More than a hundred donors recently celebrated the success of the Create a Jewish Legacy program and planned giving to the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Western Massachusetts with an elegant catered lunch and performance at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in the Berkshires.

Create a Jewish Legacy, a collaboration between the Jewish Endowment Foundation (JEF) and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF), helps Western Massachusetts organizations attract planned gifts through bequests. In just two years, over 430 individuals in Western Massachusetts have signified their intent to leave bequests to synagogues, schools, social service agencies and other Jewish organizations in the region. The current estimated value of the bequests is $10.7 million.

Lunch speakers paid tribute to those who had the foresight decades ago to establish the Jewish Endowment Foundation and praised new efforts to request legacy gifts from those of any age or financial capacity who care deeply about an organization.

Donors Brenda Curtis and Dr. Mordechai Kamel spoke eloquently about their reasons for making legacy gifts to their Jewish communities. While her strongest loyalties lie in Springfield/Longmeadow where her children grew up, Curtis said she felt it was equally important to support the Jewish Federations where she now resides — the Berkshires in the summer and Florida in the winter. Kamel, born in a Displaced Persons camp in Europe after the Holocaust, spoke of the need to combat anti-Semitism in all its forms. He made his legacy gift as part of his individual effort to “help change the world.” Said JEF Director Scott Kaplan, “Gifts of this type will provide a dependable stream of future income to ensure that our organizations remain healthy, vibrant and significant for decades to come.”

Create a Jewish Legacy donor Brenda Curtis urges others to make a legacy gift

Dr. Mordechai Kamel explains his choice to make a legacy gift now

The featured dance performance Monger, choreographed by Barak Marshall, celebrated its U.S. debut. Marshall, who divides his time between Tel Aviv and Los Angeles, addressed assembled donors before the performance about the production and about his passion for the State of Israel.

Lasting just over an hour, the show wowed the audience. “Truly spectacular!”commented Jaymie Chernoff, attending with her husband Michael as legacy donors to their synagogue, the Jewish Community of Amherst.

“There was a marvelous feeling of esprit de corps at Jacob’s Pillow among all these folks who have made their personal legacy commitments but didn’t realize how many others had done so,” observed Sue Kline of Create a Jewish Legacy. “It’s inspiring to see how many people have the vision to use after-their-lifetime resources to benefit their Jewish community”

Find more information about legacy giving to Jewish organizations in Western Massachusetts through Create a Jewish Legacy or the Jewish Endowment Foundation

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