A Family Tradition of Giving

For the Millers, giving back has always been more than an obligation; it has been a way of life. Howard Miller still recalls directing traffic as a teenager at the Fifth Regiment Armory on G-Day, watching his father and hundreds of women mobilize to raise money for the Combined Campaign. Linda Miller grew up watching her parents, Florence and Maurice Caplan, volunteer their time and treasure for Jewish causes. Those examples shaped how Linda and Howard chose to live, building a home where giving and welcoming were woven into the very fabric of family life.

Opening Hearts and Homes

When Soviet and other Jewish refugees arrived in Baltimore in the 1970s and 80s, the Miller home became a place of refuge and welcome. Linda, then active in HIAS, often brought families to the farm in Pikesville for a first meal in America. Karen remembers teaching new arrivals the difference between nickels, dimes and quarters, sharing popsicles and watermelon in the summer and marveling at the resilience of families who came with so little yet embraced the chance to start anew. For Karen, these childhood memories instilled a powerful lesson: generosity is about more than writing a check. True generosity is about opening your heart and your home and building bonds that transcend language, culture and circumstance.

As adults, Linda and Howard deepened their commitments. Linda became president of HIAS and helped launch Project Fresh Start, a housing initiative for homeless families in Baltimore City Schools. Together, the Millers decided to endow their Annual Campaign gift through The Associated, ensuring that their support would continue to sustain the community for generations to come. “This was a chance for our gift to live on, to be there for future generations, and provide support when times are difficult or stressful,” Linda explained.

“Growing up, I saw my parents and grandparents live their values every day — welcoming others, giving back and never forgetting where we came from,” Karen reflects. “Now, it’s my turn to carry that forward, and to show my children and future generations that joy and generosity go hand in hand.”

Karen has also made her own bequest to The Associated, creating a Lion of Judah Endowment (LOJE) fund, just as her parents did before her. It is a tangible expression of her commitment to continuity, to ensure that the organizations and causes that matter today will still be thriving for tomorrow.

For the Miller family, legacy is not just about what is left behind; it is about the living example they set in every generation. From Martin to Howard and Linda, and now to Karen, the Miller story reminds us that endowment giving is not about dollars alone. Legacy giving it is about faith in the future, about honoring the past and about finding joy in the act of sustaining Jewish life.

As Karen leads with warmth and vision, she is helping to write the next chapter of a story that began long before her, And, thanks to her and her family’s commitments, will continue long after. Truly, a legacy of Jewish joy and generosity.