10:15-11:15 Independent Minyanim and Continuing Rabbinic Education

By Rabbi Elie Kaunfer ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

Jews across the country are looking for new ways to connect to the substance of their religion and tradition. In New York City, thousands of young Jews found that connection through Kehilat Hadar. But Hadar turned out to be more than just a local minyan; it became a model of grassroots religious community that spread dramatically across the United States and Israel. That model of community came to be known as an “independent minyan.”

What is an independent minyan? It is defined by the following characteristics:

• Volunteer-led and organized with no paid clergy
• No denomination/movement affiliation
• Founded in the past 10 years

A word about the term “independent,” which, like any term, is imperfect. These minyanim do not see themselves as independent from the wider Jewish world. Quite the contrary – they see themselves filling a need not being met by existing institutions, but operating within the larger Jewish map, not outside or against it. The founders, myself included, are grateful to a host of mainline Jewish institutions that offered them the confidence to dream of something new and the skills to build it. They are also aware of the ways in which they do not provide the full service of Jewish life (burial, daily minyan, etc.) So what is “independent” about them? They are independent of the existing labels that mark Jewish institutional life. They do not see themselves aligned with one denomination, or breaking away from one. They are marked by a wide variety of Jews with diverse backgrounds coming together to form community. That particular religious expression had no place on the Jewish map, so they started to refer to themselves as “independent.” The best analogy to this is the political affiliation of “independent.” People who claim to be “Independents” say that the platforms of the Democrats or Republicans don’t represent their views (although there is some overlap). But they haven’t opted out of the political system – they use the same voting booths, vote on the same days, and pay taxes to the same government. They simply avoid a label that doesn’t reflect who they are.

The growth of independent minyanim is nothing short of astounding. At Mechon Hadar (www.mechonhadar.org), we have tracked the growth of independent minyanim. In 2000 there were 3 of them; in 2009 there are more than 60. They are serving 20,000 Jews nationwide, most of them under 40 years old.

Independent minyanim were initially founded in the largest Jewish urban areas, including New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and Washington DC, but have since cropped up in cities such as San Francisco, Denver, Atlanta, and Philadelphia, as well as smaller communities, such as Charlottesville, Providence, New Haven, Palo Alto, Minneapolis, Kansas City and Princeton Junction. (Click http://www.mechonhadar.org/2007scstudy for a demographic study on the minyanim).

What is the future of the “alumni” of independent minyanim? Here are some possibilities:

• More independent minyanim. One possibility is that empowered Jews will form minyanim outside the super-urban Jewish areas of the United States (New York City, Los Angeles, Boston, etc.). Already in the past 2 years, we have seen the spread of minyanim in different areas of the country—places like Columbus, OH; Princeton Junction, NJ; Denver, CO; and Charlottesville, VA now have independent minyanim. The founders of these minyanim are either alumni of larger, urban independent minyanim, or are in the same social network as those urban minyangoers. The minyanim in these areas are different from their predecessors. These new minyanim do not have a critically large base of attendees to draw on and are relying on the active attendance of a few families. But significantly, they have not taken the path of least resistance by melding into the existing synagogue structure.
• Minyan-synagogue hybrids. Alumni of independent minyanim will join synagogues, but will launch their own minyan within the synagogue. The best example of this is in a large congregation in northern New Jersey. Two former independent minyan leaders moved to the suburbs when they outgrew their one-bedroom apartment in New York City. They joined a synagogue that was well-attended and warm, but whose “main sanctuary” services didn’t offer the vibrancy they had experienced at Kehilat Hadar (www.kehilathadar.org), a flagship independent minyan in Manhattan. These former minyan leaders were looking for something that emphasized a vibrant, participatory service—and one that incorporated young children. So they started Minyan Koleinu. Koleinu is not strictly an independent minyan—all of the participants are members of the larger synagogue. But the service they put together is largely based on the model of an independent minyan: It is participant-led, includes the full liturgy, and incorporates new melodies on a regular basis. Significantly, the minyan has drawn in new people in addition to a number of long-time synagogue members. When clergy are open to this model, it represents a real possibility for change within a synagogue structure.
• Minyanim as training grounds for future synagogue members. Some independent minyan alumni will attend synagogues, but as more active members than they would have without their minyan experience. One former organizer at Kehilat Hadar moved to Salt Lake City after 2 years in the leadership. There was no critical mass to start a minyan in her new community. But she and her husband joined the synagogue (with their 2 children) and immediately became active members of the synagogue leadership. She drew on her models of success and her practical skills gained in the minyan to offer real contributions to her new community. One rabbi on the outskirts of Washington, D.C. has stated that he loves the existence of DC Minyan, and independent minyan founded in 2002—it serves as a feeder of engaged, knowledgeable laypeople for his synagogue.
• Rabbis will bring independent minyan ethos to their communities. The vast majority of people who attend independent minyanim are not rabbinical students. But many rabbinical students attend independent minyanim. When these students become rabbis and fan out across the synagogue landscape, they may incorporate various features of the minyanim in their synagogues. They will know that “standard” suburban synagogue services are not the only model in 21^st century Judaism, and they may incorporate the values and practices of the independent minyanim into the mainstream synagogue. Some of them will even found their own start-up rabbi-led communities—like Kavana in Seattle (www.kavanaseattle.org)—taking the independent minyan ethos and applying it to a new environment.
• Minyan participation as a deviation from an otherwise unengaged Jewish life. Some minyan alumni will simply drop out of organized Jewish life. This is a sad potential outcome, but part of what animates the attendance at the minyanim is a connection to the vibrancy of Jewish prayer. If that vibrancy is missing, and if it is simply too difficult to turn around a synagogue, people may become frustrated and go back to their pre-minyan Shabbat routine: sleep through services and find other ways to engage with their spiritual side. Because this generation does not join out of guilt or institutional obligation, but out of a search for meaning, if the meaning is absent, some will not join at all. This is the outcome I fear the most, because it means that people who would otherwise be engaged will stop contributing to Jewish life.

What are the implications of independent minyanim for continuing rabbinic education? For a detailed examination of that question, I encourage you to download the session from our 2008 National Minyan Conference at Brandeis University (www.mechonhadar.org/imconference). There are also more extended reflections in my book, available here: http://www.jewishlights.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=JL&Product_Code=978-1-58023-412-2&Category_Code=F09.

Here are some thoughts:

Among American Jews, there is a significant demand for meaningful, engaged Jewish life. There is a temptation to assume that Jews – especially young adults – are only interested in surface level engagement with Jewish culture: jokes, bagels, singles events. Anything challenging, deep or smacking of religion might scare people away. This is simply not the case. Jews are in search of meaning and engagement, and they are interested in the wisdom of their own heritage. They may not find that engagement in existing institutions, but that does not mean they aren’t looking for it. They are looking for more than a class; they want to build real community. They want substance, and they want the skills to own their Jewish lives. How might rabbis meet this demand?

• Become the expert. These Jews are looking for a way in to Jewish substance. Rabbis must be trained at such a level that they can offer congregants deep engagement with Jewish texts and traditions.
• Plan to Empower. Rabbis cannot simply be the source of information. They must teach people the skills to be able to engage with the Jewish tradition on its own terms. People are not looking for answers, they are looking for access.
• Encounter other models of success. Rabbis must be encouraged and incentivized to visit other congregations and minyanim that offer different models of prayer and engagements. These Shabbat visits must not be considered vacation, but professional growth. Lay leaders can accompany the rabbi on these trips, together imagining what might be possible for their community.