Atlanta Jewish Foundation Giving Insight
August 14, 2026
What if your will could pass down more than wealth?
August is National Make-A-Will Month, and for the Jewish community, this time of year offers another reason to pause and plan.
As we approach the High Holidays, Jewish tradition invites us into a period of reflection known as Cheshbon Hanefesh, or “an accounting of the soul.” During the Hebrew month of Elul, we are encouraged to take stock of our lives, our choices, and our values.
That makes August a fitting time to ask another question: What do we hope to pass down to future generations?
For estate attorney Larry Freiman, co-founding partner at MendenFreiman LLP, writing or updating a will is about much more than distributing financial assets.
“A will is not just about wealth. A will is an opportunity for anybody to provide their loved ones with a clear, smooth path to take care of things at a point that’s very difficult for them.”
According to Freiman, the simple act of putting your wishes down in writing can provide significant peace of mind. He describes the feeling clients often experience once they finally put a plan in place: “There’s a palpable sense of relief, knowing that they took care of something that’s been weighing on them for a long time.”
Don’t Wait for the “Perfect” Time
Families often put off creating a will because the subject of mortality can feel uncomfortable. A recent 2026 LegalZoom analysis found that more than 50% of American adults don’t have an estate plan in place.
“The idea of it can feel daunting,” Freiman explains. “But the fact of the matter is, it doesn’t have to be an overwhelming process. It’s just taking care of it in a way that’s smooth and efficient.”
Beyond the emotional barriers, people often procrastinate writing a will due to the costs involved.
A new Jewish Future Promise initiative offers a solution.
Through its partnership with Giving Docs, Jewish Future Promise signers can receive free access to a will-making toolkit.
With your free account, you can:
- Create a full, legally valid will or an ethical will.
- Create a codicil, Financial Power of Attorney or Health Care Directive.
- Choose Jewish organizations to include in your legacy.
- Return anytime to make amendments.
Claim the offer in two simple steps:
1. Sign the Jewish Future Promise →
The Promise is a moral pledge to sustain Jewish life – not a legally binding agreement. Already signed the promise? Go straight to step 2:
2. Activate your free Giving Docs access →
Use your Jewish Future Promise email address to receive the free toolkit.
The offer is available through November 2026.
Any questions about the Jewish Future Promise? Contact Joel Ashner, Director of Planned Giving, at jashner@jewishatlanta.org.
Your Estate Plan Can Reflect Your Values
For families who value philanthropy, estate planning also offers an opportunity to express something that may not appear on a balance sheet: What matters to us, and what do we want our family to carry forward?
“Bringing charity into the estate plan,” Freiman explains, “is a way for the parents to identify for their children or grandchildren that this is an important family legacy. This is who we are. It’s part of who we are as a family.”
That conversation doesn’t have to wait until a will is read. Families can bring the next generation into philanthropy during their lifetimes, make charitable decisions together, and strengthen the Jewish community for years to come.
A Conversation Worth Having
This perspective is valuable not only for families, but also for the professional advisors who help them plan.
Freiman believes advisors sometimes have a tendency to move quickly toward financial strategies and tax savings. But an advisor’s job is to understand the whole client – including what matters most to them.
“We, as professional advisors, are trying to serve the client holistically. And if the charitable question isn’t asked, it may be a fairly big miss in the estate plan – not because the financial strategy isn’t sound, but because it may have omitted an important family value like philanthropy.”
The Atlanta Jewish Foundation can be a partner in that conversation. Attorneys, financial advisors and other professionals bring their expertise in law, tax and financial planning; the Foundation brings philanthropic expertise and knowledge of the Jewish community to help families determine how they can make the greatest impact – both today, and far into the future.
That might mean making a charitable bequest in your will, establishing an endowment, incorporating a Donor-Advised Fund into a family’s long-term giving plan, or exploring other legacy options that fit your family’s goals.
For Freiman, the conversation that many people avoid is a source of pride. “It is probably my single favorite part of what I do. It really feels incredibly fulfilling to be able to help clients get through the difficult process of coming to grips with mortality and putting together a plan that covers the most important things to them – the causes that they care about, the people that they care about. To be able to take them through that and help them have that sense of relief – it is an extremely rewarding part of the work that I do and what really motivates me every day.”
Whether you’re creating your first will, revisiting an existing estate plan or helping a client think about charitable giving, the process can begin with a simple question:
What matters most to you – and what do you hope to pass down?
