Solicitation Techniques and Help

Speeches and Presentations

Solicitation Put-Offs and Responses

Put-Off: A
My husband gives to the JTS or Ziegler or Schechter.

Response: A
Each of us makes her own decisions, choices, and commitments every day—when we shop, how we vote, and where our priorities are. We're asking you to consider making us a priority for you as an individual, just as your husband does for himself.

Put-Off: B
I give to other Jewish causes. I just can't do one more thing.

Response: B
That's great. It shows you are a concerned Jew. All of us give to other charities. But for Conservative Judaism to continue to flourish it depends on a very small segment of the Jewish population, and every one of us counts enormously toward success. JTS, Ziegler, and Schechter need our support more than ever.

Put-Off: C
I have given before. Why must I give more?

Response: C
Each year the cost of living rises, so that maintaining the same gift is in fact a loss for JTS, Ziegler, and Schechter. Costs rise, salaries increase, we need your help just to keep up.

Put-Off: D
Things are tough this year. I don't have the resources to give.

Response: D
I certainly would not pressure you on how to spend your money, but if you could see your way clear to giving just a small amount, it would go so far in helping to support our cause. (Give a dollar amount.)

Put-Off: E
How can you ask me for so much money?

Response: E
I do not want to insult you by asking for too much or, for that matter, by asking for too little. I am simply suggesting a number for us to discuss because this project is so vital and important. (Talk about what the money will do.)

Put-Off: F
There are fewer tax incentives now.

Response: F
I know how careful we all are about how we spend our money, but I think it is important that we look at a gift to Torah Fund as an investment in our future and our children's futures. The education of rabbis, cantors, Jewish scholars, and teachers depends on us. We are few people supporting a very important educational cause.

Put-Off: G
What does the JTS, Ziegler, and Schechter do for me?

Response: G
Provides the curriculum material for Hebrew schools. Trains teachers. Provides rabbis and cantors. Ramah Camps afford a Jewish environment in which our children experience a Conservative Jewish lifestyle. The Library of the JTS is considered one of the great comprehensive repositories of Judaica. The Conservative Movement must maintain its vitality and growth.

Put-Off: H
Things are tough this year. I don't have the resources to give.

Response: H
I certainly would not pressure you on how to spend your money but if you could see your way clear to just fifty cents per day, your participation would be a tremendous help in supporting our cause.

Put-Off: I
Why are you asking for more than last year?

Response: I
Because of inflation, our cost of supporting students has gone up, and to maintain our current level of assistance, we had to pass on this modest increase. We depend on increased pledges each year.

The ABCs of Torah Fund

A is for Associate Patrons who support the Torah Fund campaign at the $600–$1,199 level.

B is for Benefactors whose level of giving starts with a minimum contribution of $180.

C is for the new Torah Fund Campaign Guide, a comprehensive publication that tells you everything you need to know to conduct a successful Torah Fund Campaign.

D is for the Devar Torah that should begin every Torah Fund event.

E is for Easy Money, the program that provides matching gifts from over 700 companies.

F is for the Financial Aid Fund, a Torah Fund project, which awards money to needy students.

G is for Torah Fund Greeting Cards to be sent to friends and relatives for special occasions.

H is for the Hebrew School educators helped by Torah Fund.

I is for the Institute for Leadership Development where lay leaders live and study for five days at JTS.

J is for The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, a center for the academic study of Judaism.

K is for the Keter Kavod (Crown of Honor), an unencumbered, ongoing, minimum annual contribution of $5,000.

L is for List College, where undergraduates can study in such fields as politics, journalism, social work, financial planning, fundraising, and teaching.

M is for Mathilde Schechter, the founder and first President (in 1918) of Women's League for Conservative Judaism.

N is for Naming Opportunities, when you want to express your sentiments for all future generations to know and remember.

P is for the Torah Fund Pin, given as a gift in recognition of contributions of $180 or more.

Q is for the Quadrangle Beautification Project sponsored by Women's League.

R is for the Residence Halls, housing for seminary students sponsored, in part, by Torah Fund.

S is for Special Gifts, a specific named gift for one of the special Torah Fund projects.

T is for Torah Fund Tzedakah Coin Boxes, available for every member's home.

U is for Understanding the vital importance of supporting the Torah Fund Campaign.

V is for the many Video and Visual Presentations available for Sisterhood Torah Fund events and pre-meeting presentations.

W is for the Women's League Seminary Synagogue used for daily, holiday, and Shabbat worship.

X is for our X-tra Ordinary Torah Fund campaign.

Y is for YOU.

Z is for the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies located in Los Angeles, California.

Written by Susan F. Lodish
Torah Fund Cabinet
Philadelphia Branch

Devar Torah

In the Fourth Commandment we are told:
Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God and you shall not do any work—you, your son or daughter, your male or female slave, or your cattle, or the stranger who is within your settlements. For in six days, the Lord made heaven and earth and sea, and all that is in them, and he rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it.

With joyful emotions, we welcome the Sabbath. We put aside our cares, daily chores, struggles, and sorrows of the weekdays and let peace, serenity, and rest enter our hearts. We have a day to sit down for our Shabbat meals with our families, a day to attend synagogue and pray, to meditate and rest, and to spend time with our friends.

The wisdom of the Torah is brought home to us. The change from the everyday routine gives us the ability to appreciate the Sabbath for helping us to restore our souls and to balance our lives.

In many ways, the Sabbath is what we make of it, as well as our degree of appreciation of it. May we realize the elevating and quickening power of the Sabbath to make us worthy of God's benevolence and may the light of Shabbat shine brightly on all of us.

Shabbat Shalom.

Written by Ruth Aach
Northern New Jersey Region

Sample Pitch

A Year Can Make a Difference

To me, Torah Fund is all about vision. It’s like peering into the crystal ball that we all wish we had access to. Regardless of each of our individual backgrounds while growing up in a Jewish home, the message was most likely the same: L’dor v’dor, from generation to generation. It was the same message that was given to our mothers and their mothers. It’s the message that we pass along to our children and grandchildren. But unlike so many other things in our lives that we have little control over, the continuity of Jewish education and the perpetuation of the Conservative Movement is something that each and every one of us has a part in. Each Sisterhood throughout the country has been given a goal to raise funds to fulfill the line item in the budget of the Jewish Theological Seminary. We’ve committed ourselves to the additional monies for the Scholarship Fund. The task may seem out of our reach at times, but a year from now I am confident that we will have not only reached our goal, but far exceeded it.

Amazing things can happen in a year.

A year ago, if you would have asked me if I would be standing before you as the Torah Fund Vice President of Women’s League for Conservative Judaism (Torah Fund Chair), I would have questioned you by saying that I am not experienced enough in fund-raising to take on this job.

A year ago, if you would have mentioned that a group of JTS/Masorti-trained rabbis, educators, and social workers would be visiting families in shelters in northern Israel just days after I visited the area, as their homes were being bombed by Hezbollah, I would have looked at you aghast in disbelief. (Substitute your own personal experience.)

And a year ago, if you would have told me that I would be a grandmother to an adorable baby boy, I would have made sure I was hearing correctly. (Substitute your own personal experience.)

So, yes, a lot can happen in a year’s time. I stand before you, honored to have been chosen to represent you in the Torah Fund campaign and humbled by you, the women who have devoted your time, your energy, and in many cases, years to achieve what you have accomplished.

I have learned how a group of devoted women with a vision toward Jewish education can undertake seemingly impossible tasks. I have seen the buildings, classrooms, The Library, and synagogue of The Jewish Theological Seminary that Torah Fund and Women’s League have helped to support and finance. And I have spoken to the students who are the grateful recipients of the money that we raise, and yes, they’re very aware of Women’s League and Torah Fund.

Yes, a lot can happen in a year! And whether your year’s experience is filled with personal highlights—perhaps a brit of a grandson, a community, shared experience like a synagogue or Women’s League trip to Israel, or an Adult Education or Adult Bat Mitzvah class—a year can change your life. We’re each a part of making a difference this coming year. We’re each a link in the chain called Judaism that has connected us for thousands of years. Let’s make this year special. You can make it happen! We will make it happen!

When we meet again next year—I am confident that a year will not only have made a difference in your personal lives, but in Torah Fund, too.

Kulanu B’yachad! All of us together!

Submitted by Meryl Balaban
Northern New Jersey, TF Region Vice President

Planned Giving

Brochures and articles help promote planned giving, but personal presentations get the quickest results. Of course, this is more difficult because it raises the delicate question of the distribution of one’s estate at death. It will help if you stay focused on why Torah Fund needs and deserves planned gifts. Don’t worry about the ways to do it; let the Torah Fund Office be your technical support.

At each stage of our lives, our financial needs change. It is not tzedakah to give more than one can afford; however, with careful planning and proper knowledge, you may be able to give more than you think. That is why planned giving is an essential part of our overall estate planning.

Women's Philanthropy Is Rapidly Changing

More and more women are in control of their own as well as their families' finances. As highly intelligent, educated, and committed Sisterhood women, we know the value of planning ahead and setting the pace in giving tzedakah. Now is the time for us to know our assets, make sure we have carefully planned for the future of our families, and secure the future education of Conservative Jews with a gift made through Torah Fund.

Charitable giving can present valuable planning opportunities. The benefits can be far greater than expected for you and your philanthropy. One must always work with competent legal advisers and fully understand the nature of the plan. Torah Fund has qualified personnel who will be happy to give you further information and help you move toward your goals and objectives.

We Give in Order to Assure Jewish Continuity

The essentials of planned giving as part of our estate planning are to:

Be knowledgeable
Know your specific needs
Accept guidance
And yes, you do need a will

Regardless of your age, sex, tax bracket, or marital status, a will is a powerful legal tool. You cannot ensure that your wishes will be met, or your monies and properties distributed correctly, without a will. If you do not make a will and name your legal heirs, the state will do it for you, placing something very personal and important out of your control.

Plan your charitable giving to the Torah Fund Campaign for both the short and the long term. Planned giving is the avenue for the most powerful impact of your tzedakah. Please share this information with your Sisterhood.

How Can I Make a Bequest to Torah Fund?

One of our best options is a bequest that we can make now to Torah Fund so that the future of JTS and its institutions will be assured.
In your will the following can be incorporated:

Evelyn Berger
Torah Fund Planned Giving Chair
The Jewish Theological Seminary
3080 Broadway
New York, NY 10027

Dear Ms. Berger:
This letter confirms my commitment to provide a legacy of $_______ (or percentage of my estate) to Torah Fund of The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS).

This letter shall serve as instructions to the executor(s) of my estate to pay this promise from my estate in any and all events. Not withstanding the foregoing instructions, shall be invalid if there are for any reason insufficient funds to satisfy the bequest.

Sincerely,

_________________________ ______________
Donor Date

When you insert this in your will, please sign and send a duplicate to the Torah Fund office so we can know how you have remembered JTS.

Do You Need a Will?

IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENT YOU WILL EVER MAKE. If you do not make a will, the state where you reside will appoint a court administrator and you will have not had any control of your assets. If you feel that your estate is not large enough, it is even more reason to make sure your assets are distributed in a tax-wise and efficient manner.

Hire a qualified lawyer, or at your death the extra costs and complications will outweigh any legal fees you pay now.

There are many doors of tzedakah open to us and many ways to accomplish our dreams of fulfillment. The very first donation I personally ever made was as a young wife and mother of four children. We had recently purchased our first home in a new community, and it was such an exciting, busy time. Every day was a new adventure.

Then something else wonderful happened. It happened at a Sisterhood meeting. The Branch Torah Fund chair came to speak and I was really impressed. A whole new world opened for me as to how a young Jewish woman could make an impact. I pledged ten dollars and I was very proud. That was forty-four years ago. Today, I am still proud.

As we continue on a yearly basis, raising our pledge as circumstances permit, wonderful things are happening. We honor our heritage and continue the legacy given to us. We build for today and for a stronger future. Every day the future has arrived, and every day soon becomes part of our past. We want to nurture that future and we want the future to never stop coming. How can we accomplish this?

We have a powerful tool within our reach. It is simply called Planned Giving. It is available for everyone, at every financial level. It is custom-made to accomplish our desires. It can begin at any designated time and at any financial level. We can put aside a set amount, receive lifetime income, have a tax benefit, and help Torah Fund continue its outstanding work. We can plan our gift for the future in many ways advantageous to us now. Establish a policy, small or large, designed to meet our needs; designate a specific amount or percentage in our wills; establish any one of a variety of trusts; or make a bequest. There are many more doors open to us. There are tax advantages, personal advantages, and future advantages. It is what is known as a Win-Win Situation.

It Is Never Too Early or Too Late to Think About It or to Take Your Thoughts to Fruition.

Today, I have ten grandchildren. I want them and their children, grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren to have the benefits of living in a vibrant Jewish society at every level of spirituality, culture, academia, service, and creativity. I'm sure that you want no less for yours.

As women, we have the capability of accomplishing our dreams and leaving a fingerprint on the future. What is better than to leave an inheritance of true value?

Written by Blanche Meisel
International Chair, Planned Giving
Pacific Southwest Branch

Behind the Torah Fund Pin

You've all seen the beautiful Torah Fund pins that more than 10,000 women proudly wear. Each year a new Torah Fund pin is designed to match a different theme. This year the theme is Tikvah—Hope. This beautiful two-tone pin depicts our strength as we nurture the ever-growing tree of tikvah. But do you know what the pin stands for?

The Torah Fund pin says that the wearer supports the beneficiaries of Torah Fund—The Jewish Theological Seminary, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, and Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies. Through these funds we strengthen The Rabbinical School of JTS and Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies that train Conservative rabbis, the H. L. Miller Cantorial School that prepares men and women to sing the Shabbat and holiday services, Albert A. List College of Jewish Studies, Rebecca and Israel Ivry Prozdor High School, The Graduate School, and The Library of The Jewish Theological Seminary (one of the major repositories of Judaica in the world). The Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies educates and ordains Conservative rabbis for Israel and Europe as well as North American rabbinical students during their year of training in Israel. And these are just a few of the programs supported by "pin" money!

The best response to the challenges of Jewish attrition is Jewish education. These programs provide that education. Members of our congregations received rabbinic ordination at JTS and Ziegler, and lay congregants have studied at JTS or through JTS's online Distance Learning program.

Support Torah Fund. For $180 or more you can own one of the best pieces of jewelry a Jewish woman can wear. And if you can't manage $180, offer support at whatever level is possible. It will make you feel wonderful. Your children and grandchildren will bless you for the continuation of Conservative Judaism.

Just Imagine . . .

Close your eyes and imagine: You are a beginning student at The Jewish Theological Seminary. You recognize the need for strong and knowledgeable leaders, be they rabbis, cantors, educators, academic scholars, or community professionals. As this first-year student, you are deeply committed to Jewish life and learning.

And it is only because you are so deeply committed that you are willing to put yourself into debt, borrowing from relatives or mortgaging your future for a student loan in order to pay anywhere from $10,000 to $19,000 a year for tuition and approximately $14,000 a year for living expenses. Better yet, if you are in one of the dual-degree programs with Barnard or Columbia, you have to add another $14,000 to the cost of your tuition, bringing the cost of your first year to almost $40,000. As an undergraduate, you live in a dilapidated dorm in desperate need of renovation. If, on the other hand, you're a graduate student, you'll find yourself living in an apartment in a seedy, rundown building on 92nd Street and Broadway and traveling every day to and from the seminary, schlepping in all sorts of weather. In addition, at JTS you study in an antiquated area without expansive library facilities or modern reference sources. You have no electronic equipment and you worship daily in a dismal sanctuary. These may very well be the conditions you would face—if there were no Women's League Torah Fund.

Fortunately, however, for more than sixty years Women's League for Conservative Judaism has been closely linked to The Jewish Theological Seminary through the Torah Fund Campaign. The campaign was first started in 1942 as a scholarship fund, and the first year's goal was $10,000, a princely sum for those years. By the 1950s, more than half of the Sisterhoods in Women's League were conducting their own campaigns and raised $142,000. The campaign continued as an ongoing source of scholarship funding for JTS students. By 1958, the annual goal was raised to $1,000,000, quite a jump from its 1942 beginnings. Reflecting their commitment to a Residence Hall for students, "bricks" were bought for ten dollars each. Possibly, some of you purchased these "bricks." In 1963, the campaign was started for the Mathilde Schechter Residence Hall providing housing for undergraduate students and in 1976 it was completed. The campaign then turned its attention to providing a residence for married and graduate students, and in 1978 the Goldsmith Hall was dedicated. Moving beyond New York, the Torah Fund constructed a sculpture garden at the Schechter Institute in Jerusalem. In 1982, Women's League undertook the responsibility of providing 500 bookshelves for the new Library. Your Sisterhood may have purchased one of these shelves. The next project again moved outside New York and the Residence Halls of the University of Judaism in Los Angeles were dedicated in 1989. The beautification of the Quadrangle at JTS was completed in 1990. In 1992 a financial-aid fund was established that awarded aid to students on the basis of need. The Women's League Synagogue was the next major project. I have had the privilege of using this sanctuary. It is a most uplifting experience, which makes us all proud to be members of Women's League. These are truly impressive milestones for Torah Fund.

BUT

In 1966 a terrible fire consumed The Library Tower. And there was chaos all around. Most of the books stored in the Tower were burned or damaged by smoke and water. Some treasures were saved, but the Tower was closed.

Many years later, it came to pass that Chancellor Ismar Schorsch said, "Let us reopen the Tower." A family named Kripke gave money so that the Tower could be rebuilt. AND IT IS GOOD.

So Torah Fund monies were pledged for an educational pavilion. It contains a lecture hall with video conferencing and built-in seating, with each seat having data and power connections. And people came from all over the world to see the state-of-the-art lecture hall. AND IT IS GOOD.

There are high-tech seminar rooms with Internet connections so that men and women from around the world can enjoy the light of Torah shining forth from 3080 Broadway. AND IT IS GOOD.

When the space was completed, the walls were adorned with fourteen large original paintings by Avner Moriah. The paintings depicted women and the twelve signs of the zodiac. AND IT IS BEAUTIFUL.

And Dr. Schorsch, members of the Torah Fund Cabinet and Council, all the patrons, the associate patrons, the guardians, the benefactors, and all the Torah Fund supporters looked at what they had created and all agreed, "Let us continue to support Torah Fund and The Jewish Theological Seminary, so that our children and our children's children, even unto seven generations, may benefit." AND IT IS VERY GOOD.

By Your Becoming a Part of This Wonderful Story, It Will Be Even Better.

It is no secret that in the face of challenges of attrition and assimilation that confront American Jews, the best response is effective and meaningful Jewish education. We need your help to maintain The Jewish Theological Seminary as the powerhouse of Jewish education it has been for over a century. The faculty of over 100 world-class scholars is the most comprehensive Jewish-studies resource in America. JTS provides outstanding undergraduate- and graduate-level education to almost 1,000 students enrolled in all divisions. Additionally, thanks to the World Wide Web, Jewish learning at JTS in now available throughout the world. You can enroll for distance learning in such courses as Bible, Talmud, and Jewish Ethics. Many topics may be taken toward an academic degree or for enrichment. JTS is the research center for the Jewish future and it is here that new educational materials are being developed.

Every Sisterhood member benefits from the continued strength of The Jewish Theological Seminary, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, and Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies.

So, let's look back and see what has happened to that imaginary student now. He or she is able to receive financial aid, if needed, to help defray the cost of tuition.

He or she, and possibly family, now: lives in a modern dormitory near JTS; no longer has to schlep to classes; studies in a modern library filled with world-renowned historical manuscripts and extensive current reference materials; uses, in the Educational Pavilion, the latest electronic devices; and can access information throughout the world. He or she can be almost anywhere in the world and still be connected to The Jewish Theological Seminary.

When a break is needed from the routine, he or she pauses to admire the beautiful zodiac murals on the walls and, to express thanks, prays in the beautiful, uplifting Women's League Seminary Synagogue.

Only with your help can that which we imagine become reality.

Written by
Rhoda Agin
Torah Fund Council
South Shore Long Island/Brooklyn Branch
and Susan Lodish
Torah Fund Cabinet
Philadelphia Branch

Torah Fund Phon-a-thon Script

Hello, may, I please speak with _____________(first name)?

Hello, ___________(first name), my name is__________________. I am a Women's League Sisterhood member and a member of _________ (synagogue or sisterhood).

First of all, I would like to thank you for your past participation in the Torah Fund Campaign. As you know, Torah Fund is supported by more than 20,000 women throughout the world. Every year, Torah Fund raises over $2.4 million to support The Jewish Theological Seminary, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, and Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies. These institutions educate Conservative/Masorti rabbis, cantors, and educators for our Conservative Jewish community. Can we count on your continued support again this year?

IF YES—Thank you. GO TO CLOSE*

IF NO—Ask for the reason she is not participating this year. (See Solicitation Put-Offs and Responses.)

IF YES—After answering the objection, GO TO CLOSE*

*CLOSE—That's great. Immediate fulfillment of your pledge would be helpful now. Can we count on you to put your pledge on your Mastercard or Visa this evening?

IF YES—l'd be happy to put your ______ (amount of) contribution on your Master Card or Visa. (Confirm the type of credit card.)

Could I please have your name as it appears on the card? (Confirm spellings.)

Could I have your account number please? (Read back to confirm the account number and the expiration date on the card.)

Reconfirm the amount.

Thank you for your generous support.

IF NO—Please send in your check to me at: Are you still at (confirm address including zip code)?

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Correspondence

Solicitation Talk

Ruth Loewenstein—North Shore, Long Island Region

Miriam, Moses, and the children of Israel sang and played the tambourines, as it says in Exodus, chapter 15, “Sing to the Lord for he is exalted.” And in Deborah’s song of victory in Judges, chapter 5, “I will sing to the Lord, I will sing, I will make music to the Lord.” Think also of Hannah’s hauntingly beautiful song of praise after the birth of Samuel and the voice of the Queen of Sheba when she was visiting King Solomon. And imagine the song of Sarah when she was told that she would be with child.

How do we know about all these beautiful voices? Yes, our parents told us some, but most of the stories and the beautiful melodies were taught to us by our rabbis, cantors, and teachers. We learned these things from our days at Solomon Schechter Schools and Talmud Torahs, from an early age until we were ready to begin our own families.

Where did this teaching and learning progress begin? In 1942, Women’s League for Conservative Judaism, through its Sisterhoods, began to support the beacons of our movement through Torah Fund. First there was The Jewish Theological Seminary, and then Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, Schechter Institute, and Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano. We have supported every facet of these institutions, first the Residence Halls and The Library—like none in the world—the various campuses, and now a special Scholarship Fund project. Through the ranks of Benefactors, Guardians, Associate Patrons, Patrons, and special large gifts, we have assured that there can be a continuation of teaching—“L’Dor V’Dor,” from generation to generation.

Today, however, Conservative Judaism is at a crossroads and faces problems as well as challenges. It is imperative that we make every effort, together, to fulfill and surpass our goals!

If we falter and hesitate, think of the consequences. Imagine students at the H. L. Miller Cantorial School and College of Music in their third year. They need more funds to be able to live in the Goldsmith Residence Hall—these financial problems are an albatross to them. It is up to us, through our contributions to Torah Fund, to assure that there will soon be a new Kol Ishah in our midst.

In the Pirkei Avot, Ethics of the Fathers, we learn Im Ein Kemach, Ein Torah, Im Ein Torah, Ein Kemach, “Where there is no flour, there is no Torah, and where there is no Torah, there is no flour.”

So let us go forward together to learn and to hear, to listen to a “Hallelujah, Sing unto the Lord a new Song” (Psalm 149). Music is a mode of expression that engages our minds and souls on a deeper level. But we can only recognize and continue the legacy of Kol Ishah if we make sure that our voices are heard through our continuous contributions and support.

Pitch I

Phyllis Haas—Philadelphia Region

We are here today to learn about The Jewish Theological Seminary, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, Schechter Institute for Jewish Research, and Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano and ask you for your financial support. You have participated in the Torah Fund Campaign most generously in the past and are rightly proud of your achievement.

You may ask now, “Why give again?” There is no “again” in life. Each year, each moment, each act is a new one, unlike any before.

When you give this year to Torah Fund, you are not giving “again,” but for the first time to new students, new programs. Your gift will help generate new ideas, new insights. I ask you to “renew” your gift to make it new again. Give again, as much as you can, with an added gift to the special Scholarship Project, to our campaign, and to keep these institutions strong and vital centers of Jewish scholarship, leadership, and faith.

Pitch II

Meryl Balaban—Northern New Jersey Region

A Year Can Make a Difference

Amazing things can happen in a year.

And a year ago, if you would have told me that I would be a grandmother to an adorable baby boy, I would have made sure I was hearing correctly. (Substitute your own personal experience.)

When we meet again next year—I am confident that a year will not only have made a difference in your personal lives, but in Torah Fund, too!

Potential New Donors

Marilyn Berkowitz—Pacific Southwest Region

Rabbinic legend says that children learn from their parents about the world. It is said that while in the womb, a child knows Torah. When the child is born, at the moment of birth, an angel strikes the child above the lips. This creates a dent and also causes the child to forget all knowledge of the Torah. The child needs to relearn Torah from parents, rabbis, cantors, and educators.

How many of you have thought about how you will provide that education for your children? You make sure that they are fed and clothed. You make sure that they feel loved and wanted. But, what about their other spiritual needs? Do you celebrate Shabbat or the holidays in your home? Are you sending your children to a Jewish pre-school, day school, religious school, Camp Ramah, or on a USY trip? Do you dream of their future when your children will get married under a huppah?

You may have started taking care of their spiritual needs already. You may be instilling Jewish values and goals at this time to your children. How can you make sure that your children will continue to be educated so that they will grow into committed, caring, and educated Jewish adults?

Children need role models beyond their parents and extended families. They need rabbis and cantors to be mentors and to guide their Jewish journey. They need educators and lay leaders to teach them and to be there to answer their questions. With your help, we can make sure that the leadership will be there for them.

Money that is donated to Torah Fund will go toward people who can help your child relearn Torah. This money is used to help subsidize student rabbis, cantors, educators, and lay leaders. Set an example for your family and your friends by giving to Torah Fund. Let them know that you are committed to helping perpetuate the Conservative Movement. If you choose to give at the Benefactor level or above, wear your Torah Fund pin proudly. Let everyone know that you are investing in not just your own children’s future, but their children’s future, too. Let them know that you are concerned with the survival of Conservative Judaism and that you have made a pledge to Torah Fund to ensure that it will continue.

You have the power to take responsibility for the future of your children, the children of your community, and the children of the Conservative Movement. Take this opportunity to make a pledge to Torah Fund and help build the future. May all our children remember what they once knew!

Letters

Marilyn Wind—Seaboard Region

A solicitation letter can easily be personalized. To personalize it, if you are using Word, please use the Mail Merge option. Think about what parts of the letter you want personalized and then create an Excel spreadsheet in which each column contains one of the personalized pieces. The heading for the column should appear in the letter as you write it, and then when the merge is accomplished you will have a fully personalized letter. For instance, the following letter to be sent to special gift donors from last year would be personalized with: (1) Full Name, (2) Address, (3) First Name, (4) Special Gift Name, (5) Amount Given Last Year, (6) Amount Requested This Year, and (7) Amount Requested for Plus Giving. For this letter your Excel spreadsheet should have seven columns.

Full Name
Address

Dear First Name:

Thank you for contributing at the Special Gift Name (Amount Given Last Year) level last year. Thanks to you and others like you, we raised $2.59 million last year. Our Seaboard Region raised just over $220,000 last year, the third highest amount of the twenty-five Women’s League regions. Our Sisterhood not only met its goal of $5,000 but exceeded it by $2,000. We hope to do the same this year.

I am asking you again this year to contribute at the Special Gift Name level, but in addition to give an extra ten percent for our special project, the Scholarship Project. As I am sure you are aware, it has become increasingly more expensive to attend rabbinical school, cantorial school, and graduate school for Jewish education. In order to ensure that we continue to produce rabbis, cantors, and Jewish educators for the future, we need to make sure that high tuition and living expenses do not preclude committed Conservative Jews from being able to attend our schools.

I am including a pledge card for your convenience. Please get it back to me so that I can make sure you have your Special Gift Name pin to wear for the High Holidays. This year’s pin is beautiful, as you can see below. It is titled Kol Ishah: A Woman’s Voice. I know you will want to wear this new pin as soon as possible.

I wish you and your family a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Sincerely yours,
Torah Fund Chair’s Name

Scholarship Letter

Roz Goldstine—Pacific Southwest Region

Let me share something I read a while ago and saved because it was about you and me.

Have you ever thought of yourself as a philanthropist?

When you think about a philanthropist, who comes to mind? Bill Gates? Steven Spielberg? Warren Buffet? Barbra Streisand? People who give millions of dollars to organizations and charities?

As a member of Women’s League, as a member of your Sisterhood, and as a donor to Torah Fund, YOU are a philanthropist! Over the many years of participating in Torah Fund Campaigns, YOU heard the call. YOU heeded the need. And YOU answered strongly.

And today, we call upon you to support our new undertaking—our Torah Fund Scholarship Project of Plus-Giving. Our goal is to raise at least $2,000,000 over a period of four years.

“Why?” you ask. “Isn’t the money we raise annually for Torah Fund enough?” The answer is yes, and no. The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles, Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, and Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano in Buenos Aires do miraculous things for their students with the monies raised by our Torah Fund campaigns.

But our new Scholarship Project Plus-Giving goes even further. Second-career rabbis and cantors, who often have families themselves, find tuition payments a huge financial challenge. Scholarship Project Plus-Giving provides additional financial help for these individuals who are our spiritual leaders of the future. It also alleviates the monetary burden of the students' required year of study in Israel, when they are unable to work. And it fills in the financial cracks in a myriad of other ways, ways that our regular Torah Fund monies simply cannot do.

How can you help? Think of the little things you buy over the course of a day. Is a morning stop at Starbucks part of your routine? Over the course of a week, a latte a day adds up to $17; that same latte over the course of a month adds up to $68; and that same latte over the course of a year adds up to $816!

How about giving to a cause you believe in? As a contributor to Torah Fund, you have already demonstrated your belief in what Torah Fund is all about and what it accomplishes. Now we are inviting you to join us and become a part of our special Scholarship Fund Plus-Giving Project.

Borrow from Eleanor Roosevelt’s wisdom: “The future is literally in our hands to mold as we like. But we cannot wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow is now.” We hope we can count on you today to help our students’ tomorrows.

Torah Fund

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