Lippman Kanfer Family Philanthropies
Lippman Kanfer Family Foundation is dedicated to building a multi-generational
culture of tzedakah (philanthropy) and to supporting the vitality of Jewish
life where Kanfer family members live, including Akron and Cleveland, Ohio;
and Brooklyn and Chautauqua, New York.
Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah promotes and supports “Living Torah” –
Judaism as a powerful, evolving wellspring of accumulating wisdom and sensibilities
that enrich people’s lives and helps create a better world. We are also continuing
the Lippman Kanfer family’s commitment to strengthening the ecosystem for innovation
in the Jewish community and to the pursuit of justice.
History
Today, Lippman Kanfer Family Philanthropies is comprised of Lippman Kanfer Family
Foundation and Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah. The family’s philanthropic
activities date back to 1966, when husband and wife business team, Goldie and Jerry
Lippman z”l (of blessed memory), established Jerome Lippman Family Foundation in Akron,
Ohio with a mission focused primarily on Akron-based Jewish organizations.
Over the decades, as the Lippmans’ nephew Joe Kanfer joined in leading the family
business, he also became very engaged in the family’s philanthropy. In the 1990s,
Jerome Lippman Family Foundation refined its mission to focus on sustaining Jewish
life; rescuing and rebuilding lives in communities at risk; and fostering high
performance and innovation in Jewish nonprofit organizations.
In 2000, the name of the Foundation was changed to Lippman Kanfer Family Foundation.
In 2013, the family launched its sister organization, Lippman Kanfer Foundation for
Living Torah, advancing a multi-generational commitment to Jewish life, justice,
and innovation.