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Each Sunday, it was a big deal for me and my three brothers to get a couple of quarters from my dad before he dropped us off at Temple Israel for Religious School after driving in from Cuba, MO. That was my first real experience with tzedakah. I knew I wanted to have something to put in the box as it circulated throughout the classroom. Later I learned that the mitzvah of tzedakah is one of the most important of the 613 commandments.

Today we have many opportunities to be philanthropic. The asks and the choices are endless, but the giving always seems to feel good. In fact, Judaism teaches us that tzedakah has two parts: our hand and our heart and that when we give, it benefits the donor more than the recipient.

One of the ways that we can give tzedakah and help Temple Israel is by being a member of our Shofar Society. TI has a historical policy of never turning anyone away due to financial reasons. I remember attending the funeral of one of our long-term members, where his family recounted a story from his youth. His parents wanted to find a congregation, and TI was the only synagogue that allowed them to join despite their financial situation. The impact of that one decision played out over many years and three generations. Today, many of those family members are giving back by being in our Shofar Society.

Temple Israel’s Shofar Society was formed in 1989 and honors its members who volunteer to give at a level above standard support. Two years after Shofar Society was created, there were 156 households who chose to join which represented 10% of our membership. Today, we have 190 households, which
 represents 24% of our membership. Our total Synagogue Support income only covers 67% of our total synagogue expenses, which is why we must fundraise every year.

Thank you to our Shofar Society members! We are especially grateful that you help our community by giving more when others cannot. Our Shofar Society co-chairs — Amy KnoblockHahn & Robert Hahn and Claire Schenk & Richard Greenberg — have been wonderful in helping us plan special appreciation events during the year. When we give tzedakah, it is one way we are helping to change and improve the world and do God’s holy work. It is in our hands and our hearts to bring the world back to the original state of holiness. May all our tzedakah donors be blessed knowing they are sharing in God’s work to repair the world.

Rachel Wallis Andreasson
Executive Director
randreasson@ti-stl.org

Pictured to the right: Shofar Society members Allan & Susie Epstein enjoying our latest appreciation event!
View photos from the Shofar Society Appreciation Event here.

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WE HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US AS A SHOFAR SOCIETY MEMBER IN 2022. 
There are many ways to give! All donations to Temple Israel are charitable gifts and go towards caring for those in need in our own community and beyond.

SHOFAR SOCIETY GIVING LEVELS
We offer many levels of membership in Shofar Society. The first one starts at 15% higher than the standard support.

THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO GIVE TO SHOFAR SOCIETY AND CASH GIFTS TO CHARITY ARE MORE DEDUCTIBLE IN 2021. *
Most years, cash gifts to charity are limited to 60% of a donor’s adjusted gross income (AGI). In 2021, gifts to nonprofits can apply up to 100% of AGI if they are made by check and if the donor chooses to use the enhanced charitable deduction limit when filing taxes. IRA Charitable Rollover is a great way to help out a nonprofit. In 2021, if you are age 70+, you can give directly from your IRA and it will count towards your IRA’s required minimum distribution and can be up to $100,000. Transferring appreciated stocks is a win-win for an individual and a nonprofit. A donor can avoid capital gains taxes on the increased stock value and if you have owned the stock for more than a year, the donor can take a charitable deduction on the fair market value. The nonprofit also receives the fair market value and does not pay any taxes on the gain, hence the win-win.
*Any tax or estate planning is best left to a professional advisor.

Contact Rachel for more info on joining: randreasson@ti-stl.org