Many believe that the institution exists to serve their spiritual needs and sense of community, but that no reciprocal element of that relationship exists.
Jerusalem, May 26 – To a man, each person present at Friday night services has convinced himself that others are taking care of the various costs inherent in running the synagogue, sources within the congregation are reporting.
The attendees, who flock almost weekly to the synagogue to chant hymns welcoming the Sabbath and then recite the evening prayer, evidently operate under the assumption that if the building exists and the utilities work, contributions by the attendees are unnecessary, say the sources. Additionally, many, if not most, of those in attendance apparently believe that the institution exists to serve their spiritual needs and sense of community, but that no reciprocal element of that relationship exists.
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of sounding pathetically desperate for funds, divulged that less than one percent of the people who avail themselves of the synagogue make any donations, and actual paid annual memberships number far less. Despite attracting hundreds of people each Friday evening for joyous, dance-filled services, it occurs to vanishingly few such attendees that making use of the synagogue, its facilities, and its personnel, might entail some ethical obligation to offset in some measure the expenses inherent in making those facilities and services available. When such a thought does occur, say the sources, it is most often dismissed with the rationalization that someone else is obviously funding the operation, so their contribution is unnecessary.
Many of the attendees also convince themselves that because they see their residence in the area as temporary, they should not be expected to support communal institutions. “I’m basically a student,” says Sarah Miller, who has lived in the community since her teenage years and is currently pursuing a doctorate. “Contributing to a shul is more of a I’m-here-for-good kind of thing, and I’m sure nobody minds that I help fill out attendance while I’m still here,” she added, failing to mention any concrete plans to move elsewhere, and the fact that she has lived there longer than a number of established families.
Among the facilities and resources required to maintain the establishment are the funds to pay for water and electricity, including heat and air conditioning when necessary, as well as supplies of prayer books, their occasional replacement or repair, cleaning services and supplies, building maintenance, toilet paper, and payment for services such as Torah reading when regular volunteers are unavailable, among many others. However, each person in attendance believes the others are covering those costs.
“Moskowitz sponsors a kiddush basically every other weeks, so he must be loaded,” said Izzy Mermelstein, who has attended since 2009, unaware that the sponsorship of those light refreshments after the services on Saturday morning seldom exceeds 150 shekels, and that none of that sum ends up in the synagogue’s coffers. “I’m sure he’s helping out in other ways.”
Aaron Goldfarb, another veteran, expressed similar confidence that others were picking up the slack. “I paid membership during my first two years here, but then the kiddush committee didn’t buy the kugel I like, so I haven’t renewed since ’05,” he explained. “They can’t possibly be in such dire straits that they need the money I was going to spend on Netflix downloads – they would have an appeal or something, trust me. Also, Mermelstein drives a BMW. He’s got to be donating right and left.”
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