Create a Jewish Legacy

This is an email that was sent to Beth El members on Sept. 19, 2025.

These are the moments …

• A wrinkly, sleepy little wonder of a person rests quietly in her parents’ arms as they stand before the Beth El community to give the child a name, tying her to the generations that have come before and those yet to be. She lets out a small squeal as she is blessed. The congregation giggles, and her family kvells.

• A 13-year-old boy is called to the Torah: he takes a deep breath and barrels through the Torah portion. Standing in front of the ark, his parents, whose eyes well with tears, offer a blessing.

• A couple meets. They share similar values and hopes for the future, along with a deep love for one another. They stand under the chuppah, just as their parents did at their own wedding. The glass is broken — mazel tov!

• A beloved grandfather dies and is mourned by the generations of his family. At the funeral, they laugh and cry as the relatives share the stories of their beloved’s life and his impact on them and the community. The assembled congregation joins in the Kaddish, linking themselves at once to everyone else who has lost someone they loved.

For many of us, the most meaningful moments of our lives are inextricably tied to our Congregation Beth El participation. In addition to the many memories we have of significant lifecycle events, there are countless other recurrent, powerful moments within our community that may be just as impactful and enduring:

• Cultivating friendships while building a sukkah together, singing with Shir El, or staying up late at a Torah class retreat.
• Wrestling together with the words of Torah, just as our ancestors did.
• Participating in a letter writing campaign or intergenerational tikkun olam project.
• Raising our tired voices together at Ne’ila and feeling the genuine spirituality around us.
• Imagining the future when we see our children or grandchildren enjoying Tot Shabbat.

In addition to the memorable moments our revered clergy and staff help create, it is our own involvement that deepens our connections to our tradition and each other. We keep our community thriving by volunteering. By visiting the sick, by serving on committees, by cooking for a Shabbat kiddush. So many congregants stepping forward in so many ways.

And scores of us step forward to make sure that Beth El continues to thrive financially. Contributions for all kinds of reasons and no special reason flow to the general fund to supplement our budget every year. Donations over the years to the Carob Tree initiative have created our endowment; portions of its growth flow into the general fund as well. Although not all our members have the means to contribute extra financially, we all have found ways to give of ourselves to Beth El.

And there is a way for ALL of us, including those whose wealth and income are very limited, to donate meaningfully to Beth El.

Including Beth El in your estate planning will help assure that our congregation’s vibrancy continues. A number of members have already named Beth El as one of their beneficiaries. We are now reaching out to all our congregants to ask you to consider a gift to Beth El in your estate. If you have already made a will, it is easy to amend. You can also include Beth El as a beneficiary of your IRA, 401(k), or annuity.

Legacy giving is a way to assure that your values live on. As we grow older, we recognize that we want Beth El to continue beyond our lifetimes, to be a vibrant community for future generations. We want the congregants of the future to be able to receive the benefits we have received: a flourishing Jewish community that values tradition and continues to innovate.

The email address for the Carob Tree legacy giving initiative is legacygiving@bethelsudbury.org. Please reach out with your questions and your generosity.

Judy Goldberg, Fundraising Chair
Ellen Glickman-Simon, Carob Tree Chair