Temple B'nai Jeshurun

Our Congregation - Brotherhood

What does the Temple Brotherhood do? What happens to my dues? These are questions you might ask as you think about becoming a Brotherhood member. The are good questions. While our $30.00 dues are not a hugh amount, you don't want to throw it away. Let's look at some of the ways Temple Brotherhood uses the money received from dues.

Temple Brotherhood gives an opportunity for the men at the Temple to interact socially. The Brotherhood sponsors events designed to achieve that goal. Usually these activities are geared for the entire family.
Some events are aimed at larger groups. A good example of this is the annual Chinese Dinner and Movie. Brotherhood organizes and subsidizes attending a movie on Christmas eve, followed by dinner at a nearby Chinese Restaurant. With Brotherhood underwriting the event, an evening that would otherwise cost approximately $20 per person now costs $14 for Brotherhood members and their immediate families. This annual event traditionally draws capacity crowds of 125 - 160 people.
Another large group activity is the Political Forum. Surrounding each major election, the Brotherhood organizes events at the Temple to allow the entire Des Moines Jewish community to hear the views and ask questions of candidates. Past participants have included incumbents and challengers for Governo, Senator and Representative.
By trying to have events with appeal to a potentially larger group, the Brotherhood understands that many people prefer not to attend particular functions. Rather than taking a "shotgun" approach, we also try to conduct events deliverately aimed at a smaller crowd. Since the smaller events cost less, we are able to do more of them, hopefully involving a larger number of people on the whole. In the past, some of these events have included attending an I-Cubs game, Sunday afternoon bowling followed by a spaghetti dinner, or a dinner mystery.
The Brotherhood also tries to maintain a sense of social awareness. Biannually we honor an individual with the Chautauqua Award, given to the individual who has devoted a lifetime of service to either the Temple, the Jewish community, or the communtiy at large. We also assist the Temple Youth Group by providing funds for their activities. Additionally, the Brotherhood contributes hundreds of dollars toward assisting Temple youth attend Jewish summer camps.

Well, there you have it. While this is not an exhaustive list, it should give you a good idea of the activities in which we are involved. We hoping the "we" will include you, because you are an important part of Temple life.

If you have an additional question about the Brotherhood, please contact the Temple office.