Submitted by Bert Livingston

 

 

The initial dollars used to fund the Harry and Sylvia Livingston Donor Advised Fund came in part from the money Germany paid us for our father’s home in Germany (confiscated by the Nazi Regime) that was reclaimed in 1989 after the fall of the Berlin Wall and eventual unification of East and West Germany. 

 

 

Additional dollars came when each of my brothers and I established Net Income Makeup Charitable Unit Trusts, NIMCRUT, upon the sale of our family company, now in it’s 74th year and third generation. Each of us brothers (myself, Stanley and Steven) set aside in a NIMCRUT $100,000 of Horst Engineering Stock and then sold it to my nephew, Scott. The cash has grown substantially and I have transferred my portion to the fund. Soon, my brothers plan on adding theirs.

 

 

Currently, we recognize an opportunity to help support the needs of immigrants, as our father immigrated to the United States in October of 1938 through Ellis Island, NY. Did he do it “legally?” Who knows? His life was in danger and a loving country extended it’s invitation and welcomed him.

 

 

Now in this time of food and employment crisis as well as a pandemic, I have tried to be as targeted as possible to follow our purpose: to use these important dollars to do good works and to be as creative as possible, seeking various opportunities to reward those working hard to feed those in need, shelter them as well and tell them how proud we are to be able to do it with the loving history of our parents, who taught us how to actually “care” about others.

 

 

 

From the Livingston Family’s Book of Life entry:

 

 

“We were inspired to establish The Harry H. and Sylvia E. Livingston philanthropic fund as well as three charitable remainder trusts to endow the fund for the future. Inspired by loving parents and grandparents who had a time of great stress and personal danger established a 60 year legacy of love so that future generations could enjoy even greater love and perhaps greater peace and prosperity.

 

 

Our ancient scholars expressed the uniqueness of man with admiration saying: “It is the duty of every person to know and consider himself unique in this world with unprecedented potential.” We chose to endow a philanthropic fund in honor of our parents with the hope that it will last forever. Establishing a legacy to benefit both religious and non religious organizations that represent the best of mankind through their works in education, medical research, and other Mitzvahs for the benefit of all God’s children. We collectively feel this is a worthy endeavor.”

 

 

 

 

The Jewish Foundation of Northeast Florida is grateful to The Livingston Family for carrying on their parent’s legacy of caring and dedication. We are certain that the spirit of their generosity will be felt in the Jacksonville community for years to come.