BERWYN SYNAGOGUE ASKS FOR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE INSTEAD OF DUES

For the first time in its 40-year history, Congregation Or Shalom is scrapping its annual membership dues structure for voluntary pledges. The Conservative synagogue, located along the borders of Chester and Delaware Counties on Route 252, is hoping this new way of thinking will pad its secondary school enrollment and attendance at religious services and community activities. The announcement is being made now as area Jews prepare for the High Holidays and youngsters from ages 5 to 13 return to hebrew school classes.

It’s not a secret that belonging to a synagogue adds another burden to the family budget. Annual dues, religious school tuition and life cycle donations can run $3000 or more. Many Jewish families in the area belong to a synagogue until their children reach the 7th grade or 13-years-old, the age of a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Others find less expensive outlets to express their Jewishness. According to a recent Boston Globe article, in “a 2013 Pew Research Center Study, just 31 percent of American Jews belonged to a synagogue, down from 46 percent in 2001, as reported in the National Jewish Population Survey.”

Closer to home, the Jewish Exponent reported Temple Brith Achim in King of Prussia scrapped its membership dues “in favor of a pay-what-you-wish approach.” The news article explained, “particularly since the near economic collapse of 2008 and the years of recession that have followed, many synagogues have struggled with declining membership and keeping up the costs of maintaining buildings. That has led some to consider options that in the past would have seemed too risky or radical, like sharing staff or even building space.”

Or Shalom, a small community of about 120 families, has decided to start its 2014-2015 fiscal year with this new approach. Suggested membership pledges in the form of Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum were mailed to all current members in a letter by synagogue President Stuart Lurie of Downingtown. This pledge-what-you-can-afford approach not only hopes to attract unaffiliated families searching for a religious home but to retain current members.

“Or Shalom is dedicated to providing a center of Jewish education for our children and continuing spiritual enrichment for ourselves,” explains Lurie. “We are active in social justice projects that enhance communal life and we share the joys of holidays and special occasions and support each other when comfort is needed.”

“Stop by on a Friday night when our Hebrew school classes conduct services or poke around our Gift Shop for a Judaica item,” adds Berwyn resident Scott Markovitz. “Attending a Men’s Club brunch, volunteering for the latest Social Action project or enjoying our zany Purim Carnival is the easiest way to appreciate our heimish ways.”

Under the leadership of Rabbi Jacob Rosner, Congregation Or Shalom is made up of people of all ages – from singles, newly married and inter-faith couples to families with school-age children and empty-nesters. The genial synagogue is home to Jewish families residing in western mainline towns and beyond -- from Exton, Malvern and Devon to Wayne, Newtown Square and Media. Hebrew school students hail from a variety of school districts including Great Valley, Tredyffrin/Easttown and Radnor plus many private schools such as Shipley and Haverford School.

As the expression goes, membership has its privileges and at Or Shalom, it will be affordable and attainable to everyone seeking a Jewish home.

For more information and to register a child for the 2014-2015 school year, contact the synagogue’s office at 610-644-9086 or visit its website at www.orshalom.com. Classes begin on Sunday, September 7 at 9 am followed by the synagogue’s annual Back to Shul/Back to School picnic at 12 noon.