Four London Liberal congregations have resumed in-person services, reflecting the desire of some members to be back in a physical shul environment after many months of virtual worshipping.
Finchley Progressive is the latest, joining Kehillah North London, Kingston Liberal and the Liberal Jewish Synagogue St John’s Wood.
Informing members, Finchley chair Tamara Joseph said that from this weekend, the shul would offer a Friday evening service for 20 people and a Shabbat morning service for 10. All FPS services would continue to be accessible on Zoom and Facebook and mitzvot would only be allocated to Zoom attendees.
“This may seem a strange time to be opening the synagogue but the new tier two restrictions don’t impact places of worship,” Ms Joseph explained. “The pace of our return to the building — too slow in the view of some, too fast in the view of others — continues to be gradual and planned. This is, despite the attendant challenges and restrictions, a cause of celebration.”
The Shabbat offerings were part of a phased return, following services in the car park and members attending individually for private prayer in the sanctuary and for reflection and discussion during the High Holy-Days.
When the original lockdown regulations were relaxed to allow places of worship to reopen, many Orthodox congregations around the country immediately resumed services for smaller, socially distanced numbers.
However, Liberal and Reform buildings remained shut with leaders citing both safety issues and concern over creating divisions within communities.
But Kehillah North London chair Robert Freudenthal said that “Zoom fatigue”— and some members not having the necessary technology — had prompted a rethink.
“We have been running very successful services on Zoom over the last few months,” he told the JC. “However, it was becoming increasingly clear that a chunk of our membership didn’t wish to continue attending online.” To ensure the shul remained “relevant in the lives of all of our members, we decided to put on a mixed programme”.
Some services remain Zoom-only; others are hybrid. “They are going very well and it is definitely helping more of our members to participate in a way that is meaningful for them.”
Since the beginning of September, the Liberal Jewish Synagogue has been hosting Shabbat and festival services for up to 30 people and is planning daily Chanukah lightings.
LJS minister Rabbi Alexandra Wright said that all services were livestreamed on YouTube and those without a computer or tablet could ring in via Zoom to follow the service on their phone.
An army of volunteers had made contact with all members at the start of lockdown and 150 people were found to be without internet or email access. Help was offered in setting up tablets or other devices for those wanting to view services online.
Kingston’s Rabbi René Pfertzel reported that take-up for in-person services had been “a little slow to begin with. Understandably, many of our members are a little nervous to return too soon.”
But he was looking forward to this Shabbat, with an anticipated higher turnout for an admission ceremony for a new convert. “We have undertaken a thorough risk assessment and have detailed guidelines in place to keep our members safe,” he added. “However, we fully intend to carry on streaming online so as not to exclude anyone.”
At Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue, whose services are currently online only, Jane Drapkin said she had “very much missed being together with other members, especially over the High Holy-Days”. But there had been “silver linings”, for example, her parents being able to join more services. Orthodox friends were also tuning in.
“Every service at NPLS is different and memorable in its own right. That has been the case even more so this year with all the work and creativity going into moving the experience online.”
Liberal Judaism interim director Rabbi Charley Baginsky said that virtual services during the pandemic had involved many “who until this moment could not enter our communities because of their physical circumstances”. But the closing of synagogue doors had left others feeling “even more isolated. The challenge for a movement which prides itself on being inclusive is that we have to cater to both sets of people.”
A Reform Judaism representative told the JC: “Our guidance to communities remains that they should value preserving life and avoid creating ‘two-tier’ communities where some people may feel unable to participate in all aspects of communal life because of vulnerability to Covid-19.” However, a small number of shuls, including Alyth and Edgware and Hendon, have been offering "some in-person programming".
