The Masorti congregation in St Albans (Sams) has joined the small number of synagogues offering congregants the opportunity to pay what they want for membership, with its leaders pleasantly surprised by the response.

Since before the pandemic, officers of the growing Hertfordshire community have been exploring a different approach to how it funds its operations.

Following the positive reaction to a consultation with its 200 member households, MemberShare will launch next month.

Sams’ rabbi, Adam Zagoria-Moffet, told the JC that the true monthly cost of running the community was £85 per member, the shortfall being raised through donations, events and grants.

The current standard fee is £60 but around 20 per cent of members pay discounted rates, with the proportion higher among newer recruits, who are often young families facing cost-of-living challenges.

“Even our fairly high fee was only filling two-thirds of our budget,” the rabbi pointed out.

“We’re wonderfully relaxed about discounts.” Members are now being given the option of staying on the standard rate, opting for the £85 contribution, or more, to support those less well off, lowering their fees or maintaining their discount.

Brought up in America, where such schemes are more common, Rabbi Zagoria-Moffet said the goals of the exercise had been transparency and giving members a sense of ownership — “it improves the way people think about themselves and their community.

“We’re aware of the risk but the main thing is that we’ve consulted everyone. It’s much nicer to get a community saying ‘here’s what we need’ than one simply saying ‘here’s the bill’.

“From the beginning, we’ve wanted simplicity and for it to be equitable. People should have the integrity to make their own decision.”

More than 60 per cent of members responded speedily to the proposals, showing support in a way that has left the rabbi “somewhat surprised”.

Although most opted to keep their contributions at current levels, a third said they would pay more, with less than five per cent saying they would contribute a discounted figure. The rates will be assessed on a regular basis.

With the recent Census data showing Hertfordshire recording the biggest level of Jewish population growth outside of Salford, Rabbi Zagoria-Moffet believes MemberShare will make Sams an even more attractive proposition.

“I’m a Millennial and this appeals more to a younger demographic.”

And should there be a membership influx, suggested contribution levels might even fall, he intimated.