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MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN

by Kavod

By becoming a member at Kavod, you are saying “Hineini, here I am!” — affirming your commitment to Kavod and our incredible community and local organizing.

WHAT IS KAVOD?

Kavod is a community led by young Jews in Greater Boston, committed to each other and to building a liberated world for all people.  We live out our values through vibrant Jewish ritual, transformative social justice organizing, and collective responsibility.

OUR FUNDING MODEL

Kavod's membership model is informed by the process undertaken by the Israelites to build the Mishkan (Tabernacle in which God’s presence dwelled) during their years of wandering in the desert. The building of the Mishkan was the Israelites’ first communal project.
Contributions for the mishkan were raised both through a “half-shekel” tax on every adult member of the community, and through generosity offerings given by each Israelite according to his/her means and talents. Over the past 2,000 years, Jewish communities have continued to wrestle with the issue of how to pay for communal necessities. By studying texts from many periods of our history, we learn that Jewish communities have survived by creating mutual agreements to tax themselves, based on the understanding that the individual and the community are responsible for each other.


Half Shekel (Levy) 

While the wealthier members of the community were expected to take on a larger portion of the financial burden, the poorest members of the community were also given the opportunity to contribute something, to maintain their dignity and to affirm the value of giving.  In our community, the half-shekel takes the form of our base membership payment of $36.

Nediv Lev (Gift of the Heart)

When the ancient Israelites came together to build the first synagogue – the mishkan (Tabernacle) in the desert—they were asked to bring offerings of nediv lev – literally, a “willing heart/mind.” The Torah emphasizes that the mishkan was built through the generous outpouring of the Israelites’ hearts and hands (Exodus 35:20-29). As a community, we wish to foster a culture of nediv lev in which giving is a joyful responsibility.
Kavod's membership model is based on R.Toba Spitzer’s wisdom and Congregation Dorshei Tzedek’s membership model.

 

HOW DO YOU DECIDE HOW MUCH TO PAY?

One possibility, used by many other Jewish institutions, is paying a certain percentage of your income* as dues.

We invite you to consider paying 0.5%-3% of your income in dues. This self-assessment is completely confidential. This is a guideline to help you decide--we won't ask about your income.

*We recognize that “income” is different for everyone and is based on many factors. Many of us are paying for school or paying off loans; many of us are employed part-time; many of us receive financial support from our families. We ask that you honestly and thoughtfully assess how much you are able to contribute to the Kavod community in a given year based on your personal financial circumstances. Any and every amount is valuable and appreciated.


If you have questions please reach out to Mikaela at [email protected]

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$39,213 RAISED

$36,000 GOAL

This Appeal 105 109%
has ended. Believers Funded
This appeal has ended.