Hartford-area Jewish groups to get over $4M
HARTFORD — Gerry and Karen Goldberg are dedicated to the future of the Jewish community in the Capitol region. The West Hartford couple has pledged $1 million to the new Life & Legacy initiative administered by the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford.
The Goldbergs’ gift, which will be bequeathed after one of them dies, is one of 148 pledges, totaling $4,944,287, promised to Life & Legacy since it was established in April 2021.
The Hartford fund is just one of 72 branches of the Life & Legacy initiative, which was started 10 years ago by the Agawam, Massachusetts-based Harold Grinspoon foundation.
In those years, the branches in the United States and Canada have collected a total of $1.24 billion in pledges geared toward “creating a future for the Jewish community,” said Elana Macgilpin, the development officer for the Hartford Life & Legacy program.
New Haven and Stamford also have Life & Legacy branches.
The gifts to the Hartford fund range from a few thousand dollars to two pledges of $1 million, Macgilpin said. The gifts are “after-lifetime” gifts to be received after donors’ deaths.
“People might want to make a contribution to their favorite organizations today, but they may not have the capacity to do so. After they pass, they might have other capabilities to do so, as part of their will or retirement account or life-insurance policy,” Macgilpin said. “The legacy program allows everybody to make a meaningful gift to organizations they love and cherish.”
The Goldbergs have been contributors for years. In their 20s, they gave their time. Today, in their 50s, they give both time and money.
“When we first came to Connecticut, we didn’t really have very much. The only way really give back to the community was through volunteerism,” Gerry Goldberg said. “Fortunately, Lady Luck has smiled on us. We came into a different financial position over time.”
Gerry Goldberg is CEO and founder of wealth management firm GYL Financial Synergies. He is a trustee of Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford. He also is past president of the Hebrew High School of New England and past trustee of the board for Solomon Schechter Day School.
Goldberg said he and his wife have donated about $1 million already to community organizations. Their Life & Legacy gift will go to organizations they choose, the fund administered by the Jewish Community Foundation.
“A portion will go to the foundation itself. Another portion will go to Jewish Family Services, which has a food pantry. Some will go to Voices of Hope, that does a lot of educational programs about the Holocaust, to fight bias and bigotry,” Goldberg said. “Another recipient will be the New England Jewish Academy. We’re still finalizing other organizations on the list.”
Goldberg, in his wealth-management work, advises people considering a legacy gift to consult a financial adviser, an accountant and a family attorney, to make sure family members are taken care of.
“People want to make a difference with their gift, but they also want to do the right thing by their spouse and family,” he said.
For details on the Life & Legacy program, visit jcfhartford.org.