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Gifts and Donations
Jewish tradition teaches us that every Jewish adult has both a maintenance obligation to the primary Jewish institution of the community and also, if possessing the means, an opportunity for additional support. Membership dues are CBI’s primary source of income, enabling us to offer worship and educational programming and to help maintain a meaningful Jewish presence in central Virginia.
However, dues alone do not completely fund CBI’s budget – we must still rely on additional contributions from the membership. Commitments of support in addition to dues help ensure that no one is denied membership for lack of financial resources. By committing to an additional amount according to your means, you allow CBI to reduce dues for others, according to their means.
All the funds and programs listed below are much appreciated ways of supporting our synagogue and our Jewish community. Please consider them among the worthy recipients of your charitable donations. Each is an opportunity to follow the Jewish teaching of joining a prayerful wish or an appreciative expression to a charitable gift. All donations to the synagogue are tax deductible.
Please use the Donation Form and indicate the desired fund with your payment. If you would like to make a gift through a will or as part of a planned giving program, the synagogue can help by arranging for free assistance from individuals knowledgeable about how such gifts are made. Contact Kathryn Mawyer (295-6382), CBI Administrator, for more information.
Grocery Cards/Certificates Tree of Life Memorial Plaques Bricks
Synagogue Funds:
General Fund:
CBI relies on generous contributions to the General Fund to fill in the gap between dues income and the congregation’s day-to-day expenses. Many people choose to mark a celebration, honor a special someone, or commemorate a loved one with a donation that enables our congregation to grow and thrive. CBI members who contribute $500 or more beyond their dues, on a regular annual basis, can become Sustainers of CBI, who help to maintain a thriving Jewish presence in the Charlottesville area as we welcome members regardless of economic meansSecond Century Fund:
The Second Century Fund was established in 1984 to provide a perpetual source of funds to supplement CBI’s operating budget. The Fund operates as an endowment, and principal of the Fund is held in trust governed by a Board of Trustees. Proceeds from the Fund are made available annually to the Congregation, and this contribution has historically represented approximately 6 percent of CBI’s annual budget. The Fund principal is invested for sustainable income and growth, so a gift to the Second Century Fund is a gift that keeps on giving. Continued growth of the Second Century Fund is integral to the fiscal health of the Congregation. Donors who make cumulative gifts of $15,000 or more are recognized as “Second Century Fund Fellows.” The Second Century Fund Fellowship was established in memory of J. Marymor, who served as President of CBI in 1984 and was instrumental in founding the Second Century Fund.Building Fund:
We maintain a Building Fund so that we can provide a physical facility that meets our current needs as well as anticipates those of the future. The Building Fund is used to provide a base of funds for any desired new acquisition of real estate or major improvements to the existing structure. This fund has also been used to pay off the existing building mortgage and finance necessary major repairs. All new members of Congregation Beth Israel are assessed a Building Fund commitment. Additional contributions are always needed and welcome.Tzedakah Fund:
The Tzedakah Fund represents a new opportunity for members of the greater Charlottesville Jewish community to pool some of their donations in order to benefit worthy recipients of charitable funds. Contributions to the Fund will be directed primarily to local causes, but also may be sent to appropriate national or international causes in times of great need. Nonprofit organizations that deliver direct services will be the primary recipients of Tzedakah donations.Rabbi’s Discretionary (Philanthropic) Fund:
The Rabbi’s Discretionary (Philanthropic) Fund is one of the primary ways in which we are represented as a Jewish community in the various local (and a few national) causes which merit and require our financial support. Also, the Fund is used to address individual needs which arise from time to time and which require instant tzedakah. The synagogue has become a place where people needing urgent assistance with rent or utility bills or other emergencies can get some help. Donations to this Fund are always appreciated, and are one appropriate way to acknowledge a family simcha or other event.Educator’s Discretionary Fund:
The Educator’s Discretionary Fund is used primarily for projects relating to worship, music programming, concerts, and the B’nei Mitzvah program. It is also used as a philanthropic fund to support our Jewish community in local and national causes.Religious School Fund:
This fund is used to support the Religious School. Funds are used for school equipment, resource books and videos, and programming.Maialily Schult Memorial Preschool Fund:
This Fund was established in 2002 in memory of Mailily Hanna Schult, infant daughter of CBI members Juliet and Alex Schult, to enhance the educational offerings of the preschool. The Fund provides scholarships, special educational programming, and field trips for our preschool students.Prayer Book/Ritual Objects Fund:
Another way to mark a special event or to honor or remember a person is through a contribution to our Prayer Book Fund. Send contributions to this Fund to help us to augment or replace our prayer books, chumashim, tallitot, etc., as needed. Bookplates show the name of the individual being honored or remembered through your gift.Adult/Continuing Education Fund:
Established in 1993 in memory of Rabbi Alexander’s mother, Goldie Alexander, this Fund supports Congregation Beth Israel’s efforts to offer diverse and stimulating programs of educational or cultural value for Jewish adults.Arts Acquisition Fund:
This Fund was established to enhance the beauty of the architectural space of our building, and to add to CBI’s existing collection of ritual objects and art.Caring Committee Fund:
Contributions to this Fund support the ability of this committee to meet its modest expenses and to enhance its services.Chevrah Kadisha Fund:
Contributions to this Fund support the work of the Chevrah Kadisha in honoring the dead by providing a traditional process of preparation of the deceased prior to the funeral.Chutzpah! Chorus Fund:
Contributions to this Fund support the purchase of music and other expenses incurred by the Chorus.Library Fund:
Contributions to this Fund support Library collection development, allowing for the purchase of books, videos, and DVDs of interest to children, youth, and adults, and of library supplies.Samuel & Evelyn Linden Lectureship Fund:
The Samuel & Evelyn Linden Memorial Lectureship was established in 1992 to honor the memory and values of two Jewish individuals who enriched their family and community. The goal of the Lectureship is to enhance understanding of issues relevant to Jews by sponsoring educational programs that bring presenters of national stature to the Charlottesville Jewish community. The focus of the programs is more scholarly than popular, more universal than particular. Topics and themes include: Jewish literature, philosophy, and history; changes and trends in Israel and within the Middle East; understanding the liturgy; ethics; and currents in American Jewish life.Youth Group Fund:
Contributions to this Fund support the programming of our BITY and Jr BITY groups as well as provide for scholarship assistance to regional youth events.Preschool Endowment Fund:
The Preschool Endowment Fund Trust (PEFT) was established in 2005 to ensure continued excellence in Jewish early childhood education at CBI. The fund was established in recognition of the high quality of the teachers of CBI Preschool with a founding donation by Rachel and Kevin Skadron in memory of Linda Berez, mother of Rachel and grandmother of Miriam and Micah. Proceeds of the PEFT support the Preschool and enhance our ability to retain and recruit experienced Jewish early childhood educators to CBI. We look to donors and the community to join together with teachers and families of young children to provide an excellent Jewish preschool education that is viable and sustainable.
Fundraising Programs:
Grocery Cards/Certificates:
If you shop at Giant, Kroger, Harris Teeter or Whole Foods, you could be giving 4 to 5 percent of your grocery budget to Congregation Beth Israel without spending an extra dime. The synagogue purchases certificates at a discount and then sells them at face value to congregants. The purchaser may then use the full value of the certificates for any item in the store. Similar certificates are available for Hollywood and Blockbuster Video stores and the International Dining Club. Certificates can be purchased by contacting the CBI Preschool office.Memorial Plaques:
On the rear wall of the sanctuary is a large bronze tablet containing cast bronze plaques with the names of those one wishes to memorialize. The light next to each of these plaques is lit on the Shabbat prior to the Yahrzeit in memory of that person. Those wishing to establish this permanent memorial should contact the office.Tree of Life:
The Tree of Life is a bronze work of art designed by CBI member Herb Keuchen. It consists of bronze leaves with stones at the base of the tree. The tree was fashioned from bark from a fallen tree at Monticello. Engraved leaves or stones may be purchased in celebration of a special event or in honor of a person. Those wishing to add a leaf or stone to the Tree of Life should contact the office.Bricks:
Engraved bricks along the stairway from the Jefferson Street lobby to the second floor may be purchased with a cumulative donation of $2,700 to the CBI Building Fund.