Capital Campaign spotlight

By Marcy Friedland, Capital Campaign & Planned Giving Director

This month, we asked this question of some of our lead donors who purchased naming opportunities for our new building: “Why did you donate to the new building and what does it mean to you?” Below are some of their answers.

Arlene & Michael Sobel

“Arlene and I first came to Naples in the late 1990s, then only as part-time snowbirds. Our first involvement with the then Jewish Federation of Collier County was as volunteers. I was working to improve the dated computer systems and Arlene did data entry, filing and other administrative tasks, including Jewish Book Festival record keeping. We both enjoyed volunteering as we witnessed the growth of the organization. Through the early 2000s, we continued to offer our help on various committees. As the Federation grew, so did our involvement. And then the WCA and MCA came into existence. Both of us were involved from the beginning and remain active today.

“This commitment included our sense of giving back, not only of time, but of our need to contribute to the many organizations supported by the JFGN. And now, we are honored to leave a living legacy by putting our name on one of the naming opportunities for the new building, which will be the future of the Jewish Community in Greater Naples for many years to come.”

Linda & Dan Carp

“We have always felt that the Jewish community would benefit from a well-funded Federation and a Federation that had the resources to lead important efforts to enhance Jewish life in the Greater Naples area. It had become clear that the community could not support a typical JCC, but that it could support a stronger Federation.

“We could see the plan to build a new and much-needed headquarters on land owned by Temple Shalom was the right, financially sound next step to increasing the Federation’s ability to support Jewish life in this area. In addition, we were encouraged to see the cooperation between Temple Shalom and the Federation to make this happen soon. For these reasons, we are happy to support this effort.”

Phyllis & Michael (z”l) Seaman

“The questions of why we need a new building, and why we donated, is a no-brainer for me. Michael (z”l) and I moved here full time almost 29 years ago. The Federation was a two-room office space for both Federation and Jewish Family Services. I became a board member within a year or two. As the years passed and our Jewish community grew, the needs grew with it and Federation made two more moves to its present offices.

“Now, we have grown beyond expectation with affiliate groups and programming, making it difficult to continue operating in the existing space. The thought of a Jewish “campus” in Naples, with better security for our community, is so important for our Jewish spiritual and social lives.

“I look at how far we have come and the bright future ahead. A new home!”

Jennifer & Marc Fleischer

“Our family has been active in the Jewish communities of Rochester, New York as well as in Naples, Florida. We feel it is very important to have a Jewish Federation that is strong and is a place that we all feel welcome. It should be a place that we feel proud of, supporting all the Jewish people in the Greater Naples area.

“This is the time for us to have a new and vibrant building with a central location that will now be on the same campus with Temple Shalom. This campus will make it easier for many to attend events in both buildings. The new design for the offices and programming will be modern and inviting. Our family believes that the growing Jewish population of Naples and the surrounding communities need this beautiful new building, and we are very proud and happy to help facilitate it.”

We will continue next month with more lead donor answers.

Naming opportunities from $5,000 and up remain for you to leave a lasting legacy as well. All pledges can be paid over five years. For more information on how you can make a pledge to the Capital Campaign, and to receive a complete list of naming opportunities, contact me at mfriedland@jewishnaples.org or 239-263-4205.