By Leyna Krow, Assistant Editor, JTNews
Close to 300 people gathered at Temple B’nai Torah on the afternoon of Sun., June 6 to mark the Bellevue Reform synagogue’s 40th anniversary. The event included a performance by the Seattle Men’s and Women’s Choruses of music by Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein.
“It was a great turnout and a great concert,” said B’nai Torah board co-president Stephen Katz.
Katz’s co-president Robin Plotnik added that additional 40th anniversary events may happen later in the year. A summer planning committee will be charged with the task of determining what shape those events will take.
Since 1970, B’nai Torah has grown from a handful of families to a congregation of 800 member units with a wide range of programs for all ages. Despite the growth, there have been a lot of constants at B’nai Torah over the years as well.
For example, the synagogue has seen very little turnover in its leadership. Rabbi James Mirel has been with B’nai Torah for 25 years, David Serkin-Poole for 30.
Although the synagogue has thrived in its 40 years, there have certainly been hard times along the way. In 1977, shortly after the construction of B’nai Torah’s first shul on Mercer Island, the facility was destroyed by an arson fire. In 1982, the congregation’s founding rabbi, Jacob Singer, passed away after a two-year bout with cancer. And in the last couple of years, B’nai Torah, like many congregations both locally and nationwide, has seen a decline in revenue due to the state of the economy.
“We have about 50 families who can’t afford to pay dues and a number of others who have to pay reduced dues,” Plotnik said. “Fortunately, we have had others who have met the challenge and increased their giving to help make up the difference.”
She added that during last year’s annual Three Pillar’ Fund donation drive, which began around the High Holidays, nearly 45 percent of congregants made a contribution to the synagogue, far more participation than B’nai Torah usually sees.
Although the financial concerns have led B’nai Torah’s administrative staff to monitor the budget more closely, they haven’t stopped the synagogue from adding to its programming. The religious school and early childhood education programs in particular have seen a lot of growth, with more to come, according to Plotnik.
Thanks in a large part to a private donation received last year, B’nai Torah is currently working toward opening its own preschool in the fall of 2011.
B’nai Torah is also working to revamp its classes for older kids as well.
“We’ve been encouraging more parent involvement, as well as a stronger emphasis on Hebrew and fun, experiential learning. It’s a really exciting place to be an Sunday mornings,” Plotnik said.
For teens, whose numbers in religious school tend to diminish after Bar and Bat Mitzvah age, B’nai Torah has added classes at an additional location in Issaquah in hopes that increased convenience will make it more attractive for kids who live outside of Bellevue to attend classes. There is talk of adding a second off-campus location for next year as well.
Although the high school set can be a challenge for any synagogue, according to Plotnik B’nai Torah has no trouble getting grown-ups excited about attending class. The synagogue offers a variety of adult learning opportunities, including weekly lay and clergy-led Torah classes, as well as courses on Hebrew and Mussar.
Katz added he believes adult social activities, like movie nights, books clubs, and other special interest groups are just as important to the overall strength of the congregation.
“We look at it like a three-legged stool,” Katz said. “There’s the spiritual, the educational, and the social connections. All have to be working well to meet people’s needs.”
Plotnik agreed, saying she believes the breadth of programs and service options makes B’nai Torah accessible to families and individuals from a wide range of backgrounds.
“I think inclusive is a really good way to describe our community as a whole,” she said. “We have many interfaith families and we’re open to all members no matter what their level of observance. We try to meet as many needs as possible.”