Dr. Sam Richardson has joined the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond’s professional team as director of the Jewish Community Relations Committee.
Federation CEO Daniel Staffenberg said, “I am excited to welcome Dr. Sam Richardson as our new JCRC director. Sam brings a wealth of experience to the role including time at the Jewish National Fund, The Jefferson Council and Tikvah Fund. Sam, an educator at heart, has served communities in a variety of ways including local advocacy, community organizing and as a speaker on a variety of topics, including Israel and Jewish identity. He is also a well-respected B’nai Mitzvah tutor and guide.”
While born in California, Richardson grew up in a small town in Western Colorado and has been a strong advocate of small cities for most of his life. “It was a very nice place to grow up,” he noted.
And his doctoral dissertation at the University of Virginia was: “The Generational Transmission of Jewish Values in Small Jewish Communities: The magic and Utility of Thinking Small.”
He is extremely passionate about Israel and has visited the State 10 times already. “While in college at University of Southern California, I discovered Judaism and Israel all at the same time,” he notes.
Richardson also recalls his first antisemistism experience while on a high school trip in Germany traveling with a group of fellow students including an Israeli student. One day on their own, they decided to go from West Germany into East Germany. “We really were not thinking about the Israeli student,” he explained.
“We got though the checkpoint but not our Israeli friend. He didn’t come out. So, these 16- and 17-year-old American boys started talking up to these East German Gestapo-like people and neither of us are backing down.”
Richardson said, “about 30 minutes later our friend came out and it was clear he had been through a tough ordeal, and he obviously had been crying.”
“That experience has really stuck with me since that day.”
While in college in 1986, he made his first trip to Israel and met a family with several children who lived in Jerusalem. “They kind of adopted me and I adopted them. I stayed with them for four weeks … baby sitting .. walking around Jerusalem … going to the Wall may times … ”
He also traveled around Israel to know more about the country and the people. His love for Israel was cemented. He changed his major to Middle East Studies and began learning Hebrew.
In his early career, he was an IT professional with several large companies, including Hewlett-Packard and Kraft Foods.
However, at the age of 36, he began a career change when he woke up one morning with a burning question, “Will I have Jewish grandchildren?”
This question led him to pursue an MA in Sociology from the University of Connecticut where his research focused on discerning which types of personal attitudes and behaviors would best predict a strong religious identity and facilitate generational identity transmission.
Richardson describes himself as “a traditional Jewish guy who also happens to be a sociologist, the husband of Amy, and father of Sarah, Rebecca, and Rachel (all homeschooled and now pursuing their family and career dreams). I have been involved in a variety of Jewish communities across the country including Colorado, Connecticut and Virginia. In each case, I have been privileged to participate in the Jewish education of children and adults alike.”
He adds, “I am community-focused and passionate about the continuity and viability of American families and communities.”
He notes, “I look forward to working with our team, our lay leaders and the Jewish community.”
To reach out to Sam Richardson, email srichardson@jewishrichmond.org,
