Shir Chadash and Shabbat/Holiday Technology

Dear Shir Chadash Community,

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is changing our Jewish lives and practices in many ways. This week we'd like to take a closer look at the use of technology at Shir Chadash and the process we are using to thoughtfully explore this issue.

At the outset of the pandemic, we made a decision to suspend religious services and Shul school and offer them virtually. However, Shabbat morning services have not been online.

Recently, the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards issued a legal ruling ( teshuvah ), which permits the use of livestreaming technologies on Shabbat and Holidays. A copy of the entire teshuvah can be found here . Rabbi Silver has prepared a summary of the halachic principles the teshuvah is based on that can be found here.

Using technology on Shabbat would represent a significant departure from our current practices. No decisions have been made at this time. Rather, the Ritual Committee has begun having conversations on technology options that they will bring to the Executive Committee and Board for their consideration.

This email will outline the key issues and questions surrounding the use of technology and is intended to draw you into the conversation.

Scope of the Legal Ruling

The legal ruling ( teshuvah ) creates an exception to the prohibition on using electronics on Shabbat either in the synagogue or at home. The urgency is created by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the ruling also points out that technology is here to stay. In fact, many Conservative synagogues already livestream on Shabbat and holidays in accordance with decisions made by their individual rabbis.

Questions for Shir Chadash

As noted previously, the Ritual Committee, Executive Committee and Board need to decide how we will answer a number of questions:

Do we want to use technology to support our High Holiday services this fall?
Do we want to use technology after the High Holidays?
If we decide to use technology, what options would be appropriate for us?

The Culture of Shir Chadash

In addition to the halachic , practical and cost issues associated with the use of technology on Shabbat and Holidays, there is a broader question we must examine. How will the use of technology affect the culture of Shir Chadash? Although no technology platform can replace the sense of community created by in-person religious services, it's clear the pandemic will continue to have a significant impact for the foreseeable future. Therefore, we might wish to provide a low-risk option for those who choose not to attend in-person religious services.

We will keep you updated as decisions are made and more information is available. In the meantime, please reach out to Rabbi Silver if you have ideas about the use of technology. Your opinions count and we want to hear from you.

Ken Klein, President

Rabbi Deborah Silver

Ricardo Totah, Executive Director

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