E

ngaging young adults in synagogue 
participation requires a specific 
approach, especially around the High 
Holidays. 
 “We have to make it accessible,
” says 
Congregation Shaarey Zedek’s Rabbi 
Yonatan Dahlen. “
And that’s really hard.
”
The key, he explains, is blending accessi-
bility with authenticity. For the young adult 
population, it can be difficult to not only 
encourage synagogue membership, but to 
also provide young adults with meaningful 
opportunities to become contributing mem-
bers.
At Shaarey Zedek, roughly 200 family 
units fall into the young adult demographic 
— or the equivalent of 20% of the syna-
gogue’s overall membership. Still, as older 
demographics slowly age out, keeping young 
members engaged and active within orga-
nizations is essential to the future of syna-
gogues throughout Metro Detroit.
“
Around the High Holidays, we see a ton 
of young folks,
” Dahlen says. “But I think we 
see them because they’re going with their 
parents or grandparents, and they’ve been 
asked to do so. It’s meaningful to them, but 
I think they’re having different experiences 
than their parents or grandparents are hav-

ing.
”
 The problem, Dahlen says, is that interests 
are often different for younger members. 
Priorities are also an obstacle, especially for 
young adults who can’t attend services. In 
some cases, rather than prioritizing tradition 
or attending services on High Holidays, 
work often comes first — a reflection of 
today’s changing work culture, he continues.
In other cases, raising a young family 
makes it difficult to allow time for services, 
and it’s often not possible for newer parents 
to attend synagogue on High Holidays. 
Other young adults simply don’t want to 
attend services because they’re too struc-
tured and formal, an experience that young-
er populations can struggle to relate to.
All in all, these issues contribute to ongo-
ing reductions in synagogue membership 
nationwide — and keeping younger mem-
bers engaged is essential to long-term lon-
gevity.
“Pew Research Center studies tell us 
that synagogue membership is dwindling,
” 
Dahlen says. A 2021 Pew report, for exam-
ple, examined why. The top reason, it found, 
was that most people simply “weren’t reli-
gious.
” Other explanations included a “lack 
of interest” and “not knowing enough to 

participate.
”
Synagogue fees were also a concern noted 
amongst Jewish leadership, although many 
young study participants under 30 were less 
likely to report financial barriers than older 
participants. So, pricing isn’t a major issue 
for young Jewish adults although it may 
seem like a logical barrier that keeps people 
from enrolling in synagogue membership.
Therefore, how do synagogues work 
around these other, deeper concerns?

FINDING MEANING
The first step, Dahlen explains, is tackling 
the unique needs of younger members. 
“There is a big chunk of people, especially 
young adults, who do consider themselves 
spiritual,
” he says. “For millennials, we are by 
nature distrusting of institutions and organi-
zations. But we’re still looking for something 
that will give us meaning in our lives.
”
To navigate this, Dahen says synagogues 
must meet young members at their own 
levels. 
“The bar is really high as far as entry into 
synagogue life,
” he explains. “We’ve put a 
lot of stock into prayer, which makes sense 
because first and foremost, a synagogue is a 
place to pray.
”

66 | SEPTEMBER 22 • 2022 
 
 
 
 

Authenticity is key to engaging 
young adults in synagogue life, 
says CSZ rabbi.

Young Adults 
& Synagogue 
Membership

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

NEXT DOR

VOICE OF A 
NEW GENERATION

