A Special Thanks for the Opportunity to Serve this Wonderful Community

The following is a reprint of an article published in the September 30, 2026 issue of the Jewish Community Voice, titled, "A special thanks for the opportunity to serve this wonderful community":

I am so honored to have served as president of the board of the Jewish Community Foundation, Inc. (JCF) for the past three years, inspired by my mother’s example of leadership in her Jewish community. Our mission at the JCF is to help donors meet their longterm philanthropic goals, while also assisting our Jewish organizations build sustainable futures. To date, some of the agency’s accomplishments over my term include:

• $175,000+ from over 70 JCF donor advised fund (DAF) contributions were granted to support Israel after October 7, plus a $50,000 matching gift from the JCF.

• 30+ new endowment funds were established with a total current value of $3.1-million, which will support charitable causes for years to come.

• 30+ new DAFs and 50+ b’nai tzedek funds (DAFs for students at Kellman Brown Academy) have been created to assist donors in granting dollars to their favorite charities with ease and tax benefits.

• Over $250,000 in JCF Grants supporting 223 initiatives to help SNJ nonprofits and synagogues launch new programs and services, thanks to endowment funds created by donors and private donations, including the new Beacon Participation & Engagement Endowment Fund.

• Approximately $150,000 in JCF Scholarship Awards supporting 75+ individuals pursuing post-high school education and experiential travel, also thanks to endowment funds established by donors, including five new endowed awards launched since 2023.

• $4.08-million contributed to endowment funds benefiting local Jewish organizations since 2023, thanks to the Life & Legacy initiative of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, which continues to thrive in SNJ, with new legacy commitments submitted each year.

• Hosting numerous meaningful events for our community during the past three years including: Five Legacy Thank You Events to show our appreciation to legacy and endowment donors; annual Florida Reunions each winter, in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey (JFSNJ), to reunite with SNJ natives who live or winter in Florida; a Silver Circle Society Breakfast this past spring for Federation donors who have given for at least 25 years, with another one planned for November 11; and even a Shamos Book Burial at the New Camden Cemetery, which the JCF oversees. It’s so invigorating to connect with local Jewish community members in-person.

I’m also thrilled to share a few stories of inspiring JCF donors who are making a substantial impact on our community by opening new endowment funds over the past three years. The PJ Library Endowment Fund was launched by Jodi & Neil Levine, who, along with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, generously offer a matching gift for donations into the fund (jcfsnj.org/pj-library). An endowment fund from Judy Nadell and John Langan provides significant annual income to JCRC’s Book- Mates, ensuring that volunteers can continue reading with children in Camden and beyond. And Marylee and Stuart Alperin opted to provide annual scholarship awards to local residents pursuing careers in Jewish communal service to continue their legacy of leadership in the world of Jewish nonprofits. What interesting passions and how grateful we are to help people be able to honor them!

Of course, all of this work requires the help of both staff and lay leaders. Our board members diligently review our investment policies, process grant and scholarship applications, oversee the agency financials, and more to help guide the agency’s success. Our gratitude goes to Andrew Gallagher, our donor support specialist, who helps our donors process DAF grants, and to Mike Staff, our assistant director who oversees JCF Grants and Scholarships, helps donors with creating new DAFs and endowments, and assists donors in achieving their philanthropic goals. And our passionate executive director, David Snyder, has done a terrific job of community outreach to ensure everyone knows about JCF’s important role in building a sustainable Jewish community.

My mother recently passed away, and I have been proud to learn that she endowed her Lion of Judah annual gift to her Federation. Inspired by her example, my husband Neil and I have established an endowment with the JCF to fund our gifts to our Jewish community— l’dor v’dor.

Thanks again for the opportunity to serve. If anything you’ve read inspires you, please reach out to us at (856) 673-2571 or dsnyder@jfedsnj.org