In 2014/15 Temple B’nai Or proudly became one of a steadily growing number of synagogues in the U.S. to eliminate Temple dues and adopt a new membership framework. We call our program Kehilah – Hebrew for community – to signify the importance of each member’s role and responsibility to each other and our traditions through the covenant of membership.

Within the Kehilah program, we ask each family for a financial commitment and a volunteer pledge. Both are determined by Temple costs and needs, not member age or income. Each year in July, Temple members fill out and return their Kehilah forms with their renewed pledges for the new fiscal year, July 1 – June 30.