Worship communities organized as non-profit corporations under federal and state law in the US, include membership provisions in their by-laws. A few direct queries and a brief on-line investigation into congregational membership requirements — and policies around expulsion or suspension — yielded the results below.
This background is offered as further reflection on repentance and cancelling.
UPDATED 9/2/25 with additional examples: see “Some Fine Print.”
Joining: General
- Requirements for joining usually include a financial commitment;
- Some congregations include age requirements, with separate categories for members who are Jewishly adult but minors in US law (age 12-17);
- Some congregations include associate memberships for non-local participants and/or members of another congregation;
- Some congregations include member expectations such as volunteer commitments, hosting snacks/meals in support of regular services, and/or annual meeting attendance;
- Congregations operating as part of movement or umbrella organizations regularly include specific requirements, such as adherence to movement principles and/or membership and fees in the umbrella group (e.g., Union for Reform Judaism).
Joining: More Info/Agreements
Hinenu (Baltimore MD) provides a lot of detail on how participation works, including information on food and other access issues, as well as extensive, publicly available membership resources on conflict resolution and related topics.
Kol Tzedek (Philadelphia PA) offers a “Community Brit: Shared Values Agreement“
Makom (Durham NC) offers “Join Us” materials which include “Care and Mutual Aid” as well as “Asking for what we need” under “what does it meant to be a member?”
New Synagogue Project (Washington DC) provides detail about participation and what is expected/encouraged of members, including “time/talent” and “team” sections on membership form.
Touro Synagogue (New Orleans LA), e.g., has a publicly posted Code of Conduct.
Tzedek Chicago (Chicago IL, worldwide) offers “Our Values,” separate from the “Join Tzedek Chicago” (finance-focused) membership page.
Revocation of Membership
Removal of a membership, according to many publicly shared bylaws, is often tied to failure to renew an annual membership or non-payment of dues. Some congregations also include a process for removing a member due to disruptive or unethical conduct.**
Example revocation policies:
- CCAR (Reform) policy: “preceded by notification by certified mail to the party concerned at least two (2) weeks prior to a meeting of the Board, and the party involved may request a hearing before the Board….a preliminary suspension…and an opportunity for reinstatement” [general guidance, from Central Conference of American Rabbis, 1964***]
- Congregation Beth Shalom (DeKalb IL) includes this statement in membership overview: “While membership in CBS is broad and inclusive, individuals whose words or actions tend to be disruptive of the activities of Congregation Beth Shalom may have their membership status reviewed, and potentially revoked, by the Board of Directors.”
- Touro Synagogue (New Orleans LA), see Code of Conduct linked above, says: “Relevant Touro Synagogue Policies (such as revocation of membership) will apply throughout the ad hoc Conduct Committee process.”
Common Reasons and Procedures for Removal
Congregational bylaws on expulsion, involuntary revocation, or suspension of membership generally rely on some version of the following as justification:
- “Conduct which is inappropriate and disruptive to the Congregation community, contrary to Jewish values, or disrespectful to clergy, staff or the Congregation as a whole”
- “Conduct which brings discredit upon the Jewish name or which is deemed detrimental to the reputation or welfare of the Congregation”
- “The only basis upon which revocation of membership may be considered is conduct that is harmful to the business and community of the congregation”
In most cases where such an article was found in a Jewish congregation’s bylaws, a procedure was specified which included:
- a chance for the member to answer charges before any vote;
- prior notice — commonly, periods from five to ten days — before discussion and vote;
- specification of vote requirement — usually 2/3 of the board.
Some also include opportunity for reinstatement.
See also “Some Fine Print” for more examples.
A Draconian Outlier
Tzedek Chicago does not make its bylaws public but includes a statement more commonly found in fine print of gym or commercial club memberships in its Community Expectations: “The board by majority vote may remove any individual as a member of the corporation for any reason determined by the board.”
A Community Expectations file, posted in the membership portal of the website, elaborates: “Tzedek Chicago will consider removing membership privileges from individuals on a per case basis. Tzedek Chicago will make a concerted effort to address harm and community expectation violations with an individual before removing them from the congregation.” The Community Expectations document includes not one word about positive engagement or benefits of membership. Moreover, the undated file offers no indication of if/when/how these expectations were shared with members.
General non-profit legal advice is for congregations to review bylaws and related materials annually, to ensure that whatever is in place still meets congregational needs. In a time when we are battling every day against real, life- and health-threatening tyranny, reconsideration of processes and policies like these might be in order?
Some Fine Print
Svara: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva is not a membership organization but offers Jewish learning, in-person and on-line, for a diverse population that shifts over time in short- and long-term programming. Community Norms include “Making Space for Accountability and Repair.” This undated page (first posted in 2022, it seems) does not specify a procedure for removal but reads: “we reserve the right to restrict people from learning with us for a given period of time or, in some cases, indefinitely, as they move through a teshuva process.”
The National Havurah Committee has a Community Safety Policy aimed at fostering “a culture of affirmative consent regarding both physical and verbal interactions.” The undated policy (several years old, as of 2025) is focused largely on sexual harassment and sexual assault. It sets up a process, including a “Community Council” that “will consider a range of responses for those who have violated the guidelines,” offering several methods for contacting leaders regarding behavior that impacts on-line and in-person events.
Club-type fine print examples:
- [Washington DC’s JCC] will not tolerate physical or verbal abuse, hateful speech, derogatory slurs or harassment. Physical or verbal abuse or repeated offenses may result in removal from an EDCJCC program or revoking membership. When anyone experiences an act of exclusion, we will seek to right the wrong. If you have a concern or would like to report an act of exclusion [link to reporting form].
- GOLD’S GYM reserves the right to immediately terminate your use of, or access to, this Site at any time if GOLD’S GYM decides at its sole discretion that you have breached this Agreement or any relevant law, rule or regulation or you have engaged in conduct that GOLD’S GYM considers to be inappropriate or unacceptable.
- Barnes & Noble reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to remove your profile and/or deny, restrict, suspend, or terminate your access to all or any part of the Interactive Community features for any reason.
NOTES
** In some cases, a congregation will restrict privileges in order to pressure a member who is refusing child support or get [religious divorce]; this is way beyond the scope of this blog page on Membership Policies.
*** The CCAR’s 1964 discussion briefly reviews expulsion [cherem] in Jewish communities in history and highlights differences between contemporary congregational removal and expulsion from the wider Jewish community in previous centuries.
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