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FAQs about our High Holiday Video Streaming

We’re looking forward to video-streaming our services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.  More information is here.  Below are some FAQ, some technical and some philosophical.

Technical Questions:

1.    Why are they asking for my email address?
We would like to stay in touch with those participating today.  We promise not to spam you and you can unsubscribe from our emails at any time.  The emails will only be used by the rabbis of OurJewishCommunity.org and not shared with anyone else.

2.    Is the PDF the same one I got last year?
Yes.  If you purchased one last year, we would encourage you to make a donation this year to support our services.  PDFs can be downloaded at www.holidayliturgy.com.

3.    The audio/video is going in and out.
We’re sorry to hear that.   You can always try to refresh the page or restart the stream by hitting the white arrow or “restart stream” button.  We also recommend you click where it says “high” and change the quality to “medium” or “low.”

4.    Can I watch the archive?
Yes, it will be archived soon after services and you can find any service by scrolling through the small videos at the bottom of the player (www.HighHolidaysLive.com).  You can also click on “more videos” to see all of our videos.  You’ll be able to start and stop while you’re watching “on demand.”

5.    When I chat on Facebook will it share what I am saying with all of my friends?
The first time you “check in” on Facebook, it will ask if you want to share with your friends.  If you don’t, click “skip” and then nothing will be shared with your Facebook friends.

6.    Can I chat if I’m not on Facebook?
Yes, you can use the Livestream chat feature on the right.  You don’t need an account there to do that.

7.    Why are people talking so much on here during services?
We enjoy the conversation but if you prefer not to see it, you can change the video to “full screen” by dragging your cursor over the center of the viewing area.

8.    How can I watch the kids’ services?
Go to www.kidsjudaism.com at 1:30 on the 29th and 8th.  They will be about 30 minutes long.

9.    How can I donate to OurJewishCommunity.org?
We greatly appreciate your gift of any amount.  You can go to www.ourjewishcommunity.org/contribute.

10.    How do I download the liturgy?
Go to www.holidayliturgy.com.

11. Will the services be streamed from a sanctuary or studio?
Our High Holiday services are streamed from our sanctuary, live, as our bricks-and-mortar members are sitting in services.

Our Shabbat services are more informal and do not take place at the same time as services in our bricks-and-mortar congregation.  For our online Shabbats, Rabbi Barr and Baum are in our studio, sitting at a table, and watching the conversations online as they are happening.

Philosophical Questions:

1.    Why aren’t they wearing yarmulkes/kippahs/tallises/tallit?
We believe individuals have the right to determine themselves which rituals speak to the individual them

2.    Is this a Reform service?
Rabbis Barr and Baum were ordained as Reform rabbis.  Beth Adam is an independent congregation not affiliated with the Reform movement.   We view Judaism from a humanistic perspective.

3.    Is this a Reconstructionist service?
Congregation Beth Adam is an independent congregation.  There are some philosophical overlaps between our congregation and the philosophy articulated by Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan founder of the Reconstructionist movement.

4.    What’s up with this liturgy?
Congregation Beth Adam writes its own services and affirms personal autonomy – the right of the individual to decide for him/herself how they wish to give expression to their Jewish identity

5.    Where are the traditional prayers?
Beth Adam has sought to find new ways to give voice to who we are and what we believe as contemporary Jews.  You can read more about Beth Adam’s liturgy on our website.

6.    I thought women couldn’t be rabbis?
We are a fully egalitarian congregation.  Women and men have the same rights and opportunities to be full and equal participants.  Only the Orthodox Jewish community continues to restrict women’s full participation and not allow women to be ordained.

7.    Where is this congregation?
The services you are participating in are being video streamed from Congregation Beth Adam in Loveland, OH.  Loveland is a small city very close to Cincinnati, OH.  Congregation Beth Adam is an independent congregation that gives expression to Judaism with a humanistic perspective.

8.    What’s an online congregation?
What you are participating in now.  Technology has allowed OurJewishCommunity.org to break down walls & bring Judaism to where people are.  We are offering many of the same experience  that “bricks and mortar” congregations provide – adult and youth education, services, and rabbinic support.  Visit us anytime at www.OurJewishCommunity.org.

9.    What is humanistic Judaism?
Congregation Beth Adam is an independent congregation that views Judaism with a Humanistic Perspective.  At Beth Adam this means that individuals have the right to determine for themselves how best to give expression to their religious identity.  Core to this concept is that individually and collectively we as human beings have the responsibility for our actions.

10.    What about God?! –
We encourage our participants to explore their understanding of God.  We know there is a wide range of understandings for the term God. For some the term reflects deep beliefs while others no longer use that term.  All can find a religious home here.  At Beth Adam we take theology seriously for what we believe has implications for ethics, Judaism, and our understanding of our place within the universe.  Read more about this here.

Rosh Hashanah Video: Uncle Jay Explains the High Holidays

We are so fortunate to have Uncle Jay (AKA Jay Gilbert) as one of our members at Congregation Beth Adam.  If you haven’t checked out his weekly Uncle Jay Explains the News, you definitely should!

A while back, Uncle Jay explained Passover for us.  And this year he gave us a New Years gift.  Check out Uncle Jay Explains the High Holidays below!

 

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Video Streaming Background Information

Since we’re expecting thousands of new (along with thousands of long-time) participants in our online streaming Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services this year, we wanted to provide a bit of introductory information about what to expect.

We are a 21^st century Jewish community with a contemporary Jewish voice.

OurJewishCommunity.org is an online community uniting 10s of 1,000s of Jews from around the world. Technology has allowed OurJewishCommunity.org to break down the walls of the sanctuary and bring Judaism to where people are.  We are offering many of the same experiences and opportunities that “bricks and mortar” congregations provide – adult and youth education, services, and pastoral support.  But an online congregation offers even more – regular postings and podcasts by the rabbis – read Rabbi Baum’s Blog and listen to Rabbi Barr’s Banter at www.OurJewishCommunity.org.

We view Judaism from a humanistic perspective.  This means that individuals have the right to determine for themselves how best to give expression to their religious identity.  Core to this concept is that individually and collectively we as human beings have the responsibility for our actions.

Rabbi Robert Barr and Rabbi Laura Baum are the leaders of OurJewishCommunity.org and Congregation Beth Adam.  They were both ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (the Reform Movement).

Our services affirm personal autonomy – the right of the individual to decide for him or herself how they wish to give expression to their Jewish identity.  We believe individuals have the right to determine for themselves which rituals speak to them.

Our liturgy is original.  Just as the Reform movement changes and rewrites classic Jewish liturgy, we at Beth Adam have rewritten much of the liturgy to reflect our contemporary Jewish voice.  As part of the congregation’s effort to create an environment which allows for individual expression of deeply held religious beliefs, we have chosen to employ language which we view as expansive and inclusive. Our liturgy is created by and is written for individuals who do not presume a God who intervenes or manipulates the affairs of this world. Therefore, traditional prayers which hold such a world view are inconsistent with our philosophy. The challenge for us is to articulate our shared vision while providing opportunity for individuals to infuse the liturgy with their personal understanding of the nature of the universe.

We value intellectual honesty.  We encourage our participants to explore their understanding of God.  We know there is recognition that there is a wide range of understandings for the term God.  For some the term reflects their deepest beliefs while others no longer use that term.  All can find a religious home here at OurJewishCommunity.org.  At OurJewishCommunity.org, we take theology seriously for what we believe has implications on ethics, Judaism, and our understanding of our place within the universe.

We encourage interaction during services.  You have the option to chat with others on Facebook, Twitter, or Livestream during our services.  If you prefer to put the video on full-screen and not read the chats, that’s totally fine too!

We collect email addresses during services.  We would like to stay in touch with you periodically throughout the year.  We promise not to spam you, and you can unsubscribe any time you like.

For the schedule of service times and/or to download a PDF of our liturgy, click here.

For a brief video introductory video about our services, watch this.

You can read more about us at www.OurJewishCommunity.org!  See you there!

National Single and Unmarried Americans Week

I just learned from the New York Times that it’s National Single and Unmarried Americans Week.  The article is definitely worth a read as it points out that single people tend to be overlooked by policies that favor married couples.

While I’m not sure we need a week designated for this purpose (I’m more a fan of celebrating all people or no people – no need to constantly be dividing our world up), I do think it’s great that the Times is bringing attention to this issue.  It turns out that single people “often contribute more to the community” and are often overlooked.

I have definitely noticed that organized Jewish communities often don’t handle this issue well at all.  At almost every synagogue I know of, membership is based on “family units.”  That sends a message that they expect people to be in families – whether with spouses and/or children.  And don’t even get me started on synagogue membership forms that ask for the husband’s name and wife’s name.  Talk about heterosexist.

Here – at Congregation Beth Adam and at OurJewishCommunity.org - we have always counted people.  Individuals matter.  Membership at our bricks-and-mortar congregation is based on individual units.  If two spouses join together, that’s great – then they count as two individuals.  And if one person joins  – then they count as one person.  It really doesn’t get more simple than that.

So I hope you have a happy week whether you’re single or partnered.  Either way, you are you!

Press Release: Jewish Holidays Meet Social Media

Laura Baum, Rabbi, OurJewishCommunity.org

Robert B. Barr, Rabbi, OurJewishCommunity.org

Rabbi Robert B. Barr, ordained by Hebrew Union College in 1981, is the Founding Rabbi of Congregation Beth Adam in Cincinnati, Ohio. Under his leadership for the last 30 years, Beth Adam has grown from 6 members to over 300.  The congregation has a significant voice and is a resource for liberal Jews worldwide. Rabbi Barr first imagined the online congregation and has played a continuing role in its development, including his weekly podcasts (“Barr’s Banter”) which are available on iTunes.

Rabbi Barr is active in the leadership of many Jewish organizations and has twice served as president of the Greater Cincinnati Board of Rabbis. Recognized by his peers as a leader in the evolution of modern, liberal Judaism, his writings have been published in journals, books, and web sites around the world.

High Resolution Photos available at: http://bit.ly/ojcpress

Rosh Hashanah Parties in Your Home

What are you doing this year for Rosh Hashanah?  We’re looking forward to livestreaming our Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services for the fourth straight year.  We had over 14,000 computers log in last year and we’re thinking there will be a lot more this year.

The convenience of technology allows you to participate in our holiday services no matter where you are.  Some will watch on iPhones or iPads and others on computers.  Some will watch live and some will catch the archives later.  Some will even set up a projector or plug their computer into a TV screen so they can watch on the big screen.

Last year we know that several groups of people were enjoying our services together.  It was as if they were having Rosh Hashanah house parties – with lots of friends and family over to watch services together.

I’m thinking there’s a lot of room for creativity if you choose to mark the holiday in this way.  You can watch the services – and even download PDFs of the High Holiday service to read along.  Maybe you’ll enjoy a meal together.

A traditional Rosh Hashanah snack is apples and honey.  Perhaps put a new twist on that and enjoy a Rosh Hashanah appletini.  And it turns out that honey is known to be a powerful aphrodisiac.  Move over, honey cake, it’s time for some new recipes.   Honey caramels or honey and ginger frozen yogurt could be great additions to Rosh Hashanah celebrations this year!

However you decide to mark Rosh Hashanah, I hope it will be not only a thought-provoking experience but also a fun one.  Sharing Jewish holidays with others is a powerful experience – whether the sharing happens in person or online.  This year you can have the best of both worlds while marking the holiday with those of us in Cincinnati who will be on video, those of us in dozens of countries who will be watching and chatting online, and those whom you decide to invite over for some appletinis and sweet honey snacks.  Happy New Year!

 

 

Good Decision! 9/11 Ceremony Doesn’t Include Clergy or Formal Prayers

This Sunday marks the 10 year anniversary since the tragic events on 9/11.  Today I read some of the accounts from survivors that will be in the New York Times this Sunday.  It gives me chills to remember the horrific events of the day.  One of my classmates from Yale died that day, as did so many other innocent people.

You may have heard the news that there will not be any clergy or formal prayers at the ceremony commemorating the 10th anniversary.  I completely support Mayor Bloomberg’s decision.  As someone in his office said, the focus should be on the families who have suffered loss and not on clergy who are participating.

I also agree with Rabbi Joseph Potasnik who pointed out some of the practical difficulties that would be involved if clergy were asked to participate.  He told the Wall Street Journal: “Who’s going to agree as to who the representatives of the faith…will be?…There are practical considerations when planning something, where you want to be as inclusive as possible but sometimes you find it impossible to have everyone present who should be present. It’s very difficult.”

In addition to the pragmatic issue, I think the primary reason not to include clergy is that to do so would make it difficult for it to be a truly inclusive ceremony where everyone would feel welcomed.  The reality is that words like “religion” and “spiritual” and “God” mean different things to different people.  The reality is that there are many people who believe in God (whatever their personal definition of God is) and there are many people who do not believe in God.  People at the 9/11 ceremony will come from many different religious groups and many of them will be people who do not identify with any religion, what researchers call “nones.”

By not including clergy, the service can focus on what is common to people there rather than reciting religious words that will not resonate with everyone there.  I love that there will be 6 moments of silence at the event – and that those moments can be used for religion, spirituality, or whatever else each individual would like to use them for.

Fernado Cabrera, a New York City councilman and paster of New Life Outreach International Church in the Bronx told cnn.com “I’m telling you I saw it first hand, the power of prayer.“  I have no doubt that Cabrera believes in and feels he has witnessed the power of prayer.  But I also know that there are many people who do not find prayer meaningful.

I would hate for the message to be sent that all people should pray and pray in certain ways.  There are lots of ways to give voices to our personal and collective sentiments, and I applaud Mayor Bloomberg for creating a ceremony that excludes organized religion.  People can find those opportunities elsewhere if they are looking for them.

May the memories of the good people who died on 9/11 continue to bless our days.

 

 

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