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26 Feb 2013

Tuesday Morning Torah – February 26, 2013

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Yesterday I read a very interesting article about the importance of synagogue membership written by Jordana Horn, the former New York bureau chief for The Jerusalem Post and a contributing editor to the parenting website Kveller.com. The article began:

Confessions of a Synagogue Membership Hoarder: Why We Need To Stay Connected and Belong to a Shul

My family belongs to two synagogues. In two years, when our two smallest children start going to synagogue nursery school, we’re probably going to join the nursery school’s synagogue, too. Have I mentioned that we are also being actively recruited as members of a fourth synagogue?… All this adds up to a lot of Sukkot dinner invitations. And a lot of Purim baskets.

Don’t think that I’m “just a girl who can’t say no.” The checking account is, after all, finite. But the dues to join a true community are worth the price of admission.
A synagogue is an essential “home base” of Judaism. Without that community home base, we are at risk of becoming, quite literally, nothing…..

Should subsidized memberships be available for younger members, or for members in not-particularly-well-paid jobs? Yes. Should “membership scholarships” be available to members of the community who are willing to commit to a certain number of hours of synagogue-related volunteer work? Yes. Basically, I believe that anything can and should be tried to make sure that synagogue membership numbers grow rather than diminish.

Why do I feel that being a member of a synagogue is so fundamentally necessary? It’s not just because I have plenty of rabbi friends that I don’t want to see out of work. It’s really because I see an inevitable snowball effect: If you decide you can “do something yourself,” why not? Why bother with the institutions? And Judaism is actually an institutionally centered religion and culture.

The fact is, contrary to our modern ethos, Judaism isn’t supposed to be a do-it-yourself religion. Yes, its portability and durability stem from its adaptability and intellectual inquiry, the roots of rabbinic Judaism. But it isn’t supposed to be something you can do alone.

For the complete article click   here:

 I realize that many of you are members of our synagogue and understand the message that Horn is sending. I know that in large part I am “preaching to the choir.” I thank you for your support and hope that you find meaning, purpose, and a sense of satisfaction from belonging to your Torat El family. But we all know that there are many Jews who do not feel connected and who do not feel any sense of connection, or responsibility when it comes to synagogue affiliation. That is why I am asking you to do something different this week. Before you hit delete, please forward this article on to at least three people who are not members of a synagogue and invite their reactions. Engage them in this conversation and share with them your thoughts on the importance of synagogue membership.

If you feel comfortable sharing, please e-mail me to discuss what you learned. As always, if you have additional suggestions for addressing this challenging issue, please send them to me.

Thanks! I look forward to hearing from you!

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