Author Seeks to ‘Reinvent’ Shul this Rosh Hashanah

During the past year, thirty young men and women have been gathering weekly in what has been dubbed as the world’s first “boutique synagogue.” Beyond the comfortable, intimate setting, and uniquely designed space, the Brooklyn Holistic Synagogue, aims to leave worshippers “mystically inspired” and empowered with tools for daily living, long after services have ended.

The project is the initiative of Rabbi Chaim Miller, author of the popular Gutnick Chumash and, more recently, the Lifestyle Torah and Prayerbook.

“Most Synagogues are painfully aware of how bored their congregants are,” Miller says, “and they try to compensate with other, more engaging activities: a good speech, a sumptuous kiddush, or lots of singing. But that’s not addressing the real issue. We need to make sure that the prayers themselves are meaningful and useful.”

Less than one year ago, Rabbi Miller authored a slim volume called, “Prayers for Friday Night,” which presents the full traditional prayer services in Hebrew and in English, in an ultramodern format. On the margin of each page are a series of short insights aimed at guiding the reader in spiritual and emotional work as he or she prays. The book was nominated for a national design award and was quickly adopted in Synagogues around the United States, but Miller felt that he wanted to personally create a complete prayer experience along the same theme.

“You see,” he explains, “in most synagogues the Rabbi will give, say, a twenty minute speech. What I do is give twenty, one minute speeches along the way so everyone has some insight into what each section of the prayers mean and what they should try to think or feel.”

The pilot program, which has been running through the past year, has attracted mainly young, spiritual seekers who find traditional services stifling.

Judy Amar, a graduate student at New York University, was a regular. “A synagogue should not only be a sacred space, but a safe space,” she commented. “In Rabbi Chaim Miller’s Holistic Synagogue, I feel encouraged to explore the prayers through meditative contemplation in a nurturing and tranquil zone that acts as its own pocket in time. The environment and guidance fosters me into a reawakening of my spiritual consciousness, allowing me to get in touch with myself in a judgement-free setting.”

Others simply value the new initiative for its intimate, relaxed feel. “I like the fact that I can just be myself,” commented Dov Coleman, a Crown Heights resident. “The colorful lighting and airy space takes the stuffiness out shul.”

Now, after almost a year of Friday night prayers, Rabbi Miller has decided to tackle the most challenging of Synagogue services: Rosh Hashanah.

“I’m not looking for huge numbers,” Miller claims, “that would ruin the intimate setting. I’m sure there are people out there who are looking for more insight and are willing to try something a bit different. ”

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