The Value of a Coat Room
Shortly after Stephen and I were married, we attended a wedding at the Fairmont Temple in Cleveland. As we hung up our coats, we saw a sign: The Cort Family Coat Room. The Cort family was related to one of my best friends, Andrea Muchin.
A coat room! Maybe not the first thing that comes to mind regarding philanthropy, but impressive nonetheless.
Stephen looked at me and said with a wink, “One day, we too shall name a coat room!”
Fast forward 30 years… I co-chaired our temple Beth Emet’s Capital Campaign. It was a labor of love and we raised over $7 million. As part of the campaign, Stephen and I made a significant gift.
Now, we are not big spenders. We hold on to our cars for years and have lived in the same home for over three decades. So, usually, it takes a lot for us to write a big check. But making this gift was easy. Beth Emet is our community. And community is one of our Core Values.
It is the place that our children started their Jewish journey. We visited Israel with Rabbi London and friends from the congregation. We have celebrated happy times there and have been comforted in times of sorrow. We owe some of our closest friendships to the temple. It is our second home.
Based on our gift, we were eligible for a naming opportunity. We looked at the list and our first choice was nowhere to be found. “Umm, we’d like our name on the coat room", I explained to the executive director. Silence. I followed up with, “Seriously.”
Thirty years later, Stephen and I had accomplished our goal!
We were thrilled to have our children participate in the ceremony dedicating the plaque outside the coat room. They understand what Beth Emet community means to our family.
I talk and write quite a bit about using your Core Values to decide how to spend time and money. I am pleased to relate that I follow my own advice.
What are your Core Values? How have you used them to make decisions about spending time and money?
Shari Greco Reiches
Shari co-founded Rappaport Reiches Capital Management with one goal - to maximize the return on life for her clients. Please connect with Shari below. She loves to talk about investing, financial planning, and Barry Manilow.