The Function of the Synagogue in Leisure Culture

The research literature on the topic of leisure indicates that leisure is perceived variably by different sectors and cultures. In Israel, affiliation with a certain religious group affects one’s perception of leisure. The uniqueness of the current study involves the function of the synagogue as an influential element in Jewish leisure culture. The synagogue is not only a place of prayer, rather also a place of convening and gathering where many varied activities take place, beyond prayer. In practice, over the generations, the synagogue served as a site of leisure activities and as a means of enhancing unity and communal life in Jewish society both in Israel and elsewhere. The current study examines differences in perceptions of the synagogue as a place of prayer and as a place of leisure by worshippers and others. The study included 387 participants, who defined themselves as secular, traditional, religious, or ultra-Orthodox. The research findings indicate no difference between secular and religious participants with regard to their perception of the synagogue as a place of leisure, namely, the synagogue is not perceived as a place of leisure rather as a place of prayer. Moreover, a negative association was found between religiosity and participant’s perception of the synagogue as a place of leisure; the more religious the participants the more they thought that the synagogue is utilized less as a place of leisure (and more as a place of prayer). Finally, the study showed a different gender-related attitude to the synagogue as a place of leisure, where men more than women perceive the synagogue as a place of leisure. The current study illuminates a site of leisure activity that has undergone an essential change from a religious place to one that bears communal-cultural-national significance, although it is not perceived as such by the various sectors within Israeli society. A discrepancy was found between actual practices and perception of the synagogue as a place of worship, where in practice the synagogue is used to celebrate dates with collective significance (for example, Jewish holidays) and to note events that are meaningful to the individual (such as marriages, bar mitzvahs, and births). This is an initial study that can lead to further research, which will continue to explore the perceptions of the Jewish population regarding the synagogue as a place with communal and personal significance, during leisure time as well. The synagogue as a site of leisure culture has the potential to unite the various sectors.