The V’shamru prayer from the Shabbat service asserts that we are guardians of the covenant for future generations. This exemplifies two main aspects of Jewish life: Guaranteeing our community’s well-being and ensuring our tradition’s continuity. Supporting CBE through a future gift satisfies both. When you name CBE as a beneficiary of your will or estate, you are confirming your valuable commitment to our temple’s programs and facilities. All types of gifts are welcome, and donors are recognized as members of the V’shamru Legacy Society.
Have you already included a gift in your will or trust to CBE? 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 V’shamru Legacy Society.
How to include CBE in your estate plans
Congregation Beth Elohim gratefully accepts all types of gifts from your estate plan. You may make a gift through your will or living trust, or you may name Congregation Beth Elohim as a beneficiary of your IRA or qualified retirement plan, paid-up insurance policy, or bank accounts.
- We welcome gifts of real estate. For this gift transaction, we kindly request that your estate executor sells the property and gives the proceeds to Congregation Beth Elohim.
- For retirement funds or other assets, you need only designate CBE as a beneficiary on the appropriate forms, just as you would with any individual person. Use CBE’s full name, Congregation Beth Elohim, and its tax identification number 11-1672755.
Suggested bequest/trust language for your attorney:
I give and bequeath to Congregation Beth Elohim, a New York not-for-profit corporation (tax identification number 11-1672755), the sum of ________ Dollars {or ___% portion/all the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate} to be used for its general support.
Please contact Karen Gerwin (kgerwin@cbebk.org, 718-768-3814) to indicate your intentions as part of your estate plan. We are interested in your plans to give to CBE so we can thank you and welcome you into the V’shamru Legacy Society. We want to honor and acknowledge your generous future gifts now to ensure you are aware of our sincere gratitude for your generosity.
Testimonials
Marsha Pierson, CBE member since 1983
When I joined CBE in the spring of 1983, I didn’t realize the impact it would have on my life. Over the years, I chaired the Youth Committee and was a member of the Board of Trustees. Through my involvement, I got to know other people in the community and formed lifelong friendships. I watched with great pleasure when my daughter, Donna, became a Bat Mitzvah, but perhaps my most meaningful moment was my own Bat Mitzvah as an adult in November 2001; as a young girl, I never imagined I would learn Hebrew and read from the Torah! As I got older, I started to think about the legacy I want to leave, and realized that it was important to me that CBE continue to thrive and allow future generations to enjoy the warmth of the congregation as I did. For these reasons I made CBE a beneficiary of my IRA.
Bruce Lovett, CBE member since 1987
My decision to pledge a portion of my IRA to CBE was easy. I believe that we live in a world that has been partially shaped by those who have preceded us and I want to participate in shaping a small part of the world after I am gone. My pledge to the V’Shamru Legacy Society at CBE supports that idea. At the individual and family level, CBE provides a quality religious education, a wonderful worship environment, not to mention much-needed and valued support in times of crisis. I’m proud that our healthy and thriving neighborhood synagogue contributes so much culturally to the Park Slope community. And on a broader scale, CBE is a key player in the mission to promote and advance Reform Judaism.
I am especially attracted to the idea that CBE will be able to confirm my estate gift pledge now, as I could comfortably make this commitment during my lifetime. I am very pleased that CBE has decided to implement a planned giving program and I encourage others to participate.
When my wife Rosalee was alive, we always made CBE a top priority for our annual charitable giving. While I will continue to do that as long as I am able, joining the V’shamru Legacy Society is a natural continuation of our commitment to support this community for the long term.