AUGUST 17 • 2023 | 21
thought I would learn so
much about Zoom and
ways to keep congregants
engaged during services! It
was really like learning to be a
television performer or TikTok
personality! I very much
appreciated the help of our
technical crew at the temple,
who often helped with screen-
sharing, bringing in lively
videos from musical groups
like 613 or the Maccabeats,
especially at the opening of
our services,” says Rabbi Dorit
Edut, part-time rabbi at Bay
City’s Temple Beth
Israel, a Reform
congregation that
serves the Jewish
communities of
Bay City, Saginaw
and Midland.
Rabbi Bergman
said, “Sermons were very hard
because you don’t get audience
feedback. You don’t know who
you’re talking to on Zoom.”
Some congregations bought
audiovisual equipment and
computers, using their own
staff and members to live
stream religious services.
Several larger congregations
used and continue to use
professional production
companies to create engaging,
high-quality services on Zoom
or YouTube.
Rabbis and congregants
agree that online services and
programs lack the personal
connection of being together,
but they do expand access.
Even after COVID restrictions
were loosened, many
congregations continued and
still provide hybrid services
so that people can participate
online or in-person. This is
convenient for people who are
“snowbirds,” out of town for
other reasons, or not healthy
enough or otherwise reluctant
to attend in person.
When public gatherings
were again permitted, some
congregations added tents or
outdoor pavilions to facilitate
in-person attendance while
avoiding close indoor contact.
Some synagogues, such as
Congregation Shaarey Zedek
and Adat Shalom Synagogue,
purchased or expanded air
circulation systems as a safety
measure for indoor events.
The congregation also built a
new playground “to encourage
families to socialize again,”
says Rabbi Aaron Starr of
Congregation Shaarey Zedek, a
Conservative shul
in Southfield.
COVID also
had an impact
on synagogue
operating
expenses and
revenues. While
costs for utilities and Kiddush
declined when buildings
were closed or access limited,
there were new expenses
for audiovisual equipment
and software. Also, revenues
declined from fundraisers and
other events that could not be
held inside.
RETURNING TO A
NEW NORMAL
While the availability of
vaccines generally eased
anxiety about COVID, some
congregations were divided
about their value, the need
for health precautions and the
overall political climate.
“There was a divisive sense
within people that made the
job more challenging. We
were trying to accommodate
everyone who was coming
to shul,” explains Rabbi
Silberberg. His
congregation had
a two-minyan
system (to
accommodate
those with
different concerns
about COVID) for
a long time.
“There’s no sense in
pretending the world hasn’t
changed. There is unresolved
trauma. People are looking
for connection,” says Rabbi
Bergman.
Rabbis from six congre-
gations — two Orthodox, two
Reform and two Conservative
— say that membership levels
have remained relatively stable
during and after COVID.
Several mention that some
members have not returned
to religious services in person
— either due to concern about
exposure to COVID or the ease
of online access. Depending
on the congregation, daily
minyanim may be on Zoom,
in person or both.
“The mission of Judaism is
relational — to bring people
closer to God, to each other,
to help those in need. All
of us had to innovate and
renovate. It helped us to clarify
what we do and strengthened
relationships,” Rabbi Starr says.
Rabbi Dorit
Edut
Rabbi
Aaron Starr
Rabbi
Shneur
Silberberg
Post-Pandemic Trends
The use of technology has continued — bolstering
participation in religious services and educational
programs. Attendance at hybrid (combined online and
in-person services and programs) sometimes exceeds
pre-COVID levels, according to several local rabbis.
Some individuals are still concerned about being
in large groups of people and prefer to avoid such
events.
Synagogue and temple membership levels have
generally been maintained at pre-COVID levels.
TEMPLE ISRAEL
Temple Israel holds
services in its Harriett
& Morton Freedman
Outdoor Sanctuary
during the summer.