Bari Freiden

I firmly believe that a person cannot be considered a good Jew unless they practice tzedakah. The two words to me are synonymous. I saw my parents and grandparents follow this tradition as well as my husband and I. By establishing this endowment, it is my insurance that my children and grandchildren will hopefully follow in our footsteps.

Why did I choose the Jewish Community Foundation for this purpose? I know that it is important to support the numerous community and global philanthropies, but I feel that it’s imperative that first and foremost, we Jews must support Jewish causes as nobody else will. The Jewish Community Foundation has the expertise to know what these needs are and how best to meet them.