Become a Member of

Your membership dues are voluntary, tax-deductible financial contributions to the Peretz Centre’s annual operations, helping to fund our work, subsidize participation for our essential community programs (including children and youth programs), and sustain a home for progressive Jewish community in Vancouver.As a registered charity and non-profit society, the Peretz Centre is governed by dues-paying members. Our bylaws state that membership is (with a few exceptions) for life, but you must pay membership dues every year in order to be a member in good standing. If you do not pay your dues annually, you are still a member but no longer in good standing, meaning you lose some membership benefits like voting rights in General Meetings and board elections.Your contribution strengthens our foundation, giving us the freedom to do the work that is most important to our community. With your help, we are able to start new and exciting programs and initiatives, keep programs affordable for everyone, and fund those essential programs that may not fit neatly into the priorities of external funders.

Membership for the 2026-2027 year includes the following non-montary benefits, recognizing the commitment of Peretz members to our community's present and future:Voting privileges at the AGM and other general meetingsParticipation on board, committees, and working groupsAccess to members-only events and initiatives (like the Jewish Anti-Racism Taskforce)Access to the members-only area of the websiteAdvance registration for our most popular programs and eventsBorrowing privileges for the Kirman LibraryPlease note: Starting in 2026-27, core programs like Pnei Mitzvah are restricted to members-only, as they were in previous years.

Membership rates are offered in a few different categories. Members may register up to 4 adults in the same family and include children under 18 in any of the categories below. Anyone who identifies as a family and shares resources can register together. Registration for children under 18 is free! We encourage members with children to register them in order to help us plan for children's programming, including members-only programs. 2026-2027 Membership Rates: 1 adult (18+)$1902 adults$3303 adults$4704 adults$570Low-income (self-identified) individual$27Low-income (self-identified 2 or more adults$54In setting membership rates, the Board of Directors aims to: Support Peretz programs and events while ensuring that membership is affordable for anyone who wants to be a part of our community Recognize different family configurations and keep costs down for single parents Encourage members with partners and/or children to register all individuals in their family, which helps us plan for programs and grow our community The base amount of $190 for an individual adult (18+), or $27 for a self-identified low-income individual, is lower than most synagogues or societies like ours because we are able to use rental revenue from our building to keep membership costs down for those who can’t afford to pay more.We encourage those who can afford it to add an additional charitable donation when they renew membership.

Yes! For the 2026-2027 membership year, dues are once again 100% tax-deductible.This means that membership only offers non-monetary advantages and members will not receive special discounts. Because we offer sliding scale options to most of our programs and events, we focus on membership benefits that emphasize the important role of members in sustaining our community: more participation through the board, committees, and members-only projects; more say in the direction of the organization (through voting); registration for members-only events and initiatives; and early registration for our most popular events and programs. Plus, we trust you to return books from the Kirman Library.

Some of our programs and events fill up quickly (especially when there are limited spots). In recognition of your commitment to Peretz, members receive advance registration for our most popular events and programs (like Hanukkah parties, Passover Seyder, Zumershule program, and other seminars and workshops), so you can be part of what matters to you the most (and before tickets sell out).Advance registration is opened to members via email, usually about a week before registration opens for the general public. If you didn't get tickets to an event before it sold out, members may also be prioritized on waitlists.Special members’ initiatives, like the Jewish Anti-Racism Taskforce or committees that work on holiday programs, are led by those who are committed to long-term engagement. Watch your email inbox for invitations to special initiatives like these to help shape the present and future of the Peretz Centre.

When your membership is approved, you will receive an invitation via email to create an account on the Peretz Centre website. To create an account, you will need to enter your email and choose a password.Once your account is created, you can customize your profile (which is set to private by default), view your purchases and registration history, and access members’ only pages of the website.To access the Members’ Only Area, you must be logged in to your Peretz Centre account. You can log in from the Members’ Area page or through the link in the website footer.If you can’t remember your password, click “forgot password” on the log in window. Enter your email and click the button “reset password” to get an email with instructions for creating a new password.If you didn’t receive an invitation to create an account, or if you experience another problem logging in, please contact the Peretz Centre office at admin@peretz-centre.org, or call and leave a message at (604) 326-1812.Please note: that youth under the age of 18 are only granted access upon request, and with permission from their parent/guardian.

Children under the age of 18 are free to register for Peretz membership! We encourage members with children to register them in order to help us plan for children's programming, including members-only programs.Only children who are registered as members are eligible for members-only programs like Pnei Mitzvah.To register one or more children in your family, please add their names and ages to your membership registration form.