Lab/Shul

Artist-Driven, Everybody-Friendly, God-Optional Jewish Community 

Lab/Shul began as a theater project using simultaneous translation and interpretation of Torah and evolved into a dynamic congregation fostering creative access to Jewish tradition. Its mission centers on empowering individuals to actively engage with Jewish practice through storytelling, ritual, and artistic expression, creating sacred gatherings that welcome all. 

Small Group Evolution: Alumni Circles 

Lab/Shul’s Small Group program represents the natural evolution of its acclaimed “Becoming” rite-of-passage programs: Generate (for adults 60+), Passage (for adults 20s-50s in life transitions), and Raising the Bar (for teens). Alumni from these transformative year-long experiences have continued meeting informally, and this program formalizes that organic community continuation. 

Groups consist of 10-14 alumni from the same cohort, meeting every other month (potentially monthly based on group preference). They gather primarily online via Zoom, with some groups preferring in-person meetings in homes or community spaces. Lab/Shul provides minimal logistical support, focusing instead on quarterly “wisdom kits” and connection to a broader network. 

Lab/Shul’s approach to Jewish wisdom emphasizes translation—rethinking and reinterpreting traditional practices to reflect modern meaning and relevance

Creative Content and Community 

Lab/Shul’s approach to Jewish wisdom emphasizes translation—rethinking and reinterpreting traditional practices to reflect modern meaning and relevance. It defines wisdom broadly, including written and oral Torah as well as how contemporary Jews and artists make meaning from tradition through personal connection and communal interpretation. 

Groups explore content organically, often focusing on books, articles, films, or spiritual practices the group wants to explore together. Quarterly wisdom kits include Torah vignettes or other texts on relevant themes, discussion prompts, study materials, insights from Lab/Shul’s rabbi, and creative prompts that honor the organization’s artistic foundation. 

Emergent Leadership Model 

Leadership emerges naturally from within cohorts, typically from participants with facilitation experience, longstanding Lab/Shul relationships, or relevant content knowledge. Groups can distribute facilitation responsibilities among different members, maintaining the collaborative spirit that characterizes Lab/Shul’s approach. 

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