Congregation Eitz Chayim
Membership & School Renewal Form
Name
2015-2016
Cell phone
E-Mail
Name
Cell phone
E-Mail
Street Address
Contact phone
City, State, Zip
Children:
Suggested Membership Donation
Membership includes High Holiday tickets for adult members and their children under age 26; members also receive
discounts on additional High Holiday tickets. Please note: Eitz Chayim charges no additional building fund fee. We
welcome all to Eitz Chayim regardless of ability to pay full membership dues. Please see below for details of sliding fee
scale. The amounts listed in the table below are necessary for us to continue to operate. In addition to these, we do an
annual fund drive in the winter to allow us to support those members who are not able to contribute the full amounts
listed below and to achieve our goal of educating the children of all members, regardless of their ability to pay.
Couple/Two-Adult Family
Individual/One-Adult Family
Full-Time Student
$ 2395
$ 1295
$ 405
Suggested Membership: $______________
School total (from page 4): $______________
Total: $______________
Membership, Sunday Program, and Madrichim donations to Congregation Eitz Chayim are considered tax-deductible
charitable contributions by the IRS and are deductible to the full extent that the law allows. Payment for the After
School program qualifies for the Dependent Child Care tax credit.
Sliding Scale Payment
We welcome all to Eitz Chayim regardless of ability to pay. If the cost of membership and tuition presents a serious
financial hardship, we offer a sliding scale payment option. It is based on the honor system, without inquiring into the
particulars of your situation. We ask that you give as generously as you can, and we accept dues and tuition (K or
above) on a sliding scale with the understanding that all members will pay the standard rate when they are able.
As a guideline, although we understand that although individual financial situations may or may not allow it, we
encourage members paying on a sliding scale to contribute 2% of their gross income. There is a minimum fee of $18
per person, adults and children in our school.
□
I request that my total payment for the year be: $___________.
For parents enrolling children in the After School program:
The Sliding Scale Payment policy does not apply, though you may apply for a scholarship. If paying full membership
presents a financial hardship, please contact David Cane at treasurer@eitz.org.
Children’s School
If you are interested in our school program, but did not receive school forms with this renewal package, please
download the school form from our web site: www.eitz.org
Congregation Eitz Chayim  136 Magazine Street, Cambridge, MA 02139  617-497-7626
ecoffice@eitz.org  www.eitz.org
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Payment Schedule Options
□ Enclosed is a check for the full amount.
□ Enclosed is half the annual payment. Please bill the remainder on Dec. 1.
□ Enclosed is one month’s payment. Please bill the remainder monthly.
Eitz Chayim’s membership year runs July 1 to June 30. Members may make payments annually, due July 31; semi-annually,
due July 31 and December 31; or monthly, due July 31 through June 30,. Pro-rata membership dues are available to people
who join in October or later and have not been to High Holiday services. Members who join after July and wish to make
payments monthly may calculate their payments based on the number of months remaining in the membership year.
Please make checks payable to Congregation Eitz Chayim.
If you need additional information about a financial matter, please contact our Treasurer, David Cane,
at 617-441-0090, or treasurer@eitz.org.
Participation
Membership at Congregation Eitz Chayim is about more than just paying dues. Eitz Chayim is a
participatory community in which every member gets involved in some way during the year. We ask
each member to co-host a Kiddush at Friday evening services once a year and pitch in at one other
community event. School parents are also asked to provide snack one Sunday morning during the
school year. Assisting at events provides opportunities for meeting other members and contributing to
the spirit and wellbeing of the community. Please contact the office if there is a particular area you
would like help with.
Agreement
I/We have read and understand the information about our responsibility for making full and timely
payments of fees and for participating at events and in the school. I/We accept the financial and
community obligations of membership in Congregation Eitz Chayim.
Signature _____________________________________________________ Date ____________________________
Signature _____________________________________________________ Date ____________________________
Congregation Eitz Chayim  136 Magazine Street, Cambridge, MA 02139  617-497-7626
ecoffice@eitz.org  www.eitz.org
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School Options (more info at www.kesherschoolEC.org)
After School Program
Eitz Chayim now has a rich after-school program that will provide education in spoken Hebrew and
Judaica for children from Junior Kindergarten through 7th grade. It will include Eitz Chayim families and
other families from the local Jewish community. Parents may choose either Mon/Wed or Tue/Thu for
this program which runs from after school to 5:45 p.m. After School enrollment for Eitz Chayim families
includes the Sunday program, described below.
Sunday Program The Sunday program provides Eitz Chayim children with both a strong Jewish
education and an active Jewish community. In addition to a rich curriculum, the program will include
separate time with Rabbi Liza Stern for Torah Study in preparation of Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Our goal is to
enable our students to be proud of their Jewish identity and their place in the world Jewish community.
Grades K-7 meet each Sunday during the school year 10AM – 1PM.
Mid-week Torah Study Children in Grades 3-7 who do not enroll in After School will continue
Torah Study on Wednesdays and also spend some time in the After School Program. Children
will arrive after school and get picked up by 5:45p.m.
Gan Rishon (Preschool) Program
For children ages 2-5, Kesher @ Eitz Chayim offers a program "Gan Rishon" with age-appropriate crafts,
songs, dance and holiday-themed activities. Children meet two times a month on Sundays from 10am 12pm.
Madrichim
The popular Ozrim program at Eitz Chayim has been reimagined as the Madrichim program at the
Kesher At Eitz Chayim School. This program is geared toward teens from 8th grade and
higher. Madrichim will focus on developing a love of lifelong Jewish learning together with adult
members of the community, and Madrichim will be leaders of the school and help with teaching the
younger students. This meets Sunday mornings from 10AM – 1PM.
Congregation Eitz Chayim  136 Magazine Street, Cambridge, MA 02139  617-497-7626
ecoffice@eitz.org  www.eitz.org
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Fees
School fees cover registration, tuition, books, and materials. Families with multiple children enrolled in
the Sunday and Sunday/Wednesday Programs receive reduced rates. A limited number of scholarships
are available for the After School program. Please see the school’s website for more information:
www.kesherschoolEC.org
Cost is per child, based on total
enrolled
Gan Rishon *
Sunday Program (Grades JK-2) **
Sunday/Wednesday Program
(Grades 3-7) **
Sunday Program +After School
(Grades JK-7) ***
Madrichim Grades 8-12 **
Program
ID
GR
SP
SPB
1st child
Additional
enrolled
children
600
600
1100
825
1800
1350
SPA
2660
2375
M
1100
1100
* Sliding Scale applies to your membership donation, but the school fee is not discountable.
** These programs are supported by the community as part of our Sliding Scale payment model. See
page 1 for more details about that. The full amount of membership and tuition is considered a
charitable deduction by the IRS.
*** The Sliding Scale payment model does not apply to membership or tuition for families of children
enrolled in After School. Membership qualifies as a charitable deduction. The After School tuition
qualifies for the Dependent Child Care tax credit.
If you have more than one child enrolled in different programs, choose the combination of 1 st
child and additional children that gives the least expensive total fee.
Student Information: (Each enrolled child must have an Emergency & Medical Release Form on file).
Child’s Name
Program ID
Fee
Total:
After we receive this registration and your payment, we will send you a contract for the school
program(s) you have chosen. We will also send an Emergency Contact form and Medical Release form.
All of these must be completed and returned to the Kesher @Eitz Chayim School Director by August 31,
2015. For any questions, please contact the School Director, Ms. Dale Norman, at 617-576-0830 or
dale@kesherweb.org
1.
Congregation Eitz Chayim  136 Magazine Street, Cambridge, MA 02139  617-497-7626
ecoffice@eitz.org  www.eitz.org
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