- By Casey J. Adler
Has the way Angelenos express their Judaism changed in the wake of October 7?
“I used to go to Shabbat service once every two weeks. Now, I’m at Chabad six days a week, wrapping tefillin,” said Andrew Lewis, a young Jewish professional in Los Angeles. Lewis was already a member of Sinai Temple, West L.A.’s largest conservative synagogue, but after October 7 he felt a desire to deepen his connection to Judaism.
Lewis’s story may be representative of broader trends among Jews across the country. While a post-October 7 rise in attendance may speak to a unique moment, engagement with Jewish life may have already been heading in this direction.
According to one Gallup poll, synagogue attendance among Jewish Americans has seen an increase of 7% over the last two decades, up from 15% to 22%.
Zach Lasker, Executive Director of Temple Israel of Hollywood (TIOH), told JLiving that he has seen more attendees at services and new members joining the congregation since October 7.
“Parents want to double down on the future and the vibrancy of the Jewish community, which is a welcomed silver lining amid the division and tension in the world,” Lasker said.
Rabbi Guzik at Sinai Temple said over Zoom that she is seeing “an influx of both current and potentially new members” expressing a need to deepen their Jewish life.
When asked, admin at each congregation could not give specific figures.
I asked Lewis what about October 7 led him and many of his Jewish friends to become more active in Jewish life. “Ten-seven was just so visceral,” he explained. “Between the NOVA festival and the Kibbutz attacks, it preyed on young people, people who looked like us. Those combinations of things — and the sheer number — sparked something different in me and felt more personal as a young person.”
Synagogues have also bolstered security efforts since last fall. Administrators interviewed for this story said that their houses of worship have built or hardened perimeter walls, installed more cameras and added security guards.
Many respondents said that grants for such expenses were paid for by the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles’ Community Security Initiative and the State of California’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program.
Heather McPherson, Executive Director at the Silverlake Independent Jewish Community Center (SIJCC), said that increasing “security visibility” was just as important as adding to the security apparatus because it makes attendees feel safer. This was a common theme echoed at other places of gathering.
I asked Melissa Tarsky, President of Mishkon Tephilo based in Venice, if adding so much external security makes congregants feel more secure or if it makes them feel as though their house of worship has become militarized. She helped put it in the broader context of the costs of living in America.
“I grew up in Canada, where guns are very rare,” Tarsky said. “Here I get my purse searched every time I go to the theater. I have to wear a plastic purse to go see a football game. It’s the games we play, but whether it’s useful or not is a longer conversation.” She went on to explain that while there may be a lot of security theater, “It’s worthwhile to have a big guy out on the steps.”
Lewis revealed that prior to October 7, Sinai Temple was sometimes lax in its security protocol. However, post-October 7, the temple routinely conducts full body searches. He added that security guards who know him personally still insist on patting him down head to toe.
The feeling of safety can be subjective from member to member. Lasker of TIOH explained that some members have expressed “fear and anxiety around safety,” while others have felt more secure at TIOH than in any other public or private venues.
And with the High Holidays coming up, no one should expect to see a relaxation in security measures at any synagogue or JCC. McPherson of SIJCC responded, “We are mindful that there is no space for people to be reflective and have an inner life if they are afraid.”
Lewis believes there are several factors leading Jews in Los Angeles to become more engaged in Jewish life, including a Chabad resurgence. But in his mind, divisive American politics are playing a more significant role.
“I do foresee a conservative bend for the American Jewish diaspora politically,” Lewis said. “I think a lot of it has to do with support for Israel. I didn’t realize that there was this brand of antisemitism on the far left. I thought it was just the Neo Nazis, the Proud Boys, the KKK, the white supremacists, Charlottesville. I didn’t realize there’s a whole different brand on the far, far left. I think a lot of people are looking at Democrats and Republicans and asking, ‘Are they firmly against antisemitism?’”
While Lewis has experienced a deepening of his relationship with Judaism as a religion, he also admits that there is an ever-growing cohort of American Jews critical of Israel. He mentioned that he is in a lot of Jewish WhatsApp groups and that he can visibly see the line in the sand.
“In my group of friends, there’s even more of a wedge since ten-seven — some have become more politically conservative, and there’s an equal number of those who have doubled down in more critical views of Israel.”
Each administrator I spoke with echoed this growing divide between political factions in their Jewish community. While some L.A. congregations broadly support Israel, like Sinai Temple as Rabbis Guzik and Sherman explained, other communities like the SIJCC, TIOH and Mishkon have congregations that have a more diverse range of viewpoints.
Tarsky from Mishkon said, “Two Jews, three opinions. Overall, we are supporters of Israel, but how far that goes, I would guess, is pretty divergent.”
McPherson from SIJCC said, “We’ve certainly received community letters from both sides. I hate to call them the left and the right — it’s too reductive. But we have received letters signed by people who want the JCC to reflect their values, and it is hard to try to represent all Jews.”
Lasker from TIOH said, “We have had members who are behind Israel in whatever it is choosing to do in this situation and others who are a lot more critical. One thing that TIOH is very clear about is that we stand in relationship with Israel, but what that relationship is, is for our members to decide and explore.”
The question of how to bridge those divides between divergent Jewish communities is something that all respondents seem to believe can be accomplished through more dialogue, led by experienced professionals. However, according to Lewis, those conversations are few and far between.
It is clear to him that there is a growing chasm in the American Jewish community, and not many institutions are trying enough to address it. He believes there is a generational shift, and he is curious to see where people land, religiously and politically, in the next couple of years, especially some of his friends.
“People are leaving shuls, they’re joining shuls, they’re lost,” Lewis said. “I know some who say they have no religious home. It’s messy and complex, and it’s not pretty a lot of the time. It’s the whole spectrum.”
I asked Lewis, “Do you believe there is a fracture in the young Jewish American identity?”
“Yes. And at the same time, there’s been a resurgence,” he said. “As one of my friends said, ‘This is the first time I’m ever doing anything Jewish in my life.’”