Create a Jewish Legacy of Western Massachusetts

Create a Jewish Legacy of Western Massachusetts was launched by the Jewish Endowment Foundation and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation in June 2008 as a simple but powerful program to help organizations secure legacy gifts in the form of bequests. The Federations of Western Massachusetts and the Berkshires are program partners, and a grant from the Jewish Federations of North America provides administrative support.

Nineteen (19) organizations have participated since the program's inception in 2008.

Teams of lay and professional leaders in each organization set goals for discussing Jewish legacy intentions with prospective donors who are asked to sign a Letter of Intent. The results are impressive. Since June 2008, 940 commitments from more than 634 households with an estimated value of $22,000,000 have been made to the nineteen program participants.

Agencies that have received CJL commitments through the program:
Beit Ahavah, the Reform Synagogue of Greater Northampton (Northampton)
Congregation B'nai Israel (Northampton)
Congregation B'nai Torah (Longmeadow)
Congregation Sons of Zion (Holyoke)
Greater Springfield Chapter of Hadassah
Heritage Academy (Longmeadow)
Hevreh of the Southern Berkshires (Great Barrington)
Hillel at University of Massachusetts (Amherst)
Jewish Community of Amherst (Amherst)
Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts (Springfield)
Jewish Federation of the Berkshires (Pittsfield)
Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts (Springfield)
JGS Lifecare (Longmeadow)
Lander-Grinspoon Academy, the Solomon Schechter School of the Pioneer Valley (Northampton)
Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy (LYA) (Longmeadow)
Rachel's Table, a program of JFWM (Springfield)
Sinai Temple (Springfield)
Springfield Jewish Community Center (Springfield)
Temple Beth El (Springfield)

For more information regarding the Create a Jewish Legacy program, please contact us.