Sharleen Wollach

When I left South Africa in 1982, I carried with me my family, my traditions, and my hopes for the future. What I found here was more than a place to live — San Diego’s Jewish community opened its arms and continues to embrace four generations of my family.

Giving back is more than something I choose to do; it is my way of saying thank you, of honoring the values my parents instilled in me, and of planting seeds for the generations yet to come. Inspired by their example, I have included several beloved Jewish institutions in my charitable estate plan — a promise that the future will be as rich in community and connection as the past has been in blessings.

For sixteen years, my work at the Jewish Community Foundation has been to help others create their Jewish legacies. Today, crafting my own feels both humbling and profoundly personal.

By supporting organizations like these, we weave a future that is vibrant in San Diego, connected across the diaspora, and forever linked to the strength and resilience of Israel. This is my legacy. And it is my joy to leave it.