In 2020, the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor joined efforts with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF) to establish a legacy-giving program in the greater Ann Arbor area, aiming to ensure the long-term financial health of Jewish community organizations and preserve Jewish life for future generations.
As of May 2025, the program has already secured over 480 legacy commitments with an estimated value of $15.4 million in future and realized gifts, supporting 11 local Jewish organizations such as Temple Beth Emeth, Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor, and Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County into the future.
“Endowments are essential to the health of all our Jewish communal organizations, and the Life & Legacy program provides a mechanism and the structure for this critical work. Our community is so lucky to be a part of it,” says Jen Rosenberg, Team Leader for the Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor Legacy Team.
Recently, leaders from greater Ann Arbor joined colleagues from across the U.S. and Canada for the 2025 Life & Legacy Leadership Conference in Springfield, Massachusetts. The conference, presented by the HGF, was designed to provide networking opportunities and share best practices among participants to further efforts to make endowment-building and legacy-giving normative behavior and create sustainable, legacy-giving programs in local communities and organizations.
Jen Rosenberg participated in the conference and reflected on her time there. “I am grateful to have had the opportunity to attend this year’s Life and Legacy conference. It was an incredibly inspiring few days! It gave me many practical ideas that I can try out right away.” She added, “I also really appreciated the time built in for meaningful conversations and networking—hearing others’ experiences and sharing our own was just as valuable as the sessions themselves.”
Kathy Sarlson, Life & Legacy’s National Director, said in her opening remarks, “When we talk about legacy, we’re not just talking about dollars and documents. We’re talking about memory and resilience. About how we take the experiences of the past, the hopes of the present, and the dreams of the future—and weave them into something lasting.”
Over 220 participants from 40 different communities attended the conference over its two days. Participants represented Jewish Federations, Jewish Community Foundations, synagogues, day schools, JCCs, Hillels, Jewish Family Services, Chabad, and other Jewish communal organizations. Highlights included a keynote by Yossi Prager, Senior Managing Director of the Jewish Funders Network’s consulting services, workshops on a variety of topics, small group discussions, and a panel on “Using Emerging Philanthropic Trends to Build a Vibrant Jewish Future.” Other conversations and workshops centered the role of social media, digital marketing, and artful conversations, as well as developing strategic partnerships and elevating endowments during annual campaigns.
Sarlson noted that in Life & Legacy’s twelve years, more than 42,859 legacy commitments have been secured, with over $260 million already invested in organizational endowment funds – contributing to an estimated future value of $1.8 billion for Jewish communities across North America. All this, from 75 communities and 940 organizations, including synagogues, day schools, community centers, and more. “Legacy giving is transformational,” Sarlson reminded participants. “It invites individuals to articulate what matters most. It allows organizations to plan boldly instead of struggling to survive. And it transforms entire communities by creating a shared culture of generosity, purpose, and hope.”
The Ann Arbor area organizations who participate in Life & Legacy are: Ann Arbor Orthodox Minyan, Beth Israel Congregation, Chabad House, Eastern Michigan University Center for Jewish Studies, Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor, Jewish Community Center of Greater Ann Arbor, Jewish Cultural Society, Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County, Temple Beth Emeth, and University of Michigan Hillel.
For more information about the program and how to leave a legacy for the next generation, please contact Community Life & Legacy Manager Osnat Gafni-Pappas at osnat@jewishannarbor.org or 734-773-3538, or visit JewishAnnArbor.org/LifeAndLegacy.