When Barry Katz first came to the Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel in Riverdale, New York (aka CSAIR) there was the congregation and a Havurah. So variety on Shabbat was already part of the shul's DNA but by now that DNA has spread all over the building. Now it includes a dizzying array of davening options that take into account the changing needs of its members but all structured around a few fundamental principles: none of these davening communities meet every week, none conduct life cycle events and each Shabbat everyone in shul meets for a communal Kiddush.
While the constants are a traditional Friday night service at candle lighting and a Shabbat morning sanctuary service led by the rabbi and cantor with significant lay participation, the options now include:
- The Havurah that has been meeting now for 30 years;
- Ruach Shabbat: 6 pm Friday evening service with a shorter kabbalat Shabbat focused on group singing, dancing, stories pitched to the kids and dinner;
- Lechu Neranana: a monthly 6 pm Friday night service with “more intensive singing”;
- Contemplative Saturday morning service with a focus on meditation that has begun meeting once a month;
- Minyan Kivinu: the newest davening community in the shul that is similar in feel to Hadar and other independent minyanim and meets once a month on Shabbat morning;
- A Shabbat “pull out program” for an intensive Torah discussion with a Bible scholar;
- An ongoing expansion of the Saturday morning program for parents and their young children led by volunteers and professionals.
While congregants at these various services used to be fairly homogenous by age, Barry notes that more members of different ages are going to all the services - “You can choose to go to what speaks to you that day or what you’re used to or what you had someplace else or what challenges and stretches you.” There are more people in shul on Friday night and Shabbat morning than ever before and they are spread out all over the building but coming together for Kiddush or for Shabbat in the sanctuary the following week. And that's the way the DNA double helix works at CSAIR!