Elder Couple Smiling

“One of the hallmarks of Carl and Ruth Shapiro is that they pay a lot of attention to detail.  They don’t just write a check, they become real partners of the institution.”
– Dr. Gary Gottlieb
President, Brigham & Women’s Hospital


Hebrew Senior Life aims to maximize the quality of life of seniors in Greater Boston through an integrated network of housing, health care, research and teaching programs.  Foundation Trustee, Rhonda S. Zinner is joined by her daughter, Jennifer Herman and granddaughter, Ashley at a recent Hebrew Senior Life volunteer event.


Multi-Year Project Support

Significant multi-year project support enables grant recipients to expand their work and/or reach new levels of operation.

Representative Multi-Year Project Grants include:

  • Boston Ballet (Boston, MA)
    Resident Choreographer:  Multi-year support for contemporary choreographer Jorma Elo to create and direct innovative dance productions.
    visit the Boston Ballet website

  • Boston Symphony Orchestra (Boston, MA)
    The Ruth and Carl J. Shapiro 1st Violin Chair:  Fully funded in perpetuity.
    visit the Boston Symphony Orchestra website

  • Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston, MA)
    The Fund for Surgical Education and Research:  Support for the development of residents and young scientists pursuing a career in academic medicine.
    visit the Brigham and Women's Hospital website

  • Hebrew SeniorLife (Boston, MA)
    Mitzvah Program:  Core support for this program that celebrates the Jewish holidays by providing holiday kits and meals to homebound seniors who have no nearby family and would otherwise be unable to participate.
    visit the Hebrew Senior Life website

  • Joslin Diabetes Center (Boston, MA)
    Innovative Clinical Care Program:  Support for the "Why Wait?" program which addresses the issue of weight and diabetes control through an individualized, multi-faceted approach.
    visit the Joslin Diabetes Center website

  • Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Boston, MA)
    The Shapiro Fund for Film, Education, Public Programs and Special Projects:  Support for the Shapiro Celebrity Lecture Series, mini-courses and various special projects.
    visit the Shapiro Celebrity Lecture Series website

  • Sippican Land Trust (Marion, MA)
    Conservation of the Sippican Open Land:  Support for the protection of the wildlife, ecosystems and natural resources in the town of Marion, MA.
    visit the Sippican Land Trust website

  • United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (Washington, DC)
    Technology Initiative:  An educational project that utilizes the Internet 2 platform to teach national and global audiences about the history of the Holocaust, contemporary genocide and the role citizens can play in attempting to stop them. 
    visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website

  • Wellesley College (Wellesley, MA)
    Ruth Gordon Shapiro '37 Director of the Davis Museum:  The directorship of this small outstanding art museum is fully funded in perpetuity.
    visit the Davis Museum website