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WHAT DOES THE ENDOWMENT PROGRAM MEAN TO ME?
By Ron Simon, Endowment Committee Member
I already contribute to Congregation Beth Israel through my membership, and through other donations such as the Hunger Project. What does the Endowment Program mean to me?
There is a very simple answer to the question raised – contributing to the Endowment program is a way of helping to perpetuate an important part of the Jewish life of San Diego – our Synagogue – and thereby helping to perpetuate all of Judaism. When we pay our membership dues, or when we contribute to the ongoing functions of the Synagogue such as the Hunger Project, we are dealing with the "here and now." This is important, and the place where we must start.
However, we shouldn't forget those who will come after us, just as we benefit from those who preceded us – those who built and supported Congregation Beth Israel for the last 142 years – and also our forefathers and mothers in the 3000 plus years of our history as Jews. While we are supporting the Synagogue in the "here and now," we must also find ways to help support it during the next 142 years – so it can continue to be an important San Diego Jewish institution. When you look over the mailing you have received about the formation of the Dor l' Dor Society at Congregation Beth Israel, don't look at it as just another fund raising appeal, because it is more than that. It is a means of helping the Synagogue maintain itself into the future, providing spiritual sustenance to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. Just as the Synagogue has played a big role in our lives, and that of our children, so will it play a big role in the lives of those who follow, and we need to assure its stability into the future.
By contributing endowment funds, or providing for the Synagogue through one of the many tax efficient methods suggested by my colleagues on the Endowment committee, you can help the Synagogue to meet the funding needs it will face in the future, and thereby help to assure its success in continuing to carry out all the aspects of its mission as a leading Reform synagogue in San Diego.
Our objective should be to ensure the continuity of the Synagogue and its programs without placing full reliance on dues and annual contributions. The Synagogue is a place of worship, to God, but it is also a place where we meet and connect with fellow congregants, and it plays an important role in the lives of all the families and individuals who are members. Therefore it behooves us to take steps to assure that the Synagogue remains financially solid in the future-just as those who preceded us bequeathed us this Synagogue and the long tradition that it represents.
Shalom,
Ron Simon
Endowment Committee Member
If you are interested in a confidential appointment to explore ways in which you may wish to make an endowment gift, 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.Return to articles about endowment go to top
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