Deuteronomy tells us that ‘when in your war against a city . . . you must not destroy its trees, wielding the ax against them. You may eat of them, but you must not cut them down.

We are so fortunate at Temple Emanu-El to have an endowment fund through which we can plant seeds that will grow into trees whose roots to the past provide nourishment for generations to come. Roxanne and I have been fully engaged in this philosophy for over twenty years—giving each year both to our designated fund to support Torah study and to funds to support other enrichment programs. We have been gratified watching the seeds planted in these funds grow and yield fruit.