A $500 family grant from the Rockland Jewish Initiative towards synagogue membership or religious school tuition is now available in Rockland County.
The grant is for new members of synagogues on the Rockland County Board of Rabbis. The Rockland Jewish Initiative, in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Rockland County, is making these grants available for the 2012-2013 year to families with no synagogue affiliation in Rockland County within the past three years.
The grants are generously funded by Lisa Green, founder of the Rockland Jewish Initiative. They will reduce the cost of synagogue membership, a leading factor in declining synagogue affiliation, and will be administered through participating synagogues and the Rockland Jewish Initiative. In exchange, grant recipients will participate in synagogue life by joining at least one synagogue committee or association.
“We are grateful to Lisa for the means to help families who want to join a synagogue and move to the next level of their Jewish journey” said Cantor Barry Kanarek, Director of the Rockland Jewish Initiative. “This is a first step towards helping Rockland synagogues increase and energize their membership” he added.
The Rockland Jewish Initiative was created in July of 2012 in conjunction with the Jewish Federation of Rockland County. Its mission is to energize synagogue life in Rockland through partnerships in synagogue transformation. The Rockland Jewish Initiative works with synagogues through grants to engage members and new leadership, through showcasing models, projects and ideas for synagogue renewal, and by bringing speakers and workshops on synagogue transformation to Rockland.
Synagogues participating in the Rockland Board of Rabbis are: Beth Am Temple in Pearl River, Congregation Shaarei Israel in Montebello, Congregation Sons of Israel in Upper Nyack, Congregation Sons of Jacob in Haverstraw, Montebello Jewish Center in Suffern, Nanuet Hebrew Center in New City, New City Jewish Center in New City, Orangetown Jewish Center in Orangeburg, Temple Beth El in Spring Valley, Temple Beth Sholom in New City, Temple Beth Torah in Upper Nyack, and West Clarkstown Jewish Center in New City
More detail on the Rockland Jewish Initiative is available at www.jewishrockland.org or contact: Barry Kanarek at (845) 362-4200 extension 170 or bkanarek@jewishrockland.org
