$3 million bequest for welfare groups

THE Montefiore Home, the Centre On Ageing (COA), Jewish House and JewishCare have shared a bequest of more than $3 million from Mannie Gold.

Gold died in November 2010 when he succumbed to prostate cancer. His wife, Ettie, had passed away a decade earlier and the couple didn’t have any children.

“Months before he died, he went to his lawyer and actually only wanted to give his money to COA, JewishCare and the Montefiore Home,” Gold’s cousin and executor of the will, Les Brem, said.

“But his lawyer, and close friend, told him that he had recently been to Jewish House with his Rotary Club and he thought they did wonderful work, so without even meeting Rabbi [Mendel] Kastel at Jewish House he added them to the list.”

Since Gold’s death, each organisation has received more than $750,000, and more money is in the pipeline.

Rabbi Kastel said he was humbled to receive such a generous donate.

“The money has paid for all of the debts that Jewish House had, and it has allowed us to own our property outright,” Rabbi Kastel said.

“It was extremely generous and it has set up the organisation moving forward, and will allow us to help a lot more people that are experiencing difficulties in their lives.”

The Montefiore Home has renamed an entire neighbourhood of rooms on its Randwick campus the Gold Neighbourhood in honour of Mannie and Ettie.

“Mannie and Ettie were much-valued members and life governors of the home, and we are extremely grateful for their foresight and generosity in making a bequest to the home,” the Montefiore Home recently told residents in its Life magazine.

“The naming of the Gold Neighbourhood will ensure that Mannie and Ettie’s names, and their kindness and generosity, will live on in perpetuity, and we are most grateful to their family and friends for their support.”

JOSHUA LEVI

Mannie Gold, who passed away a decade after his wife Ettie, left more than $3 million to the Montefiore Home, the Centre on Ageing, Jewish House and JewishCare.