8 FRANK BATTAT CAMPERSHIP FUND
Dear Friend, Our $100 million Family Matters Endowment Campaign has now exceeded the halfway mark! Through direct contributions to the JFCS Permanent Endowment Fund, as well as through named funds, donor advised funds, charitable gift annuities, and planned bequests, caring friends like you are making it possible to help children, families, young adults, those with disabilities, and the frail elderly. You are ensuring that people can reach their full potential and live out their lives in dignity—today and for generations to come. Remarkable work is being done in our Bay Area community, thanks to your support. The stories profiled in this issue of Generations are only a few examples of our donors’ acts of loving kindness, honoring and memorializing those who have made a positive impact on their lives and the lives of other individuals in one of the most meaningful ways possible. When we think of endowment, we think of the permanent security that our community needs. JFCS has been in the Bay Area for more than 164 years, helping the most vulnerable among us. All of you who give annual and endowment gifts today, and those who will contribute in the future, are building a strong, caring community that takes care of its own. And isn’t that what community is all about? Sincerely, Lynn Ganz
JFCS Endowment Co-Chair
2
Nancy Goldberg
JFCS Endowment Co-Chair
A Birthday Present When civic and Jewish community leader Frank Battat was on the cusp of turning 80, his three children asked him and his wife, Lee, how they would like them to observe his milestone birthday. It was clear to all that it would not involve a lavish party or a big box with a ribbon on top. “When you get to my age, you’re trying to pare down what you have, not accumulate,” reflects Frank. “At the same time, you’re thinking about your legacy—what would be most meaningful to your children and future generations.” In the end, the Battat children, with their parents’ blessing, decided to establish the Frank Battat Campership Fund at JFCS to support scholarships for children whose families cannot afford to send them to Jewish camps. “Lee and I never had the opportunity to go to camp ourselves,” Frank says, “but we know how important it can be in helping young people to learn how to do things for themselves, build character, and strengthen their connections to their community.” Connecting to their community has always been important to Frank and Lee, who have known each other since their student days at San Francisco’s George Washington High School and the University of California, Berkeley. Longtime Marin County residents, they were part of the early leadership at San Rafael’s Congregation Rodef Sholom, where Frank, a food marketing executive, served as president and Lee was on its board and executive committee. The Battats have also contributed their time, caring, and resources to many other Bay Area organizations over the years, but JFCS has always been a particular favorite. When Lee’s father and mother celebrated their 100th and 95th birthdays,