July 13, 2001/Tamuz 22, 5761, Vol. 53, No.40
Letters to the EditorJuly 13, 2001
Synagogue costs too greatEditor:My husband and I were members of a local congregation since we moved to Arizona in 1977. Our four sons became bar mitzvah there, three with the same rabbi. The synagogue had always been supportive and responsive to our financial situation, which necessitated partial scholarships for the boys during the years they were in Hebrew school and a reduction in our membership fees. Prior to the high holidays last year, I again filled out the form stating "what you can afford to pay" and "why you are requesting a reduction in fees." I was stunned when the response I received was that the payments I could afford were not enough. I was asked to pay an additional $10 a month, an amount our family could not afford. When I informed the financial evaluation committee of our situation (and copied our rabbi with my letter) I received no response. Last year, for the first time in 23 years, we did not attend high holiday services at "our" synagogue. I was given a ticket to a Reform temple and went by myself. My husband did not go anywhere. Neither of us will be attending this year. I am hurt and angered by the attitude of our former congregation. But that is just a very small part of a much larger picture. The synagogue lost a few hundred dollars a year. The rabbi lost the respect of two of his congregants. I lost the delusion that I was part of an extended family where I would always be welcome. My children (now adults) lost faith in a religion that charges admission and denies it if you cannot afford the price. So ultimately, it is not just two people who were expendable, but the next generation(s) as well. Judaism is losing many young people to apathy and intermarriage. I know now one of the reasons why. Norma Born Scottsdale Shame, shameEditor:I was disappointed and angry that Jewish News did not place news of the "unity gathering for Israel" on the front page with a banner headline but instead buried it in the middle of the newspaper (Jewish News, June 15). The turnout at the rally was abysmal - a shame on the Jewish community of the Valley of the Sun. However, most of the people I spoke to, including subscribers to Jewish News, weren't even aware that such a gathering had taken place. Shame on the only source of information our community has. Joan Zuckerman Phoenix, via Internet |
