I believe that even those who actively dislike the Grateful Dead, or always happily ignored them, will find ideas worth considering in this comparison.

“I guess they can’t revoke your soul for trying.” – Robert Hunter

Some years ago, my husband and I dragged our kids (then 11 and 13) to see the Dead. The kids asked why the folks in the parking lot were staying
outside, even though the concert was scheduled to start: “How do they know when to go inside? Or, is the band waiting for them?”

My husband, a non-Jew, noted that he was often similarly mystified by worship services: “How do they know when to it’s time for….?”

Not long after that I was part of a small havurah gathering waiting for a minyan, and we got to talking about when we might expect various regulars.
This started me thinking about when, how and why Jews show up to services. I realized my husband’s sentiment about worship services – like my
kids befuddlement about Dead concerts – is shared by many Jews, even regular service-goers….

Over the years, I’ve been thinking about ways that Jewish text and worship and the Grateful Dead parallel one another. The result is this chart.