Empowered Judaism

The inside story and practical lessons from one of the most exciting developments in contemporary Judaism.

Part description and part prescription, Empowered Judaism is a manifesto for transforming the way Jews pray andmore broadlyfor building vibrant Jewish communities. [It] represents the latest chapter in [an] uplifting history of religious creativity. This is a book that every Jewish leader will want to read and every serious Jew will want to contemplate.
from the Foreword by Prof. Jonathan D. Sarna

Why have thousands of young Jews, otherwise unengaged with formal Jewish life, started more than sixty innovative prayer communities across the United States? What crucial insights can these grassroots communities provide for all of us?

Rabbi Elie Kaunfer, one of the leaders of this revolutionary phenomenon, offers refreshingly new analyses of the age-old question of how to build strong Jewish community. He explores the independent minyan movement and the lessons it has to teach about prayer, community organizing and volunteer leadership, and its implications for contemporary struggles in American Judaism.

Along with describing the growth of independent minyanim across the country, he examines:

• The roles of liturgy, space, music and youth in this new approach to prayer
• Lessons to be learned from the concept of immersive, intensive Jewish learning in an egalitarian context
• Jewish values in which we must invest to achieve a vibrant, robust American Jewish landscape for the twenty-first century

The inside story and practical lessons from one of the most exciting developments in contemporary Judaism.

Part description and part prescription, Empowered Judaism is a manifesto for transforming the way Jews pray andmore broadlyfor building vibrant Jewish communities. [It] represents the latest chapter in [an] uplifting history of religious creativity. This is a book that every Jewish leader will want to read and every serious Jew will want to contemplate.
from the Foreword by Prof. Jonathan D. Sarna

Why have thousands of young Jews, otherwise unengaged with formal Jewish life, started more than sixty innovative prayer communities across the United States? What crucial insights can these grassroots communities provide for all of us?

Rabbi Elie Kaunfer, one of the leaders of this revolutionary phenomenon, offers refreshingly new analyses of the age-old question of how to build strong Jewish community. He explores the independent minyan movement and the lessons it has to teach about prayer, community organizing and volunteer leadership, and its implications for contemporary struggles in American Judaism.

Along with describing the growth of independent minyanim across the country, he examines:

• The roles of liturgy, space, music and youth in this new approach to prayer
• Lessons to be learned from the concept of immersive, intensive Jewish learning in an egalitarian context
• Jewish values in which we must invest to achieve a vibrant, robust American Jewish landscape for the twenty-first century

Foreword by Prof. Jonathan D. Sarna ix Introduction: My Journey to Empowered Judaism 1 1. Kehilat Hadar: A Model of Empowered Judaism 15 2. Independent Minyanim Nationwide: Significance and Impact 61 3. The Diverse Landscape of Independent Minyanim: Voices from the Field 85 4. Engaged Davening: How Empowered Jews Pray 111 5. Yeshivat Hadar: Fostering a Generation of Empowered Jews 129 6. Empowerment and Meaning: A New Frame for Jewish Life 143 7. Pathways Forward: The Real Crisis in American Judaism 157 Appendix: An Empowered Judaism Approach to Understanding Prayer 163 Acknowledgments 177 Notes 183 Glossary 185 Suggestions for Further Reading 193