A giving way to celebrate

Adele G. Espo celebrated her 100th birthday in September of this year with a big party planned by her four children. The invitation requested that instead of giving Adele a gift, guests contribute to a fund close to her heart. She and her mother, Eve Medoff Goldberg, established the Harlan J. Espo Fund in 1968 at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Providence to help JCC board members attend national conferences. Adele’s husband, Harlan, became JCC president that year, so she learned quickly that financial assistance was essential for many lay leaders to travel to such events.

Adele is a lifelong Rhode Islander and has been involved with the JCC since the mid-1940s. Adele taught at the JCC nursery school when the JCC was on Benefit Street. Harlan got involved at the JCC when the Espo children were participating in youth programs. Two of their children were close to the late Charlotte Goldenberg, director of the teen program. Adele recalls that a highlight of Harlan’s presidency was the planning and construction of the new building at the corner of Elmgrove Avenue and Sessions Street; he then had the honor of hanging the mezuzah on the door.

Harlan was pleased that Adele, and his mother-in-law, created the fund in his name. Since he was busy with his JCC work, he welcomed their efforts without his direct involvement. Adele believes he would be very grateful that his legacy continues to provide funding for Jewish community leaders  to enable them to give back to the community.

For Adele’s part, she’s been giving back continuously. Although Harlan died in 1990, she regularly adds to the fund. As she says, “It’s an honor and in memory of my dear husband. I want to remember him, and it’s wonderful when others support a cause he cared so much about.”

Adele’s children, in turn, have honored Adele on the occasion her of 100th birthday by adding her name to the fund – now the Harlan J. and Adele G. Espo Fund – and by contributing to it themselves.

Though Adele and Harlan left Providence nearly 35 years ago, when they moved to Florida, she still feels like a Rhode Islander. She keeps up with local news and remains a member of Temple Emanu-El, where she and Harlan had family roots and where their children attended Hebrew School.

To contribute to the Harlan J. and Adele G. Espo Fund in honor of Adele’s 100th birthday, visit https://jffri.kimbia.com/donate or send a check made out to the fund name to Jewish Federation Foundation, 401 Elmgrove Ave, Providence, RI 02906.

Establishing an endowment fund is an easy way to ensure you will be supporting the community in perpetuity. For more information, contact endowment@jewishallianceri.org or 401-421-4111.

CLAIRE UZIEL is the endowment/campaign operations manager at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.