For Yom Kippur, Teaneck group hopes more 'accessible' service draws Jews back to the fold
As a child, Sam Kaplan used to dread the High Holiday prayer services at his family's Conservative Jewish temple in Union County.
"It dragged on forever," recalled Kaplan, who spent much of the five-hour service in Springfieldcounting the pages left to recite in his prayer book.
When he became an Orthodox Jew in adulthood and began attending prayer services regularly, he wanted to help others avoid the same boredom: For the past 37 years, the longtime Teaneck resident has organized introductory prayer services for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur — the two holiest days on Judaism's calendar — with an eye toward drawing back the growing numbers of unaffiliated Jews.
"My idea was to make services that are short, meaningful and non-judgmental," said Kaplan, 66, an accountant and father of five whose initiative, the Jewish Learning Experience, now offers programs and classes throughout the year.
Kaplan is hoping for a big crowd at JLE's service Tuesday night for Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. The holiday, which begins at sundown Tuesday and ends Wednesday night, is the climax of a 10-day period of repentance that began with Rosh Hashana on Sept. 25. Jews observe Yom Kippur with prayer, spiritual introspection and a 25-hour fast.
The JLE service will begin at 6 p.m. at the Torah Academy of Bergen County on Queen Anne Road. A morning service will be held Wednesday at 10 a.m.
Kaplan aims to recapture the group's pre-pandemic success, when its events attracted up to 300 participants. About 60 worshippers took part in last week's Rosh Hashana ceremony. During the height of the COVID pandemic, services were held in a backyard tent.
At JLE services, prayers are recited in Hebrew and English and are interspersed with a rabbi's explanation of their origin and meaning. The events have been a hit among those who rarely attend temple or who often get bored at traditional services, he said.
Allyson Gur-Aryeh, a JLE volunteer from Teaneck, said those who show up tend not to belong to any particular temple or denomination but still want the chance to pray on the High Holidays. "We're happy to give them the venue to do that," she said. "We want everyone to know that we are here to connect them to Judaism in any capacity they would like."
Synagogue membership falling
Synagogue membership has declined across the United States in the past two decades, with 64% of American Jews in a 2020 Pew Research Center Survey reporting that nobody in their household belonged to a temple.
Despite their lack of affiliation, many Jews still feel connected to the holidays. In the same survey, 46% of American Jews said they fasted for all or part of Yom Kippur.
While other temples charge for membership or to attend on the High Holidays, participation in Jewish Learning Experience services is free and does not require any knowledge of Hebrew or Judaism, Kaplan said. The service is Orthodox, but worshippers of all backgrounds are welcome, organizers say.
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"The idea is to make the prayer service accessible for everyone," said Kaplan, the group's president.
The Day of Atonement is an auspicious time for Jews because, according to tradition, all prayers are heard, said Rabbi Richard Wolpoe of Teaneck, who will run the Yom Kippur service.
"We have been given the ultimate get-out-of-jail-free card," he said. "Confessing our sins and releasing them is a catharsis for our spirit, thereby elevating our mood. The power of the liturgy and the tradition has been compelling for millennia."
In addition to explaining the prayers, Wolpoe plans to pose a variety of philosophical questions for worshippers to consider: "Why do we have to fast in order to repent, why do we memorialize the departed on this day, and why is it a tradition to wear white on this day?"
Kaplan launched his effort with several friends in September 1985 with an ad in a local Jewish newspaper promoting a free Thursday night class for anyone who ever wondered what the High Holiday prayer services were all about. They set up a few chairs in the classroom of a local Jewish school hoping someone would show up. They were shocked when dozens of participants marched in, sending them scrambling for more chairs, Kaplan recalled.
The Jewish Learning Experience has since hosted a variety of holiday services, Passover Seders, Hanukkah parties and classes on basic Judaism. Held in synagogues and homes around the Teaneck area, they have drawn attendees from all around Bergen County, Kaplan said. The nonprofit operates on a shoestring budget but recently hired a director, Rabbi Jesse Shore, an experienced Jewish educator and former assistant pulpit rabbi, who will run its programs.
Casual dress, warm welcomes
Bentsy Nagel, a computer professor from Teaneck, brought his family to Rosh Hashana services last week. They enjoyed it so much that they decided to return for Yom Kippur. "My children can't sit for five hours of prayers, so this works a lot better for us," he said of his three teenagers. "The rabbi made the service interesting with stories, jokes and explanations of what we were saying."
The atmosphere — the dress code was casual, and volunteers greeted them with warm smiles — made everyone feel at home, Nagel said. "They are a very welcoming group," he said. "They made everyone feel like an honored guest."
Todd Mahoney, a special education teacher from the borough, came away from the prayer service feeling awed. "It's a hidden gem in Bergen County," he added. "They are a very caring group of people. You can be the most observant person or someone who just became Jewish, and they treat you the same. They welcome you, encourage questions and offer you meals. It's a great place to connect with God and with other people."
Joy Sperber, a JLE volunteer who frequently hosts Sabbath and holiday meals in her Teaneck home, said she loves helping others connect to their roots. She's seen lasting friendships forged at the events.
"Some of the people who come to the JLE haven't stepped into a synagogue in years," she said. "This gives them a taste of Judaism and it kick-starts them back in."
For more information or to register for services or events, the Jewish Learning Experience can be contacted at jle.org
Deena Yellin covers religion for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to her work covering how the spiritual intersects with our daily lives, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: yellin@northjersey.com
Twitter: @deenayellin
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Teaneck group seeks to bring lapsed Jews back with Yom Kippur service
