Metro
COST OF LIVING
Cover Story
from page 31
fair as possible," says Susan
Kirschner, executive director of
Temple Emanu-El.
--- Synagogue task forces can spend lit-
erally a year working out a dues sys-
tem, Kirschner adds. "We want to
make certain that you get what you
need when you come to a synagogue,"
she says. "Whether you're Reform,
Conservative, Orthodox,
Reconstructionist or Humanist, our
Jewish community is made stronger
by houses of learning, houses of wor-
ship, houses of assembly. You have
that place, and it will be here for you;
and it will come to you in your time
of need.
"We're in a world filled with uncer-
tainty and fear. The last thing we want
is for people to feel that they have to
stay in their own homes, that they
can't come to a synagogue [because of
financial restraints]. We're here for
you. When you come, you may not
find answers, but you'll find strength."
"Being affiliated gives you a sense of
community," adds Tessa Goldberg,
executive director of Congregation
Beth Ahm. "There's a great deal of
programming as well, and you have
that sense of belonging."
"Money is very important to us, and
we struggle all the time to make the
budget work," says Steve Weiss, Beth
Shalom executive director. "But we
never want finances to be the reason
that someone does not affiliate."
What, then, can a family joining a
congregation expect to pay? Generally,
the smaller the synagogue, the less the
dues.
The following represents a random
sampling of synagogues in metro
Detroit. Figures do not include build-
ing fees, if applicable, and generally
are standard for families with children
where parents are 35 and older.
These dues range from operating on
donations only at Or Chadash, an
Orthodox basement congregation in
Oak Park, or only a few hundred dol-
lars a year to more than $1,700 a year
at the larger Conservative and Reform
synagogues. In 1988, when the first
JN story appeared, synagogue dues
ranged up to $950. Synagogue pro-
grams and staffing are proportionate
to dues and other revenue.
Another often-larger donation that
comes from Jewish families is
tzedakah.
Each year, Catholics donate to
Peter's Pence, with money given to the
Pope and used to support the church
and help with relief efforts worldwide.
The latest figure available shows that
in 2002, Peter's Pence collected $55.8
4/ 7
2005
32
million. That same year, Jews in the
United States donated $831 million
toward the United Jewish Appeal,
Federation Campaign of United
Jewish Communities and Jewish
Federations of North America. This
generous giving may reflect the fact
that through the Campaign, Jews are
donating to Israel, which takes a huge
chunk of our money because it owns
such a large part of their hearts.
Halachah (Jewish law) directs each
Jew to give 10 percent of his salary to
tzedakah. Can a family already living
on a shoestring, as some in the Jewish
community are, really afford to give
away 10 percent?
"Giving is difficult," Rabbi Finman
says. "It can be as difficult for the man
who has millions to give away as it is
for the one who only has a dime and
has to give a penny. It all comes down
to your attitude."
And key in this attitude, Rabbi
Finman says, is understanding what
"tzedakah" really means.
"When we give, it's not, 'I've got this
money, and I'm going to give it to you
out of the goodness of my heart.' That's
charity. Tzedakah is something else.
Tzedakah is, 'I have something of yours,
and it's my obligation to give it to you.'"
Where Are They Now?
When Zoe Marcus came to metro
Detroit, she was a student, her husband
was beginning a new business. She is
now principal of Starr Elementary
School in Royal Oak. Howard is a suc-
cessful real-estate broker as co-owner of
the Marcus Realty Group.
After several years at Hillel, Aaron
and Cale began attending public
school. Today, Aaron is 24 and takes
college courses and works part time.
Cale is a junior at Saginaw Valley State
University. Madison is a senior at
Groves High School in Beverly Hills.
After the Jewish News article
appeared, the Marcus family also wel-
comed daughter Michal, or Mimi. She
is a sixth-grader at Berkshire Middle
School in Beverly Hills.
Zoe and Howard were married at
Congregation Beth Achim, which later
merged with Adat Shalom. The couple
later joined Beth Shalom. "We like it
because it's small, because people all
know each other," Zoe says.
Throughout their growing-up years,
the Marcus children stayed active with
United Synagogue Youth and attended
Hebrew school. The Marcuses are
looking forward to Mimi's bat mitzvah
celebration in June 2006.
Aaron, Cale and Madison remain
friendly with some of their classmates
from Hillel. Zoe Marcus herself speaks
with sadness and frustration about
having to leave.
"The real issue here is whether we,
as a community, are ensuring Jewish
education for the majority, or is this
just an exclusive club?" she says.
"Private schools across the board
become prohibitive for the average
person, and that's unfortunate.
"If Detroit wants us to flourish and
pass on Jewish tradition to our chil-
dren, we really need to examine how
we can include the average person in
getting a Jewish education. We're edu-
cating the few, and that I see as a
problem for the future."
No Place Like Home
In 1988, Gerald Bubis of HUC-JIR
told the Jewish News that some Jewish
families were being priced right out of
their religion. The same is true now