Kol Ha Bayit (BST Blog)

Let me pose some questions to you: do you shop through Amazon? Do you get gas or coffee at Wawa or Sheetz when your tank is low, or buy groceries at Giant or Weis? Do you prefer Walmart for some things and Target for others? Do you shop for clothes at Old Navy, or Kohl’s? Do you shop at stores like Lowe’s for all your home DIY projects, or go out to eat in Central Park with your family, or go to the movies with friends? Do you often purchase shopping cards as gifts for people’s birthdays, holidays, and other celebrations? When you spend money, do you often find yourself using your debit or credit card because it’s fast, easy, and convenient? 

Beth Sholom Temple has been part of a shopping card rebate program for years now, that allows members to purchase shopping cards to all these stores and more, in varying denominations. The cards are sold with a rebate on them that comes to us and we then sell them to you in the amounts you need, allowing BST to earn a small profit. When you initially see the numbers, such as 2% or 5% on a card, it might not seem like much of a gain for BST. However, if every one of our members who shopped, ate, or ran errands at these various stores and restaurants used shopping cards purchased through our program, it could really add up. 

The shopping cards are very easy to purchase. You can just call or email me, Ellen Grady, at 540-373-4834 ext. 101, and treasurer@bstva.org, and I can have the cards prepared for you to pick up at the Temple; they are available Sundays at Bagel Bar; I can deliver them to you or meet you at a mutual location; and some cards can even be sent digitally via email! You can even sign up for the program yourself and purchase cards everyday, or whenever you need them.

Over the last two years, our congregation has heard a lot about some of the financial challenges Beth Sholom has faced, and may continue to face. As one of many Temples across the country that offers a voluntary dues program to its membership, the Temple has not asked too much of you, our members, financially. We hold a large fundraiser once a year - the Annual Appeal - and encourage everyone to only give what is comfortable for their families and situations monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. The most important aspect of Beth Sholom has been and will remain that our doors are open to all Jews for worship, learning, and community, regardless of financial capabilities. We do not turn anyone away for any reason and we are honored and privileged to be able to keep that promise.

However, many of you have expressed a desire for certain amenities that a more fiscally solvent congregation may be able to offer: regular adult learning, lower Religious School tuition, a full time Rabbi. You may have wondered to yourselves or aloud to each other, “How can I help to create a better financial future for Beth Sholom? How can I ensure we achieve a goal such as full time Rabbinic leadership?”

As with all things, the solution begins at home, with a single person: you. Take a look at your finances. Determine where you do your shopping, and how much you spend on average, per week, month, or quarter. Visit the Scrip website (www.shopwithscrip.com) to see how many of your regular, weekly destinations offer shopping cards through the program, or just ask me. Your spending habits could add up to an additional $100, $200, or even $1000 for BST every year, if you just take advantage of the programs* that are already in place for simple, everyday fundraising. 

Sometimes it doesn’t take an act of G-d to get things done. It can be the boring, the banal, that effects the change necessary to achieve great things - and it can start with you.

*Programs currently include Shop with Scrip and Amazon Smile.