Create Your Jewish Legacy
Temple Israel is one of 10 participating community partners in Charlotte’s Create Your Jewish Legacy (CJL) initiative. Through CJL we have committed ourselves to be a part of an effort to build a strong, vibrant community now and in the future with bequests for permanent endowments. CJL promotes the message that all of us, regardless of age, wealth, or affiliation, have the ability to make a difference for future generations. Our CJL model, led by the Foundation for the Charlotte Jewish Community (FCJC) is modeled after successful programs already established in more than 30 cities include San Diego, Kansas City, Hartford, St. Louis and Richmond.
Over the course of more than 120 years, Temple Israel has positively impacted the lives of thousands of members of our community. Our strong and vibrant conservative synagogue provides a space for individuals to observe sacred traditions, become educated about holidays, mitzvot (commandments), halakhah (Jewish law), the State of Israel and the Hebrew language, and practice the rituals and lifecycle events that give depth and meaning to our lives as Jews. Temple Israel is truly a mishpacha (family) that embraces the gifts of youth and the wisdom of elders and it includes individuals who have called our congregation home for as long as multiple generations and as little as a few months.
At Temple Israel, we strive to nourish the souls and the lives of our families through engaging experiences and meaningful connections. Our community is inclusive, progressive, and inspirational. Our history and roots in Charlotte are both deep and rich but our innovative expressions of Judaism ensure that Temple Israel remains relevant today.
It is our responsibility to continue the work of so many who have come before us and to both preserve and strengthen what past generations have built for us. Together, we can help to ensure that our children and grandchildren will have the opportunity to benefit from Temple Israel’s many outstanding religious, social, pastoral, educational, community outreach, and social action offerings and initiatives. Collectively, these vital aspects of our congregation enable members of our community to engage with Judaism and transform their lives through Torah, worship and acts of loving kindness.
Part of our obligation to Temple Israel is to assure that its future is secure. During our lifetimes, we do this through annual financial support and through engagement in the community. By making a bequest or other planned gift of any size today, you will be doing your part to assure that your financial support will continue and be part of your legacy. By doing so, you will help to perpetuate our sacred space and our vital and vibrant services and programs, and make possible the establishment of new, innovative programming. This is how we will enable the Temple’s legacy to continue for another 120 years so that Temple Israel can continue to play a pivotal role in our lives in the future, as well as the lives of our children and grandchildren. There is very little, if anything, that lasts forever, but an endowment continues in perpetuity, year in and year out, and assures to future generations – L’dor V’dor – the legacy of a strong and thriving conservative synagogue in the Charlotte Jewish community.
For more information on creating your Jewish legacy, contact SueAnn Burroughs at 980-960-2377 or sburroughs@templeisraelnc.org.
To read stories of the Temple’s legacy donors who are inscribed in the Book of Life, please click here.