Legacy Is What You Leave of Yourself

At the end of our lives, I believe the question is: What have you done to make the world a better place? That is what Temple Emanu-El has meant to me.

At my first service here, I found something I had been searching for. I saw women serving as rabbis and cantors. I found a Jewish community where I felt I belonged and where faith was expressed not only through worship but through service, learning, and caring for one another.

Over the years, I became involved in the Women’s Passover Experience, Second Seders, Thanksgiving meals for neighbors in need, the Streicker Center, and supporting interfaith initiatives. Through these experiences, I saw Temple Emanu-El bring people together across New York City and connect members around the country and throughout the world. I came to know a community that lives its values every day.

My annual support is my living legacy because I see its impact today. There was never any question that Temple Emanu-El would be part of my estate plans. It is my way of helping ensure that this extraordinary Jewish community continues to inspire, support, and serve future generations.

Family and community have become the greatest gifts in my life. My hope is that every person who walks through these doors finds what I found: a friend, a source of strength, and a community that inspires them to become involved and leave something of themselves for those who come next.

With gratitude,

Barbara S. Ritchin

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