Rabbi Alan Lew can only paraphrase Mark Twain: The rumors of his capital campaign’s demise have been greatly exaggerated.
The longtime spiritual leader of San Francisco’s Conservative Congregation Beth Sholom insists that the gossip floating around that the synagogue has stalled midway to a $20 million campaign is just that — gossip.
In truth, he insists, the campaign is for $12.5 million, and the congregation is “way ahead” of schedule. In fact, he predicts Beth Sholom’s current home will have a date with the wrecking ball by December or January, with new construction to follow.
Roughly two years ago, the congregation lopped $8.5 million off its $20 million fund-raising goal, brought in professional fund-raiser Barry Judelman and had architect Stanley Saitowitz nip and tuck his plans accordingly.
The results? Lew insists everything is going swimmingly.
“I can’t tell you exactly how we’re doing, but we’re way ahead. We’re soliciting lead donors,” he said. “I can tell you we’ve only solicited 80 of our 600 members, and so far we’re doing very well.”
Lew’s justification for the $12.5 million undertaking is strikingly straightforward. Simply put, Beth Sholom’s current home is substandard.
“The building is starting to fall down. It’s in quite a dilapidated condition. You like to think about buildings from the good old days being solid, but the fact of the matter is it was built at a period when standards were low,” he said.
“The roof has been a constant problem. One of the walls of the sanctuary started to cave in about 10 years ago. Also, the building just doesn’t look good. It doesn’t feel great to be in it.”
When that wall started caving in, Lew and others looked into repairing the building. But it soon became apparent that it would be more economically viable to rebuild entirely.
The campaign did indeed stall out roughly two years ago, but Judelman’s research determined that a congregation of Beth Sholom’s size and composition could more realistically be expected to support a trimmed-down, $12.5 million goal.
His plans call for a traditional amphitheater-style sanctuary with the bimah in the center rather than the church-style frontal design most synagogues worldwide have adopted.
Saitowitz drew his inspiration from the oldest surviving synagogue, on Masada. But, in addition to a nod to the traditional, the circular style is also a tip of the cap to Beth Sholom’s egalitarian tradition.
Saitowitz’s designs have been well-received by the congregation and architectural community at large. They were recently exhibited at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City.
Flush with optimism about the rebuilding project, Lew is cool to the suggestion that his congregation join forces with Reform Congregation Sherith Israel, an idea bandied about in various corners of the local community, including a recent j. editorial.
The Reform congregation is required to foot the bill for an estimated $20 million retrofitting of its century-old synagogue or vacate the building.
The idea of a merger was proposed to Lew and his board by Peter Samuels, the chairman of Sherith Israel’s retrofitting committee. It was politely turned down.
Lew sees the two congregations as spiritually incompatible. But that’s not all.
“It seems to me that Sherith Israel is in a lot of trouble. And we are not,” he said.
“We’ve doubled in membership over the past 14 years and we’re about to complete an incredible new building project. Frankly, it seems to me people want us to sacrifice ourselves to save Sherith Israel.”
Lew, who will retire before the project’s completion, said his departure is bittersweet.
“It’s not frustrating. It makes me happy to think about leaving the synagogue in good condition, that the things I worked so hard for will succeed,” he said.
“I do have some regrets I won’t get to lead services there. I think services are going to be spectacular.”