As American synagogues have struggled with declining membership and attendance, they have sought innovative ways to attract congregants. Liel Leibovitz argues that these initiatives are often ineffective, and has some suggestions of his own—based on the principle that, “if you have to compete against Alex Rodriguez, play chess instead of baseball.” He writes:
[F]or the most part, American shuls have been trying to regain relevance by offering the very same services and attractions that competitors were providing far more attractively. Why come to yoga in the shul’s musty basement when the studio across the street is well appointed and slicker? Or why invest in musicians to grace services when their betters are playing the concert hall down the block? And who goes to a singles event at the local synagogue when JDate and JSwipe, not to mention Tinder and so many others, are a flick away?
[Instead, synagogues] should . . . ask themselves “what, specifically, is it that we do here?” And the answer might surprise them in its stark simplicity: what we do in synagogues is good, old-fashioned religion.
Rather than abandoning the traditional mantle for other, lighter ones that feel more colorful and cool and contemporary, synagogues should reiterate that their predominant commitment is, as it has always been, to the collective practice of religious ritual. . . . [T]hey should invest in training members of the clergy to speak confidently and knowledgeably about the words we recite when we pray and the intricate theology these prayers form and the subtle but meaningful ways in which this theology differs from other belief systems.
Read more on Tablet: http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/193316/learn-from-best-buy