It's About People Not Buildings: A Primer for the Merger of Religious and Other Nonprofits

It's About People Not Buildings chronicles the merger of B’nai Tzedek and Ohav Shalom, two conservative Jewish synagogues in Cincinnati, Ohio. The story is told by leaders and congregants from both synagogues. The main message is that people matter more than things, even when it comes to buildings of worship. Shared values, transparency, respect, and compromise are essential principles required to make such a marriage work. Indeed, "marriage" rather than "merger" became the preferred term for the union, eventuating in a wedding ceremony beneath a chuppah, with all the members and the community invited. The new synagogue is called Etz Chaim (Tree of Life).The marriage of the congregations from B’nai Tzedek and Ohav Shalom was existential. Each of the synagogues were dealing with aging populations, financial difficulties meeting budgets, and other persistent challenges. The leadership realized this is a common problem for all religious denominations, as well as non-profits in general, and wished to write a book that would not only celebrate the marriage but that could serve as a guide for other non-profits looking to merge. This is how you get it right.