Richard and Lea Rubenstein, like so many people, are deeply concerned about the state of current...
Power of Prevention: Rubenstein Family Invests in Education and Action
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Our Blog: JCF Stories
Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford Kicks Off Year-long 50th Anniversary Celebration with Mosaic Project
Community Members Invited to Help Tile Unique Piece of Art, March 30 – April 5 at the Mandell JCC...
Safeguarding our Jewish Community Against Anti-Semitism
John Colangelo, Security Director for the Jewish
Hartford Secure Community Initiative, and John Stemen, SCN’s Director of Campus Safety and Security for Hillel International, attend an SCN event at UCONN.
Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford Announces New Members to its Board of Trustees
September 10, 2021 – Four community leaders have joined the Board of Trustees for the Jewish...
Exploring Philanthropy through a Family Fund
We engage families to explore their shared values and charitable interests. We helped Richard and Cyral Sheldon establish the Sheldon Family Advised Fund. Richard and Cyral’s children, Scott, Sloane and Stacy, share their experiences in selecting charities and making annual grants from their family fund.
Family Philanthropy During the Pandemic
When the world seems chaotic, Sean White finds solace by looking at a photo of his grandmother making matzah balls. This is Sean’s most treasured memory of Miriam Toubman. More than 30 years ago, the Toubmans began a tradition of family philanthropy to honor their father and grandfather, William, who passed away at age 52.
Powerful Together: Addressing COVID-19
We are always more powerful when we come together as a community to respond to a crisis. That’s why the Foundation and the Jewish Federation established the Jewish Hartford Rapid Relief and Recovery Fund (RRR Fund) in March 2020 to help people, agencies and synagogues impacted by COVID-19. The Foundation and Federation seeded the RRR Fund with $150,000. In the first months of the crisis, staff from the Foundation, Federation and Jewish Family Services (JFS) procured and delivered food each week, including hot kosher meals for Passover, plus Dignity Grows hygiene products to 125 Jewish families in need in 19 towns in Greater Hartford. The food program was eventually transitioned to JFS, which is doing a tremendous job serving the community’s needs.
Music Empowers Neighborhood Children
Donor Advised Fund holders are supporting Music Matters, a first of its kind program for underserved children in Hartford. Hosted the by Charter Oak Cultural Center’s Youth Institute, students in grades 4 and 5 enjoy free private and ensemble instrumental music instruction in a comprehensive afterschool program four days a week, as well as food and homework assistance.
Cumulative Grants Support Growth of JTConnect
The Jewish Teen Learning Connection (JTConnect) started in the early 90s as an afterschool...
Fifteen Jewish Organizations to Participate in Greater Hartford Legacy Giving Initiative
WEST HARTFORD, CT – February 15, 2021 – The Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford (The Foundation) is spearheading a regional legacy giving initiative with 14 Jewish organizations that’s part of Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s (HGF) Life & Legacyprogram. A nationwide Jewish legacy giving initiative, Life & Legacy has secured more than 28,000 after-lifetime commitments with an estimated value of over a billion dollars for Jewish organizations across North America.
Greater Hartford Jewish Community Selected to Participate in National Jewish Legacy Giving Program Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford to lead the initiative
WEST HARTFORD, CT – The Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford (The Foundation) was selected to join 69 other Jewish Community Foundations and Jewish Federations in the Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s (HGF) LIFE & LEGACY® program. A nationwide Jewish legacy giving initiative, LIFE & LEGACY has secured more than 28,000 after-lifetime commitments with an estimated value of over a billion dollars for Jewish organizations across North America.
Lillian Fund Inspires Giving and Action
Karen Binkhorst’s first gift to the Foundation’s Lillian Fund was in honor of her mother for Mother’s Day. “I made donations in my mother’s name for several years, but I wanted to be more involved in philanthropy and give back to a community that has given so much to me,” explains Karen, a life-long resident of West Hartford.
Karen eventually joined the Lillian Fund Committee, offering her time, talent and passion to help women and children in need. “I want to change lives for the better and to empower as many privileged people as possible to help nonprofits,” she says, “and the Lillian Fund is a beautiful way to do this.”