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Homeless Judaism

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Jewish worship's exodus from traditional synagogues into private homes represents a growing crisis of "homeless Judaism" that threatens the fundamental structures of American Jewish communal life. Through qualitative analysis of the contemporary home-service movement and its historical connection to the Havurah movement, this research reveals three critical losses in the transition from synagogue to home settings: diminished communal bonds typically forged in larger congregations, the absence of religious symbolism embedded in synagogue architecture and ritual objects, and the loss of aesthetic experience unique to formal worship spaces. The shift stems from three persistent problems in contemporary synagogue services: excessive behavioral requirements that impede spiritual connection, intrusive rabbinical guidance that disrupts prayer flow, and dysfunctional English prayer book translations that fail to address modern spiritual needs. While home worship offers intimacy and informality, it accelerates institutional fragmentation. A potential solution emerges in revolutionizing prayer book translations, replacing literal Hebrew renderings with carefully selected Biblical passages that speak more directly to modern worshippers' personal struggles. Without addressing these systemic issues, American Judaism faces the potential dissolution of its traditional communal worship structures.

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    Published 1993

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  • Publication Credits

    Martin Berkowitz