We have had so many life cycle events here at Temple Emanu-El — our wedding, a conversion, a bar mitzvah and a baby naming — all in a short span of time. Now with both a teenager and kindergartener, it is especially important to us to have a vibrant temple and Jewish community. We want our kids to have the same wonderful experiences we have had — and more.

Philanthropy is also very important to us. Therefore when the Shofar Initiative options were presented to us, it made the most sense to make a gift to support the Temple’s endowment because it helps our congregation in perpetuity and is not just a short-term fix. Also in investigating our options, we learned that we didn’t have to make a 5-figure gift to make an impact. The Endowment Fund was creative and made it easy for us to start our own family fund by giving over a period of time with a multi-year pledge. Now, we are a part of helping our Temple over the long-term, and giving more than we ever thought we could.