Tough times at (what's left of) the home shul :(
45 minutes
That's how long we had to wait to get enough men to do a Torah reading last Shabbat (Sabbath). It's just a matter of time before we have to skip a Torah reading completely. This should make for an interesting discussion at the next Board meeting. Will the Board finally bite the bullet and start allowing women to have aliyot? Stay tuned.
Ensuring the observance of a mitzvah (commandment)
Last Shabbat, we learned that the baal tefillah (prayer leader) for our weekday Shacharit (Morning Services) doesn't bother leading Birkat HaMazon (Grace After Meals) after breakfast. Since we're not sure that all the attendees even know Birkat HaMazon, much less that they would say it, without a leader, we concluded that either my husband or I must lead, even if that means that, when my husband's not available, I have to stop by for breakfast after saying Shacharit at my "kaddish synagogue."
That's how long we had to wait to get enough men to do a Torah reading last Shabbat (Sabbath). It's just a matter of time before we have to skip a Torah reading completely. This should make for an interesting discussion at the next Board meeting. Will the Board finally bite the bullet and start allowing women to have aliyot? Stay tuned.
Ensuring the observance of a mitzvah (commandment)
Last Shabbat, we learned that the baal tefillah (prayer leader) for our weekday Shacharit (Morning Services) doesn't bother leading Birkat HaMazon (Grace After Meals) after breakfast. Since we're not sure that all the attendees even know Birkat HaMazon, much less that they would say it, without a leader, we concluded that either my husband or I must lead, even if that means that, when my husband's not available, I have to stop by for breakfast after saying Shacharit at my "kaddish synagogue."
posted by Shira Salamone at 6:16 PM
11 Comments:
>>Ensuring the observance of a mitzvah (commandment)<<
Because ... ?
I once attended a Conservative shul that had a kiddush every Shabbat with challah.
Although they made hamotzie, I was the only one (including the rabbi) who washed said al natilat yadaim and said bircat hamazon.
Because:
(1) Non-traditional answer--It's important to cultivate a habit of gratitude.
(2) Traditional answer--G-d said so ("And you shall eat and you shall be satisfied. And you shall bless YHWH, your God, for the good land he has given you." Devarim/Deuteronomy 8:10)
and
(3) As Anon. commented, and as I reported in this old post of mine, Conservative synagogues claim to follow halachah (Jewish religious law), but some Conservative synagogue-goers don't bother. (Heck, in some Conservative shuls, no one even thinks to put out a cup and bowl for n'tilat yadayim, the ritual hand-washing before eating bread.) I prefer that there be at least a semblance of consistency between theoretical beliefs and actual behavior.
I've never seen a C shul that has a permanent washing station. I've known some C Jews that wash before motzai on Shabbat, but they do more so as part of the Shabbat meal ritual, not because one must wash before bread. I think it is kind of strange that the C movement often comes up with elaborate halachic arguments why they do some of the things they do (like counting women for a minyan, etc) but there is no explanation as to why washing for bread has abadoned. Back when I was C, I asked as C rabbi about this, and he simply said ,"we just don't do it. Only the Orthodox do that."
So in a sense, perhaps there is not a disconnect between belief and practice, because the C movement seems to hold that you don't have to wash, but I don't know why.(I've never seen any teshuva on this, I'm only guessing. I haven't seen anything one way or another.) The only C Jews I have ever seen wash when it is not Shabbat or Yom Tov (other than myself back when I was C) were old rabbis who used to be O.
As far as bircat hamazon, although I have seen public bentsching in a C shul after Shabbat meals, weddings, etc., I have NEVER experienced public bentsching at meals at shuls that were not meals of religious significance such as brotherhood breakfast's etc.
"I've never seen a C shul that has a permanent washing station."
Neither have I. And it's not only our synagogues. Years ago, a former rabbi of mine (Conservative) and his wife were visiting a Schechter (Conservative) Day School to determine whether they would enroll their children there. When they saw the cafeteria and asked where the n'tilat yadayim stands were, they were told that those students who wanted to do n'tilat yadayim could wash in the bathroom (and say the b'rachah [blessing] after exiting). They were so disappointed that this Conservative school considered n'tilat yadayim a matter of personal choice rather than a halachic obligation that they sent all their kids to an Orthodox day school instead.
"I think it is kind of strange that the C movement often comes up with elaborate halachic arguments why they do some of the things they do (like counting women for a minyan, etc) but there is no explanation as to why washing for bread has abadoned." You might as well ask why so few people come to a Purim Day Megillah reading and give out mishloach manot (gifts of food) during the day in C shuls, despite the fact that hearing Megillat Esther (the Scroll/Book of Esther) read twice and giving out mishloach manot during the day are both halachic obligations. The same is true of the Seudat Purim, the obligatory festive Purim meal, held in the afternoon, which is practically unheard of in Conservative circles.
"So in a sense, perhaps there is not a disconnect between belief and practice, because the C movement seems to hold that you don't have to . . ." ____________ (just fill in the blank). :(
"As far as bircat hamazon, although I have seen public bentsching in a C shul after Shabbat meals, weddings, etc., I have NEVER experienced public bentsching at meals at shuls that were not meals of religious significance such as brotherhood breakfast's etc."
Same here, if memory serves me correctly. My "kaddish synagogue" recently held a "minyan breakfast." They served bagels with neither a n'tilat yadayim stand nor Birkat HaMazon--and even the rabbi, who was the speaker, didn't seem the least perturbed.
"My 'kaddish synagogue' recently held a "minyan breakfast." They served bagels with neither a n'tilat yadayim stand nor Birkat HaMazon--and even the rabbi, who was the speaker, didn't seem the least perturbed."
A C shul in my town that is considered to be the second most right-wing C shul in the community once had a brotherhood bagel breakfast on chol hamoed Sukkot INDOORS (with good weather) honoring a retiring rabbi with no washing, no motzei and no publicly lead bentsching with mezuman.
Noch besser (even better). :(
Sadly, eating in a sukkah is yet another mitzvah that Conservative Jews often honor in the breach.
I once went to the conservative temple in Salem, MA to use the sukkah only to find no table!
On the first weekday, after yontif I went to their office to ask if they could please have a table in the sukkah so I could eat there on Shabbat. They said, "eat in the sukkah? Why?" One older guy said, "Oh, yeah, my father used to eat in the sukkah. Nobody does that anymore, only the Orthodox do that!"
When I tried to hint to one of my mishloach manot recipients that perhaps *she* could give *someone else* some mishloach manot next year, she ignored the hint completely and just waxed nostalgic about how her grandparents used to give out mishloach manot. There are stories told of Jews arriving by boat in the early 20th century in New York harbor and tossing their tefillin overboard. Sometimes I think they tossed half the joys of Judaism overboard, too. Maybe it's time for some of us non-Orthos to go fishing and bring 'em back.
I guess we must be lucky. At our very liberal Conservative shul, we have multiple handwashing stations, public bentsching at all shul meals, and most people send Mishloat Manot. (The sisterhood makes and sells MM as a shul fundraiser too). And yes, people use the sukkah.
Lucky you are, indeed. I've never been to a Conserv. shul like yours.
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