By leaving Leo Baeck College a legacy of any size, you become a guardian for the next generation of Progressive Jews.
“We are leaving a legacy because we know that the future of our Progressive congregations depends on funding the Leo Baeck College so that it can continue to train our rabbis and teachers. We see this as a responsibility of us all.” – Hannah and David Jacobs
Your gift to Leo Baeck College in your will, you ensure that future generations benefit from Progressive rabbis and teachers.
Our graduates touch the lives of thousands of progressive Jews, inspiring their communities to grow and flourish.
The College is privately funded, so we can only support the community with our full range of services through the generosity of forward-thinking people like you. Your gift in your Will helps fund the professional training at the College, allowing progressive rabbis and teachers to continue providing religious, moral and spiritual leadership in the 21st century.
There are several ways in which you can leave a gift to Leo Baeck College but the three most common are:
- Pecuniary Legacy: a specified sum of money, decided when your will or codicil is written.
- Residuary Legacy: the remainder of your (money) estate left as a gift after bequests and specific legacies have been distributed and all debts cleared.
- Specific: when assets such as shares or antiques are left as a legacy.
We understand that it may be important for you to discuss what recognition of your legacy is appropriate, perhaps to perpetuate the name and memory of a loved one.
Your contact at Leo Baeck College
Our Chair would be delighted to arrange a meeting or have an informal discussion. Just call +44(0)20 8349 5604 or email Steve Herman at Chair@lbc.ac.uk or ask to be put in touch with a patron who has already made the decision to leave a gift to LBC in their will.
How to leave a legacy to LBC
Your Will is an important way of looking after the future of your family and friends. After taking care of loved ones, for many people, the next priority is leaving a gift to a Jewish charity or charities. But what is the best way to go about doing this? If you are reading this then the likelihood is that you are considering leaving Leo Baeck College a gift as part of your final wishes. For this we first thank you but we also want to make sure that we help you both with this decision and also with the act of giving. Do take independent legal advice; we do not recommend any specific solicitor but suggest that you use someone that you feel comfortable with.
What’s a legacy or gift in Will?
The dictionary defines a legacy as: money or property bequeathed to another in their Will.
A Will ensures your last wishes are carried out
Many people don’t realise that Leo Baeck College, like many other Jewish charities, is heavily reliant on Legacies. While a number of Jewish community members support at least one charity throughout their lifespan, most don’t realise the importance of naming them in their Will in order to continue their support and really make a difference. That’s why it’s important to take action now, as nobody knows what tomorrow brings.
We’re here to help – but urge you to consult both with your family and with an independent solicitor before making changes to any existing will.
Your final wishes are in your hands
If you don’t prepare your Will properly, you will have no control over what happens to your money and other assets after you pass away. Artificial rules – known as the Intestacy Laws – will determine how your assets are distributed, with the consequence that what you leave behind passes to beneficiaries you would not have selected. You should seek legal assistance when drafting a will to make sure everything is in order and as you wish.
Size doesn’t matter
As we’ve mentioned, Legacies are a very important source of income for many charities, and it doesn’t matter what size your gift is. Rest assured it will be put to good use and greatly appreciated. Some believe that only wealthy people leave money to charity when they die, however this isn’t the case. Without the generosity of people leaving a Legacy in their Will, many of the services and support that Leo Baeck College offers wouldn’t exist.
Making a Will
Writing a Will is inexpensive and easy when drafted by a properly qualified professional and, as we’ve said, the gift you make can be as small or large as you like. We hope that Leo Baeck College is one of your beneficiaries but we also hope that you will support charities that cover whatever your passion or area of interest is. As long as they are a registered charity in the UK then they can benefit from your gift.
You need to quote our current official charity name (Leo Baeck College), address (The Sternberg Centre for Judaism, 80 East End Road, London N3 2SY) and registered charity number (209777) and give it to your professional adviser when next updating your Will.
Changing an existing will
If you want to leave a gift to Leo Baeck College but have already made a Will, that is not a problem, there is a simple way you can change it: by writing a codicil. A codicil is a document used to make
minor changes to a Will that has already been written. If you already have a Will and a solicitor, make an enquiry today about amending your Will and they will take you through the process while you decide which Jewish charity or charities you want to include in your legacy gift.
So please consider becoming a guardian for the next generation of Progressive Jews through a gift in your will.