Laying the Cornerstone
Im ein kemach ein Torah: Dues and Fund-raising
By 1975, membership had grown and a fundraising committee was formed to guarantee that CBST would always have a home. The fundraising slogan was “Gather people in a room, give them good food, and ask them for money.’
Service Leadership
For many members in the early days, being tapped to lead services was a path to becoming known in the synagogue. CBST created and introduced its own siddur in 1981.
Shabbat Morning Services
If Friday night offered a service for the wider CBST community, Shabbat morning was always a more intimate affair.
Growing Pains
By 1982 membership swelled to over three hundred while the volunteer structure designed for a small shul was fraying.
Gender Diversity on the Bimah
Having the people on the bimah reflect the right balance – eclectic and diverse, but not overly polarizing or painful to sit through – was always complicated.
In 1988, a major renovation of the Bethune Street interior, an extensive process to investigate the hiring of paid staff, including a rabbi or an executive director.
New Ritual Initiatives
By early 1991, CBST was staggering under the impact of AIDS and still debating the possibility of hiring a rabbi. The board approved an earlier Friday night service and the creation of feminist and orthodox minyanim.
From Shopping Bag to Sanctuary