Today, we’re mourning the loss of our social spaces. Tomorrow, let’s redesign them. – Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Posted By admin on May 4, 2020
CLEVELAND (JTA) Remember when we used to go to shul, Mommy?
Its Shabbat morning and my children are repeating the same weekly ritual which now seems to have replaced the practice of actually attending synagogue. While my husband and I pray, they pepper us with questions, comments and reminders about the world that once was. They wax poetic about the hot potato kugel at the weekly kiddush.
Prayers are great anywhere, I tell them. And though it doesnt come out of the kitchen in a two-foot long pan, I remind them that my kugel isnt half bad.
But what my children miss is not just the Shabbat services and observances they are also missing the synagogue itself.
I study urban planning, so I have a framework for understanding what my children are yearning for. I know that social interactions are deeply shaped by physical environments. The design of a city the built and natural infrastructure, the designated uses of specific spaces affects the ways that people experience one another and themselves. And what does and does not get built, the amount of space that is dedicated to specific functions and the general flow of the city are fundamentally shaped by what the people within the city believe to be important.
The earliest cities were intended to serve as centers of worship and religious practice. Ziggurats, pyramids, temples, churches, mosques and other religious buildings not only served as a statement to the importance of the religion they were also formally and informally used as mechanisms to maintain religious observance and social cohesion. Either directly, through sermons or practices, or indirectly, through communal gatherings and peer pressure, physical infrastructure plays a significant role in the enduring practice of religion.
So, its clear to me that months of isolation from synagogues, schools, religious non-profits and other internal social spaces even the very cities in which they are located will affect the Jewish community for longer than the virus requires.
With such an abrupt and extended interruption in practice and the decentralization of observance, can we expect that people will simply snap back when buildings reopen? Or will people find it difficult to readjust to the expectations of institutional Judaism having been without the communal aspect of the lifestyle for so many months?
What we know about public space suggests that the latter case is more likely. After months of distance prayer and individualized religious practice, we will grow distant from the social processes that our physical institutions enabled us to maintain.
By nature, individual household standards often differ from those that are enforced through institutions and communal systems. Even for those who can and do utilize technology to engage in prayers, learning and communal events, the experience just isnt the same.
Changes to our Jewish space now overwhelmingly personal and individualized will likely mean changes in the ways we are Jews together. But this new state of Jewish life presents opportunities: When we return to them, we can use our physical institutions to strengthen individual growth and education, giving people the tools to thoughtfully engage with ritual, practice and belief.
Rather than disregard the value of individualized and personal spaces, we can think more creatively about how to create communal spaces that are as flexible, understanding and thoughtful as our personal living rooms. Spaces that encourage us to expand our mindfulness of the needs of others, that thrive on transparency and openness spaces that enable us to avoid the perpetuation of hidden crises, financial debt and under-addressed mental health concerns.
We can redesign the physical layouts of synagogues to maximize the inclusion of people with disabilities, women, and children. We can set up prayer and communal spaces to allow people to interact with one another and encourage more thoughtfulness. We can use communal event landscapes such as a kiddush to engage in thoughtful conversations about food and housing insecurity.
These efforts will require leaders to adapt and bring new voices to the table. And we might be surprised to see that thoughtful design choices can actually enable, rather than hinder, inclusion, personalization and religious adherence.
We cannot pursue or achieve these goals if we maintain a desire and expectation to return to business as usual once the immediate health crisis has ended. Just as COVID-19 has forced us to rethink the ways we live our secular lives, revitalizing our community after this crisis will require our leaders to reconsider their own deeply held views on religious life.
I dont want my children to spend every Shabbat trying to remember what once was. But with a bit of thoughtful work, they will gain tremendously from the Jewish spaces that can be.
This piece is a part of our series of Visions for the Post-Pandemic Jewish Future click here to read the other stories in this series. Use #JewishFuture to share your own ideas on social media. If youd like to submit an essay for consideration, email opinions@jta.org with Visions Project Submission in the subject line.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.
View post:
- Brooklyn synagogue pulls off massive wedding and it's apparently legal - New York Post - January 20th, 2021
- Fake letter attributed to VP Harris warns DC synagogues they must close - The Jerusalem Post - January 20th, 2021
- Ossoff to be sworn in using Hebrew Bible of rabbi whose synagogue was bombed by racists - Forward - January 20th, 2021
- Suspect arrested after swastikas spray-painted on Montreal synagogue - Cleveland Jewish News - January 20th, 2021
- Fake letter attributed to Kamala Harris warns DC synagogues they must close or be shut down - Cleveland Jewish News - January 20th, 2021
- Synagogue service times: Week of January 15 | Synagogues - Cleveland Jewish News - January 18th, 2021
- Book Reviews: 'Beyond the Synagogue' and 'Tonight is Already Tomorrow' - Jewish Exponent - January 18th, 2021
- Alleged Montreal synagogue vandal charged with attempted arson, uttering threats - Coast Mountain News - January 18th, 2021
- Lawrence rabbi threatened after newspaper delivery halted - liherald.com - January 18th, 2021
- Synagogue service times: Week of January 1 | Synagogues - Cleveland Jewish News - January 4th, 2021
- Finding a way forward after the Tree of Life synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh - The Christian Century - January 4th, 2021
- Lower East Side construction project on site of historic synagogue includes space for congregation - Forward - January 4th, 2021
- How the pandemic has scrambled the rabbi hiring process - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - January 4th, 2021
- No. 208: Declaring an Emergency on Order to Appoint New Jersey and Connecticut Police Officers as Railroad Police Officers to Provide Enhanced... - January 4th, 2021
- 'My whole world went away': 2020 through the eyes of Alabamians - AL.com - January 4th, 2021
- East Bay synagogues donate 232000 meals to food bank - The Jewish News of Northern California - December 25th, 2020
- Oldest Synagogue in Bulgaria Vandalized With Anti-Zionist Slogans Urging Destruction of Israel - Algemeiner - December 25th, 2020
- Davenport synagogue Rabbi reacts to vandalism just before Hanukkah celebration - WQAD.com - December 16th, 2020
- Congregation Beth Israel and Chabad of Forsyth break ground on new Jewish Community Center of North Georgia and synagogue campus - Forsyth County News... - December 16th, 2020
- Orthodox Union Exec: 'We Must Bring the Backyard Experience into the Shul Instead of the Shul Experience to the Backyard' - Orthodox Union - December 16th, 2020
- For many Palm Beach residents, Hanukkah is a small family celebration this year - Palm Beach Daily News - December 16th, 2020
- Explore the Transformation of NYC's Lower East Side - Untapped New York - Untapped New York - December 16th, 2020
- Jewish Synagogue Receives Another Threatening Call: Blotter - Patch.com - December 7th, 2020
- Somehow, Ive Become the Threat - Slate - December 7th, 2020
- 'Beautiful in its own way': Conversions to Judaism amid the pandemic - Jewish Insider - December 7th, 2020
- Hot-Desk Judaism has arrived. | Sally Berkovic | The Blogs - The Times of Israel - December 7th, 2020
- Work, history and dialogue keep Jews, Muslims happy together in sunny Marseille - The Times of Israel - December 7th, 2020
- THIS WEEK: Fort Bend County legislators to discuss upcoming Texas Legislature - Houston Chronicle - December 7th, 2020
- 'Jesus wins' daubed on shul and Shoah monument in Greece - Jewish News - December 7th, 2020
- Synagogue to be sold due to decline in membership - Times Herald-Record - December 5th, 2020
- Want to celebrate Hanukkah? These Atlanta and Sandy Springs synagogues and temples are hosting events - MDJOnline.com - December 5th, 2020
- In LA, a high-profile merger prompts questions over the future of the synagogue - Forward - December 5th, 2020
- Margate community comes together to try and buy back historic synagogue - In Your Area - December 5th, 2020
- One of the First Virus Hot Spots in the U.S. Is Under Siege Again - The New York Times - December 5th, 2020
- Got $50 million? The Forest Hills Jewish Center is on the market - Queens Daily Eagle - December 5th, 2020
- Tiny colorful houses for homeless Oakland youth almost ready J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - December 5th, 2020
- CLERGY CORNER: Shine the light - newportri.com - December 5th, 2020
- Rockland County Village Used Anti-Semitic Zoning To Punish Orthodox Residents, Prosecutors Say - Gothamist - December 5th, 2020
- Congregation Kol Tikvah Brings Disney-Style Fun to Parkland This Weekend - Parkland Talk - Parkland Talk - December 5th, 2020
- Synagogue's tradition keeps firefighters well fed on Thanksgiving Day - WGAL Susquehanna Valley Pa. - November 28th, 2020
- Letters to the editor | The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle - thejewishchronicle.net - November 28th, 2020
- Cuomo: Massive Orthodox wedding in Brooklyn 'disrespectful' - Associated Press - November 25th, 2020
- Cuomo: Disrespectful' of Thousands to Attend Secret Orthodox Wedding in Brooklyn - NBC New York - November 25th, 2020
- Congregation Or Tzion adopts voluntary 'Gift of the Heart' membership model - Jewish News of Greater Phoenix - November 25th, 2020
- Campaign launched to save historic Cliftonville synagogue - The Isle of Thanet News - November 25th, 2020
- Miracle in the Synagogue - Israel Today - November 25th, 2020
- Wembley shul set to relocate after more than 60 years - Jewish News - November 25th, 2020
- B'nai Emunah Synagogue Rabbi Hospitalized With COVID-19 - News On 6 - November 25th, 2020
- Officials Investigate Reports of 'Big Wedding' in Hudson Valley - Hudson Valley Post - November 25th, 2020
- City Is Investigating Large Satmar Wedding Held In Brooklyn In Violation Of COVID-19 Restrictions - Gothamist - November 25th, 2020
- Armed guards providing protection for synagogues | This Is Local London - This is Local London - November 15th, 2020
- Staying Apart, But Praying Together - The New York Times - November 15th, 2020
- Praying through the second wave: Expert advice on staying safe - Forward - November 15th, 2020
- Man sentenced for plotting attack on Las Vegas synagogue - Las Vegas Review-Journal - November 13th, 2020
- Mergers and More: What Is Happening to the American Synagogue, and Why? - Jewish Journal - November 13th, 2020
- Massacre at Pittsburghs Tree of Life Synagogue remembered with do-good Fall Food Giveaway - SILive.com - November 13th, 2020
- Unstructured Synagogue Havurah Marks 50 Years of Friendship, Creative Approach to Judaism - Jewish Exponent - November 13th, 2020
- European synagogues keep the lights on to mark Kristallnacht anniversary - The Jewish News of Northern California - November 13th, 2020
- Some local Conservative synagogues return to in-person services - The Jewish News of Northern California - November 13th, 2020
- Creators of anonymous RogueShul Twitter account reveal their identities - The Jewish News of Northern California - November 13th, 2020
- Win-win Thanksgiving food drive - The Jewish Standard - November 13th, 2020
- Rockland crackdown on coronavirus violations led to one fine that's still unpaid - The Journal News - November 13th, 2020
- There is no space for hate Yeshiva University News - Yu News - November 13th, 2020
- Oppose hatred in all its forms, UN chief urges - UN News - November 13th, 2020
- Viennas woes: On Islamist terror attack - The Hindu - November 9th, 2020
- Statement from Governor Cuomo on Two-Year Anniversary of Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting - ny.gov - October 28th, 2020
- A Moment Of Silence For The 11 Lives Lost At The Tree Of Life Synagogue - CBS Pittsburgh - October 28th, 2020
- 'Love Can Overpower Hatred': Remembering The Lives Lost 2 Years Ago At Tree Of Life Synagogue - CBS Pittsburgh - October 28th, 2020
- On Second Anniversary of Pittsburgh Synagogue Massacre, Top US Jewish Group Urges Unity in Fight Against 'Pernicious Cancer of Antisemitism' -... - October 28th, 2020
- Richmond synagogue inviting people to explore 'Secrets of the Bible' - Richmond News - October 28th, 2020
- Pittsburghers reflect on the experience of virtual services - thejewishchronicle.net - October 28th, 2020
- Survey: Nearly Half Of Americans Arent Familiar With The Term Anti-Semitism - CBS Pittsburgh - October 28th, 2020
- Virtual Friendship Circle walk finds success in return to old Jewish neighborhood - Cleveland Jewish News - October 28th, 2020
- Europes Jewish population down 60% since 1970, as low as it was 1,000 years ago - The Times of Israel - October 28th, 2020
- Locals bring restoration of Kadavumbhagam synagogue to a halt - The Hindu - October 16th, 2020
- The Hampton Synagogue: Making Global Waves from WHB - Dan's Papers - October 16th, 2020
- Kiryas Joel community gathers at synagogue for holiday amid high COVID-19 infection rate - News 12 Westchester - October 14th, 2020
- The Struggle To Preserve Afghanistans Jewish Heritage - Gandhara - October 14th, 2020
- Theres no going back What rabbis learned from the extraordinary High Holidays of 2020 - Forward - October 14th, 2020
- Reflections of a survivor on second anniversary of Pittsburgh synagogue shooting - thejewishchronicle.net - October 7th, 2020
Comments