Jewish Federation of Cincinnati

David Harris

A Giving Strategies post by Deb Steinbuch, Manager, Planned Giving, Endowments, and Create Your Jewish Legacy

Each December, I still think about a wonderful family tradition we had when our two boys, now grown up with families of their own, were young. Our tradition began in January and developed over the entire year. We gave our children an allowance each week, which they would divide into thirds. One third was free for them to spend. Another third was put into savings. The last third was set aside for charity. In December, we would pull together all the money designated for charity; we would roll our coins and count our dollars together. We each had an opportunity to present a charity to which we would like to give our collective dollars, then we would vote and donate the funds.

Jewish Cincinnati is such a nurturing community, where we truly have a sense of belonging. We have multiple agencies and organizations that support our most vulnerable, engage our youth, educate us, and offer us a place to worship no matter our denomination. Our values and traditions—our Jewish heritage—give our lives meaning and purpose. But now, we are facing a future of uncertainty.

The younger generations’ priorities are diverse and changing. We do not know how our Jewish values and traditions will play a role in the families of our children, grandchildren, and beyond. We must ask ourselves what our community will look like for future generations—and what we can do now to make sure Jewish Cincinnati is still vibrant and thriving for them.

Now more than ever, we have a call to action within our Jewish community. Making a legacy gift is a demonstration of your belief in the continuity of Jewish life in Cincinnati for generations to come. By leaving financial resources to Jewish agencies and organization you care deeply about, you can ensure future generations have an opportunity to embrace our heritage and benefit from being part of a tight-knit community.

You can create a Jewish legacy no matter what your income or estate value may be. Your gift is important. Many people are making gifts to Jewish agencies and organizations in Cincinnati through their will, retirement accounts, and life insurance policies. It is easy to do through Create Your Jewish Legacy. Your organization or the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati staff can help you structure your gift to fit your lifestyle, goals, and family needs.

In our rapidly changing world, our Jewish values call us to lead. I hope that leading through our Jewish values—particularly tzedakah (giving)—will become traditions not only my children will pass along to their families but that you, too, will incorporate into your own family. Join the many people in our community who have already made their legacy gift.