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To the community,
We are excited to announce a new initiative, called
Maavar, geared to providing resources to congregations in transition. The Synagogue Council is formalizing a role we have played for many years as part of our mission to strengthen Jewish life and promote pluralism by supporting congregations on the individual and collective level. We aim to be nimble and relevant in the face of a shifting communal landscape.
Maavar is being developed to provide advice and consultation to congregations navigating transitions such as closings, mergers, new buildings, unanticipated growth, and changes in clergy or major leadership. Our intent is to build, systematically and deliberately, a resource infrastructure and team of experts in organizational and cultural change, matters of law and real estate, and appraisal of Judaica and sacred objects.
Our initial effort concerns the material culture of congregations that are closing. We will offer a clearinghouse, and towards that end, have set up a
Maavar webpage that features a listing of sacred objects available for sale or donation to other institutions. The first congregation under the
Maavar umbrella is Tifereth Israel of Revere, founded in 1912 and closed earlier this year. Please
visit our website for an inventory from Tifereth Israel, including a spectacular hand-crafted ark.
Maavar was recently covered on the front page of The Jewish Advocate with the headline "
Synagogue Council seeks to save closing shul's ark, Judaica".
Read the full article
here
.
Please stay in touch and
give generously to increase
Maavar's capacity to serve the community.
Thank you for your partnership,
David Bernat, Executive Director
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