The holiday season is supposed to be the most profitable for synagogues in the US • But what do you do when the plague prevents public prayer? • This is what they do in the US • Cut and save

• Illustration picture // Photo: David Cohen, Ginny

Like many other synagogues, the Bnei Chaim synagogue relies on the Tishrei holiday period to survive financially.

Most of the income from the small Conservative synagogue in Southern California comes in the days leading up to the holidays: by then, members are completing the annual membership fee payment, which gives them, among other things, a reserved place in holiday prayers. There are also those who are not regular members and bother to purchase tickets only for the holidays.

But now that the possibility of holding prayers in the presence of worshipers has been dropped due to the outbreak of the corona virus, the synagogue estimates that its income this year has dropped significantly. Bnei Chaim is already preparing and planning in advance a new financial model that will suit an era of limited income. Under the new system, the annual membership fee, which stood at about $ 2,000 for a family with two parents, would be abolished. Instead, community members will be invited to donate to the synagogue and in return - regardless of the amount of the donation - they will be able to enjoy all the services the synagogue offers: participation in holiday prayers, bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah ceremonies and Jewish studies - all in online instruction, until the rage passes. .   

"We are aware that many of our members are experiencing financial difficulties, and we will continue to see them as true friends even if only one penny is donated," said Rabbi Jason Van Leven, the synagogue's cantor. "I do not think this new model will cover all our expenses."

The funding of American synagogues comes mostly from membership fees - a considerable annual sum paid by the families who see the synagogue as their spiritual pavilion. For several thousand dollars a year for the family, members receive not only a chair in the synagogue during the holy days, but also the opportunity to participate in the variety of prayers and educational and cultural activities offered by the synagogue. Membership fees are paid by staff salaries: rabbis, cantors, teachers, administrators, and the cost of maintaining the building.

Now, all synagogues in America are preparing for the reality of a significant drop in revenue. Many are indeed blessed with a steep rise in the participation rate of members in online prayers, which has proven to be a great success in most cases. But what makes the money is the physical participation in the prayers of the terrible days, prayers that in most places will not be able to be provided this year. With the disappearance of the prayers with personal participation in the synagogue, the income they brought with them is also erased.

"Everyone is expecting their incomes to go down, one way or another, in the coming year," said Amy Asin, vice president for community strengthening in the reform movement. "Today, more than ever, people want to belong to the community and the synagogue," Asin explained. "But that does not mean they are able to pay today what they used to pay in the past."

The Adat Israel Conservative Synagogue in Washington, DC has 1,700 members. Synagogue leaders estimate that a 20% drop in revenue is expected this year, despite a record attendance at online prayers. On one of the last Saturday evenings, no less than 1,600 families joined the online broadcast of the prayer, almost all of the member families.

Taking into account the financial difficulties the community members are going through, the synagogue has decided not to raise its membership fee this year, which now stands at $ 3,000 and up per family (the exact amount also depends on the family’s income level). The synagogue hopes to save on expenses as a result of canceling events such as a kiddush after prayer, but there is still concern that some of the synagogue's 170 employees will be laid off due to the expected drop in revenue.

"I believe that many members of the community joined the 'Adat Yisrael' not only for the prayers of the holy days. We have an active education department for both children and adults. We have a kindergarten and a Jewish studies school where the demand for studies is greater than the supply. We also have Regular courses for adults, "said Lori Aldjem, president of the synagogue.

In most synagogues in the United States, the payment of the regular annual membership fee provides a ticket for the Tishrei prayers. Those who are not members are asked to pay for a moshav to attend Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur prayers. (Synagogues allow a reduced rate of membership fees for those in financial difficulties. The Knesset opens its gates to anyone who wants to participate and his hand does not reach, based on available space).

The Tishrei holidays are the hot season in all synagogues, with a record number of participants in prayers, and accordingly a record in income. The phenomenon exists in all streams of Judaism but is particularly prominent in non-Orthodox communities.

On regular Saturday evenings, about 150 to 200 members attend prayers at the Pursuit of Peace Synagogue in Philadelphia. On the eve of Yom Kippur, the number of participants increases by ten. In contrast, at the Beit Yaakov Orthodox Synagogue in Beverly Hills, California, the number of worshipers on Yom Kippur is only four times higher than the number of those who attend Saturday night prayers.

Synagogue administrators trust that even if this year they will not be able to give their members a prayer experience inside the synagogue on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the members will still choose to pay the annual membership fee and support the continued existence of the community. "We hope that people understand that when they buy a ticket to attend the holy days prayers they are, in fact, supporting the synagogue and its ability to continue to function the rest of the year," said Rabbi Yaakov Blumenthal, executive director of the Conservative movement's synagogue organization.

Orthodox synagogues may be less exposed to funding problems during the High Holidays, because Orthodox Jews tend to visit the synagogue regularly and not just on holidays. But they, too, are prepared for the possibility of a drop in revenue, said Rabbi Adir Fossey, director of community services at the Orthodox Union. "A very large portion of our friends are very active in the community through the synagogue, throughout the year, so this discourse does not exactly arise prior to the holiday season," said Pussy, one of the rabbis at Beit Yaakov in Beverly Hills. He noted, however, that the problem may arise in large cities where there are many Orthodox synagogues and families show less loyalty to a particular synagogue.

In the Philadelphia Peace Chase Reform Community, 1,000 synagogue members can choose from three levels of membership, at different prices, as well as request a membership fee discount. Along with this arrangement, which is supposed to make it easier for worshipers who cannot afford the full payment, this year the synagogue intends to open the services of the holy days prayers to the general public free of charge.

Much senior Jill Madrer understands that this arrangement will cause the synagogue financial difficulties, but she believes it is the right decision nonetheless.

"It seems to us that this is an opportunity to recognize the spiritual needs of human beings throughout the community and open our gates to more people," she said. "I'm worried, but also very curious to know if people will live up to their commitment to support the synagogue, without the whip hanging over their heads. And I'm not afraid. I really believe in the community."