On May 29 Richmond Jewish Foundation hosted the third annual Life & Legacy celebration to thank the community’s many bequest and endowment donors.

The RJF Board of Directors awarded Helen Horwitz with the Anne and S. Sidney Meyers Endowment Achievement Award and Robert Freed with the Jack Paul Fine Mitzvah Society Award.

Recognizing that human resources are vital to the attraction of fiscal resources, Sidney and Anne Meyers (OBM) created an award to be presented to community members who have made outstanding local and national contributions to the field of Jewish endowments. 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 is a fitting memorial to their devotion. Each time it is presented, it reminds us all of their dedication and commitment to Richmond’s Jewish community.

Helen’s relationship with RJF began thirty-four years ago in 1985 when she and her husband, Hal (OBM) created the Helen P. and S. Harold Horwitz Philanthropic Fund. Their giving was only getting started. With the future in mind, Helen and Hal generously supported the community through the creation of a host of endowment funds. To support the community through the Federation’s annual campaign, they created a Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowment Fund for Hal and a Lion of Judah Endowment Fund for Helen. To show their devotion to Temple Beth-El Helen and Hal created an endowment fund for new members and members in need and Helen recently created the Horwitz Family Weinstein JCC Building Maintenance Endowment Fund to help ensure the community will continue to enjoy the numerous programs and activities under the roof of the Weinstein JCC for generations to come.

Helen has been a lifelong volunteer and leader in our community and is currently a member of the JCC’s Life & Legacy committee. Her family has over 50 years of involvement in Jewish communal affairs, including local, national, and international initiatives. She has served as a mentor to numerous women and has inspired them to seek Jewish communal service.

Helen recently stated, “An endowment means that whatever we are doing goes on for generations to come…it was easy to leave a Jewish legacy because there are so many ways and so many avenues to do it and a timeframe that’s your timeframe.”

Jack Paul Fine (OBM) loved his family, his community and his profession. His fingerprints are on dozens of funds created at RJF. He served as chairman of RJF from 1996-1998 and received the Anne & S. Sidney Meyers Endowment Achievement Award in 2002. The Jack Paul Fine Mitzvah Society Award is a fitting tribute to Jack’s devotion to his profession and to the strength and continuity of Richmond’s Jewish community.

RJF present this year’s award to Robert Freed, one of the region’s preeminent estate planning attorneys. Robert has been practicing law since 1972 at Freed & Shepherd, P.C., helping people with estate planning and probate issues. In addition to addressing these legal needs, he also assists clients with business and estate and trust litigation issues.

Robert is a former RJF director who served as chair of the legal and tax committee for many years and on the grants committee. Robert has been intimately involved in the creation of many funds at RJF.

Additionally, Robert played a critical role volunteering countless hours assisting RJF update several dozen outdated fund agreements by petitioning the Henrico County Circuit Court to lift onerous restrictions on endowed funds. Because of this work increased funding now flows from the funds to our most cherished Jewish organizations.