What Temple expenses are part of our operations?
Operations expenses include religious, office, school, and facilities employee salaries as well as building maintenance, insurance, and utilities. Operations also includes high holiday expenses and all Religious School and Preschool supplies.
How are operations expenses funded?
Traditionally, operations were fully funded by our dues, school tuition, rental income from 170 State Street, and Endowment Fund contributions.
Why aren’t our annual dues enough to fund temple operations?
Dues are not enough because the Board of Directors strives to keep our dues low so that more people can afford membership. If we raised dues to meet all of the current expenses, we might lose some valuable members. It is a choice the Board is making, based on a belief that those in our community who can afford to do so will come through to support the temple and keep it going strong.
What has changed?
Our longtime tenant at 170 State Street moved to a new facility in November 2019 and we have yet to be successful leasing the property. In addition, Religious School enrollment and tuition have been severely impacted by the pandemic.
What is the impact of these changes?
We experienced an operating fund deficit in our last fiscal year and project a deficit in our current fiscal year as well.
Can’t we just trim costs to eliminate this budget deficit?
Our talented staff and dedicated volunteers at Temple Israel have taken many steps to control costs. To maintain our historic commitment to Jewish worship and Jewish education here on the Seacoast, we are limited as to what costs we can eliminate.
What will the operations portion of our Annual Fund campaign donations be used for?
The portion of our Annual Fund donations committed to operations will be used to balance our operations budget and ensure that we maintain our Religious School, worship services, and a host of cultural and educational events, all within our historic building and, in some cases, virtually.
Do we expect these financial challenges to continue?
We are actively seeking a tenant for 170 State Street. Growth in our Religious School enrollment can also help minimize, and ultimately eliminate, the operations budget deficit.
