In about a week’s time, thousands of Jews will flock to synagogues to mark the High Holydays, beginning with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, and culminating with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. And yet, while thousands will go to the synagogue, thousands will not. Indeed, each year, the large numbers of unaffiliated Jews in the United States grows larger and larger. Many Jews  especially young people   have nowhere to go, or go nowhere. Why?

There are many reasons for this. In order to attend High Holyday services, congregations of all branches of Judaism require synagogue membership so as to obtain entry tickets. Some congregations allow non-members to purchase tickets, which can be costly. While synagogue membership and joining a congregation is important, many unaffiliated people are not yet ready to make that financial commitment before attending. Hence, they miss out on the High Holyday experience.

Another reason for those who stay away from synagogue on the High Holydays is because those with no background find the services with their extensive Hebrew liturgy to be a closed door for them in terms of understanding and appreciating what it’s all about. Still others, including veteran worshipers (who drop out from attendance) find the services to be boring and lacking in meaning or raising problems of belief. Then for many, the classical liturgy does not speak to their cares or concerns. It seems remote from their lives or the issues of the day. Finally, much of the music utilized for these days, while beautiful and majestic, does not seem to connect—especially with young people.

The net result of all this is that more and more Jews are going less and less to the synagogue over the High Holydays. Some may be found at family dinners  a kind of pre-Thanksgiving or Fall "Passover seder-like" event   but increasingly, they are absent from the synagogue. This group is growing, whether it be those who have never attended because it did not seem right for them or those who have attended and have dropped out.

This situation is itself part of a larger trend that finds many Jews, especially younger Jews, loosening and then losing their ties with their ancestral heritage. For centuries the synagogue and school have been at the heart of Jewish continuity. They have been the institutions that have provided the spiritual fuel that kept the Jew, qua Jew, going no matter what the conditions that surrounded them. As ties to these institutions weaken, the future of the Jewish community and its varied agencies and other institutions is threatened.

At best, many Jews find Judaism to be a lovely ethnic pastiche of chicken matzo ball soul and pastrami sandwiches with a few Jackie Mason jokes thrown in or at worst an anachronistic irrelevancy that one associates with their grandmother or grandfather.

In order to address this situation, our congregation, East Side Synagogue, has presented High Holyday services that are open to unaffiliated and disconnected Jews. We especially reach out to those from Reform, Conservative and non-affiliated backgrounds. We make these services available at no charge with no tickets or reservations needed. During these services, to which anyone can just walk in, we look to confront and respond to many of the above issues which can cause people to stay away from the synagogue especially over the High Holyday period.

Thus, the services are mostly in English to aid and increase understanding and appreciation. Through inspirational commentary we seek to apply the themes of the Holydays to the life of those who attend. We utilize    beyond the haunting traditional chant   contemporary instrumental and vocal music. We link the service both to social justice called tikkun olam (fixing/healing the world) and to inner work called tikkun ha-nefesh (fixing/healing the self). By being both joyous and contemplative, we look to offer a spiritual encounter that is user-friendly and opens people to the deeper experience of these days as it resonates with contemporary relevance and personal meaning.

Our conviction is that you can’t practice Judaism with your grandfather’s heart but must approach these days with a new, fresh , different and vibrant style that speaks to someone who lives and struggles in the 21st Century.

We’ve been at it for 26 years and thousands and thousands of people (including seekers, the intermarried, people of all faiths or no faith) have crossed our threshold and had their lives deepened and transformed. Our success shows that there is a real spiritual hunger for meaning and passion and that Judaism can provide it. Our doors are open and all you have to do is cross the threshold. No requirements but an open mind and an open heart.