Congregation Schara Tzedeck

What Congregation Schara Tzedeck does

Congregation Schara Tzedeck is a non-profit Orthodox Jewish congregation founded in 1907 and based in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the largest Orthodox synagogue in Western Canada, serving a multi-generational membership of families in the Vancouver Jewish community. Its core offerings include regular religious services, Torah education, youth programs, facility rentals, a mikveh (ritual bath), and cemetery services, with the senior rabbi position held by Rabbi Michael Rosenblatt (appointed 2003) and operations led by Executive Director Dustin Bauerschfer.

The congregation generates revenue through a diversified non-profit model: membership dues, donations, facility rental fees, education program fees, and sponsorship of community events. Recent programmatic additions include the In-a-Box meal program (launched 2020) and a Women's Initiative (2023), expanding the scope of community engagement beyond traditional religious and educational services. The organization operates a YouTube channel that distributes Torah content to a global audience, supplementing in-person services.

Back-office operations are supported by ShulCloud, a third-party SaaS platform used for membership management, billing, and member communications. The congregation employs 11 people and is governed by a lay board, with its first woman president installed in 2012. As a religious non-profit, capital is reinvested into programming, facilities, clergy, and community services rather than distributed to owners.

Name

Congregation Schara Tzedeck

Legal name

Congregation Schara Tzedeck

Website

https://scharatzedeck.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1907

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Congregation Schara Tzedeck is the largest Orthodox synagogue in Western Canada, founded in 1907 and based in Vancouver. It serves local Jewish families with religious services, education, youth programs, mikveh, cemetery services, and community programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Orthodox synagogue services
• Jewish religious education
• Community lifecycle events
• Kosher facility rentals
• Torah study programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing access to services, programs, facilities, and voting rights
2. Donations and Tzedakah: Various donation funds including Chesed, Senior Fund, Youth Fund, General Fund, Mikvah, and Endowment Fund. The In-a-Box meal program has provided over 50,000 Shabbat and Holiday meals since 2020.
3. Event Sponsorships: Kiddush sponsorship ($1000 or $1500), Seudah Shlisheet ($300), Memorial Plaques ($700), Speaker sponsorships, Event/Program sponsorships
4. Prayer Book Dedications: Siddur dedication ($65 each), Chumash dedication ($75 each), Machzorim ($55 each)
5. Learning Sponsorships: Weekly class sponsorship ($180), Shabbat Shiur sponsorship ($360)
6. Mikveh Fees: Non-member men: $25 per visit or $75/month; Non-member women: $25 per visit or $250/year; Members free
7. Facility Rentals: Two banquet halls (Silber Auditorium up to 240 guests, Wosk up to 300 guests) available for events including bar/bat mitzvahs, weddings, galas. Members receive preferred rates.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Congregation Schara Tzedeck is an Orthodox synagogue providing daily minyanim, Shabbat and holiday prayer services, Torah education classes, youth and family programming, mikveh and eruv facilities, cemetery services, banquet facility rentals, and community chessed programs such as the In-a-Box meal initiative to Jewish individuals and families in Greater Vancouver. Revenue is generated through membership dues, donations, sponsorships, mikveh fees, facility rentals, and prayer book dedications.

Product overview

Congregation Schara Tzedeck is the largest Orthodox synagogue in Western Canada, offering a comprehensive portfolio of religious, educational, and community services. The core offering centers on daily and Shabbat prayer services in two venues (main sanctuary and chapel/beit midrash), supplemented by extensive Torah education through weekly classes (Back to Basics, Parsha Hashavua, Semichas Chaver Program, 20/20 with Rabbi Berger) with video recordings on YouTube and audio on Soundcloud. The congregation provides family programming including youth activities, Women's Initiative, Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation, and senior support through the In-a-Box meal program. Facility offerings include the Silber Auditorium and Wosk Auditorium for event rentals. Additional services include Mikveh, Eruv, Cemetery Board coordination, and various donation/sponsorship programs supporting community welfare and synagogue operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Religious Services Daily minyanim, Shabbat and holiday prayer services led by clergy in the main sanctuary and chapel/Beit Midrash for congregation members and visitors.
• Torah Education and Classes Weekly Torah classes including Back to Basics, Basics of Judaism, Parsha Hashavua with Rabbi Rosenblatt, Semichas Chaver Program, and 20/20 with Rabbi Berger, with video and audio recordings distributed online.
• Youth and Family Programs Free Shabbat and holiday morning babysitting, children's educational programming, Shabbat Kids club, holiday carnivals, and NCSY youth programming for children and young families in the congregation.
• Women's Initiative Collaborative, inclusive program for women to explore Judaism, connect with other women, and participate in classes and social events.
• Mikveh Ritual immersion baths for women (by appointment), men (Fridays 10am-2pm), and tevilat keilim (vessel immersion by appointment), with free access for members and paid access for non-members.
• Eruv Weekly Friday-monitored eruv boundary ensuring kosher status for Shabbat carrying, with an online eruv map and disruption reporting capability.
• In-a-Box Meal Program Community meal program launched in 2020 in response to the pandemic that has delivered over 50,000 Shabbat and Holiday meals to seniors and families in need.
• Facility Rentals Rental of two kosher banquet halls, the Silber Auditorium (up to 240 dinner guests) and the Wosk Auditorium (up to 300 dinner guests), for weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, corporate events, and galas, with preferred rates for members.
• Sponsorship Opportunities Kiddush sponsorship ($1000 or $1500), Seudah Shlisheet ($300), Memorial Plaques ($700), prayer book dedications, weekly class sponsorships ($180), Shabbat Shiur sponsorships ($360), and event/program sponsorships.
• Cemetery Services Bereavement, burial, and related cemetery services managed by the Schara Tzedeck Cemetery Board subsidiary, with an emergency contact available for members and their families.
• Bar/Bat Mitzvah Program Classes and events for bar/bat mitzvah preparation and celebration for member families within the congregation.
• Visitors and Community Resources Visitors information, kosher restaurant listings, accommodations, community links to local Jewish organizations, and Yahrzeit guide.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Beth Sholom Synagogue (Toronto): One of Canada's largest Orthodox congregations with comparable programming breadth (education, youth, chessed, lifecycle). Similar nonprofit membership-dues-and-donations model and operating scale, though in a larger market.
• Congregation Ahavath Torah (Englewood, NJ): Orthodox synagogue where Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt previously served as assistant rabbi — directly comparable in Orthodox practice, programming, and community model, and a relevant talent/experience reference point.
• Shaarei Shomayim Congregation (Toronto): Large Canadian Orthodox congregation with a similar full-service programming model (daily minyanim, day school, mikveh, cemetery, chessed). Comparable governance as a member-driven Kehilla and serves as a useful benchmark for facility/program scale.
• Beth Israel Beth Aaron Congregation: Another Vancouver Orthodox synagogue providing Shabbat services, education, and lifecycle programming. Comparable in scale, mission, and target membership, competing for engagement within the same city.
• Congregation KINS (Kollel New Start): Vancouver-area Orthodox congregation serving a similar demographic of Orthodox Jewish families in the Lower Mainland. Directly comparable in offering (daily minyanim, youth, education, lifecycle) and competes for the same member and donor pool within a tight geography.

Broad incumbents

• Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver: Umbrella fundraising and community-services organization for the Vancouver Jewish community. Not a direct congregational competitor but overlaps with chessed and community programming, and is a key allocator of donor dollars that compete with synagogue fundraising.

Others

• Schara Tzedeck Cemetery Board: Wholly-owned subsidiary of the same congregation providing cemetery and burial services. Included as an adjacent operating entity — illustrates the lifecycle-service ecosystem but is internal rather than external competition.

Emerging players

• Chabad of Greater Vancouver: Orthodox outreach-focused network operating multiple locations across Vancouver. Targets overlapping demographic but with a different growth model (Chabad house proliferation vs. single-site congregation), making it a partial competitor for younger and less affiliated families.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCOspjQl98lg67obgzfr7o3A
• Facebookfacebook.com/STzedeck
• Instagraminstagram.com/scharatzedeckvancouver
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/congregation-schara-tzedeck

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Congregation Schara Tzedeck