Cross-posted at ReformJudaism.org (click here for the original post)

Everything seems simple at 30,000 feet.

I'm on my way to Austin, TX, for South By Southwest (SXSW), one of the most exciting and influential music/film/interactive conferences in the world. Tomorrow night will be the culmination of five years of work, dreams, and struggles; of pushback, scowls, and great joy; of transcendent communal moments, quizzically raised eyebrows and outright looks of disdain. Tomorrow night, we'll share WAREHOUSE Shabbat with the world at large. The Union for Reform Judaism and the ROI Community have generously stood behind this project and formed a unique partnership so that they might support its mission.

If you've not heard of it before, WAREHOUSE is an alternative Shabbat worship experience that's held in a bar. It features a live band playing both liturgical and secular music, spoken word, multimedia, great food, and incredibly cool people. And, it's completely free. Born out of the feelings of disconnection and abandonment that typically come as standard equipment on a late model, 20-something Jew in the city, WAREHOUSE was designed to be a point of access for 20s/30s who felt shut out by the organized Jewish establishment.

The story here is actually quite simple. After a disastrous (and unfortunately prototypical) Hebrew school experience and a traumatic life event (the sudden death of a sibling), I had thrown up my hands and given up on gOD.

Yes. gOD. I actually typed it that way for a while. I was very angry.

I was also very lucky. In the midst of my spiritual free fall, I was suddenly caught and guided back to a place of positive connection by Debbie Friedman (z''l).

I was growing… as a man, as an artist, and as a Jew. I needed a spiritual venue that didn't come with emotional baggage, that wasn't laden with expectation or obligation. I needed a place that could reflect God's light through the lens of a contemporary aesthetic. I needed a place to be. Yet, no matter how hard I looked, I couldn't find the right fit. I didn't even feel comfortable walking into a synagogue, despite the fact that I traveled to nearly forty of them each year.

I designed WAREHOUSE because I needed it to exist for me. Like most of my contemporaries, I was searching for a meaningful Jewish experience that happened on my own terms, for a spiritual practice that met me where I was instead of insisting that I compromise and move away from my center. And, as I shared these ideas with my friends and colleagues, I found that they were searching for the same.

So, we built it.

And they came.

NYC. Washington, DC. Boston. We reached out and started the process of opening a door for a demographic that felt isolated and locked out. And, in what was one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever known, these young people responded with stories of newfound spirituality, a sense of belonging, and a feeling of connection.

I acknowledge that I can't get back the time I lost with God. But nonetheless, I've walked back through that door. And tomorrow night, if I can help just one person do the same, I'll know that every step of this journey has been worth it.

Shabbat Shalom.

by Caryn Roman

Cross-posted to Jewish Music Voice - The Jewish Rock Radio Blog

On the long list of things that my young, Jewish, city-dwelling peers and I cram into a typical week, Shabbat is usually absent. It’s in large part, I believe, because we’ve been taught that Shabbat is incompatible with our secular existence. Somewhere along the line, we were presented with a choice between ‘doing Jewish’ and ‘having fun’, and at the end of a stressful workweek, most of us choose to spend Friday evening in a bar or restaurant with friends rather than walk into a synagogue. Unfortunately, as the only option for Shabbat observance that most young Jews are familiar with, the typical Friday night synagogue service is not a very compelling one.

Imagine an alternative: an opportunity to separate Shabbat worship from its traditional confines of space (the synagogue) and to focus instead on Shabbat as a holy moment in time – one accessible wherever we choose to spend it. Enter TheWarehouse, a fresh model of contemporary worship held in an unconventional physical space, utilizing innovative music and new media to provide a truly different worship experience and an open door to the broader Jewish community.

Since launching last spring, Warehouse Shabbat has offered an access point to the holy moments of Shabbat from within truly non-traditional spaces – specifically, bars. Attendees arrive for pre-Shabbat drinks and appetizers followed by Shabbat candlelighting and a 55-minute, interactive worship service led by singer-songwriter Josh Nelson and his band. The service contains traditional liturgy and familiar Jewish tunes alongside secular music, poetry, and video animation. Words to songs and prayers are provided on a screen. A rotating clergy presence (usually a local rabbi from within the 20s/30s demographic) offers a d’var Torah or other teaching. The evening concludes with more music and announcements of upcoming social, learning, and worship opportunities from around the community – and, just maybe, another drink or dinner with a new friend.

In post-event surveys, respondents called Warehouse Shabbat “a cool way to experience Shabbat with my friends in a low-pressure environment,” and described the experience as “innovative,” and “fun.” We’re looking forward to learning more about what Jewish young adults are looking for as this program continues to grow.

Will the idea of ‘Shabbat in a bar’ appeal to everyone? Of course not. There are obviously those who are attracted to more traditional programming, and they are also more likely to seek out (or create) Jewish communal opportunities on their own. TheWarehouse is intended to meet disconnected, under-engaged young Jews on their own terms – to literally bring Shabbat to them – and to offer them a new access point to the daily, weekly and yearly holy moments of our tradition. All are welcome to join us for the next Warehouse Shabbat on Friday, March 16 at Tammany Hall on New York’s Lower East Side. Details can be found at www.thewarehousenyc.org or facebook.com/thewarehousenyc.