Worth reprinting in full.
Question: I am a once a year Jew. I go to shul for the High Holydays, having not shown my face the entire year, and then disappear till next High Holydays. Do people like you think I’m a hypocrite for coming to shul once a year?
Answer: Funny, I feel the opposite. I am in awe of once a year Jews. I think you are more in touch with your soul than I am.
I go to shul every day, observe Shabbos, keep kosher, enjoy horseradish on my gefilte fish – all the things that Judaism expects of me. But that’s because I know what they mean. I have been privileged to learn the meaning of Jewish practice, the power of Torah, and I have seen the positive transformation real Judaism can achieve in a person. It’s no surprise that I observe – who wouldn’t if they knew what Judaism was all about?
But I look at the once a year Jews, who mostly have little or no Jewish education, don’t know the meaning of the prayers, are not sure whether they believe or not, and still they come. Why? What are they doing in shul? What brings them?
There is only one explanation. It’s their soul. They have a Jewish soul, so they come to shule.
I on the other hand may have other reasons to come to shul. My mind tells me to go, my habits force me to go, I go this week because I went last week. But for the once a year Jews, there is no external reason to attend shul. The drive comes from deep within; their Jewish essence tells them to go.
The High Holydays season is the one time of year when the Jewish essence comes out of the closet. Jewish souls make a bold and loud statement: “Whether I understand it or not, I am Jewish, and I belong in shul.”
So please don’t feel funny coming to shul. Maybe you’ll be inspired to become a once a month Jew, or even once a week. But even if not, just by coming you remind us of the power of the Jewish soul.
If you were thinking of going to synagogue next week, you’ll be in good company.
I too am a once a year Jew, but my loyalty and devotion to the Jewish people is 24/7/365.
That’s a nice way of looking at it, but as a “once a year Jew” myself, I have to somewhat disagree.
Most of our community comes to shul just for the High Holidays. And people will readily admit that they go more out of a sense of social obligation, or a need to “see and be seen”, than out of any kind of religious motivation. People go to see the new babies and marriages, to comment on what one another is wearing, to trade golf jokes or financial advice, and to catch up on a year’s worth of gossip.
Personally I readily admit that I go because I enjoy the family get-togethers and the sense of occasion; I like the tradition, and I like the declaration that “yes, I’m Jewish, therefore I go to shul on Rosh Hashanah”.
Having attended twelve years of Hebrew day school growing up, I certainly can’t claim a lack of knowledge or understanding; if anything, it’s the opposite, as my Jewish education has given me a solid love of Jewish tradition and pride in being part of the Jewish people, but has also given me enough knowledge to largely reject many of the beliefs that go along with it.
In fact, I take great pride in the fact that Judaism can’t be pigeonholed as a “mere religion”, as many of our Christian neighbours constantly try to do, in attempt to make it fit with what they know and understand. I love the fact that being Jewish is a nationality, a peoplehood, a tradition and an identity, that can exist whether you’re frum or completely non-religious or anything in between.
So I hope people won’t take it as insulting when I say that the reason for high synagogue attendance on the High Holidays has more to do with social pressure than with any kind of religious belief. I mean it as a sort of cynical back-handed compliment; after all, I’m speaking as one who does exactly the same thing.
Yes, but you are speaking from your perspective. It’s rather presumptious to put your spin on everyone else’s high holiday attendance. Granted, Aaron Moss can’t claim to speak for all of the once a year Jews, either (though I’d call them twice a year Jews–they come on Yom Kippur, too).
While I’m sure there are many Jews who come for the reasons you cite, there are many who come for the reasons the author wrote—and then there are many who come for reasons of their own.
Even when I never attended synagogue regularly, I went to High Holiday services because that was what Jews did. Aaron had me pegged.
I think it is insulting to those Jews who are making an effort to be more Jewish, and who are being painted with your very broad—and very negative—brush. You’re assuming a lot of facts that are not in evidence.