The choice is yours! The date for voting approaches!
On Wednesday, May 27th at 7:30 PM, Shomrei will have its annual meeting. While these meetings are always important, the fact is that historically only a small percentage of the congregation attends. However, there will be one item in particular that will make this Annual Meeting different from all others – we will be voting on the adoption of the Sustaining Share membership model for Shomrei.
With the vote on the Sustaining Share Membership Model the congregation has the opportunity to make a historic statement about the kind of community we aspire to be––one that welcomes members based on their desire to be a part of our community and not on a fixed dues structure that is prohibitive and off-putting. The model gives room for new members to grow into our community and to grow into their commitment. And, for those long-time members of Shomrei and even our newest members, it re-envisions what we as a spiritual community can be, by engaging our members in community-building to a degree we have not seen in quite some time. We have a chance to reenergize our community through our voluntary contributions and our voluntary commitment of time. As community builders and stakeholders we have a real chance to have an impact on the synagogue we care about most deeply.
To date, we have received Sustaining Share Campaign pledges totaling $468,466, with over two-thirds of the congregation having responded. We expect that those who have not yet responded will participate soon, committing an overall amount comparable to past payments they have made. That would bring the total to at least $560,000. With that amount, and the Board of Trustee’s recommendation to the congregation to adopt the plan, we are well-positioned to move forward with the Sustaining Share Model.
Thank you again to all those who have submitted your commitment forms with your generous pledges. If you haven’t already done so, please do so promptly. You can still fill out the form online at shomrei.org/pledge or pick up a hard copy of the form at the office. But, without your vote at the annual meeting we cannot move forward with this.
So, you make the difference! We’ll have a barbecue at 6:30 PM, followed by the meeting. Please make every effort to be there, Wednesday evening, May 27th at 7:30 PM and cast your vote for Shomrei’s future!
Image by jonrawlinson 
used with permission via Creative Commons: Attribution License
- Toby in Her Own Words - Thu, Feb 8, 2024
- It Takes a Minyan - Tue, Nov 22, 2022
- A Guy Who Likes Everything: A Defense - Wed, Feb 9, 2022