At Temple B’nai Or, we strive to enable families to join and be part of our community for generations. Our membership program is probably not what you grew up with.  Rather than charge a set amount of dues, based on age or income levels, instead we tell the members how much money we need to raise from dues and then ask members to make a pledge, or promise to pay, based on the needs of the community and their  financial ability to pay. We do not want finances to be a barrier to membership.  At the same time, we want people to make their own call on what is fair to them and fair to the community.  We call this the Kehilah model— Hebrew for sacred community — to signify the importance of each member’s role and responsibility to each other and our community. 

Within the Kehilah program, each family makes a financial commitment based on their own capacity. Each year in July, Temple members fill out and return their Membership Pledge forms with their pledge levels for the new fiscal year, July 1 – June 30.   

Each year, we ask people to look at the needs of the community within the context of their own personal finances.  Each year, about half of the membership pays the “sustaining” or fair share dues.  Fair share dues is the amount we need to raise from dues donations divided by the number of adults in our community.  About one quarter pay more than fair share, and another quarter makes a personal pledge that is less than sustaining.  What is quite amazing and beautiful is that each year, we raise our targeted amount.   

How do I join?

Contact our Executive Director to learn more about our Temple and plan a meeting with her and the clergy and/or the education directors so that you get a full sense of who we are. Visiting us for a Shabbat Service is also highly recommended! Our executive director can share with you the Membership Application, or you can download it. After you decide to join and submit your application, we send you your Kehilah pledge form and any other pertinent registration forms (PS and/or RS) and get you on your way to joining our community. 

If you would like to talk to someone about our Temple and our membership program, please call our Executive director at (973)539-4539 or send her an email.