Bringing comfort, care, and connection to our Jewish community across the Berkshires, in Israel, and around the world
PITTSFIELD – Jewish Federation of the Berkshires will host its annual Major Donors Celebration on Sunday, July 21 at 9:30 a.m., at Berkshire Hills Country Club.
“Our Major Donors are the cornerstone of our campaign and critical partners in meeting the essential needs across the Berkshires, in Israel, and beyond. Their compassion, generosity, and leadership truly drive our community forward,” says Federation president Arlene Schiff. “Our co-chairs for this celebration, Penny and Claudio Pincus, have been steadfast supporters and we are grateful that they have stepped up. They have put together a terrific host committee to help connect with donors to share the importance of Federation’s work of building and sustaining Jewish life in the Berkshires.”
This event is a way to share experiences of how Federation impacts the lives of all the Jews in our community – both those who come for the summer season and those who live here year-round. Gathering together gives donors an opportunity to share ideas on how to make a difference in a Jewish community like we have in the Berkshires – small in population, yet one where the need for essential services is as acute as it is anywhere else.
Donors will have the chance to see all that this small community accomplishes, and understand the impact their support has on sustaining the vital programs Federation provides – care services and social engagement for area seniors, Jewish education for our children, camp and Israel experiences for teens and young adults, security enhancements and training for our congregations, advocacy and support to combat antisemitism, and engaging programming to enrich Jewish identity and connection for people of all ages.
The program will include a special performance and remarks by American-Israeli cellist Maya Beiser, whose acclaimed album Infinite Bach was recorded in the studio constructed in her barn here in the Berkshires. Named the "Cello Goddess" by The New Yorker Magazine, Maya brings a bold and innovative presence to contemporary classical music, reimagining solo cello performance in the mainstream arena and performing on the world’s greatest stages. The Berkshire Jewish Voice featured an interview with Maya on the cover of its January 2024 issue.
Alex Lederman, a young adult leader from our Berkshire Jewish community, will share how Federation helped shape his Jewish journey, as well as his insights on Israel after spending the last months traveling and speaking with young adults across the US and in Israel. Alex is currently a Senior Policy and Communications Associate at Israel Policy Forum and an op-ed contributor to The Forward, TIME, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and The Times of Israel blog.
This event is Open to Leadership Donors who make a gift of $1,000 or more to Federation’s 2024 annual campaign. Register online at online at jewishberkshires.org/celebration. Berkshire Hills Country Club is located at 500 Benedict Road in Pittsfield.
Our Major Donor Celebration Co-Chairs – Penny and Claudio Pincus
“The Little Engine that Could,” is what Claudio Pincus says comes to mind when he thinks about Jewish Federation of the Berkshires. He and his wife, Penny, have been longtime supporters of this Federation, first connecting with us 25 years ago, not long after the couple purchased a second home in the Berkshires. “What struck us then was the enormity of the tasks this Federation faced and the leanness of the organization,” says Penny.
Together, Penny and Claudio have supported, as board members and funders, major Jewish philanthropies such as the JDC, American Jewish Committee, Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano, the Israel Philharmonic, and Friends of Israel Scouts/Tzofim. They have also supported synagogues, Israel education programs, and the Jewish Federation of MetroWest NJ, near their primary residence.
“The impact that our funds have here in the Berkshires is so much greater,” asserts Penny. “This Federation, and what it represents to the Jewish people of Western Massachusetts, is far more important than some of the larger federations in communities with many other support systems – day schools and JCCs and things like that. Yes, there are fewer people in the Berkshires, but that doesn't mean that supporting this community is any less important than supporting larger institutions.”
Says Claudio: “Why do we give and why should other people give? Penny and my family have benefited for generations from the institutions and capabilities of the Jewish community. Penny's grandparents were aided to immigrate to America, where they lived around a JCC, synagogues, and schools. My grandmother grew up in a Jewish orphanage in Berlin, and my father escaped from Berlin as an orphan to Chile, supported by the international Jewish organizations. Penny and I benefited from the existence of Jewish schools, Jewish communities, synagogues, and especially from the State of Israel.
“Given our journey, we have continued the philanthropic work started by both our parents. We recognized early in life that we had taken advantage of certain resources, and that a time would come to give back when our capacity allowed. Many people fail to recognize that the institutions, facilities, buildings, professionals, and all the resources were donated by many people in the past, often with fewer resources. And we now have the responsibility to make a great effort to continue their work.”
Claudio and Penny say that they are seeing more and more Jews retiring to the Berkshires, folks who may only be familiar with Federation’s cultural programs in the busy summer months. Newer residents, they feel, may not yet grasp all that Federation does to meet the community’s year-round needs. “Federation’s work needs real, continual support so it is sustainable in all types of conditions,” says Claudio, who adds that people who are thinking of retiring to the Berkshires should also be thinking about the Jewish lives they want to live as retirees, and to get involved and contribute accordingly.
The couple also recognizes the importance of Jewish institutions at present, when Israel is at war and Jewish individuals and communities are being assailed around the world. Claudio and Penny were in Israel on October 7, visiting family.
“We had had this wonderful Shabbat dinner with 20 people on Friday night,” remembers Penny. “We talk about this a lot – how we can't believe we were so innocent not knowing what was going to transpire six hours later. But I think one of the things that we really began to understand is what Israelis go through and how they have to live. In past times of distress, we would call our family every day to talk to them, to empathize. But actually being there and feeling that sense of danger and the incapability to do anything about it, was something that I think we never would have been able understand. It made us aware of the frailty of the security in Israel.”
Claudio, who first volunteered in Israel after the Six Day War, says that the current climate for Jews “made us even more aware of the importance of defending our institutions, which provide financial aid as this Federation did to the Israel Emergency Fund, but also representing us in the political arena and being the defense against antisemitism. We’ve realized that some institutions are frail and that Jews are very divided at this time.”
The couple says they get nachas from having been able to pass along to their children the Jewish values and the ethic of working for community that they inherited from their family. Their son, Daniel, is a national board member of American Jewish Congress and Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council, as well as president of American Friends of ANU - Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv. who helped a young Muslim refugee from Yemen, Mohammed Al Samawi, escape that war-torn country. The remarkable story was detailed in a book called The Fox Hunt, written by Al Samawi. Their son Aaron is active in his Jewish community, serving on the board of his synagogue in Beacon, NY
“We recognize the importance or obligation to be part of the Jewish people,” says Claudio in summation. “That our time has come to step up and that our philanthropy defines who we are and what we stand for. Together with our children and friends, we hope for a sustainable future, and I guess, pray that better times will shine on us again.”