There are several considerations that need to be thought over before you open your own synagogue or temple. It can be an exciting time when you decide to build up your own house of worship. 

But there are business, spiritual and marketing decisions that need to be made before you open your own doors to the chevra. Today,  we have compiled a guide of what you need to know before opening your own synagogue, shul, tabernacle, minyan or anything else in between.

Learn the Startup Requirements for a Religious Organization

In several ways, religious organizations are akin to small businesses. But with a religious startup, there are several other considerations, and hoops to jump through, when setting up your own synagogue, particularly because there are regulations and also tax deductions you can enjoy.

Most religious organizations elect to pursue non-profit incorporation. The nonprofit incorporation process starts with:

• Drafting articles and bylaws

• Creating a governing board

• Filing papers with the state

The process of incorporation can take several months. And once it has been completed, you will need to learn how to maintain the organization as if it was any other nonprofit corporation.

When you are in the startup phase, you will also need to apply for a federal employer ID number, state tax exemption, amongst other things. 

It is helpful to use an attorney, or consultant when establishing a nonprofit religious organization. It is possible to go through the process entirely on your own, but it is much easier with the help of an attorney or consultant.

Become Certified

It may seem like an obvious one, but If you have decided to open a synagogue, one of the most important aspects is that you, or one of your partners, have the necessary spiritual and theological training to lead Shabbat services, holidays, facilitate Torah study and give sermons. 

Therefore, you must have a Rabbi or Rabbonim in place when deciding to open your own synagogue. To be ordained as either involves rigorous training, so this must be factored into planning for your own house of worship.

Design

Synagogues have a very specific design, especially in terms of whether men and women are separate, side by side, upstairs or downstairs and where you place the bimah. This takes some thought, so it is no surprise that synagogue architecture is a thing.

Make a Budget and Understand your Goals

Making a budget for your synagogue is absolutely vital in order to run it efficiently and sustainably.

Make a budget that incorporates the big and small. Beyond the financial considerations of actually building your synagogue and renting/buying space for it, you will also need to take into account the cost of items such as kippot and siddurim. You will need to understand the costs of running Shabbos and the big days of Rosh Hoshannah and Yom Kippur.

When making a budget, you will need to have a clear vision for your synagogue. This, of course, will vary according to both denomination and scale. But consider the way in which your synagogue will fit into the local community. What events will your synagogue offer? Will your synagogue offer Bar mitzvahs, Cheder or Alpun for people looking to brush up on their hebrew? How much can you possibly do with the budget that you have?

Advertising your New Organization

Advertising your new synagogue is a vital aspect of the planning progress. After all, what is a synagogue without congregants? Advertising options for religious startups are similar to those of any new business. You can use print, broadcast or online.

Print and broadcast advertising may have fallen on hard times in the for-profit sector, but they are actually still viable and attractive advertising venues for religious organizations such as synagogues. In many local communities, various faith traditions publish their own weekly or monthly newsletters. They also advertise their venues and events on local television and radio outlets. 

Get to know your local community. Understand how and why your synagogue can serve the community in which it will be based. It will be much easier to find your ‘target audience’ if you understand more fully how your synagogue can be a boon to the local community.

After doing so, use this new understanding to more effectively advertise the mission of the synagogue on the aforementioned outlets. Use television and radio to promote your synagogue to target audiences that will be interested in the mission and programs of the synagogue.

That being said, online advertising platforms also provide excellent opportunities for new religious organizations to reach their target audience. Social media in particular has become a vital tool in the marketing of any religious organization.

Use a platform like Facebook to visit pages related to the community in which the synagogue will be based. Research where your potential congregation meet and talk online. Then target your advertising towards these pages. Set up a Facebook page, a Twitter account, even a Reddit page! Not only will you reach more people using social media, you will also create a space where you can advertise key events and meetings related to the synagogue and its community.

Build A Community Through Events

Advertising through Facebook and newsletters is all well and good, but you will also need to consider having community-building events at your synagogue if you want your congregation to grow and thrive. 

Other events to bring in a crowd include Shabbatons, bridge clubs, socials for young professionals and play groups for young families and their children. 

If you have read this far, you are ready to open your own Temple. Mazel Tov!