In this 1st communitywide effort, each congregation will honor the volunteers and donors who gave legacy gifts through the Jewish Community Foundation.
“Create a Jewish Legacy,” an initiative of the Jewish Community Foundation of St. Louis, is hosting “Legacy Shabbat” programs in June and July at eight St. Louis area congregations. This first-time communitywide event will honor the marketing, outreach and personal efforts of some 200 community volunteer solicitors and the many donors who have made bequest gifts and legacy commitments to their various congregations. All congregations except BSKI & Nusach Hari will hold events on Friday and Saturday, June 8 and 9. BSKI will celebrate on Saturday, June 16, and Nusach Hari will celebrate on July 14 and 15.
The participating congregations are: Bais Abraham Congregation, Brith Sholom Knesseth Israel, Central Reform Congregation, Nusach Hari B’nai Zion, Shaare Zedek Synagogue, Tpheris Israel Chevra Kadisha Congregation, Traditional Congregation and United Hebrew Congregation.
The eight events will range from public acknowledgements to celebrations and meals and educational sessions around legacy giving and how it relates to Jewish values.
“In the first quarter of 2012, we have secured almost $2 million in deferred and outright bequest gifts from 44 donors. Since the inception in January, 2009, Create a Jewish Legacy donors have made bequests and deferred legacy commitments to our Jewish community organizations and congregations of more than $18,189,500 million,” said Wendy Rosenblum, Jewish Federation Associate Director of Development, Endowments & Planned Giving.
For more information on a specific Legacy Shabbat, contact either one of the participating congregations or call Leslie Kastner at JCF, 442-3869 or lkastner@jfedstl.org.
Funding for CJL came from an Areivim Philanthropic Group grant to JCF in 2010. The Jewish Community Foundation of St. Louis is a Jewish Federation service launched in 2005 to serve as the central place for long-term planned giving, to attract more endowments and build permanent community resources within one endowment structure. It is backed by 100+ years of Federation’s service as a trustee of the St. Louis Jewish community’s funds.