What LIFE & LEGACY Means to Me
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 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.