A New Year’s Legacy: Giving with Intention, Across Generations  

As the shofar sounds and the Jewish calendar turns, Rosh Hashanah offers us a powerful invitation: to reflect, reset, and renew. It’s a season of cheshbon hanefesh—soul-accounting—when we take stock not just of who we’ve been, but who we aspire to become.  

For those of us who steward Jewish philanthropy through UJA and the Jewish Foundation, this is also a time to reflect on the future we’re helping to shape—and with whom we’re shaping it.  

In times of uncertainty and resilience, our giving carries even deeper meaning. It is how we respond to crises, reaffirm our values, and pass on what matters most. Meaningful giving begins not with strategy, but with intention.  

Giving with Intention  

Intentionality in philanthropy isn’t about complexity; it’s about clarity. It means ensuring our philanthropic actions reflect our core values. For some, that may mean supporting Jewish education or ensuring food security for vulnerable older adults. For others, it may be investing in mental health, Israel engagement, or security for Jewish institutions. The needs are real and evolving.  

But no matter where we direct our support, Rosh Hashanah invites us to pause and ask: why do I give? what legacy do I want to build? 

This moment of reflection has the potential to elevate giving from something we do to something we live. And when we include our families in that process—when we invite our children and grandchildren into conversations about values and community—our giving becomes part of something even greater: a living legacy.  

Legacy is a Conversation  

Legacy isn’t just what we leave behind. It’s what we share now. And in Jewish life, philanthropy has long been a vehicle for transmitting values, telling stories, and connecting generations.  

More fundholders in the Jewish Foundation are embracing this truth by making philanthropy a family conversation. Some set aside time each year to discuss causes that matter to them. Others involve children in choosing grants, volunteering together, or reflecting on the Jewish values behind their giving.  

One fundholder shared:  

“We used to treat our donor advised fund like a financial tool. Now we see it as part of our family identity. We sit down every fall and talk about what matters to us—and what kind of impact we want to make together.”  

In my own family, with two young children in elementary school, Rosh Hashanah is a time when we talk about our intentions for the year ahead—not only personally, but communally. We ask simple questions together: how do we want to show up for our community this year? how do we want to give? It’s almost like making New Year’s resolutions, but with a focus on strengthening Jewish life and giving back. These small conversations plant the seeds for our kids to see philanthropy as part of who we are as a family.  

These conversations don’t have to be formal, but they are intentional. Even a few thoughtful questions—what issues moved us this year? what kind of world do we want to build together?—can turn giving into a deeper act of connection.  

The Rosh Hashanah Lens  

Rosh Hashanah is an ideal time for these conversations. It is a moment of looking both backward and forward. Just as we reflect on our personal relationships and commitments, we can reflect on how our giving expresses who we are and what kind of future we want to help create.  

In my family, these Rosh Hashanah conversations with our kids about how we want to show up and give back have become a small tradition. It helps them see that giving isn’t just something we do, but something we live.  

This is especially meaningful in a Jewish community still responding to the long shadow of October 7th. We are in a moment of rebuilding and resilience: expanding access to Jewish education, investing in mental health, fighting antisemitism, and fostering leadership across generations.  

At UJA, this season also marks the beginning of our fiscal year, when our planning team asks similar questions: what are the most pressing needs in the community? how do we want to show up? what priorities should shape the year ahead? Just as families reflect on their commitments, UJA is intentionally setting its direction for the year—aligning planning, fundraising, and philanthropic partnerships to ensure we can meet the moment.  

At the Jewish Foundation, our role is to help fundholders align their giving with community priorities and their personal values. Whether through curated grant opportunities, legacy planning, or family engagement resources, we are here to support purposeful, values-driven philanthropy.  

Making it Practical  

If you’re wondering how to begin or deepen these conversations with your family this High Holiday season, consider using your donor advised fund as a starting point. Asking questions like these can spark meaningful conversations about thoughtful giving:   

• What causes mattered most to us this past year?  
• Did our giving reflect our values, or just our habits?  
• What would it look like to make giving a shared family tradition?  
• What kind of legacy do we want to create—not just in dollars, but in meaning?  

If you’re navigating a generational transition—bringing adult children into your fund, or stewarding a legacy from a parent or grandparent—our teams at UJA and the Jewish Foundation can help facilitate those moments. We offer support in family giving plans, fund succession, and legacy strategy, grounded in Jewish values and community priorities.  

When you’re ready to start this journey or explore what’s possible, reach out to your key contact or philanthropic advisor at the Jewish Foundation. We regularly host family meetings, with no expectation or requirement to make any philanthropic or financial commitments. It’s simply an opportunity to reflect together, ask meaningful questions, and begin sharing your vision. You can schedule a time that works for you, and we’ll help guide the conversation at your pace and with your family’s values at the centre.  

A Shared Future  

As we welcome the new year, let’s remember that giving is not only a financial act. It’s an expression of who we are, what we value, and the Jewish future we hope to build together.   

May this Rosh Hashanah be not just a time of sweetness, but of intention. The most powerful legacy we can offer the next generation is to lead by example. This year, when we gather with our families and loved ones, let us ask meaningful questions, and recommit to giving with purpose—and with heart.   

Shana tova u’metukah. Wishing you a sweet, intentional, and meaningful new year.  

 

Sara Lefton
Chief Development Officer UJA & Executive Director, Jewish Foundation