Before I found CBST, I visited synagogues up and down New York City. There are many congregations out there with some of the elements I was seeking: an emphasis on social justice, a strong spiritual focus, and the skills and desire to make a 6,000 year religion relevant to our lives today. But as a young(ish) woman who did not want to raise children, I found it difficult to find a synagogue that had a place for people like me – someone who was looking to deepen my faith and grow in a dynamic Jewish community, with a non-practicing partner alongside and no plans to make my impatient mother a bubbe.

CBST was everything I was looking for; a welcoming and inclusive community dedicated to tikkun olam, to a vibrant and vital Judaism, to addressing the tough questions but providing comfort and encouragement. I’m giving to the Capital Campaign so that this wonderful shul will be a physical as well as a spiritual home to all – for many years to come.

–Liz Scheier

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How do I express best what CBST and our new home means to me?  Just thinking about the past year brings it all into focus.

During the spring of 2011, I was in Albany with our Rabbis, advocating for a Marriage Equality bill that would impact many members of CBST, including my own family.  A few days later, as the bill was being voted on and passed, I was in the Senate gallery texting blow-by-blow messages to Gabriel, who I know was sharing them with everyone during CBST’s Pride Shabbat service.  George, my sister and brother in-law were there too celebrating as well as observing my mother’s yahrzeit.  On July 24^th, my grandson’s Abba and Papa were married under the rainbow chuppah by CBST’s own Judge Michael Sonberg, surrounded by other loving CBST couples, their families and CBST members who came to share this huge and historic simcha.  Meanwhile, I continued my adult bat mitzvah classes and preparation, as well as chairing Koleinu as it launched Shelter of Peace, now recognized by leaders and advocates for homeless LGBTQ youth throughout NYC.

Fast forward to April 28^th when I was called up to the torah as a bat mitzvah, in front of my husband, children, grandchildren and so many CBST friends. And the just-concluded Pride Week saw all of my favorite things rolled up perfectly – a wonderful concert exquisitely performed by CBST’s darling, the remarkable Jacqueline Jonée, and sharing Pride Shabbat and the spirited March down Fifth Avenue with many other CBST friends we have made over the years.

THIS is my shul.  It gives me all of this, a lot of which requires me to be at Bethune Street frequently, so I feel very qualified to state that the space is no longer sufficient!  Have you ever been there?  On Shabbat, it is a joy to see all of the toddlers and their older and younger siblings. I am delighted there are so many of our little ones playing in the play/ class/meeting room, even when it means I may not be able to hear the service clearly.  Navigating a kiddush for a Saturday service takes some logistical planning, as well as thoroughly covering up the business office, transforming it into the buffet area.  If a meeting should require privacy, there are very few options considering there are very few rooms to be shared by our very many and wonderful groups and classes, juggling their meeting schedules. Very few is an understatement.

Hasn’t this last year been remarkable?  Look at where we were a year ago compared to now, with regard to both LGBTQ rights, awareness of LGBTQ homelessness, and our Capital Campaign. And now, I can read torah too.

Bethune was a bold move years ago.  The needs of the community then were dramatically different, and the idea that couples like my son and his husband would be married and have a child was on few people’s radar, if at all.

I am very proud of CBST, its place in LGBTQ history and what it offers as a spiritual place of worship and Jewish learning.  I believe that our new home will enable it to continue to be that and more, for all of us, our children, their children, and generations to come.  This is why I happily stepped up to be a part of the next stage of CBST’s daily life and its place in history, and made my donation to the Capital Campaign.

–RoseAnn Hermann

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The New York Times published an article on the design for CBST’s new home, “Designing a Synagogue for a Gay Congregation, With Acoustics in Mind.”

Check out an excerpt of the article below:

“Radical traditionalism” is the phrase used by Sharon Kleinbaum, the senior rabbi, to describe the philosophical arc of the 1,100-member congregation. Fine words. But what does “radical traditionalism” look like in three-dimensional volumes, in concrete and glass and wood?

The piece discusses various elements of the design, including the orientation of the sanctuary, acoustics, classrooms, and gender-neutral bathrooms.

Read the New York Times article, and view a slideshow of the designs for CBST’s new home, on the New York Times website.

The new designs for our Capital Project are being picked up by media across the country!

Towleroad and Curbed also covered the designs for CBST’s new home. Read the Towleroad article here and the Curbed article here. CBST’s Capital Campaign was also covered in a WNYC article on Friday, June 22nd, “New Designs Revealed for NYC’s Only Gay Synagogue.”

LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a rating system for the design, construction and occupation of green buildings that was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 2000. According to the Council, as an internationally recognized mark of excellence, LEED provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

What is LEED certification in simpler terms? Jane Lea from Architecture Research Office (ARO), the firm CBST hired for the new synagogue construction and design, offers, “LEED assigns points to different categories, such as water efficiency or materials and resource use. The more environmentally friendly a project is, the more points it receives. For example, LEED grants 1 point if a project uses 10% recycled content or 2 points if that content is increased to 20%.” Details about LEED certification can be found at the USGBC website.

To be LEED certified, a building has to attain at least 40 points. At 50 points it qualifies for Silver status, and at 60 it qualifies for Gold status. Platinum status, the ultimate ranking, is reached only if a building attains over 80 points. Currently CBST is pursuing Gold status, a major achievement, but hasn’t ruled out trying for Platinum status if new funds are raised that could help offset the costs needed to get to this level. More about this later.

So why is CBST pursuing this ambitious path? “Caring about the environment is a deep Jewish value. I am proud that our new home will embody those values in the very bones of our building, especially since CBST believes that as Jews we must work to repair the shattered places in our world,” said Rabbi Kleinbaum, the synagogue’s Senior Rabbi.

Aari Ludvigsen, CBST Board Member, co-chair of the Design and Construction team, and a licensed architect herself, told me “the Board decided to add the LEED process to the project as part of this commitment to Tikkun Olam. Pursuing a LEED rating adds a cost in and of itself because the process is time intensive and rigorous, and requires hiring an additional consultant to process the paperwork, count the points, and work with all of our professionals throughout the design process to study the impact of all the aspects of how we are designing our building. It adds a built in rigor of environmental thinking to the design process.”

But couldn’t we be environmentally conscious without this degree of rigor? “Before committing to LEED, we looked at the option of being energy and resource conscious without seeking an official rating,” Ludvigsen added, “but the current state-of-the-art is LEED, and working with this process helps push the entire building industry toward environmental consciousness and stewardship, and ultimately we felt our participation in this arc was necessary.”

Although there will be greater initial building costs associated with LEED certification, the good news is that the synagogue can expect to reap significant long-term resource savings. According to Lea from ARO, “our goal is to reduce water usage by 35%, lighting energy usage by 30%, and reduce overall energy usage by utilizing efficient HVAC and energy star appliances. Every piece of equipment is selected with the life-cycle cost in mind.”

CBST’s ventilation plan and local approach to materials will also help with additional energy issues. Lea noted that “ARO has been working with our mechanical engineers to design an efficient system that provides plenty of fresh air and comfortable environments in an energy efficient way. Other LEED goals relate to materials usage. We are sourcing at least 20% of materials from within a 500-mile radius, which lessens the carbon footprint of transporting materials longer distances. We are also sourcing recycled and reclaimed materials for finishes throughout the Sanctuary.”

Some of the more difficult LEED rating criteria to meet are also the least glamorous and probably not easily visible to the casual visitor, like the mechanical systems behind the air conditioning, heating and ventilation. Coupled with inherent site challenges and city building guidelines, these aspects of the building plan may push CBST’s desire for Platinum level status just out of reach based on current budget plans approved by the Board.

The good news is that there are many features of the design which will help CBST achieve Gold status including: extra low-flow plumbing fixtures throughout the building, lights that automatically shut off once a room is vacant and an “energy recovery unit” that transfers the heat recovered from return air (exhaust) from the space into the supply air system. This will help us reduce energy usage when heating spaces. Ludvigsen also noted that installing bike racks outside the synagogue would increase our rating, but will require approvals from both New York City as well as the 130 West 30th Street Condominium Association. The building will feature manual options for sinks and toilets, and a Shabbat override setting that would turn off the sensors on lights for Shabbat.

So as the Olympic folks in London begin to get those gold medals ready for the winning athletes, we at CBST are excited to get ready to go for our Gold in the form of a new home that is not only beautiful, warm and welcoming, but also a shining example of how architecture can play an important role in preserving our environment and act as a beacon for other congregations around the world.

For similar and different reasons, we both feel a special, cherished connection to CBST.   For us it’s a safe, welcoming, non-judgmental haven for celebration, reflection, spirituality and salvation.  A place to think freely, a place to explore our relationship with Judaism, a place to breathe a sigh of relief, a place to learn, a place to unload the heaviness that life can sometimes bring and a place to laugh, sing and be united.  CBST has been there for us across the spectrum of life’s good times, challenges and tragedies, so when CBST needed us, we were in no doubt that we wanted to help.  For any kind of relationship to be lasting and successful it has to be reciprocal.  You have to make deposits in order to make a withdrawal.  We have taken and received so much from CBST and, as such, when we learned about the capital campaign for A Home of Our Own, we knew it was time for us to give back There is another reason why donating is important to us.  Early on in our own relationship, we decided that we didn’t want to have children.  We have asked ourselves  “what will our legacies be when we come to the end of our days?” We hope that we will have made a positive dent on the world but we wanted the opportunity to leave something lasting.  As such, having our names forever tied to CBST through the new home gives us comfort and a way to leave a mark, one built on our love for each other and our link to our community.  Knowing our donation is helping to create something tangible that we will be able to see, touch, experience and enjoy for the rest of our lives is another compelling reason for us to give.  There are many other amazing causes close to our hearts where our donation would have made a difference, but it would have been much harder to know exactly what difference it made.  Adding a drop to the ocean of enabling CBST to have its own home for the first time in its history is so significant . It fills us with a great deal of joy and pride.

Donating to a cause is a hugely personal choice.  For us donating to CBST has been a great and meaningful experience.  If you have benefited from CBST in any way, please consider giving back.

With happy hearts,

–Eric Ganz and Neil Jacobs (and our little cat Simon)

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Beth and I are delighted to give to the capital campaign because we want CBST to be a welcoming spiritual home for many generations to come.

In the fall of 2000, I tagged along with a friend to CBST’s Open Door Kol Nidre service at the Javits Center and discovered a deeply spiritual community. I was so moved by the davening and the drash, that a few weeks later I joined CBST. I started attending regularly and soon my partner Beth joined me at Friday night services.

In the next few years I took beginner’s Hebrew classes, went on a CBST trip to Israel, joined the three-year B’nei Mitzvah class and – oh, did I mention that I was not Jewish when I first came to CBST? Well, I wasn’t. In 2003, with the guidance of CBST’s Rabbis and with the enthusiasm of Beth and our daughter Emily, I converted to Judaism. I knew in my heart that Judaism was what I had been looking for and that CBST had allowed me to take an amazing spiritual journey.

–Maryann King

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My father, olav hashalom, often told me only three things matter in your life: family, work and synagogue. I have been married to the same woman for almost 21 years and we have been raising our son for the last five. I have spent 32 years in the same field and made it to the top of my profession, and a few months ago I donated the largest sum of money I’ve ever given to anything in my life to Congregation Beit Simchat Torah.

I’m sure I heard my Pop gasp when I wrote the check. But only for a second. He was one of the founders of his synagogue, served on the board, was the gabbai. I cannot say I love Beit Simchat Torah more than he loved his temple. Not yet. Maybe the day I stand on the bimah in our new building with my wife and watch my son at his bar mitzvah. Until then, I will hold my father’s words in my heart: family, work, synagogue.

–Barbara Gaines

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Jonathan Sheffer, Andy Cohen, Calvin Klein, Nick Gruber, and Rabbi Kleinbaum

I’m giving because CBST is a unique place in which spiritual, cultural, and political action come together.

I’m giving because CBST has been one of the few constants in my life through the last 20 years.

I’m giving because I’m at a point in my life when doing unselfish things is crucial for my spiritual growth.

I’m giving because being active in a community of faith and social justice is my way of helping mend this broken world.

I’m giving because I have finally found a cause that inspires me deeply.

I’m giving because I can only imagine what CBST will be in 50 years and whom it will inspire and help.

–Jonathan Sheffer

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Many communities fade with time. CBST has grown and evolved with time. Our community was born out of need, as a place for gay Jews to congregate safely to pray and build community. Using that as our foundation, we grew into a much larger and more diverse community, welcoming anyone who wishes to participate. Many of us who have been members for decades have waited, hoped, and planned for a more permanent home of our own that would offer better space for our staff and weekly services, and room to grow as we continue to enjoy the multitude of children in our midst. As a community we have grown in numbers, matured financially with our funding and budgets, and hired staff to handle our spiritual needs and oversight of this place we created together. It is a perfect time for a home of our own and we are ready. My partner Janet and I are committed to CBST, its mission, and now the goal of a permanent home. Join us and let’s continue to build together.

–Lisa Kartzman

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Two and a half years ago, I Googled “gay shul” and there was CBST.

It felt so right from the moment I entered Town Hall.  I had just moved back from Los Angeles to become my mothers’ caretaker,  and I wanted to observe the High Holy Days.

I remember very clearly how CBST was there for me when I was going through
three very horrific life-changing experiences.  I also remember the comfort of seeing so many people from CBST, people I barely knew, who all came to be there for me at my mother’s funeral.

So the very first opportunity I had to volunteer and give back a little something, I stepped up — stuffing a lot of envelopes.  The first day at Bethune St., I met two amazing people with whom I’m still very close. It is these new friends along with many other friends I have made at shul, who I have come to consider my extended family.

CBST is my spiritual home, but really has become so much more.  It is a place I come to do work for my shul community, for the greater LGBT community, and have the good fortune to do so surrounded by my friends, my extended family.

A year ago, when CBST found a new building, I knew that this was an historic moment, and I had to find a way to be a part of making history with CBST. I needed to know that in some little way I helped contribute to building the new home of this magnificent organization.

I could not see myself being a gay Jew and not being at CBST, and I want to be part of the legacy that is CBST.

–Bruce Pachter

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