Rabbi Paul Kipnes

April 1, 2020

Disruptive Judaism: Will Your Synagogue Be Beit Blockbuster or Kehillat Netflix?

Whenever we get stuck in the midst of a synagogue brainstorming session or change project, I trot out my cherished $50 Blockbuster gift card. It reminds us that unless our synagogue is willing to reexamine, bust through sacred cows, and innovate, we are liable to fall into irrelevance and disappear. That gift card warns us […]

October 5, 2016

Re-Inventing Synagogues: From Within

CLI Forum Rabbi Paul Kipnes 1 Comment

Jewish pundits love to predict the eventual demise of the synagogue, decrying its dearth of deep ideas, shortage of spiritual inspiration, and absence of warmth and meaning. They say that Jews and Jewish families are opting instead for DIY Judaism, where one can rent-a-rabbi to “do it yourself,” or to start their own shuls, unencumbered […]