South Head in crisis
SOUTH Head Synagogue has a declining membership, increasing debt, will be cancelling programs and a group of congregants wants Rabbi Benzion Milecki to leave.
SOUTH Head Synagogue has a declining membership, increasing debt, will be cancelling programs and a group of congregants wants Rabbi Benzion Milecki to leave.
“We are going to report a loss of $250,000 for 2016. We have a borrowing facility of approximately $1.5 million with a mortgage against the property and we are close to that limit,” South Head president James Hochroth told The AJN this week.
He said that the shul has been losing money for “several years” and that the membership base has been “eroding in the last few years, although it has gotten worse over the last few months”.
“Our costs were in the order of $2 million and we were planning to reduce costs to $1.6 million, if not further,” Hochroth said
“We can’t continue. We have to cut our costs and increase our revenues, but the revenue side is very hard. As part of that we will need to cut some of our programs and I expect there will be less activities going forward.
“I’m hoping our congregant base will stabilise, but as with most cost reductions a lot of it is personnel costs as well.”
One of the savings he noted is the choir, which he said was costing $75,000 per year. “It wasn’t our intention that they would leave but we have to reduce costs.”
When asked about the discontent with Rabbi Milecki, Hochroth said, “I can tell you that for certain types of things Rabbi Milecki is really good.
“I acknowledge that there are various congregants that have views about a change of the rabbi.”
Hochroth said he respects Rabbi Milecki, but that some tough decisions need to be made.
“I’m not happy about the fact that the congregation has a lot of dissatisfaction and that we have lost members. I don’t know how long he will remain rabbi of our congregation. We can’t afford to keep our existing rabbi and bring in another rabbi.”
Hochroth said in the congregation’s current financial state it doesn’t have funds for a large payout to the rabbi.
A group of more than 100 members met recently to discuss the problems, including their desire to replace Rabbi Milecki, and an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) has now been called.
The two motions that will be put forward at that EGM, expected to be held on February 23, will be to establish an advisory committee with former JCA president David Balkin and long-time shul member Rodney Naumburger to try and resolve the financial problems and that all major changes at the shul be put to the congregation.
“We are happy to support both motions,” Hochroth said.
Last year, The AJN reported that half of the previous South Head Synagogue board stood down after a showdown with the rabbi. The previous board had had plans, since early 2015, to bring in a younger rabbi.
When Rabbi Milecki was contacted by The AJN, he said he did not wish to discuss the matter.
JOSHUA LEVI
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