Life & Legacy - How to Give

 

 

How do you express your commitment to your community? How do you support the Jewish organizations that are important to you? Omaha's Jewish community is fortunate to have many who donate their time and/or money to area Jewish organizations. However, what happens after the donors are gone? What can you do for future generations to ensure that they are well-served by the Jewish organizations you support?

KotokEver since we met in Iowa City at Agudas Achim Congregation on Rosh Hashanah 1966, we have had a special connection to synagogues. We both grew up in small Midwestern towns and shared similar Jewish backgrounds. As our 55 years of marriage took us from Iowa City to Little Rock, Arkansas, to Kearney, Nebraska, and on to Lincoln and finally to Omaha, we always were part of a Jewish community. In 1980, we moved to what was “the bagel” neighborhood of Omaha with our three young children. For the first time in our adult lives, we were in a city that had a JCC, a kosher butcher, a Jewish day school, a Jewish nursing home, a Jewish newspaper and several synagogues. Beth El became our home. Our children grew up at Beth El. We celebrated our son’s Bar Mitzvah and our daughter’s Bat Mitzvah at the old shul, and our youngest son’s Bar Mitzvah at the “new Beth El.” Our parents retired in their 70s and 80s to Omaha to be near our family. They became part of the Beth El family, enjoying Shabbat and Holiday services. When our parents died, we found the most comforting grief-support group by attending Beth El’s daily minyans. So, when the Life and Legacy program was created, it was natural for us to specify Beth El in our estate plan. 

-Shane and David Kotok
 

ShapiroAs a Jewish Communal Professional working in Omaha, I have had the honor of seeing how much of this community is built on legacy gifts. It’s incredible to see such a thriving community that would not exist without generous and forward-thinking folks building a financial foundation. In addition, I support organizations that have supported (and employed) me. I invite anyone to look into the life and legacy program as a way of ensuring a vibrant Jewish Omaha for generations to come. 

-Nate Shapiro
 

ErlichSince we moved here in March of 2019, Beth El has been a huge part of our lives in so many ways. Beth El has a special place in both of our hearts. It was a no brainer for us to support the Life and Legacy program in a way that was financially comfortable for us. We feel that it is never too early to support organizations that mean a lot to us. Any financial contribution is an important one.

-Andrea and Robby Erlich     
 

Friedel StudentsThe Life & Legacy program has given Friedel Jewish Academy – an all of the partner organizations – the opportunity to have conversations with people you wouldn’t think would be working on estate planning just yet: families with young children. Life & Legacy is about providing support to organizations that have been important to your family, in all stages of life. Young families who have made their Life & Legacy commitment understand they can both ensure their children’s future and make a financial commitment in order to make a big impact to the organizations in Jewish Omaha that are near and dear to their family.

-Friedel Jewish Academy       
 

Letter of Intent

Life & Legacy Brochure

 

 

Life & Legacy Formalization Form

 

 

You can leave a legacy.

Life & Legacy TM  Update (as of December 2023)

681 Commitments | $25,625,442 estimated amount

Life & Legacy Donor Testimonials can be found on Jewish Federation of Omaha on Vimeo.

Life & Legacy™ is a partnership program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation which assists communities across North America, through partnerships with Jewish Federations and Foundations, to promote after-lifetime giving to build endowments that will sustain Omaha’s valued organizations and vibrant Jewish community for the next generation and beyond.

Omaha’s Jewish Community is fortunate to have so many who donate to our Jewish organizations.  What happens when our donors are gone?  What can you do for future generations to ensure that they are well-served by the Jewish organizations you support?

The first step is your Letter of Intent (LOI) where you select the Jewish organization you appreciate.

The last nine years, through the Life & Legacy program, our Omaha Jewish Community has received 675 commitments with an estimated value of over $25,000,000. These commitments directly support our partner organizations.

We appreciate our Life & Legacy donors that continue to maintain our vibrant Jewish Community for years to come.

To learn more about Life & Legacy, please contact me at 402-334-6485 or smetz@jewishomaha.org.       

Life & Legacy partner organizations:       
Beth El Synagogue                Institute for Holocaust Education       
Beth Israel Synagogue          Jewish Federation of Omaha       
B’nai Israel Synagogue         Temple Israel       
Chabad House                             
Friedel Jewish Academy       

We wish to thank all of our wonderful donors for helping to ensure the financial security of Jewish Omaha. 

Stacie MetzStacie Metz       
Program and Stewardship Administrator       
402-334-6485       
smetz@jewishomaha.org

 

 

 

Life and Legacy Event