Rita and Ron Kelner on leaving a legacy gift
Rita and Ron Kelner don’t consider themselves typical legacy donors.
“We’re familiar with legacies and endowments,” says Rita, referencing Ron’s tenure on the Jewish Community Foundation of the Minneapolis Jewish Federation’s Investment Committee. “I just never thought they would be an option for us.”
The Kelners have been involved with both Jewish Community Foundation and Minneapolis Jewish Federation for more than two decades, but they hesitated to call themselves the face of Federation. Their modest but meaningful potential gift, they thought, wasn’t large enough to make that big of a difference.
“This is a common misconception people have about leaving a legacy with an organization,” says Alene Sussman, Director of the JCF, “But the truth is that anyone can leave a legacy gift, decide on the timing of when and how to fund it, and know that it will make an immense impact during their lifetimes or after they are gone.”
Rita says she began to take the idea more seriously after hearing a peer mention her own legacy gift. “I thought, well, if she can do it… so can we.”
Once the Kelners discussed their options and realized leaving a legacy was a possibility, it wasn’t difficult for them to make the decision. After all, they’ve benefited from the Jewish community for as long as they can remember.
“Growing up I remember getting scholarships to go to camp,” says Ron, who grew up on the North Side of Minneapolis. When anti-Semitism was at its peak in the Minneapolis public school system, the community helped his parents pay tuition at Torah Academy. Rita also received camp scholarships, and once the couple became parents, they tried to instill in their children the importance of supporting the Jewish community through Federation both financially as well as through volunteer opportunities. Now that Rita and Ron are grandparents, they’re thinking even more about the Jewish community of the future—a place they hope remains vibrant and strong.
The community they love and envision for the future is, thankfully, made up of a network of Jewish organizations. “It would be impossible for us to support them all,” says Ron. “So Federation is the umbrella.”
“We feel that Federation knows where the funds are needed at any given time,” adds Rita. “Right now they might be needed for security; in five years they might be needed for something else.”
When COVID-19 shut down the Minneapolis Jewish community, the Kelners felt this acutely. They knew their synagogue and other organizations would be hurting financially. “When we heard about Federation coming up with $2 million to support the community, we wanted to be part of the fundraising to replenish the funds,” says Ron.
The couple set up a crowdfunding page to rally support for Federation’s COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund among their friends and family. Through social media and personal e-mails, Rita and Ron quickly raised half of their goal. They were glad to be leaders, they say, and to stimulate others to do the same.
The importance of a strong and safe Jewish community is close to the Kelners’ heart. Rita’s father, Solomon Lederman, was a Holocaust survivor. Ron’s grandfather came to Minneapolis from Poland in 1922. “It’s really important to both of us that any Jew, wherever they are, are able to practice their religion without fear,” says Rita.
Adds Ron, “we believe the need for Federation is as strong as ever, and as a community we have an obligation to support it.”
The Kelners shared their story in hopes of inspiring others to consider leaving a legacy to the community.
“If you are even thinking about something like this—or if you want to do something like this to perpetuate your gift— at least talk to someone at Federation,” says Rita. “There are different avenues, different ways. Don’t be afraid and don’t tell yourself you can’t.”
Have any questions about joining the Kelners in leaving a legacy gift? We’d love to hear from you! Reach out to Amalie Frankel, Development Officer ( afrankel@jewishminneapolis.org | 952-417-2366)