Life and Legacy ™ is a collaborative effort to ensure the future of our Jewish Community. This is achieved through a unique partnership among The Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York, The Harold Grinspoon Foundation, and many local Jewish organizations and synagogues, including Congregation Agudat Achim.
Synagogues today remain important vehicles for sharing our Jewish heritage and values. For 130 years Congregation Agudat Achim (CAA) has provided congregants the support and structures we depend on through our life-cycle events.
Ours is a compassionate community, respecting individuality and choice, and understanding that each of us can impact the world for the better. Together, we explore pathways that lead from the wisdom of our traditions and help us live meaningful, modern Jewish lives and shape a just world. As an egalitarian Conservative congregation, we strive to fulfill CAA’s mission as a Beit Tefillah (House of Prayer), Beit Midrash (House of Study), Beit Knesset (House of Gathering), and Kehillah Kedoshah (Sacred Community) to provide a warm, welcoming home to all.
Our history is rich with stories of hardworking people determined to perpetuate our Jewish heritage and traditions. An important milestone has been the establishment of legacy funds in memory of loved ones, forming a thriving endowment that has produced significant income to support educational programming and our religious school. Recognizing the need to continue building our endowment, the synagogue leadership, and our congregants launched the Akiva Society in the 1990s, which expanded the list of significant legacy gifts.
The launch of Congregation Agudat Achim’s Life & Legacy program presents a collective opportunity to work together to build on the success of the Akiva Society for the betterment of future generations. Who are our legacy donors? They are congregants vested in strengthening our foundation in order to ensure the continuity of future generations.
Together we will create a dialogue and provide the opportunity for congregants to consider their own legacy. Please join us in our work to ensure the strong future of Congregation Agudat Achim.
L ’dor V ’dor. From Generation to Generation.
Overview
A legacy gift to Congregation Agudat Achim is an opportunity to do something significant during your lifetime that helps to ensure future generations of congregants will have the resources to meet whatever needs arise, in perpetuity. Everyone can make a legacy pledge for any amount; your gift will be added to others to help secure the future. A legacy pledge can be made now and does not require any money at the present time. It is an after-lifetime gift.
What is LIFE & LEGACY®
LIFE & LEGACY® is a program sponsored by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation that provides training and grants to help participating organizations learn how to grow their endowment funds. Northeastern New York is one of approximately 60 communities around North America that participate in the program.
Picture your Jewish community decades from now. What would you hope to see in the future?
Through your legacy, you can ensure that Congregation Agudat Achim, and other organizations you care about, are able to thrive in perpetuity and the issues you are most concerned with will continue to be addressed.
How do I leave a gift for Congregation Agudat Achim?
You can arrange for a gift in several ways, the most common being through a charitable gift in a will or a living trust. Many people set aside a certain dollar amount as their legacy. Others leave a percentage of their estate, or any assets left over after providing for their family.
Do I need to have a great deal of wealth to leave a legacy gift?
No. Everyone can leave a legacy. Gifts of any amount are most appreciated and will have a lasting impact on shaping our Jewish community. You can even leave gifts of real estate or other personal property.
Together, we can keep the doors open for generations to come.
Questions?
Please contact Eileen Handelman at 518-210-3322, eileen@capitalaffairsllc.com, or any Congregation Agudat Achim Life and Legacy team member. For details on specific legacy building options contact Shoshie Brickman at Jewish Federation of Northeastern, NY: 518-783-7800, ext. 228, sbrickman@jewishfedny.org, specifying that you would like to discuss Congregation Agudat Achim’s Life and Legacy® program.
The Life & Legacy program is offered by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation as a means of “assuring Jewish tomorrows,” along with The Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York, and Congregation Augudat Achim.
