San Francisco’s Congregation Sherith Israel has become the first synagogue to meet a controversial challenge by Congregation Emanu-El to draw in the unaffiliated, offering free memberships to people under 30.
“This group is the future of our people and our community,” said Sherith Israel Rabbi Martin Weiner.
“Tradition was, you joined a synagogue when your kids entered religious school,” he added. “We made a commitment to saying we don’t want that gap between high school and the birth of a first child. The congregation is here for everyone — always.”
San Francisco’s Reform Congregation Emanu-El last month took the unprecedented step of offering free first-year memberships at a time when an estimated 80 percent of Jews are unaffiliated. Some rabbis angrily criticized Emanu-El, however, when the synagogue challenged others to follow suit.
In fact, Sherith Israel, which is also Reform, has been reaching out to younger Jews for a long time, Weiner said. Emanu-El’s free membership offer “was a factor” in Sherith Israel’s decision, he added, “but our commitment to young adults has been strong for a number of years.”
Seventeen years ago, Sherith Israel pioneered its young adult group Simcha, which boasts a mailing list of 250. Further outreach is done through the Koret Synagogue Initiative, aimed in part at young, unaffiliated Jews. Sherith Israel had also charged only $260 annually to members under 30; Simcha membership is $25.
“This [free membership] makes it even easier,” Weiner said.
Some rabbis said Emanu-El, one of the largest and wealthiest congregations in San Francisco, can afford to make such a radical move, while others cannot. Emanu-El is funding its offer through a bequest. It already offers voluntary dues to congregants under 30.
But Sherith Israel, also a large congregation with many affluent members, isn’t overly concerned about taking a fiscal hit from the free membership drive because it is targeting a limited group, Weiner said. Most new members under 30 do not have children to enroll in religious school, so the synagogue would not have to cover such costs as well.
However, a number of smaller congregations remain critical of the Emanu-El move, and say they are struggling simply to pay their PG&E bills.
“A congregation with a lot of funds should not laud that fact over others,” said Rabbi Gerald Raiskin of Peninsula Temple Sholom in Burlingame. “If you have a million dollars, you can do what you want. But you can’t tell others to do it too.”
However, Raiskin applauds creative efforts to bring unaffiliated families into synagogues.
“Most Jews have been in a synagogue at least once in their lives. They need a point of entry to get them back in,” he said.
“Many congregations open up their religious school classes, to help families get their feet wet. But each congregation needs to make its own decision. Each ill has a different medicine.”
A number of rabbis, including Weiner, contend that all synagogues will work with families to make membership affordable. While general membership dues at Sherith Israel run $1,050 per household plus a $150 donation to the synagogue preservation fund, Weiner said, “No one has ever been turned away for financial reasons. People are full members of our synagogue for as little as $10 or $25.”
Emanu-El leaders maintain the same policy. However, “the current method of talking money first is acting as a barrier,” said Emanu-El Rabbi Stephen Pearce.
Meanwhile, a few rabbis are offering alternative suggestions to make congregational life attractive and affordable to young adults.
Rabbi Malcolm Sparer, former president of the Northern California Board of Rabbis, proposed a grant that would cover one year of synagogue membership at any congregation for newly married Jewish couples, and a gift certificate to a kosher butcher for a free chicken every Shabbat for six months.
“Many congregations can’t compete,” with the larger congregations like Emanu-El, Sparer said. “This would equalize it. So we wouldn’t be playing on a competitive basis.”