Jan Lee's Blog

Posted by Jan Lee

I have always assumed that what readers most look for on the internet prior Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is information about synagogues services that they can attend in person.

Well, that may have been true in past years, but not necessarily in 2009.

Perhaps it is the recession that is guiding readers’ interests. This year it has been a struggle for many families to cover the costs of attending High Holy Day services. It has also been a struggle for many shuls to cover the costs of putting on the services. High Holy Day services can be extremely expensive for synagogues that require more than one venue to accommodate their large membership.

But it is fairly clear from the distribution of page views we have received on Judaism topics this month that an increased number of readers are considering online alternatives to attending synagogue.

Page views for articles that discussed online services and programs more than tripled just prior to, and during the High Holy Days. The most popular article of all was Nontraditional Jewish High Holy Day Programs, which detailed the efforts of Temple Emanu-El in New York City to offer online broadcasts of their Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services. Between August 27 and September 28 (Yom Kippur), the article received more than twice the number of hits than any other article I had written.

Many readers sought information about “live online Yom Kippur services,” while others searched for information pertaining to “Rosh Hashanah internet services.” Most telling of all, were the searches for “alternative” Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur programs, which included a variety of search terms, but clearly illustrated that readers were looking for new ways of hearing services during the holiest time of the year.

Equally surprising was that the searches came from all over the world – from Mexico to Ghana, and from California to Chicago. Emanu-El’s services weren’t a surprise to many readers, either. Many readers were already aware of Emanu-El’s radio and internet broadcasts, and simply needed to know how to link to them.

What do these statistics say about the future of Jewish synagogues and synagogue services?

For one, it proves that Jews are still very much linked to their religious and cultural traditions. Religious services still matter to many, whether they are able to physically attend services in a synagogue or not. It matters enough that they are willing to seek alternative methods for personally fulfilling the mitzvah of observing the High Holy Days.

It also opens up the question as to whether there are new, creative ways that synagogues and Jewish community centers can fulfill the needs and interests of observant Jews. Are there more opportunities for internet forums? Can youth groups utilize the internet to energize its members? Should services be taped for shut-in patients and others who can’t attend?

For many congregations, the answer may be no. Many attendees come to shul to observe the separation of the “sacred and the profane” aspects of our 21st-century lives. Integrating online features into their lives would be too intrusive to the traditional morays that have shaped almost 6,000 years of Judaism.

But for others, this experiment has already begun. Congregations all across North America have explored the possibility of recording their services and broadcasting them over the internet. Other organizations have seen the advantages of this opportunity as well, and are providing new electronic venues for internet outreach.

In the next few months I will be featuring other services that are available on the internet and in alternative venues. I would love to hear your input. Is your congregation on the cutting edge of a new idea? What do you think of the possibility of internet Shabbat services? What do you look for each New Year?

Shanah Tova!

Posted by Jan Lee

On ariv Rosh Hashanah, there is still much to do. The anticipation of greeting the New Year is high for many. Open a Jewish newspaper, click on an online site or newsletter and the reminder that the New Year has arrived is everywhere. President Obama has made a point of wishing the Jewish community Shanah Tova, reminding us that the significance of this time of year is not just seen or appreciated by Jews.

For many - too many - the opportunity of attending synagogue on this special evening isn't possible. Some who are ill or restricted to bed may have the opportunity to attend services in the hospital or nursing home. In Vancouver, British Columbia, the largest Jewish assisted living facility provides religious services for its residents. The attendance has grown from a minyan of 10 to beyond capacity. The services underscore the importance of community connections and support.

But for many more, attending shul at this time is out of the question. They may not have the funds to join a synagogue or pay for a ticket and feel uneasy about asking for help. Or they may be homeless and struggling just to put food on their Shabbat table.

Thinking of these possibilities has driven home for me the importance of free online services such as those provided by Temple Emanu-El in New York. It may contradict what many feel is appropriate in a community that generally shuts down business, radio, TV and Internet during High Holy Day observances, but it is still a mitzvah, and a thoughtful and valuable one at that.

For those who are planning to listen to the services and would like to follow along with the machzor (prayer book), Dr. Mark Weisstuch says that Emanu-El uses the Reform congregation's Union Prayer Book II. But even if you are not able to obtain the prayer book, it still promises to be a beautiful experience. You can access the recording by clicking on this link.

Shanah tova u’metukah!

Have a happy and sweet New Year!

Posted by Jan Lee

The 21st Century is an interesting time to reflect on our Jewish traditions.

The increasing popularity of the Internet and the advent of social media like Facebook and Twitter have given rise to new ways of looking at religious observance (see my article Observing Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur: Nontraditional Programs Provide Options for Religious Jews). For many of us who have grown up and/or accepted more traditional Jewish lifestyles, it is admittedly hard to think about "attending" High Holy Day services via an Internet broadcast.

In this day and age of a decreasing Jewish attendance at synagogues, and increasing migration of people from traditional metropolitan centers however, there may be something to be said for listening to others' new traditions. And even though that may sound like an oxymoron, it is really the way we live life. Few individuals maintain all of the same routines day in and day out; we are constantly reinventing ourselves and defining the meaning we attribute to our lives. We find new ways of accomplishing what is important to our lives when we don't have access to our old methods. We don't lose our identities as Jews when we aren't able to follow historic traditions. We simply find new ways of expressing that identity - or, we find new ways of reestablishing our link with our old traditions. Either way, we don't stay the same.

Two examples come to mind:

Some years ago, my husband and I got together with some friends for a Friday night Shabbat dinner. The preparations were long and festive and as the afternoon drew on, several of us became concerned that we might not be ready to bless the candles by sundown, as is the custom for welcoming in Shabbat and all holidays (Judaism recognizes the start of the day on the preceding evening).

The host was a superb cook and insisted that everything be just right. In anticipation, we got together to discuss what to do. The options were clear to us: 1) Bless the candles and not be ready for Shabbat when we would normally cease all work, or 2) bless the candles after the sun had gone down. To do the first would have been an affront to our cook, who was in the kitchen feverishly cooking up a pot roast and trimmings (his mitzvah for the evening). To do the latter would be to acknowledge labor on the Sabbath.

When it finally came time to light the candles, one member refused to say the blessing, saying that doing so after nightfall would contravene the laws of Shabbat. Her argument was not that we had waited for our host, which she had supported, but that the act of lighting the candles after nightfall was wrong and therefore, one should not light them at all.

The rest of the guests felt that to not light the candles would be to create an effrontery by not acknowledging Shabbat. In honor of Shabbat, and in recognition of our friend's effort to cook us a beautiful meal, we lit the candles, albeit late.

The second example is one many of us have faced before on Yom Kippur. On that day we normally fast from sundown the preceding day to the following evening. And fasting means no food OR water. But what about those who are sick or have to take medication - particularly those medications that are required to be taken with food?

The Talmud stresses that the ill are exempt from fasting (in modern times this includes those taking essential medications). But this exemption often doesn't absolve us of our feelings that we are somehow "cheating" on Yom Kippur: that on "the Shabbat of all Shabbats" we are evading our obligations as Jews.

Temple Emanu-El in New York may be doing something unusual by recording services and operating the Internet on High Holy Days, but they are also ensuring that others who are physically unable to attend services can still pray and fulfill their own responsibilities as Jews. It is a matter of interpretation in the strictest sense as to whether one who fulfills the mitzvah of fasting on that day but can't make it to the shul for services, is fulfilling his religious responsibilities by donning tallit and tefillin and following the service over the Internet. But I would hope that those who are confined by illness or responsibility these High Holy Days will have the opportunity to feel fulfilled and enriched as Jews.

Just the same, I suspect the issue of tradition and technology is a topic we will be revisiting more than once as the global Jewish community moves through the 21st century.

Posted by Jan Lee

The fall tint in afternoon air, the gentle browning of leaves brings many reflections at this time of year. For Jews it is the realization that the High Holy Day are approaching.

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur constitute the most important time of the year for Jews. Yom Kippur has been called the “Shabbat of all Shabbats” because of its holiness as a day of reflection and meaning. It is one holy day that most Jews, irrespective of their individual religious beliefs observe to one degree or another. Even in remote areas and in congregations where weekly attendance isn’t high, synagogues are usually packed on the night of Kol Nidre (the beginning of Yom Kippur). It is the one time when Jews come together in a consensus of faith, tribute and identity.

Tzedakah (charity) is a vital part of the High Holy Days tradition as well, not only because it is a mitzvah (commandment), but because this year the need is great. It doesn’t take much to see the impact of the recent economic catastrophes in one’s own neighborhood to realize the benefit of this age-old tradition.

The High Holy Days is also an important time for learning. Many Jews study the Talmud during this time, or pick out sections of the Tanach to review. They may attend special pre-High Holy Day workshops, or study online. The 21^st century affords us many options when it comes to learning.

In the coming weeks I will be publishing articles on the ways that communities are acknowledging this time of year. Are there unusual ways you have found to perform Tzedakah for others? What do Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur mean to you?

Please feel free to share your thoughts and your experiences. Sharing our traditions is a way of sharing our wealth - what this season is ultimately, all about.