TO NEW MEMBERS of SYNAGOGUE OF THE HILLS – AN EXPLANATION OF “FAIR SHARE” PLEDGE
The Synagogue of the Hills welcomes all members of the Jewish community and their families. Of utmost importance is our mission to create and sustain a vibrant Jewish community. As such it is much more than a membership organization; it is our congregational home in which we worship, learn, and celebrate.
As members of Synagogue of the Hills, our pledges are an annual commitment to support the mission, vision, and goals of our congregation. As members, we are encouraged to contribute according to our financial ability. Our contributions make possible having a place in which to commemorate life-cycle events and educate our children, as well as providing a sanctuary for all our Jewish community. With our contributors’ dedicated support, our synagogue will be here for its members when they need it. As those who came before us preserved our Jewish heritage, through our financial support, we insure the future of our congregation for generations to come.
Fair Share Pledge is a share support system for assessment of membership contributions. It is based on the concept that all shall give according to the blessing which has been given us. This is a moral obligation incumbent upon us all—tzedakah, as our tradition teaches it. The Fair Share Pledge is self-assessed, that is, the members assess their own appropriate level of contribution.
The standard of fair share that the Reform Movement has arrived at is 2% of a family’s annual income, which is based upon the average cost of operating a synagogue in modern America. However, members will assess themselves at various levels of support depending on their ability to contribute. The decision of an appropriate amount to contribute is a highly personal one; a respected, private issue for individual members. The enclosed card in which to make your pledge will be kept fully confidential by our Synagogue Administrator.
Synagogue of the Hills will turn no person away if they are unable to make a financial contribution as a result of financial hardship. If this is relevant to any person’s present state of affairs, please contact the office and an accommodation will be made on your behalf.
The Synagogue of the Hills Board of Directors would like to extend our gratitude and thank you for joining our community. Your contribution will make possible a place for our spiritual, educational, and social activities, as well as a center for outreach to the entire Jewish community of the Black Hills…and beyond. You, the members of our extended family, have our sincere gratitude for your commitment to keeping our Jewish home and its traditions thriving.