Independent minyan
[2] These new groups often combine a commitment to halakha/Jewish law with egalitarianism, and strive to create worship services where traditional prayer can become "spiritual experiences".
Some (see "2007 Spiritual Communities Study", below) have argued for incorporating the independent minyan model as a subcategory of a broader "Jewish Emergent" phenomenon (named after a parallel movement in the Christian church).
[6] On the other hand, there are those who view the trend as extremely positive, and one that will ultimately lead to new approaches to religion and spirituality within the modern Jewish community: a "triumphant story of day-school education and egalitarianism.
"[7] Jack Wertheimer, a Professor of Jewish History at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America has written that: For some who take a longer view, the independent minyanim seem reminiscent of the Havurah movement of the 1970s, when numbers of young American Jews rejected the suburban synagogues of their parents in favor of small-group gatherings for study, prayer, and community.
The historical moment is also different; members of today's independent minyanim are not counter-cultural types in rebellion against their parents or committed to smashing existing institutions but a generation that is at once self-sufficient and open to compromise.
An example of the newer spirit is the DC Minyan's commitment to separate seating, an infringement on the principle of strict sexual egalitarianism that is maintained for the sake of accommodating the group's diverse population.
[8] Kaunfer notes that Kehilat Hadar began in New York as a result of a number of young Jews who were "looking for new ways to connect to the substance of their religion and tradition"—but instead of becoming "just a local minyan", "it became a model of grassroots religious community that spread dramatically across the United States and Israel.
There is a temptation to assume that Jews – especially young adults – are only interested in surface level engagement with Jewish culture: jokes, bagels, singles events.
[10]Ari Kelman, a professor of American studies at the University of California at Davis, predicts that, "They are going to have a huge impact, because we are living in a moment where denominations are really not very successful, particularly with these 20- and 30-somethings.
"[10] In 2007, Hebrew Union College sociologist Steven Cohen conducted a survey on behalf of the S3K Synagogue Studies Institute and Mechon Hadar.
[11] Based on 1354 responses to an online questionnaire, the study, co-authored by Shawn Landres, Elie Kaunfer, and Michelle Shain, found that social networking, not institutional structures, was the primary way that information about independent minyans spread.
Instead, they've created a traditional Judaism with an anarchic accent, in which participants expect rabbis to teach them but not to lead their services or be religious in their place.
[12] Many independent minyanim seek approaches within traditional Jewish law as foundation for egalitarianism, and an expanded role of women both in the worship service and in the leadership structure.
Furthermore, Sperber argues that human dignity (Hebrew: kevod ha beriyot) should be recognized as the value that should drive changes in the participation of women in services.
[21]An article about Minyan Shivyoni, in the Baka area of Jerusalem, describes how the resolution of these "differing opinions" often results in a process of struggle among participants that is not easy, but the goal is "communal consensus": As the Minyan Shivyoni navigates the process of becoming more egalitarian, each decision begins with open communal learning on the topic of discussion.
[24] Within the overall rubric of the independent minyan phenomenon described by experts like Wertheimer, Kaunfer, Sarna, Kelman, and others who are studying it, many independent minyanim work as active participants in The Minyan Project, an international effort to support lay-led congregations, under the leadership of New York's Mechon Hadar, an institution that developed as a result of the growth of Kehilat Hadar.
It is "designed to empower vibrant prayer communities", offering one-on-one consulting, including resources and strategic planning advice, to leaders of groups around the county.
In November 2008, it facilitated a three-day leadership conference for over 90 representatives from 32 communities to create a system of networking and mutual support, in an effort to share best practices, lessons learned, and define ongoing and upcoming issues.
[25] As part of this ongoing effort, the Minyan Project has developed a "Halakhic Think Tank" to provide a forum for discussion and guidance on "crucial halakhic issues facing ... burgeoning communities, including gender, kashrut, defining relationships and boundaries with the non-Jewish world ... [and] navigating different levels of observance with the Jewish community.
