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Congregation Etz Chayim was founded in 1995. Many members remember the early days of our synagogue’s history when our congregational activities took place in a variety of facilities. The office was in the church on Waverley Street and then on San Antonio Road. For many years we held services and programs in the First Presbyterian Church in downtown Palo Alto. In those days we often referred to ourselves as the First Presbyterian Synagogue! We truly were a tribe of wandering Jews.

Our days of wandering came to end in November 2004 when we moved into a home of our own. Spacious and conveniently located in the epicenter of our congregation’s population, our new building on Alma quickly became a busy hub of activity for religious activities, educational and youth programs, social events and more.

We soon realized that our facility was a valuable resource. Not only could we share it with the larger community, but we could also leverage it to bring income to support our congregational budget. Thus the rental committee was created.

The purpose of the rental committee is to oversee all the rental activities of the congregation, including rentals to members, non-congregants and community groups. The members of the committee devise overall strategy to guide the rental activities, develop and recommend policy to the board of directors, and work closely with the executive director to implement rental agreements and carry out the committee’s goals.

One of the ongoing challenges with which the committee grapples is balancing the programmatic needs of the congregation with the need to bring in income from rental activities. As our congregation has grown so has our budget, and we’ve come to depend more and more on rentals for income.

Committee members are involved in marketing and outreach efforts to attract renters (congregants and non-congregants) and encourage them to choose our facility for their party, social event or community activity. And, by encouraging community groups to use our space for activities such as music lessons, dance classes and social events, we open our doors to a population of potential new members who have the opportunity to see our congregation up close. Committee meetings are held quarterly or on an as needed basis, and we welcome new members.

All congregants can act as ad hoc rental committee members by encouraging your friends and professional colleagues to consider Congregation Etz Chayim when looking for a rental facility. For more information about the rental committee or about renting space at Congregation Etz Chayim contact rentalchair@etzchayim.org. There is also information on our website.

Karen Kennan, Rental Chair