View source for Lab/Shul

{{Short description|Jewish congregation in New York City}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
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| name                  = Lab/Shul
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| rite                  = [[Non-denominational Judaism]]
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| leadership            = {{nowrap|Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie}}
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| functional_status     = Active
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| location              = Lower [[Manhattan]], [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]]<br/>{{small|(administration office)}}
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| country               = United States
| map_type              = United States Lower Manhattan
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| map_caption           = Location in Lower [[Manhattan]], [[New York City]]
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| founded_by            = Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie
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| established           = 2012 {{small|(as a congregation)}}
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'''Lab/Shul''' is a [[Non-denominational Judaism|non-denominational Jewish]] congregation located in [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]], United States. The congregation was founded by Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie, when he was a rabbinical student, in 2012 as an experimental, pop-up synagogue<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Leland|first=John |date=2014-03-14 |title=Synagogue, Rebooted |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/16/nyregion/lab-shul-is-an-experimental-jewish-gathering-still-in-a-beta-phase.html |access-date=2022-01-02 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> with support from the UJA-Federation, Jewish foundations, and private donors.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Lipman |first=Steve |date=2013-07-30 |title=Experimenting With The Synagogue |url=https://www.jta.org/2013/07/30/ny/experimenting-with-the-synagogue |access-date=2022-04-26 |website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |language=en-US}}</ref> The intent of the congregation is to experiment with various forms of Jewish practice, hence "Lab" in its name.<ref name=":1" /> {{As of|April 2022}}, it has approximately 300 families as members.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shimron |first=Yonat |date=2022-04-04 |title=As Jewish movements struggle, independent rabbinical schools gain a toehold |url=https://religionnews.com/2022/04/04/as-jewish-movements-struggle-independent-rabbinical-schools-gain-a-toehold/ |access-date=2022-04-26 |website=Religion News Service |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Overview ==
The organization does not have a permanent location but uses a variety of locations around New York City. Lau-Lavie was originally inspired to found Lab/Shul after serving as an arts educator at [[B'nai Jeshurun (Manhattan)|B'nai Jeshurun]] in [[Manhattan]], where he felt that religious services lacked the theatrical aspects necessary to enable participants (particularly children) to connect with the service; he founded a theater group, Storahtelling, that ultimately grew into Lab/Shul.<ref name=":0" />

The organization describes itself as "everybody friendly," and is prominent among LGBTQ Jews; Lau-Lavie identifies as gay.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Henry |first=Jacob |date=2022-03-10 |title=This Purim, Jews in NYC are ready to party like it's 2019 |url=https://www.jta.org/2022/03/10/ny/this-purim-jews-in-nyc-are-ready-to-party-like-its-2019 |access-date=2022-04-26 |website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Rosenblatt |first=Gary |date=2017-06-14 |title=Maverick Rabbi Breaks Ranks Over Intermarriage |url=https://www.jta.org/2017/06/14/ny/maverick-rabbi-breaks-ranks-over-intermarriage |access-date=2022-04-26 |website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |language=en-US}}</ref> It controversially supported [[Interfaith marriage in Judaism|intermarriage]] as early as 2017 despite Lau-Lavie's ordination as a [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative]] rabbi. Lau-Lavie disaffiliated from the [[Rabbinical Assembly]].<ref name=":2" />

Lab/Shul frequently holds its events in the round.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hanau |first=Shira |date=2018-09-13 |title=Kol Nidrei In A Red-Sauce Joint? |url=https://www.jta.org/2018/09/13/ny/kol-nidrei-in-a-red-sauce-joint |access-date=2022-04-26 |website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |language=en-US}}</ref>

During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], Lab/Shul experimented with a range of virtual services{{em dash}}including a "[[Shabbat]] ShaMorning" service over [[Zoom (software)|Zoom]] in partnership with the [[Union for Reform Judaism]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Prichep |first=Deena |date=2021-12-04 |title=Worshipers found religious homes near and far thanks to virtual services |language=en |work=NPR.org |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/12/04/1061483594/worshipers-found-religious-homes-near-and-far-thanks-to-virtual-services |access-date=2022-04-26}}</ref>

Lab/Shul is a member of the [[Jewish Emergent Network]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website|https://www.labshul.org}}

{{Synagogues in the United States}}

[[Category:2012 establishments in New York City]]
[[Category:Jewish Emergent Network]]
[[Category:Jewish organizations established in 2012]]
[[Category:Lower Manhattan]]
[[Category:Unaffiliated synagogues in New York City]]
[[Category:Synagogues in Manhattan]]
[[Category:21st-century synagogues in the United States]]