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I was brought up in a secular home. My parents had abandoned
religion after my grandfather and other religious Jews from
a Polish shtetl were hung in a pogrom. I did not have any
religious experience as I was growing up - did not learn Hebrew
and did not have a Bar Mitzvah. However, I did have Jewish
experiences. At home, Yiddish was commonly spoken along with
English; I attended a Yiddish Shule after school and spent
summers at our cottage at Camp Naivelt.
Once I got married and had children, I began to appreciate
the role of the synagogue in providing a Jewish education
for my children. My family joined Solel, then later Temple
Har Zion.
Of course, I knew about the Holocaust. My first wife and
her parents were survivors who escaped the Germans. The knowledge
of what happened brought home to me the idea that Jews can
never be entirely safe in any country. It is a chilling thought
that any one of us now enjoying the good life in Canada could
have been among the 6 million. Only Israel can be counted
on to provide a safe haven for all Jews as we see today anti-Semitism
has once again become an acceptable way of life in many countries.
I cannot articulate why Jewish survival, long after I am
gone is important to me, but it is. I feel that it is important
to maintain Jewish identity, whether through religion, culture
or Zionism. It is equally important to preserve a strong and
secure Israel that will be there for Jews around the world,
should persecution once again become too much to bear.
There are many Jewish organizations that do wonderful work
towards these two goals. However, I believe UJA is the organization
that can best meet these goals through the many agencies it
supports - from A to Z - adult education to Zionism.
I have been a supporter of UJA for many years, both as a
donor and as a volunteer. I decided to leave a bequest in
my will so that the income from it will maintain my current
annual donation in perpetuity. Perhaps my heirs will see fit
to also support UJA. I can’t say. But through this bequest,
UJA will be able to continue receiving my share of its funding.
I am pleased to be able to continue contributing long after
I am gone to a cause I believe in.
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