Privacy Policy

Effective Date: August, 21, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Congregation Shaare Zedek (“KHSZ,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, and protects information through khsz.org (the “Site”).

1. Information We Collect

Depending on how you use the Site, we may collect:

  • Phone numbers, Email addresses and SMS content — used to identify you and communicate with you about membership, events, and registration.
  • Names, addresses, and household information — used for membership records and communications
  • Birthdates — used for membership records and, where relevant, age-specific programming
  • Payment information — processed through Stripe and ShulCloud ; we do not store full card numbers on our own systems
  • Minors’ information (e.g., for b’nai mitzvah registration) — collected from a parent or legal guardian, not directly from the child
  • Automated Information: IP address, browser type, and site usage data collected [via cookies?] to improve website functionality

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information collected to:

  • Identify members and process registrations
  • If you provide a mobile number and opt in to SMS, KHSZ may send text messages about membership, High Holidays and other programs, event reminders, and other congregational updates.  Message and data rates may apply. We will not share your mobile phone number or other mobile information with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. We may use service providers (such as our SMS vendor) solely to deliver messages you have consented to receive.
  • Process memberships, donations, event registrations,  and payments
  • Send congregational updates,  newsletter emails, and community announcements
  • Generate internal reports and summaries for KHSZ board and staff use
  • Maintain accurate membership and household records

3. SMS Consent and Opt-Out

KHSZ sends SMS only after you opt in (for example, by checking an SMS consent box on a form). Providing a phone number for membership or registration is not, by itself, consent to receive text messages. Consent is optional and is not a condition of membership or program registration.

If you opt in, you may receive up to 8 messages per month about events, membership, and administrative matters. Typical volume is lower. Message and data rates may apply.

We will not share your mobile phone number or other mobile information with third parties for marketing or promotional purposes. We may use a service provider solely to deliver messages you consented to receive.

You may opt out at any time by replying STOP to any message, or request help by replying HELP. You may also email contact@khsz.org. After you opt out, we will not send further SMS messages. We may still contact you by email or phone about membership and programs.

4. Third-Party Service Providers

We share information with third-party providers strictly as needed to operate the Site, including:

  • Our SMS service provider — for sending and receiving text messages
  • Stripe and ShulCloud — for processing payments and donations
  • Our email service provider — for sending outbound email communications
  • ShulCloud — for managing membership, household, and donor records
  • Our Hosting provided  — for hosting and operating the Site

These providers only receive the information necessary to perform their function and are subject to their own privacy and security practices.

5. Children’s Information

We do not knowingly collect information directly from children. Information about minors (such as for b’nai mitzvah registration) is provided by a parent or legal guardian on the child’s behalf. Parents or guardians may contact us at any time to review, correct, or request deletion of their child’s information.

6. Analytics and Tracking

We use basic web analytics tools (such as Google Analytics or similar services) to understand how visitors use the Site, including page views and general traffic patterns. We may also track engagement with our emails and text messages, such as whether a message was opened or a link was clicked. This helps us understand which communications are useful to our community. We do not use cross-site ad tracking tools (such as ad pixels or retargeting), sell this information, or use it for third-party advertising.

7. Data Retention

We retain membership and household information for as long as needed to maintain accurate records and fulfill the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law. In general:

  • Donation and financial records are retained for at least seven (7) years, consistent with IRS recordkeeping requirements for tax-deductible contributions
  • Governance records (such as board minutes and organizational filings) are retained permanently
  • General contact and membership information is retained for as long as you remain part of our community, and deleted upon request as described in Section 9, except where retention is required for tax, legal, or recordkeeping purposes

8. Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your information, but no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your Choices

You may contact us at any time to:

  • Request access to the information we hold about you or your household
  • Request corrections to inaccurate information
  • Request deletion of your information — we will delete it promptly unless we are required to retain it for tax, legal, or recordkeeping purposes (for example, donation records tied to tax deductions, which we keep for at least seven years per IRS requirements)
  • You may opt out of SMS as described above and unsubscribe from marketing email using the link in those messages. Operational messages about a program you registered for may still be sent by email. (see Section 3)

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Effective Date” above reflects the most recent revision.

11. Contact Us

Questions about this Privacy Policy can be directed to:

Congregation Shaare Zedek
210 W 93rd Street
NY, NY 10025
contact@khsz.org