Read Stories about Legacy Leaders
Our Legacy donors care deeply about sustaining our vibrant Jewish community. That’s why they have promised after-life gifts to their favorite organizations and causes through the Foundation. We are thankful for their partnership.
We also are inspired by their vision and generosity to support their favorite causes and organizations, and pass on their values for generations.
Through their stories, you can learn why our Legacy donors have chosen to support our Jewish community forever.
For more information about our LIFE & LEGACY program,
click here or contact Elana MacGilpin at emacgilpin@jcfhartford.org
Why We Give – Legacy Story
“The LIFE & LEGACY program provided us a perfect opportunity to make the Jewish community in Greater Hartford stronger in the future by providing specific bequests in our wills to three organizations that we believe are key to a bright Jewish future: Congregation Beth Israel, the Mandell Jewish Community Center, and the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford. We have supported these three organizations during our lifetimes, but our bequests to their endowments will enable our support to continue long after our lifetimes have ended.” — Walt & Dianne Harrison
Planting Seeds for the Future – Legacy Story
Peter, Jacob, Elysa, Amelia & Nathan Graber-Lipperman By Elysa Graber-Lipperman On a beautiful fall day while Peter and I were driving in Massachusetts, I spotted an incredible sight on the side of a busy road — a young tree growing out of a large tree stump....
Inspirational Giving: Four Questions for Debbie Mehlman
Why is the Jewish community of Greater Hartford so special to you? I grew up in a small suburb of Trenton, NJ. Our family was the only Jewish family for miles around, and I was the only Jewish student in all of my classes. I always felt like an outsider....
Inspirational Legacy Giving: Four Questions for Seth and Blythe Kaufman
Why is the Jewish community of Greater Hartford so special to you? Blythe and I came to the area for dental and medical training, respectively, and we knew almost immediately that this was where we wanted to raise our family. Though we are an interfaith...
Marla Perlstein – Legacy Story
I came from the small town of Lorain, Ohio. We had one synagogue, so it was the center of Jewish life in Lorain. Young people spent a lot of time there and felt a part of the community. When I first married, I was looking for that feeling in a synagogue. I tried...
Harriet Cutler – Legacy Story
The Jewish Community of Greater Hartford and Congregation Kol Haverim are special to me for many reasons. I joined Kehilat Chaverim in the late 1970s, helping “write” High Holiday services in the homes in the West End of Hartford. During those early years,...
Janice and Rich Hoff – Legacy Story
Rich and I have been members of Congregation Kol Haverim (CKH) since 1986. At the time, our sons were 7 and 5 years old and we wanted them to have a Jewish education. During those 36 years, CKH has been the foundation for many friendships and for my connection to the...
Howie Breinan – Legacy Story
I grew up in Glastonbury. My fondest memories are being a member of NUTSY (Temple Sinai, Newington) and one particularly fun sleepover down in the southwest corner of the state. Temple youth was so important to my son as well. Over the years, this Jewish community...
Michael and Naomi Cohen Support the Community Through Service and Planful Giving – Legacy story
An Inspirational Legacy Story When reflecting on living Jewishly, Michael and Naomi Cohen share a commitment to fulfilling the Jewish teaching of tikkun olam. For them, volunteering and philanthropy have been an obvious way of life, built on the model of acting on...
The Zablotskys Invest their Time, Talent and Treasure in Jewish Education – Legacy Story
Vivian and Ted Zablotsky share a common belief: to sustain a strong Jewish community, you need Jewish day schools that educate students in mind, body and soul. For Greater Hartford, they envision an immersive learning environment in which inspirational teachers are...
The Goldbergs: Past, Present and Future
What type of world do we want to live in? Since getting married in 1990, Karen and Gerry Goldberg have lived by the principle, “let’s make the world better than we found it.” Today, they continue to chart a philanthropic journey by supporting community initiatives...
Paying it Forward for Generations
Temkin Family Promises First Commitment to LIFE & LEGACY Program Gayle and Steve Temkin don’t remember a time when Jewish community wasn’t central to their lives. Judaism wasn’t just about religion and values; they felt part of a global Jewish community, which...
Why I am Leaving a Legacy Gift
Karen Donn’s Love for Jewish Community Inspires her Generosity
I was born in Hartford and grew up in Cheshire where my parents were founding members of Temple Beth David. My parents were married in 1961 (60 years and still going strong!) by the legendary Rabbi Silverman of the Emanuel Synagogue in West Hartford
Fifteen Jewish Organizations to Participate in Greater Hartford Legacy Giving Initiative
WEST HARTFORD, CT – February 15, 2021 – The Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford (The Foundation) is spearheading a regional legacy giving initiative with 14 Jewish organizations that’s part of Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s (HGF) Life & Legacyprogram. A nationwide Jewish legacy giving initiative, Life & Legacy has secured more than 28,000 after-lifetime commitments with an estimated value of over a billion dollars for Jewish organizations across North America.