A legacy workshop

By Linda Lerner

Recently, I became the 100th member of the Lion of Judah Society here in Naples. The first event I attended was the Lion Behind the Pin Luncheon. At this event, speakers and some of our local members presented the concept of the legacy of being a Lion of Judah, which moved them to convey these ideas to their descendants. Up until this point, I hadn’t considered philanthropy in these terms. After the luncheon, there was an invitation to participate in a small group Legacy Writing Workshop to further explore this concept, which I attended.

The process of thinking through some of my deeply held values awakened in me a desire to communicate my feelings regarding what I valued most about giving back to the community; feelings I cherished but hadn’t yet clearly shared with certain members of my family, especially my nieces. I always thought that living my commitment was enough. I suppose an additional reason I held back was because I felt it might be considered an unwelcome imposition.

At the workshop hosted by Paula Filler in her home, a small group of women created a feeling of trust that enabled a level of sharing of our thoughts, deeply held beliefs and desires for our legacy. In that session, I discovered that there are some different ways to share thoughts about Jewish philanthropy and, perhaps, guide my family in loving and helpful ways.

These workshops will hopefully make possible more open family discussions about our values. If you choose to attend one of these Legacy Writing Workshops, you may, as I did, come away with new friendships and a refreshed approach to philanthropy.