We have a bold vision to reimagine our synagogue, our home, with new place and spaces for work, for play, for learning, for teaching, for celebration, for prayer, for community. The planned renovations will open up key spaces to make everyone feel welcome, to facilitate the often impromptu interactions that create and strengthen friendships and to enhance the places we celebrate, pray and work.

The Rav Chesed Campaign is Ansche Chesed’s first capital campaign in 18 years. Our 90-year-old home has allowed our community to flourish to an all-time high in membership.  But over the decades, critical areas have been divided into small spaces that make it harder to connect with each other, hamper the important work of our clergy and staff and obscure our historic building’s beauty.

Building needs

Our historic building is a tremendous asset, but it is worn. Many of our public spaces – such as Hirsch Hall and the 100th Street lobby – are outdated and in need of significant repair. Current office space is inadequate. Extensive water leakage damaged the lower level. Areas of the building must be modernized to meet current building codes.

Input from congregation and stakeholders

A 2017 congregation-wide study provided insights into our synagogue’s needs and priorities. The Rav Chesed renovations address members’ concerns. Fragmented and ill-constructed, our space does not facilitate opportunities for our members to connect and feel welcome. Our 90-year-old building needs new spaces and updating to serve current members and attract new ones. More recently, the Rav Chesed Campaign team continues to meet with AC members and stakeholders to identify the needs of various groups and tenants.

Capital funds vs deferred maintenance

The items prioritized by the Rav Chesed campaign are not deferred maintenance, although some are necessary to maintain the physical structure. While some improvements do address general wear and tear on the building from its use by our growing congregation, most of the planned changes will transform the first and fifth floors along with significantly upgrading the lower level and connecting Hirsch Hall to the next door Annex (gym).

Identify most cost-effective options

Working with our architects, the Building Committee and Board of Trustees identified the most cost-effective options to help us welcome better, celebrate better, pray better and work better. Our congregation has grown nearly 40% in the last 13 years. The Campaign allows us to address our community’s most pressing needs in multiple areas of our physical space, and positions us to continue to flourish. Many of these priorities are reflected in current plans, others such as air conditioning the Sanctuary, a multi-million dollar project itself, upgrading audio equipment in the Sanctuary and Hirsch Hall, and replacement of elevators are more than the congregation can afford at this time, but are part of a longer-term vision.

Form follows Function

Jewish ritual needs will inform design decisions. We also are mindful that many Ansche Chesed areas are multi-use spaces that require flexible designs. Post-renovation operating and maintenance costs also will factor into Building Committee and Board of Trustees decisions as we look to create spaces that are both beautiful and functional.

Hirsch Hall

Celebrate Better

The new Hirsch Hall will be one of Ansche Chesed’s jewels. With the dilapidated stage gone, smachot (celebrations) and other events will take place in spacious, comfortable surroundings. Extra-wide doors between the Hall and the adjoining Annex will create a virtually seamless space – ideal for larger events. Repurposing the art room will create better access and flow to the Annex, and also will make Hirsch Hall a quieter and more pleasing space for summer and High Holiday prayer services. A renovated back walkway (loggia) connecting Hirsch Hall to the stairs up to the West End Avenue lobby will improve traffic flow and provide adequate storage. Aesthetic improvements throughout these spaces will complete the picture. turning the lower level into a highly desirable place for our members to host events, with the potential to also enhance rental income from outside sources.

• Enlarged Floor Space (stage removed)
• Four 8’ Doors to Annex (gym)
• Annex Makeover
• Renovated Loggia (back walkway)
• Renovated Lobby
• Upgraded Décor, Sound and Lighting

100th Street Lobby

Welcome Better

Entering the 100th Street lobby will be a completely new experience. The space will be larger and beautifully designed, with a warm and inviting atmosphere that will make members and visitors feel welcome and at home. Catching up with old friends and making new ones will be easy. So will moving through the area. With the synagogue offices now on the 5th floor, there will be room for amenities like a lounge, a coatroom and stroller parking. Relocating the lift will make getting in and out of the Sanctuary simple while renovating the Chapel will bring out the beauty of this much-loved space.  A dedicated security office will better protect our community.

• Expanded, Wider Space
• Visitors Gallery (lounge)
• Coatroom
• Out-of-site stroller Parking
• ADA-Compliant Restroom
• Renovated Chapel
• Lift Relocated
• Dedicated Security Office

5th Floor

Work Better

Our dedicated clergy and staff deserve an attractive and efficient place to work. The new space will have comfortable private offices where our rabbis and hazzan can offer instruction and pastoral counseling, our executive director can manage synagogue operations and current and prospective members can meet with staff.

Pray Better

Aesthetic and functional improvements to the area surrounding the Minyan M’at prayer space and the adjacent pantry will enhance the communal experience for minyan members of all ages. More counter space will improve functionality and an additional door will improve traffic flow. Adding new restrooms and making changes to reduce hallway noise will create a more comfortable environment for everyone.

Like many areas of Ansche Chesed, the fifth floor will continue to be used as multi-function space. An attractive area adjacent to 5 North (Minyan M’at’s weekly prayer space) will serve as a child-friendly space for M’at kids on Shabbat and Yom Tov, and as a weekday reception area for AC’s offices. As plans develop, there will be discussion about how to set up and stock the room to meet various needs throughout the week.

• Professional Office Suite
• New Restrooms
• Multipurpose Lounge
• M’at: Prayer Space Upgrades
• M’at: Improved Pantry with Added Door
• M’at: Improved Traffic Flow and Hallway Noise Reduction

The floorplans and renderings, which can be viewed at https://www.anschechesed.org/rav-chesed-campaign/, reflect a conceptual re-imagining of the spaces. These preliminary views are not actual depictions of décor or fixtures. Some elements of the design will adjusted based on continued conversation with constituencies within the building, budget constraints, and improvements to our concept design as formal design drawings are completed with our chosen architects.

In consultation with our current security consultants, we are designing enhancements to the 100th Street entrance.   The custodians’ office by the staircase down to Hirsch Hall will be reconfigured as a windowed security office between the doors enabling security personnel to check IDs and screen visitors. Other enhancements include fire safety and communication measures at points throughout the building.

More thoughtful access and arrival points are a priority in our plan. A limited-use/limited application (LULA) elevator will replace the stair/chair lift currently on the stairs to the southeast access to the sanctuary.  Access for those with special needs will be improved and traffic flow on the stairs expedited. Entry to Hirsh Hall will be streamlined for those occasions when prayer services are held there.

Purple Circle will be moving from the building after the 2019-2020 school year.  We are working closely with all remaining tenants to minimize the impact of renovation work on their programs and operations.

The work will take place in stages, starting in the summer of 2020, and will be scheduled to minimize disruption during the busiest days of the synagogue program and school year, when hundreds of people are in the building six days a week. Work will continue during the summer of 2021.

The Board of Trustees has approved the selection of Studio ST, https://studio-st.com/, led by long-time Upper West Sider Esther Sperber.  Her firm’s selection was the culmination of a rigorous interview process and we are excited to proceed into the design phase with Esther and her team.

Studio ST is known for providing innovative and responsible design solutions on projects ranging from synagogues and community centers to high-end apartments and low budget real-estate developments.

Interaction between and among the professional staff, clergy, lay leaders and the community at large is integral to building and sustaining a vibrant community. Our devoted, conscientious clergy and staff deserve an attractive and efficient environment where they can address our community’s needs. Ample, well-planned office space will enhance staff recruitment, morale and effectiveness. Members will feel more at home in comfortable surroundings when they seek guidance and comfort, or learn with our clergy. And, once the renovation is completed, staff will make appropriate arrangements to minimize the inconvenience to AC members when they stop by to drop off or pick up something at the office.

Community Building

We are pursuing this campaign to meet the needs of our thriving membership, which has grown 40% since 2003, and is more and more engaged and involved. The focus on community building impacts hundreds of current members and others — adults and children — who learn, worship and build community under our roof.

Retaining and Recruiting Younger Members

But our community is aging. Nearly 50% of the synagogue’s members are 60+ years old and only 12% are under age 45. We need to bring in younger members now, yet our building is holding us back. We want to be able to share our Jewish home with everyone who wants to enter a place where ordinary tasks become sacred deeds, where we uphold our traditions and strive to live our lives as Ansche Chesed, people who perform acts of loving kindness.

Dynamic neighborhood surroundings

The neighborhood continues to grow – new individuals and families with different expectations are moving into the area. Empty-nesters are leaving the suburbs and returning to city life on the Upper West Side. Strong, diverse educational and cultural institutions allow Jewish life to thrive in our neighborhood. We are confident that our congregation will continue to flourish – and we are preparing strategically to meet both needs and expectations.

Mi dor l’dor / From Generation to Generation

We have benefited from the foresight and generosity of prior generations, and some of today’s long-time members invested meaningful personal resources to revitalize a nearly moribund congregation forty years ago. Today, once again, we face a once-in-a-generation opportunity to assure a dynamic congregation for future generations.

Implementing our vision will cost $8 million, but our construction plan will be structured to reflect what we can afford while maintaining Ansche Chesed’s financial strength. Portions of the project could be delayed or scaled back if the Rav Chesed Campaign took longer than anticipated or fell short of its goals. Clearly, the more we raise, the better we will be able to serve the congregation.

Over $5 million already pledged

We know our target is ambitious. We also know that, together, we can achieve it. Already, almost 70 members of our community, including the entire Board of Trustees, have pledged over $5 million.

100% participation

We can pledge to you that we are going to the entire community for a meaningful contribution. We are looking for 100% participation because a limited number of generous donors are not by themselves the community. Our future can never be secure unless the full community is supportive.

Raising the remaining $3 million will require each of us—every single member—to give, to stretch our gift to the maximum amount possible—and then to go beyond that. It’s a lot to expect. It’s also the best way, the only way, to guarantee Ansche Chesed’s future. It is how we will make sure we have the space, and spaces, to celebrate, comfort, study and pray together; to uphold traditions and perform acts of lovingkindness; and to welcome newcomers into our fold.

The goal of the Rav Chesed campaign is to have the entire community feel the pride and joy of securing our synagogue’s future. While we are grateful for significant lead gifts, there is strong emphasis on participation to the best of one’s ability. So that we can all come together as a community with a common goal.

This is a risk of which we must all be mindful. In the appeals, we are asking that gifts to the Capital Campaign be considered in the context of maintaining or enhancing congregants’ commitments to annual fundraising efforts.

As always, please consult your accountant or attorney as to how the new tax laws will affect you, personally. However, more generally, the following information may be helpful.

• Donating appreciated stocks, bonds or other assets instead of cash still avoids all capital gains taxes regardless of whether or not a donor itemizes.
• Donor advised funds were also left untouched. Donors can give securities to a donor advised fund and then have a check sent to the charity. Donor advised funds are now permitted to issue grants in payment of a pledge
• State charitable deductions may have now increased in value, because of the way that federal and state deductions are calculated.
• Donors age 70 ½ or older may be better off to donate directly from an IRA. This is because the income is never reported to begin with and the gift counts towards the required minimum distribution. This tax benefit is the same regardless of whether or not the donor is itemizing.

All gifts to the campaign will be recognized, with the donor’s permission, on a donor wall and in publications as determined by the Campaign Steering Committee and Board of Trustees.

That’s great! Thank you! Our last capital campaign was 18 years ago, and we have never held a campaign of this magnitude. Since we are unlikely to hold another campaign for quite a while, we hope you will consider a gift from assets, or from your future giving capacity. We are a congregation that only asks for capital gifts when they are truly needed. Now is the time.

Five years to pay

To encourage everyone to give as generously as they can, we ask that you commit to a gift now that can be paid off over five years. In essence, a gift can be thought of as having a multi-decade life payable over five years.

Over the next few months you’ll be invited to parlor meetings and asked to engage in one-on-one conversations with members of the Campaign team. We hope you will say yes when we reach out to you. We hope that you will embrace the vision of the Campaign and make a gift that is meaningful to you and your family—and a bit of a stretch. Most importantly, we seek broad participation and welcome a gift at whatever level is comfortable for you. Call the office to request a pledge form or to speak with Executive Director Josh Hanft, 212-865-0600 x209.