Sinai and Synapses has launched a new $5,000 grant program to promote Judaism and science in synagogues.
Applications closed in late June, and finalists will be notified by July 17. Winning communities will attend a one-day workshop in New York City in late October, officials recently announced. The aim of the Scientists in Synagogues grant is to share how some of the most thoughtful Jewish scientists integrate their Judaism with their scientific work. The program looks to these individuals to become role models and ambassadors for public conversations on faith and science.
When the program last ran in 2023, 15 communities were selected, and it culminated in a 2024 public program that featured a panel that included former CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky; Rabbi David Wolpe, the Max Webb Emeritus Rabbi of Sinai Temple; and Columbia University Professor of Physics and of Mathematics Dr. Brian Greene. Greene's four books — The Elegant Universe, The Fabric of the Cosmos, The Hidden Reality, and Until the End of Time — were all top 10 New York Times bestsellers, and he hosted two Emmy and Peabody Award-winning NOVA miniseries based on his work.
Sinai and Synapses, led by Rabbi Geoff Mitelman and supported by Clal – The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, is collaborating with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion (DoSER). The grant is funded by the John Templeton Foundation as well as other individual donors.
Organizers of the effort point out that the challenge is not getting Jews to embrace science, but often getting Jews excited about Judaism. A national survey conducted by Rice University and AAAS in 2015 found that many may not believe in God but believe in science and nature. A subsequent workshop discussed issues such as connecting Judaism and evolution. In the survey, Jews were lower than any other religious group in viewing religion and science as collaborative.
One goal of Scientists in Synagogues will be to show that science and Judaism need not be in conflict, and that Jews do not need to reject their Judaism in order to celebrate science, organizers said.
More details on the program and how it works can be found at the Sinai and Synapses website.
Susan is an author with a long-time interest in religion and science. She currently edits Covalence, the Lutheran Alliance for Faith, Science and Technology’s online magazine. She has written articles in The Lutheran and the Zygon Center for Religion and Science newsletter. Susan is a board member for the Center for Advanced Study of Religion and Science, the supporting organization for the Zygon Center and the Zygon Journal. She also co-wrote Our Bodies Are Selves with Dr. Philip Hefner and Dr. Ann Pederson.
