Reimagining the Shul for the 21st Century: Rabbi Benjamin Goldschmidt and the Altneu Synagogue (120)

In this episode - a quasi-sequel to Episode 117 - Scott speaks with Rabbi Benjamin Goldschmidt of the Altneu Shul in Manhattan. Rabbi Goldschmidt spent ten years at the Park East Synagogue after which, in a story that was widely reported in the press, the senior rabbi there effectively pushed him out. From his experiences since that event, Rabbi Goldschmidt has a unique perspective that comes from starting a new shul in Manhattan, and trying to cater to a population that may be looking for new forms of Jewish engagement. But the real focus of the conversation was less the challenges Rabbi Goldschmidt faces as a shul rabbi, and more the possibility of reinventing the very idea of the synagogue, and even the idea of community, in the Orthodox world. So many people feel disenfranchised from our existing institutions, and Rabbi Goldschmidt himself knows what it means for a venerable, existing synagogue to feel threatened by you. In this interview he explains how he is using his unusual opportunity to create a new shul in order to do things differently, to bring more people in who might normally look elsewhere for their spiritual nourishment. To read the New York Times article about what happened at the Park East Synagogue, go to https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/03/nyregion/park-east-synagogue-rabbi.html. Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com