Beth Israel
Membership
Membership Dues Structure
At Beth Israel, we strive to make membership and participation possible for all those who want to be part of our kehillah. We emphasize diversity, inclusiveness, and the warmth of community — and we enthusiastically welcome new members to our growing family. We never want cost to be an obstacle to becoming part of our community and we value all members for their contributions of the heart and of the hands. We are powered and sustained by our members. The sense of belonging that permeates our programs is made possible by members who offer their financial support, time, and skill in service of community.
At Beth Israel, we have adopted a Sustaining Shares Model to determine membership contributions. This means everyone can experience the benefits of membership, regardless of what you give. A "sustaining share" is the total cost of running the synagogue divided by the number of adult members. At present, this number is $1,315 or $2,630 for a two-adult family. We do not specify your contribution and we know from experience that there are also gifts of the hands that help maintain the congregation by participating, helping, being actively involved, and sharing your time and expertise.
A synagogue provides a place to belong and act on our beliefs. It also is a place to “become.” Just as Judaism is not a static set of beliefs and behavior, but rather is constantly evolving, each of us is somewhere on our “Jewish journey.” No matter where you are on that journey — even if you’re at the beginning — the synagogue provides a place to experiment, to learn, to reflect, explore and discover, to be empowered and to experience life enriched with a sense of meaning and a sense of purpose.
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Belonging. Believing. Becoming — three intrinsic human needs, each of which can be met through involvement in the synagogue. Beth Israel enthusiastically welcomes new members to our growing family to join us in their Jewish journey.