Synagogue 3000 has identified a contemporary Jewish religious phenomenon that it is calling Jewish Emergent. This week, S3K convened for the very first time the Working Group on Emergent Sacred Communities—visionary Jewish leaders committed to the establishment of transformative sacred communities unbound by conventional expectations about what a synagogue is “supposed” to be. To enrich the conversation, S3K invited members of the Working Group to exchange ideas with forward-thinking Christian leaders from Emergent-U.S., as well as leading scholars of American religion—Wade Clark Roof, Steven M. Cohen and Ryan Bolger.

This meeting of the Working Group on Emergent Sacred Communities also marked the first time ever that Emergent-US had met with any religious group outside the Christian faith. It was exciting and inspiring, even historic. In addition, the members of the S3K Working Group on Spiritual Leadership—some of the most accomplished and creative Jewish rabbis, cantors, and artists in the country—were also in attendance.

What was learned during all this? A few things.

Not only are many Jewish religious communities looking to the experiences of Christian innovators, especially in the context of worship that engages the unaffiliated, but they are seeing a similar paradigm shift from an individual-oriented seeker mode to a relational conversation aimed at spirituality in intentional community.

The nebula of emergent Jewish communities is beginning to define itself and work out what kind of network they"ll form. In many ways they are where the Emergent Christian group was in 1996-97, as it formed within The Leadership Network. The journey of Emergent-US up to this point in its existence was instructive and illuminating to the emergent Jewish leaders: time has helped the emerging Christian community become a relatively more tight-knit and well-defined group.

Both Jewish and Christian emerging communities practice what one leader called “orthoparadox” — the creative tension that arises when doctrine and intentional practice are given equal weight in organizing a community’s priorities.

Not only are there no set answers or rules when it comes to building a congregation and a community, the similarity of the journey and the process across faith lines are what these leaders share. Many expressed frustrations and talked about challenges, but the act of coming together in conversation and friendship was a significant building block in the growth process of both groups.

The conversation across traditions allows us to understand more clearly what the “Emergent” phenomenon is. Within each tradition, there are two broad streams: a “congregational” stream based in communities of practice, and an “encounter-based” stream based in individual spiritual expression. Neither is “pro-” or “anti-” institutional — the distinction is one of degree.

Mentorship matters. Whether it be the counsel of more experienced rabbis, cantors, and artists, or the sharing of stories from progressive organizations of different faiths, building any kind of congregation is not new and we can all learn from those who have done and are doing what we"re up to.

The priorities of American spiritual communities are changing as Generation X comes of age and takes over leadership positions. The work of Wade Clark Roof, Steven M. Cohen and Ryan Bolger all points in a similar direction: younger people crave spirituality but they aren"t interested in either rote rules or in lightweight, “easy” worship.

Instead, they are interested in a devotional experience that moves beyond congregational walls and buildings, that builds community and, perhaps most of all, gives them what they call an “authentic” connection to their traditions and to God. The emerging leaders at this conference, both Jewish and Christian, are actively attending to that desire.

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