Rick Warren's Mega-Synagogue

I feel like a mega-synagogue is better than nothing, and if it actually succeeds in attracting people to go, than more power to it. BUT we should also be asking ourselves about the value of attracting people to a watered-down, feel-good spin on Judaism and a "no-boredom-allowed" version of the synagogue experience. I'm not a fan of the (frequently) simplistic, insubstantial approach that evangelical churches take in their attempt to be as user-friendly and non-denominational as possible. Also, I think we sacrifice a lot of our integrity by trying to please everyone and by being so "scared of the day that no one even shows up to synagogue" that we basically sell out to the feel-good wave of American life. It IS important to show people why Judaism is relevant, and why going to shul is relevant, but NOT at the expense of flinging tradition, liturgy, etc. out the window. If you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one.

For what it's worth -- and it's quite important to us -- S3K's statement of purpose includes the following:

...We seek to make synagogues compelling moral and spiritual centers sacred communities for the twenty-first century. ...Sacred communities are those where relationships with God and with each other define everything the synagogue does; where ritual is engaging; where Torah suffuses all we do; where social justice is a moral imperative; and where membership is about welcoming and engaging both the committed and the unaffiliated. ...We stand for spirituality beyond ethnicity, Judaism as a life-long journey beyond the pediatric and the geriatric; community beyond corporation; and commitment beyond consumerism. Success for us is when synagogues develop deeper relationships with their members rather than simply offering more programs. (Emphasis added.)

Hi, Although I belong to a somewhat large Reform congregation in the Chicago area, and also dread the idea of under-utilized/under-attended congregations, the idea of a mega-house of worship is disconcerting to me. Judaism places a significant emphasis on community, which I would argue is hard to find among 10,000 people you may not know. To be sure, at large congregations, the concept of chavurot or small groups of congregants helps ease this idea of unfamiliarity, but still if 10,000 attend weekly (we should be so lucky to approach a small portion of such numbers consistently) the High Holy Days would proove to be daunting. Although it would help to see an increase in synagogue affiliation and participation, a mega-Temple is not the way to go.

I love the idea of yoga in the synagogue. I wish we had it where I live!

that article was useless!

Just wondered if anybody can help me to ascertain how synagoga became a means of identifying Jews. Are there any biblical refs.

Thanks.