Jackie Koral Honors Mother-In-Law, Regina

Born in Vienna, Jacqueline Koral’s mother-in-law, Regina Koral, lived through the horrors of the Holocaust, hidden in Belgium. She and her husband came to the United States in 1949.

At the age of 95, Jackie and her husband brought her mother-in-law from Manhattan to the Towers at Tower Lane in downtown New Haven. Regina was terrified. “I don’t know anybody there,” she said, “and I speak with a funny accent.” But her fears were soon overcome as she was embraced by the residents and staff of the Towers.

Gina, as she was known at the Towers, insisted that Jackie become involved with the Towers because Gina loved her life there so much, and so Jackie did. Jackie joined the Tower Board, became a Board Chair, and eventually established an endowment for the Towers.

 The Towers at Tower Lane stands at the forefront of Active Aging. Balancing Jewish values, they are a ‘center of excellence,’ fostering respect, competence, compassion, and commitment to innovation and tradition. Their mission promotes personal growth and wellness and truly supports their vision of ‘Aging in Community’. 

Create a Jewish Legacy, a collaborative endowment program funded by the Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation of Western Massachusetts, assists our local agencies and synagogues to secure their future by providing resources and support so that they can grow their endowment and legacy programs.

 Gina never expected that the last five years of her life would be so fulfilling and meaningful to her. Jackie said, “My mother-in-law became the inspiration. I created this endowed fund at the Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven to ensure a living legacy for my family and also provide support for the Towers. Gina made it all happen.”