Many congregations require tickets to be admitted to High Holiday worship services for a variety of reasons including making sure that their members get that very important benefit of membership. Other congregations welcome anyone to just walk in and pray. Here’s the rundown on the various High Holy Days worship policies in the Kansas City area.
Selling tickets
Congregation Beth Shalom sells tickets to non-members for the High Holidays, but only if they are guests of members. Executive Director Elaine Levine noted that those tickets sell for $200 each and the policy is the same as last year.
At Congregation Ohev Sholom, members may purchase tickets for other members of their family, if they wish.
“High Holiday tickets are not available to non-members,” said Steve Berman, Ohev’s executive director.
“All members of the Jewish community who are currently unaffiliated are encouraged to visit the congregation, meet our members, talk with our leadership and consider joining,” Berman added.
Congregation Beth Torah recently revised its High Holiday ticket policies. For the first time the Reform congregation will begin selling tickets to non-members for its High Holy Days worship services. (See complete story below)
Pray for free
When Temple Israel of Greater Kansas City was formed in the spring of 2011, it decided to open up its High Holiday services to the entire community. At a board meeting last week, the board decided to reaffirm that policy.
“We want to remain true to what we are: open, warm, welcoming and inclusive. We are not going to ask people to pay to pray,” said TI President Erin Margolin.
Non-members who wish to attend TI’s services, which are held at Congregation Ohev Sholom, should contact Marcie Pell at 913-634-0432 and ask for free tickets. Tickets are necessary to ensure the availability of space. Although TI is not charging for tickets, Margolin said “donations will be greatly appreciated.”
Tickets may also be requested from the TI website: http://www.templeisraelkc.org/contact.
Congregation Kol Ami has a similar policy according to acting president Brian Greenwald. Kol Ami will be holding its High Holiday services at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church, 4501 Walnut Street in Kansas City, Mo. Neither members nor non-members need tickets to attend.
BIAV, the city’s only Orthodox congregation, also admits anyone who wishes to worship, no matter what day it is.
“We do not issue tickets, or have reserved seating. Everyone is welcome,” said Barry Rubin, BIAV’s administrative director.
As is its tradition, Chabad — at its sites in Overland Park, the Plaza, Lawrence, Kan., and Columbia, Mo. — has an open door policy and does not charge any membership or “pay to pray” fee.
“All are welcome free of charge. Our policy has remained the same for the past 42 years,” Rabbi Mendy Wineberg said.
The same is true for the Torah Learning Center.
“We do not charge membership all year and High Holidays are no different,” noted Rabbi Simcha Morgenstern. “Many of our ‘members’ are official members elsewhere that study with us. So, we rely on generous donations and income from programming.”
In Lawrence, the Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation is also open to all, regardless of the ability to pay.
“Donations are requested, but not required,” said Erin Levy, LJCC’s office assistant. “This has always been our policy.”
The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah allows people in the following categories to obtain guest admittance cards: Out-of-town guests of members; members of other URJ congregations with prior arrangements; armed forces personnel on active duty; college students upon presentation of a college I.D.; people who have been in the community less than 12 months; and relatives who are members in good standing at another local congregation with prior arrangements.
Tickets are not sold and cannot be obtained by non-members who do not fit the above categories.
“We do not sell ‘tickets,’ so if you have lived in the Kansas City area for five years, you cannot attend evening or late morning services. However the early morning family services are open to the community,” said Jeanne Kort Adler, B’nai Jehudah’s executive director.
Membership drive
Kehilath Israel Synagogue is welcoming a new senior rabbi, Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, this year and President Steve Osman said, “We want others to come see what we have to offer.”
“As such, we are working on a new member drive directed at people who are either new in town or have been unaffiliated for several years. As always, if someone is visiting from out-of-town and would have had tickets at their own synagogue, we reciprocate with tickets to K.I. All military personnel and college students are always welcome,” Osman said.
He said that K.I. tries to be flexible and understanding of anyone’s situation — member or non-member. Generally members have to meet certain membership requirements to attend services (as is the case at many other congregations).
“We have not ‘sold’ High Holy Day tickets in the past. Members may also receive tickets for visiting out-of-town guests or children,” Osman continued.
For tickets and more information about K.I’s policies, contact Elizabeth Peden, K.I. executive director, at 913-642-1880.
The New Reform Temple is still reviewing its High Holiday admittance policy and plans to have it in place by the middle of August. For more information contact the NRT office at 816-523-7809.
Beth Torah to sell High Holiday tickets
While anyone can attend worship services at any congregation 365 days a year, admittance is often available only to members in good standing for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. But as the congregational affiliation rates continue to drop both in Kansas City and across the country and budgets continue to tighten, congregations are facing the challenge of how to handle requests from non-members who would like to worship on those days.
Congregation Beth Torah recently made the decision to sell High Holiday tickets to former members requesting tickets and other members of the community.
“There has been much discussion for the past several months at our board meetings about this issue,” said Beth Torah President Michelle Cole. “It is something we have looked at off and on over the past few years. We have talked to several other congregations in other cities and most charge for tickets.”
Cole said because of tight budgets, it’s not possible to continue giving free tickets to former members who no longer pay dues but wish to attend High Holidays services every year. This new system will allow them to attend services in a fee-for-service type system.
Another change to Beth Torah’s ticket policy is for those people who have never been members of the congregation and wish to attend only on the High Holidays. For one High Holiday season only, they can request free tickets.
“That means they can receive free tickets in 2012,” Cole explained. “But beginning in 2013, if you received free tickets in 2012 and still haven’t joined the congregation by the High Holidays, you will be charged for tickets in 2013. But if you didn’t get free tickets in 2012 and wish to try us out in 2013, you can still receive free tickets.”
Cole said she really doesn’t know how this new ticket policy will affect the congregation’s membership or bottom line. It’s possible some members could decide to drop their membership and simply decide to purchase High Holiday tickets. Then of course they wouldn’t receive other benefits reserved for members, such as a rabbi’s services for life-cycle events or religious school. On the flip side, people who already were not members may choose to pay for the privilege of attending the services on those days only.
“Obviously, we would prefer that people join our community and participate year round. That is the ultimate goal for any temple. However, there are many people that are ‘twice a year Jews’ and would rather just pay for the tickets than the annual membership,” Cole said.
Cole noted that Beth Torah’s policy for people coming from out of town who are members in good standing at another congregation and are visiting the area during the High Holidays is not changing. It is common for Reform congregations across the country to provide free reciprocal tickets to those people. That policy is followed by The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah as well.