“I grew up on the island and had my bar mitzvah at the synagogue.  My parents and three of my grandparents are buried in the Jewish cemetery that the Hebrew Congregation maintains.  So my two siblings and I continue to feel a strong connection to the congregation even though we haven’t lived on the island for years.  The synagogue is an architectural and historic treasure, as is the cemetery, but the congregation remains small.  Thus, financial support from former congregants like us is very important.”