Kol Nidrei Appeal 5781

Dear Friends:

Each and every year, we begin our Kol Nidrei Appeal with the same imperative request, that you respond generously and make Bnai Yeshurun a primary Tzedaka beneficiary.

Well, this year is different, we need you more than ever.

We are asking each member to please support the shul to the greatest of each of their abilities.

Since the onset of the pandemic, so much of our world has been turned upside down, and the routines that gave us comfort became a source of angst and unpredictability. Throughout it all, though, there has been one outlet that has strived to remain a constant source of comfort and reliability to our community - our beloved shul.

You have hopefully taken great pride in how Bnai Yeshurun has been a safe harbor throughout this storm, acting as a beacon to its members, and as a leader to the entire Modern Orthodox community at-large.

It has been so many months since this all began, so it is easy to forget all that Bnai Yeshurun has done throughout - it was CBY that led the charge in March to bring safety to our members by shutting its doors, and it was CBY that did so again in June by safely reopening, and in between, it was the first shul in Bergen County to offer wide-scale minyanim in its parking lots and in members’ backyards.

Throughout, we were happily open for shiurim, zoom davening, youth activities and board meetings, while sadly our Rabbanim and chevra kadisha tended to our members in their times of greatest need. We were open as a repository for community chesed and support and stayed connected throughout with our expanded bulletin and updates. We maintained the facility and grounds, and enhanced its comfort and safety by erecting a semi-permanent tent in our parking lot, updating our internal ventilation systems, and providing all necessary PPE for the safety of our members at minyanim.

And for the Yamim Noraim - WOW! Our shul has provided us with an unrivaled menu of 16 different minyamim (SIXTEEN!!) from which to choose, each staffed by the shul with ba’alei tefila, ba’alei tekia and gabbaim, and each protected from the elements by tents (paid for, of course, by the shul). To date, just under 1,200 of us have signed on for this service (TWELVE HUNDRED!!). Despite these impressive numbers, we are still faced with the reality that our costs for the Yamim Noraim are even higher than normal years. That fact, coupled with the 400 fewer seats, translates to a 40% loss in revenue for CBY.

The Board of Directors has worked hard to evaluate the budget and identify cost-savings measures, but with CBY operating on all cylinders, its expenses remain largely unchanged. So what has changed? Our revenue. When we developed and passed last year's budget, it was with the assumption that we would raise $187,000 through your generous donations to the Kol Nidrei appeal. It is for this reason that we turn to you.

Please think about what CBY means to you and remind yourself of all it has provided us these past many months. Your generosity will ensure that we continue providing these services. Please consider matching your pledge from last year's Appeal and please consider whether you have the capacity to increase that donation.

In that merit, may we each be zoche to experience a happy, healthy, and peaceful New Year and may Hashem fulfill Kol Mishalot Libeinu L'tova.

The following categories recognize the various levels of contribution. These categories are:

$ 5,000 - 10,000          Sarei Torah                $ 360 - 499      Amudei Nechoshet

   3,600 -   4,999          Amudei Yahalom          250 - 359      Mechazkim

   1,800 -   3,599          Tomchei Torah             180 - 249      Amudei Chai

   1,000 -   1,799          Sarei Ha’elef                 100 - 179      Menadvim

      750 -      999          Amudei Zahav                 50 -   99      Bonim

      500 -      749          Amudei Kesef                    1 - 49        Chalutzim

Please fill out the form below to make a pledge.