ABSTRACT
The following text is an excerpt from the annual congregational message of the President of Congregation Adath Israel, a large Reform congregation in Louisville, KY, founded in 1842. 2 This speech heralds the moment when American synagogues began financing themselves by charging dues. Before 1918, the vast majority of congregations financed themselves by selling seats ( B12 ); it was only after World War I when synagogues changed this model. The fascinating aspect of this change is the extent to which the transition in synagogue financing reflected broader societal currents. As the President of the synagogue makes clear, the end of selling seats and the change to dues were a result of the democratic ethos that enveloped the country at this time. The transition to dues was, in its own small way, a case study in the interrelationship of religion, culture, and economy.
