Going Behind the Zoom with BJ

Colin Weil, Executive Director

to provide members who use those tech

From prayer and learning to volunteering and social connections, each week, thousands of BJ members and friends connect with each other over Zoom.

We have gotten a lot of questions from the BJ community about how we make this possible, and Executive Director Colin Weil has the answers!

Q: What is BJ’s stance on using technology to enhance the prayer experience in this unprecedented time?

A: Our community encompasses a variety of approaches to Jewish law and practice. While we have established standards of practice for when we gather together in community, we make every effort to respect each other’s personal choices.

Since the start of the pandemic, BJ’s institutional practices have evolved in the face of the present unprecedented health crisis. While our spiritual leaders do not personally engage with technology on staff do, thus enabling the functioning of VirtuShul. During the High Holy Days, “For the past six months, we have seen time and again that our livestream will remain the social and spiritual connection main conveyor of prayer ser vices. Some of our program transcends physical distance.” ming will be enabled by Zoom, YouTube, or Facebook in order

Shabbat and Jewish holidays, some of our nologies with the deep social connections that are a staple of the season.

Q: How have the rabbis reconceptualized their homes to create a set-up that works to lead services online?

A: Our spiritual leaders and musicians each dedicated a space in their homes to create what they refer to as a mikdash me’at (a small sanctuary). They sought to find a spot where they could feel physically and spiritually separate from the “work week” in order to connect with prayer, and with the community.

Above: The BJ sanctuary set up for Shabbat morning services. Right: Roly’s Zoom setup.

Q: Did they need to get special equipment, like microphones?

A: We sent a technology package to each of our spiritual leaders’ and musicians’ homes to optimize sound and production quality. They use professional microphones, audio interfaces, and lighting.

Q: The rabbis and Ari appear so close together on the livestream — is this safe?

A: In fact, the service leaders are all stationed more than 20’ apart in our empty Sanctuary, with individual cameras capturing each of them. Our livestream system allows us to stitch together the individual camera feeds into a shared screen.

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Going Behind the Zoom with BJ

Q: Zoom only allows one person to be heard at a time, but we have multiple instruments playing together for Kabbalat Shabbat. How did the musicians make that work?

A: I asked BJ’s Music Director, Dan Nadel, who shared with me how he optimized Zoom settings to ensure that music remained as integral to BJ’s prayer experience as ever before: “I watched livestreams of many synagogues from around the world to cull the best learnings from varied experiences. We enabled what is called ‘original sound.’ This option allows for more than one sound to come through at any given point, and reduces the compression Zoom applies to the sound.” This means the sound people hear is more authentic than what is usually produced by the software. This approach has allowed us to continue to infuse our prayer with the music that nourishes our souls, even from home.

Q: What is critical for successful implementation of a livestreamed prayer service, especially as we approach the High Holy Days?

A: The rabbis are curating each High Holy Days service in terms of content and length, to focus on the essential prayers and music. They ’re also building in breaks, so we have a chance to step away from the screen, stretch our legs, and process the prayer experience.

Q: How is BJ facilitating those less familiar with technology?

A: We know we are better together than apart. We have provided step-by-step guides on how to use Zoom technology on our website (bj.org/zoom), and our staff are available to guide community members who may need additional assistance. We know how large a factor social isolation is, and we

“Our commitment to creating transformative experiences has nourished the souls and spirits of our community and has held us together.”

want members to feel assured that the BJ community is here to support you.

Q: What positive outcomes have come of the pandemic?

A: For the past six months, we have seen time and again that social and spiritual connection transcends physical distance. Our commitment to creating transformative experiences has nourished the souls and spirits of our community and has held us together. We are looking forward to an engaging and enriching journey through the Yamim Nora’im. See you online to sing, pray, and bake some challah!

Top: Becca at her Zoom setup. Middle: Felicia’s Zoom setup. Left: Ari at his Zoom setup.

Our Community: Powered By You

Rabbi Shuli Passow, Director of Community Engagement

All year, every year, BJ volunteers make amazing things happen. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit New York, it wasn’t a surprise that over 150 BJ members stepped up to offer their time, energy, and love as volunteers. We had such an abundance of offers, in fact, that we weren’t able to place all these potential volunteers!

The individuals listed below offered to make check-in phone calls, do grocery runs for those who couldn’t leave their homes, provide tech support so members could access BJ via Zoom, send meals to frontline workers, take the place of regular volunteers who couldn’t serve in our shelter and lunch program due to the pandemic, and much more.

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who was willing to give of themselves to make sure that BJ would remain a caring and compassionate community in the face of this crisis. Rav todot! Many, many thanks to all of you!

We are deeply grateful to Galit Lopatin Bordereau and Les Nelson, co-chairs of the Bikkur Holim committee, for overseeing our community outreach in response to the pandemic.

Myriam Abramowicz Harriet Abraham Rachel Abrams Karen Adler Gail Amsterdam Adi Anker Eliza Anker Sharon Anstey Sima Arian Amy Bennett Meredith Berkman Genya Bernstein Jeannie Blaustein Barbara Blum Sophie Bokor Galit Lopatin Bordereau Michal Bowen Jordan Brail Mandy Braun Joni Brenner Abigail Bromberger Eve Brunswick Lisa Buksbaum Lara Caligor Susan Charney Jenny Chubak Elizabeth Cohen Madeline Cohen Ellen Corenswet Thuythi Daily Penny Dannenberg Andrew Diamond Sami Dines Hilla Drechler Sylvia Dresner Ana and Ruben Dybner Anne Ebersman Michael Feinberg Rachel Fischer Lynda Fisher Elissa Fishman Sam Fishman Susan Fishman Fern Flamberg Deborah Friedman Nora Gaines Christina Gantcher Mike Gantcher Judy Geller-Marlowe Carol Gelles Valerie Gerstein Sian Gibby Oriyan Gittig Schwartz Helena Diamant Glass Linda Golding Shoshanna Goldman Jenny Golub Nancy Greenblatt Connie Gruber Bob Gruenspecht Dora Hanft Miriam Herscher Jennifer Hirsch Leslie Horn & Family Susan Hyman Betsy Imershein Marc Intrater Rae Janvey Ruth Jarmul Nancy Kahn Vicky Kahn Miriam Harris Kaplan Talia Kaplan Rachael Kaplan David Katzenstein Beth Kern Deborah Kirschner George Klas Steve Koppel Toby Kovacs Daniel Kovacs Paula Kramer Weiss Evie Krislov Guenther Krumminga Neil Kurshan Daniel Lambert Celia Lambert Susan Viuker Lieberman Debbie Lerner Shira Nadich Levin Cindy Levy Beth Lief Wendy Linderman Robert Linderman Galit Lopatin Bordereau Mimi Lox Steve Luong Alan Mantel Fran Manushkin Julie Kowitz Margolies Susan Margolis Jennifer Mariaschin-Rudin Glenn Marlowe Linda Marshall Rachel Mehler Noa Mintz Les Nelson Sallie Newman Maia Offitzer Sonia Orenstein Lisa Mednick Owen Laurie Pauker Ellen Perecman Pene Raphaely David Rhode Ilene Rosenthal Irv Rosenthal Nadine Rothman Julia Rothman Marta Sanders John Santelli Isaac Santelli Suzanne Schecter Ellen Schecter Eric Schneiderman Jazmin Schwartz Jonathan Schwartz Cecily Schwimmer Melanie Sherman Alexandra Sherman Rachel Sietz Leah Silver Sandy Soffin Rachel Sotelo Judy Spivak Alexandra Stern Lauren Stern Samara Stern Lori Sumberg Gideon Taylor Nancy Tepper Susan Thal Tammy Tuller Lauren Turk Dorothy Tydings Marjorie Vandow Sylvia Vogelman Ayala Wasser Eli Weiss Julie Wilcox Rae Winderbaum Harriet Wolf Judy Zorfas Spivak Lisa Zucker Zachary Cohn

Pease accept our sincere apologies if your name was inadvertenly omitted from this list.