Notes from the Endowment Committee

Between Shabbat Shekalim, in which the taking of the census is described, and Shabbat Zahor, in which we are asked to remember the attack of Amalek on the Jewish people during the Exodus, there is the reading of the parasha T’rumah. The word T’rumah comes from the Hebrew root meaning “to elevate” or the physical act of lifting. In the reading of T’rumah [contribution or my gifts] the building and construction of the Mishkan is described in great detail. All materials for the Mishkan are to be acquired by public donation.

The materials, shapes, sizes and assembly of the building are specified in the parasha. Among the specified materials are planks of acacia  wood.  Surprisingly, the  acacia  tree is  not  part of  the  usual flora of the Sinai Desert. Legend has it, that Jacob planted the acacia trees on his way to Egypt 200 years prior to the building of the Mishkan. He anticipated that his descendants would need them in the future. Just as Jacob had the foresight to plant trees for future generations we too should lay the ground work [“plant trees”] for a rich and vibrant Jewish life for future generations. To this end, the Endowment Committee of BSBI has been promoting the concept of legacy giving.

Since August 2017, the Endowment has included multiple articles in the monthly Bulletin describing different giving opportunities that may be optimized for both the donor and recipient of legacies. Some issues have been raised about the mechanism of leaving a legacy and additional details about specialized giving opportunities.

To address these questions, the Endowment of BSBI, in conjunction with the Jewish Community Foundation (JCF), will be sponsoring a discussion of charitable and legacy giving on May 2, 2018 at 7:30 PM in the Silverstein Center. Rabbi Konigsburg will offer a D’var Torah, and we have invited two guest speakers to join us at this information session. Hollis Dorman of the Jewish Community Foundation will discuss giving opportunities, some of which may offer unique benefits to the donor and BSBI in partnership with JCF. Monique Polidoro, a Partner at Rogin Nassau, LLC the law firm used by the BSBI Endowment, will discuss the “ins and outs” of legacy giving. A pareve dessert, coffee and tea will be provided. There will be ample time for questions. This session is for informational purposes only and to answer some of the questions that have been raised by BSBI members who have expressed an interest in legacy giving.

All congregants are invited to attend. This will be a great opportunity to learn how we may plant our own “acacia trees” and Leave a Jewish Legacy for future generations.