By Marc Hurwitz, Tribe Coordinator
This is the time of year where many of us in our 20s and 30s start panicking as we have to scurry to find a place for High Holy Day services. This often makes no sense to our gentile friends, who ask why we have to pay to pray. While many of us may grudgingly agree with this view, we also know that Judaism has no Vatican, that our houses of worship are funded by the communities they serve, and membership dues are the norm to ensure our synagogues survive. This said, it does little to help the struggling young professional who can’t afford synagogue dues. While usually no synagogue will turn away anyone who asks for a ticket, it still takes some swallowing of pride to ask. Many of America’s synagogues may be in for a rude awakening when the current young professional community comes of age – we are less likely to pay annual membership dues. Our synagogues will have to find new ways to engage us to ensure their own survival.
In the short-term, we as young professionals are left to find welcoming high holy day services. For those who prefer to be surrounded by their own demographic with whom they can relate, The Tribe is really excited and proud to offer free Erev Rosh Hashanah and Kol Nidrei services at the Jewish Museum. This is no small undertaking – from negotiating with the venue, the valet services, obtaining food and wine, preparing the mahzor, etc., a considerable amount of time and money has already been spent. While we hope for 250 people, we’ll be happy with 10, so long as our guests feel welcome and spiritually fulfilled!
Check out our website for the High Holy Day services details, at www.thetribemb.org. We wish you all a very happy, sweet, and healthy New Year!
The Tribe
