What Is an Online Synagogue?
An online synagogue is a Jewish congregation that meets, prays, and builds community entirely through the internet. Members log in from anywhere in the world to attend live services, study Torah, observe lifecycle moments, and connect with a rabbi — without needing to belong to a brick-and-mortar shul.
Sim Shalom is the first fully online synagogue. We have been gathering Jews and seekers from across the globe in real time, every day, for over a decade.
If you have ever searched for a synagogue and come up empty — because you live too far from one, because the local congregation does not reflect your beliefs, because the dues are out of reach, because you are interfaith, LGBTQ+, a Jew by choice, or simply unaffiliated — an online synagogue may be the spiritual home you have been looking for.
How an Online Synagogue Works
An online synagogue functions much like a traditional one, with a few important differences.
Live services. At Sim Shalom, Shabbat services stream live every Friday evening. Daily services are also offered. You join from a laptop, tablet, or phone. You see the rabbi. The rabbi sees you. The congregation is real — you are not watching a recording.
A real rabbi. An online synagogue is not a video library. It is led by ordained clergy who know your name, officiate your simchas, sit with you in grief, and answer your questions. At Sim Shalom, Rabbi Steven Blane leads services and pastoral care personally.
Community without geography. The person davening next to you may be in Manhattan. The next may be in Manila. Online synagogues create chavurah — Jewish fellowship — that crosses oceans.
Lifecycle events. Weddings, baby namings, b’nai mitzvah, conversions, funerals, and shiva minyanim are all available through an online synagogue. A rabbi can be present at the most important moments of your life regardless of where you live.
Who Joins an Online Synagogue?
The Jewish world is changing. Roughly half of American Jews are unaffiliated with any congregation. Many more are interfaith, intermarried, or living far from any Jewish community. Online synagogues serve:
- Jews in towns or rural areas with no local synagogue
- Interfaith and intermarried families seeking a welcoming community
- LGBTQ+ Jews who have not always felt at home in traditional shuls
- Jews by choice and seekers exploring conversion
- Homebound, elderly, or disabled congregants
- Travelers and expats who want to stay connected to Jewish life
- Spiritual seekers drawn to Jewish wisdom but not sure where to start
You do not need to be Jewish to attend Sim Shalom. You do not need to be anything in particular. You only need to want to be there.
What Makes Sim Shalom Different
Sim Shalom was founded on a simple, radical premise: Judaism belongs to anyone who wants it. We are a Jewish Universalist congregation — meaning we honor the depth and beauty of Jewish tradition while affirming that no faith holds a monopoly on God, truth, or the human soul.
We were the first to bring an entire synagogue online. Not a livestream of a building’s service. A congregation that lives on the internet because the internet is where its members live.
We do not charge dues. We do not turn anyone away. We daven in English and Hebrew. We sing. We learn. We argue. We mourn together and celebrate together — and we have been doing it together, online, longer than anyone else.
What Happens at an Online Service?
A typical Sim Shalom Shabbat service includes:
- Candle lighting and the traditional Shabbat blessings
- The classical liturgy in Hebrew and English
- Original music and song
- A short, accessible d’var Torah — a teaching on the week’s parashah
- Time for shared joys and sorrows
- The Mourner’s Kaddish
- Open conversation after the service for those who want to linger
Services last about an hour. You can participate as much or as little as you want. You can keep your camera off. You can join from your kitchen table in your pajamas. The point is to be present.
How to Join an Online Synagogue
Joining Sim Shalom takes about a minute. There is no application, no interview, no dues. You go to simshalom.com, sign up for the service link, and show up when you are ready. That is the entire process.
If you want to go deeper — to meet with the rabbi, plan a lifecycle event, or explore conversion — you reach out and we make it happen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an online synagogue a “real” synagogue?
Yes. A synagogue is a gathering of Jews for prayer, study, and community. The room is not what makes it sacred. The presence is.
Do I need to be Jewish?
No. Sim Shalom welcomes Jews, partners of Jews, seekers, the curious, and the unaffiliated.
How much does it cost?
Sim Shalom has no dues. Donations are welcomed but never required.
Can I have a wedding or bar mitzvah through an online synagogue?
Yes. Rabbi Blane officiates lifecycle events both in person and online.
Is this an Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform synagogue?
Sim Shalom is Jewish Universalist — a tradition that draws on the depth of all Jewish movements while welcoming everyone regardless of background.
Ready to Join?
Sim Shalom services are live and waiting for you. Join our next Shabbat service →