By Mara S. Cobe
Across the country, smaller synagogues are wrestling with rabbinic shortages and rising operating costs. Temple Solel, the only Union for Reform Judaism (URJ)-affiliated Reform congregation in Fort Mill, SC— just across the state line from Charlotte—has found an answer that’s practical and inspiring: it runs entirely on the talents and commitment of its members. At a moment when many shuls wonder how they’ll afford clergy, Temple Solel proves that empowered volunteers, with appropriate training, can keep Jewish life vibrant.
Temple Solel is not a fringe experiment. It sits inside a documented national trend toward flexible, mission-driven communities where responsibility for worship, pastoral care, and programming is shared. While still uncommon, more small and mid-size congregations are adopting hybrid or lay-led models, especially in regions with limited rabbinic availability.
A 2020 Pew Research Center study reported that only about 20% of U.S. Jews attend synagogue monthly, and younger Jews seek “episodic” engagement rather than long-term membership. Journalist Lee Chottiner ’s 2019 feature, “Future Shuls,” profiles creative communities reinventing synagogue life for Jewish adults across the country, including a variety of models in Detroit, NYC, and the greater D.Cl, area.
According to Matthew Schultz of the Jewish Journal, the empty pews, the merging communities, and the shul closures that we see today are not actually a sign of decline. The typical purchaser of a synagogue membership, after all, is a young family with children, a steady income, and a permanent address. People are more mobile than ever, earn less than they used to, and are more likely to live alone.
The Jewish Emergent Network, another group of Jewish communities from across the country, shows that shared leadership and entrepreneurial spirit can reinvigorate Jewish life. There are entire organizations, like Beloved Builders and Up-Start, dedicated to supporting start-up Jewish spiritual communities and organizations. There is a hub for Jewish social change organizations, the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable, which connects groups carrying out justice work rooted in core values of Judaism.
Temple Solel has leveraged its own innovations for a suburban Charlotte setting, and does so without a full-time clergy person. Temple Solel is part of a broader movement toward community-empowered Judaism that values participation, learning, and social connections.
At Temple Solel, a five-member ritual committee oversees and plans all Shabbat, High Holiday, and festival services as well as life-cycle events. Each service with music, including all High Holiday services, is led by the lay leader and ritual chairperson, Russ Cobe. On Friday nights, congregational members are invited to light candles, actively participate during the service, or help set up refreshments for the oneg. During the High Holidays, congregants volunteer to read Torah, lead specific prayers, or take on other honors for the services.
For students working towards b’nei mitzvah, Russ provides individual tutoring sessions in person and via Zoom to help these young people prepare. The young people are also required to complete a service project in addition to preparing to read from the Torah and lead most of the prayers for their special day. All of these components incorporate the spirit and values of Temple Solel.
Recognizing that many congregations now rely on one, or zero, full-time clergy, URJ created Hadrachah, a cohort-based intensive leadership training that teaches lay people to design Friday night, festival and memorial services, officiate funerals, unveilings, baby-namings, and offer basic pastoral care in small-community contexts.
One of our lay leaders and a current member have completed URJ’s Hadrachah program. This leadership training ensures that worship never stops just because a rabbi isn’t on the bimah. Additionally, these two congregants have completed chaplaincy training, as have several other members of Temple Solel. This provides a strong network of support for the congregation.
What about dues? Members contribute what they can, with a minimum suggested donation of $36 annually. Most congregants give time in addition to dollars, a model that keeps annual expenses low and engagement high. Temple Solel leases space at Grace Presbyterian Church in Fort Mill, so the overhead expenses are kept low, leading to more financial stability for the congregation.
In addition to participating in social action and community events, the average Shabbat turnout is approximately 35-40 people, which is more than 50% of the membership. Friday night services are easily accessible for members (and guests) in person at Grace Presbyterian Church, or online via Zoom. High Holiday services are live-streamed on YouTube with live chat available during the live stream. This allows members to join the community and be active participants from anywhere. Because of this flexibility, congregants join services from hospital rooms, assisted living facilities, from their homes in the Charlotte/Fort Mill area, as well as from Florida, Virginia, and anywhere they may be traveling.
While this lay-led, community-driven model of Reform Judaism may not be the mainstream model, Temple Solel has found a way to thrive for nearly 13 years and to serve its congregation’s changing needs.
Temple Solel is a small, inclusive Reform congregation in Fort Mill, SC. For more information, visit our website, templesolelsc. org, email info@templesolelsc. org, or call (803) 610-1707.
Steve and Robin Yaffe, Jan Rose and lay leader Russ Cobe