My message is quite simple. If you believe as a Jew, you must believe in the continuum that is the Jewish people. And you must believe in your obligation that we as a people must live and strive and grow for the future.

We have survived for over 5,000 years, regardless of the efforts to destroy us. And yet we continue. In every generation, there are stories of horror that can be told. And yet, because of our commitment to each other and our strong bonds of community, we have managed to survive, adapt and continue to flourish. Each generation has its story, each has its successes, and each generation has been built on the foundation created by previous generations.

None of us can foretell what the future will hold for those who come after us. We can only know that we have done our best to prepare for that future. Without endowment funds our community cannot survive. Endowments are the only way to secure the future. As a community, we can create these perpetual resources in order to have the means to support social services, health, welfare and education throughout the Jewish community here and in Israel.

Through the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto, I created my endowment fund because I believe strongly that in this way, I will be a part of the continuum.