Kol Ami gets $6 million for synagogue
By Deborah Moon
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Congregation Kol Ami received an anonymous pledge of $6 million to build a synagogue in Clark County, Wash., announced CKA President Doug Green at the Reform congregation’s Rosh Hashanah services.
“The plan includes ample resources to buy land, develop the property and construct a complete synagogue including a sanctuary, school and other features,” Green wrote in the congregation’s October newsletter.
“We have the money to build the building and we will be building a building,” he said in a telephone interview with the Jewish Review.
“We’ve just set up a steering committee to decide all that,” he continued.
“We are creating a process to settle location, size, future needs …”
Since the primary donor wants to remain anonymous and will not be exercising naming rights, Green said the door is open for other donors who want to name parts of the building.
“We will be contacting other donors who are interested in naming opportunities,” he said. “We have enough money to go now, but we want to reach out and open up naming rights and create a building that is self-sustaining.”
Green emphasized that the congregation’s membership will not be required to contribute to a building fund and that dues will not go up to fund the new building.
Green said the congregation intends to create a full-service synagogue that meets the needs of the community’s diverse Jewish population.
“Clearly someone can drive to Portland,” he said. “But we want to be sure we are here for people if they want to be with us. We are aware that our congregation has to serve as wide a range as possible.”
Green said he feels the anonymous donation affirmed the congregation’s choices through the years to hire first a spiritual leader and then Rabbi Aviva Bass in fall 2005 before trying to buy a building. He said the congregation’s creation of a Sunday school, Hebrew school, b’nai mitzvah program, adult education program and Shabbat and holiday services has helped the congregation grow to 100 member families which “gave us credibility.”
He called the donation an investment and a vote of confidence in all the congregation has achieved.
Green said that those wishing to contribute to Kol Ami’s building fund should call the congregation’s office at 360-896-8088: “We don’t know how many doors there will be to put plaques on, but now is a good time to come forward.”