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BUILDING OUR ENDOWMENT-IF WE DON'T, WHO WILL?
By Jerold Goldberg
President, Congregation Beth Israel
Dear Congregants,
Notwithstanding the dangerous world in which we live, and the intractable enemies that Jews face now more than ever, those with even the most obscure or lately-discovered Jewish roots seem eager to acknowledge them; whether it's Secretary of State Madeline Albright or Senator and Presidential hopeful John Kerry, these non-Jews who discover some Jewish heritage in their past embrace it with pride. And most American Jews are Jewish only in a secular or cultural way. They are what former CBI Scholar-in-Residence, the late Rabbi Roland Gittleson, once called "cardiac Jews" – Jewish in the heart only.
Yet we know that "cardiac" Judaism is not only incomplete, but as the profile of our future will virtually assure the diminution and ultimately the demise of our 4,000 year-old-tradition. For, as Dennis Prager observed, the continuity of Judaism is as fragile as the survival of a beautiful rose. Once cut from the roots necessary to nourish and sustain it while its beauty and life may continue for a while, it ultimately will whither and die. And once withered, it cannot be resurrected.
The fertile soil, the root system of the Jewish people is the synagogue. The synagogue is the only institution that fully sustains, indeed actually makes Jews. It is of singular importance for our health and our very survival as a people.
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But our synagogue cannot sustain itself. In order to fulfill the many needs of our community, and the community of the future of our children and grandchildren, Congregation Beth Israel requires deep financial roots just as sturdy and durable as the concrete foundation that will support our incredible new home for generations to come. That is the mission of our endowment. That is our charge as the generation that connected the links of Jewish history from the 20th to the 21st Century.
We have one of the most generous and publicly minded Congregations ever to grace the paradise of San Diego. That generosity resulted in the bricks and mortar that gleam the light of the Old City upon us each time we enter. But without a secure and growing endowment, the continuity of that light is no more assured than the bloom of the cut rose. It is up to us and only us, for if we don't, who will?
Shalom,
Jerold Goldberg
President, Congregation Beth Israel
If you are interested in a confidential appointment to explore ways in which you may wish to make an endowment gift, or to request a copy of the brochure, please contact Stuart Simmons, Executive Director, at 858-535-1111 ext. 3113.
Merle Brodie, a member of our congregation and our Endowment Committee, serves as Director of Philanthropy at the Jewish Community Foundation. If you are interested in learning more about tax saving strategies through charitable giving, please call Merle at 858-279-2740.
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