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CONTACT:Ilya
Welfeld
Welfeld Public Relations Consulting, L.L.C.
201.439.1010
ilya@welfeldpr.com
HIGH HOLIDAY POLL: NEARLY 70% OF AFFILIATED JEWS DISSATISFIED
THAT THEY HAVE TO 'PAY TO PRAY'; MORE THAN 50% UNFULLFILLED BY SERVICES
National Jewish Outreach Program counteracts trend with nationwide
free or low-cost explanatory Beginners Services
NEW YORK, NEW YORK; AUGUST 23 2004 - How effective are synagogues
at inspiring individuals and raising their spiritual awareness during
the Jewish High Holidays?
Not as effective as they could be, according to an online survey
recently conducted between Aug. 4-16 by the National Jewish Outreach
Program (NJOP), one of the world's largest and most successful Jewish
outreach organizations.
More than 550 people from across the country participated in the
survey-the majority (more than 78%) of whom identified as being
affiliated. Of these, more than 50% of respondents said that High
Holiday services are either too long, boring, repetitive, or not
relevant. Similarly, only 48.9% of the people polled said that they
go to synagogue because it is "spiritually uplifting."
And as for those "High Holiday tickets" that worshippers
need to buy in order to attend services, a whopping 69.2% of people
surveyed said that their cost was either too high, unwarranted,
a turnoff, or should be reconsidered.
For these people and the many thousands of others in the United
States who are seeking greater spiritual fulfillment during the
High Holidays-without the high price tags many synagogues charge-NJOP's
Beginners Services are a refreshing alternative.
Since 1990, NJOP has been offering free or low-cost High Holiday
Beginners Services that are open to Jews of all backgrounds and
levels of observance. Billed as the "High Holiday service for
those who aren't so high on the holidays," many of these services
use a traditional prayer book, but offer abundant explanations,
ample opportunities to ask questions, inspiring and easy to learn
melodies, and numerous English readings.
According to Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald, founder and director of
NJOP, "What the survey results tell us is that a vast number
of Jews are thirsting for positive, spiritually enriching synagogue
experiences. While synagogues are succeeding at getting people in
the door, our rabbis and communal leaders must strive to make services
more inspiring, welcoming, and fulfilling. Only in this manner can
we ensure that our congregations and communities remain strong well
into the future. The NJOP Beginners Services have proven unusually
successful in this regard.
"If we want people with little or no synagogue experience to
be inspired by the holidays, we have to offer meaningful encounters
that are inviting, uplifting, non-judgmental, and even fun,"
says Rabbi Buchwald, who has led the Beginners Service at Lincoln
Square Synagogue in New York City for almost 30 years. "I am
proud to say that NJOP's Beginners Services have had a tremendous
impact on tens of thousands of Jews, strengthening their connections
to Judaism and Jewish life."
In addition, as a means of helping rabbis identify the interests
of their congregants so that they can better serve them, NJOP has
created " The Priceless Appeal" pledge card that synagogues
can distribute. Rather than asking congregants to pledge money,
this unique appeal--a welcome change from pervasive High Holiday
fundraising campaigns--encourages them to commit themselves to strengthening
their connections to Jewish life by taking an NJOP class, joining
a community service initiative, and/or participating in other Jewish
communal activities.
But rabbis and synagogues shouldn't be completely disheartened by
NJOP's survey results. There was some good news too--78% of respondents
indicated that they usually attend High Holiday services, with 74%
saying that they both fast and go to synagogue on Yom Kippur, the
holiest day on the Jewish calendar. In addition, more than 60% said
that they attend synagogue services on a regular or semi-regular
basis throughout the year.
For a list of synagogues offering High Holiday Beginners Services,
see attached list or visit www.njop.org.
About the National Jewish Outreach Program
Founded in 1987 by Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald to address the critical
issues of assimilation and a lack of Jewish knowledge, NJOP is now
one of the largest and most successful Jewish outreach organizations
in the world. To date, more than 770,000 people have benefited from
NJOP's innovative, free programs which have been held in 3,620 locations-including
synagogues, community centers, military bases, and college campuses-in
all 50 states, nine Canadian provinces, and 30 countries around
the world. (www.njop.org).
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