But, perhaps surprisingly, we are not so good when it comes to remembering the causes we support in our lifetime, with gifts in our wills. Only one in four Jews in the UK currently leaves a legacy to charity. Yet Jewish charities are hugely dependent on gifts in wills to keep up their vital work. That’s why I’m so honoured to be part of Jewish Legacy Giving. It’s a brilliantly simple campaign that encourages members of our community to remember their favourite Jewish charities after their lifetime, with a gift in their will.
Jewish Legacy Giving is the first cross-communal campaign of its size and scale. It shows how everyone can play their part to strengthen our community by working together, from the biggest charities to the smallest— wherever they are based, in the UK or abroad.
It is important for another reason too — I wanted to be part of Jewish Legacy, as I truly believed in its value to the future prosperity of the Jewish community and, in particular, because it was the only way for some of the smaller charities to have their own legacy campaign. We now represent some 50 charity partners — all working as a team to explain to every member of the Jewish community how important it is that they include a gift to charity in their will.
You see, many members of our community simply do not realise just how many worthy Jewish charities there are, or what a broad spectrum they cover. But because we have so many charity partners, I am sure Jewish Legacy Giving can help everyone find the right cause to support with a gift in their will.
From a personal point of view, I feel strongly that every one of us should give something back to the community in our will. For me, the simple fact of leaving a legacy is more important than the size of the legacy we leave.
I know from my own experience that there are many other members of our community who feel the same way. And I am certain that everyone who does, will find at least some of the causes our member charities deal with will resonate with them.
My involvement with Jewish Legacy Giving — initially as chairman and now as president — has enabled me to see at first hand just how blessed we are as a community to have so many charities, aiming to help people who are less fortunate than us in the UK, Israel and the rest of the world.
In the course of my work, I have also been lucky enough to meet some of the wonderful, dedicated people who are involved with our charity partners, both professionally and as volunteers. They desperately need all the help they can get — and gifts in supporters’ wills play an enormously important part in helping them keep up their vital work.
Remember your family first. But don’t forget that charity is a fundamental part of Jewish life. I’m sure I am not alone in saying that, when it comes to planning my estate, my family comes first. But I believe I would be failing in my duty to my children and grandchildren if I did not leave a worthwhile amount to charity too. I also believe that this is the best way to set a practical example to those who come after us that charity is a fundamental part of Jewish life. Our heirs need to remember that they too have a duty to carry on our legacy and play their part in the world of Jewish charity life.
And if our generation doesn’t show them, who will?
Nigel Ross
020 3375 6248, jewishlegacy.org.uk
Registered charity 1144193
