Page 22 - Boca ViewPointe - July '23
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Page 22, Viewpointe                                                   July 2023
      Jewish Unity Day Welcomes



      Hundreds To Become “Partners In Jewish Life”



         “Partners in Jewish Life,” an event celebrating Jewish                                               Deepest thanks to Boca Pointe Federation Campaign
      Unity  Day,  welcomed  hundreds  of  participants  to  the                                           Chairs: Jane and Dan Fishkoff, and to  Committee
      Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County campus,                                                 Members: Rhoda Berkow, Allen Brayer, Richard Glazer
      on May 24, 2023.                                                                                     & Elaine Kaplan, Harold Katz, Joel Meisner, Arlene
         Hosted by the Deborah & Larry D. Silver Center for                                                Penner, Murray Pitkowsky, Mel Schoen, Doris & Stuart
      Jewish Engagement (CJE), a division of the Federation,                                               Zeuner, for their continued dedication and leadership.
      the event featured video presentations, celebratory music,                                              If you or a neighbor are in need of help, please
      and a carefully curated peer-to-peer learning program that                                           contact Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services
      leveled the playing field for both novices and experts to                                            at  561-852-3333. In addition, our main Federation
      contribute to the conversations.                                                                     telephone number, 561-852-3100, is monitored regularly
         After a several-year-long hiatus due to COVID, Rabbi                                              for voicemail messages.
      Josh Broide, kicked off the program by stating the event’s                                              Learn more about our Federation and how you can
      intentions – to unite Jewish people of varying opinions,                                             help at www.jewishboca.org - or contact Shirley Gross
      backgrounds and beliefs for a night of conversations in   From left to right: Rabbi Josh Spodek, Rabbi Baruch Plotkin,   at  shirleyg@bocafed.org  or  561.852.3182  (leave  a
      a safe, open environment.                          Rabbi David Steinhart, Rabbi Rael Blumenthal      voicemail). 
         Approximately 250 Jewish community members were
      Reform and unaffiliated beliefs.  The vast array of  IF YOU NOW HAVE EQUITY IN YOUR
      present, including those of Orthodox, Conservative,
      backgrounds, creeds, and experiences provided
      opportunity for meaningful discussion.              HOME, CONSIDER DOING A TRUST
         Each guest was paired with another and given a
      booklet that provided them with Torah passages and
      topics to break the ice. They were followed by discussion   By Martin Zevin, Attorney                    Without equity in your home, it does not make sense
      prompts that asked attendees to connect with each other                                              to pay an attorney the fee and costs involved in creating
      and accept the possibility of a difference in opinions.        In 2012, I wrote an article           a Trust, since you would be burdening your heirs with a
         “Jewish Unity Day encouraged individuals to      recommending against doing                       property that has a negative equity.  However, once that
      proactively work towards a more united community and   a Revocable Living Trust if                   equity turns positive, you are doing your heirs a favor
      to help create new relationships, rooted in friendship   you were “underwater” with                  by eliminating the time and money involved in going
      and respect,” Broide said. The following quote below   your mortgage.  I wrote that                  through probate.  Remember also that the Trust is called a
      was referenced in the video, which opened the evening’s   article just before the housing            “Revocable Living Trust.”  This means that, as long as you
      activities:                                         market in South Florida began                    are alive, the Trust remains with you.  You can always sell
         “I don’t need you to agree with me; I need you to care   to recover.                              your home and buy a new home as Trustee of your Trust.
      about me.” - Rabbi Sacks’ Seven Principles of Peoplehood                                             You do not need to change the Trust unless you want to
         For more information about bringing this program       The last five years have seen significant increases in  change the beneficiaries for the new property.  You can
      to your community, please contact Rabbi Josh Broide at   property values.  This has resulted in many homeowners  also buy additional properties, in Florida or out of state, as

      (561) 702-3864.                                     now having positive equity.  In the third quarter of 2015,  Trustee of your Trust.
                                                          322,701 homeowners in Palm Beach, Broward and Dade

                                                          counties owed at least 1/4 more than the market value.      Therefore, if you now have equity in your home, you
        From The Desk Of from page 21                     However, according to a front page article in the May  should seriously consider creating a Trust.  Transferring
                                                          29, 2023 Sun Sentinel, the median sales price of a single  your home to the Trust will not change your homestead or
           Additionally, the plant nursery provides a tranquil,   family home in Broward County rose 2.7% in April to  your real estate taxes.
        therapeutic environment for members under the direction   $575,000.  Therefore, most  homeowners now have equity
        of experienced horticulturists who teach all aspects   in their home.                                  In addition, regardless of the equity in your home, it is
        of growing and caring for bedding plants. For more                                                 extremely important to have current advance care directives
        information, visit, habcenter.org.                    In the article I wrote in 2012, I advised clients to live long  to protect you if you are incapacitated.  These include the
           The nursery produces over one million plants   enough to see their properties increase in value to exceed  Durable Power of Attorney (which must specifically include
        yearly for customers, including municipalities, golf   the amount of the mortgage; at that time, they could come  the address of your property) as well as the Designation of
        courses, country clubs, landscape contractors, property   back to me to discuss a Revocable Living Trust. That time  Health Care Surrogate and Living Will.  New Florida laws
        management companies and garden centers.          is now here.                                     could mean that your current documents need to be revised.

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