A tallit-and-tefillin-wearing woman in a traditional Conservative synagogue?! An unorthodox—and non-orthodox—perspective on Jews and Judaism from a perpetual misfit. This blog, welcoming the entire Jewish community, is dedicated to those who take Judaism seriously, but not necessarily literally.
Once upon a time, I belonged to a left-wing egalitarian Conservative synagogue, where I was one of a number of women who wore a tallit—and one of the few members who used an Orthodox prayer book (adding the Mothers, of course). Having moved since then, I now belong to a right-wing traditional Conservative synagogue, where I’m almost always the only woman wearing a tallit—and one of the few members who adds the Mothers. I seem destined to be forever . . . on the fringe.
5 Comments:
The showing up in shorts I have no problem with. (I realize there's a halakhic issue for some, see quote below.) I'll take the people who show up in shorts over those who stay home in their long pants and skirts.
I'm confused about the racing; do they go faster than the s"z?
Quote from a VBM article: "In modern times, some authorities have revisited this issue, questioning the propriety of wearing short sleeves, at least, or even shorts, during prayer (see Rav Ovadya Yosef in Yechave Da'at 4:8). The Shulchan Arukh (90:5), for example, writes "one should not stand up for prayer… with exposed feet, if the accepted practice is to greet important people with shoes…" The Mishna Berura (91:11-13), points out, that is hot countries where it is customary to stand before important people barefooted, one need not be concerned even if one is wearing "short clothing through which the legs are visible.""
Agreed. I'd rather them come to shul in shorts than not at all.
I will occasionally run in for mincha/ma'ariv wearing shorts, if that's what i've been wearing all day. I try not to do that for shacharit, though, since I can get dressed for minyan and throw on shorts after.
And I wear sandals in the summer. God doesn't mind. I have it on good authority.
I suppose you're right--it's better that people show up in shorts than not come to minyan.
"I'm confused about the racing; do they go faster than the s"z?" (Er, would that be short for shatz (shaliach tzibur, prayer leader)?
You don't get it, Mich--it's the *shatz* who's racing!
How do you define racing? one shul i go to, start to finish is 30 minutes. That's racing. The one I prefer to go to takes closer to 40 minutes, which is a good speed.
Thirty minutes seems about right, to the best of my recollection--I’ve been too busy trying to keep up (so that I’m in time to say kaddish) to time it since my “trial run."
Forty minutes would be an improvement, 45 even better. Once or twice the shatz has davvened so quickly that not only did I miss Tachanun (as always), I missed most of the 2nd Ashrei (which I usually manage to say), all of La-m'nateiach (which I often manage to say), all of Kedushah d'Sidrah/U'va L'Tzion Goel (of which I rarely get to say the whole passage), and almost all of Aleinu (which I almost always get to say)!
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