On Multiple Minyanim
Many synagogues have explored offering more than one type of service on Shabbat mornings. That idea, although by no means revolutionary, has its merits and possibilities, but at the same time it can create unanticipated challenges for the community.
Why does a congregation choose to conduct a second, or even third, service concurrent with the main service on a Shabbat morning? Does the existence of alternative minyanim pose a threat to congregational the unity? Will a congregation seem fractured by separate services? Does a synagogue with dwindling attendance stand to suffer if some congregants are pulled out of the main service?
The questions are legitimate, the answers are not always obvious or straightforward, the challenges trigger concern – and the rewards just may be limitless!
For my synagogue, Congregation Beth Sholom of Teaneck, New Jersey, a suburban community just minutes from Manhattan, the issues have been less obvious. The synagogue has struggled to balance the growth and success of a second alternative service, now called Minyan Koleinu, with an already successful main service and another service appropriately called the parallel minyan. The main service, where Rabbi Kenneth Berger has officiated for close to 30 years, generally draws between 150 to 200 congregants on a Shabbat without a bar or bat mitzvah. All the Beth Sholom services feature sh’lichei tzibur, service leaders, drawn from the congregation. The parallel minyan was established in the mid-1980s so members could have the option of an egalitarian service. (The synagogue became fully egalitarian in the late 1980s.) Meeting on the first and third Shabbat of the month, the parallel minyan offers abbreviated davening, triennial Torah reading, and lively, stimulating divrei Torah given by members.
So why a third service? What is it about Minyan Koleinu, now in its third year and drawing 75 to 100 people on the second and fourth Shabbat of the month, that compelled adding a completely different service in an already successful synagogue?
Minyan Koleinu was created by members who wanted a service that emphasized spirited davening, new melodies, and engaging niggunim, and that included a full Torah reading. The service would welcome families with young children – in other words, be kid-friendly – and at the same time not discourage older members from participating. The service also was seen as a bridge to young Jews who live in New York City, where they attend such independent minyanim as Kehilat Hadar. As some of these young Jews eventually seek a suburban and more affordable life they find themselves reluctant to leave the spirited davening they have come to enjoy in the city. Minyan Koleinu fills that gap. It also is meant to provide diversity and choice, following the synaplex model.
Minyan Koleinu continues to thrive, and its success can provide a model to other congregations. It has flourished by following these five mandates:
Be organic. Find out what works and what doesn’t; see what congregants respond to and what they don’t. The Minyan Koleinu steering committee meets regularly to evaluate its core principles and practices. The committee is aware of the need to be flexible. For example, it must pay attention to the dynamics of young children in the service, encouraging older members to be tolerant and parents to know when it’s time to take a child out of the room.
Be instructive. Minyan Koleinu regularly conducts Lunch and Melody workshops to introduce new tunes. That way, there always is a critical mass of participants who know the melodies, and the service stays spirited and fresh. When a new practice is introduced, the rationale is discussed until everyone is comfortable with it. Recently, individual people have been asked to read the prayers for the United States and Israel out loud. Until now, those prayers had been read responsively. The committee felt that they might have a greater impact on the congregation that way.
Be aware of the need for congregational unity. It is imperative that all services end at the same time so everyone can come together as a congregation for kiddush. Participants remind themselves often that they are members of Congregation Beth Sholom who happen to daven at Minyan Koleinu.
Be sure to remember that the rabbi is the congregation’s mara d’atra. A fundamental tenet of United Synagogue and the Rabbinical Assembly is that a community’s rabbi is its religious decisor and halakhic authority. Alternative minyanim must respect the rabbi’s role and work with him or her to learn what is acceptable and what is not. Minyan Koleinu sends any proposed changes to our rabbi for review. Committee members know his constraints and guidelines, yet they always afford him the opportunity to review any proposed changes in the synagogue’s normal practices. Minyanim must work through the rabbi and ritual committee and accept the rabbi’s authority. Wherever possible, rabbis must be willing to work with these groups. Rabbis should understand the needs of the members, and without compromising their values should find ways to address those needs and accommodate those goals.
Be conscious of knee-jerk opposition. Many members automatically will object to new minyanim, seeing them as a threat to the community’s overall health. Avoid confrontation and seek opportunities for dialogue and understanding. So far, Minyan Koleinu has run into a number of speed bumps, but thanks to a synagogue president and ritual chairs with open minds, the community provided a number of productive forums to address concerns in a respectful manner. Patience is a virtue. It may take time for people to see that alternative minyanim are positive developments in a synagogue’s life rather than an instrument of destruction.
Multiple minyanim can enhance the overall health of a successful synagogue and lead to a renaissance in a struggling one. They can bring in new members and provide new pathways into a congregation, and at the same time they can provide opportunities to existing members ensuring retention. As long as synagogue members work together and keep the community’s overall well-being in mind; as long as they are patient and seek understanding and consensus among each other, multiple minyanim will make a synagogue the destination for everyone on Shabbat morning.
Harvey H. Rosen, the president of United Synagogue’s New Jersey region, is a founder of Minyan Koleinu at Congregation Beth Sholom in Teaneck, New Jersey. If you want more information, email him at hrosen@uscj.org.
