Pledge “SaveYKShacharit”
"I will go to Yakar Kehilla synagogue regularly at 9am on Shabbat morning but only if 9 other men will too."
— Jonathan Samuel, member of Yakar Kehilla
Deadline to sign up by: 31st January 2007
5 people signed up, 4 more were needed
Country: United Kingdom
Place: London (view map)
More details
Yakar Kehilla is a modern orthodox synagogue that aims for meaning in prayer and Torah learning and ethical 21st century Judaism.
We are an accepting community that takes people as they come without judging them and aims to let them raise themselves up in Torah, Prayer and good deeds.
We have pioneered "Fair Trade", greater access for women to Torah and to responsible positions in the community and interfaith dialogue with both Christians and Muslims.
Our prayer services are tuneful, innovative and attractive and we welcome and have facilities for children.
My reasons for calling for this pledge are:
(1) The numbers attending Yakar Kehilla services have gradually been falling (probably due to the fact that we are praying in a rented school gym and lack money for publicity)
(2) Friday services are now often failing to get a minyan (the requisite quorum of 10 male Jewish worshippers) by one or two men.
(3) Shabbat morning Shacharit service is now often failing to get a minyan on time – though we do usually have a minyan by 10am and for kiddush, reading of the Torah and musaph service.
(4) As people lose faith in there being a minyan for shacharit or maariv they may well go elsewhere
- if a new person comes to test out whether they like our synagogue they are unlikely to come again if they find an incomplete minyan at the service, so this is preventing the kehilla growing as we would wish it to.
Our managing committee are very concerned but their ideas for solutions (organise a rota, move to better premises, hire an amazing new Rabbi) will take time and, in my view, will not be soon enough.
All it would take to halt the decline of our unique and special community which I love and value would be for 10 good Jewish men to make a commitment to attend services, arriving on time, every week.
If you can to make this contribution and commitment to keep our kehilla alive then please sing the pledge and e-mail info@yakarkehilla.org.uk or phone 020 8202 8021.
It is understood that all commitments to these pledges are b'li neder (do not constitute a vow) and that everyone will inevitably be away occasionally for holidays etc.
I have been a member of Yakar shul for over 20 years and after over 3 years of independence we are still running attractive services and events with between 50-100 paid up members (and others who come and support us who are “members” elsewhere).
Other communities have succeeded; I don’t see why we should not be able to do so.
Visit http://www.yakarkehilla.org.uk/ for the web site
http://london.pledgebank.com/SaveYakarKe... to pledge for BOTH Fri night AND Shabbat morning.
(I request men who sign this pledge to sign BOTH the other 2 associated pledges as well as this helps people see how many more are needed for each service).
http://london.pledgebank.com/SaveYKFriNi... to pledge for Fri night.
