A typical (?) Shabbat at our local shul
The rabbi wasn't there. This will become standard operating procedure after next Sabbath, which will be his last week at our synagogue. (Yes, the congregation will be sponsoring a nice farewell kiddush in his honor.)
When I walked in at about 9:40 AM, having already davvened through the P'sukei D'Zimrah section at home (since I prefer to pray at my own snail's pace), I was upset, but not particularly surprised, to find my husband up on the bimah (prayer platform) "entertaining" the chazzan (cantor) with his rendition of P'sukei D'Zimrah, which is to say that I was the first congregant to arrive. (That's not typical!) The chazzan shrugged his shoulders before beginning with "Shochen Ad," saying that he was going to take it slow, in the hope that we would have a minyan by the time we got to the Amidah prayer. Sure enough, without the rabbi forcing him to davven at a faster pace, he davvened slowly enough that we did have a minyan for the Amidah.
By the end of the Torah reading, we had six Leviyim. We cheated, and used three of them for aliyot (and a fourth for hagba). What else is new?
My husband gave the D'var Torah/"sermon." (And a golly good job he did, too, if I do say so myself.) This will probably also become standard operating procedure, more or less, after next Shabbat, unless he can persuade some other fine folks to share the honor.
Since the rabbi/cantor who'd lead Shacharit (Morning Service) last year on the Yamim Noraim (High Holidays) had magically appeared about a minute after I walked in, it was graciously suggested that he lead Musaf (Additional Service for Sabbaths and major holidays). I take it for granted that his attendance here was a loss leader--who in his/her right mind would walk for 30 minutes in 90-degree-Fahrenheit (32.22 Celsius) weather unless he/she were looking for a job?
And there you have it, a perhaps-not-so-typical Sabbath at our home synagogue.
When I walked in at about 9:40 AM, having already davvened through the P'sukei D'Zimrah section at home (since I prefer to pray at my own snail's pace), I was upset, but not particularly surprised, to find my husband up on the bimah (prayer platform) "entertaining" the chazzan (cantor) with his rendition of P'sukei D'Zimrah, which is to say that I was the first congregant to arrive. (That's not typical!) The chazzan shrugged his shoulders before beginning with "Shochen Ad," saying that he was going to take it slow, in the hope that we would have a minyan by the time we got to the Amidah prayer. Sure enough, without the rabbi forcing him to davven at a faster pace, he davvened slowly enough that we did have a minyan for the Amidah.
By the end of the Torah reading, we had six Leviyim. We cheated, and used three of them for aliyot (and a fourth for hagba). What else is new?
My husband gave the D'var Torah/"sermon." (And a golly good job he did, too, if I do say so myself.) This will probably also become standard operating procedure, more or less, after next Shabbat, unless he can persuade some other fine folks to share the honor.
Since the rabbi/cantor who'd lead Shacharit (Morning Service) last year on the Yamim Noraim (High Holidays) had magically appeared about a minute after I walked in, it was graciously suggested that he lead Musaf (Additional Service for Sabbaths and major holidays). I take it for granted that his attendance here was a loss leader--who in his/her right mind would walk for 30 minutes in 90-degree-Fahrenheit (32.22 Celsius) weather unless he/she were looking for a job?
And there you have it, a perhaps-not-so-typical Sabbath at our home synagogue.
posted by Shira Salamone at 6:01 PM
2 Comments:
Ok, Shira, so are you leaving the shul, or inviting the shul en masse to come with you somewhere else? Or, can you guys make an appeal to a smicha-farm for a hungry new rabbi eager to build a flock, who will attract folks himself?
If anything, we'll be the ones to leave, being among the youngest members of the synagogue. No rabbi is hungry enough to take the pittance that we can't even afford to offer anymore.
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