Hear Our Voice

Dear CSK friends,

From the very beginning, CSK engaged in a value proposition. We believed and still do that
dues establish an expectation of payment, while voluntary contributions invite investment. For
10 years, we have been offering meaningful, engaging, and inspiring Jewish programming to all
Jews, Jewish families, and those who love them. And we do so, unironically, as an act of faith.
We hope and, dare we say, we pray that YOU will “answer our prayers.”

When you are signing up for the High Holy Days, please remember that none of what we do is
free. We pay rent for the venue and remuneration to the musicians; we pay for travel, we pay
for security, and quite a bit more. I know it is easy to assume that its all taken care of by a
couple/few sources, but that has actually never been true for CSK. For 10 years now, close to
half of our yearly income is drawn from our monthly contributors. On top of that, about
another 25% comes from annual, one-time contributions, and the remainder comes from the
elusive source of “Programming,” of which High Holy Days represents a significant portion. CSK
doesn’t require that you are a donor, in order to access Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur with
us. But without your generosity, we would be unable to offer them to you or anybody else.

If you have already signed up and donated, thank you! If you have signed up and haven’t yet
donated, we invite you to do so.

And please don’t forget to sign up for “The Elul Project,” a three-part hour-long opportunity
with me to spiritually prepare yourself for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (starting tonight, 7-8
pm). The Talmud teaches that one should not say,
                              “I will sin and I will repent, I will sin and I will repent, and Yom Kippur will atone for my 
                               sins. Yom Kippur atones only for the sins between us and God (swearing falsely,
                               breaking ritual commitments, for some reason, wearing linen and wool together!); Yom
                               Kippur DOES NOT atone for our sins between each other” (gossiping, lying, cheating,
                              stealing, unloading, and much more).
Our tradition adjures us to not be caught off guard. In the weeks leading up to the High Holy
Days, to draw up our cheshbon hanefesh (soul accounting) so that the words on the page reflect
and deepen the self-work we have already done, to be that much better prepared to grow into
the new year.

I pray that you will invest in us and invest in yourself. I continue to be honored and moved by
your commitments to helping us serve you and so many others. May the new year bring all of
us joy and contentment, compassion and love, hope and prayer.
Rabbi Scott