The past few weeks have been extremely challenging for each and every one of us including our SPS clergy, our executive director and the entire staff. However, without missing a beat, SPS has filled this time of crisis with meaning, connections and experiences for our youngest to our oldest congregants, including:
- Beautiful services led by Rabbi Ain in New York City and Cantor Keren in Boca Raton, Fl.
- Amazing programming taught by Rabbi Ain, Rabbinic Intern David Chapman and many of our members.
- Online classes for our students at the Kaplan Nursery School and Jackson Religious School. Led by Lindsay Bennet and Alyssa Schwager, our teachers have done an outstanding job keeping our preschool and religious school children educated and engaged.
- Twice daily minyanim and Shabbat services which are Zoomed and livestreamed to our members and people all over the country who want to experience community and to say Kaddish.
- A beautiful virtual Passover Seder, which was featured on the local NBC news station.
- A telephone and email brigade to personally reach out to each and every one of our congregants.
- At the same time, both the SPS Board and staff are working proactively to maintain SPS’ financial health.
SPS has:
- Applied for assistance under the Payroll Protection Program
- Postponed the due date for deposits for Nursery School and Camp until June, which negatively affects SPS’ cash flow.
- Asked Sydnie Henkin, our camp director, to transition to an online camp model.
- The demands on SPS’ financial resources right now are greater than anything any of us could have imagined. To help raise the necessary funds to meet our operating budget, SPS has created a new fund for donations specifically for this urgent need.
The Vision 20/20 Fund is an emergency fund set up to allow for congregants to make special donations to help SPS meet its financial obligations. We need your help. We are asking for your participation. Please know that every dollar counts.
It is my hope that we will be able to meet our goal of raising $200,000 by the end of the fiscal year on June 30th. I look forward to serving as your next President of Sutton Place Synagogue, and I thank you in advance, knowing that your gift truly matters at this time. We will get through this situation together and continue to go forward from strength to strength together as well.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Jacob
