The Honickman Foundation

Heritage

I am the granddaughter of immigrants, a third generation American Jewess. A heritage of freedom, tradition and close family, stemmed from my ancestors' courage and determination, perseverance and love. Freedom — being the hard-fought and hard-won treasure.

I had the privilege to grow up with wise, grounded, valiant and spirited grandparents and parents in my life. It was a PhD in living, and underscores the power of adult presence and mentoring in a child's life.

In Jewish tradition, giving money away is not referred to as philanthropy or charity but as Tzedakah — which means 'justice' and is the performance of ' just acts' which Judaism values as a way to "repair the world." Tzedakah doesn't just change the world but also the person who performs the act.

This concept of depth and beauty is known throughout every religion and culture as The Golden Rule... or, as Gandhi put it, "We must be the change we want to see."

From family I inherited the ethic of hard work... caring for community... understanding that I must be accountable and that the teachings of the Torah, passed down through the generations, are my inheritance, my moral compass, my responsibility to hold and to pass on to future generations as is my belief in family as the ultimate blessing.

The Honickman Foundation and The Honickman Charitable Trust were built from the soul of this heritage.

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