Jewish Worship, Music, and Technology during the Covid-19 Pandemic

This article examines the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Jewish worship and considers a range of worshippers’ reactions to livestreamed and Zoom prayer services. Focusing on the Jewish Emergent Network, innovative communities who are known for cultivating vibrant, participatory music in worship, leaders discuss the challenges of not being able to sing together online, the Jewish legal ramifications of using technology on the Sabbath and the on-going changes they believe could occur as virtual worship returns to in-person prayer. These leaders also discuss surprisingly positive developments in online prayer, as congregants deepened interpersonal relationships in discussion breakout rooms, discovered the power of “participatory listening,” and brought the experience of worship into their kitchens and living rooms, transforming “home space” into “sacred space.” The article concludes with a study of one congregation’s process as they transitioned from in-person worship to virtual prayer and back again, struggling to balance the values of inclusivity and inclusion with Jewish legal and aesthetic concerns about integrating technology into Sabbath worship.