Live streaming during the holidays

As the pandemic extended into the second year of the High Holidays I found myself teetering between attending religious services in person or virtually as a participant in a live-streaming congregation.

Last year, as a senior citizen and unprotected by vaccination it was a no-brainer to avoid services in person. Unfortunately, it was not a pleasant experience for me to “attend” live-streaming services. I felt completely disconnected.

The online services were heavy into English with Hebrew being almost a second language. The music accompanying the prayers made me feel as if I was at a folk-singing concert rather than a Jewish service. At other times I imagined I was attending a church service as organ music seemed out of place in a synagogue. I never felt the emotional essence of prayer or that I was part of a Jewish congregation; I was in the audience but not enjoying the show!

Having been brought up in a traditional home and attending only Orthodox religious services during my youth and young adulthood, it was difficult enough for me to transition to conservative synagogues when I moved to Central Florida more than 55 years ago.

I always enjoyed the cadence and melodies of traditional Ashkenazi prayers with their unique cadence led by a Chazan and an active, spontaneously responsive congregation. The Hebrew prayers were recited with fervor, and with an evident synergy and symbiosis between the congregants and the Chazan or Cantor leading the prayers. You could feel the emotion and spirituality being generated all around you and the connection with your fellow congregants.

In time my comfort level increased in the conservative religious environment. I actually came to understand men and women sitting together, especially after I married and had children. I embraced the idea of families sitting together at services as a loving shared experience.

Fast forward to this High Holiday season, I was again faced with the dilemma of synagogue attendance in person or via live-stream services. I had the double-jab protection of the vaccine, but the resistance of so many intelligent people to mask wearing, social distancing, my age and taking up limited space in the synagogue best left to younger families, led me to the decision to try to find a religious Jewish prayer service experience in cyber space.

My search for live-stream services for this holiday season to which I could connect brought me in touch with many more choices than what was available the year before. Thank you Covid-19!

Many reform and conservative synagogues apparently also learned the potential of live streaming their holiday services to connect with Jews who have never attended holiday services before.

While the Jewish world including the Orthodox communities embraced the Internet over the past few years to bring their message to the unaffiliated and members alike in terms of classes, social events and informational services, the concept of live streaming services really took hold this holiday season and more of the services had a “Jewish taam” (flavor).

Although, I understand and respect that live-stream religious services may be problematic from a Halacha law perspective for the Orthodox community, its benefits to connect with unaffiliated Jews potentially make it an effective tool to discourage assimilation and increase support for Israel.

If you wish to comment or respond you can reach me at melpearlman322@gmail.com. Please do so in a rational, thoughtful, respectful and civil manner.

Mel Pearlman holds B.S. & M.S. degrees in physics as well as a J.D. degree and initially came to Florida in 1966 to work on the Gemini and Apollo space programs. He has practiced law in Central Florida since 1972. He has served as president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando; was a charter board member, first vice president and pro-bono legal counsel of the Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Central Florida, as well as holding many other community leadership positions.