From President Jerry Silverman: Do We Need an Annual Dinner Gala?

I would once again like to thank all the volunteers, sponsors, contributors, and attendees who made Temple Sinai’s Second Annual Dinner Gala a great success. I heard some questions and concerns in the months leading up to the Dinner Gala and I would like to address them now, as we review and evaluate the Dinner Gala and plan for next year’s event.

First and foremost, do we need to hold a dinner gala every year? The answer is yes…and no. Yes, we need to hold a major spring fundraising event every year. No, it does not have to be a dinner gala. It could be something else. I am always open to new ideas and would welcome suggestions.

However, the budget that was approved by the congregation and recommended by the Board of Trustees for the past two years has included a $30,000 line for fundraising.  We have chosen to meet that goal with two major fundraisers – an annual appeal in the fall and a gala in the spring.

We simply could not afford to pay our bills without both of these fundraisers. That means we could not afford to pay our rabbis and staff, maintain the building, and operate our religious school.

A second and more challenging question is this: How can we make the gala consistent with Temple Sinai’s values? Temple Sinai has a history of being inclusive, egalitarian, and Hamish.  Galas, by nature, can be somewhat elitist.

This year’s gala was tasteful, well-received, and fun for those who attended.  The tributes and gifts for the rabbis were heartfelt and beautiful. The turnout from both the congregation and the community was tremendous. More importantly, those who could not – or chose not to – attend the gala had the opportunity to show their support for the rabbis by attending a special Shabbat Service or the picnic and havdallah in the park. So, I would say we succeeded in meeting that challenge this year.

In the future, we will make every effort to keep the cost of attending the gala reasonable, continue to reach out beyond the congregation to the greater Saratoga Springs community for financial support, and make the event as modest, unpretentious, and tasteful as possible. Moreover, when there is a milestone to celebrate, we will make sure there are opportunities for everyone to show their support, including non-fundraising events and Shabbat services. It should always be clear that attending a fundraiser is not a requirement for supporting the synagogue, its milestones, and its simchas.

On the other hand, it should also be clear that fundraising is a necessary part of the operation and membership of a non-profit religious institution. We all wish it weren’t so!  But, since it is, we are faced with raising funds in ways that are fair, sustainable, adequate, and consistent with our principles and values.

We at Temple Sinai are not lucky enough to have the deep-pocket donors that some other synagogues have. Instead, we are blessed with a congregation that is extraordinarily generous, involved, committed, and inclusive. That makes fundraising a challenge, but I would choose the latter over the former any day.