Most people are familiar with the common practice of preparing a legal will which plans for distribution of assets after one’s lifetime. But Judaism also has a beautiful custom of creat-ing an end of life ethical will, or tzava’a. A tzava’a is where you can share your moral and spiritual legacy with your loved ones. It provides an opportunity to impart wisdom, life lessons and meaningful experiences to family members.

As he grew up in the Cleveland area and attended the Joseph and Florence Mandel Jewish Day School (formerly known as Agnon), the concept of tzedakah was instilled in Jonathon (Jono) Nisenboum’s day-to-day life by his family and broader Jewish community. Jono recalls how his parents emphasized the gift of giving and the importance of giving back to the community. At the time, he did not realize how blessed he was to be surrounded by such a strong and welcoming Jewish community.

Jewish Cleveland has a strong tradition of supporting education through providing scholarships to those in need. In fact, one of the oldest known legacy gifts to the Jewish Federation of Cleveland was a bequest from the estate of Mrs. H. Black, who left an endowment gift to “aid deserving students in their higher education.” This bequest, among many others, provided core support for lower- and middle-income Jews to enroll in higher education. Starting in 1905, the Jewish Educational Loan Committee began distributing these grants to eligible students.

Every day since October 7, 2023, our Jewish Cleveland community has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the people of Israel by delivering immediate help and hope for the future.

Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Miriam C. Katz inherited a tradition of caring for her community. Miriam recalls, “My parents were not wealthy. However, they always said that ‘it is more important to support people, even when we have very little.’” Miriam remembers how her mother used to give her a nickel every week to take to Hebrew school, and how the money that was collected was sent to children in the new State of Israel. Her parents taught her that she had an obligation, a mitzvah, to give to those in need.

Holidays are often a time of reflecting, sharing gratitude, making memories and coming together as a family. The spirit of giving that is central to the holidays can inspire conversations about tzedakah (charity), tikkun olam (repairing the world), and gemilut chasadim (acts of loving kindness). These meaningful conversations can create a space where charitable intentions can be nurtured, celebrated and transmitted to the next generation. Have you considered using this special time as an opportunity to engage in conversations about Jewish values and philanthropy?

A community volunteer recently shared a story of her first phone call at a Super Sunday event – a call that forever changed the way she looked at giving.

It’s a given that building a retirement nest egg is essential to achieving long-term financial stability. That’s why millions of Americans look to their individual retirement accounts (IRAs), 401(k)s, 403(b)s and pension plans to support their lifestyle in retirement. According to the most recent reported data, approximately 36.6 million U.S. households own traditional IRAs. In addition to its value as retirement savings tool, a traditional IRA is also a tax-smart resource for charitable giving and legacy planning.

Jill Miller Zimon grew up in Connecticut, and the town where she lived for the first 12 years of her life had just a handful of other Jewish families. Although she was in the minority, Jill always felt proud of her identity as a Jewish person.

When asked how she would like to be remembered, Noreen Koppelman-Goldstein carefully considered how to respond in a way that covered everything. For her, everything is her family AND her community.