A Triple Investment in Education

FOR RITA SCHWALB, EDUCATING YOUNG PEOPLE IS ONE OF THE SMARTEST INVESTMENTS SHE CAN MAKE. “ISRAEL’S MOST IMPORTANT AND NATURAL RESOURCE IS ITS YOUTH,” SHE SAYS. “EVERY CHILD IS PRECIOUS.”

BY TAMAR SNYDER

As a retired English teacher, Rita has seen firsthand the transformational power of education — both in her own classroom and on various AMIT campuses. A longtime President’s Circle member, she has been involved with AMIT for more than half a century. “I’ve always enjoyed teaching and have long admired how AMIT has been able to design such innovative curricula,” she says.

When Rita learned about the opportunity to set up a charitable gift annuity benefiting AMIT, the decision was easy.

It’s a “triple investment” she says.

First, the charitable gift annuity provides a steady stream of income, a portion of which is often tax-free. Second, she receives a charitable income tax deduction for the charitable gift portion of the annuity.

But the real reason she set it up was to invest in an organization that needs support to continue achieving such a substantial social impact.

AMIT’s educational network takes children, many of whom come to AMIT from the periphery, and “transforms them into Zionistic, productive citizens who are respectful of their Jewish traditions,” Rita says. “I’m so proud that municipalities come to us and say, ‘Help us take schools and transform them into AMIT schools.’ That’s a good investment.”

She and her late husband, Eugene z”l, first visited AMIT schools in person in the 1970s. They toured AMIT Kfar Batya in Ra’anana, a residential school for children whose home lives were difficult. “We were blown away

by the care and attention the students received, as well as the wonderful leadership,” she says.

On a trip several years later, the couple visited AMIT Frisch Beit Hayeled in Jerusalem, which pairs children with difficult home situations with caring foster families. “Wherever we went, we saw caring, individualized schools,” she says. “There wasn’t a single formula; there were many formulas.” Each school catered to the unique needs of their student population. “The students were nurtured in a particularly sensitive way by these caring professionals,” she recalls. “I was continually impressed with the people, programs, and the buildings.”

In 2016, the couple celebrated Eugene’s second Bar Mitzvah in Sderot, surrounded by family and friends. At a Hachnasat Sefer Torah ceremony organized by AMIT, the Schwalbs dedicated a Torah scroll in honor of Eugene’s 83rd birthday, which they donated to the AMIT Sderot Religious Junior and Senior High School. Eugene, who passed away in 2020, was a pediatrician who was a pioneer in the field of learning disabilities. In their charity, both Rita and Eugene were drawn to organizations that work with and help children.

Today, Rita is glad to provide AMIT with continued support for her entire lifetime and beyond. “It’s not simply an economic decision,” she says, but rather investing in the potential of the organization and the students AMIT serves. “You really get a lot out of it — look at who the products are, and what they achieve.”

I get a lot more than I invested. I hope other people feel that way. It’s an investment in human potential – and that is priceless.”

Receive Income for Life with a Charitable Gift Annuity

A charitable gift annuity is a gift made to AMIT that can provide you with a secure source of fixed payments for life. If you itemize deductions on your tax returns, savings from the federal income tax charitable deduction of the gift portion reduce the net cost of your gift. If you fund your annuity with appreciated property or securities rather than cash, you benefit even more because you are not responsible for the capital gains tax at the time of your gift.

BENEFITS OF AN AMIT CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITY:

• Receive fixed payments to you or another annuitant you designate for life • Receive a charitable income tax deduction for the charitable gift portion of the annuity • Benefit from payments that may be partially tax-free • Further the charitable work of AMIT

For more information about setting up a charitable gift annuity with AMIT, contact Genene Kaye, AMIT’s Chief Development Officer, at GeneneK@AMITChildren.org.