From the Dues Committee - November 1998

Where Does the Money Go...Or...What's it Worth vs. What's My Obligation to the Jewish Community?

Dues. Just the mention of the word is sure to spark a comment or an opinion. Our dues policy, frankly, encourages debate, if nothing else. While debate is healthy and can be constructive, the net of any discussions about dues is that it takes a considerable amount of money to run Congregation Albert in order to meet our collective expectations.

This assumes a continued and strong participation from volunteers and large contributors. Without them, Congregation Albert's monetary needs would be even greater. The fact is that collected dues do not currently cover the expense of running the Temple. A greater commitment to fair share dues pledges is needed from those who can afford to pay more.

Members need to make dues a higher priority. For those people who can pay more and don't, their response tends to be the same regardless of income..."It's not worth any more than what I'm pledging"...whether that's $700 or $2,000. Perhaps the response to those who are questioning their "investment" in Congregation Albert should be twofold:

1) show them where the money is going; and
2) suggest a different point of view beyond the amount they are contributing to the Temple.

The first part is easy and we'll talk about this in a future issue of the bulletin. The second part is a bit more complicated and challenging, and centers on our sense of duty and responsibility as Jews. It requires thinking about our Jewishness and a commitment - our obligation to lead a responsible Jewish life. In order for Congregation Albert to flourish, that commitment must be financial as well as spiritual.

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