LAST WEEK, Mishkon applied to be considered for a grant award from the National Fund for Sacred Places, a non-profit organization. This post is the first in a series of four excerpts from our application.
Below the jump, this post addresses a central question: Why should the National Fund support our congregation—as opposed to another church, synagogue, or mosque?
The Case for Support
Mishkon Tephilo (“Dwelling Place of Prayer”) is the longest-serving synagogue on Los Angeles’ Westside, dating back more than a century. The congregation exemplifies its vibrant Venice locale, with a “come as you are” spirit and an eclectic mix of members.
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Our 75-year old sanctuary building—designated as an L.A. historic-cultural monument—is in need of restoration and upgrades beyond the congregation’s own ability to fund.
Even so, in 2021, we began restoration in earnest, based on expert studies, knowing that delays would only increase costs.
We have completed a dozen projects, paid for by $193K from dues, ad-hoc appeals, asset sales, and a bequest. More needs to be done, so we have listed an adjacent property for sale, with part of the proceeds to pay for restoration, expected major-component replacements, and upgrades. Yet even that will not be enough to revive our large Social Hall.
The Partners for Sacred Places’ 2023 training showed us that a Friends group and a capital campaign are the right next steps.
A matching grant from the Fund for Sacred Places would excite prospective donors, enabling our Social Hall to again serve not only our members but also the larger community.
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