Dear Friends of DJCF,
As you enter our office, you may notice an elegant piece affixed to the doorway—our mezuzah. This handwritten parchment scroll, housed in a decorative case, is a symbol of Jewish tradition that has graced the entrances of Jewish homes and community spaces for centuries.
I feel especially sentimental about the mezuzah at the front of our entryway at The Byrna and Joe Funk Family Philanthropy Center, DJCF’s headquarters. It was a move-in gift from our friends at the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas. Rabbi Mordechai Harris gave a beautiful reflection on the significance of this ritual object and its connection to our shared mission at the Foundation, which I’ve drawn inspiration from throughout this month’s newsletter. Thank you, Rabbi!
What the Mezuzah Represents
The mezuzah contains a scroll of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah, including the Shema: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is One.” This is more than a declaration of faith—it is essentially the mission statement of the Jewish people. The mezuzah serves as a reminder to infuse our lives, and the spaces we occupy, with intention and purpose. It invites us to pause as we enter and exit a space, to reflect on our actions, and to remember the legacy of our ancestors.
Did you know? The Shema is technically not a prayer! It consists of three biblical paragraphs from Deuteronomy and Numbers, declaring the oneness of God and our duty as Jews to love Him, study the Torah, teach it to our children, and follow specific mitzvot (commandments).
A Symbol of Protection and Presence
Traditionally, the mezuzah acts as a spiritual safeguard, marking the home as a place where Jewish values are lived and celebrated. By placing a mezuzah on our office doorway, we extend this sense of protection and sacred purpose to our workplace. It signifies that this is more than a professional environment—it’s a gathering place for meaningful conversations about Jewish legacy, tzedakah (justice), and the future of our community.
The word Shema translates from Hebrew as “hear.” In both business and life, the desire to be heard—and thus understood—is central to building trust and confidence. As philanthropic advisors, we engage in the work of listening deeply to our donors and our community, responding in meaningful and impactful ways. This requires being fully present and mindful of our environment. In this way, the mezuzah serves as a bridge between the outside world’s distractions and the peaceful space we create for discussions about legacy, impact, and tzedakah.
The Depth of the Word: Shema
If you’ve been following my newsletters, you know I’m a bit of an etymology nerd. Hebrew is a fascinating language, and many words have multiple meanings. Shema is a perfect example. As rabbisacks.org notes, “this verb appears 92 times in Deuteronomy alone, covering a wide range of meanings, including:
- To listen (pay focused attention), as in: “Be silent, O Israel, and listen [u-shema]” (Deut. 27:9).
- To hear, as in: “I heard [shamati] Your voice in the garden and I was afraid” (Gen. 3:10).
- To understand, as in: “Let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand [yishme’u] each other” (Gen. 11:7).
- To internalize or take to heart, as in: “I have heard you [shama’ti]” (Gen. 17:20).
- To respond in action, as in: “Abraham did [vayishma] what Sarah said” (Gen. 16:2).
In rabbinic Hebrew, it can also mean “to infer,” “to accept,” and “to receive as part of the Oral Tradition.” No single English word captures this range of meanings. Perhaps the closest are “to hearken” and “to heed,” but even these aren’t in common use today. In modern terms, we might think of it as “active listening,” which aligns well with the deeper intent of Shema.”
Bringing Meaning to Our Work
At the Foundation, we often talk about l’dor v’dor (from generation to generation). Legacy is not just what we leave behind; it’s the impact we create today. Every conversation we have about Jewish heritage in the context of philanthropy is an opportunity to honor the past, protect the present, and shape a future aligned with our core values of tzedakah and tikkun olam (repairing the world). The mezuzah on our door serves as a reminder of these values, guiding us as we partner with donors, advisors, nonprofits, and families who want to leave a meaningful mark on the world.
In the Torah, two larger letters appear in the Shema: ‘Ayin’ and ‘Dalet’. Together, they form the word eid, meaning “witness.” Reversed, they spell da’at, meaning “know.” The Shema merges faith with knowledge. As trusted advisors guiding families through estate planning and complex tax matters, we often blend faith and knowledge, helping maximize charitable potential in a way that aligns with their values.
Put Stock in Something That Matters
It’s been a season of connection and generosity in our Dallas community, with nearly every nonprofit hosting its annual gala or benefit. Here at DJCF, we encourage fundholders to review stock portfolios for positions with substantial gains that make ideal gifts to your DAF. Donating stock allows you to avoid capital gains taxes while deducting the full value of the donation. For nonprofits, appreciated securities provide a new funding source, empowering donors to make a bigger impact.
Our partnership with DonateStock makes this process more convenient than ever. This “Easy Button” for stock gifting enables donors to quickly and securely contribute stock to your DAF. DJCF is always seeking innovative ways to maximize philanthropic impact, and this resource is one of our favorites. Visit this link to learn more or initiate your gift today: DonateStock – Dallas Jewish Community Foundation.
Thank you for being part of this journey. May the work we do together bring blessings to our community and strengthen the legacy we are building for generations to come.
November Nonprofit Spotlight
Achievement Center of Texas – A non-profit Individualized Skills and Socialization center for children (13 and older) and adults with special needs. They make every effort to offer families services that support those children wherever possible. In providing a wide range of services in the least restrictive environment, students at the Achievement Center can grow and develop physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially. At the center, they work toward greater independence and a more satisfying way of life. Give Here: Support Center Activities in 2024
Chabad of UT Dallas – Our Chabad house is a home-away-from home for dozens of Jewish Students and faculty at UTD and throughout the Metroplex. We anticipate and serve the needs of our community on a social, education, and spiritual level. At Chabad, all students are welcome, regardless of background, affiliation, or level of observance. Students at UTD, UNT, Collin College, Dallas College, and surrounding schools are all welcome! Give Here: Support Chabad of Richardson and UTD
Gan Menachem – We offer a creative, expressive Reggio inspired Jewish environment where each child’s individual style of learning is valued and nurtured. Our children grow into self-confident and self-regulated individuals with a strong sense of self. The environment is warm and loving and each child’s uniqueness is celebrated. Judaism is not a topic at Gan Menachem, it is woven into all aspects of learning. It is a way of life. Give Here: Support Gan Menachem
Jewish National Fund – Strategic vision has been and always will be, to ensure a strong, secure, and prosperous future for the land and people of Israel. Everything we do – every project, initiative, and campaign we take on – is integral to our vision of building and connecting to our land. We plant trees in Israel, build houses and parks, source water solutions, buy fire trucks, and improve the lives of people with special needs. We boost tourism, support Aliyah, promote Zionist education and engagement, build medical centers and trauma centers, fund agricultural and culinary research, and run an American semester abroad high school in Israel. We do all these things because each project, each program, each partnership, is consistent with our strategic vision – population growth in the north and south, connecting the next generation to Israel, infrastructure development, ecology, forestation, heritage preservation, and more – all for the land and people of Israel. Give Here: Donate to Jewish National Fund-USA today to build for tomorrow
Upcoming Programs & Events
Jewish National Fund – Global Conference
11/14-11/17 | 1:00-5:00 PM
Jewish National Fund will be hosting a Global Conference for Israel. This conference will be filled with solidarity, inspiration, tactical and practical solutions to standing up against Jew-hatred. Learn how to be a voice for Israel. Stand together loud and proud in support of the Jewish homeland.
DJCF/SWCF Annual Meeting
12/3 | 5:30 – 7:30 PM
DJCF/SWCF will be hosting its Annual Meeting to recognize the outgoing and incoming Board of Trustees and celebrate our community’s success of the past year.
Investment Reports & Fund Statements
The Foundation’s investment portfolio is managed by Graystone Consulting, under the guidance of the Foundation Investment Committee. This relationship has allowed us to offer seven investment models for our constituents to choose from. Graystone provides monthly investment return information on the models as a whole and fact cards for the individual models and the sub-funds that make up each model.
The DJCF/SWCF Investment Committee has been implementing a series of changes in follow up to the revised Investment Policy Statement approved by the board of trustees in September was adopted. Highlights include:
- Reducing liquid alternative exposure throughout the managed pools, renaming the remaining exposure “Real Assets” to more closely reflect the composition of the fund.
- Restructuring the pools to be comprised of sub-funds based on asset classes. The same managed pools are available for investment, and donor-advised or custodial fund holders with assets in excess of $1mm now have the option to select individual asset class funds to build a custom allocation.
Our investments page will be updated in the near future to better explain our investment options, and the same detailed investment reports will continue to remain available for review.
If you’d like to revisit your funds’ investment allocation, please contact Jerry Blair at jblair@djcf.org.
DJCF’s investment performance reports through October are posted on the website. These reports can be found on the Investment Reports page under ‘Tools + Resources’ tab on our menu toggle, found here: Investment Reports – Dallas Jewish Community Foundation (djcf.org)
October fund holder statements will be released in your My DJCF portal soon.
End of Year Giving
As we approach the end of the year, we wanted to remind you about charitable giving strategies to maximize the support you can provide organizations, along with reducing your overall tax liability—not just income tax, but capital gains tax and even potential estate tax exposure for your heirs. However, please keep the possible impact of the upcoming election in mind as changes in tax law may impact your investments and giving strategies.
Key Year-End Charitable Giving Strategies: Donations to charity can reduce your overall income tax bill if you itemize your deductions. You can also avoid the application of capital gains taxes if you are disposing of assets such as stock that have appreciated in value. Gifts of retirement assets can provide a current tax benefit as well as remove the gifted assets from your estate. Here are some tips to consider:
• Gift Appreciated Assets: Charitable gifts of appreciated assets remain a best practice, and with the rise in stock market values over the last 12 to 18 months, you may have experienced significant growth in your investment portfolio. Such gifts can provide you with a deduction for the full current value of the asset, but also avoid the capital gains tax that would apply if you sold the assets yourself rather than gifted them. Conversely, assets with built-in losses generally should be sold (generating a tax loss) with the resulting cash proceeds donated, if desired. Note, that up to $3,000 in capital losses may be used to offset other income on your tax return.
• Donate to a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF): If you are considering making a significant donation to charity over time or just want the ability to plan your charitable grants over a period of years, consider opening a DAF or adding funds to an existing DAF. Funding your DAF with appreciated assets can be especially beneficial as you again avoid any capital gains liability. DJCF is well versed in accepting appreciated assets; these include publicly traded stock, as well as other types of non-cash assets such as life insurance, privately held business interests, real estate, and certain collectibles.
• “Bunching” Charitable Gifts Can Magnify Tax Benefits: Combining these two strategies can enhance your tax savings by “bunching” two or more years of contributions this year. The larger contribution can create a bigger tax benefit this year and then provide a fund from which distributions can be made over several years to satisfy your anticipated charitable giving. This approach is especially helpful for donors who might not otherwise be eligible to itemize their deductions. Only taxpayers who itemize their deductions get a tax benefit from a charitable gift. By bunching into a DAF this year, you can increase the total amount of deduction to a level at which it may be more advantageous to itemize than to rely on a standard deduction.
• Utilize IRA Charitable Rollovers: If you or your spouse are over age 70½, the IRA charitable rollover is an attractive option that permits you to transfer up to $105,000 this year from each of your individual retirement accounts directly to a charity or to a DJCF endowment or scholarship fund, free of any income tax. In addition, such rollovers help satisfy the IRA minimum distribution requirement if you’ve reached the age where such distributions must be taken into income (generally when you reach age 73). The rollover also removes these retirement assets from any potential estate tax exposure.
• Accelerating Non-Charitable Family Giving: The current unified estate and gift tax credit of $13.61 million is currently scheduled to decrease to around $7 million beginning with transfers made in 2026. Accordingly, if you intend to make significant family gifts (either during your lifetime or in your will), you may want to consider accelerating some or even all those gifts earlier, as your resources permit.
• Watch for Legislative Changes: As with any significant tax and charitable planning, it is recommended that you carefully consider potential changes in the context of your complete financial portfolio and consult with your tax and financial advisors. The new Administration and the next Congress will need to consider significant tax legislation in 2025, as virtually all the provisions passed in 2017 that relate to individuals will be affected.
Your DJCF professionals will be happy to discuss these and other charitable giving strategies with you and your advisors. Please keep in mind that DJCF does not provide tax advice.
DJCF/SWCF Year-End Deadlines
December 23 at 5 PM – Deadline to recommend grants from DAFs.
December 30 at 4 PM – Deadline to make in-person contributions to funds.
December 31 – Last day to receive gifts of stock in our account. Note that stock transfer times vary. Contact your broker to ensure timely handling of your donation.
There are two ways to donate stock:
Through Donate Stock:
• DJCF/SWCF’s Donate Stock page enables you to contribute stock from your brokerage directly to your DAF through a secure portal, making the gifting process fast, safe, and easy.
• https://donatestock.com/dallas-jewish-community-foundation
By Manual Transfer (two steps):
• Instruct your broker to transfer stock to the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation’s brokerage account.
Firm: Morgan Stanley
DTC #: 0015
Account #: 048-024268
• Ask your broker to notify Jerry Blair (jblair@djcf.org or 972-645-1018) to expect the transfer. Include your name, the stock name, the number of shares, and the expected date of transfer.
Credit card donations can be made at www.djcf.org or www.southwestcf.org. These are deductible in the year the charge is made, not paid.
Mailed donations must be postmarked on December 31 or earlier to be recorded for 2024, regardless of the check’s date. Make checks payable to “Dallas Jewish Community Foundation” or “Southwest Community Foundation,” and include the fund name in the memo line.
DJCF/SWCF’s EIN is 75-2836123.
