The Jewish community has always been an integral part of the life I shared with my late husband, Aaron. This is why I feel blessed to have the opportunity to honor his memory with a legacy gift to the Jewish Community Foundation. Aaron was raised in El Paso by refugee parents who had immigrated from Vinnytsya, Ukraine in 1914, and had faced financial struggles throughout their lives. Aaron needed to work and fund his education, ultimately developing his own business in El Paso.

My father came from Zelinovov, Russia and immigrated to Oklahoma City. My mother was born in Chickasha, Oklahoma. After moving from Oklahoma to attend college at UCLA, I met Aaron. We quickly became engaged, settled in El Paso and started our family. We shared 54 years of married life, raising 3 children, all of whom have active Jewish lives. Dana is in Los Angeles with her three children, Randy is in El Paso with his wife where they raised two children, and Kevin is in San Diego with his wife where they are raising two children. We began coming to San Diego 35 years ago and made it our second home. It is in this vibrant Jewish community where we shared many meaningful memories and developed friendships.

Throughout Aaron’s personal and professional life, he was driven by the Jewish values of hard work, tzedakah and community. I am proud these values will be passed on through this contribution to the Jewish Community Foundation.