Brian Greenspoon: Supporting Israel Through the Jewish National Fund

At Greenspoon Dougherty, PLLC, in Deerfield Beach, Florida, Brian Greenspoon serves as managing attorney. Outside work, Brian Greenspoon supports the Jewish National Fund.

The Jewish National Fund (JNF) is an organization that has made a financial and service commitment to the people and land of Israel. Three of the main mechanisms it uses to provide this support are community building, tree planting and water renewal.

The JNF’s community-building services include providing new housing in areas of the country that are largely uninhabited. These areas include large swaths of the northern and southern regions. Water-renewal projects are designed to bolster the country’s water supply through treatment and recycling of runoff and wastewater. This initiative also involves river rehabilitation. Tree planting, meanwhile, has resulted in a net gain in the overall number of trees in Israel, where natural forests are not plentiful.

The JNF has regional offices across the United States through which supporters can get involved. For more information on how to do this, visit http://www.jnf.org.

The Science Behind Warmups for Athletes

As managing attorney in Greenspoon Dougherty of Deerfield Beach, Florida, Brian Greenspoon has achieved prominence as a two-time member of Legal Leaders. In his free time, Brian Greenspoon enjoys playing soccer as well as football, golf, and tennis.

Essential for any athlete before exercise, a proper warmup session increases muscle temperature by raising the heart rate and increasing circulation throughout the body. At rest, most of the capillaries in the body's muscular system remain closed, and blood flow to muscles totals only15 to 20 percent. These levels may not be sufficient to support the musculature during exercise.

In a study on healthy adult men, 10 to 15 seconds of intense cardiovascular activity without warmup produced abnormal electrocardiographic results in 70 percent of patients. Subjects with abnormal results then engaged in a two-minute warmup before the next period of exercise, and 20 out of 22 subjects showed improvement.

When the length of warmup increases to between 10 and 12 minutes of activity, capillaries in the skeletal muscles open, and blood flow percentage rises to between 70 and 75 percent. With improved blood flow comes increased temperature and oxygen delivery, which guards the muscles in periods of intense demand.

Friends of the Israel Defense Forces - Planned Giving Opportunities

Brian Greenspoon, managing attorney in the Florida firm of Greenspoon Dougherty, upholds a personal commitment to supporting his community. Brian Greenspoon is an active contributor to the Greater Miami Jewish Federation as well as the Friends of Israel Defense Forces.

Dedicated to supporting the young men and women who fight for the State of Israel, the Friends of Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) funds and oversees a variety of programs. These programs depend on the generosity of donors across the United States and beyond. Some donors choose to make a one-time financial contribution, either in their own name or to honor a loved one, while others participate in one of the FIDF's planned-giving programs.

Donors may elect to include the Friends of Israel Defense Forces in their will, which can specify a dollar amount or percentage of assets to go to the organization. Others name FIDF as beneficiary of the full or partial balance of a particular financial account, individual retirement account (IRA), 401k, or life insurance policy.

Some individuals may elect to set up an Israeli Soldiers Gift Annuity, which provides the donor with guaranteed payments in exchange for a donation of cash or active securities. However, those with highly appreciated real estate property or securities may wish instead to establish an Israeli Soldiers Charitable Remainder Unitrust, which provides a certain level of tax exemption and guaranteed income while providing the FIDF with significant support. Meanwhile, donors who wish to secure their long-term impact on the organization can establish an FIDF endowment fund, to be used for general purposes or a particular program as the donor specifies.