Posner family creating a giving tradition
After living the majority of his life in Winnipeg, Gerald (Gerry) Posner, a devoted grandfather, wanted to connect his grandchildren to their heritage and teach them the value of giving back.
“For years, I noticed the publicity around the Bar and Bat Mitzvah funds at the Foundation,” says Posner. “At the time, though, I didn’t have any grandchildren to establish them for.”
Now with eight grandchildren, Gerry has established Bar/Bat Mitzvah funds for each of them as they reach Bar/Bat Mitzvah age. The youngest is celebrating her Bat Mitzvah in November.
He explains that there are four main reasons in his mind for choosing to open these funds.
1. Gerry was drawn to the idea of attaching his grandchildren’s names to a fund. Even if his grandchildren don’t fully understand the implications now, he believes it’s a meaningful way to introduce them to the concept of philanthropy.
2. When a Bar/Bat Fund reaches $750 at the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba (JFM), the Nora & David Kaufman Bar/Bat Mitzvah Fund tops off the fund with an additional $250, totalling $1,000, which then moves the fund into a donor-advised category. Gerry found this offer irresistible, considering $1,000 a significant and round number for a 13-year-old to manage.
3. Although Gerry and his wife moved to Toronto, Winnipeg remains crucial to their family’s identity. With their children born and raised there and still having strong ties to the city, Gerry wanted his grandchildren to remain connected to Winnipeg and its Jewish community. The fund, he believes, serves as a lasting link to their heritage and roots.
4. Gerry sees the fund as more than just money set aside. He appreciates that it allows his grandchildren to control the distribution of the interest each year. He hopes that by deciding where to donate the funds, they will learn about giving back and grow to find meaning in this responsibility over time.
“Right now, the significance of these funds may not fully hit home with them,” he says. “But these funds will go on for years, and hopefully, as they learn more about them and turn their eyes toward philanthropy, it will have meaning for them.”
Beyond the funds, Gerry explains that he makes a concerted effort to bring his grandchildren back to Winnipeg, showing them the city where their family has so much history. Each of these visits to Winnipeg includes a trip to Schmoozer’s Café and often a stop by the JFM offices.
Having recently celebrated 12 years since moving to Toronto, Gerry reflects on the move as inevitable.
“Our whole family was in Toronto: three kids, two siblings, eight grandkids. We decided to make the move to be with them while we were still young enough to do so independently,” he says. “Despite the distance from the place we called home for so many years, we always want to remain connected to Winnipeg.”
In establishing these Bar/Bat Mitzvah funds, Gerry Posner has provided for his grandchildren’s future and ensured that the values and heritage of their past will continue to shape their lives for years to come.