Jun 24, 2013
‘Create a Jewish Legacy’ Marks Successful Beginning
Just a few short months after the introduction of the Create a Jewish Legacy (CJL) program in Miami, the 12 inaugural Partner organizations have already secured commitments from 111 individuals and families to establish legacy gifts totaling $9.8 million in estimated value.
CJL is a collaborative endowment program that benefits Miami’s Jewish agencies, synagogues, day schools and The Foundation of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. It is designed to enable donors to fulfill their philanthropic goals while strengthening Miami’s Jewish community, now and in the future. CJL will help sustain vital programs, services and institutions that assist the vulnerable and advance Jewish life in Miami, in Israel and around the world.
Officially launched in Miami in January 2013, CJL partnered with the following organizations in its inaugural year: Beth Torah Benny Rok Campus/Hochberg Preparatory School, Dave and Mary Alper Jewish Community Center, Greater Miami Jewish Federation, Jewish Community Services of South Florida, Miami Jewish Health Systems, Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center, Hebrew Academy (RASG, Temple Beth Am and Temple Beth Am Day School, Temple Beth Sholom, Temple Israel of Greater Miami, University of Florida Hillel and University of Miami Hillel.
Approximately 80 volunteer leaders and professionals from these Partner organizations attended a series of CJL-sponsored training sessions about legacy giving and the crucial need for it in the Jewish community. Armed with this knowledge, as well as other tools and support, representatives of the Partner organizations were better able to reach out to their members and constituents and ask for legacy gift commitments.
“Joining the Greater Miami Jewish Federation’s Create a Jewish Legacy program has been a transformative experience for us,” said Keith Dvorchik, CEO and Executive Director of the University of Florida Hillel. “Our CJL group of lay leaders has bonded and we are excited about the program. Not only have they all made their own legacy commitment, but they are also actively involved in discussing legacy gifts and can’t wait to get started with others. The trainings have been outstanding and everybody on the team, from experienced solicitor to the newly trained members, is learning something new and valuable at each session.”
In recent days, 25 additional synagogues, Jewish agencies and day schools in Miami have been invited to apply to participate in the second year, Cohort 2, of this program. The applications are due to CJL on June 28, and Cohort 2 Partners will be selected by the CJL Advisory Committee, led by CJL Community Chair and Federation Immediate Past Board Chair Barbara Black Goldfarb. The results will be announced later this summer and the kickoff programs for Year 2 will begin in October 2013.
To learn more about Create a Jewish Legacy or to find out how an organization can participate in the next cohort, contact Ilana Saposnik at 786.866.8435 or [email protected]. You also may learn more at www.jewishlegacy.org or by following CJL on Facebook and Twitter.
