SAN DIEGO (Press Release) – Over 250 individuals and families have their personal legacy statements now archived in the community resource, The Book of Life. Recently more than a hundred individuals and families gathered at Congregation Beth Am to attend the Community-wide Signing Ceremony. Over fifty new personal statements were shared and inscribed in the Book of Life.
The Book of Life is the pinnacle of the Create a Jewish Legacy program, presented by the Jewish Community Foundation San Diego (JCF). Anyone can submit a personal statement for the Book of Life once they have committed to include a Jewish organization in their charitable estate plans, or who have made a meaningful contribution to a current endowment fund benefiting a Jewish organization.
The Book of Life symbolizes promises from one generation to the next – – promises that ensure the long-term strength and vibrancy of our Jewish community. The Book itself is a treasured community archive and housed at the Jewish Community Foundation. Additionally, JCF’s newly redesigned website proudly hosts the virtual Book of Life, an engaging collection of meaningful Book of Life statements with their accompanying family portraits. They may be viewed via this link.
“Witnessing so many proud Jewish supporters gather to celebrate their enduring commitment to their Jewish community was profound,” said Sharleen Wollach, Chief Impact Officer of JCF. “This was one of the first occasions when many participants had come together in over two years, which added extra enjoyment to the occasion.”
Speakers at the event included Michelle-Shari Kruss and Danielle-Lynn Ambrose, daughters of Joel and Arlene Moskowitz (z’’l), who spoke about the responsibility of philanthropy from one generation to the next. Their parents Joel and Arlene Moskowitz are being remembered by the establishment of the Moskowitz Legacy Resource Center, a dedicated community space in the JCF offices. Also in attendance was Marshall Littman, widower of Gail Littman (z’’l) who helped found the Create a Jewish Legacy program during her tenure at JCF, and Jane Scher (and Colin) founding Committee Chair, for the program, and former JCF board chair.
Recent submissions include one from Randy Clark and Tom Maddox who shared their personal statement, “We have included the Jewish community in our legacy plan because of a close relationship with a Jewish family that we were honored to be adopted into. As a gay couple without family support, our Jewish family has always been there for us.”
Since the first Book of Life Ceremony in 2001, almost 1,400 community members and families have participated in the Create a Jewish Legacy program, resulting in over $80M already being received by the Jewish Community, with multiples of that anticipated in the coming decades.
If you are interested in submitting a statement to the Book of Life or for more information, please contact Sharleen Wollach by email at sharleen@jcfsandiego.org or at (858) 279-2740.
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Preceding provided by the Jewish Community Foundation
How about using a small percent of that money for hiring a young man or woman who would as a part time job be in charge of following up on the 6th and 7th graders in the Beth Am Hebrew School and try to get them to go to Jewish camp and Jewish youth group beyond Bar or Bat Mitzvah? If we can get our kids to stop dropping out after Bar or Bat mitzvah but continue some Jewish study, Jewish camp and Jewish youth group of their choice (hopefully follow up all the way to summer of 10th or 12th grade and get them on a high school peer trip to Israel) – if we can hire a cool 20 year old to target and track our Hebrew school population to recruit them to Jewish camp (perferably one with a strong Jewish educational component) Jewish youth group and summer peer trip later in high school, that would do the most for Jewish continuity. Then when they go to college they will have a natural desire to get involved in Jewish life on campus and continue to grow into committed Jewish adults.
I honor the intent Dave, but I think the bigger issue is how the US treats parents and families. The level of every day exhaustion is very high. If we want evenly spread Jewish communal involvement throughout the years, rather than desperate pushes around milestone events, the community will have to get politically involved in the labor movement.
Generations past, Jews fought for the two day weekend in order to have shabbat. Engagement in pro-labor politics that gives families (not just Jewish ones) the time necessary to dedicate to their families and communities is really the key issue.