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Your gift makes a difference

In Pirkei Avot it says, “The world is sustained by 3 things: Torah, prayer and good deeds.” Your contribution to Hebrew Seminary will allow us to continue our mission of educating a diverse body of Deaf and hearing Jews to become rabbis and Jewish leaders.

Since 1992, we have been training students to serve underserved communities. We honor the legacy of our founder, Rabbi Dr. Douglas Goldhamer z”l, by continuing Hebrew Seminary’s mission of making Judaism accessible to all.

Marketable Securities

Support Hebrew Seminary’s programs by making an electronic gift of appreciated stock.

An outright gift of appreciated marketable securities is one of the most attractive methods of giving. Provided you have owned the securities for more than one year, a gift of listed stocks, bonds, or other publicly traded securities entitles you to a charitable income tax deduction equal to the full fair market value of the securities, which is calculated by obtaining the average of high and low selling prices on the date of the gift. In addition, you do not incur capital gains tax on the transfer of such securities to HEBREW SEMINARY.

Advantages include:

Avoiding federal and state tax on long-term capital gains.
Receiving an income tax deduction for the value of your gift based upon the average share price on the date received by Hebrew Seminary.

Please consult your financial planner or tax advisor to determine how these potential tax advantages apply to your specific situation.

To make a publicly traded securities donation to Hebrew Seminary
For securities held by a brokerage firm, instruct your broker to make an electronic transfer to:
Broker Name: Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC
Account Name: Hebrew Seminary of the Deaf and Hearing
Account Number: Z40012043
DTC#: 0226

Please note, your stock may be transferred to us without any identifying information. In order for us to credit the gift to you and send an acknowledgement for your tax purposes, please be sure to include the following information in an email (gvon@hebrewseminary.org) or voicemail (847/679-4113):

Name of securities;
Number of shares you are transferring;
Name of broker and firm, including contact information; and
Your address, phone number and e-mail address.
From all of us at Hebrew Seminary, thank you for your generosity!
Hebrew Seminary’s Federal tax ID: 36-3821488

There are many companies that have matching gift programs. The company matches or multiplies donations made by current, and in some cases, retired employees. Many companies also match directors’ gifts. You should be aware that such a program may be an opportunity for you to increase your contribution to HEBREW SEMINARY.

Gifts of Real Estate

An outright gift of unencumbered real estate may enable you to make a significant gift to HEBREW SEMINARY without incurring capital gains tax on the transfer of a highly appreciated asset. You may give the entire interest or a fractional interest in the property. As long as you have owned the property for more than one year, you will be entitled to a charitable income tax deduction equal to the fair market value on the date of the transfer. The gift of real estate will need to be appraised by an independent appraiser to determine the value of the deduction.

You also may give HEBREW SEMINARY a remainder interest in your property and retain life use. At your death, the property automatically passes to HEBREW SEMINARY. This type of gift generates a current charitable income tax deduction equal to the fair market value of the property less the present value of the retained life estate.

Real estate may also be appropriate for funding charitable remainder unitrusts or making a bequest. (See below).

Life Insurance

If you own a life insurance policy and no longer require its protection, you may wish to transfer ownership of the policy to the SEMINARY. Or you can purchase a new policy and transfer ownership to HEBREW SEMINARY. Either gift will generate a charitable income tax deduction roughly equal to the cash surrender value of the policy on the date of the gift. You may take additional charitable income tax deductions for the amount of any premium payments you make on the SEMINARY’S behalf.

HEBREW SEMINARY will credit you with a gift equal to the cash surrender value in the life insurance policy. If the policy is fully paid and you are a certain age, the SEMINARY will credit you with a gift based on the face value of the policy if that is greater than the cash surrender value.

Planned Gifts

Planned gifts include bequests, trusts, gifts of life insurance, and annuities. In many cases, planned gifts have the following advantages:

They may provide income for life for you and/or another beneficiary, such as a spouse or another family member.

They may provide current federal income tax deductions for a portion of the gift which passes to HEBREW SEMINARY.

Trusts may provide increased income because gifted property can be sold without capital gains and reinvested in higher income-producing property.

They may provide professional investment management and supervision without a fee to the donor.