Below, you'll find our most frequently asked questions related to Rabbinical Assembly member dues. If you cannot find an answer to your question on this page, please contact our Business Manager, Gina Morales, at gmorales@rabbinicalassembly.org.
This page is divided into the following sections:
- About Declarations
- Payments and Statements
- Who Should Make a Declaration
- Membership Resignation/Reinstatement
- Miscellaneous
When does my declaration need to be filed? Your dues declaration should be filed online, by email or mail, on or before November 1st.
When is the dues payment deadline? Membership dues should be paid in full by November 1st unless you have declared online and set up a payment plan, which will extend your time to pay dues through the end of our fiscal year, June 30th.
Can I pay my dues early? Yes!
What period is covered by my dues? Your dues cover a fiscal year, July 1st to June 30th of the following year.
How can I pay my dues? There are a number of options:
- You can fill out a paper declaration (US and Canada | Europe) and pay by check or credit card;
- Declare online and pay your dues in full or set up a payment plan or
- Declare online and use the pay later option. This is the option to use if your employer pays your dues.
How are my dues calculated? Dues are calculated on a sliding scale based on your gross income (including parsonage).
What can I deduct from my dues calculation? From your gross income, you may deduct your contributions to the Joint Retirement Board or other pension plan, your out of pocket costs for healthcare coverage and dues paid to one other professional dues organization. All of the deductions you take should not bring your dues below minimum dues of $300.
Are my membership dues tax deductible? Please speak to your accountant or tax professional to determine if your dues are tax deductible.
How much are minimum dues? Minimum dues are $300.
I’m experiencing some financial difficulty and I don’t know if I can keep up with my membership dues. What should I do? Although we rely on your financial support, we don’t want dues to become a financial hardship. Please reach out to our Financial Secretary, Annie Tucker, at a.tucker@templeisraelcenter.org or our Business Manager, Gina Morales at gmorales@rabbinicalassembly.org, who will work with you.
Are dues billed? We do not bill you for dues. Instead, we ask that you fill out your declaration and we provide you with a statement for your records or for your employer.
How do I resolve an issue or question about my dues statement or payment? For billing or payment inquiries, please call our Business Manager, Gina Morales at 212.280.6062 or email your concern to gmorales@rabbinicalassembly.org. Having your check number or last four digits of your credit card handy will help to resolve your issue.
My salary does not change from year to year. Do I still need to file a dues declaration? Yes, not only do we need to make sure that your contact information is current, we also need to know if you opt in or opt out of having your contact information shared outside of the RA.
Where can I get a receipt for my membership? If you file online, you will receive a receipt for your dues once you have paid in full. If you pay by check, you can email our Business Manager, Gina Morales, gmorales@rabbinicalassemly.org and request a receipt.
I’ve paid by credit card in the past, when my renewal is due, will you automatically charge my account? For your security, your card credit information is not kept in our system. You will need to fill out a new credit card form and re-submit it with your dues declaration.
I don’t like to use my credit card online. Is there another way to declare my dues and make my payment? Absolutely! You can fill out a paper declaration (US and Canada | Europe) and pay by check or credit card.
Our website is secure and our credit card processing is done through PayPal. 
Can I set up a payment plan for paying my dues? Yes. When you use this link to declare online, you can use the pay later feature at the bottom of the page. You will be able to decide over how many months you want to extend your payment. The earlier you declare the more time you will have. All payment plans are calculated to be paid in full by the end of the fiscal year, June 30th.
How can I request a reduction or waiver of my dues? You can request a reduction or waiver of dues by emailing the Business Manager or the Financial Secretary.
If I request a waiver or reduction for my current years’ dues, do I need to make the request every year? Once you have requested a reduction or waiver, and it has been approved, you can declare that amount each year until your situation has changed.
I was granted a dues reduction/waiver for one year, but my situation has not changed. How should I proceed? If you have been granted a reduction or waiver for one year and you find that your financial situation has not changed, you will need to request an extension to your reduction/waiver by emailing the Business Manager or the Financial Secretary.
I am a recent graduate. When do I file my first dues declaration? Congratulations and welcome to our RA! The deadline to both declare and pay your dues is November 1st directly after graduation.
I am not a practicing rabbi, but I want to maintain an affiliation with the RA. How much are affiliate dues? Please declare and pay minimum dues of $300.
I’m retired, do I still pay dues? Retired rabbis pay dues on their rabbinic retirement income, excluding Social Security income and out of pocket costs for health insurance coverage. Rabbis who reach the milestone of being ordained for fifty years are exempt from dues.
Is anyone exempt from paying dues? Yes, rabbis who have been in the rabbinate for fifty (50) years (“Fifty Year Rabbis”), are exempt from paying dues.
Membership Resignation/Reinstatement
What are the membership requirements? For a full list of membership requirements, please see our Code of Conduct.
What happens if I do not submit my payment by November 1st? We strive to make sure finances are not a barrier to your ability to maintain your membership in our RA. If you are unable to pay the full dues amount, we are happy to extend a dues reduction or come up with a payment plan that works better for you. Please be in touch with our Business Manager, Gina Morales gmorales@rabbinicalassembly.org or our Financial Secretary, Annie Tucker, at a.tucker@templeisraelcenter.org.
While the deadline to pay dues is November 1st, we will offer a grace period where no action is taken on your account until March 31st. If your dues are not paid by March 31st your membership status will be changed to “Not in Good Standing” and you will lose access to the RA website, RA listservs, the Career Center site, and attending RA programs and events. Failure to continue to pay your dues will lead to your resignation from the Rabbinical Assembly on June 30th.
How can I resign my membership? You can resign your membership at any time by emailing our Financial Secretary or Business Manager. Please reach out to us before you get to the point of resignation. You are an important part of the RA and we want to help you remain a member. Please note that dues are non-refundable.
If I resign can my membership be reinstated? Reapplication to the Rabbinical Assembly is not automatic and will require a process of readmission. If you wish to reinstate your membership, please contact Max Arad, the staff representative to the Membership Committee, to review the readmission process.
I am not receiving RA communications or notices regarding my dues status. Why is this happening? You may have forgotten to declare and pay dues the prior or current year or you may have inadvertently opted out of receiving communications from the RA. Please send an email to info@rabbinicalassembly.org to ensure the correct email address is subscribed to our communications or contact the Business Manager at gmorales@rabbinicalassembly.org to confirm your membership status.
When will I receive a renewal reminder? We send several reminders throughout the year:
- July – a reminder that the new fiscal year has begun for North America and Europe
- Mid-October – a reminder that your declaration and payment is due on November 1st
- Mid-January – a reminder that the November 1st deadline to pay your dues has passed and the final deadline to complete payment is upcoming on March 31st (June 30th if you set up a payment plan)
- Mid-March – a reminder that your dues have still not been received and your account will be suspended on March 31st for non-payment
Where should I pay my dues?
- RA members who are permanent residents of Israel to RA Israel in accordance with RA Israel‘s dues structure.
- RA members on sabbatical leave living in Israel should continue to make their payments to the RA office in New York.
- RA members who are permanent residents of Latin America will pay dues to RA Latin American in accordance with LARA’s dues structure. Please contact Sarina Vitas sarinavitas@hotmail.com for more information.
- RA members from Israel or Latin America working in the United States are expected to remit dues to the RA office in New York.
- RA members residing in Canada, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean are expected to remit dues to the RA office in New York.