Setting an Example by Supporting His Elders

When Sam Shapiro first connected with the residents of Los Angeles Jewish Health (formerly the Los Angeles Jewish Home) in 1995, he was fresh out of college, and the residents were wise role models with lifetimes of experience and stories to offer.

Nearly 30 years later, Sam uses the words of a role model when he talks about the gift for LA Jewish Health that he’s included in his estate plan.

“If you have a bequest to a charity in your estate planning documents, not only does it continue your legacy, but it also sets an example for your kids and possibly your grandkids,” Sam said. “It shows them that you find philanthropy, and in my case LAJH, to be important. Hopefully, they carry on that tradition of being involved and giving back.”

A classmate encouraged Sam to connect with LAJH soon after he graduated from law school. Sam saw it as a way to get more connected to the greater Los Angeles community.

“There's just a lot of camaraderie and like-minded people there,” he said. “I’ve been involved more or less from then on.” Sam is the vice-chair of LAJH’s Legacy Circle and is involved with the fundraising support group The Guardians.

He chose to support LAJH because “I thought in our community, there are people who are older and have raised us and are maybe less fortunate than us. So LAJH would be a good cause to support.”

Today, Sam is a partner in the Los Angeles estate and business law firm of Schwartz & Shapiro, where he encourages clients to consider including philanthropy in their estate plans.

“Not everyone reading this is going to be in the same boat,” he said, “But there are plenty of people whose kids are already doing well, and they could afford to leave a gift that will be very significant for LAJH without it really impacting their heirs.”

Start your legacy at Los Angeles Jewish Health. Contact Aaron Levinson at (818) 757-4416 or aaron.levinson@jha.org to learn more.