Hanukkah-thon 2019 Message

Shalom Friends,

This year as the nation prepares to celebrate Thanksgiving, Temple Israel is feeling the impact of trends in U.S. Reform Jewish life that challenge us financially. Right now, between Member pledges and CJL registrations, our revenue is down 13% from projections.

You may have read about some of the trends towards reduced engagement in Jewish institutions. The Pew Research Study from some years ago made this very clear, and these changes will continue to put stress on our congregation going forward. We manage our finances tightly, but we recognize that more needs to be done to engage our community and to adopt a growth mindset. The Board is in the process of assessing our programs, policies, and procedures. We are committed to innovate so that we can thrive, which includes encouraging more community connections and engagement.

The truth remains that Temple Israel doesn’t exist without you. 

Asking for philanthropic contributions from our congregants and supporters has not traditionally been our strong suit. According to the URJ, the average Reform congregation generates 17% of its revenue from philanthropic sources. Temple Israel generates only 7% from philanthropic sources. We must do better. We all need to understand that membership pledges and CJL tuition are not sufficient to maintain our operations and our incredible programs. Now- right now- we need as much participation as possible in our annual Hanukkah-thon fundraiser to solidify our current position and build a deeper foundation for the future.

We also face very real instances of antisemitism and intolerance locally, and we have all seen this played out in national tragedy. How do we counter this? We can make stronger connections within our Temple community, share our joys, speak out, and shine a bright light against the hate and intolerance we witness.

For these reasons and more, I ask you to join your fellow congregants and help to bolster Temple Israel’s financial health. We do this for each other and our place in our community. Please give generously to our 2019 Hanukkah-thon fundraiser. Your gift will help ensure that Temple Israel remains a place of strength and solace for the Jews of Northern Westchester.

Our goal for Hanukkah-thon 2019 is to achieve participation from everyone in our congregation. Every single gift of any size is received with gratitude and will help us to provide more to strengthen our sacred community.  

We will list all donors on our website TINW.org. Any donor who contributes over $360 will be additionally honored on the digital display board in our lobby. Contributions to 2019 Hanukkah-thon can be made on TINW.org, mailed to our accounting address, or mailed directly to Temple Israel.

Thank you in advance for giving generously to Temple Israel and shining your light in the world. I wish you and yours a happy, meaningful Thanksgiving.

L’Shalom,

Steve Samuels
President, TINW