FAQs

1. Who do I talk to if I have questions about Shir Tikvah?

You can learn a lot about us from our website. We’re a socially progressive, ritually observant group of Jews who welcome all who seek to learn.

We are sustained by the generosity of all of us, members and friends, and we focus on Torah learning, meaningful ritual, and practicing kindness in community.

To get the details about membership, go to this page of our website. 

Note that we pride ourselves on never allowing anyone who wants to belong to feel that they cannot afford to.

For the best sense of who we are and what kind of community we are building, you’re welcome to drop by on any Shabbat morning to experience our observance. 

Torah study takes place every Shabbat morning from 9-10.15am, in a hybrid format so that you can join us even when you can’t make it in person.

For those who are, however, we have bagels, coffee and the opportunity to encounter others of our community.

Shabbat prayers begin at 10.30am and usually run for about two hours. If you know your way around a Jewish prayer service, you’ll recognize it.

If not, no worries; our siddur (prayerbook) provides translations for all the prayers and blessings. 

You’re more than welcome to sit in and observe; we only ask that you silence your cellphone for the duration.

2. What are the specifics of the Shir Tikvah Fair Share policy?

•If an individual or family’s adjusted gross income is $40,000 or less, we ask you to pay 1% of that per year. (For example, a family earning $20,000 has yearly dues of $200.) 

•If an individual or family's adjusted gross income is  above $40,000, we ask you to pay  2% of adjusted gross income, with a cap at $4000. (For example, a family earning $75,000 pays yearly dues of $1,500.)

3. How do I calculate my adjusted gross income?

Your household's adjusted gross income can be found on your 1040 tax form. 

4. Do you expect an additional contribution to a building fund? 

We ask new members to pay into our Keren Zeriyah (Seed Fund). This fund is restricted to expenses related to Shir Tikvah's long-term financial stability. This payment is equivalent to 1 full year's worth of dues, spread out over 3 years. 

Using the example in #2, if your dues are $1500 per year, we ask that you make a pledge to the Seed Fund (Keren Zeriya) of $1500 - payable over 3 years. This would add an extra commitment of $500 per year for the first three years of your membership at Shir Tikvah

5. What if circumstances make it difficult for me to to pay my fair share?

As a kehillah kedoshah (holy community), it is a mitzvah to make membership as accessible as possible. Financial need should never be a barrier to joining or participating in our school programs. Reach out to our Executive Director or our Rabbi with any questions. 

6. What about people who join mid-year?

Annual support is pro-rated for members who join after the beginning of our fiscal year (which is now July 1). Simply calculate your annual dues, divide by 12, and then multiply by the number of full months remaining until the end of the fiscal year (which will be June 30, 2024).

One third of your Keren Zeriyah (Seed Fund) commitment should be paid upon joining, regardless of when you join. Subsequent payments for KZ are due at the start of our fiscal year.

7. When are payments due?

You can decide on the timing and method of payments during the joining process. We offer a convenient echeck or credit card payment for monthly, quarterly or annual payments. Recurring payments can be set up to occur any day between the first and the twenty fifth days of the month.

8. What if a member’s financial picture changes unexpectedly during the year?

If there is a change in your household income — up or down — during your membership, please be in touch with the office to change your dues accordingly. We're flexible - we just need to know what is going on.