News & Events

Albuquerque high school seniors who have demonstrated achievements in human rights and human dignity and are enrolling in an accredited college or university this summer or fall are eligible to apply for the $1,000 Neil Isbin Scholarship. Deadline is May 30, 2013.

Download application details.

Cancelled. Will be rescheduled next year.

The Jewish Women's Endowment Fund (JWEF), meeting at the home of Roberta Sparks on February 13, 2013, voted on a $1,800 distribution to the NM Holocaust & Intolerance Museum. The grant will fund homemaker services for elderly Jewish Holocaust survivors in Albuquerque.

The JWEF was created as a separate fund within the Jewish Community Endowment Foundation. Its purpose is to help Jewish women and families in need through annual distributions to social service agencies, Jewish organizations and religious institutions in the Albuquerque area. Members of the JWEF contribute $1,000 to have a voting seat in the organization. To become a member, contact Chairpersons Mimi Efroymson or Linda Friedman at the Jewish Federation of New Mexico, 505-348-4458.

Volunteers and professionals from Albuquerque's Jewish community gathered with staff and lay leaders from the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona (Tucson) and JCEF New Mexico in early September for two-days of mentorship and brainstorming. The Tucson Foundation, originator of the Endowment Book of Life, provides JCEF NM with investment management, administrative and donor services support. "If there were one thing you could do to guarantee a better, more secure future for your family, your community and for Jews worldwide, would you do it?" asked Tucson's Executive Director Tracy Salkowitz. She and her staff, CFO Jane Espinoza and Director of Donor Services Lia Pierse shared their passion for and expertise in building and managing endowment assets for current and future community needs.

Congregation B'nai Israel, Congregation Albert, Solomon Schechter Day School, JCC, Jewish Family Service and Jewish Federation representatives learned how they could begin to cultivate endowments for their organizations. Ms. Pierse shared donor-centered ideas that helped the Tucson Jewish community more than double the number of legacy plans created in a year. Ms. Espinoza explained financial and investment best practices. Ms. Salkowitz stressed the importance of building trust and flexibility into the planned giving process.

Participants agreed that securing our community's Jewish future will take knowledge and commitment — and it begins with developing community awareness about the:

• Power, Ease and Satisfaction of long-term giving through legacy planning
• Necessity of helping secure the future of our Jewish community for generations to come — no one else will do it for us.

JCEF New Mexico looks forward to working with donors and organizations to build Jewish legacies.

Click here to download 2011 JCEFNM Annual Report

At the invitation of the Jewish Community Endowment Foundation of New Mexico and the Jewish Federation of New Mexico, Andrea Pactor, Associate Director of the Women's Philanthropy Institute at Indiana University, met with Jewish women activists and United Way leaders on February 3rd and 4th at Albuquerque's Artichoke Café and at the home of JCEF Chair Erika Rimson and David Bernstein.

An expert on understanding women's philanthropy through research, education, and knowledge dissemination, Pactor discussed how women are key to philanthropy in the 21st century. Pactor defined philanthropy as “a love of humankind and voluntary action for the public good.”

Explaining how approaches to philanthropy differ between men and women, Pactor addressed how women are socialized differently than men around issues of giving. She noted that changing trends (including a dramatic increase of women in the workforce, and for the first time ever, more woman Ph.D.s than men), has led to women increasingly making the financial decisions for their household. Women are directing philanthropic behavior in the United States -- especially within the Jewish community.

In her presentation, Pactor asked, “What causes resonate most deeply with you? To what extent does your current philanthropy reflect those concerns?” “What legacy would you like to pass to the next generation or to be remembered by your community?”

“Think about the strengths that each of us bring as women in the community, and think about what you want your community to look like,” Pactor challenged her audience. “What mandates us to do this? As Jews, we are reminded constantly to uphold the cause of the fatherless, the widow and the stranger. The Women of Valor, from Proverbs, 'stretches her hand to the poor and reaches her hand to the needy.'

“We are powerful and we are even more powerful when we work collaboratively to solve problems,” said Pactor.

Alexander and Jacob Ellis were recipients of a generous grant from the Jewish Federation's Israel Experience Fund held in the JCEF. Grants are made periodically to youngsters from New Mexico for educational travel or study in Israel.

The Ellis brothers were enrolled in the Eisendrath International Exchange program for four months in 2011. The boys took regular high school classes supplemented with Jewish history, Hebrew, and travel throughout the country. Each boy grew in understanding of and love for Israel. Jacob Ellis says, “My passion for Israel grew into a desire to Join the IDF"... the experience "helped me to learn about what I now want to be a part of.” His brother, Alexander, was thrilled to have made life-long friends saying, “The knowledge I have gained will never be lost, and nor will the desire to return.”

Mel and Paula Schwartz, residents of Albuquerque since 1991, signed the Endowment Book of Life at a community ceremony at the JCC in November, 2005. The Endowment Book of Life is a compilation of "Promises" by members of our community who are committed to leaving a legacy to future generations.

The Schwartzes are actively involved in the Albuquerque Jewish community and are generous with their time and their resources. It was important to Mel to formalize his "Promise" and take steps now to leave a legacy for the Jewish community. On January 31, 2011, the Schwartzes created the Melvin and Paula Schwartz Endowment Fund for Congregation Albert and the Melvin and Paula Schwartz Endowment Fund for Hillel at UNM held at the JCEFNM.

Both Hillel at UNM and Congregation Albert will benefit from the generosity and foresight of Paula and Mel Schwartz.

"We feel grateful to be able to create these funds to ensure the future of Albuquerque´s Jewish Community," said Paula. "To quote Hillel, `If I am not for others, what then am I? If not now, when?´"

Excerpt from Mel´s Book of Life Statement: Moving from Philadelphia, the "City of Brotherly Love," in 1991 to Albuquerque in the "Land of Enchantment" provided me with the opportunity to expand my horizons in Judaism as well as open new areas of interests in the Jewish Community... Here in Albuquerque, Paula and I were founders of the Hillel House on the campus of UNM, dedicated in the memory of Paula´s son Aaron, who was born in New Mexico. I have served on the Board of Congregation Albert, the JFGA Board, am an active member and Pillar of the JCC and a volunteer with the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau. I continue to look for opportunities to serve the Jewish Community both now and into the future.

Excerpt from Paula´s Book of Life Statement: I see myself as a strand in a long line of generations. I think back on my parents in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and my grandparents in this country and before that in Hungary, Russia and Poland. I think of all the cousins and relatives who perished in Europe, whose photos I have looked at over the years....I think about all the organizations that played a role in my Jewish identity growing up: the Jewish Community Center (in Pittsburgh it was the YM&WHA), the summer camps, the youth groups, Montefiore Hospital, and the synagogue.... I see my grandchildren growing up strong and proud in their Jewish pre-schools, their summer camps, and their synagogue life. I watch as my children become active in the synagogue, the Federation, and the life of the Jewish Community, and I know that Mel and I have passed on to them the love, the commitment and the proud sense of joy in our Jewish tradition. That is the legacy I leave...

Solomon Schechter Day School of Albuquerque (SSDS) was selected to participate in a two-year Endowment Development program offered by the Jewish Community Foundation (JCF) of Southern Arizona. SSDS will participate in the program along with ten Tucson Jewish organizations. The opportunity became available due to the Jewish Community Endowment Foundation of New Mexico's affiliation with JCF.

Areivim, responsibility in Hebrew, is funded by a grant from a consortium of major North American Jewish philanthropists who are committed to developing and supporting projects that will significantly impact the next generation of Jews. The JCF matches these funds, so that each participating organization will receive $18,000 over two years to implement the program. Modeled after the San Diego Jewish Community Foundation's Endowment Leadership Institute (ELI), Areivim will be facilitated by Gail Littman, Director of Endowments for San Diego's Jewish Community Foundation.

SSDS Head of School, Kathy Weil, will chair SSDS's four-person legacy team. They will receive high-quality training and support, sample marketing materials, and other services, including technical assistance in bequests, life income plans, life insurance and other planned giving vehicles during the two-year initiative. If you'd like to learn more about SSDS's involvement in Areivim, contact us.

Jewish Women's Endowment Fund of NM co-founder, Linda Friedman, hosted a luncheon in late January attended by donors and prospective donors to the fund. Grace Allison, Senior Vice President and Tax Strategist and Nora Mandel, Wealth Strategist, both of Northern Trust were guest speakers. Ms. Allison led the discussion focusing on topics related to women's philanthropy and estate planning.

Ms. Allison stressed the importance of communicating with family members about asset transfer and having up-to-date estate planning documents that include provisions benefiting favorite charities. The group discussed a variety of asset transfer strategies using simple case studies and reviewed the current outlook on transfer taxes. A lively question and answer session wrapped up the afternoon.

The Jewish Women's Endowment Fund was created to provide grants to fund programs that assist women and their children in the Jewish community.