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There are a few ways to build bridges between the generations.
You learn about your forebearers; you carry on cultural and
family traditions; you teach your children to continue along
the path that was cleared by generations before and stretches
ahead for generations to come. An endowment falls into that
category of vital links. It’s an enduring hedge against
mortality, solidifying both a connection to the past as well
as the future. It is a gift that carries tremendous impact
and also stands as a symbol to one’s children and grandchildren,
conveying to future generations a way of life and perpetuating
the value system we inherited from our parents.
We both come from families without great financial means.
Our parents struggled to make a living, but they were generous
with their support whenever and wherever they could be. No
one talked about it, but we gleaned from our environments
a spirit of sharing.
Today, we are blessed to be able to comfortably make this
kind of commitment and hope that by doing so we are helping
to influence the greater community through actions rather
than words. In keeping with the meaning of tzedakah, we feel
it is truly a privilege and an honour to be in a position
to give. We have been fortunate and we like to share our good
fortune with others, both at home and in Israel.
The worldwide network of UJA Federations is in and of itself
an important and indispensable part of our society. It helps
to hold the Diaspora together. As Israeli citizens are fighting
and dying, weathering the tensions of their daily lives in
the Jewish homeland, it is essential that we give according
to our ability – to help, from a distance, in one of
the only ways we can. Our support is meaningful as evidence
of our solidarity, and yields many intangible benefits that
we in Toronto can only begin to imagine.
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