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Successful Torah Project Programming
ESTABLISHING A TORAH FUND
San Diego: Adult Bnai Mitzvah Class asked that their friends who wish to give them gifts for their Bar or Bat Mitzvah, instead give a donation to the Torah Fund. Acknowledgements were sent by Temple Office and printed in Monthly Bulletin. ($8000 generated)
Congregation Albert: Established an Endowment Fund, where earnings of fund will benefit the congregation for many years. (Raised $200,000)
Through Dedications of Books of the Torah, Portions, Themes/Events,Chapter, Verse
For Children: Dedications of Letters, Words
Dedications of Mantle,Pointer(yad),Rimonim, Breastplate,Parchment, etc.
A Small Cong in L.A. took Pledges for each of the 54 Torah portions: donors may spread payments over 10 months.
Publicity Ideas:
Leo Baeck, LA : For their first Gala Event Inaugurating the Project, no solicitations were made, guests were required only to reserve their places. Over 600 people came to witness the first words of the Torah being inscribed. The event was projected on giant screen monitors so everyone could see the scribe’s work up close. Concurrently, there were storytelling, dancing, and food close by. Participants received souvenir parchments with their initials inscribed by the sofer together with a printed card on which they could mount and frame it.
Synagogue Display Case: In the synagogue’s entryway there is a large display case containing a parchment page of the new Torah, a scribes’ quill, a bottle of ink and some poster size photos of the Torah dedication event to describe the project and remind people to get involved. An enlarged Sofrut Newsletter Article also displayed
Albuquerque: Invitations to kick-off event included Refrigerator Magnet with Torah Project logo.
EL Paso, TX. Made a video on their first Torah Project Workshop. They use this video when they meet with potential donors to help them describe the project.
Chicago, IL: Sent letters to congregants asking for $18 per family to cover project expenses. In two mailings they raised $45,000 toward their new Torah in addition to educational programming.
Educational IDEAS
Religious School begins year with workshop presentation and establishes their school year theme of "Torah" , Classes choose how they wish to involve themselves through study and projects around the theme (eg. creating a huppah for the concluding ceremony)
Dallas,TX: Adult Study Group: met weekly to study the portion of the week. An event was planned by this group in which congregants were invited to come study one-on-one a portion or theme they could personally connnect with in order to dedicate it . This event drew 150 people on a Sunday morning who stood in lines in order to study and claim their part of the Torah.
For more ideas, sample programs and publicity pieces call or write for our Torah Project Kit:
Toll Free 888/913-7708
Email: samawel@pacbell.net