CARMEL VALLEY — With 2,000-year-old biblical manuscripts providing an impressive backdrop, more than 250 people gathered at the San Diego Natural History Museum on Sept. 6 for the United Jewish Federation, or UJF, Major Gifts and Lion of Judah Dinner.

Guests enjoyed dinner, cocktails and a private showing of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the ancient manuscripts discovered in caves near Jerusalem that are widely considered among the greatest archaeological relics ever found.

According to Theresa Dupuis, UJF Women’s Division campaign chair, the goal of the event was to thank the organization’s donors. “These people represent a huge portion of our campaign, and we wanted to thank them and recognize them,” Dupuis said.

For Ed and Rae Samiljan, co-chairs of the event, the opportunity to hold the dinner in the museum during the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit was too good to pass up.

“The Dead Sea Scrolls have a significant meaning not only in the Jewish community, but around the world,” Ed Samiljan said. “It was a natural fit for us to have it here.”

For the past 70 years, the UJF has served the Jewish community of San Diego County. The organization’s goal has been to enhance the well-being of Jews in San Diego, Israel and around the globe through various fundraising campaigns and outreach programs.

This event focused on the Women’s Division and the Young Adult Division — or YAD — two facets of the UJF that have been very active throughout San Diego County.

According to Dupuis, the approximately 150 Lion of Judah members within the Women’s Division made individual annual gifts of $5,000 or more.

“It was a great chance for our women to make their own statement about where resources need to go,” she said.

The Women’s Division has participated in such efforts as building homes for needy families in San Diego County, helping seniors in retirement communities and working to cover up unwanted graffiti throughout San Diego.

The UJF’s Young Adult Division primarily consists of adults aged 20 to 40, and has been a part of the federation for the past two decades.

According to Carmel Valley resident and UJF member Juli Bear, YAD holds different social and educational activities to encourage further involvement in the Jewish community.

She added that an increasing number of UJF events will begin shifting toward North County in the years ahead. One of those events is the North County Lunch Club, which is run by the UJF Women’s Division and is aimed at North County women.

“A demographic study done about three years ago showed that a very large percentage of San Diego Jews live in North County, predominately Carmel Valley,” Bear said.

The largest annual outreach event for the Women’s Division, called Options, has traditionally been held in downtown San Diego at the Hyatt. For the first time on Feb. 5, it will take place at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines.

“Options is a really empowering event,” Dupuis said. “It is 700 of our women coming together as one, and it’s a way to become educated about the UJF and how our campaign dollars are being spent.”

Carmel Valley resident Mark Hoffman has been a member of the UJF for the past 18 years, and agreed that North County is a hub for the Jewish community in San Diego.

“The UJF gives money to causes that are local, national and international,” Hoffman said. “Their programs inspired me to join and stay involved over the years.”

For more information about the UJF and its different programs, visit www.jewishinsandiego.org.