A Special Gift for 12 Kids
by
Stu Slayen | Dec 04, 2017
When Judith Putter read last year’s Jewish Foundation of Manitoba Annual Report, she decided it was time to step up.
“I had been thinking about setting up Bar and Bat Mitzvah Funds for my great nieces and nephews for some time,” says Putter. “When I read about David Solomon doing the same thing, I was inspired to act.”
And so Putter, who is an Endowment Book of Life signer and a Women’s Endowment Fund fundholder, opened 12 new funds to honour the young children of her nieces and nephews: Benjamin, Jeremy, Michael, Alix, Jennifer, and Joshua.
“I hope that having the funds will teach them about tzedakah and help them keep a lifelong connection to Winnipeg, even for those who don’t live here,” she says. “The beauty of this program is that as the kids get older they can use their funds to connect with organizations that inspire them.”
If a Bar or Bat Mitzvah Fund reaches $750 before a child’s fifteenth birthday, the Nora & Davidz’’l Kaufman Bar/Bat Mitzvah Fund will top up the fund by $250. This brings the fund to the $1,000 level, at which point it becomes donor advised. This means that our young fundholders can decide which charities receive funding.
“This is how I want to honour them. I hadn’t thought of anything else,” says Putter of her decision. “I think it is a wonderful program.”
For more information about JFM Bar/Bat Mitzvah Funds, click here.