As a freshman at Harvard College, Lynda Doctoroff met Jeff Bussgang. While she didn’t know it at the time, she had both found her future husband — and begun her own joyful Jewish journey.

Lynda, whose family moved often due to her father’s job, grew up without a strong sense of Jewish practice and tradition. Jeff, the son of a Holocaust survivor, was raised in a tight-knit Jewish community in Lexington.

“Jeff was a huge influence in helping shape my commitment to building a strong Jewish identity for myself — and for when we started a family,” Lynda says.

After they both graduated in 1991, Lynda moved to New York City for a career in musical theater. Two years later, she returned to Boston to work at Facing History & Ourselves, an experience, she says, that cemented her desire to live by Jewish values.

“It fills our souls”

Lynda and Jeff married in 1994. Soon after, says Jeff, they joined Temple Beth Elohim and “got swept up” in Jewish life. Eventually, Lynda went to work for Hebrew SeniorLife, and the couple enrolled their three children, Jackie, JJ, and Jonah, at The Rashi School.

Over the years, the Bussgangs got more involved with Combined Jewish Philanthropies. Lynda participated in the Cynthia and Leon Shulman Acharai Leadership Program, Women’s Philanthropy, and The Miriam Fund. Jeff helped lead two missions to Israel for venture capital and business executives.

“We really cherish the Boston Jewish community,” says Jeff. “Through it all, we’ve seen CJP as the unifier of our family’s Jewish life. Being active in CJP has allowed us to be in partnership with — and to develop friendships with — folks from across towns, across synagogues, and across Jewish denominations.”

As they learned more about CJP, Jeff and Lynda wanted to give more. In 2020, they started to make multiyear gifts to support the Annual Campaign, allowing CJP to better meet the community’s rising needs.

“We’re very leadership driven in our giving,” Jeff says. “We like to support leaders we believe in, and CJP has a world-class team, top to bottom. Through CJP, we have found joy in Judaism and joy in giving. It fills our souls.”

A family affair

With Lynda and Jeff as parents, Jackie says she and her brothers grew up in a household filled with Jewish joy. As a teen, she explored Jewish life through overnight camp and youth group. While in college, she was active in Hillel. And now, as a married young adult, she and her husband, Josh, have turned to CJP.

“We were looking for ways to engage Jewishly as a couple, and we’ve found that CJP has appealing events for our age and our lifestyle, along with opportunities for growth, leadership, and learning,” she says.

Earlier this year, both Jackie and Josh were matched with opportunities through CJP’s Hineni Volunteer Network, which connects community members with local Jewish organizations that need support. Jackie signed on to the Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Boston Young Professionals Committee, and Josh joined the JCC Greater Boston Development Committee.

“My parents have been amazing role models as leaders and volunteers,” says Jackie. “They pour so much time, passion, and money into CJP and the Jewish community, and so much love into everything they do. From them, I’ve always known I wanted to have my own robust Jewish life.”

For Josh, his in-laws have shown him the importance of giving back to the Jewish community, a value, he says, that he now holds close.

“I have a real love of Judaism because of the Bussgangs,” he says. “They’ve helped me build a strong sense of Jewish life in my marriage with Jackie, which I know we’ll carry into our future family.”

“Step up and give back”

Nearly 35 years after she leaned into her own Jewish identity, Lynda says she feels an even greater responsibility to serve the Jewish community. The best channel to do that, she says, is through CJP.

“These are hard times, and we all need to be strong, good, and generous people who step up and give back,” she says. “It’s a total privilege that our whole family is positioned to do that. We’ve all found ways to be involved that are fulfilling, both directly with CJP and its partners. CJP is a huge piece of our family.”

Lynda and Jeff Bussgang built their joyful Jewish life out of Rashi School, Temple Beth Elohim, and a steady rhythm of CJP gatherings tuned to their stage of life. Couples and families looking for a similar rhythm can explore Jewish Boston events curated for their age and household.