Nontraditional Jewish High Holy Day Programs
Alternative Ideas Give Support During Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
© Jan Lee
Aug 27, 2009
For many Jews who live outside of metropolitan centers, attending Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services in a shul (a synagogue) can be problematic. Transportation, expense or physical limitations may prohibit some from attending services.
Other Jews who reside in the city but live alone may find it difficult to find a nearby synagogue that will be open to new attendees.
And others still may find the actual expense of this time of the year is prohibitive. Since Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) services can be expensive to produce, synagogues often charge attendance at this time of year, and have a limited number of seats available for non-members. While most Jewish congregations maintain a sliding scale policy for those with limited income, some people may feel uncomfortable about requesting assistance, and choose instead, not to attend.
Jewish High Holy Day Services on the Internet
A number of Jewish organizations across North America have recognized the need for further outreach and have come up with some innovative ways to extend their programs to members of the Jewish community at large.
One such organization is the well known Reform synagogue, Congregation Emanu-El of New York City. Temple Emanu-El has been been publicizing its High Holy Day services to the greater public by broadcast radio on station WQXR since 1945. Administrative Vice President Mark Weisstuch, who runs the non-pastoral activities for Temple Emanu-El, said it was a natural progression for the synagogue to use internet broadcasts as well.
“We wanted to make services available to people who were not able to attend services in the sanctuary,” he said. This included people who might be confined to home or nursing facilities due to illness, and those who live too far from the synagogue or were unable to be present for other reasons. “We have had this as a part of our mission for many years."
Passover and High Holy Day Services
“When we started doing the broadcasts over the Web they were technically less sophisticated than they are now,” said Dr. Weisstuch. Temple Emanu-El, a congregation of more than 7,000 members, began broadcasting Passover and High Holy Day services in 1995 with abbreviated segments that were repeated over a 24-hour period.
He added, “Now (it is) much easier to listen to the broadcasts and it is basically a live service in its entirety.”
Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur Audiences
The broadcasts have received a tremendous response over the years, not only in the United States, but all over the world. Listeners in France, Germany and Japan have written in to express their appreciation.
“We have even gotten some emails from people in prison who have been able to avail themselves to the service,” Dr. Weisstuch said.
Temple Emanu-El Internet Broadcast Times
Services for 2009 can be accessed through Temple Emanu-El’s website, which also provides the calendar and times for its sanctuary services. The synagogue plans to have the broadcasts up within about 20 minutes after the conclusion of services (Eastern Standard Time).
Dr. Weisstuch acknowledged that broadcasting High Holy Day services by internet on a day when many Jews abstain from turning on the computer, writing or even driving was a fairly unconventional idea. However, he didn’t think their efforts were that extraordinary these days.
More Congregations Broadcasting Services
“It is pretty much acknowledged that Liberal Jews don’t adhere to all the halachic views.” He added that the act of broadcasting on the Internet isn’t that much of a novelty anymore – even for a synagogue.
“At this point, we are not the only one doing this. Several congregations are broadcasting their services …It is a very important way of reaching people,” said Dr. Weisstuch.
Nevertheless, Emanu-El does have its sights on other cutting-edge ideas. “We would like to have a visual (broadcast) as well as an audio one,” he said, noting it is a bold step to consider right now given the current economic conditions. The synagogue plans to revisit that idea in the future.
Readers may wish to check the Judaism section frequently for further articles on High Holy Day programs and other public services. Additional articles that may be of interest as well include Judaism's Ancient Hebrew Calendar and Rural Jews - Today's Jewish Pioneers.
Sources:
 |
