Shana Tova and Gamar Chatimah Tovah.
My name is Oren Goldenberg. I am the chair of the fundraising committee and have been a member of the board at the downtown synagogue for the past 11 years.
I never thought that I would be standing here. I never thought I would be that person asking you for money on Yom Kippur. I always thought it was tacky. But here I am. Hineni.
To be honest, I never would have believed that I would ever be a board member of a synagogue, let alone give the wildest years of my life to it. Yes, i grew up attending Hillel Day School, but I moved to Detroit in the mid 2000’s because it seemed like the furthest place I could get from the community I grew up in.
But, here I am.
11 years ago I walked into Cafe D’mongos not even knowing there was a synagogue right next door. I didn’t know there were any synagogues still in the city, let alone in the heart of Downtown. At this time, Downtown was dark, most the buildings were not lit, and our block housed a speakeasy and a strip club.
From that moment, to today, I have been grappling with the notion that the Downtown Synagogue is the last synagogue in the city. I don’t mean the last congregation, there are a growing number in Detroit. I mean synagogue. A physical structure, a space, that holds Jewish tradition. That holds the Torah. That is open. That you can come to. That you can pray in. That holds the community and the history that we all know is so dear.
11 years ago, I thought there were no more synagogues left in the city. Today, I can’t imagine what our lives would be like without the Downtown Synagogue.
For years, even though I hate waking up early, I attended early morning services. Almost every friday night I would lead with Noam Kimmleman kabalat shabbat services. I attended board meetings, committee meetings, building tours, bike tours, history tours, I even went to other Jewish organizations to learn how to be a better board member for the Downtown Synagogue.
And today, here I am, talking to you from the Bimah. I never thought I would be here. But here I am. Hineni.
Detroit is a very different place today then it was when I moved here. What was once perceived as a violent dangerous place of our past, is now the turned-around, revitalizing hopeful city of our future. We, the Metro Detroit and Jewish Community has changed how we view this city, and have begun to invest in it: With our time, and our money and our hope.
You should know, that the Downtown Synagogue has changed as well. We have a rabbi, and three staff members. We have a robust calendar of activities for you, your kids and even your grandkids. However, what is most important to many of us, it what has not changed. FOR ALMOST 100 YEARS, THE DOWNTOWN SYNAGOGUE HAS BEEN OFFERING FREE HIGH HOLIDAY SERVICES. What an incredible thing. We don’t ask you for a ticket, or who you are or what you look like or where you have come from. We just open our doors to you and anyone else. The Downtown Synagogue was built on the ethos of gimmilut chasadim and tikkun olam. Most of us have not experienced this so holistically before in our Jewish Experiences. This has changed me, and in truth, is the major reason I have remained in Detroit.
Most of you, like me, once belonged to a suburban congregation. I want you to think for a moment, how much money this cost you. Take a moment. What were the dues? I know there was probably at least one comma in there.
Ok.
The downtown Synagogue has a yearly budget of $500,000. I don’t know if that’s a lot of money or not. What I do know, is that we serve 1,000 people every year. So if each person who came to our shul, gave $500, then we would meet our budget. What I also do know, is that $500 is waaaay less than the number you used to pay at the past synagogue you used to attend.
To be honest, because the downtown synagogue is open to all, and doesn’t ask you to pay to attend, because we always make sure any one can pray, that anyone can be made to feel a part of our community, that because of this, we should all probably contribute more than we would to our past synagogues. But that’s just my thinking….
On this Yom Kippur, the one I never thought would happen, I’m asking you, my beautiful brothers and sisters, respected elders and friends, please, join me in giving to the Downtown Synagogue. Give with a full and generous heart. There are envelopes at the door, or you can also go to our website and donate online. Your gift is going to sustain Jewish life in Detroit. For you and your family, the families around you right now, and even other families you don’t even know. As our city continues to grow and change and re-prosper, please ensure that the Downtown Synagogue, the city’s last synagogue, the one that has always been here, that has never left, will remain open to you and everyone else who wishes to come.
Shana Tova. Gmar Chatimah Tovah. Shalom aleinu ve all kulam.
Oren Goldenberg