How Will Synagogues Survive?

This is the second in a series of articles about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on different sectors of the American Jewish community. The first, on the response of Jewish communal institutions, can be found here.

A YouTube video recently making the rounds imagines a time when the notion of synagogues meeting in their own physical spaces will seem bizarre. Set in the not-so-distant future, the video portrays a young woman responding with amazement when shown photographs of her grandfather’s bar mitzvah. Having only attended religious services online, she is shocked to learn that Jews once prayed together in buildings. Although the ostensible point of the video is to celebrate the adaptability of Judaism, it brings to the surface an often-voiced anxiety during the COVID-19 crisis: will American Jews return to their synagogues after the health risks abate?