Life & Legacy

Why I support the Temple Beth-El Life & Legacy Program

From Frances Goldman

First, because I really care about the future of our Temple Beth-El. “It” has been good to me.

Second, because of Berea College in Kentucky. It has given every student free tuition since 1920.  Its Board of Directors has the brilliant foresight to know its students could not afford tuition and created a solution.  ANY unrestricted gift from a donor not tied to a specific purpose or designated for operations was required to be deposited into its Endowment. That Endowment is now $1,200,000,000.  Yes, $1.2 billion.  Only the return on the investment could be used to fund the school’s operating needs.  That Endowment provides 75% of Berea’s operating budget annually. That Endowment pays each of its 1,600 students more than $30,000 tuition annually. 

That’s why I left a portion of my IRA to Temple Beth-El.  I don’t know how much money that will be, but even if it’s $1,000 that will help. If it’s $10,000 or more that will be even better.

If every Beth-El member left 1% of his or her IRA, for example, that would double our current Endowment over time.  A 10% gift would be extraordinary. It would save tax because a charitable gift of a traditional IRA escapes income taxation.  It would benefit Jews you don’t know or who don’t even exist yet. A portion of a life insurance policy is another great option.

Think about it.  Leave a portion of your assets to Temple Beth-El’s Legacy Fund and maybe your grandchildren will pay no dues at all! 

From Franklin Wolf

Over 3,000 years ago Hillel wrote “If not now-when?” and “If not me - who?” Almost 1500 years ago Rabbi Tarfon taught us that “It is our task to start the program even if others have to complete it.”   Philanthropic giving has always been important to my family. In 1952, when my mother Hortense B. Wolf was struggling to support her family -- an incapacitated husband and 2 young children-- her deceased aunt left her a $5,000 inheritance. So what did mother do with the money?  She set up a charitable fund with Richmond Jewish Federation. Today that fund annually makes a sizable contribution to the Richmond Jewish Welfare fund. So I know first-hand the importance of investing today for the needs of tomorrow.   I was fortunate enough to have been born into the Temple Beth-El family in 1938 and I want to ensure the financial vitality of our beloved Beth-El for long into the future. Unfortunately for Beth-El, my three children live out of state and have interests of their own. By giving to the Temple Beth-El Life and Legacy Program, I feel comfortable in knowing that I have done my part in providing for the future viability of Temple Beth-El. 

From Nancy Walter

Being a participant in this program is quite simply an expected part of my life. I thought of the ancient story of Honi who, as an old man, planted a tree that would not bear fruit until 70 years in the future. When asked why he would do such a thing, since he would derive no pleasure from the fruit, he replied that he benefited from trees that had been planted by his ancestors, so, he, too, intended to plant for the future and his descendants.  I see this story as the goal of the Life and Legacy program.  On a more personal level, I found a quote my sister and I wrote many years ago to honor our parents because they believed that education was a priority to support: “Our parents lived and valued the many facets of a Jewish life. Primary to the continuing strength of our heritage is the value and necessity of education. It is crucial in developing, enhancing and sustaining all areas of Judaism.”  My desire is to perpetuate those ideals by subscribing to the Life and Legacy Initiative.