Renew, Rejoin and Recommit
What a journey this year this has been! Last summer, we were scattered throughout Shalom Park, figuring out the logistics of High Holiday services at two different churches and planning the major move into and celebrations to mark the February Rededication of our newly remodeled Temple home. That journey was worth the effort. Temple Beth El is a beautiful place filled with engaged congregants and vibrant programs.
While we are saddened to have lost Rabbi Micah and his family to his own congregation in Canada, we are overjoyed to welcome Rabbi Jonathan Freirich, his wife (and ketubah artist) Ginny and son Jude. We have also welcomed home Cantor Mary Thomas on a part-time basis. Mary, her husband Matt and daughter Johannah are now settled in. Our Clergy team and staff are strong, diverse and dedicated.
Our programs have never been better. Mitzvah Day was wildly successful. We are breaking ground nationally by creating the first Jewish Freedom School with a coalition of eight Jewish entities. And this Spring, we hosted the largest Kallah in the history of our region in NFTY. More than 250 teens came to Temple Beth El for a weekend to learn, to laugh, to pray and to play. It was a blessing. We are continually welcoming new members. This Temple is healthy and strong.
And believe it or not, we have another Simcha in our near future: in 2013, we’ll celebrate our 70th Anniversary. More coming on that soon.
While we celebrate our accomplishments and milestones, we still have a few miles to go to finish our journey. There are still some items to be completed in the new building and those are on the list. We are still working on the Capital Campaign Endowment; many thanks to all who are investing in the long-term future and stability of Temple Beth El. We need everyone to stay with us on this journey.
The greatest joy from our renovation this year will be that we’ll be celebrating the High Holidays in our Temple home. It has been years since we have been able to congregate in our sanctuary for the Holidays. But that joy means we will have to be both adaptable and disciplined. We will spilt our congregation evenly to accommodate our numbers, for both morning and evening services. Please pay special attention to those instructions as you sign up for the services. There are not enough parking spaces at Temple and Shalom Park for all of us (including Temple Israel)…although all will be accommodated with remote parking and shuttle buses. Take note…those who renew their Temple pledges at the higher “Sustainer” levels in their categories will have first choice for the coveted reserved parking spaces for the High Holiday services.
Also, please note one other new item on your pledge form. This year, we are trying a new approach for Brotherhood and Women of Reform Judaism (Sisterhood). The membership dues are listed in your renewal. You have the choice to “opt out” of membership if you like. Both organizations are vital to the support of our religious school, teen programs, and the overall vitality of this Temple. I hope you will stay members of both organizations.
Last year, I talked about K’hilah K’doshah, or holy community. We continue to aspire to this goal. Integral to this process are congregants, each of whom has a covenantal relationship with Temple that comprises an ongoing, mutual commitment to every other member of our community as well as to the community as a whole. The Temple has a responsibility to support and care for the congregation; and the congregation also has a responsibility to support and care for the Temple.
As has become our practice, membership dues will increase in all categories to cover higher operational costs from inflation and other factors. Our annual budget is $2.3 million dollars this year. Approximately 65% of that comes from membership dues. That is lower than the average Reform congregation of our size. Also, our operating expenses and dues are comparable to or lower than other Reform congregations of our size.
However, as this fiscal year begins, we continue to face difficult realities. Nearly half of Temple Beth El’s 1,100 congregant families annually pledge less than the designated amount for their membership category, resulting in more than $500,000 in lost revenue for the Temple last year. There are always those in the congregation who are under distress and cannot fully meet their financial obligations. Even though the economy is beginning to turn around, this continues to be…and will always be…a reality and one we understand. We welcome all, regardless of ability to meet their financial commitment.
However, our board has the responsibility to address this ongoing shortfall that challenges our congregation’s long-term wellbeing. We pledge to you to do the following:
1. Make sure the 2011/2012 budget is as lean as possible. Temple staff, the board and finance committee have spent countless hours finding ways to trim. The budget is balanced.
2. Continue the graduated dues structure for those age 32 and under. We realize young people who are beginning families and careers cannot afford full dues. This dues rate structure helps remove this obstacle and encourage them become full members of the congregation. It has been well received.
3. Offer Budget 101 Sessions this summer. We want all to understand how the budget of this Temple works and how our resources are invested in programs and the future of our Jewish families. Sessions were well attended in June; another session will be offered after HHD’s.
4. Ask those who can to meet their full financial responsibilities to do so. This commitment is critical to the covenantal relationship each of us has to help Temple meet its ongoing operational needs. We thank you for doing so.
5. Work closely with those in need. With the help of Jewish Family Services (JFS), we will expand this process for screening requests for abatements on annual membership pledges, religious school registration or bar/bat mitzvah fees. If you need financial relief of any kind, we will ask you to provide an explanation and may ask you to meet with a JFS counselor. The process will be discreet, professional and highly confidential. Please talk to us about this. We want this process to streamline the road to membership.
Your leadership team at Temple Beth El is working hard to make sure this remains a warm and welcoming place. We believe that each person is created B’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God; to be treated with respect and understanding; and capable of making a unique contribution to the whole. We need your engagement as a congregant and volunteer.
If you have any questions or comments about anything in this post or otherwise, please contact me or our Executive Director, Sara Schreibman. On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, thank you for your continued support and the privilege of serving your family’s spiritual and religious needs.
Sincerely,
Moira Quinn Klein
President
