Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz says that every Jew yearns to repair the world. Certainly, we do. What could be more important?

I have striven my entire life to live up to the high standards set by our parents, Morton and Gloria Shulman. They believed in living life to the fullest and making a difference along the way. They started out with nothing, but, as soon as they had something to spare, they shared it. They were always helping friends and family and even perfect strangers who begged for their assistance. In addition, they were always fighting for one good cause or another. Our father campaigned ceaselessly against injustice and to prevent wasteful deaths. Our mother volunteered as a lay representative of injured workers, helping them to appeal the stingy pensions on which they could barely survive. They always did their duty and made it clear that it was up to us to do ours. They always taught us that those who are fortunate in life must help those who are not.

My husband and I are comfortable, not wealthy. As a self-employed person with no pension, I always worry whether we have saved enough for our own old age. Nevertheless, it was a high priority for me to set up our fund at the foundation. Giving back in this way sharpens our appreciation for our own good fortune. It helps us to fight arrogance and complacency, our own and that of others. It will allow us to donate to our favorite causes even after we retire, and we look forward to our children looking after the fund after we are gone.

"A society must ask, seek and demand that each individual give something of himself. From the sum of these small offerings. It can then build itself anew. If all of us light the candle of our souls, the world will be filled with light." - Adin Steinsaltz