Conference taveng::bagels

190.0. "Looking for a Conservative Shul" by CAD::LEVITIN (Sam Levitin) Sat Sep 13 1986 23:45

    I have read the topic on greater Boston area shuls, and have
    visited a few. If anyone belongs to a shul that is similar to
    the kind for which I'm looking, I'd love to hear about it here.
    Or if you belong to a shul that's similar in some respects,
    please write about them. I seek more detail than in the other
    topic. (178)

    Disclaimer: This is a long note. I apologize in advance to
    anyone who takes offense on behalf of his/her shul; I am not
    trying to bring out the bad points of local shuls, just identify
    those aspects of the service, the practice, the architecture, or
    whatever, that make me uncomfortable. I'm just looking for a
    shul where (my SO and) I can be comfortable.

    I'm looking for a shul similar to the one I attended before
    college: Congregation Beth El in Norfolk, VA (one of the oldest
    conservative congregations in the US). It is a large
    congregation, some families in their 3rd and 4th generations. A
    non-Jew plays the organ on Shabat and some festivals (those on
    which it's allowed), and there is a choir composed of
    congregants. There are 11 stained glass windows depicting the 10
    commandments + (?) the Golden Rule [It's been about 10-12 years
    since I did a Sunday school report on the contents and meaning
    of the stained glass windows]. Women receive aliyot, but both
    the cantor and rabbi are men. Seating is by family (no
    mehhitzeh), in chairs (as opposed to benches, which remind me of
    pews, which I've seen in some shuls). The service has a fair mix
    of Hebrew and English. 

    Since I came to Massachusetts 5 years ago, I have been to
    several holiday services at Young Israel in Brookline
    (Orthodox) and Kehilath Israel in Brookline (Conservative).
    In addition, I have been to the shul in Newton on Ward (?) St.,
    Temple Beth El of the Sudbury River Valley, and, today,
    Temple Beth Shalom in Framingham. 

    At YI, I was embarrassed by the 8 year old boys who could daven
    faster than I can. There were also situations of confusion,
    since I wear a tallis (not tzitzit) but am not (yet) married.
    Their custom is for unmarried males to wear tzitzit underneath a
    shirt and for married males to wear talesim. KI was closest to
    my home shul: similar architecture, similar tunes, bimah looked
    similar, rabbi is intelligent. However, the main sanctuary has
    benches instead of chairs, and this bothers me for some reason.
    I guess my ideal shul does not bear this similarity to (my
    notion of) a church. The High Holiday services I observed in
    Boston I observed at KI. The synagogue on Ward St. in Newton had
    tunes that made me uncomfortable; additionally, its architecture
    was unlike any shul I've been to.

    Now that I live in Marlboro, Brookline is a bit too far to
    drive. I liked the new prayer book at the Sudbury shul. They've
    rewritten the English translations to reflect a more modern
    outlook on religion, changing "G-d of our fathers" to "G-d of 
    our fathers and mothers", listing the matriarchs in addition to
    the patriarchs, addressing G-d as "You" (not "Thou") where
    possible to avoid problems of "He" versus "She", removed most
    of the medieval references (kings, etc), and so on. This is a
    step I find uncomfortable only slightly, and only because it's
    new. I think in the long run, I would get used to this and be
    proud of it. The cantor is a woman (no problems there); the
    rabbi has wise things to say (no problems there). 

    What I don't like is that there's not enough Hebrew in the
    service. The service contains too much clapping to suit my
    tastes. (I was raised that one does not applaud in the shul.) It
    was also a bit too touchy-feely, where at one point, congregants
    hold the hands of the adjacent person and swayed and sang.
    That's just a bit too informal for my view of religion; I think
    it should be more serious. The bimah is not very much offset
    from the main floor of the shul: it does not look like a
    characteristic bimah. Also, the chairs reflect the fact that
    the shul is new, and was not started with gobs and gobs of
    money 100 years ago. That is, it's a more modern building, with
    more modern fixtures/chairs.

    Temple Beth Shalom in Framingham has tunes very similar to my
    old shul. Its architecture is somewhat similar (3 aisles,
    chairs, two lecterns). But the bimah looks different, and the
    contrast of the brick walls with the material that makes the
    walls above the brick is unusual. [This material reminds me of
    Draper Labs; it has a "high-tech" sheen to it.] I saw the
    parents of a Bar Mitzvah jointly receive an aliyah today, so I
    would assume they give aliyot to women. [Both the rabbi and
    cantor daven very fast; I think my *father* would be hard
    pressed to keep up with them, and he was at one time a
    "minyan-naire", blitzing mincha-ma'ariv in 15 minutes or less.]
    So far this looks like the closest shul, all facets considered.  

    The points, in order of importance, for a candidate shul:
    o   no mehhitzeh; women must be counted in a minyan and must be
    allowed to receive aliyot.
    o   Good mixture of Hebrew and English (more Hebrew than
    English ideally). 
    o   Congregants do not merely listen to cantor pray; they pray
    also. [I know, I know, how one prays is not *dictated* by what the
    cantor does or how fast, but one's behavior *is* influenced by
    this.] 
    o   Traditional Conservative service, but we don't mind innovative
    changes.
    o   A rabbi with something to say, relevant to either the reading
    or current affairs.
    o   A chance to get involved (on the one hand, no one "forcing"
    aliyot down your throat, like KI, but on the other hand, no one
    poo-poohing new members as unable to offer anything of value.)
    o   Congregants our age (mid 20's, no children (yet) ).

    Thanks for taking the time to read down to here. I really
    appreciate this forum for sharing ideas and experiences.

     Sam Levitin	CAD::Levitin	DTN 225-4135	HLO2-1/G11

    Sam,
    
    If you have not tried the Beth Israel in Worcester, Jamesbury Drive,
    you should.  It's within 25 minutes (door to door) of DEC Marlboro.
    They have a new Rabbi and a well balanced congregation and services.
    
    	Aaron

    Well Sam :-),
    
    [Sam and I know each other pretty well, having spent four years
    in the same fraternity, and then sharing an apartment for a year.
    This reply is mainly to get more information publicized.]
    
    You may want to try Temple Emunah, in Lexington off Rt. 2.
    Women receive aliyot, and sometimes run the services, torah
    reading included.  Right now, the service is entirely Hebrew, except
    for the Sh'ma.  The temple president told me that they may add more
    English after introducing the new Conservative siddur.  The
    architecture is similar to that of the Framingham temple you described.
    There must be only one or two firms which do that work.
    
    Young singles/couples aren't in abundance at your average Shabbat
    service, but the congregation is beginning a program to get these
    people more involved.
    
    
    Beth Elohim in Acton, despite what Roger Matus says about it in
    the previous note on temples, is going to seem very Reform to someone
    of your background, although those looking for a more Reform temple
    than spec'ed by Sam should really check this one out.
    
    Dave