blogs/brentspodek

Way, way back in the day, the Israelites gave of their treasures to build the mishkan, the sanctuary that was our communal home in the desert. 

The people were moved to tremendous generosity, and ultimately, Moshe had to tell the people that the artisans had what they needed and the people should stop bringing gifts.

Unbelievably, that is the happy position we at Beacon Hebrew Alliance find ourselves in today. This year, we set a goal of $115,000 for our Kol Nidrei campaign campaign, and collectively, you have contributed nearly $128,000. 

In the words of Moshe, “Let no man or woman make further effort toward gifts, for your efforts have been sufficient for all the tasks to be done.” (Ex 36:6)

Thanks to the incredible support of this community, BHA will not be making more phone calls or sending more emails inviting you to support our community this year. 

It's important to recognize, however, that we send all those emails because we rely tremendously on our Kol Nidrei campaign - its part of what allows us to keep our membership dues so low; nobody is ever turned away from membership in BHA for financial reasons. 

The goal the board sets for the annual Kol Nidrei campaign is what BHA needs to keep operating for that year - to keep paying our dedicated staff, make sure that there is paper in the copier, and to make sure the building is kept up (even if we can’t use it much now!)

Of course, there is a wish-list of things beyond the basics that we would love to do - improve our common room, provide health insurance to our employees, acquire and repave the parking lot adjacent to BHA and so much more. We very much hope to be able to address those concerns in the future, but as we all know, this has been an extraordinarily difficult year. 

People are hurting, and there are needs more important than our communal wish list. So if you have funds you were planning on sending to BHA, please consider supporting organizations that are helping people with immediate needs, such as local organizations Mutual Aid Beacon or the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley or on a global level, American Jewish World Service. 

As the secular year with all its problems comes to a close, may we all look to a year in which our personal, communal and national needs are met. 

It is a blessing to be part of BHA, a community that believes in our own future.