Message from Diana Fenves, Membership & Fundraising Consultant:

“To be a Jew is to keep faith with the
past by building a Jewish future.
”
–Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

"In my first year as a team member at Beth Meyer, I’m honored to give back to a community that has given me and my family so much. For me, philanthropy is about gratitude. Tzedakah takes us from a place of victimhood and helplessness and vaults us to a place of gratitude and connection. Acts of charity are affirmations of our values. It is proof that we are not powerless witnesses to history. We aren’t just people who scroll through newsfeeds or read op-eds; we’re builders.

We can choose, through small actions, to create the world in which we want to live. We can pull ourselves out of the fugue state of overwhelm and uncertainty, and step towards each other. We can choose to be present here, in this community, and to invest in our shared future. The Jewish home we are building at Beth Meyer is one worth investing in. It is a place we have chosen and can continue to choose as a port in the storm.

Here at Beth Meyer: Jewish life is thriving. Our synagogue continues to grow because we have chosen to be welcoming, even as we struggle with our own fears. We proudly hold the door open to new members and invite the outside world in. Here at Beth Meyer: Argument, discussion, learning and questioning — the best of free speech is alive. At the preschool, at the religious school, at Torah study and with adult learning, we have created a community that fosters curiosity and the sacred pursuit of knowledge.

Here at Beth Meyer: We show up for others with acts of loving kindness. We have volunteers that tend to the sick and stand with mourners. We support each other through every stage of life.

Here at Beth Meyer: We are fostering connection and community even as the world seeks to divide us. Here, we have made room for hope. We come together in creativity, through art and music. We come together in prayer to listen, to celebrate and to learn.

Tzedakah helps prepare our souls for the High Holy Days. Before and during the Ten Days of Repentance, I invite you to give back to our Jewish home. All contributions are worthy because every gift is an act of creation — creating the Jewish future we want for ourselves and for generations to come. During this sacred time, please visit our online Open The Gates campaign, and, thank you, for your trust and commitment.

Open The Gates bridges budget gaps that dues and tuition don’t cover.

Here’s a snapshot of what your donations enabled last year:

• A new partnership with Jewish Federation of Greater Raleigh to cater Mitzvah Meals -- meals delivered to Jewish seniors and families who are facing food insecurity or isolation (see footnote).
• Celebration of our first Pride Shabbat, reaffirming Beth Meyer Synagogue’s promise to embrace everyone in our community in their wholeness.
• Replacement of our preschool’s flooring to prevent damage to The Alice & Daniel Satisky Education Building’s foundation and to redecorate our little ones’ learning spaces.
• Replacement of windows with failed seals in our Social Hall, Lobby, and Kitchen to improve lines of sight during security sweeps.
• End-of-school-year picnic and games for USY-ers and Kadima-niks, and their families.
• Family-style Italian dinner to thank the Community Security Service (CSS) volunteers and off-duty City of Raleigh police officers who patrol our grounds and keep us safe.

Over the next 48 hours, we encourage you to check this page often and follow in live-time here and on Facebook as we race to meet our goal. Thank you so much for considering a donation of any size. Truly, we rejoice at a new gift of $18 as much as we cherish a repeat contribution of $1,000 — what matters is participation.  

A note about tipping — this is optional and benefits FundRazr, the crowdfunding platform. If you would like, you can opt out of tipping FundRazr by clicking "Change Amount" before proceeding to payment. Not comfortable donating on FundRazr or want to make a gift some other way? E-mail Jonathan Wertheim, our Executive Director, at jonathanw@bethmeyer.org — he can record your pledge and add it to the campaign total. 

One more thought: we know that generosity can take many forms. While our Open The Gates campaign counts monetary gifts, only, please reach out if you would like to donate something equally precious — your time!

G'mar tov — a good sealing in the Book of Life! Now let's get started.