Among much else, the High Holy Days are the time that American Jewish congregations hold fundraising drives on which their financial survival often depends. Many synagogue budgets also count on selling seats for services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. But an economic downturn and, for the non-Orthodox, the prospect of praying over Zoom threaten theses sources of income. While it is too soon to know the effects of the most recent holidays, Menachem Wecker notes that there is good news as well as bad:
Reform Jews report . . . feeling more connected to and likelier to recommend and to remain members of their congregations than before the pandemic. For more than five years, Reform congregations have increasingly streamed services online throughout the year, and more and more have waived High Holy Day ticket fees for non-members.
At Temple Sinai (Reform) in Reno, Rabbi Sara Zober [notes that] Friday-night services online have drawn about 100 people, when twelve people might have come pre-pandemic.
With payroll for rabbis and staff representing synagogues’ greatest expenses, some Orthodox synagogues have found respite in Paycheck Protection Program loans. Many are waiving ticket fees altogether this year. [One Los Angeles] congregation, which typically draws 1,000 on High Holy Days compared with 300 on a regular week, [planned] fifteen socially distanced High Holy Day services . . . in congregants’ backyards and in parking lots.
Read more on Religion News Service: https://religionnews.com/2020/09/25/high-holidays-tickets-finances-zoom-yom-kippur-memberships-spiritual-challenges-covid-19-synagogoues/