You’ve probably heard how expensive synagogue membership can be. Maybe you clicked onto a synagogue website, saw the dues listed, and felt immediate sticker shock.
Before you panic, it helps to understand what those numbers actually represent.
Synagogue dues aren’t a cover charge for belonging. They’re yearly contributions that keep the community running – supporting the rabbi and staff, maintaining the building, funding programs, and often sustaining tzedakah.
There are also a few important things people don’t always explain clearly.
Let’s talk about it.
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Transcript below.
Transcript:
If you’ve heard about synagogue membership dues and panicked, let’s slow this down.
Synagogue membership dues are the yearly contributions that help a synagogue keep running.
They usually support the rabbi and staff, the building and utilities, the services, programs, and often charity, Tzedakah, within the community.
Think of dues less like a cover charge and more like a shared responsibility as a member of the community. Paying your part to keep the lights on.
Here are three things that people often don’t realize.
You don’t usually need to be a member in order to attend services.
Services are usually open to the public.
If you’re converting to Judaism, you usually won’t pay synagogue membership fees yet. You usually can’t become a formal member of the synagogue until after you’ve finished your conversion.
So dues are not something you need to be worried about early on in the process.
Dues are more flexible than most people think.
Many synagogues offer sliding scales, reduced rates, or quiet financial accommodations.
Needing help doesn’t mean you’re any less committed to the community.
Judaism has always valued helping to take care of the people who have less financial resources in our community.
But yes, it may be embarrassing to ask, and the process may feel embarrassing. That is something that we haven’t always gotten right. Most people are not trying to be jerks. Even though yes, some people are jerks. You have every right to ask for what you need, and that’s totally fine.
Synagogue dues are about sustaining the community, not buying belonging. If you like content like this, follow for more.
