Investing Through RJF to Strengthen our Community Today and for Generations to Come

Please click HERE to register for the event.

Invest Israel

“Technology companies and global investors are beating a path to    Israel, and finding unique combinations of audacity, creativity and drive everywhere they look.” – from Start-up Nation, the bestselling book by Dan Senor and Saul Singer.

With the continued growth and success of the Israeli economy and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, Richmond Jewish Foundation (RJF) made its first  investment in the newly created I² (Invest Israel) Fund. “The Invest Israel option offers RJF a way to show our pride in the State of Israel by participating in the dynamic growth of the Israeli economy,” said RJF Chairman, Stuart Cantor. Cantor added that, “New and existing donors can now recommend that up to 5% of their funds be invested in the Invest Israel portfolio with a minimum investment of $1800. This includes donor advised funds, agency funds, special purpose and field of interest funds.”

According to Adam Ploktin, RJF Investment Chairman, “Our board and investment committee feel very strongly about our Jewish heritage and connection to Eretz Yisrael, and we have for some time been discussing the optimal way to ensure that like-minded charitable individuals, families and other foundations might have an opportunity to express those beliefs with their charitable dollars. In conjunction with Glenmede, the RJF investment committee and executive committee worked to structure a prudent investment option for both the RJF Genesis Fund and other investors who appreciate the opportunity and the longer term risks and potential.  We now have such an investment – a balanced approach withIsraelonly investments in stocks, bonds and private equity as well.  I’m very proud of the process we have undertaken, but am especially proud that RJF is leading the way for anyone so inclined.”

Israelis one of the most successful countries in theMiddle Eastand the world. In just a few decades,Israelhas transformed itself from an agriculture based economy to a hi-tech powerhouse with leadership positions in software engineering, computer component manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and medical technologies. This vibrant economy offers many excellent opportunities for investors. Widely praised as a “start-up nation”,Israelhas the highest number of companies listed on the NASDAQ afterCanadaand theUSand the highest level of venture capital as a share of GDP.

With the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) recently setting record high levels and natural gas discoveries off Israel’s shores capturing investor interest around the world, Israel’s economy is well suited to continue its upward. Additionally, Israel was recently reclassified as a developed market from an emerging market which opens up Israel to a broader range of potential new investors and flows of capital.

What Your Will Reveals About You

Your will says something about you. First, it says that you care about your loved ones. You want to make it easier for them by taking care of legal matters relating to the transfer of your estate. You want your affairs handled smoothly and without undue inconvenience to those who will be experiencing grief.

Second, having a will means that you sought to conserve your estate. You can reduce taxes and probate costs by designating what things will go where and who will be responsible for handling the details. The cost savings resulting from a carefully constructed estate plan means that more of your estate can go to family members and the charities of your choice.

Third, your will provides insight into your lifetime involvements and concerns. Bequests to family members tell of your love and concern for their welfare. And bequests to organizations speak volumes about your values.

For example, when you include Richmond Jewish Foundation in your will, you reveal that caring for others is worthwhile and you affirm your belief in the mission of RJF which is to serve as the endowment and planned giving branch of our community.

Finally, when you include RJF in your will, you tell us at RJF that you want us to continue to fulfill the mission of RJF in this world through your instructions by creating a fund that carries out your philanthropic intent. You reveal your vision for our future! You encourage us to be good stewards of the new resources you place in our hands.

Your will says other things as well about your interests and values and commitments. And because it says so much, you are wise to think it through carefully.

If having a will says so many good things about you, what does the absence of a will reveal?

We at RJF want you to experience the good feelings of having a well-considered and well-crafted will (or other comprehensive estate planning document). We encourage you to take care of this very important matter. And to help you, we offer a secure online interactive “wills guide” which can be accessed at here.

We are also available if you want to talk with us about finding an advisor or about how to leave a bequest to RJF to support the causes you care most about.

2012 Study in Israel Scholarship Application

To download an application for a need-based scholarship to study in Israel please click the link below:

2012 Study in Israel Application

2012 Overnight Camp Scholarship Application

To download an application for a need-based scholarship for summer camp please click the link below:

2012 Summer Camp Scholarship Application

YEAR END GIFTING STRATEGIES

The end of the year is a time when charitably inclined individuals think about how they can help to make the dreams of the organizations they support come true.  It’s also a time when tax-wise donors understand that year-end giving benefits them as well.  If you have assets that have appreciated with a low cost basis you may be wondering how to best use those appreciated assets for tax planning and charitable purposes.  By donating before the end of the year your charitable deduction may reduce your taxes this year. This should give you some peace of mind knowing you don’t have to concern yourself with the stock market’s fluctuations. Two year-end techniques are discussed below.

Donor Advised Funds  
By donating appreciated assets to RJF you can avoid paying capital gains tax and secure a tax deduction.  It’s especially well suited for donors who have yet to decide what charities they want to benefit.  Once the appreciated assets are given to RJF and placed in your donor advised fund account, you can take as much time as you need to decide where to direct their gift. You can start your fund with cash or appreciated stock and take three years to fund to the $5,000 minimum level. Donor advised funds are great vehicles to plan your philanthropy including gifts for your temple, the Federation and any other qualified non-profit that you support.

IRA Rollover
Have you been looking for a way to make a major gift to create your legacy without dipping into your checking or savings account?  If you are over 70 ½, you can transfer up to $100,000 from your IRA to a Richmond Jewish Foundation endowment before the end of December 2011 without paying any federal income tax.  And this gift may be made over and above the other charitable gifts you already make. Your gift can be made simply by notifying your IRA plan custodian of your intent to make a current transfer to us or another charitable organization.

Bequests
If you are not ready to donate your stock or real estate today, you can still enjoy your property during your lifetime while making a gift to us through your will or trust. A bequest of your property will provide your estate with an estate tax charitable deduction, which means the money saved can go to your loved ones. A simple sentence or two in your will can ensure that your family is cared for while also supporting the charities of your choice after your lifetime.

For more information on how to create your legacy using an IRA rollover gift in 2011 or a bequest or how to create your own donor advised fund, please contact us.

2011-2012 Genesis Fund Grants

Richmond Jewish Foundation is pleased to announce its 2011-2012 Genesis Fund grant application process and is issuing a Request for Proposals. The purpose of this Genesis Fund grant is to fund projects that make a significant impact in our community. Requests must come from a minimum of two organizations, working collaboratively, who may apply for funding up to $30,000. The Grants Committee will entertain applications requesting lessor amounts. Please contact the RJF office for details or an electronic application.

Please click here for more information about the RJF Genesis Fund.

Peace of Mind Gift Annuity

Selma G. Brown has always been generous to our Jewish community. Together, with her late husband Jake, the Browns created endowments at Richmond Jewish Foundation to support senior programs at the Weinstein JCC, a lecture series at VCU, and the JCFR annual campaign.

Recently the Virginia Holocaust Museum called the Richmond Jewish Foundation offices about a donor who wanted information about a gift annuity. Richmond Jewish Foundation serves as the planned giving arm of our community and manages the Virginia Holocaust Museum’s endowed assets. Unbeknownst to us at the time, this generous donor was Selma.

After speaking with Selma’s advisor, Richmond Jewish Foundation created a charitable planning illustration that showed the benefits of creating a charitable gift annuity. Selma was pleased to discover that she would receive a good quarterly payout that was significantly higher than current CD rates, that there would be a charitable tax deduction and that part of the income would be tax-free. Most importantly, Selma was pleased to know that her charitable wishes would be fulfilled with the creation of a new endowment that would provide an annual gift to the Virginia Holocaust Museum forever.

Fulfilling the gift was easy. Selma transferred some appreciated stock to create the charitable gift annuity. Said Selma, “I was delighted with the fixed payment I would receive quarterly.  My CPA and I were pleased that my charitable deduction may reduce my taxes this year, and now I don’t have to concern myself with the stock market’s fluctuations. The gift to the Virginia Holocaust Museum is secure and that gives me peace of mind.”

If you are looking for a secure source of fixed income for now or your future and want to help the charity of your choice please click here.

Are You Inscribed in our Community’s Book of Life?

As Rosh Hashanah approaches, it’s time to reflect on the year that has passed and to consider the opportunities offered in the year ahead. What will this year mean for you, your family, your business, the local community, Israel and the world? What can you do to make a profound and positive difference? Along with other constructive steps to take, perhaps this is the year to make your philanthropic plan with Richmond Jewish Foundation.

When we attend High Holiday services we ask that our name be written in the Book of Life. But what if you could write your own page? What would you say?

This ancient tradition was the inspiration for our community’s Book of Life. Through the Book of Life you can transmit not just your funds, but your family history and legacy to the next generation.

These legacy gifts help ensure the future of our Jewish community, guaranteeing that the strong and vibrant agencies, congregations, museums, and schools that our parents and grandparents worked so hard to build will be here for our children, our grandchildren and generations to come.

How does the Book of Life work?
Anyone who has already committed to secure the future of Richmond’s Jewish community with a permanent fund or bequest, or promises to do so in the future through Create a Jewish Legacy, to any of our partners, Israel, or any charitable organization that endeavors to sustain the Jewish people, is eligible to join the Book of Life. You will be presented with a page to inscribe, with your own thoughts and words, the meaning behind your gift.

Your Book of Life page, along with a family photograph, will then be added to the existing statements that can now be viewed in the interactive display at the Weinstein JCC. Together, these stories will tell future generations our story— the story of Richmond’s Jewish community.

What do I do next?
If you or your family have already created your legacy or promised to do so through Create a Jewish Legacy you are eligible to write your Book of Life page. If you would like to create a gift benefitting your favorite cause, congregation, agency, program, service or philanthropic need we are available to talk with you confidentially and without obligation. We can help you understand the various options and if you decide to proceed we can assist you in completing your gift.

Please click here to learn more about our community’s Book of Life.

Register for the September 7, 2011 Hirschler Seminar

Richmond Jewish Foundation, in cooperation with Hirschler Fleischer, will host the 6th annual Edward S. Hirschler Memorial Professional Advisors Seminar for attorneys, accountants and financial planners on Wednesday, September 7, from 7:30 – 10am at the Weinstein JCC.

The seminar will focus on how the 2010 Tax Act changed the ground rules for wealth transfer. The lecture will be delivered by Nina Cohen, Charles Aulino and Adam Conish from Glenmede, Richmond Jewish Foundation’s new investment manager.

The lecture is made possible through the generous support of this year’s sponsor, Biegler and Associates. Free continuing education credits are pending. To register for the seminar please click here.

Making Philanthropy Affordable with a Donor Advised Fund

The RJF board recently changed the Donor Advised Fund (DAF) policy to make philanthropy more affordable. The minimum amount to start a DAF is now $5,000 and the minimum that must be maintained in the fund is now $2,500 (new minimum applies to existing DAFs, as well).

A donor advised fund offers the opportunity to create an easy-to-establish, low cost, flexible vehicle for charitable giving as an alternative to direct giving or creating a private foundation. Donors enjoy administrative convenience, cost savings, and tax advantages by conducting their grantmaking through the fund. Donors can use their funds to recommend grants to all non-profit charities including local agencies, synagogues and the Federation. You can start your fund with cash or appreciated stock and take three years to fund to the $5,000 minimum level.

There is a one-time $100 set-up fee. The fund will be charged an annual fee of 1% of the fund’s balance with a minimum annual fee of $250

If you are interested in starting a donor advised fund with Richmond Jewish Foundation please click here to apply or click here for more information.

Please feel free to call the RJF office at 545-8656 or email Robert Nomberg if you have any questions about donor advised funds or if you are having problems accessing the online DAF application.

Glenmede Selected as Investment Manager

Stuart Cantor, Chairman of Richmond Jewish Foundation, announced that RJF has selected Glenmede as its new partner to manage the organization’s $30 million in assets. In this role, Glenmede will serve as an outsourced chief investment officer taking on shared fiduciary responsibility for the assets under management. “RJF has enjoyed our relationship with SEI, but both the markets and our needs have changed over the last five and a half years. The review process conducted by Adam Plotkin and his committee concluded that now was an appropriate time for RJF to make a change. I am excited about the possibilities that Glenmede offers for RJF’s continued growth. I want to thank Adam Plotkin and his committee for their diligent work during this six-month review process,” said Cantor.

Adam Plotkin, Chairman of RJF’s investment committee stated that, “Glenmede’s ability to provide ongoing fiduciary responsibilities and tactical asset allocation, as well as an enhanced manager selection protocol, was critical to the selection process. Glenmede’s expertise and focus allows our investment committee to play a greater strategic role by focusing on the big picture and by making decisions that impact the overall direction of RJF’s perpetual mission, rather than getting bogged down in the day to day market gyrations that specifically impact how we may invest individually.”

“We are pleased to partner with the Richmond Jewish Foundation in the management of their current assets and in the development of new funding opportunities that will serve the Richmond area and the Jewish community today and for generations to come” said Nina Cohen, Director of Glenmede’s Philanthropic Advisory Services.

Members of the RJF committee include Beryl Ball, Andy Brownstein, Ron Felmus, David Gardner, Seth Kaplan, Stewart Kasen, Roger Leibowitz, Beth Long, Gail Moskowitz, G.D. Rothenberg, Mark Sisisky and Bob Weisberger.

About Richmond Jewish Foundation
For over 30 years, Richmond Jewish Foundation has provided planned giving and endowment services, including agency fund administration, donor-advised funds, charitable trusts, scholarships and more, to individual donors, families and charities interested in either Richmond area causes or matters of concern to the Jewish community. Stuart Cantor serves as Chairman of Richmond Jewish Foundation; Adam Plotkin chairs the investment committee and Robert Nomberg is the President & CEO.

About Glenmede
Glenmede is an investment and wealth management firm founded in 1956 by the Pew family to manage the assets of their charitable interests. Today, it provides endowments and foundations nationwide with investment management, foundation administration, grants management, and fiduciary, tax, advisory and consulting services. Headquartered in Philadelphia, the firm has offices in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio. Nina Cohen is the Director of Philanthropic Advisory Services, Adam Conish, CFA is the lead portfolio manager for Endowments and Foundations, and Huldah Robertson is the Business Development Manager. For further information, please visit www.glenmede.com.

RJF Celebrates at Annual Meeting

Richmond Jewish Foundation recently celebrated its 31st year serving as the planned giving and endowment arm of our community.

Richmond Jewish Foundation recently celebrated its 31st year serving as the planned giving and endowment arm of our community.

The May 18 annual meeting began with a live performance by Congregation Beth Ahabah’s Ruach Hadash youth ensemble. The group received a grant from the Rachel B. Banks Youth Fund to expand the scope of Jewish music experience for both the student performers and the community.

RJF Chairman Stuart Cantor highlighted the Foundation’s accomplishments for the year, including strengthening ties with the Federation, developing a new Israel investment option for our donors and agencies, and beginning the process of reviewing the current investment adviser.

RJF President & CEO Robert Nomberg announced that the Foundation was managing over $30 million in assets and finished the calendar year +13.8%. He also reported that Sara Belle and Neil November, Willa and Malcolm (obm) Kalman, Rebecca Kalman-Winston and David Winston and Glenda and Brian Bernhardt added statements to the Book of Life. Also 88 individuals and families have created 176 legacies for the community for an estimated $12.7 million as part of Create a Jewish Legacy.

Cantor presented Charles Swartz with a Chairman’s Award for his distinguished service. Swartz chairs the Foundation’s Legal and Tax Committee and is a member of the Executive Committee. This past year Swartz helped guide the Foundation through difficult legal and tax terrain as the it amended dozens of fund agreements to help provide more funds for the community.

Ric Arenstein presented Stuart Siegel with the Anne and S. Sidney Meyers Endowment Achievement Award. The award honors those who have promoted the growth of Richmond Jewish Foundation, given financially and exhibited the qualities of “leadership, vision, imagination and activity.”

In accepting the award, Siegel stated, “Just as we provide for the future security of our own children, it becomes the responsibility of each of us to do whatever we can to create a future filled with promise for Jews here at home and across the world. And that’s the role and largely the mission of Richmond Jewish Foundation. In these tough economic times, it’s often difficult to focus on the generation yet to come, but we need to do so nonetheless. For the future of the Jewish people, the Richmond Jewish Foundation stands as our investment and our safeguard.”

Past Chair Debra Gardner installed the RJF officers and new directors. Joining Cantor as officers are Chair-Elect Andrew Brownstein, Vice Chairs Stuart Siegel and Jeffrey Lacker; Secretary Miriam Davidow; Treasurer Beth Long, and Investment Committee Chair Adam Plotkin.

Other returning directors are Beryl Ball, Irving Blank, Ruth Greene, Gregory Itskovich, Rebecca Kalman-Winston, Evelyn Lampert, Roger Leibowitz, Gail Moskowitz, Walter Rabhan, Sam Revenson, Simon Sibelman, Charles Swartz and Robert Weisberger.

New directors include Susan Craven Johnson, Jeff Gumenick, Roberta Oster Sachs, Richard Samet, Michael Schewel and Jim Weinberg.

RJF congratulated and thanked Abby Moore, Morty Brown, and Rick Gary for completion of their board service: Brown for his guidance on the grants and distributions committees, Gary for his guidance on the investment committee and Moore for his dedicated leadership on the marketing and executive committees.

Happy Fannie Hutzler Day

Every May 5, over 1,000 people – the residents of Beth Sholom Home, Beth Sholom Woods and six other agencies for youth and the elderly – celebrate Fannie Hutzler’s birthday. It’s a day many look forward to year after year.

Mrs. Hutzler’s family has celebrated her birthday with the community ever since she passed away in 1891. For many years the Hutzler family handled the celebration themselves, but in 1933, Henry Hutzler decided to ensure that the tradition be carried on after his passing.  He sought the help of what is now Richmond Jewish Foundation to establish the Fannie Hutzler Fund to do just that.

“I give and bequeath a sum to be held in Trust in memory of my mother, Fannie Hutzler, as a perpetual fund for ‘Fannie Hutzler Day’…the income from said Fund to be used for a ‘birthday party’ (cake, candy, ice cream, etc.) to be given on each 5th of May, the children or inmates of certain named institutions, all of Richmond, Virginia,” probated in 1933.

In addition to Beth Sholom Home and Beth Sholom Woods, birthday parties will take place at The Virginia Home, United Methodist Home, Virginia Home for Boys, Masonic Home of Virginia, St. Joseph’s Villa and Friends Association for Children.

Henry Hutzler would be pleased to know that his simple bequest has brought so much happiness to so many.

Happy birthday, Fannie!

2011 Annual Meeting

You are cordially invited to attend the Richmond Jewish Foundation Annual Meeting, Wednesday, May 18, 2011, in the Israel November Auditorium at the Carole & Marcus Weinstein Jewish Community Center.

Reception begins at 5:30pm – meeting at 6:00pm.

Dietary Laws observed.

Please click here to register for the meeting.

Stuart Siegel to be Honored With Meyers Award at May 18 Annual Meeting

Stuart Cantor, Chairman of Richmond Jewish Foundation, announced that at the Foundation’s annual meeting Wednesday, May 18, at 5:30 pm at the Weinstein JCC, the Anne and S. Sidney Meyers Endowment Achievement Award will be presented to Stuart Siegel.

S. Sidney Meyers, of blessed memory, and his wife Anne, created an award to be presented to community members who are outstanding contributors to the field of Jewish endowments, whether on a local, regional or national basis. The Meyers believed that the award would encourage others to become involved and benefit the community. The Anne and S. Sidney Meyers Endowment Achievement Award honors those who have promoted the growth of Richmond Jewish Foundation, given financially and exhibited the qualities of “leadership, vision, imagination and activity.”

This year’s honoree is Stuart Siegel. Stuart has been one of Richmond Jewish Foundation’s most ardent supporters. Stuart has been an active donor for over thirty years and created one of the Foundation’s earliest charitable remainder trusts over 20 years ago. RJF is honored that Stuart has accepted a new role on the board as a vice chairman for the 2011 – 2012 fiscal year.

Stuart has actively supported the creation of several endowments that support specific agencies and fields of interest. In 1982, after his brother-in-law Sherry Rose’s untimely death, Stuart and Judy Rose Becker made a challenge gift to the community to support missions to Israel. As a result, the community’s Special Israel Mission Fund was renamed the Sherry B. Rose Israel Mission Fund. Today this fund is responsible for ensuring that missions to Israel are affordable for those persons whose participation is vital to the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond’s General Welfare Campaign.

Stuart is as active today as he was over twenty years ago. Recently, he was instrumental in helping to establish Chabad of Virginia’s first endowment. Said Siegel, “Serving as both a member of the Foundation’s board of directors as well as a member and supporter of Chabad, I am excited to help secure Chabad’s future by building a lasting endowment.”

Stuart embodies the spirit of enduring legacies and community members who are outstanding contributors to the field of Jewish endowments.

For more than thirty years, Richmond Jewish Foundation has served as the planned giving and endowment arm of our Jewish community. The Foundation maintains a tradition of honoring donor choices.

The 2011 annual meeting will also feature a report by Stuart Cantor, Chairman of Richmond Jewish Foundation, Board of Directors installation, and a presentation of the Chairman’s Award.

Please click here for past Meyers Award winners.

Legacy Results Through December 2010

Legacy Results Through December 2010 (pdf)

Fulfilling Your Legacy Promise

Each Passover we sit together to tell our story and to remember messages of freedom. The real task of the Seder is to try to pass down these words, rituals and values to the next generation. Our community’s Create a Jewish Legacy program was created for this same purpose.

While we celebrate Passover, we recognize the success of our Create a Jewish Legacy program which recently passed the $11 million mark. This figure represents 169 legacy gifts promised by 81 families. These gifts will help ensure the future of our Jewish community and the state of Israel. As a result of these legacy gifts, the strong and vibrant agencies, congregations, museums and schools that our parents and grandparents worked so hard to build will be here for our children, our grandchildren, and generations to come. Create a Jewish Legacy promotes the message that all of us have the ability to make a difference in the lives of future Jewish generations.

This Passover, consider four more questions…

Do you support Jewish causes in Richmond annually?

Have you included these causes in your will?

Would you like to see a vibrant Jewish community for future generations?

What will be your legacy?

Creating your legacy is a simple four step process:

Promise
You decide that you want to leave something to the Jewish community-for Richmond, Israel, or elsewhere. At this moment you have probably not yet decided exactly how you will fund your legacy, nor precisely which causes or organizations will be the beneficiaries.

Honor
You share your personal statement in the Book of Life (always optional) about why you have created this legacy plan or your hopes for the future. In it you may speak of your grandparents, to your grandchildren, or about the organizations that have benefited from your leadership.

Formalize
You specify how you will fund your legacy: through bequest, insurance, a beneficiary designation of your IRA or other pension asset, or by establishing a life income plan. It is when you formalize that you can be assured your wishes will truly happen.

Fund
Your idea becomes reality because you have planned well. Your funds come to our community-into a permanent endowment fund in your family name-for the causes and beneficiaries that you have designated. You have kept promises to your community that you’ve always supported. Your gifts will now be there, stronger, for those you leave behind.

To create your legacy, please contact the Richmond Jewish Foundation office.

RJF Welcomes Chabad of Virginia

2011 Sroka/Karp Application

Please click the link for the 2011 Sroka Karp Scholarship Application.

RJF Announces New Investment Option and Strong 2010 Finish

“Technology companies and global investors are beating a path to Israel, and finding unique combinations of audacity, creativity and drive everywhere they look.” – from Start-up Nation, the bestselling book by Dan Senor and Saul Singer.

With the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) at record high levels and natural gas discoveries off Israel’s shores capturing investor interest around the world, many analysts are bullish about Israel’s economy in 2011. Additionally, Israel was recently reclassified as a developed market from emerging market which opens up Israel to a broader range of potential new investors and flows of capital.

Ester Levanon, CEO of TASE, recently stated, “It’s very important for us to make it known that we are a developed market, that it’s a very good market and a very good economy. We have a ten year record which is better than most of the world.”

With the continued growth and success of the Israeli economy and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, Richmond Jewish Foundation announces a new investment option for new and existing donors called I2 (Invest Israel). “The Invest Israel option offers RJF a way to show our pride in the State of Israel by participating in the dynamic growth of the Israeli economy,” said RJF Chairman, Stuart Cantor. Cantor added that, “New and existing donors can now recommend that up to 5% of their funds be invested in the Invest Israel portfolio with a minimum investment of $1800. This includes donor advised funds, agency funds, special purpose and field of interest funds.”

The I2 announcement was made during a recent Richmond Jewish Foundation board of director’s meeting during which Adam Plotkin, chair of the RJF Investment Committee, discussed RJF’s most recent investment performance results. For the 2010 calendar year, the RJF Enhanced Fund which is comprised of 65% equities and 35% fixed income finished +13.8%. This strong performance is on the heels of a 27% increase in 2009. Said Plotkin, “We’ve almost erased the drop in the portfolio since the fall 2008. Beating the market is usually pretty tough; we were fortunate over the last twenty-four months to do just that.”

To learn more about the I2 program please feel free to contact Robert Nomberg.

Donor Advised Funds

As 2010 comes quickly to a close, many of us are left considering the best options for year-end charitable giving. With only 15 days left in the year, the choices can seem overwhelming. To help remove some of this pressure, and help ensure you receive the best tax-advantages available in philanthropy, RJF offers a Donor Advised Fund.

Open a Donor Advised Fund today and receive an immediate tax deduction, then recommend grants to your favorite charities at any time in future years.

The process to open an account is simple and the rewards are significant:

· Unsurpassed tax advantages today, while you establish a lasting legacy of giving;

· Funds grow tax-free;

· Open an account with just $10,000 (payable over 3 years);

· Cost-effective alternative to private foundations;

· RJF has been a trusted organization for your philanthropy for over 30 years.

Don’t wait! In order to receive tax advantages for 2010, open your account by December 31, 2010!

To learn more about RJF Donor Advised Fund program call 804.545.8656 or click here.

RJF Welcomes the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation

Richmond Jewish Foundation welcomes the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation to their growing list of community partners. As part of their agreement, Richmond Jewish Foundation will manage an investment endowment for the local non-profit.

“On behalf of the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation we look forward to a long-
lasting partnership with Richmond Jewish Foundation. As we continue the day to day building of the trail from Richmond to Williamsburg we also keep in mind its future maintenance and enhancements so that the trail will be viable for generations to come. Creating an endowment enables VCTF to accomplish this goal,” said VCTF Treasurer Richard Grossman.

“We are excited to partner with the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation and to help the organization build a lasting endowment to secure their future,’ said Richmond Jewish Foundation chairman, Stuart Cantor.

To donate to the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation Endowment Fund or any of the over two hundred permanent funds managed by Richmond Jewish Foundation, please call Robert Nomberg at 804.545.8656 or Robert@rjfoundation.net.

To learn more about the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation please visit their website.

Foundation Elects New Leadership

At its June 2 annual meeting Richmond Jewish Foundation’s Board of Directors elected Stuart Cantor to serve as president. Stuart is Chairman of TrustMor Mortgage Company. He earned a BS from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and is a Certified Public Accountant. He is a former president and current trustee of Keneseth Beth Israel and a former president and current executive committee member of Rudlin Torah Academy. Stuart has been married to Joan Bers Cantor for 23 years, and they are the parents of 6 children.

Joining Cantor as officers are vice presidents Abby Moore and Jeff Lacker, secretary Beth Long, treasurer Andy Brownstein; Adam Plotkin will chair the Investment Committee.

Other returning directors are Irv Blank, Roger Leibowitz, Morty Brown, Miriam Davidow, Rick Gary, Stuart Siegel, Bob Weisberger, Gregory Itskovich, Gail Moskowitz, Walter Rabhan, Rebecca Kalman-Winston, Sam Revenson, Paul Silver, and Charles Swartz.

New directors include Beryl Ball, Ruth Greene, Sy Sibleman, and Evelyn Lampert.

Beryl Ball has over 25 years experience in the investment and retirement services industry with SunTrust Bank and most recently with CAPTRUST Financial Advisors. A Richmond native, she, husband John and their children are life-long members of Beth Ahabah.

Ruth Greene practices law with SeltzerGreene, PLC, providing expertise on matters involving workers’ compensation, insurance coverage and general litigation. Ruth earned her JD from the College of William & Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law.

Sy Sibleman has served as the assistant executive director at the Virginia Holocaust Museum since 2009. He is a member of KBI and was recently elected to serve on the board of Rudlin Torah Academy. Sy earned a doctorate in French from the King’s College, University of London and is a published author.

Evelyn Lampert has lived in Richmond since 1967. She was one of the founding members of Congregation Or Ami and a past president. She currently serves on the Weinstein JCC board. Recently retired, Evelyn practiced clinical social work for 32 years. Evelyn attended Temple University and has a B.S. and M.S.W. from Virginia Commonwealth University. Evelyn has three adult children, two adult stepchildren, six grandchildren. Her late husband was Harvey Lampert. She has been married to Marty Cohen since 2003.

We congratulate Frances Goldman, Lynn Kessler, GD Rothenberg, and Nannette Shor for completion of their board service. We thank Frances for her tireless work as our treasurer, Lynn for her guidance on our investment committee, GD for his leadership in transforming RJF’s investment committee, and Nannette for her dedicated leadership on our distribution committee.

2010 Annual Meeting

Please click the picture to view more photos from the event.

2010 Annual Meeting

New Fund Honors Legacy of Alexander Lebenstein

Sadly, our dear friend, Alex Lebenstein recently passed away. Many of us know his story. It’s worth repeating.

As a child living in Germany, Alex’s nightmare began on November 11, 1938 when the Nazi’s entered his city of Haltern, Germany on “Kristallnacht” destroying all things Jewish in their path.  Along with his parents, he witnessed the Nazis destroying their possessions, their security, and the only home that he had known.

While his story is much like many other Holocaust survivors, Alex’s experience has influenced thousands of young people on both sides of the Atlantic, promoting racial harmony, anti-bias education, and social justice.  Sixty years after trying to forget, Alex not only remembered but also shared the messages of the Holocaust with others.

Being encouraged to tell his story to youth, Alex began accepting invitations to speak; first, in his hometown of Haltern, Germany at the request of the students who needed to understand their history, the history of their grandparents and parents.  Upon his return, Alex began accepting requests to speak throughout Central Virginia.  His story, not only, told the dates and the facts, but it also told of the challenges Alex endured and how he had overcome them.

Alex ultimately learned as much from the youth as they learned from him.  The youth wanted to do more. In Germany, they erected monuments, museums (in boxcars), and worked toward and became a school against racism. Most importantly, they inspired the entire town to become involved which led to naming Alex an honorary citizen and renaming the town’s school in his honor, the Alexander Lebenstein Realshule – “School Against Racism; School with Courage.”  In Central Virginia, after school presentations or groups led at the Virginia Holocaust Museum, students wrote letters, drew pictures and created a book about Alex.  They continued to e-mail him for facts and for encouragement to fight the woes of society and to learn how to live and act civil with others.

To ensure that this important message of tolerance and human rights is told forever, the Alexander Lebenstein Fund for Tolerance and Human Rights has been established at Richmond Jewish Foundation. Alex loved speaking and inspiring us to make the world a better place. When he returned from a speaking engagement, he would drop by the Richmond Jewish Foundation office to proudly deposit the gift donated from the school, business, or congregation into his fund.

If you wish to make a tax deductible donation to the fund so that Alex’s message of tolerance and human rights is never forgotten, please click here or contact Robert Nomberg at 804.545.8656.

New Fund Honors Memory of Gerald T. Shor

After his recent passing, Gerald T. Shor’s family established a new fund to honor his memory. Gerald was raised in Raleigh, NC and had been a resident of Richmond, VA since 2005.  He was a member of Keneseth Beth Israel Synagogue in Richmond and Beth Meyer Synagogue in Raleigh.  He was a long time member of B’nai B’rith.  He is survived by four children; Marcia Shor of Richmond, Barbara McDowell of Raleigh along with her husband, David, Michael of Charlotte and Nathan and his wife Nannette of Richmond.  Gerald was the proud grandfather to nine grandchildren; Bryan along with his wife, Meghan, Andrew, Lauren, Marla, Rachel, Katherine, Adam and Jaclyn.

Richmond Endowment Leaders Speak at First Jewish Legacy Forum

At the conference, Gardner and Nomberg presented a best practices workshop on Create a Jewish Legacy branding and marketing. The forum focused on sharing expertise and innovations to help build and promote legacy programs in Jewish communities across North America. A legacy is a gift left for the future of the community, to carry on the donor’s wishes beyond his or her lifetime. This typically includes an endowment, which is a permanent fund that provides perpetual support to an organization from the income earned. This is especially important during tough economic times, when other funding sources may be cut back.
“We encourage communities to use endowments and planned gifts as a long-term strategy for building and sustaining the Jewish community,” said Joe Imberman, Associate Vice-President Planned Giving and Endowments at the Jewish Federations of North America, which co-sponsored the forum with the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego and the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona.

The forum covered such topics as creating a legacy culture in the community, partnering with agencies to build endowments and helping each donor fulfill their own philanthropic vision through legacy planning. Eighty-five professionals and lay leaders from 26 communities attended.

“We need to both engage the soul and engage in business planning to reach a golden age of philanthropy we could only have dreamed of a few years ago,” said opening speaker Jeffrey Solomon, president of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies and co-author of The Art of Giving.

Keynote speaker and award-winning columnist Amy Hirshberg Lederman summed up what many of the participants sensed. “We are witness to something historic. We are all here for a reason. We believe in the future of Jewish people and we can make a difference in that future.”

To learn more about how you can leave a legacy to benefit the charities of your choice please contact Robert Nomberg at 545-8656 or visit here to learn more about Create a Jewish Legacy.

PHOTO CREDIT: Martha Lochert Photography

Foundation Distributes $733,221 in Fourth Quarter

Foundation Announces Strong 2009 Performance

Richmond Jewish Foundation announces strong performance results, outperforming significant market indices for 2009. The Foundation’s main fund finished the year up 27% relative to its benchmark of 25.1%. The Foundation manages approximately $27.6 million in assets.

“Our investment manager, SEI, has done an outstanding job in one of the most challenging market environments in quite some time,” said GD Rothenberg, chair of Richmond Jewish Foundation’s Investment Committee. “Through the end of the third quarter, our investment results ranked in the top 8% on a calendar year-to-date basis versus our peer group (endowments/foundations with assets under $100 million). Even though the markets have sharply rebounded in 2009, it was a difficult year to outperform. It’s good to see this trend continued during the fourth quarter resulting in one of the fund’s best performances in many years.”

Richmond Jewish Foundation acts as a fiscal steward of the Richmond Jewish community’s charitable assets. Its objective is to earn good returns on investments without taking an inordinate amount of risk. For the past five years SEI Investments Management Corporation from Oaks, PA has managed Richmond Jewish Foundation’s assets.

“I greatly appreciate the members of the Investment Committee for their continued leadership to ensure that the community’s assets are well managed. They take their role as a fiduciary very seriously and it shows,” said Rothenberg.  

 The other members of the Investment Committee include Beryl Ball, Tom Byer, David Gardner, Lynn Kessler, Roger Leibowitz, Adam Plotkin, Richard Schwarzchild, Bob Weisberger, Michael Blumberg, Gail Moskowtiz and Stewart Kasen.

Create a Jewish Legacy Showcased at GA

Over sixty Foundation and Federation representatives participated in the Create a Jewish Legacy Community Showcase at the Jewish Federations of North America (formerly United Jewish Communities) General Assembly earlier this month in Washington, DC. Richmond’s interim executive director, Robert Nomberg joined Joslin LeBauer from the Jewish Federations of North America and Greensboro’s endowment director, Susan Gutterman for the session.

The panel led a discussion about the need for community public awareness campaigns designed to help individuals and families support the Jewish causes they care about; building a strong, vibrant community, now and in the future with bequests for permanent endowments. Create a Jewish Legacy promotes the message that all of us have the ability to make a difference in the lives of future Jewish generations.

Masada Hillel Fund Supports Area Hillels

The Masada-Hillel Endowment Fund was established over fifteen years ago at Richmond Jewish Foundation to support programming for college age youth attending schools in the Richmond area.  Currently, the Fund supports the Hillel program as administered by the Weinstein JCC.  Contributions support a vast array of programs and services as outlined below.

Hillel of Richmond provides social, educational, cultural and religious opportunities for the Jewish students on VCU/University of Richmond campuses as well as MCV and TC Williams Law School. Hillel supports the State of Israel within secure boundaries and provides programs and education to ensure that support.  Hillel of Richmond has been a program of the Carole and Marcus Weinstein Jewish Community Center for over 15 years, funding for Hillel of Richmond is provided primarily on local level.  Every month Jewish students from all walks of life gather for free Shabbat dinner and services, Israel advocacy programs, and lunch and learns.  Our weekly programming has something for everyone from free bagels and coffee on Monday mornings, holiday activities, and interfaith programming with other on-campus organizations.  We sponsor several annual programs like free Passover Seders and free High Holiday meals, free dinner with Holocaust survivors, Krav Maga with an Israeli IDF Specialist, and access to Birthright trips to Israel and alternative spring break trips around the globe.  We even help send students to conferences around the world for young leadership development.  We also sponsor events for Jewish Law and Medical Students as well as young Jewish graduates and professionals.  We have a full time director who is on campus everyday and maintains active facebook groups.

If you wish to make a tax deductible contribution to the Masada-Hillel Endowment Fund please contact the RJF offices. More Hillel of Richmond information and programming can be found by clicking here.

Create a Jewish Legacy Showcased at GA

Over sixty Foundation and Federation representatives participated in the Create a Jewish Legacy Community Showcase at the Jewish Federations of North America (formerly United Jewish Communities) General Assembly earlier this month in Washington, DC. Richmond’s interim executive director, Robert Nomberg joined Joslin LeBauer from the Jewish Federations of North America and Greensboro’s endowment director, Susan Gutterman for the session.

Create a Jewish Legacy Passes $10 Million

In November 2006, Richmond was named the first Create a Jewish Legacy pilot site for United Jewish Communities. After one year of planning and two plus years of training and marketing 70 families have promised to create over 140 legacies for an estimated $10 million.

Create a Jewish Legacy is a community public awareness campaign designed to help individuals and families support the Jewish causes they care about; building a strong, vibrant community, now and in the future with bequests for permanent endowments. The program promotes the message that all of us have the ability to make a difference in the lives of future Jewish generations.

Book of Life To Be Built Thanks to Hirschler Fund

Our community’s Book of Life was introduced for the first time during the Richmond Jewish Foundation and the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond joint annual meeting. Twenty-two wonderful statements were presented to the community. This Book of Life interactive DVD was made possible by funding provided from the Elizabeth and Edward Hirschler* Endowment Recognition Fund.

Foundation Announces Strong Third Quarter

During its most recent meeting, Richmond Jewish Foundation’s Investment Committee exercised its fiduciary responsibility to the community’s endowed assets by reviewing the third quarter investment performance results and by analyzing the Foundation’s investment asset allocation.

“The Foundation is pleased to report that our main portfolio, the enhanced fund, is up 21% for the year thanks in part to a positive 13% third quarter,” said GD Rothenberg, Chairman of the Investment Committee. “We’ve weathered a difficult storm. Our commitment to maintaining a diversified portfolio combined with our long-term view of permanent funds is paying off with a tremendous quarter.”

In 2005, the Investment Committee developed an Investment Policy Statement (IPS) outlining a strategy which establishes investment risks and returns including the percentage of funds invested in stocks, bonds, and cash, as well as the selection of investment managers.  The committee regularly monitors and reviews the Foundation’s investments which have been managed for nearly four years by SEI Investments.

During the quarterly meeting, the Investment Committee reviewed SEI’s changes in equity managers as well as studied the Foundation’s asset allocation mix to determine the percentage of assets in each investment class needed to meet long-term growth goals and short-term spending needs.

RJF takes the fiduciary role very seriously. Recently, RJF received the Consultant’s Assessment of Fiduciary Excellence (CAFE) certification. This certification acknowledges that the investment practices of the Foundation conform to twenty-two best practices in the industry. These standards promote an optimal level of investment governance and the prudent management of investment assets for the RJF Board and Investment Committee. This process ensures the highest level of ethical and moral standards.

The other members of the Investment Committee include Beryl Ball, Michael Blumberg, Tom Byer, David Gardner, Stewart Kasen, Lynn Kessler, Roger Leibowitz, Gail Moskowitz, Adam Plotkin, Richard Schwarzschild, and Bob Weisberger.

Donor Advised Fund – Tax Smart Giving

Foundation Distributes $176,268 in Third Quarter

At its third quarter meeting, Richmond Jewish Foundation’s Distribution Committee approved grants totaling $176,268 to over 40 different non-profit organizations.

“Helping our donors accomplish their philanthropic goals is the Foundation’s mission,” said Distribution Chair Nannette Shor. “Our committee’s job is to make certain that all the requests for distributions are for organizations qualified under the tax code. Once we’ve done that, we simply carry out our donors’ wishes. Donor Advised Funds provide such a flexible way to give.”

The third quarter distributions included nine grants to local Jewish organizations, four grants to national Jewish organizations, over twenty-five grants to local and national non-Jewish organizations, two grants to the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, and one grant to Richmond Jewish Foundation’s Genesis Fund.

A group of educators participate in a recent Facing History and Ourselves program at the Virginia Holocaust Museum Nuremberg Trials Courtroom Exhibit

Approved grants from the Herbert J and Ruth Rubel Holocaust Education Fund and the Henry and Gertrude Kupfer Holocaust Education Fund support our local community. These grants will provide funds for Holocaust education workshops to 75 local teachers. The educators will participate in the Facing History and Ourselves workshops provided by the Joint Holocaust Education Committee of the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond and the Virginia Holocaust Museum. The workshops will enable teachers to explore new materials and case studies about racism, prejudice and issues that divide society. Past participants included teachers from the city of Richmond and Chesterfield, Goochland, Henrico and Hanover counties. Ruth Rubel (OBM) and her good friend Gertrude Kupfer (OBM) were the first to offer Facing History and Ourselves workshops and programs in Richmond.

“While our nation is beginning to emerge from a recession, our donors continue to support the causes most dear to them. Clearly the Foundation is having a positive impact both here in Richmond and around the country,” said Richmond Jewish Foundation President Debra Gardner.

Distributions are approved each quarter of the year to qualified 501(c)(3) organizations. Since January 2009, $523,274 has been granted, while over $1 million was granted during 2008.

The other members of the Distribution Committee include Nancy Belleman, Leonard Goldberg, Barbara Shocket, and Andy Brownstein.

For more information about Richmond Jewish Foundation, or to make a contribution to one of the Foundation’s funds, contact Robert Nomberg at 804.545.8656.

Richmond Jewish Foundation Welcomes Congregation Or Ami – Congregation Joins Other Partner Organizations in Growth of Jewish Community

Or Ami president Alex Simon and RJF president Debra Gardner sign agreement as Sam Revenson, RJF marketing chair and Robert Nomberg, RJF interim executive director watch.

Richmond Jewish Foundation welcomes Congregation Or Ami to its growing list of Jewish community partners. As part of their agreement, Richmond Jewish Foundation will manage an investment endowment for the congregation.

“On behalf of the Or Ami family, we look forward to a long-lasting partnership with Richmond Jewish Foundation.  Or Ami is a vibrant, growing congregation open to all. The Or Ami Anne Fischer Endowment Fund will help Or Ami shine as a light to our people for generations to come,” stated Alex Simon, Congregation Or Ami president.

Richmond Jewish Foundation serves as the legacy, planned giving, bequest and endowments branch of Richmond’s Jewish community. As the place for special or enduring gifts, the Foundation partners with other Jewish organizations by investing assets and endowments for many local Jewish organizations and providing grants to benefit others.

“We are excited to partner with Or Ami and to help the congregation build a lasting endowment to secure their future,’ said Richmond Jewish Foundation president, Debra Gardner.  ‘I want to thank Marketing Committee chair, Sam Revenson, and Investment Committee chair, GD Rothenberg, for all of their work during this process.”

Richmond Jewish Foundation, established in 1979, currently manages over 26 million dollars in assets, including Donor Advised Funds, Special Purpose Funds, Field of Interest Funds, and agency funds. Richmond Jewish Foundation is home to Create a Jewish Legacy and the Edward S. Hirschler Memorial Professional Advisors Seminar.

To donate to the Or Ami Anne Fischer Endowment Fund or any of the over one hundred permanent funds managed by Richmond Jewish Foundation, please contact Robert Nomberg at 804.545.8656.

Endowment Fund Honors Memory of Henry S. Fine

Henry Fine believed in the goodness of the Jewish community of Richmond and he valued its long-term financial strength. In his teen years, he was a leader in AZA, out of which came several lifelong relationships. He was a devoted supporter of Hillel in his college years, and was a lifetime member of Temple Beth-El. Henry also believed in Israel as our spiritual homeland and valued its historical role as the ultimate protector of world Jewry.

Henry believed in the magic of permanent life insurance and valued the unique leverage that turns a small gift into a larger endowment during life and at death – just by putting some ink on paper. Like much of Henry’s life, he put these words in action by leaving a life insurance policy to benefit Richmond Jewish Foundation.

Henry had a special interest in helping families who have loved ones with special needs. To honor his memory, and to continue his good works, the Richmond Jewish Foundation Board of Directors recently established the Henry S. Fine Legacy Fund using a portion of the proceeds from the life insurance policy. The fund will make annual distributions, in Henry’s memory, to the Autism Society of Central Virginia where Henry served on the board, and to another one of Henry’s favorite charities, the Virginia Autism Project.

“We wanted to find a way to honor Henry’s name,” said Richmond Jewish Foundation Treasurer, Frances Goldman. “Henry’s generosity will ensure that many of the ideas he valued will continue to be supported in perpetuity. Richmond Jewish Foundation is proud to be able to help continue his good works forever.”

Contributions to the Foundation for the Henry S. Fine Legacy Fund are tax deductible. If you wish to make a contribution please contact Robert Nomberg at 804.545.8656.

Alex Lebenstein Named Humanitarian Award Winner

Congratulations to Alex Lebenstein on being named one of this year’s Humanitarian Award winners from the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (VCIC). Since 1963, VCIC has presented the Humanitarian Awards annually to individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to the promotion of respect and understanding among people of diverse racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds.  Alex and the other winners will be honored at the 47th annual Richmond Chapter Humanitarian Awards Dinner Tuesday, October 27, 2009.

As a child living in Germany, Alex’s nightmare began on November 11, 1938 when the Nazi’s entered his city of Haltern, Germany on “Kristallnacht” destroying all things Jewish in their path.  Along with his parents he witnessed the Nazis destroying their possessions, their security and the only home that he had known.

While his story is much like many other Holocaust survivors, Alex’s experience has influenced thousands of young people on both sides of the Atlantic, promoting racial harmony, anti-bias education and social justice.  Sixty years after trying to forget, Alex not only remembers but also shares the messages of the Holocaust with others.

Being encouraged to tell his story to youth, Alex began accepting invitations to speak; first, in his hometown of Haltern, Germany at the request of the students who needed to understand their history, the history of their grandparents and parents.  Upon his return, Alex began accepting requests to speak throughout Central Virginia.  His story told the dates and the facts, but it also told of the challenges Alex endured and how he had overcome them.

Alex ultimately learned as much from the youth as they learned from him.  The youth wanted to do more. In Germany they erected monuments, museums (in boxcars), worked toward and became a school against racism and most importantly, inspired the entire town to become involved which led to naming Alex an honorary citizen and renaming the town’s school in his honor, the Alexander Lebenstein Realshule – “School Against Racism; School with Courage.”  In Central Virginia, after school presentations or groups led at the Virginia Holocaust Museum, students wrote letters, drew pictures and created a book about Alex.  They continue to e-mail him for facts and for encouragement to fight the woes of society and to learn how to live and act civil with others.

To ensure that this important message of tolerance and human rights is told forever, the Alexander Lebenstein Fund for Tolerance and Human Rights has been established at Richmond Jewish Foundation. Contributions to the Foundation for the fund are tax deductible.

If you wish to contribute to the fund or attend the Humanitarian Awards Dinner on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, please contact Robert Nomberg at 804.545.8656.

Genesis Fund Supports Online Cemetery Database

The Beth Ahabah Museum and Archives recently announced the creation of an online cemetery database. The project was made possible by a Genesis Grant from Richmond Jewish Foundation. The database was created to assist researchers in locating the burial places of Jewish individuals in the Central Virginia area. It is based on information provided by area congregations and cemetery managers, and is as accurate as the data they have recorded over the years. For more information about the project and to use database please click here.

Rosh Hashanah Ad

Create a Jewish Legacy Rosh Hashanah Ad (pdf)

Story Hour with PJ Library

Richmond Jewish Foundation is providing a Genesis Fund grant to the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond to help bring PJ Library to Richmond. The PJ Library program sends Jewish-related books and CDs every month to children from age six months to 5 and a half years of age. PJ Library was created by The Harold Grinspoon Foundation. Harold once heard that Dolly Parton was distributing books to new-borns in Tennessee. He ran with the idea and now PJ Library provides books and CDs to over 100 communities. What an amazing way to create a solid foundation of not only literacy, but also our Jewish heritage and values. If we, as a Jewish community, reach out to young couples when they have children, there is a small window of 3-5 years for influencing their future educational choices and their Jewish identity. Click here for more about PJ Library.

What’s Your Story?

Our community’s Book of Life was introduced for the first time during the recent Richmond Jewish Foundation and Jewish Community Federation of Richmond joint Annual Meeting. Twenty-two wonderful statements have been written thus far. I’d like to share one of the statements written by Hedy Lapkin. Her statement about her late husband, Eddie, tells a wonderful story about how someone’s passion has been turned into a lasting legacy affecting future generations.

“In 1975 Edward Lapkin fell passionately in love for the second time in his life. He volunteered to house (of course I agreed) two lovely Israeli scouts and he was hooked. In November 1975, we took our first trip to Israel and were in turn graciously hosted by the families of the two scouts we hosted. For the next 25 years Eddie put his heart and soul into planning and executing the most wonderful 3-4 day stay in Richmond for the Israeli Scout Friendship Caravans that came to Richmond every year.

Through his devoted efforts he fostered more lasting relationships between Richmond families and Israeli families than even he imagined would be possible. His commitment to this program created a love and understanding of Israel for Richmond’s Jewish community that is beyond measure. The first few years the Scouts performed at the JCC only a few dozen people attended. Today, this event is viewed by hundreds. The legacy that Eddie created continues to touch the lives of hundreds of Jewish people in Richmond. He also was responsible for Richmond hosting an Israeli Scout at camp Hilbert each summer.

To this day, my children and I have a profound love of Israel and maintain many of the deep relationships with the youngsters that came into our lives so many years ago. Eddie passed away in March of 2002. Later that year I was in Israel with a small group from Richmond. One evening, along with 300 other American Jews, our group was entertained by the Israeli Friendship Caravan. As the tears streamed down my face I knew I had found the way to keep Eddie’s love of Israel and all those wonderful Israeli teenagers in the hearts and minds of our Richmond community. My family established the Eddie Lapkin Israeli Scout Fund at Richmond Jewish Foundation to honor Eddie for all the years of devotion to this program and to support the program in the future.” ~ Hedy Lapkin

Anyone, regardless of age, wealth, or affiliation, who commits to secure the future of Richmond’s Jewish community, either through a current gift to a permanent endowment fund or through a deferred gift to any of the Create a Jewish Legacy partners, Israel, or any charity, will be presented with a page to inscribe with their own thoughts and to tell, in their own words, the meaning behind their gift in their Book of Life page.

The Book of Life page, along with a family photograph, will then be added to those written by others. These pages will be collected and placed in an interactive display at the Weinstein JCC. Together, these stories will tell future generations our story— the story of Richmond’s Jewish community. You can transmit not just your funds, but your family history and legacy to the next generation. These legacy gifts help ensure the future of our Jewish community, guaranteeing that the strong and vibrant agencies, congregations, museums, and schools that our parents and grandparents worked so hard to build will be here for our children, our grandchildren and generations to come.

We’re here to help you tell your story. What will be your legacy?

Could a Madoff Happen to RJF?

As the planned giving branch of our community, Richmond Jewish Foundation (RJF) takes seriously the job of investing and managing our precious resources, both for our individual donors and for our Jewish institutions. Recently, a donor asked if a Madoff-type situation could happen to RJF. Please allow me to explain how extremely doubtful it is that this could happen.

Bernard Madoff was charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission with defrauding clients of as much as $50 billion. Soon thereafter RJF confirmed that it had no investments with Madoff.  According to RJF president, Debra Gardner, “While Richmond Jewish Foundation is pleased to have not been entangled in these difficulties; we recognize that other Jewish community foundations and generous members of the national Jewish community were victims of this abhorrent fraud.”  Unfortunately, this sad matter came at a time already marked by recession and financial unrest.

RJF currently oversees $22 million in assets, but we don’t actually buy or sell these funds. The Foundation’s Board of Directors delegates the advisory and management responsibility to its Investment Committee led by GD Rothenberg. With an understanding that for committees to work well, they must be made up of people with differing perspectives and experience who are unafraid to speak their minds, the RJF Investment Committee is comprised of members from both RJF’s board members and non-board members. This committee includes not only money managers, bond investors, financial planners, stock brokers, and investment consultants, but a number of others who approach the work without the lens of serving as an investment professional, and these folks include doctors, business executives and community volunteers.  Because all Directors serve as an investment fiduciary (a fiduciary is someone in a position of trust on behalf of, or for the benefit of, a third party), with important stewardship duties and responsibilities, the RJF Board and Investment Committee have a strict conflict of interest policy.

The Investment Committee developed an Investment Policy outlining a strategy which establishes investment risks and returns including the percentage of funds invested in stocks, bonds, and cash, as well as the selection of investment managers.  The committee regularly monitors and reviews the Foundation’s investments which have been managed for over three years by its investment manager, SEI Investments.

RJF takes the role of fiduciary very seriously. Recently, RJF received the Consultant’s Assessment of Fiduciary Excellence (CAFE) certification. This certification acknowledges that the investment practices of the Foundation conform to twenty-two best practices in the industry. These standards help maintain an optimal level of investment governance and the prudent management of investment assets for the RJF Board and Investment Committee. This process ensures the highest level of ethical and moral standards.

So, could a Madoff situation happen to RJF? Bernie Madoff once met with SEI about investing, but he was turned away due to SEI’s due diligence and risk monitoring processes, and Madoff’s lack of transparency. To mitigate risk, RJF’s process includes the best practices of modern portfolio management.  Having an arm’s length committee, an institutional framework, transparency of transactions on a daily basis and a prohibition against self-dealing or self-interest by committee or board members makes this improbable. Madoff and other scandals have raised the alarm and diligence is at an even higher level.

Are You Inscribed in the Book of Life?

When we attend High Holiday services, we ask that our name be written in the Book of Life. What would you say if you could write your own page? This ancient tradition has now become the inspiration for a new one: the Richmond Jewish community’s Book of Life.

Through this special new project, on display for the first time during the Foundation and Federation June 3 Joint Annual Meeting, anyone, regardless of age, wealth, or affiliation, who commits to secure the future of Richmond’s Jewish community, either through a current gift to a permanent endowment fund or through a deferred gift to any of the Create a Jewish Legacy partners, Israel, or any charitable organizations, will be presented with a page to inscribe with their own thoughts and to tell, in their own words, the meaning behind their gift.

The Book of Life page, along with a family photograph, will then be joined with those written by others. These pages will be collected and placed in an interactive display at the Weinstein JCC. Together, these stories will tell future generations our story— the story of Richmond’s Jewish community.

If you or your family have already created an endowment or included any of the Create a Jewish Legacy partners in your will you are eligible to write your Book of Life page.

9th Legacy Institute with Wayne Olson

Representatives from a dozen Richmond area Jewish agencies participated in Create a Jewish Legacy’s 9th Legacy Institute on Wednesday, February 11, at the Carole and Marcus Weinstein Jewish Community Center.

Chabad of Virginia representative, Marty Ross, welcomed the participants to the workshop and introduced the session’s speaker Wayne Olson.

Olson is the Vice President of the Charitable, Foundation, & Endowments Group at The Trust Company of Virginia. He has enjoyed planned giving roles with the American Cancer Society and the University of Richmond. He earned his JD from Stetson University. The Trust Company manages endowments, trusts and gift annuity programs for local, regional and international charities and non-profit organizations.

Olson writes for a national planned giving publisher and is a frequent speaker, most recently to the International A-F-P Conference in New Orleans and the Practical Planned Giving Conference in San Diego.  He is also a regular contributor to Planned Giving Today, with his most recent article appearing in the November 2008 issue.

Olson’s session focused on what motivates a donor to make a gift.  The session explored the thoughts, motivations and needs of donors and why they make, or don’t make, a gift.  Participants were given practical examples of how to attract more donors and win their loyalty and their support, along with looking at the donor’s decision-making process and how charities can create an environment that is friendly to this process and makes it easier for donors to decide to give to our organizations. 

Richmond Jewish Foundation president, Debra Gardner, closed the session by thanking Wayne and announcing the latest Create a Jewish Legacy results. Additionally, Gardner announced that the community’s donor recognition Book of Life will be presented during Richmond Jewish Foundation’s Annual Meeting May 18. 

The next Legacy Institute is scheduled for April 22. The topic will be Donor Relations the Disney Way with Wayne Olson.  

Create a Jewish Legacy Receives UJC Award

Richmond’s Create a Jewish Legacy program has been selected as one of four communities to receive a Challenge Grant from United Jewish Communities. The grant is provided by the UJC Board Designated Domestic Endowment Fund, and will be funded over a three year period. The funds will help support the program’s Legacy Institute training, marketing campaign, and the Legacy Society Book of Life donor recognition program.

Hanukkah Ad

2008 Hanukkah ad (pdf)

How to Write Your Book of Life Family Statement

Book of Life Family Worksheet Guide (pdf)

Asking for a Legacy Gift with David Valinsky

Asking for the Bequest Part II with David Valinsky

December 11/12

Federation/Foundation Rosenthal Conference Room

With more than 25 years of fundraising experience, Valinsky is the co-author of The Mercifully Brief, Real World Guide to Raising Money Through Bequests. Valinsky will coach each team how to have meaningful legacy conversations with their most loyal constituents and congregants.

2008 – 2009 Legacy Institute Schedule

2008-2009 Legacy Institute Schedule (pdf)

Legacy Plan Consultation with San Diego’s Gail Littman

Legacy Plan Consultation with San Diego’s Gail Littman

October 23/24, 2008

Federation/Foundation Rosenthal Conference Room

Gail Littman, Director of Endowments at San Diego’s Jewish Community Foundation, returns to update us about San Diego’s ongoing legacy program and provides tips for reaching your organizational bequest goals. Each partner will have a one hour consult with Gail.

Please contact Robert to schedule your session.

Rosh Hashanah Ad

Rosh Hashanah (pdf)

Life for Legacy Donor Life Insurance Program Ad

Life Insurance ad (pdf)

Passover Ad

View the Passover Ad (PDF)

Virginia Jewish Life March/April 2008 Article

View the article:vjl-article.PDF

Will Ad

View the Will Ad (PDF)

Hanukkah Ad

View the Hanukkah Ad (pdf)

IRA Rollover Ad

View the IRA Rollover Ad (PDF)