Alison Himel

The question is “why endow my annual gift to UJA?” And the answer is quite simple – to “pay it forward”.

I was born lucky. I was born into a nice family in a strong and vibrant Jewish community. The generations that came before me established this fantastic place. I am just one of the lucky recipients of their commitment and foresight. They built schools, synagogues, community centres and provided social services. What they built enabled me to attend Hebrew day school, volunteer at the Y, go to Jewish summer camps, and participate in UJA walk-a-thons – when they were still 26 kms long. Simply by being born here, I was born lucky.

Endowing my gift to UJA is my way of paying it forward. It shows my gratitude to those who built and established so that I could have. It is my way of ensuring that those who come after me will also be provided for.