Dear Friend,
As we wrap up our 5th year at Kehillat Shaar HaShamayim (can you believe it?!), it is with tremendous gratitude to Hashem for His unwavering help - and to you for your unfaltering dedication - that we can once again declare this year to be one of tremendous success! Our community has continued to be a spiritual powerhouse, impacting innumerable lives!
Be Proud! Numbers You Must See
This year alone, we have successfully engaged thousands of people through our diverse programs. Whether connecting with us through:
- Our welcoming Bet Knesset, Kehillat Shaar HaShamayim;
- Or through our educational center, the Shiviti Bet Midrash and its 572 (up since the 416 at the time of our founding) annual classes;
- Our Bet Midrash which has expanded beyond San Diego's borders with regular classes in Los Angeles, as well as lectures and scholar-in-residence Shabbatot in New York, London, and Cape Town! This last year, we have blazed new trails in two continents!
- Enjoying one of our 248 lively and stimulating Shabbat or holiday meals where the discussion is as delightful as the over 5,000 portions of food served;
- Our intellectually and physically rigorous outdoors GLiTS Girls' Leadership Training Seminar, led by Rabbanit Devorah, with 6 new graduates fulfilling Shiviti's unique vision of promoting female leadership among our youth;
- Watching one of our 767 (two years ago: 550, and the year before: 438) YouTube videos or Facebook live-streamed events and programs – which have reached 66,091 (last year: 31,894, and the year before: 15,362) views;
- Welcoming 6 new souls (last year: 5) to the Jewish people and preparing to do so with a dozen more dear friends currently enrolled in our Foundations Conversion Course, a branch of our very own Shiviti Bet Din;
- Receiving prompt and accurate answers regarding Kosher for Pesach food products on our Pesach Kashrut Forum which currently has 1,769 (last year: 728) members;
- Interacting with people through our international Shiviti Learning Forum, currently boasting 1,488 (last year: 596) active members hailing from the United States, Canada, Israel, South Africa, the United Kingdom among others!
Each individual has found in us their spiritual home in which they can thrive and soar to new heights. You have not just enhanced your own life – but together we have created the truly inclusive Shiviti family! Thank you!
We Are Building Our Future
This is your Kehillah. This is your Shiviti movement. This is your spiritual home. This is your oasis for stimulating study. We are building this for each other, for our children, and for our friends – and this is your opportunity to take an active role in our future.
Our Year-End Campaign Goals
Today, we are reaching out to you as we wrap up the 2019 calendar year. During the final weeks of this year, our two main goals are:
- Everyone A Member! Our goal is to encourage each and every individual who benefits from any of our Shiviti programming, to become a member of the Kehillat Shaar HaShamayim community. This attitude of being in a mutually beneficial relationship with our community is what allows us to remain self-sufficient and continue our proud tradition of not needing to constantly solicit funds from our dear friends. (Monthly membership rates are: Single, $72; Family, $101; Donor, $180 or $360.)
- Sponsoring a month of rent. What helped us flourish this past year – was the generous sponsorship of rent at our main campus, which currently costs us $1602 a month. Just 12 such monthly sponsorships, or even half-month sponsorships at $801, will take a great financial burden off of our community and allow us to focus on the things that are truly important.
My Personal Request
I cannot afford to feel embarrassed when asking you to make a donation - just like you should never feel embarrassed when you utilize any of the numerous resources we proudly offer!
I ask you to consider 1) becoming a proud member or 2) upgrading to a higher membership level, 3) generously sponsoring a month of rent, 4) or even just making a special, one-time, year-end, tax-deductible donation of $180, $72, $36 – or whatever you can afford – to help us meet our goal.
Please, click here to make your donation now. This is our chance to light up the world, one soul at a time.
On behalf of Rabbanit Devorah and I - I thank you once again for your continued friendship and support.
With love and so many blessings for a wonderful new year,
Rabbi Yonatan Y. Halevy
Spiritual Leader
Shiviti – Kehillat Shaar HaShamayim
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