Legacies Become Eternal with JNF

Jewish National Fund is grateful to be a beneficiary of the legacy gift left by Leonard and Elaine Millman.

Leonard “Len” Millman was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1925 and spent most of his youth growing up in Chicago, Illinois before eventually settling in Colorado in 1949. Elaine Millman was born in Denver, Colorado in 1927 and lived there all of her life. Len and Elaine used to jokingly recount that they went on six unsuccessful dates until lucky number seven, when their love for each other truly began. They were married in 1950 and built a beautiful life together filled with four children and a tremendous amount of perseverance, hard work, and fun. The Millmans loved to spend the winter months in sunny and warm Phoenix, Arizona. Len was a brilliant real estate entrepreneur who came from a modest upbringing. He built a successful real estate empire and enjoyed the fruits of his labor along with his family.

The Millmans enjoyed playing tennis, golf and cards, traveled the world together, and socialized with their large group of friends. They were very generous to the Jewish community and Israel, as well as other causes that they were passionate about.

In 1969, Len was diagnosed with severe heart issues and was advised in late 1996 that the only option left was a heart transplant. With his health steadily deteriorating, Len was underwent a successful heart transplant at UCLA Medical Center in 1997. Following this life-changing experience and after he was fully recovered, Len decided to set up a charitable annuity trust. In 1999, Jewish National Fund, UCLA, and University of Colorado were named as the beneficiaries of the trust.

Len passed away in 2004 and Elaine passed away in 2015. After Elaine’s passing, the trust was liquidated and distributed to the three beneficiaries.

“My sister and brother-in-law were very kind and generous, lived life to the fullest, and thoroughly enjoyed their vast group of friends both in Denver and in Phoenix,” said Alan E. Karsh, Elaine’s brother.  “They were also very cognizant and proud of their Jewish faith and tradition and hoped that their gift to Jewish National Fund would be a great benefit to the Jewish community.”

The Millman’s thoughtful planning led to a beautiful gift for JNF and Israel.  They utilized a charitable remainder trust that gave them an income during their lifetimes, removed funds from their estate, minimizing estate taxes, and also helped to achieve their legacy to our Jewish homeland. A charitable remainder trust is a flexible planning tool, which gives the donor an income tax deduction upfront, an income stream for themselves or their loved ones, and gifts the remainder to JNF. It can be funded with different types of assets, such as stock, real estate, and even artwork, and can be structured to fit a family’s income needs.  Elaine and Len were able to maximize their charitable dollars and ensure their legacy to Israel by simple estate planning. For information on how you can leave a lasting legacy, please contact the JNF planned giving department at 800.562.7526 or visit jnflegacy.org.