Significantly increased investment in youth, education and community development is planned by the United Synagogue next year.

Central support for the Tribe youth organisation and education is due to rise from an anticipated £617,000 this year to £809,000 in 2013.

Community development funding is set to increase from £552,000 to £614,000.

Tribe’s expansion will include the recruitment of an additional rabbi and the creation of a £150,000 centre for its members.

Head office spending is also set to go up from £2.1 million to £2.5 million next year with a planned two per cent salary hike for US staff, new positions including a finance and operations director and increased IT costs.

Some US council members voiced concern at the increase at Monday night’s discussion of the budget, with one warning that many synagogue members were “falling further and further behind” with their subscriptions, which help to pay for central expenditure.

But treasurers said that they were budgeting for a small surplus next year.
Joint treasurer Brian Markson said that the spending rises reflected “the increasing levels of service our communities demand of us”.

The US benefited from a sharp rise in income from its burial society this year to £2.2 million — over £500,000 more than budgeted for.

This was because 100 more funerals than anticipated were conducted over the period.