Hendon United Synagogue warns members of £100,000 loss

According to a letter sent to congregants, shul finances were not on a “stable footing” when the new board took over last May.

Hendon United Synagogue has moved swiftly to reassure members after sending out a letter requesting additional funds, following a predicted £100,000 loss for 2018.

The letter says the board has taken the “difficult decision” of adding a “security levy” of £25 to their bills to pay for more safeguarding from security professionals.

According to the note, the synagogue’s finances were not on a “stable footing” when the new board took over last May and risked becoming “heavily loss making”.

The letter goes on to say the shul expects to record a loss of £100,000 for 2018, despite “a number of actions to stabilise our financial situation”.

Benjamin Pell, whose mother Rita is a member of the synagogue, said she received a letter on Shabbat, adding: “It’s completely unacceptable for this to have happened.

“The new board of managers were elected in May so why is this the first time we’ve been notified?”

However, Jonathan Goldberg, chair of the board, said: “The figure taken in isolation is misleading. The board of management has already put in place significant cost-cutting measures to ensure this deficit is substantially reduced.

“We have also taken steps to increase our income through successful fundraising events and accessing grants. However, our primary income comes from our members.”

Goldberg has also urged members to “pull together and play their part at whatever level they can afford”, adding “if everyone did this, the deficit would almost disappear.”