I have grown complacent, and I am not alone. For the first year of the pandemic, when attending worship services online, I made sure to be fully present as if I were in person. I wore “shul clothes,” I closed all the other programs running on my computer, I was completely involved in the service and nothing else. After a while, the lure of being at home grew stronger. I succumbed to the ability to dress casually, to eat while davening, to multitask on the computer, to do household chores while services were playing on the screen. And no surprise, it was much less fulfilling.
It is an amazing opportunity to be able to “attend” services anywhere around the world. To choose which rabbi or cantor, or which time zone, or whatever denomination appeals to you at the moment. Or even to “shul hop” in the course of a holiday.
And I strongly believe that we must continue to offer technological access to everything that we can, for the sake of those who cannot attend in person, for a whole variety of reasons, whether temporarily or more permanently. And we need to continue to push the envelope on increasing accessibility for those who need closed captioning or sign language interpretation or other technology.
But now that houses of worship have again opened their doors for in-person services, it is important that all who are able to, go back. Judaism is a religion that requires communal worship. A minyan of 10 people is essential for particular prayers and rituals. As various institutions grapple with decisions about whether people attending virtually “count” in the minyan or not, the answer is almost irrelevant at this point.
The experience of communal worship, together in shared physical space, is an interactive, participatory one. We sing in harmony, we take part in the service, we stand together for the Amidah, for Kaddish, for the prayer for healing. And then we break bread together and socialize, reconnecting after a week of work, lingering and extending our time together.
“Attending” services online is not the same experience. Many have now become accustomed to having the computer on as background accompaniment while they cook dinner or do the laundry or clean house. We are constantly pulled by our lists and being at home makes it all too easy to fall into habits of attempting to multitask. This is the exact opposite of what worship is meant to do. If we are not saying prayers with intention, then it is not serving its purpose for the individual or the congregation.
The pandemic is not over, and there is good reason to continue to be cautious about exposure and to take precautions. But I find myself questioning if, on any given day, I am being cautious – or lazy. And I have found recently that the answer is more likely to be lazy. As it gets colder and the days grow shorter, the idea of going out at night is less appealing. Online services make it an easy choice.
All of which is not to negate those who do not have the option of being in person. We have the technology; it is incumbent on us to use it for inclusion and accessibility.
But for the rest of us, it is time to return. Time to go back to our Jewish communities, back to our local congregations. You can still choose to tune in to watch a recording later or to join online in a different time zone. It is a valuable additional experience; it is not worship as it should be. It is waiting there for you; walk through the doors again.
