Both of us are children of Holocaust survivors. We grew up in homes that had a focus on building a brighter and stronger future. Our parents instilled in us the traditions and values of our Jewish heritage and passed on to us the sense of obligation we all have to secure the future. And the most basic of our traditions is tzedakah.

It didn't matter that our parents were struggling in a new country, with a new language. What mattered was being responsible for ensuring there would be a vibrant Jewish community that included all Jews. Tzedakah was an essential part of our lives. It was interwoven in our social and cultural heritage. Our parents encouraged us to support and nurture the ideals of Judaism. Giving to those less fortunate was at the core of everything we were taught.

Today, our family is blessed to be able to give our time and our resources to support these ideals. Our family endowment fund at the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto was established to sustain community initiatives that provide for a robust and enriched Jewish life through quality education and a compassionate social services network. We are pleased to support UJA Federation because it embodies strong Jewish values and instills pride in our youth.

We are blessed to share these family goals with our children Jay, David, Leah and her husband Adam, and Josh and his wife Annette and their daughter, our first grand child, Abby. We respect and honour our past while we are hopeful that we are helping to build a brighter, stronger, more secure future for our children and grandchildren.