Some Jewish synagogues are taking their lead from a mover behind the Protestant phenomena of mega-churches.
According to Synagogue 3000, an umbrella organization pushing for synagogue transformation, there was “a pathbreaking meeting with Rick Warren ("The Purpose-Driven Life"), founding pastor of Saddleback Church" – an evangelical Christian church that average over 30,000 worshippers each weekend - to explore what synagogues can learn from mega-churches and small groups.
With a new model in place, Synagogue 3000 says that “thousands of Jewish worshippers around the country are being drawn to (the organization’s) new concept of lively, creative and spiritually welcoming communities.” The organization says the success of its venture defies the notion that there is a decreased demand for synagogues, and claims that Synagogue 3000 congregations are growing, not shrinking.
Synagogue 3000 says that for years “many Jews spent the Jewish High Holidays (Yamim No'raim - days of awe) bored, counting pages and looking at the clock.” To change that habit, Synagogue 3000 says it seeks to engage worshippers “to be center stage active players instead of disengaged spectators.” According to the Judaism 101 website, Rosh Hashana occurs on the first and second days of Tishri, or the seventh month of the Jewish year, and “is commonly known as the Jewish New Year.” This year, the Jewish New Year began Monday, Oct. 3 at sundown.
Synagogue 3000 says its objective is to encourage Jews to recommit to Jewish tradition and “synagogue life by creating new 21st century spiritual arenas where relationships with God and with each other define everything the synagogue does.”
Synagogue 3000 was developed by Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman of Hebrew Union College and Dr. Ron Wolfson of University of Judaism, and includes 18 clergy and artists working in synagogues from New York to Los Angeles. A major gift from the Marcus Foundation, led by Home Depot
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