine in 1909. The appalling public health conditions she
saw, particularly childhood blindness from trachoma, motivated her. She rallied
American women to start and organization in 1912 that has morphed into one of
the most important health institutions in the world: Hadassah Medical
Organization. She is a shining example of how one woman’s convictions and
determination can indeed change the world for generations.
What is
something people might be surprised to learn about you?
I fell down some stairs and fractured my wrist one year
ago, and I am still rehabilitating it. All because I didn’t turn on a light in
an unfamiliar space. Let that be a lesson!
In a time
when our community faces both challenges and opportunities, what gives you
hope?
Educated, outspoken public figures sorting through noise,
propaganda and lies, to articulate truths. That gives me hope. Alphabetically,
Dara Horn, Deborah Lipstadt, Douglas Murray, John Spencer, and Brett Stephens,
to name a few.
Our San Diego Jewish community’s philanthropy
infrastructure also fills me with hope: the hope that our Jewish values for
good in the world will continue for years to come. Kol hakavod to
everyone involved in this effort of tikkun olam!
A Legacy
of Giving
Perri’s reflections show how the values passed down to us
can shape what we make possible for others. Through her giving, she honors the
generations before her and helps sustain Jewish life for those who will follow.
If you’d like to explore becoming a Lion of Judah or
creating a Lion of Judah endowment, Maya Steinberg,
Director of Women’s Philanthropy, would be happy to connect with you.
