A Commitment to CJP — Now and Forever

In the late 1970s, as an undergraduate at Dartmouth College, Merle Adelman proudly wore a Star of David around her neck.

Although she grew up in the deeply Jewish hub of Brookline, Merle never had a bat mitzvah, and didn't consider herself religious. But, as one of just a handful of Jewish students on campus, she felt moved to display her Jewish identity.

That feeling of wanting to express her Jewishness continued when she graduated in 1980. Back in Boston, Merle found her way to CJP's Young Leadership Division to build community and make friends.

Leaning into the Jewish value of tzedakah(charity) she learned as a child, Merle made her first gift to CJP. The gift spurred her to want to understand more about how the organization supported the broader Jewish community, and to learn how to become a volunteer solicitor.

During that time, I really began to see that CJP had its distribution of funds down to a science," Merle recalls. I saw that money was being used wisely and getting to where it was needed most."

An everlasting impact

Over the years, Merle, who now lives in Ayer with her husband, Ron Menner, continued to give to CJP's Annual Campaign, eventually in three-year commitments to help CJP plan and better serve the community.

In 2014, she connected once again to that feeling of Jewish identity and began to consider her Jewish legacy.

She decided to include CJP in her estate plan and create a bequest to support the organization after her lifetime. "For me, being Jewish is so much more than a religion," she says. "I know I am part of a bigger nation. It was important to me to make an impact now with my annual gift and to continue to make an impact with my bequest even when I'm gone."

Merle proudly joined CJP's Dor L'Dor Legacy Society, which recognizes donors who have committed planned gifts to help ensure a vibrant Jewish future. "I know that the work CJP does is vital to the entire community, beyond just the Jewish community," she says. "To me, it's very important to maintain that work now, during a time of strife when so many people need so much - and always."

With the fundraising knowledge she learned at CJP as a young adult, Merle began to volunteer for Dartmouth, soliciting classmates to give to the school's annual fund. Over time, she became a strong advocate for planned giving.

As a past undergrad who received financial aid, Merle is especially passionate about fundraising so other deserving students can have the opportunity to experience Dartmouth. Throughout the years, she has served as a head fundraising agent for her class, helping to raise millions of dollars for the college.

In April, she was inducted into the school's prestigious Mandel Society, which recognizes alumni volunteers who provide visionary leadership in raising gifts through the Dartmouth College Fund.

Beyond her dedication to CJP and Dartmouth, Merle is an active volunteer at Loaves & Fishes, a food pantry in Devens, where she helps fulfill client orders and sits on the pantry's Board of Directors. She also served on the Board of the National Tay Sachs & Allied Diseases Association, which has deep ties to the Jewish community.

"In everything I do, I try to help those less fortunate," she says. "What's special about my support of CJP is that I'm able to make an impact now, and for the future, which is very compelling. As Jews, we've always done this. This is what being part of the Jewish community is all about."