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January 12, 2001/Tevet 17, 5761, Vol. 53, No.15
Synagogue execs find strength in numbers
LEISAH NAMM
Staff Writer
As an act of unity and a desire to bring Jewish music to Phoenix, seven Valley synagogues are bringing Debbie Friedman in concert to the Scottsdale Center for the Arts Jan. 15.
Organizing the sold-out concert is the Arizona Association of Jewish Executive Directors and Administrators (AAJEDA), formed 10 years ago and comprised of the executive directors of Beth El Congregation, Har Zion Congregation, Temple Beth Israel, Temple Chai, Temple Emanuel, Temple Kol Ami and Temple Solel.
Terry Taubman, executive director at Temple Beth Israel for 11 years, said the group offers "an opportunity for us to share ideas and to gain from each other's experience and knowledge."
At monthly meetings that rotate among the various synagogues, members are "no longer seven synagogues," said David Brook, executive director of Beth El. "We're seven friends, seven professionals sitting around a room."
Synagogue executive directors are responsible for many duties, including fiscal and budgetary functions, personnel and human resources, and facilities management.
In addition to acting as a sort of support group, AAJEDA gives members strong negotiating power. For example, all seven synagogues now print their monthly bulletins at the same printer, which gives "an unbelievable savings to every congregation," Taubman said.
Before the Friedman concert became a reality, the concept of presenting a joint program was often discussed, mainly as an afterthought, Brook said. Then last year, Beth El and Beth Israel realized they both were looking into bringing Friedman to town for a concert. They discussed sponsoring it together and then decided to include the five other synagogues.
At first the directors were nervous because of the $20,000 price tag, but then agreed that the most important part was that they could offer this to the entire Phoenix Jewish community.
"We wanted the community to realize that the temples and synagogues in the Valley have made it possible to put on this concert," Taubman said.
Members brought the idea to their congregational boards and received their blessings. Each board agreed to help underwrite any loss and took responsibility for selling tickets and providing volunteers to serve on a concert committee.
"It was never about making money, it was about bringing Jewish music to Phoenix," Brook said. "More importantly, it was having seven synagogues work together."
"We really want to work together and be together" as a community, said Marlyne Freedman, executive director of Temple Chai. "We wanted to do this event to show the Jewish community how important it is to work together. We need to do more of it."
Other Valley programs sponsored by several synagogues include the Jewish Film Festival, to be held Feb. 25 to March 1, and Operation Elijah, a program that places people with families for Passover Seders.
Not only has the 830-seat Scottsdale Center for the Arts venue sold out, there has also been an outpouring of donations: hotel rooms from Tom Silverman of Chaparral Suites for Friedman and her crew, limousine service from Al Rashkow of Chicago Limousine, and a personal donation from Susan Hughson. Jewish News of Greater Phoenix is media sponsor.
Proceeds from tape and compact disc sales will be split among the youth groups of the seven synagogues "so the kids can benefit from this as well," Brook said.
"It's the start of something," Brook said. "We experimented, we took a chance, the community rallied behind it and now we're going to take it to the next level and make it a yearly thing."
Scottsdale Center for the Arts is at 7380 E. Second St., Scottsdale.
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