Join our Community
Support ToI and remove all ads
Learn more

ISRAEL AT WAR - DAY 499

online worship

A three-dimensional virtual model of Chabad's MANA Jewish Center ahead of its placement in Decentraland. (Courtesy)
February 4, 2022, 7:25 am
Enter the metaverse: Chabad pioneers the first Jewish outpost in a virtual world
Movement’s MANA house will offer education and other services in the Decentraland digital realm, combining new technology and traditional outreach
By Luke Tress
Rabbi Susan Abramson (left) and Cantorial Soloist Ben Silver of Temple Shalom Emeth in Burlington, Massachusetts lead a prerecorded Friday night service on January 7, 2022. (Screenshot from YouTube/ via JTA)
January 18, 2022, 3:21 am
US synagogues face tough COVID questions (again) as Omicron surges
Despite record-setting transmission rates, vaccines have been a game-changer compared to earlier in the pandemic — prompting congregations to implement wildly divergent strategies
By Ben Sales
For a significant amount of time after a gunman took four people hostage at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, the synagogue's livestream continued to broadcast. (Screenshot/ via JTA)
January 17, 2022, 7:32 pm
COVID-era livestreamed service meant whole world could hear Texas synagogue attack
While some attackers have tried to utilize social media, this time a congregation’s own technology meant unprecedented numbers could listen to the unfolding horror
By Shira Hanau and PHILISSA CRAMER
Rev. Meredith Mills delivers a sermon from the pulpit for some 30 attendants during the second service of the day in the sanctuary at Westminster United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas, Dec. 12, 2021. (Michael Wyke/AP)
December 20, 2021, 9:27 am
Sapped by COVID, Jewish and Christian houses of worship strain to rebuild attendance
After coronavirus pandemic restrictions forced a pause in services on-site, some went online, but as rules ease many community members are still staying at home
By AP and ToI Staff
Chabad bought a historic church in Chicago last year and converted it into a Jewish center known as Chabad of East Lakeview. (Courtesy of Chabad/ via JTA)
November 4, 2021, 1:51 am
As pandemic drove Judaism online, Chabad bet on over $137 million in real estate
While many non-Orthodox institutions are unsure about their physical spaces after 1.5 years of mostly digital engagement, droves attend the Hasidic stream’s in-person programming
By Asaf Shalev
Illustrative: Lay cantor Gary Levine sings at home in Los Angeles. (Courtesy of Levine)
March 22, 2021, 4:24 am
US synagogues don’t rush to reopen, even as vaccines make gatherings safer
After a year of having in-person services on hold, many Reform and Conservative congregations find an unexpected challenge to reinstating them — the high demand for virtual prayer
By Shira Hanau
Zooming in to reciting Kaddish, the mourners' prayer, at home. (Photo montage, Gil Be'eri)
March 9, 2021, 4:53 am
US Jews in mourning are finding unexpected comfort in virtual minyans
As the pandemic ravaged the United States, some feared they were doomed to mourn in social isolation, but online gatherings allow them to commemorate loved ones and be consoled
By Asaf Shalev
Rabbi Adir Yolkut, who is doing a yearlong rabbi-in-residence program at Temple Israel Center in White Plains, New York, says it's been hard to assess the intangibles of prospective jobs given the impossibility of in-person visits. (Emil Cohen/Marry Me A Little Photography/ via JTA)
January 4, 2021, 4:07 am
Starting a new job as a rabbi during the pandemic? For Americans, it’s not easy
With synagogues shuttered and services moved online, the health crisis affects everything from the hiring process to meeting congregants, even pre-graduation rabbinical fieldwork
By Stewart Ain
Chairs are set up for a socially distanced service at Congregation Ohr Hatorah in Atlanta. (Courtesy of Rabbi Adam Starr via JTA)
September 27, 2020, 8:07 am
Want to attend a US online Yom Kippur service? Here are some options
Many non-Orthodox congregations have been forced to innovate due to pandemic, with a plethora of alternatives based on your interests
By JTA
Rabbi Andrea Gouze of Easton, Massachusetts, demonstrates how she will blow the traditional shofar during the High Holidays services. The end will be covered with a face mask to prevent transmission of virus. (David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images via JTA)
September 18, 2020, 1:22 pm
Those looking for online High Holiday services in US have a plethora of options
Wide range of possibilities available for American Jews to observe Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, whatever one’s interests may be
By JTA
Illustrative: To create a pre-recorded online service, Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann, center, and musicians and singers from Mishkan Chicago recorded the songs and prayers of the High Holidays in August. (Courtesy of See3 Digital Events/ via JTA)
September 1, 2020, 2:12 am
US Jews prepare for pandemic-era High Holiday season of rupture and resilience
Many congregations opt for virtual services, while some Orthodox ones will have short in-person prayers, but COVID-19 is testing commitment across the religious spectrum
By Shira Hanau and PHILISSA CRAMER
'Eliana Light ... And Friends!' is a Jewish children's show that airs weekly on jewishLIVE. (Screenshot from YouTube/via JTA)
April 28, 2020, 2:05 am
Online one-stop shop for Jewish livestreams aims to outlast pandemic
jewishLIVE founders hope the site will fill a need for Jewish community and content now, and create a new paradigm for Jewish involvement in the new normal
By Ben Sales
Lila Duke participating in her bat mitzvah service with her parents. (Courtesy of the Dukes/via JTA)
April 27, 2020, 4:22 am
What celebrating your bat mitzvah looks like in the time of the coronavirus
While an at-home bat mitzvah may involve throwing candy at the computer and the cat jumping on the makeshift altar, for this Atlanta family it far exceeded expectations
By Josefin Dolsten
Some synagogues are already preparing for the possibility that they could be empty during the High Holidays. Pictured: a synagogue in Brasov, Romania, December 2019. (Yaakov Schwartz/ Times of Israel)
April 24, 2020, 1:42 pm
Synagogues are already planning for a socially distanced High Holidays
With some experts predicting temple closures though 2021, clergy must face the possibility of empty sanctuaries this Rosh Hashanah
By Josefin Dolsten
Load More
Sign in or Register
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Or Continue with
By registering you agree to the terms and conditions
Register to continue
Or Continue with
Log in to continue
Sign in or Register
I forgot my password / Send me a sign in link
Or Continue with
check your email
Check your email
We sent an email to you at .
It has a link that will sign you in.
Never miss breaking news on Israel
Get notifications to stay updated
You're subscribed
image
Register for free
and continue reading
Registering also lets you comment on articles and helps us improve your experience. It takes just a few seconds.
Already registered? Enter your email to sign in.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Or Continue with
By registering you agree to the terms and conditions. Once registered, you’ll receive our Daily Edition email for free.
Register to continue
Or Continue with
Log in to continue
Sign in or Register
I forgot my password / Send me a sign in link
Or Continue with
check your email
Check your email
We sent an email to you at .
It has a link that will sign you in.