The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, along with the Grinspoon Foundation, offered an exceptional program to help Jewish organizations develop legacy giving among congregants. We were one of fifteen organizations in Chicago that was selected to participate in the initial program.
We are truly honored to have been chosen to participate in this program. We exceeded our initial goal of thirty six commitments over two years, and were invited to participate in two more years of the program! This gave us further tools for developing this important piece of the future of Am Yisrael, and there were additional incentive grants.
There are several different ways to include Am Yisrael in planned giving: wills, IRA’s, life insurance, to name a few. To learn more, contact our Executive Director, Nancy Holab Nevins at nhnevins@amyisrael.org.
Please remember Am Yisrael in your will or estate planning.
We thank the thoughtful and generous congregants who have committed to our Legacy Program:
“Am Yisrael, always a happy, busy center of Jewish life, has been an important part of my life for many years. I’m glad to leave something here when my life ends.”
-Richard Nugent z”l
“Am Yisrael has been my family’s synagogue since I was 14 years old. Even then, the Sunday School (as it was called back then) was far more innovative than the Sunday School we had attended previously. Rabbi Frankel was always available and approachable, and is always remembered with smiles in my family. It simply made no sense to go anywhere else, despite the fact that I live in Chicago rather than in the suburbs. When my father passed away, I started coming every Shabbat to say Kaddish, and became a Shabbat morning regular, which led to becoming more active in other areas as well. Simply put, Am Yisrael is home.”
-Sheryl Dworkin
“I have been a member of Am Yisrael for 32 years. During these years I transformed form being a “Holiday Jew” to a “Regular” one, attending most Shabbat services. Growing up in the former Soviet Union, and not knowing anything about Judaism, it is Am Yisrael where I learned everything about and how to be a Jew. Am Yisrael is more than just a place where I pray. It is a connection for every level of my Judaism — spiritual, intellectual, social. It is my second home, and as I would provide and take care of my family home, I want to do it for Am Yisrael.”
-Vera Ginburg
“I have been a member of Am Yisrael for about 32 years. After my daughter’s Bas Mitzvah I kept my membership but only attended on High Holidays. Two years ago I started to attend services and tried them all out including some of the activities at the synagogue. What I found was a supportive, intellectually stimulating environment and a place that felt like a real community. Personally I want that community to be available for others in the future; people I may not know but who may appreciate the jewel we have in our synagogue.”
-Lynn Steinberg
“Am Yisrael has been a warm and welcoming part of my life for over thirty years, and has connected me wo the Jewish faith community. I am pleased to contribute to a fund that will ensure the survival of our synagogue.”
-Peggy Goldberg
“We decided to make this Legacy donation to help ensure that Am Yisrael will be around for future generations. We are part of a four-generation Am Yisrael family. We are so grateful for the vision of our early members, including Judi’s great-aunt, Rabbi Frankel, and Rabbi Newman Kamin. Their foresight was the foundation that Am Yisrael stands on today, allowing it to become a progressive, relevant Conservative synagogue.”
-Judi and Steve Zeal
“I have a bequest in my will to Am Yisrael because I know of many uses for this money. Some of them are a Visiting Scholar Lecture Series, improving the lighting in the sanctuary and in the basement.”
-Gloria and Don Kraft