Please place this tag on thank you pages for tracking conversions, please make sure this tag is fired after the primary tag: Skip to main content
Category

LIFE & LEGACY

May 13 2022
Love0

How Baby Jack Launched a Legacy

By CARING, COMMUNITY, LIFE & LEGACY

Adam Kazinec has a long history of engagement with Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and the wider Atlanta Jewish community. He currently serves on the Federation board and in the last couple of years, he has served on the steering committee of Federation’s Jewish Innovation Fund. Through it he learned about the Jewish Fertility Foundation (JFF) which provides financial assistance, emotional support, and educational programming to Jewish people with medical infertility. Adam was excited to see JFF launch in Atlanta, but never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that one day he and his wife Brittany would rely on JFF for emotional support in their quest to start a family.

Adam and Brittany’s road to parenthood was difficult and ultimately came to fruition through in-vitro fertilization (IVF). When their son Jack was born, Adam and Brittany celebrated their good fortune by opening a charitable Donor Advised Fund at Atlanta Jewish Foundation. And they signed the Jewish Future Pledge — a commitment that from the funds they would leave to charity at their passing, at least 50% would be earmarked to support the Jewish people and/or the State of Israel. Both of these philanthropic acts were expressions of gratitude and hope for the future Jack would inherit.

Adam Kazinec was excited when he heard Elana Frank, JFF’s CEO, make a presentation to the Innovation Fund about the Jewish Fertility Fund. “The Fund raised $50K in seed money for several startups like JFF,” Adam remembers. “It was both empowering and humbling to be a benefactor of such an important startup. The truth is, we would not have Jack right now without the educational and emotional resources they provided.”

Baby Jack is now four months old and is the center of the Kazinecs’ world. “We named him Jack HaTov Kazinec, Brittany explains. “Jack was a name on both sides of our family. We understood the power of a name and chose HaTov as his middle name in hopes he can bring out good in the world.”

The Kazinecs feel privileged to leave a legacy for the next generation through the Jewish Future Pledge and are excited to work with Atlanta Jewish Foundation to build a personal philanthropic plan. “We see this as a long-term partnership. We like how the Pledge does not lock you into giving to specific Jewish charities. Who knows what areas will need support down the road and what new social innovations will rise to the surface. We are excited to launch a legacy that our kids can steward. It is a beautiful thing.”

Brittany agrees. “We know that there’s so much for Jack to explore on his own to decide how he wants to be Jewish. It is up to us to show him the ropes along the way. There is no denying that we will be lifetime supporters of the Atlanta Jewish Community, but how unique to have Jack as a tangible sign of our commitment. We are so grateful to JFF for helping us add a Jewish baby to the world!

Jun 11 2021
Love0

Structuring a Named Gift

By Aging, Atlanta Jewish Foundation, LIFE & LEGACY

Have you ever made a donation or tribute gift in honor of a friend or a loved one — perhaps to celebrate a milestone birthday, a professional accomplishment, or to commemorate someone who passed away? Philanthropic gifts like this are incredibly satisfying, both for the donor and for the honoree. 

Howard Newman recently called us to talk about creating a named gift in honor of his late wife Sylvia whose passion was Jewish education. Sylvia Newman taught in the religious school at Temple Kol Emeth for many years. Howard wanted to establish a memorial to her in the Atlanta Jewish community. We were eager to help. 

Right away we thought about the Jewish Education Collaborative (JEC), an initiative of Federation that’s working to transform the quality of instruction at all Atlanta’s supplemental religious schools. It seemed like a perfect fit. Rabbi Elana Perry, who directs JEC, met with Howard Newman and together they crafted the Sylvia Newman Memorial Teachers of the Year Award, to honor excellence in teaching at supplemental religious schools. The award will go to a veteran religious school teacher, and to a new religious school teacher every year.  

Both awards include a monetary component. Atlanta Jewish Foundation helped Howard create a restricted fund at the Foundation specifying exactly how the dollars would be granted out. The fund will grow annually and should provide this financial gift to recipients for many, many years. This year’s winners of the Sylvia Newman award were Josh Needle, a seventh-grade teacher at Congregation Gesher L’Torah, and Kimberly Reingold, a third and fifth-grade teacher at Congregation Or Hadash. See their video tributes here. 

Named gifts come in all sizes. As universities, museums, and symphony halls know, securing large named-philanthropic gifts can have a powerful impact for years to come. At Atlanta Jewish Foundation, we have the expertise to help donors develop a wide range of named gifts.  

We were involved in shaping a $5.6 million legacy gift from the Frances Bunzl Family Trust — the largest endowed gift in the history of Jewish Atlanta. This named gift is structured to support both Jewish Family & Career Services and Federation for years to come. It reflects the lifetime values of Frances Bunzl, a Holocaust survivor, whose family found safety, community, and success in Atlanta. Her gift creates a legacy of gratitude to the organizations that keep Jewish Atlanta strong and responsive to human needs.

We’re here to help you establish funds that can be earmarked to do good in the community. Call Jori Mendel at 404-951-6900 to start a conversation on how values can live on through named gifts and funds that honor your loved ones. 

Jan 28 2021
Love0

Frances Bunzl Family Trust Gifts $5.6MM to Atlanta Jewish Community 

By Atlanta Jewish Foundation, CARING, COMMUNITY, JEWISH JOURNEYS, LIFE & LEGACY, People in Need, PHILANTHROPY

In 1939, shortly after Kristallnacht, 19-year-old Frances Bertha Hamburger escaped Germany and eventually made it to Atlanta. The Jewish community here helped her connect with other European Jewish immigrants. A few years later, she met Walter Bunzl and three months later they were married. The family never forgot the support of the Atlanta Jewish community and now, the Frances Bunzl Family Trust will disburse an approximately $5.6MM gift in equal shares to Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and Jewish Family & Career Services of Atlanta (JF&CS). It is the largest endowed gift in both Federation and JF&CS’s history.  
 
“Frances was a visionary and a pioneer in communal service. Her personal experience as a lay leader inspired her desire to make a lasting imprint on our community,” noted Beth A. Warner, Federation’s Chief Philanthropy Officer. “This gift was many years in the making. Federation professionals and communal leaders met with Frances to discuss community priorities and goals to help her create a legacy that reflected her life-long philanthropic passions,” she explained.    

At Federation, the endowed funds will be directed for three initiatives. This includes funding the lead fundraising professional for the organization – the Frances Bunzl Chief Philanthropy Officer – the first time a Federation position has been endowed; the creation of the Frances and Walter Bunzl Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowment (PACE), which will ensure a major gift to Federation’s annual community campaign in perpetuity; and funding the Frances Bunzl NextGen initiative to support Jewish journeys for the next generation of Jewish community leaders. “It is also our hope that this endowment will inspire others to consider gifts of this magnitude and impact,” said Warner. 
 
Generosity has always been a core value for the Bunzl family.    

“Throughout her life, my mother spoke of growing up in a family (both in Germany and here in Atlanta) that was focused on helping others,” said Suzy Wilner. “We believe her gifts to Federation and JF&CS will continue that legacy.”   

Jeff Alperin, Chair of the JF&CS Board commented, “This gift increases the JF&CS Foundation by 50%. This will have a direct impact on the agency’s ability to serve the needs of the Atlanta community. We are honored to receive this gift and will make sure these dollars are used to deliver the greatest impact.”  

At JF&CS, the generosity of Frances Bunzl will live on in perpetuity through its continued support of the nonsectarian agency’s operations. In honor of this generous gift, JF&CS will name its Clinical Service practice, ‘The Frances Bunzl Clinical Services.’ This service area provides mental health support for people of all ages and from all walks of life, offering both individual and group therapies across a broad spectrum of issues. “Naming this practice for the late Frances Bunzl honors the tremendous impact her gift will have on the health and well-being of our community,” said Chief Development Officer, Amanda La Kier.    

 JF&CS CEO, Terri Bonoff said, “The challenges of the past year underscore the importance of planning for the unknown and ensuring vibrant Jewish life for generations to come. Choosing to spotlight the importance of mental health support by naming this service area in Frances Bunzl’s honor reflects the deep commitment JF&CS has to providing best-in-class support for the health and well-being of this community. Legacy gifts such as this one support Jewish Atlanta long into the future.”   

“This gift is indicative of the generosity we hope to inspire as part of our LIFE & LEGACY initiative, in which participating organizations embark on a legacy building program benefiting the entire Jewish community,” said Federation President and CEO, Eric Robbins.   

In the first two years of this four-year program, more than 270 local donors have made legacy commitments which will support Atlanta’s Jewish community with more than $23.3 million in future gifts. Worldwide, the LIFE & LEGACY program has motivated more than 17,000 donors in 63 communities across North America to commit more than a billion dollars in current as well as after-lifetime assets to the Jewish organizations which shaped their lives. For those interested in creating a legacy for the Jewish community, contact the Atlanta Jewish Foundation at foundation@jewishatlanta.org or www.atlantajewishfoundation.org.  

Photo courtesy of the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum.

Apr 20 2020
Love0

Sparking Conversations to Leave a Legacy

By Aging, Atlanta Jewish Foundation, CARING, LIFE & LEGACY, PHILANTHROPY

Sparking Conversations to Leave a Legacy
Fueled by a lifetime of volunteerism, fundraising and Jewish community advocacy, Stephanie Abes found it easy to say “yes” when asked to represent Federation Women’s Philanthropy in the LIFE & LEGACY® initiative of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. LIFE & LEGACY, now in its second year in Atlanta, provides training, support and incentives to secure endowments for Atlanta’s Jewish future.

“It was the right time in my life to help spark and steer conversations with my peers about leaving a legacy gift to our community,” Stephanie says.  “As I’ve progressed in my commitments as a Jewish woman, I can see that all I’ve worked for over the years leads to this. There are so many motivations to support LIFE & LEGACY. When I see the outstanding education my grandchildren enjoyed in our Jewish day schools, and as I watch my grown children step up and serve on the boards of our backbone agencies, I want all these organizations to be strong and sustainable going forward. It’s up to me and my family to ensure that these Jewish institutions continue for future generations.”

LIFE & LEGACY is a joint venture between Atlanta Jewish Foundation and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation with a goal to build robust endowments that will support the financial future of Atlanta’s synagogues, day schools, and core Jewish organizations. Currently, 18 different Atlanta Jewish organizations are in training with fundraising professionals from LIFE & LEGACY, learning how identify potential donors and have values-based conversations with them to secure legacy commitments to the places they care about most. By participating in these trainings, Stephanie has discovered there are many ways to leave a legacy.

Abes underscores that anyone can make a legacy gift, not just the wealthy. “LIFE & LEGACY gifts can be after lifetime gifts, enabling the donor to give more than they ever thought possible during their lifetime.  The trainings have opened my eyes to the many options that exist for planning and ultimately committing to a legacy gift.  For example, a person can designate a portion of their IRA to organizations they care about so they can continue doing their amazing work into the future.”

Stephanie was moved by a story presented in training of a woman with modest assets. The woman wanted to support her synagogue’s future but didn’t think she had the means. She realized that her small condo was a possible resource, so she checked in with her kids to ask if, upon her death, making that asset a legacy gift was OK with them. Her children let her know that they’d be fine if she did it.

“Stories like that give me the tools to open up conversations with friends about making a legacy gift. I tell them, I’m not your financial planner, but through Atlanta Jewish Foundation, you can get the advice you need. They can help you look at your assets and determine what makes sense for you.

“My experiences co-chairing Federation’s Community Campaign, plus serving on the overseas allocations committee took me to our sister city of Minsk many times. Seeing the magnitude of human need for Jews in Minsk, made me realize how important it is to support Jewish infrastructure there. And of course, it reminds me that we should be proud and grateful for the incredible Jewish institutions we have in Atlanta. They need our support, too. If I can be an influencer to help someone make a gift that ensures the Jewish future here, I’m happy to do it.”