Atlanta Jewish Foundation

Lindy and Norm Radow: Giving Thoughtfully and Strategically

For Lindy and Norman Radow, philanthropy is about gratitude, of course. But even more, it’s about making an impact and leaving a legacy that expresses their highest values. By establishing The Radow Family Foundation and a donor-advised fund at Atlanta Jewish Foundation, they sat down with their adult children and did the thoughtful work of hammering out mission and vision statements and articulating the four pillars that support their generosity. It reads:

“Inspired by Jewish tradition and values, the mission of the Radow Family Foundation is to help improve the world by investing in organizations that lift up individuals through impactful programming and needs-based initiatives. The focus of our giving is defined within these pillars: educational, communal, pro-Israel and the arts. Priority is given to those causes which help support the continuity of our Jewish people.

“We both grew up in pretty humble surroundings,” Norman says. “I lived in public housing in Brooklyn, in the same neighborhood as investment banker Lloyd Blankfein. I guess we both did okay as adults,” he laughs.

Lindy lived in Mexico City, Ohio, and Europe before coming to Atlanta. Here she built a successful career selling telecommunications products and only retired two years ago, largely to focus full time on philanthropy and Jewish community building.

A committed couple since 2007, Norman and Lindy have been married for just three years. Lindy’s decision to join the Jewish people only amplified and accelerated the Jewish dimensions of their philanthropy.

“Early in our relationship, Norman asked me to go to synagogue with him, and I did. I immediately felt comfortable at Congregation Etz Chaim and felt a natural pull to Judaism. I also came to love the peace of Shabbat and the cycle of the Jewish holidays. It was important for me to have a Jewish wedding, so I studied with Rabbi Shalom Lewis and in time I became the first person to immerse for conversion at MACoM, Atlanta’s non-denominational community mikvah which I helped found.”

As a couple, the Radows also feel deeply bound to Israel. When Norman’s son left Atlanta to join the Israel Defense Forces as a “lone soldier,” they became ardent supporters of Friends of the IDF. Norman’s son made Aliyah and is raising a family in Israel — now that they have become grandparents, they visit Israel even more often.

Passing the philanthropic torch to the next generation is a top priority. Norman and Lindy’s daughter, Lisa Rose Hurd and her husband Joe live in Sandy Springs and are officers in the Radow Family Foundation. Joe has joined the Innovation Committee at Federation and the whole family is involved in something new from Atlanta Jewish Foundation.  “They’ve launched the Jewish Foundation Forum, which gives a group of us who have family foundations, large-scale DAFs and supporting foundations, a way to gather and discuss community issues and trends in philanthropy,” Norman says. “We’ve seen that some of the ways we give that were once the holy grail of charity have all but disappeared  — think the March of Dimes. Now that polio has been eradicated, it seems less relevant. Our group is excited about new ways and new vehicles to support the Jewish people. We know that millennials give differently and are excited about organizations like OneTable, InterfaithFamily, Honeymoon Israel, and other organizations that provide fresh connections to the tradition.”

As sophisticated investors, the Radows see Atlanta Jewish Foundation as an essential tool for managing wealth and leaving a legacy. They want to see more and more people use AJF’s expertise. Norman is upbeat about the special philanthropic advantages of donor-advised funds. He funded his DAF with partnership interests in his projects, which allowed him to take tax deductions at market value. As his projects sold, the DAF was the beneficiary of the cash distributions.

“I love how our investment in AJF supports the whole Atlanta Jewish community. It amazes and humbles me that such a relatively small Jewish community has created so many institutions and such a robust infrastructure from camps, to synagogues, to day schools, the Jewish Home and more! It’s rare and wonderful to see the love and commitment of so many people combine to build our future.”