What should Adath Shalom look like on its 50th anniversary?
(Link to our one-question survey at bottom of this page)
Scenario 1: A One Generation Shul
On Rosh Hashanah in 2026 Adath Shalom is a unique synagogue primarily serving the needs of people who are 50+. As a community of faith, mutual support, and friendship the shul has evolved over the years. Starting out as a community of young couples seeking an egalitarian community of learning and spirituality, the shul has sought to serve the needs of its community as we and our children grew and developed.
In 2016 the shul decided to focus its resources on its current membership, having decided that the recruitment of young families was impractical given the realities of the shul and the demographics of the Ottawa Jewish Community. Rather the shul embarked upon a strategy to build and strengthen our core community and serve its needs. This strategy included:
• Recruiting new members primarily from the same age cohort as our current members while still welcoming younger members.
• Intensifying efforts to recruit members, many of whom are now retired, to learn to chant Torah, lead services and deliver d’vars through a structured program of learning.
• Hiring a rabbinic advisor on an as needed basis to provide advice and support and to enrich our religious and educational experience.
• Intensifying learning opportunities within and outside the shul in recognition of the fact that as a group we participate disproportionately in education programs.
• Increasing our revenues through moderate increases in dues and a fund raising program that brings in $10,000 per year.
• Adopting a self-assessment dues system based on family income has also increased revenue while at the same time easing the burden for lower income members.
The strategy has worked well. Several of our members have passed on, may their memories be for a blessing, and others have left for various reasons. However, with new recruitment our membership numbers have remained steady. Retention has been good because the shul rather than trying to be all things to all people has focused on meeting the needs of our core membership just as we have done throughout our history.
There is some trepidation. How long can a synagogue where almost three quarters of the members are over 69 continue(To 120!) On the other hand our feeling of friendship and fellowship has strengthened as we continue to pray and learn together in a supportive community.
Yes, we and the shul are growing old, but we are doing it together in love and friendship.
Will the shul survive for many more years? We do not know. But we are happy where we are.
Scenario 2: Merger
On Rosh HaShanah 2026 Adath Shalom is a semi-autonomous congregation operating under the umbrella of the Kehillat Beth Israel (KBI). As a community of faith, fellowship and learning we offer an alternative mode of study and prayer.
In 2016 Adath Shalom started negotiating a merger agreement with KBI . This was a difficult process.
The main points of the merger agreement are as follows:
• Adath Shalom has become a semi-autonomous sub-congregation within KBI. We hold our own Shabbat, High Holyday and Hagim services. We join KBI for daily minyans.
• We use KBI’s facilities and hold services in the chapel.
• Organizational we have elected representatives on KBI board, and our own Committee made up solely of members who have committed to be part of our sub-congregation. Although we retain considerable autonomy we are subject to the decisions of KBI’s board on major policy issues and budget allocations.
• The Rabbis and other clergy of KBI provide advice and support but the sub-congregation retains the Adath Shalom tradition of leading our own services. With regard to religious issues the Rabbi of KBI has the final word.
• Annual dues have nearly doubled as we are subject to the same dues structure as KBI. This has resulted in some members dropping out. However, new members have been recruited from among the existing membership of KBI so that the sub-congregation still has a health turnout of around 50 people for Shabbat services.
The merger has had both advantages and disadvantages.
On the plus side, we no longer need to struggle to recruit members and increase revenues. We have a beautiful chapel to use and the support of a Rabbi, Cantor and other staff. Our administrative burden has been significantly reduced allowing us to focus more on spiritual, learning and community matters. KBI is completely egalitarian so ideological issues are minimal.
On the negative side our shul’s identity and autonomy have been diminished. Although we still strive to be autonomous within KBI, outsiders pay little attention to this and assume we are just a part of KBI. Inevitably some conflicts have arisen with KBI’s board, staff and but were resolved amicably. There is a real danger that over time our community will be completely subsumed within KBI and that we will lose our unique identity.
Scenario Three: Revitalization
On Rosh HaShanah 2026 Adath Shalom has been revitalized. In 2016 the shul embarked on a 5 year revitalization plan that included the following key elements:
• Membership: A five year membership recruitment strategy resulted in a net increase of at least 5 members per year. This has ensured that we have the critical mass for services and programs and increased revenues.
• Spiritual leadership: The recruitment of members has been assisted by the hiring of a part-time Rabbi. While the congregations still conducts its own services the Rabbi provides learning, guidance, advice and spiritual leadership as well as being available for hatch, match and dispatch duties.
• Funding: The revitalization seed cost of $50,000 was funded by using $25,000 from our reserve fund and assessing an $80 per member per year special assessment for five years.
• Membership dues: After five years, with a net gain of 25 new members, the shul was able to discontinue the special assessment. With the additional revenues generated by the new members, a moderate increase in dues, and a commitment to raise $10,000 per year through fund raising, the shul is now financially secure.
Revitalization has been a difficult process. The shul leadership and members have been asked to take on significant and time consuming new responsibilities. There have been many challenges:
• Despite a good recruitment strategy getting new members has been difficult. Some of the reasons for this are:
• Younger Jews are moving away from the traditional institutional model of synagogues to a more open model based on participation and not formal membership;
• There is a significant decline in attendance at religious services throughout the Canadian population;
• Despite changing demographics there are more minyans operating then in many years and some of them are free.
• Members have not been enthusiastic about fundraising or increases in dues
• Given Ottawa’s small Jewish population it has been difficult to find a spiritual leader. This difficulty was compounded by the fact that we could only offer part-time employment.
Despite these difficulties Adath Shalom has persevered and we are the better for it.
Alternative Scenario
Despite our best efforts after five years the shul did not meet its membership and revenue goals and could no longer maintain a part-time spiritual leader. We went back to consider Scenarios 1 and 2.