The United States of StageDrop is a series highlighting customer success stories from each state. This installment of the United States of StageDrop features the Aloha State, Hawaii!

The Jewish Congregation of Maui's Beit Shalom Synagogue sits in the foothills of the Haleakala volcano on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Surrounded by lush tropical foliage and located within walking distance of the Pacific Ocean, the synagogue fulfills a unique role in the community.

“We are the only synagogue on the whole island of Maui,” explains Ellyn Mortimer, the executive director of the Jewish Congregation of Maui.

Because the island’s legendary natural beauty attracts a large number of tourists in addition to the local population, the synagogue strives to serve a wide variety of needs. “We really serve the entire Jewish community here,” continues Ellyn. “Whether you live here or come to visit here, everyone is welcome. We are a very inclusive, egalitarian congregation, and we welcome everybody.”

And the Jewish Congregation of Maui’s space isn’t limited to religious services. The building is also used for lectures, children’s services, parties, classes, and other community events.

It was this need to provide a flexible space that drove the board of directors to consider replacing the seating in the facility. They were using heavy, fabric chairs that were difficult to clean and tricky to store. If they could find a lighter option, it would allow them to reconfigure the space more easily for different types of events. Additionally, because floor space is at a premium, they wanted chairs that could be stacked high and moved out of the way when they needed a clear floor area.

When the synagogue suffered flood damage in January 2020, the leaders decided to include the purchase of new chairs as part of the larger repair project. Despite the circumstances, Ellyn saw the chance to get new chairs as a bright spot in an unfortunate situation. “No rain, no rainbows,” she jokes. “It might sound silly, but things like having very moveable chairs is a big deal for us. It helps us create different looking spaces for the different things we do.”

StageDrop carries a large selection of event chairs with a wide variety of styles and features to choose from. Many customers find it helpful to call us and discuss their needs so we can help narrow down the options, but for Ellyn the choice was easy.

“When the board approved buying new chairs, I knew exactly the ones that I wanted to purchase from StageDrop,” recalls Ellyn. “My kids’ school had bought these same chairs, and we’d been sitting in them for performances at the school. I got to test out everything about the chair. I even tried making them a little bit dirty and then wiping it off to make sure they were easy to clean.”

The Jewish Congregation of Maui ordered 60 NPS 8704 Cafetorium Plush Vinyl Stack Chairs in blue. Weighing just 10 lbs each, the 8704 is a lightweight, ergonomic chair built on a strong 16-gauge frame. The chair is stackable, includes floor protector glides to prevent floor damage and has built-in connectors that make multiple chair setups a snap.

Shipping a large freight order to an island presents different challenges than shipping to the mainland, but Ellyn describes the process with StageDrop as smooth from start to finish. “The delivery experience here was great!” she raves. “I got a phone call from the freight company about a week before delivery, and when they got here they unloaded them onto my front lawn, which was perfect.”

With the remodel and repairs to the building complete and the new chairs incorporated into the layout, the Beit Shalom Synagogue has re-opened and everyone has been pleased with the results.

“The intention was to have a beautiful space with all 60 chairs set up,” Ellyn says, “and within half an hour we can have all of them pushed and stacked off to the side and completely open up the space to use for other things. Now somebody could hold a dance class in there!”

The Jewish Congregation of Maui continues to find new and exciting ways to serve the community and further its mission of welcoming Maui’s Jewish faithful to “come celebrate with aloha.”

StageDrop would like to thank the Jewish Congregation of Maui for their business and for allowing us to highlight their synagogue, representing Hawaii in this week's United States of StageDrop. We wish them all the best with their beautiful new space ... mazel tov!

Looking to purchase new seating for your facility? Check out our extensive selection of Event Furniture, or call or email us today for a free quote!

Based at the Jersey Shore in Forked River, NJ, StageDrop LLC is a leading provider of stock and custom portable stage systems, stage accessories, truss and event furniture to businesses and consumers nationwide. We specialize in delivering custom stage configurations for business, government, education, religious, fitness and nonprofit organizations. We offer free quotes with expert recommendations to fit our customers' specialized needs.