Envisioning our Future!
Longtime Gross Shuman, PC partner Jonathan D. Schechter will share his vision for the Foundation of Jewish Philanthropies future when he accepts the nomination to be President of the Foundation next Tuesday evening at their Annual meeting (details below on how you can register to join the event). While Jonathan wears many hats, business, professional, civic leader, Jewish community leader, the biggest hat, and the one that he wears all the time, is the one for his family.
My wife, Sheryl, and I have been married for 23 years and have devoted our lives to raising our two kids, Joshua and Sophie, instilling in them the same love for Judaism and community that our parents shared with us. Living in the North Buffalo area has provided my kids with the opportunity to grow up in a small Jewish community while gaining insights through the diversity of living in a city. Joshua attended Kadimah Academy, St. Josephs Collegiate Institute and is a sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh. Sophie also attended Kadimah Academy and is currently a junior at Sacred Heart Academy. We always laugh that our kids chose Catholic High Schools after attending Kadimah, but we think being grounded in their Judaism gave them strength to be the odd person out at theses schools. Both kids have spent their summers at Camp Seneca Lake.
In my daily roles, I have never considered myself just a husband, father and lawyer, but a JEWISH husband, JEWISH father and JEWISH lawyer. Sheryl and I always reminded our kids that as Jews we have an obligation to make the world a better place. In my daily roles I always try to remind myself that charity and repairing the world can make a difference.
My parents Norbert and Loretta OBM were my mentors and active in the Buffalo Jewish community. Dad worked tirelessly to counsel his clients and friends as a CPA and partner in the firm he founded. Never looking for recognition, dad was a fixture in our Jewish community offering his time, talent and treasure to ensure that our entire community was well cared for.
Having a law career at Gross Shuman, gave me an opportunity to work with two of our community’s great leaders, Gordon R. Gross and Irving M. Shuman, both OBM. I credit my success to the amazing mentors that I was blessed to work with.
Serving as the President of the Board of Trustees for the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies is certainly the apex of the commitment that I have made to the Jewish community thus far. While I have been a member and or a leader of countless professional organizations, it’s serving within the Jewish community that gives me the greatest sense of satisfaction. In addition to serving as a Board Member and Treasurer of the Foundation, I have been a longtime Board Member and officer of the Weinberg Campus and the past Board Member and Treasurer of the Jewish Federation of Greater Buffalo.
The Foundation holds a very special place for me. In looking to the future, we at the Foundation will increase our donor outreach, continue to improve donor satisfaction and assist them in carrying out their charitable mission to make an IMPACT in our community. Success will be measured not necessarily by dollars under management but the impact created by such dollars.
Foundation invites you to join their 109th Annual Meeting next Tuesday, October 13th at 7 pm. Click HERE to register.
