5762 begins a new era in the life of Adat Shalom, our first program year in our own home. A calendar full of new programs shows how our home will build Adat Shalom into a stronger, more active and more vibrant community.
This Saturday, September 8, Adat Shalom has its first turn as host of our annual joint Slichot service with Beth Ami, Har Shalom and Or Chadash. Sunday September 9 begins 30 weeks of adult education classes and workshops. Starting on Friday, October 26, the last Shabbat each month will begin with Dining, Davening and Dancing at our Shabbat Slam program. Saturday, December 8, we’ll celebrate Hanukkah with a concert featuring Cantor Rachel and Hazzan Ramon Tasat. In addition to our hallmark Music Shabbat, Purim Shpiel and Shabbaton, the spring programs include a Social Action Seder, a Purim carnival, Israeli-style dinner for Yom Ha’atzmaut and more. In our new building, our program is limited only by our creativity and our energy.
This year’s budget contains only a 5-6 percent dues increase. This modest dues increase basically reflects inflationary price increases and is not enough to cover the operating costs of our wonderful new building and to finance the expansion of programming that our building makes possible. The difference needs to be made up by the High Holiday Appeal. This Appeal is based on the concept of Fair Share Giving.
Fair Share Giving reflects the traditional Jewish values that everyone has obligation to support the community and those with greater means have an obligation to provide greater support. The Fair Share concept is familiar to us both as Jews and as participants in a western democracy. The Biblical concept of tithing (or giving a tenth of one’s income to support the temple and the priesthood) is the simplest form of fair share giving. The progressive income tax system, with its myriad deductions and exemptions and its increasing marginal rates, is a far more complex form. However, unlike biblical era tithing and our progressive income taxes system, Fair Share Giving for the High Holiday Appeal is voluntary.
Our dues structure does have some progressive elements. We charge very little ($180—the cost of JRF membership plus mailings) to singles under 30 years old because we recognize that many young people are just beginning their careers. Other childless singles pay half of the rate paid by households with two adults. Single parents pay less than two parent families but more than childless adults, in recognition of the fact that those households have more than one person participating in synagogue life but that household income is generally lower.
Because our community is committed to eliminating financial barriers to membership and making our community open to people with all levels of income, the Finance Committee makes confidential dues adjustments for those that need them. Tuition assistance is also available for children of families with limited means. About 10 percent of our members receive dues and/or tuition reductions based on financial need. However, except for cases of dues reductions for financial hardship, our dues structure doesn’t take account of differences in income among the other 90 per cent of the membership. The Fair Share annual High Holiday Appeal is how we introduce a more progressive, income-based element into sharing the financial burden for this congregation’s operating costs.
The High Holiday Appeal is the one time of the year we ask every member of the community to make a donation to support the synagogue’s operating budget, closing the gap between dues and expenditures. This year, we need to raise at least $70,000. To generate this amount through dues alone would mean an additional $200 per member household, an amount that would be a hardship to some but barely felt by others. With Fair Share Giving, we can share this burden on a voluntary and progressive basis. However, this only works if members value Adat Shalom enough to make supporting the community a priority. Last year, when the High Holiday Appeal introduced the concept of Fair Share Giving, many members took this concept to heart and increased their giving substantially. We hope that more members will consider bringing their giving in line with Fair Share levels this year.
What is your Fair Share of the High Holiday appeal? It is based on your income and your dues. For those with a mathematical bent, you can calculate your precise obligation as follows:
This formula does not take into account your building maintenance or building
fund obligations or your capital campaign pledges, which support the capital
costs of our new building. It also does not take into account Torah School
tuition payments, which represent payments for specific synagogue services
(and which do not nearly cover the community’s cost of providing our children
with a supplemental Jewish education.)
This simple formula is a guide to what members at each income level are being
asked to give. We recognize that the financial situations of member units at
the same income class can vary greatly. No simple formula can take into
account either nursing home care for your elderly parent or a substantial
trust fund. Only you can do that.
People often want to know what other people give. That is why the Fair Share
Chart contains suggested giving ranges. The numbers in the chart are real
numbers. Many members already give at or above the suggested levels for their
membership and income categories. These members typically gave with
comparable generosity to the capital campaign because they take their
financial obligations to the community very seriously. We could not run our
congregation without these financial contributions.
Everyone, including those receiving dues and tuition reductions, is asked to
give something because every member has a stake in the community’s financial
health. If $18 (the traditional Jewish financial gift symbolizing of long
life and prosperity is what you can afford, Adat Shalom welcomes that gift.
What is important is your commitment to the community.
Please look over these charts or do the calculations. The lower end of the
range for each income level reflects the Fair Share for those paying family
dues while the upper end reflects the Fair Share for those paying dues as
singles. If you are already giving at the suggested range, I thank you on
behalf of the community for your generosity. If your past giving is not in
line with the suggested amount, I strongly urge you to examine your budget
and your giving priorities to try come within range of a Fair Share gift. All
of our programming depends on your generosity.
Shana tova u’metukah (A happy and sweet new year!) Judy Gelman
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