By Leyna Krow, Assistant Editor, JTNews
Editor’s note: This article has been corrected to note the actual number of students in the religious school.
Although a lot has changed at Temple Beth Am since the synagogue first opened its doors in 1956, the last few years have seen little growth. And that’s the way executive director Esther Herst likes it.
The synagogue currently boasts 890 member households.
“It’s a happy number,” Herst said. “We haven’t done a lot of very public outreach. We are very proud of what we do and we want the world to know it, but we don’t consider ourselves out there in terms of pushing people to join.”
That’s not to say new members aren’t always encouraged at Temple Beth Am, of course.
“Everyone is welcome,” Herst emphasized.
The synagogue is run by two full-time rabbis, husband-and-wife team Jonathan and Beth Singer, 10 administrative staff, and 50 religious school staff. Herst noted that a lot of Beth Am’s programming is made possible because of the volunteer efforts of congregants.
“It’s a nice partnership between staff and volunteers,” she said. “[The staff] makes sure things can happen, but the happening part of it is the volunteers.”
She said she was particularly thrilled to see volunteers step up to fill gaps this last year after a decreased budget led to cuts in staff and programming. She cited inviting knowledgeable congregants to lead the synagogue’s popular Sunday Forums adult learning program instead of paying for guest speakers. Also, instead of having a catered break-the-fast meal after Yom Kippur as the synagogue has done in the past, Beth Am this past year asked members to contribute dishes for a potluck meal as a way to keep costs low.
“It was the most fun and the tastiest break-the-fast we’ve ever had,” Herst said. “People loved it. It was amazing to see that we can do things like this for ourselves; that we don’t need to pay someone.”
Thankfully, Herst noted, despite a slightly smaller budget, Temple Beth Am has seen relatively little impact from the recession.
Not surprisingly, the most popular programs at Beth Am are those geared toward the congregation’s youngest members — the 600 kids currently enrolled in the religious school program. Herst noted that many teens stay on after their Sunday school years to help out as madrichim, or classroom volunteers.
Meanwhile, teens in the confirmation class are preparing for an upcoming trip to New York with Rabbi Jonathan Singer.
“They’ll get the classic American Jewish experience — find out what a traditional corned beef sandwich tastes like,” Herst said.
In March, Temple Beth Am hosted a trip to Turkey, this one aimed at adults interested in the country’s Jewish history. More than 20 congregants went along.
Temple Beth Am also began a new program this year geared toward young adults in their 20s and 30s. It’s called YABA (Young Adults at Beth Am) and is aimed at a demographic that often doesn’t see a place for itself in the synagogue landscape. According to Herst, the program will provide an opportunity for Jewish young adults to take part in both religious activities like holiday celebrations, and secular get-togethers like bike rides and movie nights, with their own peer group.
“It’s not just for temple members and not all of the activities take place at the temple,” she said.
She added that she hopes the addition of the YABA program will help young adults feel more at home at Beth Am if they choose to join.
“We value everyone’s participation,” she said. “We want to be here for our members and for Jews in the Northend as a place of spiritual support and community.”