Giving

“There is a story of an old man that was observed planting a fig tree. When asked if he really expected to live long enough to consume the fruits of his labor, he replied, “I was born into a world flourishing with ready pleasures. My ancestors planted for me, and I now plant for my children…” I thought about this story when considering pledging to Life and Legacy. When my husband and I were just starting our family and careers, HACD was well established and situated to provide our children with not only a fantastic education, both secular and Jewish, but also a community with which to share our lives. After graduating, our 5 children have all moved on to succeed. Their success is in large part due to HACD and all those who worked and contributed to building the school and maintaining the community there before us. Just like the old man who planted the tree, it is our opportunity to plant for the future.”

– Ilana Kovach

“Bet Shraga played an integral role in shaping our family’s communal and spiritual life from the moment our children were enrolled. Both of our children received a strong academic foundation which allowed for success beyond HACD. It is especially gratifying to watch the strength of their Jewish identities emerge in their adult lives. HACD partnered with us in instilling a positive view of Jewish life and we are forever thankful for that. Bet Shraga is an essential component of our Jewish community and we are thrilled to make our contribution to ensuring its future.”

– Steve Huz and Sharon Flom

“I am pleased to be among others who have decided to participate in Life and Legacy by naming the Bet Shraga Hebrew Academy of the Capital District as one of the two organizations that I would like to support. I benefited throughout my life from having attended religious schools, from grades 4 through 9. I wanted my children to have an in-depth Jewish education as a way of grounding them in our values. When they began public high school, they were able to manage the work from their classes by going into ‘Hebrew Academy mode’ since they were used to taking more classes than the usual public school curriculum offered.

They retain several friendships from their years at HACD, and my husband and I continue to enjoy friendships with parents of our children’s friends at school. It is especially rewarding to see that our children have chosen to continue the family tradition by sending their own children to Jewish day schools in their respective communities, and they have also developed friendships with parents in their own children’s classes. The Life and Legacy program is an easy and effective way to express my gratitude to the HACD for having enriched my family’s life.”

– Margery Diamond Zucker

“We believe in supporting a school that has provided our amazing girls with the foundation of education and personal development that will ensure they leave their positive mark on the world around them. And that’s the true definition of a legacy.”

– Ken Malsan & Heather Rockwood

“Why did I leave a legacy to the Hebrew Academy? I had a difficult time putting it into words. I thought about the impact of the school on my three children and how they—now in their late 20s to mid-30s—are connected with Judaism and still keep in touch with some of their former classmates. As I continued to think about it, the story of Honi and the carob tree came to mind. It seems to say it all.

Honi saw a man planting a carob tree. ‘How long before it bears fruit?’ he asked.
‘70 years,’ the man replied.
‘Why plant it? You won’t be alive then!’
‘Just as I found carob trees when I came into the world, I want others to find them too.’
(Talmud, Taanit 23a)

Let’s keep planting!”

– Sandy Schuman

“HACD became our home soon after we arrived in Albany in 1993. Our four children were blanketed with love and a love for learning, they made lifelong friendships and received outstanding educations academically. We embraced their journey and our connections remain as strong as ever. We were thrilled to join the HACD Life and Legacy family to help ensure the future of this wonderful institution.”

– Laura and Hilton Segal

“The beauty of the program is that it allows us to play a part in a large and deeply profound whole. Our gift on its own would not go far in solving the many challenges that address a small Jewish community in upstate New York. But participating in the Life & Legacy program has changed the relationship that we have with the organizations that we support, which in turn has changed how we interact with those organizations. We are more connected to these organizations; we work to sustain them as vibrant, engaging spaces of Judaism in our community. It gives us, dare we say, ‘skin in the game’. ”

– Michele Fisher Gomez and Victor Gomez