The towers of Manhattan, arguably the center of the country’s largest concentration of Jews, are visible from Bayonne and the city itself is situated in densely Jewish New Jersey.

But the problems 100-year-old Temple Emanu-El in Bayonne faced were not dissimilar to that of a historic small synagogue in rural Ohio.

Max Kleinman, a JCLP consultant who has more than 40 years’ experience in non-profit management and resource development, knew he could help the devoted executive board of the synagogue as they dealt with the challenges of changing demographics, an aging building, and a limited future.

Longstanding relationships brought Max to the Temple Emanu-El community, which is adjacent to the Jewish Federation of MetroWest region where Max spent nearly 20 years as CEO. His experience there provided a base for him to build trust and confidence among the synagogue’s leadership.  Esteemed Rabbi Charles Kroloff, whose daughter Sarah Segal is the current director of synagogue initiatives at MetroWest, actually introduced him to them.

Careful counsel from Max guided membership to acknowledge their static situation and approve a sale of the building.  Substantial funds realized from the sale are being used to build what will be called the Centennial Foundation.  Unlike many of JCLP’s isolated communities, Temple Emanu-El had no dedicated cemetery to maintain. The board is now evaluating financial management proposals from several Jewish communal organizations.

Without the obligation of a building, the congregation can turn its attention to the spiritual life of its remaining members, perhaps in a rented space accessible to many members who no longer live in Bayonne. At 60 families, they are still a larger group than most of JCLP’s Legacy small congregations.

JCLP will advise the community as they contend with the emotional and physical details of objects, including generations of yahrzeit plaques, and documents, and the responsible stewardship of a hundred-year-old legacy.

Bygone members of Temple Emanu-El also appear to have acted with foresight when it came to preserving a part of their legacy. Congregational records from 1911-1947 were donated to the American Jewish Archives in May 1962. Records from that point on will ultimately reside within the Jewish Historical Society of Northern New Jersey. 

Please contact Noah Levine (info@jclproject.org, 678-429-8895) for more information about how JCLP can help your congregation.

November 30, 2021