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SHARING A VISION, DEFINING A LEGACY KOL ECHAD B’YACHAD SYNAGOGUE OF THE SUBURBAN TORAH CENTER
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Page 1: KOL ECHAD B’YACHAD SHARING A VISION, DEFINING A LEGACY · Center’s story has been one of growth – whether it be in the size ... In 2000, in fulfillment of the notion that Jewish

SHARING A VISION, DEFINING A LEGACY

KOL ECHAD B’YACHAD

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GOAL $3M, 100% PARTICIPATION

WHAT IS KOL ECHAD B’YACHAD?Kol Echad B’Yachad, literally “Each Individual, Together”, celebrates the power and potential of individuals joining together in pursuit of strengthening not only our community, but Am Yisrael as well. This is Suburban Torah, where everyone matters. It is now incumbent upon us to look to the future. In doing so, we aim to not only acknowledge and continue the successes of the past, but to build upon them together, to ensure a sustainable and prosperous legacy. In that spirit we launch Kol Echad B’Yacad, a bold initiative and our first major campaign in 18 years.

Our primary goals for Kol Echad B’Yachad are listed on this page, with details underlying each of these initiatives found in the pages that follow. In order to achieve these goals and to ensure a sustainable future for our community, we intend to raise $3 million. Acknowledging the magnitude of the challenge and the importance and nobility of our collective mission, we seek participation from each and every member of our synagogue community, at a level that is consistent with their individual ability to make a significant investment in the future of SSTC.

We invite you to make an investment that will strengthen our community, thereby building a bridge to the next generation. Just as those who came before set the stage for us, we believe it is our responsibility to address the current and future needs of SSTC. We invite each and every one of you to be part of our shared legacy.

1. Reimagining and Renovating the Suburban Torah Building for the 21st Century

2. Providing Innovative and Targeted Programming for Every Individual

3. Sustaining the Legacy - Eliminating the Mortgage Debt

The Goals of

Kol Echad B’Yachadare Simple:

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Kol Echad B’Yachad! | 3

Nearly fifty years ago, a determined group of visionary leaders led by Rabbi Moshe A. Kasinetz sought to build and enrich Jewish life in western Essex County. Armed with little more than hope, and steadfast faith in the Almighty, and driven by an unwavering belief that every Jewish person is precious, this group of founders established the first Orthodox synagogue in Livingston in 1969. Over the ensuing five decades, the Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center’s story has been one of growth – whether it be in the size of our membership or in the extent of personal spiritual growth, grounded in the precepts of our precious Torah, and sustained by an enduring belief that as Jews, we are responsible for one another, kol yisrael arevim zeh bazeh. In 2000, in fulfillment of the notion that Jewish emphasis on community and caring for each other is inherent in our tradition, our beautiful Beit Knesset was dedicated – a place for prayer, for learning, and for coming together as a community, a holy kehillah. Our hallmark has been the emphasis on joining together in order to accomplish greatness, deriving strength from the relationships born inside our walls every day. Our Capital Campaign, Kol Echad B’Yachad, celebrates the power and potential of individuals joining together in pursuit of strengthening not only our community, but Am Yisrael as well. We are Suburban Torah, where everyone matters.

It is now incumbent upon us to not be satisfied with the status quo and to look to the future. In doing so, by again joining together in pursuit of a noble cause, we aim to not only acknowledge and continue the successes of the past, but to build upon them together, to ensure a sustainable and prosperous legacy. We invite you to make an investment that will strengthen our community, advancing our mission now and in the future, thereby building a bridge to the next generation.

Our objectives for the campaign are three-fold—to reach our fundraising targets, to build our community through broad participation in the campaign and to continue to care for our shared future as prior generations did. Just as those who came before set the stage for us, we believe it is now our responsibility to address the current and future needs of SSTC. We invite each and every one of you to be part of our shared legacy.

Funds raised from the Kol Echad B’Yachad Campaign are intended to cover short and medium -term needs, such as capital improvement projects, and will provide longer-term financial stability through elimination of our mortgage debt. On average, a vibrant religious or educational institution in the United States undergoes a capital campaign every seven to eight years. SSTC’s last capital campaign was over 18 years ago. We are long overdue, and our needs are very

real. A successful campaign will afford us the luxury of planning, of making decisions that are thoughtful and strategic, rather than emotional and reactive. We aim to save money by planning construction and replacement of critical aging infrastructure, such as heating and cooling systems, roofing, and electrical/plumbing to suit our timeframe, instead of needing to make costly repairs under pressure when something fails or breaks.

Our goals also include transforming parts of the building to meet the demands of the 21st Century, aesthetic and technical updates to our magnificent sanctuary that honor its majestic design and the warmth of our congregation, and attractive renovations to our social hall and kitchen in order to generate demand for celebrations of life cycle events, speakers, and meetings.

As we complete our first fifty years as a congregation, this is a time to not only reflect on the achievements and accomplishments of the past, but a time of eager anticipation. We look forward with wonderment and great excitement to a journey that only has just begun and a mission that is at the very center of our community. The Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center will continue to cherish the unique and precious nature of every Jew, at all stages of observance. We will always strive to be inclusive and cohesive, caring and welcoming, at all times remaining dedicated to each other and the broader Jewish community. Our members remain firmly grounded in and strengthened by the precepts of Torah study, meaningful prayer, and by promoting acts of chessed. Socially conscious, we are passionate advocates for the State of Israel, feeling proud and privileged to be part of Am Yisrael.

United by this common purpose and vision, we move forward – honoring our past, celebrating the present, and creating and embracing our future. Join us! We invite you to make your investment in a sustainable future for our holy kehillah and we thank you for your contributions!

Kol Echad B’Yachad!

CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIRS MESSAGE

DAVID ORBACHSTEVEN SHERIS

The Goals of

Kol Echad B’Yachadare Simple:

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“SUBURBAN TORAH IS A MODERN

ORTHODOX SHUL, BUT WE WERE SO

IMPRESSED BY THE DIVERSITY OF THE

MEMBERSHIP”

“ANUNUSUALLY

WARM, WELCOMING, CLOSE-KNIT

COMMUNITY”

“FROMTHE DAY WE

MOVED IN, WEFELT THAT WE MATTERED”

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Kol Echad B’Yachad! | 5

On behalf of my fellow Officers and our Board of Directors, it is with great pleasure and pride that we launch our Capital Campaign for Suburban Torah, entitled Kol Echad B’Yachad. This name resonates on so many levels, reflecting the care and responsibility that we feel towards each individual in our community while also expressing how much we can achieve in coming together to support our Shul, now and in the years ahead. How fitting these sentiments are as we approach thecelebration of Suburban Torah’s fiftieth anniversary!

You will note from our Campaign brochure and the accompanying materials that Kol Echad B’Yachad will focus on the continued viability and growth of our Shul, our objectives are to pay down of our mortgage, so as to free up our funds for better use; modernization of our Social Hall, Library and Kitchen; and creation of innovative programming for individuals of all ages and Jewish backgrounds. With the enduring support of our membership, we will be able to preserve the precious legacy bestowed upon us by the founders of Suburban Torah and the many others who’ve worked tirelessly over the years for our synagogue, and equally important, to enhance that legacy, both for ourselves and for future members of Suburban Torah.

During the coming months, various members of our Campaign Committee will be reaching out to ask you to participate in the Kol Echad B’Yachad Campaign. We hope to connect with almost every member of our Shul, through home visits, phone discussions, social media and parlor meetings. Our goal is to generate support from almost 100% of the SSTC membership, at whatever level is consistent with their own capacity to invest. In any event, the highest aspiration for our Capital Campaign is that the members of Suburban Torah, whatever their actual dollar contribution, will feel a deep sense of fulfillment just in having taken part in this vital enterprise for our community.

This is an essential time in the life of our Shul and success with this new Capital Campaign will ensure that Suburban Torah remains our cherished place for prayer, learning and chesed, for the enrichment of our community today and for the generations to come.

We thank you in advance for your support of Kol Echad B’Yachad and may HaShem grant us many more years of well-being, prosperity and love and care for one another.

ALAN FREEMAN

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

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Kol Echad B’Yachad! | 7

RABBI ELIE MISCHEL

MESSAGE FROM THE RABBI

Who are we? It’s a question that every community must ask itself, and know how to answer. On a simple level, we are a relatively small Jewish community, close knit despite our diversity of background and ages. But on a deeper level, I believe that the Suburban Torah community is defined, most of all, by a fundamental teaching of the Torah:

“Adam was created alone in the world, to teach us that whoever destroys a single soul, it is as if he has destroyed an entire world; and whoever saves a single soul, it is as though he has saved an entire world.” (Mishna, Sanhedrin 4:5)

God chose to create man alone, to teach us that that each individual is an olam malei, “an entire world.” Each individual has infinite worth; each individual has inestimable value!

This, I believe, is the core of our identity as a community. Our mission statement – that “we are a community that cherishes the unique and precious nature of every Jew, at all stages of observance” – is more than just a slogan. At Suburban Torah, every man, woman and child is irreplaceable; every individual is treasured. Visitors sense it when they walk through our doors, and new members experience it in a myriad of ways. This is who we are!

But what comes next? The Rabbis write: “The Torah is rolled up and lying in the corner: whoever wishes to study, let him go and study!” (Kiddushin 66a) The Torah is waiting for us to pick it up; an extraordinary world of learning and religious growth is available to us!

And yet, all too often, the hectic nature of our fast paced world makes it difficult to take hold of the Torah and make it ours; we struggle to find the time to grow as Jews. On a communal level, the great diversity of our population – one of our greatest strengths – also presents a challenge. Each stage of life brings distinct challenges and opportunities, requiring different avenues of religious growth. And our members have a wide array of religious backgrounds, with varying levels of Jewish education. The Torah is lying in a corner, but making it accessible to each and every member of our community is undeniably a challenge!

But I believe that we – a community that so deeply values each and every individual – can and must enable every member of this community to grow as Jews. We owe it to our children, to each other, and to ourselves!

Our vision for the future of Suburban Torah is captured in the words “Kol Echad B’Yachad,” meaning “each individual, together.” In the years ahead, we are dedicated to providing inspirational and educational pathways geared towards the many different needs of our membership. By hiring a family programmer and educator, we will expand our ability to provide for the spiritual needs of each individual. Similarly, by establishing the Women’s Institute for Inspired Judaism, we hope to enable each of the women and girls of our diverse community to grow as Jews, wherever they may be on their journey. And by reimagining and renovating the library, we will create an attractive, forward-looking physical space to serve as the hub of these exciting new activities.

This campaign will help make this vision a reality, and enable us to do so in a sustainable and fiscally responsible way. Burning the mortgage and eliminating hefty interest payments will dramatically alter the financial trajectory of our Shul, by annually freeing up funds to maintain and build upon our vision for the future.

Every individual is a whole world; every one of us has unique and infinite value. And when every person is valued by the community, when each individual has the opportunity to develop himself or herself as a Jew to the fullest, the community itself is strengthened immeasurably! As Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik once wrote, “Each individual possesses something unique, rare, which is unknown to others; each individual has a unique message to communicate, a special color to add to the communal spectrum.”

This is the ultimate goal of our vision, of “Kol Echad, B’Yachad.” By enabling each individual member of Suburban Torah to grow and actualize their potential as Jews, our community, as a whole, will reach greater heights than we ever imagined possible!Join us on this journey, together as a united community. We need everyone’s support; every individual matters! Let’s go forward, each individual, together!

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CAPITAL CAMPAIGNKOL ECHAD B’YACHAD CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIRSSteven SherisDavid Orbach

WORKING GROUPC.J. BermanDebbie BurackLeah CommerLarry EllbergerMelissa FeldmanCeline LeedsSandy Steiner

HONORARY CAMPAIGNEVENT CHAIRSRobin KlattAlice Klein

SYNAGOGUE OFFICERSAlan Freeman PresidentClaude Rosenstrauch First Vice PresidentAvi Steiner Second Vice PresidentDebbie Fine SecretaryJack Mordekai Treasurer

BOARD OF DIRECTORSC.J. BermanDelores BerkowskyChany ChapmanMenachem DickmanMelissa FeldmanFaygie HoltMerritt HubsherNicole KoppelSeth Leeds

IRIS BERMAN - EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER DIRECTORRachelle Zomick

BOARD OF DIRECTORSSheara GoldenthalRachel JoffeYael Wasserman

SISTERHOOD CO-PRESIDENTSMichelle AminBeth Flippo

MEN’S CLUB CO-PRESIDENTSBrian KoppelAndrew Rosenberg

YOUTH DEPARTMENT CO-CHAIRSDebbie MinskyDina Simon

COMMUNITY GROWTH Celine LeedsDara OrbachDan Serviss

RABBIRabbi Eliezer Mischel

FOUNDING RABBIRabbi Moshe A. Kasinetz

Yonna RosenbergJeffrey RudermanHoward SchulbergDan ServissDanielle SharretRichard StadtmauerEllen StokarJames TuretskyJoyce Weinberger

LEADERSHIP

CAMPAIGN CONSULTANT: Rosenfield Consulting, LLC

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11

SCHOLARSIN RESIDENCE

Kol Echad B’Yachad! | 9

850TOTAL NUMBER OF GRADUATES

SINCE IBECCBEGAN

2,352 COLLECTIVE HOURS OF

TORAH LEARNING ON TUESDAY

NIGHTS EVERY YEAR

180WEDDINGS

288BAR/BAT

MITZVAHS

216BIRTHS

230TOTAL AIPAC DELEGATES SINCE 2013

48

YOUTH EVENTSEACH YEAR

42

NEW FAMILIESJOINED SINCE 2013

726

CHALLAH’SBAKED THROUGHNAOMI’S CHALLAHBAKE PROJECTOVER THE LAST YEAR

SIMCHAS SINCE 2000

$248kFUNDS RAISED FROM ISRAEL

CHESSEDCAMPAIGNSSINCE 2012

CAMPAIGN CONSULTANT: Rosenfield Consulting, LLC

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As our community grows and our needs change, our building, which has not been updated for close to 20 years, must be adapted to better suit the community’s needs.REIMAGINING

& RENOVATING THE SUBURBAN TORAH BUILDING

Transforming the Library

into a Social Learning Hub

Remodeling ourSOCIAL HALL will improve the Shul experience for our members and increase the marketability of our rental space for social functions.

Revitalizingthe Social Hall

Building a Kitchen

for the 21st Century

By transforming the LIBRARY into an attractive, modern lounge and meeting space, we will create a hub for the exciting new programs and activities planned for the years to come.

Upgrading our KITCHENand expanding its utility will increase our capacity to host large events at the synagogue.

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Beginning this Fall, we will introduce an array of inspirational and educational pathways and programs geared towards the many different needs of our membership. Our goal is to reach all of our members as individuals, and ultimately to strengthen the community as a whole. Kol Echad B’Yachad!

To help us make this vision a reality, we are excited to introduce Chaya Miriam (“CM”) Gerson as Suburban Torah’s first Family Programmer and Educator. CM, originally from Houston, Texas, is a talented and

beloved teacher at the Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School, where she has made an extraordinary impact upon the young women of our community. And as a director of NCSY’s TJJ Ambassadors summer program, CM has taught and inspired students from a wide variety of educational backgrounds.

At Suburban Torah, CM will play a dual role. As a programmer, she will design and run innovative programming for the many diverse age and social groups within the congregation, including social programs

for young couples, parent-child programs and lunch and learn programs for seniors. In her second role as an educator, CM will lead Suburban Torah’s new Women’s Center for Inspired Judaism, which was recently awarded a challenge grant by the OU Women’s Initiative, teaching weekly classes on an array of topics to women in our community. With CM a part of the Suburban Torah team, our hope is to enable each of the women and girls of our diverse community to grow as Jews, wherever they may be on their journey.

PROVIDINGINNOVATIVE& TARGETEDPROGRAMMING

12 | Kol Echad B’Yachad!

Chaya Miriam Gerson

Rebbetzin Shayndel Feuerstein z”l Memorial Lecture with Rabbanit Shani TaraginRabbanit Shani Taragin is a noted author and teacher who lectures world-wide

Shabbat with the Traveling Chassidim!Join us for an inspiration Friday night Tefillah, a community dinner and a musical Havdallah!

Community Conversation - Insiders & Outsiders: The Many Paths of the Jewish PeopleJoin us for a Community Conversation and hear from fellow members who have taken incredibly diverse paths to Torah Judaism.

Mizrachi Shabbat with Rabbi Judah DardikRabbi Judah Dardik served as Rabbi of Beth Jacob Congregation in Oakland, California for 13 years before making Aliyah,and currently teaches Torah in Israel

Shavuot with Menachem ButlerMenachem Butler is the Program Coordinator at The Julis-Rabinowitz Program on Jewish and Israeli Law at the Harvard Law School, a contributing editor at Tablet Magazine, and co-editor at the Seforim blog.

Sponsored in memory of Mr. Morris Stadtmauer, z”l, Moshe Rafael ben Yehoshua, z”l

SAT. NIGHTNOV. 10

SHABBATDEC. 21-22

SAT. NIGHTFEB. 9

SHABBATMAY 3-4

JUNE 8-10

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Funds raised from the Kol Echad B’Yachad Campaign are intended to cover short and medium - term needs, such as capital improvement projects, and will provide longer-term financial stability through elimination of our mortgage debt. Servicing our mortgage obligation, currently at $155,000/year, represents 17% of our total budgetary expenditures. Elimination of our mortgage payments would create an enduring and sustainable source of funds for expansion of our programming agenda, as well as capital reserves for maintaining and upgrading the synagogue building. A successful campaign will afford us the luxury of planning, resulting in decisions

YEARLY MORTGAGE PAYMENT

$155,000

$2.8 million

Remaining Payments

(P+I) to maturity:

SUSTAINING THE LEGACY

that are thoughtful and strategic. We aim to save money by addressing critical elments of our aging infrastructure, such as heating and cooling systems, roofing, and electrical/plumbing, instead of needing to make costly repairs under pressure when something fails or breaks. On average, a vibrant religious or educational institution in the United States undergoes a capital campaign every seven to eight years. SSTC’s last capital campaign was over 18 years ago. We are long overdue, and our needs are very real. United by a common purpose and vision, we move forward – honoring our past, celebrating the present,

and creating and embracing our future. Join us! We invite you to make your investment in a sustainable future for our holy kehillah,

Kol Echad B’Yachad!

Principal

$2.1 millionMatures 6/1/36

17%of totalyearly

expenses

Kol Echad B’Yachad! | 13

Chaya Miriam Gerson

Sponsored in memory of Mr. Morris Stadtmauer, z”l, Moshe Rafael ben Yehoshua, z”l

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Entrance Chandeliers

Sanctuary Doors/Gates

Talit Cabinet

Torah Holders and Bench

Ark Curtains (High Holiday and regular)

Elevator

Nursery Wing Classrooms (4)

Nursery Wing Toddler Room

President’s Office

Youth Director’s Office

Etz Chaim Sculpture

Sanctuary Book Cases (10)

Sanctuary Windows (6)

Beit Midrash Book Cases (10)

Kol Echad B’Yachad Center Wall Tiles

Rabbinic Chair

Rabbi’s House

Sanctuary Ark

Social Hall Renovation

Kitchen Renovation

Kol Echad b’Yachad Center (former library)

Nursery Wing

Sanctuary Bimah

Womens Institute for Inspired Judaism

Sanctuary Enhancement

Kol Echad B’Yachad Celebration Wall

Rabbi’s Study

Sanctuary Yahrtzeit Wall

Administration Wing

Beit Midrash Ner Tamid

Gift Shop

DEDICATION OPPORTUNITIES$1M $36k

$500k $36k

$500k $36k

$500k $36k

$250k $27k

$250k $27k

$250k $27k

$250k $27k

$180k $27k

$180k $27k

$180k $18k

$100k $18k

$100k $18k

$54k $12k

$54k $5k

$54k

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Total 5-Year Annual Monthly Daily

$1,000,000 $200,000 $16,667 $548

$500,000 $100,000 $8,333 $274

$250,000 $50,000 $4,167 $137

$180,000 $36,000 $3,000 $99

$100,000 $20,000 $1,667 $55

Total 4-Year Annual Monthly Daily

$54,000 $13,500 $1,125 $37

$36,000 $9,000 $750 $25

$27,000 $6,750 $563 $18

$18,000 $4,500 $375 $12

$12,000 $3,000 $250 $8

$5,000 $1,250 $104 $3

Kol Echad B’Yachad! | 15

KOL ECHAD B'YACHADGIVING LEVELS AT A GLANCE

Our goal is 100% participation. All contributions at whatever level are greatly appreciated - Thank you!

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www.suburbantorah.org

85 W Mt. Pleasant Avenue, Livingston, NJ 07039 | 973.994.2620


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