Two Jewish congregations have agreed to consolidate and create a new institution that they hope will attract worshipers from all over Broward County.
On June 1, Broward Central Synagogue is scheduled to open as the merger of two Reform houses of worship: Temple Kol Ami Emanu-El in Plantation and Temple Beth Orr in Coral Springs. Each campus will maintain its name, religious services and clergy.
It’s an atypical situation for a South Florida synagogue merger. In many previous congregational fusions, the financially distressed campus closes and the members transition to their more stable neighbor. Kol Ami has already experienced one merge, with Temple Emanu-El in Lauderdale Lakes, which was founded in 1926 but closed when the temples joined forces in 2004.
Today, leaders have a different vision: Kol Ami as the “central hub” in the middle of the county and Beth Orr as a “northern spoke,” with other sites around Broward as possible southern, western and eastern spokes in the future.
“This is not a traditional merger,” said Kol Ami’s Rabbi Uriel Romano. “We’re not closing their campus. We’re making it stronger.”
Mathew Meyer, Beth Orr’s president, said the Coral Springs congregation had been struggling with shrinking membership and dwindling finances for at least a decade, with the COVID-19 years dealing an especially crushing blow. He said many Jews realized during the pandemic that they could connect with fellow Jews in their homes or in smaller venues, reducing the need for the synagogue as a social and religious gathering place.
He said about 900 families were members of the congregation from 2000 to 2010. But now there are only 125 families, and the 53-year-old congregation struggles to pay its bills.
“We knew we needed to do something dramatic and drastic,” Meyer said.
Many synagogues, in South Florida and across the country, have found themselves in similar positions. In Palm Beach County, Congregation Shaarei Kodesh combined with Temple Beth Tikvah west of Boca Raton in 2007. Similar mergers of synagogues in Wellington and Boynton Beach took place the following year.
In Miami-Dade County, 103-year-old Temple Israel of Greater Miami recently announced the end of its operations, with a closing date of June 30. The congregation said on March 31 that leaders are planning a “joint venture” with the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, although details remain to be worked out.
“Originally built in 1927, with expansions in the 1950s and 1960s, the building’s age demands substantial upkeep that has become increasingly challenging to sustain,” Temple Israel said in a statement posted online.
Beth Orr also found itself in an untenable financial position. The synagogue reached out to other Broward temples that might consider a merger, and found Kol Ami to be amenable.
“Kol Ami is in a renaissance,” Meyer said. “They are looking out for the Jewish community and bringing us under their wing.”
Romano said 550 families were members of Kol Ami when he started three years ago; now there are 750.
He attributed their growth in part to an influx of Latin Americans and Israelis who are excited about the congregation’s diverse leadership. Romano is from Argentina and has filled several staff positions with Spanish and Hebrew speakers.
Congregants say Romano has brought a burst of energy to the synagogue.
“When he came, we were in a slump,” said Adina Sharfstein, the synagogue’s cantorial song leader. “He has brought in a lot of great ideas. When we have a Seder for Passover, the first night is in English and the second night in Spanish,” thus accommodating two constituencies.
Broward’s Jewish population has seen lots of ups and downs over the past few years. There are about 176,200 permanent residents, according to Jewish Federation of Broward County research from last year. That’s down from 243,000 in 1997 but up from 149,000 in 2016.
Half the population is concentrated in just a few cities: Hollywood, Hallandale Beach, Davie and Parkland. Although neither of the soon-to-merge congregations is in those locales, leaders say residents are willing to travel for good programming and a sense of community.
Erin Dernis, Kol Ami’s president, said she used to live in eastern Hollywood but would drive her kids west to Kol Ami for its well-run pre-school. She believes many Broward residents will make similar treks if they are inspired by compelling activities.
“This is such a great opportunity for Broward County and our Jewish community,” Dernis said. “We’ll be able to accommodate different needs with different programs in different cities.”
Dernis said the staffs of each campus are bursting with ideas for joint operations. Each campus has an Early Childhood Center, religious school and youth groups; the directors plan to work together to create a consistent curriculum. And each campus will have its own Sabbath services, although some services will be joint.
Will the merger go smoothly? Meyer said he sees the melding of the institutions as similar to “an arranged marriage.”
“There are two people who don’t know each other,” said Meyer, who will give up his presidency but have a place on the Central Synagogue board of directors. “They have to find out if one likes cream in their coffee or to sleep on the right side of the bed. I think there will be a lot of curiosity about what’s being offered on each campus. People will end up where they’re comfortable.”
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