Our Community Impact
THE REASONS WE GIVE. It’s not one’s words, but what one does that makes all the difference in the world. The needs we see. Those we honor. The lessons we teach. The goals we achieve are not black and white. They are vibrant.
THE REASONS WE GIVE. It’s not one’s words, but what one does that makes all the difference in the world. The needs we see. Those we honor. The lessons we teach. The goals we achieve are not black and white. They are vibrant.
Stories That Shape Our Community
The Louis Herman Memorial Fund was established in 1994 with the intention to support a variety of organizations in the Jewish community which focus on promoting Judaism among children and youth, day school education, Israel experiences and technology in schools.
Lou acquired his wealth in the real estate business. Although he did not have children, his way of making Minneapolis youth his own was to dedicate his philanthropic efforts to strengthening their sense of Jewish identity. As the son of Russian immigrants, Lou Herman grew up on the north side of Minneapolis and lived in the city his entire life. He was raised with and maintained a strong sense of Jewish faith and culture. The largest impact on his life of philanthropy was the establishment of the State of Israel. He loved and traveled to Israel often.
Since his passing in 1994, over 1,000 Minneapolis teenagers have attended educational trips to Israel through his charitable grants.
Since inception, the Louis Herman Memorial Fund has granted approximately $8 million dollars to Jewish organizations, honoring Lou Herman’s memory.
Founders William (z”l) and Harriet (z”l) Lumel established the William and Harriet Lumel Post Bar-Bat Mitzvah Education Fund in 1997.
Year later, Foundation staff met with their daughter who expanded the causes that were important to her parents, of which education and Israel experiences were high on the list. Foundation staff had met with their daughter about various programs that her parents would have enjoyed supporting. One of those local programs was the Partnership2Gether (P2G) Teen Exchange program, whose mission is to develop and strengthen Jewish communities in Israel and overseas by creating revitalized, ongoing, and meaningful engagement between members of these communities, based on mutual endeavor and shared Jewish identity. In 2017, a total of $2,100 was awarded to five teens.
The Matthew and Linda Gilfix Family Technology Fund was established in 2008 to provide funding for development of technological systems and equipment in the Minneapolis Jewish community. In 2017, Foundation staff connected with the fund advisors who were interested in local Jewish organizations and their technology needs. One organization that caught the fund advisors attention was the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest (JHSUM). After learning more about JHSUM, the Matthew and Linda Gilfix Family Technology Fund granted $5,000 to support the artifact database project, which allows historic photographs and other artifacts to be catalogued and viewed online.
Since then, the Matthew and Linda Gilfix Family Technology Fund has granted local Jewish organizations in support of their technology needs.
Our matchmaking services connected with an anonymous donor who hoped to fund a current need in the Jewish Community.
Our staff connected with local Jewish organizations to inquire if any funding was needed. The donor was thrilled to provide 15 crib mattresses and fitted sheets to the Sabes JCC’s Early Childhood Center.
The Ben Rosenzweig Holocaust Memorial Designated Fund was established in 2005 with the purpose of supporting Holocaust education in the non-Jewish Community.
In 2018, we became aware that the Good Shepherd School would like to use the PJ Library book “Hidden” to assist with their Holocaust education curriculum. Our staff approached the fund advisor, who granted the Good Shepherd School with the funds to purchase books for a 5th grade class. The school has since incorporated the book into their Holocaust education curriculum.
The Toodie and Frank Trestman Collaborative Education and Special Needs Fund was established in 2009 through generous donations from our community to help support Minneapolis Jewish Federation’s mission to build community, care for the welfare of Jews everywhere and maximize participation in Jewish life.
The fund focuses on collaborative education, such as support for formal and informal Jewish education programs that involve collaboration between organizations that focus mostly on family education teen programs and professional development. The fund also gives grants, subsidies and other support for the education of children and adults with cognitive and developmental disabilities and their participation in all aspects of Jewish community life.
Since inception, the Toodie and Frank Trestman Collaborative Education and Special Needs Fund has granted more than $4,232,000 to organizations in our community for collaborative Jewish education and support for individuals with cognitive and developmental disabilities.
A fund holder family had been reading about the U.S. mental health crisis in the news and was moved to fund direct services to individuals in this space through established Jewish non-profits. MN JCF staff discussed the family’s goals and wishes for granting that year.
As a result of that conversation, the staff provided the family deep research on vetted Jewish non-profits located in the four U.S. cities where their family members resided. Through this philanthropic advising, MN JCF was able to match-make the family with non-profits in their specific interest area. They made a meaningful and significant grant to one of those organizations.