Whether you would like to recognize a member of our Clergy who supported your family during a life cycle moment...

...honor the memory of someone dear to our community, provide a child with a scholarship for our religious or nursery schools, or provide our neighbors experiencing food insecurity with warm meals, our funds offer you the opportunity to help in so many ways. Read below to learn more about our funds and the critical ways you can support our work.

Yom Kippur Appeal

The Yom Kippur Appeal is our annual fundraising campaign and Central’s main source of operating support beyond membership dues and tuition. Gifts to the Appeal are vital to Central's success. They fund over one-third of our budget and enable our vibrant, joyful Jewish community to flourish. It is only through the support of the Appeal that we are able to hire and retain talented staff, provide world-class music, and uphold the highest standards of learning and worship. Central has a global reach and impact, and your support helps us build a future in which Jewish values and beliefs are preserved and shared. 

With approval from our Board of Trustees, Central distributes up to 1.8% of contributions from the Yom Kippur Appeal to organizations that support world Jewry, Israel, and pluralistic, progressive Judaism.

Give to the Yom Kippur Appeal

Clergy Directed Fund

A gift to Central Synagogue’s Clergy Directed Fund is a meaningful way to recognize a rabbi or cantor for their guidance and support through some of the most important moments of our lives, whether joyous or sorrowful. Gifts to this fund are allocated for the Clergy to use at their discretion to support causes that further Central’s mission to effect positive social change, such as education, direct service, and healthcare. 

Here are some examples of organizations Central has supported through the Clergy Directed Fund:

American Jewish Committee (AJC), UJA Federation of New York, Avodah, and Jewish Braille Institute International (JBI) 

Read the Clergy Directed Fund Policy


Give to the Clergy Directed Fund

Adult Engagement Program

Central’s Adult Engagement Program includes a wide array of lectures, classes, seminars, study sessions, and more, all of which inspire our community to explore Jewish religion and culture.

Give to the Adult Engagement Program Fund

Breakfast Program

Three days a week, Central’s Breakfast Program responds to the homeless and hungry in our neighborhood by providing a hot breakfast and bagged lunch to guests. Volunteers come together every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday morning in our Community House to prepare and serve meals to guests.

Give to the Breakfast Program Fund

Center for Exploring Judaism

The Center for Exploring Judaism, led by Rabbi Lisa Rubin, is a vital resource for anyone who wants to learn more about Judaism or is contemplating a Jewish life. Through lasting relationships with our caring and encouraging staff and an enriching curriculum, the center has a meaningful influence on the religious lives of individuals, couples, and families. 

Give to the Center for Exploring Judaism

Religious School Scholarship Fund

The Religious School Scholarship Fund helps us ensure that Central Synagogue’s Lese Center for Living Judaism (LCLJ) continues to enhance our children's spiritual, social, and intellectual connections to Judaism, regardless of their family’s economic circumstances.

Give to the Religious School Scholarship Fund

Mildred Ross Nursery School Fund

The Mildred Ross Nursery School Fund supports the May Family Nursery School’s efforts to provide a nurturing environment that fosters a love of learning, a joy of gathering, and a sense of pride in Jewish traditions. The Ross Fund also provides financial aid for some of our families.

Give to the Nursery School Fund

Music Fund

Music is an integral element of the Jewish experience and plays a significant role in the life of Central Synagogue. The beautiful music featured in Central’s religious services lifts our prayers, inspires our learning, and gives expression to our emotions.

Give to the Music Fund

Yahrzeit Fund

For centuries, traditional Jewish custom has included the idea of giving tzedakah in memory of our loved ones who have died. Though not a required mitzvah, this is a practice still observed by some. If it is meaningful to you personally, you are welcome to make a donation to our Yahrzeit Fund in memory of your loved one. Gifts to the Yahrzeit Fund will support Central’s general operating budget.

Give to the Yahrzeit Fund

Emergency Relief Fund

Central’s Emergency Relief Fund provides critical support to those impacted by large-scale emergencies and disasters.

Give to the Emergency Relief Fund