SEPTEMBER 19 • 2024 | 7
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Paula and Louis Glazier Plant the Seeds of a Strong Jewish Future
For Paula and Lou Glazier, giving back to their Jewish community, and supporting the State of Israel, are core values they
learned from their parents and grandparents. They fondly remember Lou’s grandparents who were one of the first to
establish a 10,000 tree JNF forest in Israel, and Paula’s grandparents who founded a Conservative shul in Portland, Maine,
because there wasn’t one when they moved there. At the core of their giving was the recognition that as Jews we are
responsible for one another, a value that has led Paula and Lou to continue their family’s legacy of philanthropy. “There’s
always going to be people who need help, whether it’s food, tuition, or something else,” Paula notes. “There needs to be
a safety net.” Jewish education is particularly important to the couple, who met as students at a Hebrew High School.
Their daughters Ilana and Mindy attended Hillel Day School (HDS), and all their grandchildren have attended Hebrew Day
schools. The Glaziers have remained steadfast HDS supporters. “To remain strong as a people, our next generation must
learn our history, traditions and culture,” Lou says, “and Jewish Day Schools help transmit this knowledge.” Now, through the
Paula S. and Louis Glazier Centennial Fund, the Glaziers will continue to support HDS for generations of students to come.
Paula and Lou are also longtime benefactors of the Jewish Federation, the organization they view as “the umbrella, the one
that makes sure that nobody falls through the cracks.” Paula received the William Davidson Lifetime Achievement Award in
2020 for her commitment and leadership at Federation as well as a number of other Jewish organizations. Their Centennial
Fund gift will also ensure that their support for Federation and the community continues through their Perpetual Annual
Campaign Endowment (PACE) fund. To explain why they give, Paula recounts the Talmudic story of the old man who
planted a carob tree. “When asked why he would plant a tree that would never bear fruit in his lifetime, he answered ‘Well,
just as somebody planted for me, I need to plant for those who come after.’” Through their acts of generosity, Paula and Lou
are planting for the future of our community.