Tisha B'Av tales

Anything for a buck :(

There's no point complaining to the shul president about the fact that the sanctuary is now rented out at just about any time except Shabbat (Sabbath) morning and the Yamim Noraim (High Holidays).  All he'll say in return is "You figure out where to find the money to pay the bills!"  This is what happens when the entire membership of the synagogue is reduced to fewer than 50 people.  And that's why we chanted Eicha (Book of Lamentations) downstairs in the "dungeon" (windowless basement chapel) to the accompaniment of loud music coming from a party upstairs in the so-called sanctuary.  Yep, even on Tisha B'Av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, we had a rental.  Sad, indeed.  :(

But before then, I got a . . .

Pre-fast surprise
See here.