Atara Membership 2026

Atara Membership

“ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם”
“Make for Me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among them” (Shemot 25:8)


Minyan Atara strives to make Brooklyn a great place for traditional egalitarian Judaism. The formula is simple: beautiful davening + great kiddush + personal relationships = a place people want to be.

The feeling of belonging in a community is a special thing. In a world full of devices and muted group chats, having a place where people know our names, celebrate our simchas, support us through challenges, and genuinely want to spend time together is something worth building.

Over the past few years, Atara has grown from a small gathering into a thriving community. We have expanded our space, launched new programs for adults and kids, created opportunities for people to develop ritual skills and leadership, and welcomed hundreds of people through our doors. Most importantly, we have built a warm, joyful community that many people genuinely want to be part of.

Why Membership?

As Atara has grown, the Organizing Team has increasingly felt that there needs to be a clearer way for people to say, "This is my community, and I want to help sustain it."

For many years, Atara operated through an informal, voluntary giving model. That approach reflected a desire to keep barriers low and allowed the community to grow into what it is today. All fundraising campaigns thus far have been very successful, so this is thankfully not an effort to increase the annual ask from the community. It is simply a way to keep that incredible momentum going while also creating a more explicit framework for investing in the Atara community.

Of course, everyone is welcome at Atara regardless of being a member. Membership isn't about drawing lines, and is not meant to be a barrier to participation. We are also fortunate to have many minyan options nearby; membership isn't about choosing one over the other. We encourage Atara goers to continue being active members of multiple Jewish communities, and to support those other communities too, even if it means reduced capacity to support Atara.

Beyond helping support Atara financially, membership helps to accomplish a few things:

1. First and very practically, membership helps to allocate high holiday tickets where space is a real constraint. Membership formalizes a system that was highly manual and somewhat subjective.
2. Membership also provides a better understanding of who considers Atara their communal home, enabling informed decision making, planning for the future, and investing in the relationships that make community possible.
3. Finally, membership enables a more connected and engaged community. It allows people to formally opt into the shared responsibility of sustaining Atara, shaping its future, and helping it continue to grow.

Atara membership is a way of saying: I ❤️ Atara, and I want to help build its future.

Membership Benefits

• High Holidays – free tickets for you and everyone in your membership, with first priority before general distribution*
• Transparency – clear visibility into how Atara runs and how funds are used, presented annually at a community engagement meeting
• A voice in decisions – members approve organizing team slates annually, and also will be asked to participate in key strategic decisions as they arise **
• Members WhatsApp group – a smaller, more intimate space to connect and share within the community
• Community directory – opt-in to a shared list to help members connect with each other (great for inviting people for meals!)

* High holiday ticket priority is a benefit for those who become members by July 31.
** Note: just to set expectations, not every decision is going to be put to a vote. That gets really complicated real fast, and slows things down. But if/when key decisions arise like space/location decisions or policy decisions, the organizing team will want to include membership in those processes.

Membership Responsibilities

Members are expected to contribute financially to help cover the costs of the minyan. But at a lay-led minyan like Atara, membership is about more than a financial investment. Members are also asked to be thoughtful about the ways they can contribute to making the community better, which can include:

• Showing up, being present, and engaging at services, holidays, and events.
• Volunteering your time, whether in ritual roles, logistical roles, or otherwise.
• Investing energy into the community by seeking out new members of the community to welcome them, building community through meal hosting, or responding to calls for chesed.

The suggested financial contribution is $360 per adult member ($30/month option available). If you are able, please consider giving $500, $1,000, or $1,800 to help support the full cost of operating Atara*. If you’re part of a household with children, you may wish to take into account the additional costs that come with supporting families at Atara.

* In the coming fiscal year, Atara expects to spend $70,000, primarily on rent and Kiddush.

Being part of this community matters far more than any financial contribution – finances will never be a barrier to membership. If the donation options above are not feasible for you, please consider a minimum contribution of $120 ($10/month). If you have questions or would like to discuss alternate arrangements, please contact minyanatara@gmail.com.

Thank you for being part of this wonderful community, and for investing in its future. We are so grateful to be doing this work with all of you and can’t wait to see what we continue to build together.

Please add the preferred names of all people included in your member to the payment notes.


*Minyan Atara is officially recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. If you give by ACH, DAF, or credit card, your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.