Why I Support LIFE & LEGACY
MAY 15, 2023
Josh Orzech with his sons, Spencer and Jordan
My boys and I moved from Toronto to Calgary in 2014 and joined Temple soon after to be part of Calgary’s Jewish community and continue the boys’ Jewish education. The Shabbat School program has been a great experience for them, and I have enjoyed meeting the other parents.
I believed that giving back to Temple through the LIFE & LEGACY program was a great idea to ensure Temple’s long-term viability but what sold it for me was a simple choice – Do I want money in my estate to go to the Canada Revenue Agency or a better cause? I was directed to LIFE & LEGACY’s calculator at www.jcfc.ca/legacy and was surprised to learn how much the government could take in taxes when I die.
To me, the small loss to my boys’ inheritance was greatly offset by the knowledge that the government would receive less, and I would help to ensure Temple could continue to serve our community for generations.
Once I decided to participate, the process was easy. I signed the Letter of Intent with Bonnie Kaplan and then discussed whether leaving part of my life insurance or leaving money in my will was easiest and most tax-effective. In my case, naming LIFE & LEGACY as a beneficiary in my life insurance was easiest. After one call to my life insurance agent and two documents completed, my participation in LIFE & LEGACY was formalized.
Everyone will participate or not participate in LIFE & LEGACY for their reasons. To me, reducing estate taxes AND ensuring Temple’s legacy WHILE not significantly reducing my boys’ inheritance was the perfect balance.
I would be happy to discuss my Life & Legacy experience and process if you are interested. You can reach me at joshorzech@yahoo.com.
April 10, 2023
Cathy Basskin
How relieved I am to be home.
Last summer, amidst a global pandemic and after 30 years away, I returned to Calgary. In that time away, I attended services in Windsor, Detroit, Nashville, and New York. I celebrated Hanukah in a small town in Ontario where the lovely limestone heritage synagogue is supported by a single family; in Baja Norte, Mexico where there was no Jewish infrastructure and no population awareness of who or even what is a Jew; in Delhi, India where a once thriving Jewish community retains some architecture and artifacts but not a minyan. High holy days on Crete were poignant with the resident population of only 2 Jews on the island relying on international visitors to lead services in a once vibrant diaspora community amongst the oldest in the world.
My son’s 1988 Bar Mitzvah at Temple was held in the gym at the JCC. He made forever friends and met a bigger Jewish world through BBYO and youth travel to Israel. My daughter’s naming was at Temple, and her first childhood friends in a bigger-than-family world were made safely and lovingly at JCC classes and Akiva Academy.
On my return to Calgary, what I’ve discovered anew is that the varied community that I remembered is now offering so much more. The resources available for all Calgary Jews are inspiring. Next generations have been nurtured and inducted into roles of responsibility and leadership, ensuring continuity. All manner of Jewish diversity is included, particularly at Temple. Productive synergies between community agencies and congregations are evident and visible.
In recognition of all that is Temple today, and what more it will surely become in the future, it was an honour to sign a letter of intent for LIFE & LEGACY.
MARCH 13, 2023
Betsy James with her grandsons, Stanley and Spencer.
In 1998 I was offered a position at the University of Calgary. Before I accepted, I needed to know that there was a good Jewish congregation in Calgary for me and my son.
Temple B’nai Tikvah was the only choice – it was then the only Calgary congregation that would let me on the bimah. But it offered much more. From the first service we attended, we found a warm and welcoming egalitarian community, a congregation committed to inclusion and diversity, that combined worship, learning, and tikkun olam. Temple became my Jewish home. I celebrated my Bat Mitzvah here at age 59, my son and daughter-in-law were married here, and my grandsons were welcomed into the Jewish community here.
Three years after I joined the Temple, Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman invited me to join the Temple Board. I’m still there, still moved by the diverse commitments to Judaism that inspire Board members to support the Temple’s worship, services, and community.
I support LIFE & LEGACY because I want to ensure that Temple B’nai Tikvah endures. I want it to be there to welcome newcomers and connect us, however, we engage Jewishly. My two most important reasons are my grandsons. I want our congregation to be there for them as they attend Shabbat School and celebrate their Bar Mitzvahs, to be there for them as adults if they remain in Calgary. I trust that wherever they may go some generous people are now ensuring that another congregation will be there to welcome them. LIFE & LEGACY expresses my gratitude for this community. It is my small contribution to ensuring the Jewish community l’dor v’dor, from generation to generation, for all our children and grandchildren.
MAY 3, 2023
Jane Paterson
In 1982, I enrolled in an Introduction to Judaism course offered by Temple B’nai Tikvah. That class marked the beginning of my connection to the place that has made such a huge impact on my life. The Temple has provided my family and me with a spiritual home for the past 41 years, but it has given me even more than that. I treasure the friendships I’ve built with other members of the Temple community, and value the many celebrations and other special moments I’ve shared with them throughout the years. As a former member of the Board of Trustees and also a retired staff member, I recognize the importance of ensuring the ongoing financial viability of our congregation. The Life and Legacy program has afforded me an opportunity to contribute to the Temple’s future, even though I’m not a person with significant financial means.
January 25, 2023
Bonnie Kaplan
In February 1979 I moved to Calgary, and in April Judy and Ron Bing and others had the first get-together of what would become Temple B’nai Tikvah. I heard about the Bing get-togethers but decided to spend some time exploring the other Jewish resources in Calgary before committing to one. After a couple of years, however, it became clear to me that Temple would be my Jewish home. Having left all my Jewish relatives thousands of miles away, the congregation quickly became true family for me.
Some years I was very active, and in others not so much. But as with biological relatives, Temple was always there, offering me Jewish holiday observance, community Seders, and Jewish friends. So, when the idea emerged that we could build an endowment fund to ensure Temple’s future for the long term, I knew I wanted to join. I changed my after-life bequest from being a direct donation to Temple, to a donation to Temple’s endowment fund; this way, the funds will generate interest income forever. And I decided that this is where I would devote my volunteer hours because I believe so strongly about working together to ensure the financial future of our Jewish institutions. I am thrilled that our first four years of work have touched so many hearts: almost 20% of the Temple congregation has joined the LIFE & LEGACY program.
2023 Year-End Report
Support for Temple B’nai Tikvah’s LIFE & LEGACY program continues to grow within our temple community. So far, approximately 20 percent of the congregation has committed to making a planned gift to our Temple. Three-quarters of those families have formalized their philanthropic commitment in their wills or some other type of after-life commitment.
The Temple’s more than 60 participants in the program have the potential to create an endowment worth approximately $2 million when the gifts are fully realized. The annual income from this endowment will help fund Temple’s operations for generations to come.
To date, the endowment stands at over $32,000 and Temple has already received its first dividend payment.
Highlights of the Committee’s work in 2023:
- We installed a tribute board next to the sanctuary door that honours members who have formalized their LIFE & LEGACY commitment.
- The B’nai Tikvah board established policies that will ensure the long-term growth of the endowment fund.
- There was a group Aliyah during the Days of Awe service for all LIFE & LEGACY participants.
- B’nai Tikvah was represented at the annual LIFE & LEGACY’s conference in the U.S. to learn and share best practices with other communities participating in this program which was established by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation across North America.
- Our committee continues to initiate ways to thank LIFE & LEGACY participants and to keep them abreast of the growth of the program.
The LIFE & LEGACY committee continues its work to educate all members about the benefits of the program and to invite members of our community to become involved in this vital philanthropic endeavour to help ensure our synagogue survives and thrives for decades to come.
Please get in touch with our Chair, Bonnie Kaplan, if you or your friends and family wish to learn more about LIFE & LEGACY. The initial conversation is about a 20-minute commitment.
You can contact Bonnie at (403) 245-0568 or via email: bonniejoykaplan@gmail.com
Members of the LIFE & LEGACY Committee are Cathy Basskin, Gertrude Cohos, Bonnie Kaplan, Josh Orzech, Cheryl Shore.
“Every individual is a pillar on which the future of Judaism rests.” – Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
Temple B’nai Tikvah is one of 10 synagogues and agencies in the Calgary Jewish Community which have joined the Harold Grinspoon Foundation program to foster our future financial security.
Philanthropic advisors tell us that by 2030, we should be able to support 20 percent of our annual operating costs via endowments to avoid a financial crisis.
Many of you already have wills and/or life insurance policies, and some of you may have considered leaving an after-life gift to Temple using one of those two vehicles.
If you have not already submitted a Letter of Intent, we invite you to consider whether your family is ready to join our Temple Legacy Circle by making a commitment to an after-life gift.
Be remembered forever at Temple with a gift in your will, trust, retirement account, or life insurance policy.
Keep in mind that submitting this form does not mean you have already defined your after-life gift. It simply means that sometime in the next 12 months you will do so.
If you have questions, please contact Bonnie Kaplan at bonniejoykaplan@gmail.com.