Planned Giving Spotlight: Jerry Silber

Jerry Silber
ICRF Connecticut Board Member

1) What inspired you to make a legacy gift to ICRF?

My wife and I recently decided it was time to update our wills, so when someone suggested leaving a legacy gift to ICRF, we had no hesitation. We were already contributing annually to ICRF and thought, “Why not leave our money to this wonderful organization?”

2) How did you become involved with ICRF?

David Kweskin, Director of the Connecticut chapter, introduced me to ICRF and then invited me to join the local board. ICRF sounded like a great organization with an important mission. After I joined, three very dear friends of ours passed away from cancer. Suddenly, this had become very personal. Since then, I have had the opportunity to hear firsthand from Israeli scientists about the groundbreaking research being conducted in their labs and I am so impressed by their brilliance and efficiency. I am very optimistic that we will see significant breakthroughs in the next few years.

3) Why ICRF?

I’ve been impressed not only by the caliber of the scientists ICRF supports but also with their approach to research.  As an example, one ICRF-funded scientist, who returned to Israel after completing her PhD at MIT, explained to me why Israeli research is so cost-efficient. The combination of very smart people doing world-class research as efficiently as possible makes me confident in the importance of my contribution to ICRF and moves me to recommend it to others. My goal is to help grow ICRF’s visibility so that others will be inspired to contribute as well.

4) Any final thoughts?

This is an easy process; you don’t necessarily need a lawyer to designate a legacy gift to ICRF. There are also many opportunities beyond leaving a gift in your will. For example, you can simply add ICRF as a beneficiary of your IRA. Your broker should be able to help you do this. It is a very gratifying feeling to think that when you are no longer here, you can continue to make an impact for generations to come.

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Learn More About Planned Giving:

With a planned gift to the Israel Cancer Research Fund, you can leave a philanthropic legacy that will help those touched by cancer – now and for years to come. Whether you would like to put your donation to work today or in the future, there are a variety of opportunities for making a legacy commitment to ICRF. Please visit our planned giving page to learn how you can create a lasting impact on the future of cancer research.