Ways to Give

There are many ways you can help Beth Or with a tax-deductible donation that has an immediate impact in the current year and near term, or a gift that helps sustains our community for the next generation.  

Beth Or has many specific program funds where you can make a donation to honor or in memory of a loved one or special occasion. 

Annual or Special Campaigns: These special campaigns supplement our operating budget, allow congregants to combine annual appeal with annual dues each year, secure our financial stability and help sustain Beth Or now and for the future. 

• Annual Appeal is an important part of our budget, supplementing dues, fees, endowments, and designated gifts.
• Beth Or Give Once (BOGO) offers the opportunity for members to combine annual dues with Annual Appeal. 
• Endowment - Ner Tamid helps secure Beth Or's financial stability.
• Planned Giving helps sustain Beth Or now and for the future.
• Annual Spring Fundraising Event builds community while supporting the congregation at large.

Building & Beautification Funds: Several Funds have been created by Beth Or families who have chosen to memorialize and honor their loved ones through funds that support our building and grounds as well as collecting funds to reduce our mortgage and to support our operating costs.

• The Capital Fund is used to either paydown our mortgage or offset our mortgage payments.
• The General Fund is used to support our ongoing operating needs.
• The Kate Svitek Memorial Garden Fund is used to help maintain Kate's Garden located at the main entrance to our building.
• The Linda Gerson Memorial Fund is used to help maintain and beautify the grounds of our campus.

Clergy Discretionary Funds: For many of us, it is customary to honor and thank the clergy for their pastoral support at times of joy and sorrow by making a donation to their Discretionary Funds.  The donations to these funds are distributed at the discretion of the clergy for charitable, religious, educational and congregational purposes. Examples include providing funds to a congregant or community member whose electricity is being shut off or for one who cannot afford to put food on the table; providing scholarships for children to attend a Jewish camp, travel to Israel or attend other Jewish programs; or, purchasing items for and/or bringing programs to the Congregation that are not otherwise funded. Rabbi Marx, Rabbi Bonder & Cantor Green all have discretionary funds. 

Education Funds: The Jewish education of our children and continuing lifelong education is one of the most important parts of our mission.  Many of our members feel passionate about our educational programs and have chosen to honor or memorialize their loved ones by establishing funds that support these efforts.

• The Andrew Jarrett Fund for the Religious School is used to enrich the Jewish cultural experience in our Religious School by funding programs and trips.
• The Allen Apter Memorial Lifelong Learning Endowment helps to be bring quality Lifelong learning programs to Beth Or.
• The Barbara Goldberg Nursery School Fund provides books, equipment and scholarships to our early childhood students and classrooms.
• The Board of Trustees Academy Scholarship Endowment provides scholarships for Academy students whose families need financial assistance.
• The Deborah Gene & Daniel H. Eisman Fund provides annual awards to outstanding students in our Religious School.
• The Emily Cara Garbose Resource Center provides funds to help Beth Or students with special needs.
• The Goldstein Family Religious School Scholarship Endowment in Memory of Bernice and Irv Goldstein provides scholarships for Religious School (K-7) whose families need financial assistance.
• The Hannah Miller Book and Education Fund purchases books and supports educational programs. 
• The Jenna Demar Education Fund supports Religious School, B'nai Mitzvah and Youth Engagement programming/needs.
• The Jillian A. Siegel Endowment for Inclusion supports the creation and implementation of programs and accomodations designed for students with special needs to enable them to experience Judaism and learning at Beth Or and to support families who are dealing with inclusion challenges.
• The Maurice LeBow Memorial Computer Endowment supports the purchase of computers and technology at Beth Or.
• The Reuben W. Wolfert Memorial Fund for Scholastic Excellence is an award program for students who demonstrate a commitment to Jewish life at Beth Or.

Memorials & Honors: At times of joy and celebration as well as times of sorrow and memory, tradition teaches us that we honor others by giving tzedakah. At Beth Or, there are many meaningful ways to commemorate special occasions such as b’nai mitzvah, weddings, anniversaries or other life cycle events as well as to honor or memorialize beloved family members through lasting dedicatory gifts. To learn about other named dedicatory opportunities such as plaques on classrooms, mezuzot, and other areas of Beth Or, please contact Amy Abrams.

• Seat Plaque dedications in the Gitlin Sanctuary. These personalized plaques become a permanent fixture in our house of worship. To dedicate a seat plaque in memory or in honor of a loved one, please make your donation below, download & complete this order form and return it to Barbara Murtha. The cost to dedicate a seat plaque is $750.
• Bricks on the Lakeside Terrace. These inscribed bricks are permanently installed on our patio near the Goldstein Sukkah and overlooking our pond. To dedicate a brick in memory or in honor of a loved one, please make your donation below, download & complete this order form and return it to Amy Abrams. The cost to inscribe a small brick is $118 and $300 for a large brick.
• Leaf on the Tree of Life in the main hallway to the Sanctuary. These inscribed leaves become a permanent part of our Tree of Life  Sculpture. To dedicate a leaf in memory or in honor of a loved one, please make your donation below, download & complete this order form and return it to Barbara Murtha. The cost to dedicate a leaf is $300.
• Yahrzeit Plaque dedications. These brass plaques are on permanent display in our Memorial Alcove. The plaque is dedicated at a special Yizkor service and creates a perpetual kaddish listing. To dedicate a Yahrzeit plaque in memory of a loved one, please make your donation below, download & complete this order form and return it to Barbara Murtha. The cost to dedicate a Yahrzeit plaque is $1000.

Program & Community Funds: Programming is one of the ways we bring Judaism to life for our members.  We have many Funds that have been established to help support the vast array of programs we offer our members and ways in which we support those in need within our Beth Or community as well as the greater community. The Yahrzeit Fund is also included in this list of funds.

• The Arnold Berkowitz Memorial Fund for Veterans Shabbat underwrites our Veterans Shabbat dinner/event.
• The Berman Family Caring Community Endowment helps support the Congregation's efforts to help the homeless and those experiencing food insecurity.
• The Caring Congregants Fund helps congregants in time of need during different lifecycle challenges.
• The Disaster Relief Fund helps individuals and communities recover from disasters.
• The Ellen & Norman Werther Endowment helps fund special programs relating to membership, caring congregants and music.
• The Florence & Rhoda Kramer Endowment provide funds to publish the Beth Or Spotlight.
• The Flower Fund supports the purchase of flowers for our bima.
• The Goldsteins' Rosenberg's Raphael-Sacks Endowment supports the annual publication of the Book of Remembrance.
• The Interfaith Apartment Fund helps families at Hope Gardens by maintaining our apartment and providing for the family that lives there.
• The Israel Support Fund provides support for Israel.
• The Meals that Matter Fund purchases food for us to prepare meals to address food insecurity.
• The Music Fund purchases music or funds musical activities and events at Beth Or.
• R&B Business Loan Fund at Hebrew Free Loan Society offers interest free loans to business owners who want to open or grow a business.
• The Security Enhancement Fund provides for continued enhancements to Beth Or security systems and processes.
• The Sisterhood Mitzvah Fund permits Sisterhood to provide Mitzvot to Beth Or and our community all year long.
• The Yahrzeit Fund is where many congregants make a donation in memory of their loved ones.

Youth Funds: Our children are our future and we are proud of the rich programming that we offer. Several of our Congregants have created funds to help support these programs.

• The Barbara & Marvin Goldberg Confirmation Trip to Israel Endowment provides scholarships to any Confirmand who wants to go to Israel on our Confirmation class trip.
• The Brotherhood Camp Harlam Scholarship Fund provides funds to our youth who request assistance to attend Camp Harlam.
• The Lore Heinsheimer Memorial Youth Assistance Fund provides scholarships for URJ youth activities on the regional/national level (NFTY/PAR events).
• The Natan Luehrmann-Cowen Junior Choir Endowment provides funds to support our Junior Choir.

Donate Today!

For those who are interested, gifts can be made in stock transfers. For information on how to make a stock gift, please contact the Beth Or office, 215-646-5806.