Slowly but surely, our shul's shutting down :(
This past Shabbat, our synagogue held its annual "barbecue." Of course, since the barbecue had been rescheduled from a weeknight to Shabbat/Sabbath morning, the (non-Jewish) cook had to do all the cooking (reheating?) indoors, and the "barbecue" was served after kiddush and motzi. But rumor has it that this may have been the shul's last big bash ever--our president, a retired kosher caterer, is simply not in good enough health to organize full-meal kiddushim anymore. So maybe I should put the word "annual" in quotation marks, too.
That's only the beginning of the end.
At first, when the sanctuary was rented on a Shabbat or holiday evening, the president would claim that it was a mistake on the part of the office staff. Now, he doesn't even bother. This past Friday night/Erev Shabbat, our sanctuary was rented out, and we're assuming that it won't be the last time. So now, it's Erev Shabbat services downstairs in the "dungeon" (our chapel being a small room with no window).
Adding insult to injury, our Sunday morning breakfasts after Shacharit/Morning Service were also discontinued as of yesterday. My husband says we'll discontinue our Sunday Shacharit when less than three people show up. He put his foot down, though, when the president suggested that we cancel Erev Shabbat services also.
The only time that the congregation itself is using the sanctuary for prayer is Shabbat and holiday mornings. (See "Evicted" here.) What else is left to cut?
That's only the beginning of the end.
At first, when the sanctuary was rented on a Shabbat or holiday evening, the president would claim that it was a mistake on the part of the office staff. Now, he doesn't even bother. This past Friday night/Erev Shabbat, our sanctuary was rented out, and we're assuming that it won't be the last time. So now, it's Erev Shabbat services downstairs in the "dungeon" (our chapel being a small room with no window).
Adding insult to injury, our Sunday morning breakfasts after Shacharit/Morning Service were also discontinued as of yesterday. My husband says we'll discontinue our Sunday Shacharit when less than three people show up. He put his foot down, though, when the president suggested that we cancel Erev Shabbat services also.
The only time that the congregation itself is using the sanctuary for prayer is Shabbat and holiday mornings. (See "Evicted" here.) What else is left to cut?
posted by Shira Salamone at 5:33 PM
13 Comments:
Oh Gosh, that is really sad. Are there any plans to grow/revitalize the kehillah?
Good luck!
This Good Life
No. There are plenty of Jews left in the neighborhood, and even new Jewish neighbors moving in, but the Jewish community now consists largely of non-synagogue-goers and/or people who are content to have services once or twice a month, which is what the new neighborhood non-denominational synagogue (which is also barely surviving) is offering.
I think that you needs to some how reach out to the non-denominational synagogue about a merger, doesn't sound like you have people for two.
Second, there are Jews in the neighborhood, and new Jews moving in, why aren't they interested in what you are offering, and how can you make your Shul something that interests them.
Perhaps Shabbat services is too intense an initial draw, perhaps you need something lower key to start recruiting. Without new blood, you're going to die.
Are young families moving in? What are you doing to attract them and make this a place for them to want to be a part?
They're not interested in what we're offering because (a) we're not egalitarian, (b) we insist on conversion of a halachically-non-Jewish child before Bar/Bat Mitzvah, and (c) we run traditional Shabbat/Sabbath and Yom Tov/major holiday services.
Honestly, there are too few of us left who are young enough and healthy enough to do any active recruiting and/or special programming. The number of people actively involved in running the shul at this point can probably be counted on less than two hands. It's hard to plan a future with so few people able to make plans and carry them out.
Shira,
No offense, those all sound like excuses to me.
(a) we're not egalitarian
I find it hard to believe that this is your problem. There are traditionalists and egalitarian Jews everywhere. Even if the people moving in are 80% egalitarian, where is the other 20%.
(b) we insist on conversion of a halachically-non-Jewish child before Bar/Bat Mitzvah
This certainly cuts your appeal to people with whom this is a problem. For conservative congregations, you're dealing with the 1/3rd that are intermarried, and really only half of those (non Jewish father doesn't matter), so that's an excuse.
(c) we run traditional Shabbat/Sabbath and Yom Tov/major holiday services
What does this even mean?
"Honestly, there are too few of us left who are young enough and healthy enough to do any active recruiting and/or special programming."
This is your problem. You've become the "crotchity old man" Shul, and nobody under 65 has any interest in doing that. Reaching out to new comers just has no appeal, just complaining and kvetching, who wants that.
Miami Al, (a) I'm not sure the other 20% are moving to this neighborhood. We have neither an eruv, nor a mikveh, nor a kosher butcher, nor a Jewish day school. So the appeal is limited for those of a more traditionalist view and/or observance.
(b) Conversion has been a problem for years, and will continue to be a problem, given the number of intermarried Jews in the non-Orthodox communities. We've had a lot of trouble in the past with kids whose parents wouldn't consent to conversion.
(c) Sorry I was so vague. Our services are not abridged, and are conducted almost entirely in Hebrew. Those looking for the "short version" and/or a version more geared to those who can't read Hebrew aren't going to find it here. Our Shabbat morning services generally last at least two hours.
As for us being the shul of crotchety old folks, I plead guilty as charged.
The fate of the synagogue will probably be decided within the next 2-3 years. Sooner or later, we'll have to sell at least part of our building. Sooner or later, too, our president will be forced by his deteriorating health to give up his fiefdom. How the congregation will handle both likelihoods will determine its future, if any. Stay tuned.
"(a) I'm not sure the other 20% are moving to this neighborhood. We have neither an eruv, nor a mikveh, nor a kosher butcher, nor a Jewish day school. So the appeal is limited for those of a more traditionalist view and/or observance."
I'm not talking about people that are more observant, I'm talking about people that are more traditionalist. I have found that in the non-Orthodox world, those are NOT related at all, as you and Larry have discussed about men defacto abandoning thrice-daily prayer led to aliyot for women. There are people comfortable with more tradition, and people that are not. The conservative movement has always held traditionalists, even if they are smaller in the current generation.
"Conversion has been a problem for years, and will continue to be a problem, given the number of intermarried Jews in the non-Orthodox communities. We've had a lot of trouble in the past with kids whose parents wouldn't consent to conversion."
That just is what it is. Those that are intermarried and don't want to acknowledge that this denies their child's Jewishness without conversion shouldn't be in a traditionalist community.
"Our services are not abridged, and are conducted almost entirely in Hebrew. Those looking for the "short version" and/or a version more geared to those who can't read Hebrew aren't going to find it here. Our Shabbat morning services generally last at least two hours."
Well, with that approach, people are going to die off and not be replaced. The Conservative movement has NOT trained people in the reading of Hebrew or understanding prayers, so all Hebrew services are going to be a failure with attracting people who weren't brought up in a Judaism where hearing Hebrew you don't understand was normative.
Since you have trouble attracting a minyan, you should do a learners Erev Shabbat minyan, and advertise that in your neighborhood. Do it mostly in English, with explanations to help people feel welcome.
"As for us being the shul of crotchety old folks, I plead guilty as charged."
That's your real problem. Nobody, even other older people, wants to hang out with crotchety old folks. That kills synagogues more than ANYTHING else.
Hmm, traditionalist who don't care about halachic observance in general, but like a more traditional service? To be honest, I'm not sure where they're hiding. I've always assumed that any traditionalist Conservative Jew who was interested in belonging to a neighborhood traditional Conservative synagogue was already a member. For better or worse, though, we have been attracting long-time residents whose local Orthodox shul is even closer to going under than ours is. But they have their previous loyalty, and are unlikely to become members unless their shul closes altogether.
Most of the mixed-marrieds and their kids will probably continue to feel more comfortable in the non-denominational congregation. That's probably just as well.
A learner's Erev Shabbat service mostly in English, with explanations? We've done that before, prior to the establishment of the non-denom. shul. It might be worth another try, especially on weeks when the non-denom. shul isn't holding services.
" . . . a Judaism where hearing Hebrew you don't understand was normative."
I find that a rather amusing description of my own background. To this day, I must often refer to the English translation when praying.
On a more serious note, though, and despite the admirable increase in the use of Hebrew in Reform services, I'm under the impression that Hebrew fluency has declined across the denominational spectrum. We non-Orthos aren't necessarily as studious in Hebrew as we should be as Zionists. Among the Orthos, the opposite is the problem--as some among the more right-wing have become increasingly indifferent to and/or have remained opposed to the Jewish State, fluency in Hebrew has begun to be de-emphasized in the yeshivot as "religio-polically incorrect," as if being fluent in Hebrew would indicate automatically that one is, chas v'chalilah (heaven forbid), a Zionist. I never cease to be amazed at the number of Hebrew words that I have to look up because my day-school-educated co-workers don't know what they mean despite 12 or more years of full-time Jewish education.
Fri Jul 08, 01:14:00 PM 2011
Sorry about the double time-stamp above. The previous comment is the edited and improved version. :)
Don't pretend that Hebrew knowledge is THAT much better in the Orthodox world. The only ones that seem to be fluent are those with Israeli parents.
We are trying to keep our children in heavily Hebrew environments to promote fluency, from a COMPLETELY Zionist point of view.
For the past 2000+ years, the Jewish people have had a common language, first Aramaic, then Yiddish/Ladino, promoting a Jewish culture that could cross national boundaries. I believe that it is CRITICAL for Jewish peoplehood that we have a common language.
Yiddish is dead, and there is no reason to resurrect Yiddish as a common tongue. Approximately 40% of the Jewish people speak English as a first language and approximately 40% speak Modern Hebrew as a first language. Either can be the common tongue, but given those choices, I'd lean toward Hebrew.
Sadly, the Orthodox world's strange relationship with Modern Hebrew is stunting that in America. Despite expecting children to learn modern Hebrew in class, the insistence on Ashkenazi/Yiddish pronunciations in religious matters results in essentially a third language, and the Hebrew doesn't translate over so well to religious area.
I think that amongst the people I know, most have the Daily/Shabbat services memorized with at most needing to scan to remember where they are. However, given how many seem in a panic if handed a Sephardic benscher/siddur, I'm not convinced that they can truly handle it in written form and know what they are doing.
Re: Hmm, traditionalist who don't care about halachic observance in general, but like a more traditional service? To be honest, I'm not sure where they're hiding.
I was talking with a mother at a summer camp one of my children is attending, it's a non Jewish camp BTW. We were chatting, she wanted to know why my wife and I asked about the pizza for a birthday party (that my child INSISTED was going to be Kosher). She grew up Conservative, doesn't want a Reform service (calls it too Church like), but doesn't have a synagogue in the area that interests her family (their city's non-Orthodox population are heavily South American, which has completely DIFFERENT cultures from the American Conservative Jewry she knows), but wants to figure something out to give her sons SOME religious instruction.
There are more traditionalists than you think. Not sure about the non-egalitarian side of your Shul, it seems like it's mostly nit picking stupid a-halachic matters, and your Shul needs to decide what to do.
I can't exactly brag about my own Hebrew skills. A Sefardi birkon (? birkat hamazon/Grace After Meals book) or siddur/prayer book always challenges my Hebrew-reading skill, and I switched from Ashkenazi to Sefardi pronunciation so many years ago that I never learned in Ashkenazi pronunciation most of what I now know in Sefardi pronunciation.
I don't doubt that there are many traditionalists who'd prefer a Conservative synagogue. It's just that the ones *who live in our neighborhood* are already members.
You never know what the future brings. While I was looking for apartments in Queens, I spent Shabbat morning at a MO synagogue in Jackson Heights that looked a bit on the wrong side of history- but they mentioned that a week earlier they had a baby naming for the first time in anyone's memory!
(Not, alas, with my help in the long run- I'm going to be living in Forest Hills)
Woodrow, welcome to New York City! (Check your e-mail.) I recommend tonight's free classes at Mechon Hadar.
Post a Comment
<< Home