I’m increasingly disturbed by the raucous behavior of the younger generation during the kabbalat shabbat service (Friday nights).<\/p>\n
It’s gotten to the point to where I can’t tell if it’s the NCSY (for marginally observant Orthodox teens) or Etta Israel (for retarded Jewish kids) weekend in shul.<\/p>\n
Isn’t there a law against banging your prayer book to the tunes? How hard are you allowed to slap the thing before you desecrate God’s name?<\/p>\n
I walk into shul Shabbos morning and there’s a crowd of Soviet Jews in jeans looking for handouts. They’re scribbling over various papers and asking for the rabbi.<\/p>\n
As the guardian of the conventional morality, I can’t allow this desecration in shul.<\/p>\n
"You can’t write in a synagogue on the Sabbath!" I say.<\/p>\n
"We’re not religious," they respond. "We’re from the Soviet Union. We’re just babes. This is America! We can do anything.<\/p>\n
"Do we belong here?"<\/p>\n
"You can’t write in shul," I respond. "You need to leave the sanctuary."<\/p>\n
"Why do American Jews vote Democrat?" they ask.<\/p>\n
Oy ve.<\/p>\n
Later, there’s a big speech about the hardships in Rwanda. Then we all go down for a nice kiddish. I’d have thought it’d be cancelled in honor of the Rwandans starvation. Or at least we’d have a Rwandan-style kiddish of bugs and grass.<\/p>\n
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I’m increasingly disturbed by the raucous behavior of the younger generation during the kabbalat shabbat service (Friday nights). It’s gotten to the point to where I can’t tell if it’s the NCSY (for marginally observant Orthodox teens) or Etta Israel … Continue reading