Friends of Mishkon — germinating a support organization

DURING THIS YEAR of the 75th anniversary of our historic sanctuary building, the time seems ripe for a Friends of Mishkon organization to emerge.

Friends of Mishkon would enable our former members, their families, denizens of Venice, and others to channel their good wishes for Mishkon in support of restoring our historic building. And it would enable that building to receive the loving attention that it deserves from more than just our current synagogue membership. It’s a win-win proposition.

Below the jump, this post outlines what this support organization might look like…

Connection

Friends might be enabled to stay in touch with Mishkon, and with each other, via periodic events (online and in person) that feature a topic or person of special interest, and via an occasional email newsletter. The organization might also thank individual donors. 

(Mishkon has a large diaspora of former members who have moved away, or who remain local and still appreciate Mishkon’s presence. Among the families of current and former members are also those who feel some fondness for Mishkon. And among Venetians are some who recognize Mishkon as an anchor in the community and a spiritual center. To some extent, many are looking for a way to connect to our synagogue and each other, to share memories and their pride in Mishkon.)

Guidance

The organization would advise its members as to the top priorities for restoration. It would gain that knowledge mainly via consultation with Mishkon’s Building & Grounds (B&G) Committee. Our friends would thereby know how their donations would be of the most benefit. And they would be able to pool their resources for the quickest results.

For example, B&G might recommend the following priorities at present.

(As usual, click-tap on an image to enlarge it.)

And our friends could learn more about the individual projects, by being directed to written plans and reports.…

• Link to background post on project #1
• Link to background post on project #2
• Link to background post on project #3  

Finally, our friends could be apprised as to the progress made toward those projects’ fundraising goals.

(The restoration needs of our historic building are greater than what Mishkon’s current membership alone can fund. It was designed and built for a much larger congregation, when Jewish Venice and Ocean Park were in their heyday. Fortunately, our building has value and meaning to a much larger populace than our membership alone.)

(For a definition of restoration as it applies to our synagogue, see this July 2021 article from the Mishkon Messenger.)

Financial Controls

All donations made via Friends of Mishkon could be deposited directly into the Capital Improvements Fund of Temple Mishkon Tephilo. According to Mishkon’s Board Policies, such funds must be held in a segregated bank account, and they can be used only for capital improvements that have been approved by the board.  

The Board Policies do allow for restricted donations to board-approved projects, and they encourage a memorandum of understanding (letter of intent) for large donations.

  Structure

Friends of Mishkon could be structured simply as an unincorporated association. A steering committee consisting of 2–3 people might suffice to keep things going.

A couple of volunteers would be needed to manage the mailing list (in coordination with Mishkon’s office staff), to organize events, and to compose emails.