The importance of keeping shuls relevant

JORDAN MOSHE

How can our local shuls compete with more appealing alternatives?

According to Rabbi Yossi Goldman of Sydenham Shul, the traditional shul-going Jew who is looking for an inspirational service is sadly a dying breed. “The new generation isn’t necessarily looking for it,” he adds. “It comes down to reaching people personally in order to create an interest they don’t have naturally.”

Waverley Shul’s Rabbi Gabi Bookatz says, “People are losing interest in shul because the old model doesn’t work anymore. The reality is that the category of traditional, middle-ground Jew is slowly fading away, with people either moving towards more religious enclaves in our community or becoming more assimilated. People in the middle are few and far between.”

Rabbi Osher Feldman of Gardens Shul in Cape Town says the consensus seems to be that it’s more difficult to attract secular people to shul today than it was in past generations. “Perhaps there used to be a greater social expectation to attend shul,” he says. “People are either becoming more religious or less affiliated.”

In 2017, Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein launched the Bright Spots initiative, a national workshop for local rabbis and community leaders which aimed to highlight some of the most successful shul projects geared towards attracting members. At the time, 11 South African shuls were identified by the initiative for a variety of unique approaches to attracting members, ranging from the student-exclusive minyan offered by Ohrsom Student to a streamlined, delay-free service at The Base Shul in Glenhazel.

Goldstein says the initiative served as a catalyst for creative thinking.

“Bright Spots recognised that we live in changing times, and shuls need to give real creative thought to addressing people’s needs and ensuring that shul remains a centre of Jewish life in South Africa,” Goldstein says.

“People are genuinely searching for a connection to a Jewish identity, spiritually, G-d, and fellow Jews. Shuls have so much to offer, and the project made me confident that our community can deliver.”

He says many shuls have applied themselves to the challenge since the first conference in 2017, yielding a number of initiatives.

“People need what the shul has to offer,” he says. “Community, social cohesion, support, spirituality, connection to identity – it’s a matter of presenting it in the right way. There’s a lot of fresh thinking taking place, but there’s a lot of work to be done.”

According to Bookatz, successful shuls are primarily more niched, focusing on delivering a particular product to a certain segment of the community. On the one side, more religious enclaves employ a successful formula by offering the right product in the right space for a niche group. On the other, certain shuls devote themselves to providing an open environment in which the non-religious feel welcome. This is primarily offered by Chabad.

“Chabad is fulfilling the role the old traditional shul played twenty years ago,” he says. “They’re doing something right. Their rabbonim are raised in a culture of welcoming people without judgement, driving chesed [kindness] on many fronts, and creating a comfortable, informal space which is inviting and social.”

Bigger, traditional shuls, however, aren’t keeping up. “They’re more formal, have expectations of how services should be run, and how formal people need to be,” says Bookatz. “They often feature a committee sitting in the box, a choir, or davening without any talking whatsoever. They have their value, but it’s not an attractive option for someone who is disconnected.”

Moreover, he says many shuls are failing to provide levels of intellectual engagement that can match that offered by other sources. Says Bookatz, “Many people today have access to high-level educational material and intellectual content. TED Talks, online courses, and other similar offerings have created an egalitarian space in which men and women of all ages have access to top intellectual stimulation.

“These people come to shul and expect to be engaged on the same level. Unfortunately, many rabbis are sharing information that’s sometimes not just irrelevant but uneducated from a historical, psychological, or educational perspective. It’s no wonder people are distant – they’d rather turn to their phones in the comfort of their homes for engagement and inspiration.”

Therefore, Bookatz urges rabbis to get in touch with the modern world, tap into contemporary intellectual offerings, and couple them with relevant Torah lessons. “The Torah offers guidance on matters like social responsibility and environmental issues,” says Bookatz. “Judaism engages with the subjects which interest people, and rabbis need to shed the light of Torah on these topics and help people navigate them.”

Beyond providing intellectual stimulation, it’s essential that rabbis be accessible and relatable, serving as an address for more than just religious questions.

“People are looking for a rabbi who they can establish a personal relationship with, and who will guide them through their life experiences,” says Feldman. “Whereas in the past the rabbi could have been aloof, today, particularly in mainstream traditional communities, people are looking for a rabbi they can relate to. A rabbi with the personal touch, with empathy, sensitivity, and understanding.”

The same must hold true for shuls themselves, with the need for social spaces that cater to more than just spiritual needs.

Shuls across our community have taken up the challenge, conceiving an array of events and activities aimed at enhancing ties with members. These include offerings like after-shul kiddush bonanzas featuring guest entertainers, massive brochas held outside in the street, and even campaigns encouraging shul-goers to bring an unaffiliated friend to a service. On a more personal level, rabbis are also meeting congregants for casual weekday catchups over coffee and hosting intimate dinners limited to a few guests only. Youth is also a focus, with customised shul programmes and youth centres being developed consistently.

Bookatz, Feldman, and Goldman stress, however, that events can accomplish only so much, and personalising the experience as much as possible is key.

“A successful community isn’t one that offers the most programmes, but one in which the leaders understand the specific needs of their community members,” says Feldman. The success of a shul is not only about new and exciting initiatives, it’s also about getting the basics right.”

This means investing not only in congregants, but in rabbis, says Bookatz.

“The shuls which thrive are those who’ve invested in their rabbis, who in turn invest in people who then feel part of something,” he says. “We need to invest in our rabbis to give them the skills to invest in others.

“Essentially, shuls need to cheer for people when they arrive. People who don’t engage in shul are craving it. The rate of loneliness is skyrocketing, and social media makes it worse. People are lonely and want to belong. Shuls can make them feel welcome.”