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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Do all you folks go to Conservative shuls that do not use the new mahzor? In addition to good translations (which they have always had, so I do not know why y'all do not know what you are singing) it has lots of good explanations, historical notes, as well as philosophy and poetry in English.

Also, if you are serious about any kind of Jewish culture, including secular it is good to learn some Hebrew.  Much of the Hebrew of the prayer book really is not that hard. Loads of words are used again and again.   [/quote]

NP. I know that you mean well but when you throw in words like "mahzor" you are not helping. Why can't you just say prayer book so that everyone who reads this understands what you are talking about? The Op speaks for so many people who don't want to affiliate with a congregation be it Conservative or Reform and that is why congregations are losing members (and conservative synagogues are losing at a higher rate nationally). With rare exceptions, everything is the same as it was 30 years ago and we are not changing to reach younger people (or, for that matter, older people who want something different). I am in my mid-40's and I loved going to the conservative services I was raised with. But I need something different now. I am actually on the board of my Reform Temple (in another city -- I used to live in DC) and it is really hard to change -- some members want change and some want everything to stay the same. Op is not unique. Just telling her to read the translations is not enough and it is not going to get younger people in the door (or they will be there while their kids need Hebrew school and then they will leave -- that's not a true community). There needs to be real change or synagogues/Temples are going to eventually start to close b/c Jews will find community elsewhere.[/quote]

Mahzor is specifically a high holiday prayerbook, unlike a Siddur. It is what I call it, and these are words I knew when i was Reform.  Also it is easy to google a word you don't know.

C is definitely very different from 30 years ago - we have gay rabbis, egalitarian language in the new "prayer books" , changes in music and style in many services (lots of places doing Carlebach style services) etc, etc.   The J communities doing best now are either Orthodox, or the independent minyanim (prayer groups) dominated by millennials - places that ask for MORE commitment, not less.  We have a lot we need to do - we need to be more outgoing as communities, maybe change our financial models (Chabad for example welcomes you in, and does not ask for money till you are a real part of the community - the minyanim ask for effort more than for money) - we do need to change, that I agree with.  I do not think watering down services is the winning formula.   I used to belong to a Reform shul where the service was 95% in English, the service was boring, and attendance (other than the high holidays) was minimal.   Reform in recent years IIUC has added a lot more Hebrew - I saw the new Reform Siddur (prayerbook) and found it delightfully open to the traditional  liturgy.

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