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Dr. Jason Soifer, a Syracuse University alumnus who died on July 14, named SU as the beneficiary of his $2.7 million charitable remainder unitrust, a trust that allows a beneficiary to receive the gift annually with a fixed percentage of the fair market value, according to an SU News release from Tuesday. 

The money will go to two separate SU endowments for performing arts.

Soifer, an anesthesiologist, was awestruck by those on stage, both in music and in the theater, the release reads. With this in mind, Soifer’s gift will go towards two endowment funds in the College of Visual and Performing Arts — the Jason Soifer Endowed Fund for International Music Opportunities and the Jason Soifer Endowed Scholarship for Drama. 

Soifer graduated from SU’s College of Arts and Sciences in 1951. Then, Soifer attended medical school in Amsterdam and served in the U.S. Army as the medical head of NATO. During this time, he was stationed in Paris. 

Soifer’s experience studying overseas and living in Paris broadened his view of life, he said in the release. 

“I trained at medical school in Amsterdam in the Netherlands and realized how important an international education was, especially in language and to broaden one’s view of life. It can be quite educational to people — watch from a sidewalk cafe in Paris,” Soifer said in an interview with SU earlier this year. 

Soifer credited his time abroad and his love for music as the reason behind his endowment for the school of music. The goal of the music endowment is to give students opportunities in international competitions, cultural music exchanges, research and internships.

Milton Rubén Laufer, director of the Setnor School of Music, said in the news release that this gift is very special to him personally. According to the release, Laufer received a scholarship similar to Soifer’s at SU that allowed him to attend college and travel internationally. 

Holly Thuma, interim chair of the Department of Drama, said that the drama endowment will impact “diverse voices and perspectives,” giving gifted students the ability to attend SU if they might not have been able to afford previously. 

Published on October 12, 2021 at 11:42 pm

Contact Karoline: [email protected]