Sue Fishkoff
It’s September, and the hunt is on among the young, the underemployed and the unaffiliated: How can I score tickets for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services without shelling out $1,000 or more for synagogue membership?
Many of these people end up at Chabad, which has built its reputation on a no-questions-asked, open-door policy. Other congregations, from Reform to Orthodox, have followed Chabad’s lead, inviting the unaffiliated to test the waters for free during the High Holidays. That’s what a Jewish community should do, these leaders argue—plus, it’s a great outreach opportunity, giving unaffiliated Jews a taste of what the congregation can offer year-round.
On the other hand, how can a synagogue maintain itself if it opens its doors for free on the only days of the year many Jews step inside? Isn’t that unfair to those members who faithfully pay dues? Many young Jews, in particular, don’t realize that these free tickets are meant to encourage affiliation---they just think the tickets are part of what a synagogue does. Doesn’t this encourage a lack of communal responsibility that runs counter to basic Jewish values?
It’s September, and the hunt is on among the young, the underemployed and the unaffiliated: How can I score tickets for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services without shelling out $1,000 or more for synagogue membership?
Many of these people end up at Chabad, which has built its reputation on a no-questions-asked, open-door policy. Other congregations, from Reform to Orthodox, have followed Chabad’s lead, inviting the unaffiliated to test the waters for free during the High Holidays. That’s what a Jewish community should do, these leaders argue—plus, it’s a great outreach opportunity, giving unaffiliated Jews a taste of what the congregation can offer year-round.
On the other hand, how can a synagogue maintain itself if it opens its doors for free on the only days of the year many Jews step inside? Isn’t that unfair to those members who faithfully pay dues? Many young Jews, in particular, don’t realize that these free tickets are meant to encourage affiliation---they just think the tickets are part of what a synagogue does. Doesn’t this encourage a lack of communal responsibility that runs counter to basic Jewish values?
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