By Elizabeth Cohen & Daniel Ramer, Co-Chairs, Congregation B’nai Israel Legacy Circle
“Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel…”
We play the game to win pennies or chocolates or just to see who can keep that little top spinning the longest. We spin the dreidels and kindle the Hanukkah lights this month to remember and celebrate nes gadol haya sham – the great miracle that happened there, in Jerusalem.
Miracles of different sorts happen every day across our Jewish community because you and thousands of people like you rise to the call throughout the year. You make generous donations to support the work of Jewish organizations here and abroad. But what happens when you’re no longer here to make those donations? Who will keep the candles burning, keep the miracles coming? Through “Create a Jewish Legacy” you can still have an impact!
When Judah Maccabee led his brothers in battle to save the Jewish people and Jewish way of life, he knew he was fighting for a strong Jewish future. As the leader who orchestrated the capture of Jerusalem and rededication of the Temple, and witnessed the miracle of the oil, in his wildest dreams could he have imagined we’d be singing about him centuries later? We have the opportunity today to think about our own legacies and to plan for the future.
A legacy is something you leave behind, something that is passed from one generation to the next.
It is usually something tangible, like money or property. Our values are also part of the legacy we inherit and pass along. By leaving a gift for the future through your will or retirement account or insurance policy or other estate plan, you continue to support the Jewish organizations in our community that touch your life today. You send a powerful message to your family and neighbors about your values. And most of all you teach us the value of giving back and the value of paying it forward.
A great miracle happened there, in Jerusalem, more than two thousand years ago. This month let’s kindle the Hanukkah lights, spin those dreidels, and sing our family’s favorite songs. As we do, let’s think about leaving our own legacies. Then contact Elizabeth Cohen or Daniel Ramer for a confidential conversation about the Legacy Circle at Congregation B’nai Israel. Years from now maybe our descendants will be talking about nes gadol haya po, the great miracle that happened here when we planned for a strong Jewish future.
To reach Elizabeth or Dan, please contact Lisa Roth, Synagogue Administrator, in the CBI office at 973-379-3811.
