Membership FAQs
Q: Where do most of your members live?
Chizuk Amuno members live throughout the greater Baltimore area. While many of our members live in Pikesville and Owings Mills, many others live in Baltimore City and other areas of Baltimore County.
Q: As a new member, would I be able to sit in the sanctuary on the High Holy Days?
A: Yes. Our membership dues are not tied to the location of High Holy Day seats. Depending on availability, you will be able to select your seats in any one of our three High Holy Day service locations.
Q: Can I get tickets just for the High Holidays?
A: Tickets for Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are included in the price of membership. Our dues schedule lists the costs of extra seats for children and out of town guests.
Q: Does my child have to be enrolled in one of Chizuk Amuno’s schools to become a Bar, Bat, or B mitzvah at Chizuk Amuno?
A: We ask that parents of bar/bat/b mitzvah students become members of Chizuk Amuno at least three years prior to the event. Our hope is that the student will have completed at least six years of religious education and be currently enrolled in a formal program of religious instruction, ideally at Krieger Schechter Day School (KSDS) or the Rosenbloom Religious School (RRS). Our goal is to help our children grow into their awareness of the obligations and privileges of belonging to the adult Jewish community. We provide both group and individual learning programs for students with special educational needs. For further details, contact Archer Davis, adavis@chizukamuno.org.
Q: My child is adopted from a non-Jewish family. Can they study and become Bar, Bat, or B Mitzvah at Chizuk Amuno?
A: Absolutely. Prior to their celebration, and as early as possible in our relationship with your family, your child will need to participate in the ritual of immersion in a mikvah (ritual bath), if they have not previously done so. If not done earlier, some children may also need to be ritually circumcised. Our rabbis are always available to discuss your family’s particular needs or sensitivities.
Q: My spouse isn’t Jewish. Would they feel comfortable at Chizuk Amuno?
We welcome interfaith couples and families, just as we welcome every other type of family at Chizuk Amuno. Non-Jewish partners pray with us in the sanctuary and the chapel, share in holiday celebrations, and participate in the bar/bat/b mitzvah of their children. As a Conservative synagogue, we live our egalitarian values by embracing the participation of all types of families and partnerships. We also abide by Jewish law in reserving certain honors for Jewish congregants only, such as the honor of being called to the Torah for an aliyah.
The rabbis are available to guide interfaith couples leading up to and after their wedding, though our rabbis do not perform interfaith ceremonies themselves. They are also available to counsel couples around life cycle events and the day-to-day experience of sharing a life together.
Q: How do I become a member?
To discuss becoming a member of Chizuk Amuno Congregation, contact Carly Schwartz, our Director of Congregational Life & Engagement, cschwartz@chizukamuno.org. You can also click here for our online membership form.