 |
|
|
| |
ENDOWMENT
DONORS SPEAK OUT
Quick Links:
Lee and Jerry Levy
Cathy and John Weil
Mary Ann and George Scher
Betty and Don Byrnes
Jean and Herm Gordon
Barbara Haworth
Dr. Larry and Rebecca Newman
The following families have chosen to include CBI in their estate plans. We hope
you find their words inspiring.
Lee and Jerry Levy
They don't always agree, but after 58 years of marriage, say Lee and Jerry Levy, “We cooperate.” And that's what they have done with their family and their philanthropic endeavors.
Jerry explains that they first wanted to provide for their children. They have four sons (and eight grandchildren) who live from Singapore to next door and who have encouraged them to enjoy spending on themselves. “So we've done a little of that, but we also wanted to give back to the institutions that have given to us.” They established a foundation and have kept it flexible. “It's an umbrella entity which can help a number of charitable organizations,” says Jerry. “Right now, it's CBI and one other, but we hope it will grow, and there may be more charities at a later date. An added benefit is that we receive income during our lifetimes.”
They both agree that the synagogue is a worthwhile organization because it preserves Judaism. Says Lee, “If I only could support one organization, it would be the Reform synagogue.”
At CBI, they have made friends, celebrated simchas and enjoy being connected with other Jews. Lee serves on the CBI Board and is Chair of the Kehillah/Caring Community Committee. “If we are really a community, we're there for each other.”
Lee is particularly hopeful that one day CBI will be able to establish a transportation system for people who want to attend services and other events, but can't get there. “I think that computer matchmaking can help people get together for carpooling.”
Both Lee and Jerry feel that Bonnie Graff does a terrific job encouraging the Chavurot system within CBI. “With such a large congregation it helps when it comes to finding people with whom we feel comfortable.”
go to top
Jerry is a vice-president of the Men's Club, taught computer classes for Yasher Koach and was a member of the Endowment Committee that helped expand his knowledge about the importance of endowment.
When people say they want to leave everything to their children, Lee and Jerry smile. They feel that making a gift of endowment in a sense does leave something to their children and grandchildren. “If people care about the future of their family and the Jewish community, this is the only way to go.”
From early on, Jerry was always interested in science and loved hearing what Lee, an RN, had done during her working hours. Finally, after several successful careers following graduation from Yale University, with encouragement from Lee, he followed his dream to become a doctor. Returning to Connecticut, Jerry completed his pre-med requirements at Wesleyan University and then entered medical school (at 30, Jerry was considered a bit old). The Navy paid for the last year of medical school, while they took in boarders and Lee taught nursing classes in their home. At one point, Lee worked six nights a week until midnight; Jerry had study groups at home and took care of their first two boys during the time Lee was working. Lee later obtained two master’s degrees and became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
go to top
As a young girl, Lee remembered going to temple with her grandmother. She recalls the music, the big words and the dome, which is where she figured God lived. A few years later, her Girl Scout membership sowed the seeds of helping others by nursing, teaching and practicing social work.
Jerry's parents took him to temple services, and he was national president of Mu Sigma, a Jewish fraternity. He says that in medical school it all came together. “That's where I felt altruistic. As part of my training, I lived with a country doctor who made house calls and connected with his patients who were mountain people. I delivered a patient’s 12th baby (which she named after Lee), and then I had to hassle the “establishment” to get her a tubal ligation.”
Lee and Jerry say, “CBI is bigger than all of us. With its long history and this outstanding community, it is short-sighted not to contribute and do what we can to make sure the temple is here for generations to come.” On this they agree 100%.
go to top
Cathy and John Weil
When John and Cathy met on a blind date in 1988, they never dreamed they would have such similar Jewish backgrounds and memories in common. When they became engaged, Cathy remembers kidding John that she was a "catch" as she had already paid off her Temple Building Fund. Now, after 18 years together, they are publicly taking their CBI commitment to a higher level.
Growing up in Great Neck, N.Y., John was active in his youth group, sang in the choir and was proud of his mother's activity in Sisterhood and his father's leadership on the Board. He remembers with excitement traveling to London as a teen for World Union of Federated Temple Youth and of his mother taking him to Lake Success, in 1947, for a monumental meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. It was the meeting at which the partition of Palestine was approved that lead to the establishment of Israel.
Cathy grew up in Los Angeles, was confirmed at, and very active with her mother (Freda Magid) at, University Synagogue. “Mom was the only woman on the Temple Board, later Sisterhood president, and on the National Board of Sisterhoods (WRJ). We visited many Southern California Reform congregations for her National role as a Regional consultant. One was CBI at Third and Laurel. We were graciously welcomed.
“Together in 1966, we attended the World Union of Reform Jews in London and then in 1968 had the unbelievable opportunity to return for World Union but this time spending 10 days in Israel staying in newly reunited Jerusalem. I returned to CBI as a college student at SDSU and found that there were open arms to welcome all generations. When mom moved to San Diego she became active on the CBI Social Action Committee, even drove carpool to Hebrew School. There was never a doubt that this would be the congregation we would call home.”
In 1973, when John moved to San Diego, he blended into the secular community and describes himself as a “quiet” non-affiliated Jew. He has served on the Board of Rebuilding Together and continues on the Boards of Elder Law and Advocacy and SDSU’s Border Voices. John and Cathy will always remember going to Israel in 1998 for the Fiftieth Anniversary Jubilee and experiencing the pride of being Jewish with people from all over the world.
John is currently active in the Jewish community serving nine years on the Agency for Jewish Education Board, working on their ELI endowment program and now stepping up to help CBI with endowment for the Dor L’ Dor solicitations.
John is excited about encouraging members to give from the heart and provide security for CBI’s future programming and sustenance. As a financial advisor professionally, John is acutely aware of the personal and familial benefits as well as the great feeling and pride that comes from planned giving. “I am an optimist,” he says. “I truly think we can double or even triple the CBI endowment fund over the next few years. People need to hear that no gift is too small to make a difference.”
“I joined CBI as a single parent, 25 years ago, making friends that will last a lifetime” Cathy states. “My daughter (Jamie Babin) and I were encouraged by staff to feel at home and get involved. Jamie became a bat mitzvah, was confirmed, and maintains warm feelings for CBI and her Jewish friends made at Temple. We involved Jamie in our giving decision. She thinks the endowment process instills family pride and a tradition of tzedakah she can pass on to her children.”
Cathy has served on the Hillel Board of Directors for 10 years and now Jewish Family Services. Previously she served on the founding Steering Committee of Career Women’s Network and has been Chair of the Kehillah Committee. Cathy also was President of the SDSU Jewish Aztecs Alumni Chapter.
“I remember growing up hearing anti-Semitic comments from classmates and took comfort in knowing that I had my synagogue niche for education and spirituality to balance out those hurtful experiences.” As a clinical social worker, experienced in the field of medical social work, working with children who have special needs and with seniors, she is interested in personally designating endowment at CBI to support programs in those areas.
“It is my hope that our financial gift will be able to assist members with disabilities and the frail elderly. At first I was hesitant about coming forward publicly with this article,” Cathy admits, “but if we can reach others, members of all ages and circumstances, letting them know that every gift is important and respected, then we have accomplished our goal.”
Please add your name to this growing list and help us plant for generations to come. You may complete and return the form on the next page or call Stuart Simmons at (858) 535-1111, ext. 3113.
go to top
Mary Ann and George Scher:
Leaving a Legacy Gift To Fulfill Life's
Purpose
They started out
as high school
sweethearts in
Fresh Meadows,
Queens, New
York. Then, as
well as throughout
college, having
fun was important. It still is. But they
have shared much more as a couple. And
along the way Mary Ann and George
Scher discovered the significance of
giving and sharing. It is in this context
that they speak about endowment.
"What we leave behind gives
meaning to our lives; it's our way of
helping others in perpetuity. Members
who can contribute endowment gifts
make it possible for those who are less
financially able to fully participate,
have their children attend religious
school and receive all the opportunities
and services that go with temple life."
The Schers' original entrance into the
world of endowment was through the
National Women's Board when
members were encouraged to play a
leadership role by endowing their Lion
of Judah contribution in perpetuity.
Mary Ann was the second woman in
San Diego to do this.
Later, Mary Ann and George were
devastated by the death of her sister. "She
was a woman with means, but she made
no provision in her will to benefit the
organizations that meant something to
her. That rang a bell, and we immediately
understood that we needed to take care of
things sooner rather than later."
"What concerns us now is the aging
of the wonderful generation ahead of
us that is so tied to Jewish life and our
community. If we don't encourage
them – our older congregants – to
consider leaving a Jewish legacy, their
potential gifts could be lost to taxes."
go to top
Once George and Mary Ann made their
decision to benefit Congregation Beth
Israel and United Jewish Federation,
their meeting with the attorney was
easy.
"One, two, three," as they say,
"and it was done." Their contribution is
unrestricted so that CBI can use the
money where it is most needed.
George: "Our lives have been blessed.
We have celebrated life cycle events at
the synagogue. It is our family's Jewish
home. Our children, Leslie and Bret
were consecrated, became Bat and Bar
Mitzvah, confirmed and our daughter
was married there. Our children are
now members of the congregation and
our grandson Joshua is in the
preschool. This makes us a three
generation CBI family!"
Mary Ann: "CBI has brought
extraordinary meaning to my life. I grew
up here 'Jewishly' speaking. This
institution has nurtured me and taught
me how to be a good Jew, including
the essence of tzedakah. We are thankful
for our blessings and grateful for the
opportunity to share. People come and
go, generations pass but we are leaving
our gift for the future of this congregation,
helping make sure it is here for our
children, our grandchildren and others."
George enjoys Mary Ann's involvement
and is proud of the leadership role she
has played, helping to develop Beth Israel
and leading the Congregation in
especially difficult times. As a couple,
George and Mary Ann have worked on
fundraisers, including a Beth El-Beth
Israel joint event they co-chaired with
Elaine and Murray Galinson, which sold
out Symphony Hall for a magnificent
performance by Itzhak Perlman.
If you can think of a volunteer
activity, up to and including the
congregational presidency, Mary Ann
has done it. Mary Ann was a key
leader in our capital campaign that
resulted in our building our campus
facility and, in 2004, received the Carl
Esenoff award for extraordinary
community service. Through their
shared involvement they have met
interesting people and made some of
their best friends along the way.
Having joined Beth Israel 29 years
ago, Mary Ann recalls that George sent
her out to go "temple shopping."
"We
wanted a good religious school for our
children and I felt that CBI's was the
best in town. Also, with such a large
congregation, I thought I could get lost
in the crowd and wouldn't have to get
too involved." Lucky for all of us, this
didn't turn out to be true.
In a speech Mary Ann gave a couple
of years ago, she excerpted from a
statement she had read about life's
purposes "… to be useful and honorable,
to be compassionate, to matter … to
have made a difference that you have
lived at all."
In leaving a legacy gift,
Mary Ann and George are indeed
fulfilling life's purpose.
go to top
Betty and Don Byrnes' Fifth Child
Long-time CBI members Betty and Don Byrnes have completed their estate planning which includes an endowment gift to CBI. "We told our attorney that we have four children; but for estate planning purposes, we have five. The fifth child is charity."
Having learned about philanthropy from their parents, Betty and Don are passing it along…Dor L' Dor. Among their nine grandchildren (the eldest is 11) are go-getters who have fun running a lemonade stand in front of Betty and Don's Yerba Santa home. The youngsters decide what charity will benefit from the funds earned, because -- like their grandmother -- they love to give money away. The last time, they agreed to keep one dollar each, pay their grandparents for "expenses" (lemonade and paper cups), and contribute the remaining $11 to the Children's Museum. Quite an operation!
Says Betty, "It starts early…why when Don and I were young, we never dreamed we would be able to make charitable gifts. But I love giving; it feels great. I encourage everybody to give because it's such a blessing…it really lifts my spirits. Our children are philanthropic, and now our grandchildren are following suit."
Recently retired after having practiced medicine for more than 40 years, Don's healing hands delivered over 40,000 babies. He did not turn anybody away whether they could pay or not, and he sometimes literally took money out of his own pocket to help indigent patients. He and Betty, a registered nurse, volunteered their services in the southeastern part of San Diego County at the San Diego Free Clinics.
go to top
"Endowment is especially appealing to us because it provides the wherewithal to carry through in an emergency. We chose to benefit the synagogue because it raises Jews. No other organization does that." Betty and Don have made their CBI endowment gift "unrestricted" because they trust CBI to make the best decision as to how to use the funds when they become available.
Past president of CBI, Betty also chaired the first Endowment Committee which was established with a gift of $60,000 when a couple in the congregation passed away. "It doesn't make any difference if your estate is large or small. All gifts are important…and look where that $60,000 is today!"*
Betty and Don have been involved in five capital campaigns at one time, including Seacrest and CBI; and Betty is both an "asker" and a giver. "I never mind asking. I always feel I'm planting seeds. The mitzvah is as great for the one who asks as it is for the one who gives."
"I grew up in a big Catholic family, and learned all the basic tenets of Judaism there: care for the sick, respect for the dead, feed the hungry, do for others, and so on. Don was a child of the depression with a heart as big as all outdoors. We sometimes don't agree on our philanthropic endeavors, but what Don learned from his father (an Honorary Life President of Temple Emanuel) those many years ago and what I learned from my giving parents has stood us in good stead."
*CBI's Endowment Fund has now reached $6 million.
go to top
Longtime Congregants Jean and Herm Gordon
Learned Early to ‘Give Til It Hurts’
In Evansville, Indiana, UJA set an emergency meeting and asked everyone to donate cash because of the ’67 war. Jean and Herman Gordon clearly understood that they had to decide in advance what they would bring.
"What do you think we should do?" Herman asked Jean.
"Give ‘til it hurts," she replied.
So they went to the bank, borrowed money, and took their cash to the meeting.
Thirty years ago when the Gordons moved to San Diego, they joined Congregation Beth Israel. "It’s our second home, our spiritual home," they both agreed. We made friends here and worked on the board, the membership committee, Women of Beth Israel, and so on. We got involved.
While the Gordons have also made contributions and served in a variety of capacities at the Jewish Community Foundation, Jewish Family Services, American Jewish Committee (they received the Colonel Solomon Award), Seacrest Village, Hillel, Camp Mountain Chai, Agency for Jewish Education and more, they feel that the synagogue is central to Judaism.
We believe that when anything important in life happens to you, you need the synagogue; and we believe in Dor L ’ Dor.
Herman Gordon, known in the community as Herm, says, "We like to share.
And we want to make sure that all children have the opportunity to attend religious
school, even if their parents can’t afford it. Our gift of endowment will help
make this possible at CBI."
Jean and Herm will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in December. They
have five children, nine grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. Twenty of
them will take an eight-day cruise to commemorate the occasion. "We’re
not just blood relatives, we want to build common experiences with our family
so we’re more than blood.
go to top
To help continue this, we’ve set up a Charitable Remainder Trust at the Jewish Community Foundation. When we are gone and the money is in place, each of our children will be able to direct one/fifth of the interest earned to the Jewish cause of their choice annually."
Jean says that Herm is a recruiter. He encourages his friends to get involved, and he urges organizations to add younger individuals to their boards and committees while he agrees to continue to help.
Jean’s grandfather contributed to bringing other Jews over from Europe. He was president of Temple Aaron in St. Paul, Minnesota several times, and was instrumental in helping to complete the building. Herm’s parents provided funds to make sure other family members were able to come to the United States from Europe, and he remembers how they helped a widowed aunt raise her six children.
So Jean and Herm learned philanthropy at home, but Herman claims they knew about endowment through osmosis. He was an accountant and says he "…just always understood the long-range importance of endowment for the Jewish community."
They both stressed that all endowment gifts – modest or large – are important and easy to set up. "Give within your means and give with your heart," say the Gordons.
They know that when you give ‘til it hurts, it really feels good.
Please add your name to the growing list of Dor l’ Dor Society members and help us plan for generations to come.
go to top
Barbara Haworth
Our family has always taught that it is each of our personal responsibility to
care for and build our community, to take care of others, and to share the gifts
of what we have with those who do not. Our legacy gift to the community insures
that our values will live on and that the acts of kindness we value in life will
continue after our deaths. Our gift is also made in memory of those who came
before us and taught us what it means to be responsible for each other. Just
as we name our children for those who had come before, we honor them once again
with a legacy to what they instilled and passed on to us.go to top
Dr. Larry and Rebecca Newman
We were fortunate to come from families with a strong sense of Jewish values,
traditions and communal history. Arriving in San Diego in 1974 with our two young
daughters, Karin and Dana, we knew that it was time for us to establish our own
Jewish connection. We found a community that was welcoming and encouraging with
leadership, institutions and organizations in place that enabled our family to
enjoy the richest of Jewish lives. We joined Congregation Beth Israel and educated
our children in its religious school. We participated in the programs of the
United Jewish Federation and it became our window to the Jewish world beyond
San Diego and the avenue to our ongoing love affair with the State of Israel.
Over the years we were mentored by wonderful leadership who enabled us to serve
the organizations we loved: the Federation, Congregation Beth Israel, Seacrest
Village, the United Jewish Appeal and the American Jewish Joint Distribution
Committee. When it was time to think about the legacy we wanted to leave our
children it was important to us that through our endowments they would appreciate
how greatly our involvement with our community had added richness and texture
to our lives. We also wanted to insure that succeeding generations of young Jewish
families would find a strong and vibrant community awaiting their participation
-- a community dedicated to the dignity and quality of Jewish life, sustained
by Torah, Chesed and the free and democratic State of Israel. It is with joy
and great hope for the future that we sign our San Diego Jewish community's Book
of Life. go to top
|
|
|
|
