How to Find a Temple after you move to a new city
So, you just moved to a new city. And now, amongst your many issues --- unpacking, finding new work, meeting new people and everything else --- you need to find a new temple/synagogue as well. How do you do this? To answer that question, you will probably have to ask yourself a few new ones, such as: where are you, and what kind of place are you looking for, exactly?
The synagogue situation, of course, varies a lot depending on where you are. If you just moved to a small town in the American South, the nearest synagogue might be in a different city. In other places (say, New York City or Jerusalem) you can't walk a block without tripping over a temple or two. In that situation, the problem is sifting through your options to find the one best for you. But however many options you have, there are still many factors to consider.
In the age of the Internet, finding a temple or synagogue is a lot easier, as there are many websites designed to help you. www.Synagogues.com is one such resource, catering to houses of various denominations. It allows you to enter your city and how far you are willing to travel, for added convenience, and allows users to leave ratings. In addition, denominational websites provide this service for temples in their affiliations (see the bottom of the article for links).
Denomination, of course, should play an important part in your decision. Do you consider yourself Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist or even something else? It is important to note that even within each denomination there is plenty of room for differences --- a Conservative synagogue might range from very traditional to very liberal, and even within the Orthodox and Reform groups there can be much variation on exactly how observant a congregation is, and exactly which observances they actually observe! You may find that whatever denomination you are used to attending, in this town a different one fits you better.
What all this means is that, at the end of the day, you may not be able to find the "perfect" synagogue for you. But fear not; the same way you chose this new city despite the discomfort of moving, you can still find a house of worship that will fulfill your spiritual or social needs even if it is a bit different than what you are used to. Religion, after all, is about growing and changing. The key is that, should you find yourself with multiple options, you come up with a set of basic criteria and work from it as you make your decision.
How active do you intend to be in your synagogue? If you are strictly a "High Holiday" observer, try the website www.NoMembershipRequired.com, which highlights innovative synagogue programs that combine tradition and meaning for those who are not necessarily familiar with the many details of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services. If you want to know about other holidays and special programs, you may have to do a little detective work. Ask around your local Jewish Community Center, search synagogue websites or even check the local newspaper. Even if you do not want to join as a full member, you may find something that piques your interest.
But if you want to be a more permanent, integrated part of a community, but do not know which community to choose? The best option may be to shop around. Attend a different service each week or each month, taking time to observe each temple and how each congregation does things. Feel free to mingle with the membership and ask questions. Try to think: does this fit my personal belief system? Did I find this uplifting? Do the programs and activities work well for me, and, if applicable, my family? Each of these questions is very subjective --- and very important to finding your new religious community.
Ultimately, the search for a new temple or synagogue has many factors. You may only have one or a few choices in your new city; or, you may have many different options. Either way, you will likely have to make some adjustments as you encounter new people and new ways of doing things. May you have the best of luck in finding and choosing your new spiritual home.