Dear Temple Sinai Congregant:

First, I want to thank you for your sustaining membership support of Temple Sinai.  I am very proud of the work that our Finance and Legal Committee and Board of Trustees did in creating the 2012 budget.  This was a difficult process in light of the very challenging economic times.  While our membership actually increased by two families in 2011, our religious school enrollment is down and that has had a fiscal impact.  At the end of the day, however, the congregation was presented with a balanced budget at the Annual Meeting and that budget passed unanimously.

Our Temple relies on membership dues to exist, to remain vibrant and to continue to offer the broad variety of programs and services that we do offer. It is most critical that we are able to rely upon the timely collection of agreed-upon dues obligations.

Enclosed please find a copy of your 2012 dues statement.  You will soon receive an email from Temple requesting you visit our website - www.templesinaivt.org/dues - to choose your 2012 dues arrangement.  The online system enables you to select various payment options - credit card, check and securities donation - all of which can be set up on the website.  We are strongly encouraging members to sign up for automatic credit/debit payments to assist the Temple in reducing it’s administrative costs compared to the other payment forms. If you do not have access to a computer or are not confident your email address is accurate in our Temple database, or if you just prefer to do so, simply contact Gene Steinfeld in the Temple office (862-5125 or info@templesinaivt.org) and establish your arrangement directly with him. 

Despite this tough economy, our commitment to provide financial help for members in need remains strong. We continue to maintain a generous, confidential Tzedakah grant program assisting those members unable to pay the full dues amount. Interested members can initiate a Tzedakah request through the website or by contacting the Temple office.

We also recognize that while some members are unable to accommodate the full dues obligation, others are fortunate enough to be able to provide increased support. We are again asking members to consider supporting Temple with goodwill/fair share dues contributions beyond the normal dues levels as your personal financial situation allows. You will have an opportunity to add goodwill/fair share amounts when you access the online system.

To avoid the effort and expense associated with multiple contacts and to allow us to better plan our finances, we are reaching out to members early with this dues statement information so that you can respond timely; we ask you to do so by January 31.

Thank you again for your ongoing support, and for your prompt response, and see you at Temple soon.

Shalom,


Howard Kalfus

Temple President