The Undiscovered Country
November 15, 2006
Greater Aberdeen is the undiscovered country. We have an active synagogue, a yeshiva, a mikveh, reasonably priced homes, an eruv, and only a 45-minute commute to Manhattan . But we won't remain undiscovered for long. Already, builders are seizing every parcel of open land. New York City workers are on the hunt for affordable communities. It's only a matter of time before our synagogue is forced to expand.
Yet, despite the inevitable influx, we have no plans to accommodate growth. Is our property large enough to expand the synagogue? What do we do when we run out of parking spaces? What's the ideal size for a synagogue? How should we manage our finances to prepare for growth?
At a modest 10% annual growth rate, the Young Israel of Aberdeen will double in 7 years and triple in 11 years. If we grow at a more realistic rate of 15% per year, we'll double in 5 years and triple in 8 years. This doesn't even account for the natural growth within families, i.e. children.
At a minimum, we should raise the building fee on all new members and invest that money in government treasuries. Second, we should expand the eiruv to at least a mile radius around the synagogue and obtain permission to extend the eiruv into neighboring towns. Lastly, we should form a Vaad with the neighboring towns to establish a single standard for kashrut, the eiruv, and other rabbinical issues.
The one thing we shouldn't do is wait.
- editor
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