I recently came home from doing my Pesach shopping. Oy! Each year it gets more expensive than the year before. Being a Jew may or may not be easy – but I know for sure it ain’t cheap.

Way back in college I studied the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and for several years it was part of my job to keep track of it for my employer. Some months the CPI went up. Other months the CPI went down. In contrast, it seems as if the Jewish Price Index (JPI) – what we pay to live as Jews – only goes in one direction: UP (of course).

Of course, it’s not just Pesach shopping that gets ever more costly. From cradle to grave, each time we turn around the prices we’re paying are high and rising. Jewish nursery school. Jewish camp. Jewish education. Bar and bat mitzvahs. Jewish weddings. Kosher food. Appeals from all of those worthy charities. Synagogue dues.

Hey! Wait a minute!! You should remember that B’nai Moshe dues did not increase this year. We held the line at last year’s rates. With the help of all of our staff we found a lot of ways to reduce our budget. And, believe me, many of the choices we made were difficult. But in this economic climate we felt that was our responsibility.

(By the way, speaking of dues – our synagogue expenses continue every month at a pretty constant rate. We trust our members will pay their dues ahead of time or at least stay current on a pro-rata monthly basis. The end of our fiscal year is rapidly approaching, so please be sure you are on track to complete your payments by June 30. If, for any reason your financial situation necessitates an adjustment in your dues amount, please call the office and request a confidential appointment with the Dues Committee.)

But another thing I learned about the CPI is that it’s not simply what something costs that’s important. You must also consider what you get in return for your money. Look elsewhere in the shul Bulletin and on this web site and you’ll see many religious, social, educational and other events/programs we put on to make your synagogue JPI worthwhile. With the help of our paid staff and volunteers like you, we really try to provide what our members want. Go ahead, take advantage, and participate!

Further, if you have an idea for something new, let us know and we’ll see how we can address it. A great example is the “Magic of Passover” program we started last year. Education Director Gail Gales and member Beth Mealoy planned another one that took place in April. It was a wonderful experience for our children.

That is all for today’s economics lesson. Class dismissed!