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(Photo credit: Shay Cohen Photography)
Temple Judea has announced that it has successfully met the $1 million Frank Family Matching Gift Challenge for its LEV – From the Heart Capital Campaign in just three weeks.
Launched with a visionary leadership commitment from longtime congregants Mary and Howard Frank, the challenge matched every new and increased gift dollar-for-dollar, inspiring widespread participation across generations of Temple Judea families.
In total, Mary and Howard Frank have committed $2 million to the LEV Campaign – beginning with the LEV Campaign’s lead gift and then followed by this $1 million challenge.
Their extraordinary generosity served as a powerful catalyst galvanizing an outpouring of support and accelerating the campaign’s momentum to new heights.
The LEV – From the Heart Capital Campaign is a transformative $10 million project to restore, renovate, and reimagine the iconic synagogue campus. To date, Temple Judea families have committed $6.7 million toward the campaign’s $10 million goal, placing the congregation well past the halfway mark and firmly on a path toward continued success.
“This extraordinary achievement reflects the collective strength, generosity, and shared purpose of the Temple Judea community the oldest Reform Synagogue in South Miami-Dade. This campaign is not simply about bricks and mortar,” Howard Frank said. “It is an investment in the spiritual lives of our congregation – today and for generations to come.
The building holds our memories, our milestones, and our moments of awakening.”
Founded on the Hebrew word LEV – meaning heart – the campaign reflects Temple Judea’s commitment to strengthening both the physical heart of its historic campus and the spiritual heart of its community. The project supports critical infrastructure upgrades, preservation of iconic architectural elements, and the creation of enhanced worship, gathering, educational, and cultural spaces designed to meet the evolving needs of a thriving congregation.
“When we walked through the building and saw the full vision of this project, we were struck by the power of place,” Mary Frank said. “Every person carries a vivid memory of Temple Judea – a wedding, a bar or bat mitzvah, a quiet conversation with a rabbi. These moments are engraved on our hearts. This campaign ensures that our children and grandchildren will experience those same moments.”
Nearly 250 Temple Judea families have stepped forward thus far with commitments, underscoring a culture of shared responsibility and belief in the future of Jewish life in South Dade.
Rabbi Judith Siegal, senior rabbi of Temple Judea, emphasized the broader significance of the milestone.
“Temple Judea is thriving because of our congregants and school families,” she said. “This moment affirms our community’s deep belief in sacred space, in Jewish continuity, and in investing together in a future rooted in Jewish values, true meaning and belonging.”
The LEV Campaign also supports continued growth of the Margaux Early Childhood School, which currently maintains a waiting list for admission – further evidence of Temple Judea’s vitality and relevance for today’s families.
As the campaign moves forward, Temple Judea’s vision remains both ambitious and inclusive: 100 percent participation, with every family contributing at a level that feels meaningful and comfortable.
“Every gift matters. Every family matters,” LEV Campaign co-chairs Margie Baron and Michael Spritzer or Julie and Gary Simon shared. “Participation is what strengthens the heart of our community.”
Temple Judea extends its deepest gratitude to Mary and Howard Frank for their leadership and decades of thoughtful philanthropy – and to every donor who answered the call to participate. Together, their generosity ensures that Temple Judea’s sacred campus will continue to inspire, gather, and uplift generations to come.
For more information about the LEV – From the Heart Campaign, or to learn how to participate, contact LEV Campaign co-chairs or the Temple Judea’s Advancement Office.
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