This month, the Tidewater Jewish Foundation and the Feldman Family are excited to announce the unveiling of the Feldman Family Medical and Health Professions Scholarship Fund. This annual scholarship will award up to $10,000 a year to Jewish students living in Virginia – with priority given to Hampton Roads residents – who have been accepted to matriculate at a Virginia-based institution for a degree in their chosen healthcare field.
 
“Our goal is to build the community by education,” said Dr. William Feldman. “I don’t want to see people discouraged going into the profession because of finances. Moreover, by opening it up to more people, I think it’ll do good for the entire Jewish community in the state of Virginia.”
 
Dr. Feldman, and his wife, Mary, have always felt that strengthening the Jewish people comes through investing in individuals’ success. For the Feldman's, that meant uniting their passion for Jewish philanthropy and medical and health professions. Dr. Feldman was uniquely positioned to create this scholarship: he was a pediatrician for 33 years in Hampton Roads and served on various committees at Eastern Virginia Medical School and the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters.  
 
“After retirement, it was good to give back and also look at the future of medicine in Hampton Roads,” said Dr. Feldman. “It became clear to me that one of the big problems people have is not only being accepted to medical school but also paying for it. Anything that could be done from a scholarship point of view to alleviate debt would be a good thing.”
 
The scholarship aims to incentivize Jewish students to enter healthcare fields through Virginia-based institutions. Up to $40,000 will be available for four years, with a maximum of $10,000 a year. Applicants must be entering the field of medicine, dentistry, Physician Assistant, nursing as LPN, RN or Nurse Practitioner; pharmacy or physical therapy; and other ancillary medical professions.
 
“When William reached out to us about creating this new scholarship for students in the healthcare field, we worked together to bring their legacy to reality,” said Naomi Limor Sedek, President and CEO of the Tidewater Jewish Foundation. “We are so excited to help Jewish students in Hampton Roads and throughout Virginia achieve their dreams of being a medical or health professional.”
 
Applications for the Feldman Family Medical and Health Professions Scholarship are open from May 1 to July 1, 2022. To see eligibility, to apply, or for more information, visit bit.ly/tjf-feldman.