The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati honored two of its community members at the twenty-fourth annual Voices of Giving event, hosted by the Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council. The program recognizes and celebrates philanthropists who have made a bequest or planned gift that will help ensure the long-term welfare of nonprofits in our community.

The Federation nominated Corky Steiner and the late Rick Steiner, whose father, Phil, along with his two brothers, Al and Joe, cofounded Kenner Products Company. Many of the company’s familiar toys include the Easy Bake Oven, “Give a Show” Projector, Sit and Spin and the licensing rights for the toys of the Six Million Dollar man television show. Kenner Products then rocketed into the stratosphere with the rights to the Star Wars franchise, which ranks among the top toy products in history.

As the Steiner family’s business grew, so did their family’s philanthropy. From a young age, Corky and Rick saw their father actively participate in fundraising at the Jewish Federation as an annual campaign chair. They also saw their father’s passion for taking care of the Jewish community. Like Phil, Corky, and his wife Ellen, took an active role in assisting the Jewish Federation by developing a strategic plan to grow its annual campaign.

Rick became a prominent Broadway producer of hit musicals with four Tony awards to his credit most notably, Big River, Jersey Boys, Hairspray, and The Producers. Up until his untimely death, Rick was also involved and supportive of the Jewish Federation and overall Jewish community.

The Steiner family has been exceptionally generous and ongoing loyal supporters for generations. Following their father’s death, Rick and Corky met with their estate planner, and former Voices of Giving Honoree, Bob Brant who arranged a trust to benefit the community on a long-term basis as part of the Create Your Jewish Legacy initiative. Their goal was to continue Phil’s legacy for generations to come. “My brother Rick and I hope others may follow with the idea that gifting can begin at home, and it can continue to grow from generation to generation,” said Corky. “And my children, Meredith, Ricky, and Joey, as well as Rick’s son Ace, will continue our legacy for generations to come.”

In addition to Rick and Corky, Thelma and Harvey Bergman, Marjorie Bergman Adler and Steven Adler, Mallory Mandel Adler and Jeffrey Adler, and BreeAnna Rosen Bergman and Michael Bergman, were honored on behalf of Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati.

The Create Your Jewish Legacy initiative began in Cincinnati in 2014 and helps train and support twenty-three local Jewish agencies, congregations, and local day schools in legacy giving. The ultimate goal is to build endowments to help sustain these organizations and ensure a vibrant future in our Jewish community. Funding for CYJL came in part from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF) Life and Legacy™ program, along with funding from The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati and the Jewish Federation.

The HGF initiative is a highly selective grant and, since its creation, has motivated seventeen thousand donors in sixty-nine communities — including Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, and Washington, DC — to commit more than a billion dollars in current and after-lifetime assets to the Jewish organizations that shaped their lives.

Cincinnati was the first community to reach a thousand legacy commitments and, in total, has more than eighteen hundred legacy commitments, many supporting multiple organizations. The CYJL program helps support the Federation’s mission of bringing together diverse groups to build and sustain a Jewish community, while developing and connecting leaders, contributors, organizations, and ideas to help people in need, support Israel, and assure a vibrant Jewish future.

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