By Erica Slutsky | Communications Manager For three days at Temple Emanu-El, spanning donations, setup, and two boutique days, Project Prom not only brings people together, but grew out of the same need for generosity and community service that emboldens Tikkun Olam at Emanu-El. And so, this past April, close to 300 high school students …
“Just follow Norden’s instructions.” That’s the most important turkey carving tip from the seasoned volunteer carvers at Temple Emanu-El’s Thanksgiving Dinner. The Dinner isn’t for our members, but for those less fortunate who have nowhere to go on Thanksgiving. Our members coordinated volunteers, delegated, and prepared an entire meal for 200 guests — which involved …
A huge thank you to everyone: Wise Hall looked abundantly full on Mitzvah Day, when we all came together as one Temple community to volunteer, side by side. In the space of a morning, we accomplished an amazing mitzvah: 2,200 gift packages were assembled with love, ranging from dignity kits to Purim treats for the …
From the appetizer to the delicious desserts, which included Thanksgiving cupcakes festively decorated by our volunteers, cinnamon doughnuts and a chocolate and vanilla parfait topped with fresh blueberries and raspberries, this Thanksgiving meal was a special way to share the warmth of the holiday with those who would otherwise be alone. All of our guests …
When you name Congregation Emanu-El as a beneficiary of your estate you express your continued commitment to the temple and provide valuable support for all areas. These gifts may be made by designating the temple in your will or living trust. You may also name Congregation Emanu-El as a beneficiary of a paid-up life insurance policy, a retirement plan, or IRA, by revising the beneficiary designation form. Your personal advisors can suggest the best ways for you to include Congregation Emanu-El in your estate plans. You may also be able to achieve your philanthropic objectives as well as increase your current income with a Charitable Gift Annuity or Charitable Remainder Trust. Emanu-El offers a wide range of gift planning opportunities, and you may also be able to reserve a dedication or a memorial in anticipation of a future donation.
The Heritage Society is an honorary group formed to recognize those devoted members and friends of Emanu-El who have included a gift for the Congregation in their estate plans. All bequest intentions (with the exception of a contingent bequest), life-income, and planned gifts qualify one for membership in this esteemed society. Members of The Heritage Society receive invitations for exclusive events and are listed annually in the development newsletter, Window.
Ready to make a bequest today? We’ve partnered with FreeWill to make it simple to create your legal will and start your legacy with Temple Emanu-El. This online tool from FreeWill can walk you through the process of writing your legal will for free. Their platform is easy to use, and most people finish their plans in 20 minutes or less. If you prefer to finalize your plans with an attorney, you can still use this resource to create a list of document wishes and gift intentions before meeting with your lawyer. Click here to create your legal will for free and establish your legacy with Temple Emanu-El.
Have you included a gift in your will or trust to Temple Emanu-El? Please take a minute to fill out this form so we can thank you for your lasting commitment to our community, and invite you to become a member of The Heritage Society.
You may also contact Robyn Cimbol, Senior Director of Development and Philanthropy, by telephone (212-507-9524) or by email () to discuss bequests, personalized gift planning, and membership in The Heritage Society.
Memorial Hall Tablets: Throughout Emanu-El’s history, dedications and memorials have offered our members and friends a meaningful way to sustain cherished bonds. One of the most popular ways to perpetuate a memory continues to be through the dedication of a Memorial Hall Tablet. On either side of Emanu-El’s majestic Cassell Lobby on Fifth Avenue, two Memorial Halls remember beloved members of the Emanu-El family. The dedications are expertly carved and become part of the temple structure. These tablets are available for inscription with gifts beginning at $25,000 and may be reserved to be paid over time or through a bequest.
Glass Panes: More recently, a new option utilizing the historic wood-and-glass windscreen at the rear of the sanctuary was introduced to hold names. Leaded glass panes, in differing sizes and in different physical locations on the windscreen panels, can be dedicated for living or deceased members. Names are permanently etched into each panel and become superimposed on our sacred space beyond with the warm glow of lighting from above. These panes are available for inscription with a gift beginning at $100,000 and may be reserved to be paid over time or through a bequest.
Please contact Robyn Cimbol, Senior Director of Development and Philanthropy, by telephone (212-507-9524) or by email () to discuss these dedications and memorials, and other possibilities.
Temple Emanu-El is unique in allocating funds raised on Yom Kippur and throughout the year for programs and services for those in need. Each year, the Congregation donates 100% of the funds raised by the Philanthropic Fund to worthy local and global causes.
Your gift to the Philanthropic Fund provides support for:
To make your gift by credit card over the phone, please contact Gila Drazen in the Development Office at 212-507-9525.
Select an option for more information
Cash, Check, or Credit Card
You can make your donation by sending a check to the Office of Development and Philanthropy, Congregation Emanu-El of the City of New York, One East 65th Street, New York, NY 10065.
You can donate online through the secure portal with a CREDIT CARD. If you prefer to make your credit card donation over the phone, please call Gila Drazen, Development Associate, at 212-507-9525.
Grants from Donor-Advised Funds
You can make your donation, and also pay your membership dues and security fee, with a gift from a Donor-Advised Fund such as the Jewish Communal Fund, New York Community Trust, or a Charitable Gift Fund through your brokerage firm. Gifts through donor-advised funds are acknowledged to the fund and to the donor who recommended this gift.
For more information please contact Robyn Cimbol, Senior Director of Development and Philanthropy, by email, , or telephone at 212-507-9524.
Securities
Donate now: We are offering this online stock donation tool to make it easier than ever to donate your stock directly to Temple Emanu-El. It’s secure, easy to use, and will auto-complete your paperwork for you.
You can make your donation by transferring securities from your brokerage account into one maintained by Congregation Emanu-El specifically to receive contributions of stock. This may be especially advantageous if your portfolio contains highly appreciated securities you have owned for at least a year. Instead of selling these shares and being subject to a tax on the capital gains, consider donating them to Congregation Emanu-El to pay your temple membership dues, security fee, or to make your Annual Fund gift. Such gifts receive a tax deduction for the full fair market value of the stock on the date of your contribution and do not incur tax on the gains. Be sure to contact you legal and tax advisers regarding the applicability to your situation.
For more information please contact Robyn Cimbol, Senior Director of Development and Philanthropy, by email, , or telephone at 212-507-9524.
IRA Charitable Rollover
Donate now: We are offering this secure IRA donation tool to make it easier than ever to give to Temple Emanu-El directly from your IRA and receive tax benefits. It only takes a few minutes to use and will auto-complete your paperwork for you.
If you are at least 70 ½ you may instruct the administrator of your IRA to transfer funds directly to Congregation Emanu-El. Qualified donors may make tax-free gifts of up to $100,000 each year in this way. The amount of your direct transfer counts toward your required minimum distribution but is not subject to income tax as it would be should you to withdraw the funds yourself. You will not receive an income tax charitable deduction but, for many, the income tax savings more than offsets this.
For more information please contact Robyn Cimbol, Senior Director of Development and Philanthropy, by email, , or telephone at 212-507-9524.
Matching Gifts
You may be eligible to have your donations to Congregation Emanu-El, including your membership dues, matched by your employer. Please check with your Human Resources department to see if this benefit is available to you and whether gifts to Emanu-El qualify. If so, please submit your company’s matching gift form to us when you make your gift or request that one is sent to us to verify your contribution. We will confirm your donation and complete the necessary documentation to amplify the amount of your gift.
For more information please contact Robyn Cimbol, Senior Director of Development and Philanthropy, by email, , or telephone at 212-507-9524.
Daniel Bloch Jeydel’s speech on the importance of the Philanthropic Fund during Yom Kippur 5783.
More Powerful Together. A gift to the Temple Emanu-El Philanthropic Fund is an affirmation of our long-standing congregational history of impacting lives.
“…our involvement in the messiness of the world…Though the world may at times appear to be deaf to Torah’s message of justice and compassion and peace, in this synagogue we shall proclaim it, and act upon it, and do what we believe must be done, to beat this broken world back into shape.”
Rabbi Joshua M. Davidson
Rosh Hashanah, 5778
In 5780, over $1,000,000 was raised through the generosity of our membership and distributed to carefully vetted institutions and initiatives.
