Saturday, March 20, 2010

A Minyan grows in Brooklyn

I had several conversation-worthy happening occur this Shabbos, but none struck me so much as a new Minyan I participated in this morning. 770 is great when you have to catch a Shacharis at 1:00 PM, but for weekly Shabbos prayers? Personally, I have nothing against not being able to hear anything and getting pushed around by smelly foreigners, but I understand that some people might not be so into this sort of thing. The obvious solution is to pray in another synagogue, but until now I never did this, because there isn't really any place where my friends are or where I'd feel comfortable. Maybe in four or five years my friends will start Beis Shmuel Tes Zayin, but until then, what's there to do?

This week I went to a new Shul that just opened a little while ago. Based in Darchai Menachem, which itself is based in the NCFJE building (you know, those people who run Camp Emunah-Bnos Yaakov Yehuda), MyShul (website here) is a welcoming place where you can hear what's the Chazzan and Torah reading, and don't get pushed around. One of the kids even gave a Dvar Torah, which I thought was really cute. Unlike 770, I could actually hear what he was saying. Of course, I was Davening during the speech, but you can't expect me to change everything I do in one week, right?

60 comments:

bonne said...

Cute, the website said it was run by kids, for kids...what's the age range there? Anyhoo, always nice to make new discoveries.

Just like a guy said...

Well, all the kids seemed to be between the ages of 11-13.

Anonymous said...

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e said...

Very cute. I wonder who's the adult behind this who's working super hard because he doesn't only need to run a shul, he also needs to make it look as if the kids are running it.

Anon: didn't you forget to include the part about Canadian viagra?

Just like a guy said...

e: it's the hard working staff of Darchai Menachem, Chaim Perl and Ayal Bension.

Anonymous said...

It's pretty interesting how Darchai Menachem has become something of an "incubator" for new shuls in Crown Heights. First Beis Shmuel, then Oihel Nosson, now MyShul... v'chein yirbu!

Dowy said...

have you tried the besh't (beis shmuel tanchum - not related in any way to beis shmuel)?

Just like a guy said...

Anon: LD.

Dowy: I have not. Is it worth trying?

Dowy said...

i would say its worth a try - quite a small young crowd, alot of singing, there is a (suposedly, i dont really listen well to shiurim) good shiur given by mendy kalmenson between mincha and maariv, and in the morning. i go once in a while friday night for the singing.

Just like a guy said...

Is the singing really that good? Hmm. Where is this synagogue located?

bonne said...

Is there a proper women's section or is it one of those places that technically has a women's side but is too awkward to really make use of?

Just like a guy said...

Dowy: Ahh. Hmm. Well, at some point I'll have to check it out.

Sara: To which temple do you refer?

Dowy said...

if you mean the besht, well the thats the interesting part, its so interesting in fact that it doesnt even exist.
most - about 75% - of the people there are single so they dont really need one.

bonne said...

Yes the Besht.
Oh.

Nemo said...

Dowy - aderaba, in a shul where most congregants are single, it would be opportune to have some sort of women's section that invites women to become part of the community.

Just like a guy said...

Nemo: This is Crown Heights we're talking about here...

e said...

Anon: Thanks for asking! You certainly came to the right place for this discussion. All of us here are regular consumers of weight-loss products and would love to have a discussion on this topic.

Modeh B'Miktsas said...

Oy, another one? I appeal to leave the spammers on for entertainment.

I'm thinking if I can't find honest work for the summer I'll open up a shtibl. Anyone want to join?

Nemo said...

Will there be caviar and vodka?

Just like a guy said...

Modeh: you make enough money to need the tax dodge of opening up a shteeble?

Nemo: what ever happened to herring?

Modeh B'Miktsas said...

Nemo: if someone sponsors it

TRS: no, but it's easy money

Just like a guy said...

Who's paying you money?

Dowy said...

well there may be no womens section but there is cheesecake in the morning - allegedly.
btw i was informed that its closed for the holidays.

Just like a guy said...

If there's one thing I know about Crown Heightsers, it's that they love them some cheesecake in the morning.

Why would it be closed for the holidays?

Dowy said...

aparently
cos cheesecake is chometz duh :)

Just like a guy said...

Ahh, you mean the current upcoming holidays.

Dowy said...

yes.
my only problem with this shul is thats its too organised.
its also slightly too cool for me.

Just like a guy said...

Too organized? And they call themselves Lubavitch?

Too cool for Dowy? That's not possible! What color hats do these guys wear?

Dowy said...

yes, its horrible, they always sing the same songs and noones crazy and shows up wearing only tzitzis and nothing else. AHhg!


black borsalinos - mine is from daffees.

Just like a guy said...

Wait a minute, I'm fine with no one showing up wearing only tzitzis.

So how are they cooler than you?

Dowy said...

no im joking its a very nice shul, but i still think we should open up a hippie shul in ch, or else im moving to zfat.

Just like a guy said...

You know, I'm not so sure that I want to attend a hippie shul.

Would you really want to live in Tzfas?

Dowy said...

well we wont call it that of course.
i think i would. wouldnt you?

Just like a guy said...

But the concept even.

Yes, I suppose. I'd prefer East Jerusalem, but I'll take what I can get.

e said...

well then you won't take anything, cuz you can't get anything.

Just like a guy said...

That's the kind of helpful comment which builds relationships.

Dowy said...

i think he just means noones giving away free apartments in tsfat along with a free ticket.
ehem, thats wat he thinks...

Dowy said...

btw wen you hear the word hippie, wat do you think of?

e said...

Dowy: That's precisely what I meant.

When I hear the word 'hippie,' I think of Dowy.

Dowy said...

well who said someone is NOT giving them away?
im not really a hippie, im just a wanahippie.

e said...

but how many real hippies do I know?

e said...

Although I did do merkos shlichus in woodstock

bonne said...

I would like to take this opportunity to re-ascertain that I am NOT a hippie.
That is all.

Dowy said...

only real hippies deny their hipyness

e said...

Dowy wants us to note that a minute ago he wrote, "im not really a hippie, im just a wanahippie."

Dowy said...

i thought it was more subtle

Just like a guy said...

e: You know of someone giving away apartments in Israel?

e said...

As I said earlier, and as Dowy explained, not only do i not know givers of free apartments, but I doubt that such creatures exist.

Dowy said...

trs - i was asking u wat u thought of wen i said hipy?

Just like a guy said...

I think of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_of_Love .

Just like a guy said...

e: That's unfortunate.

Dowy said...

ah well now i understand the confusion

Just like a guy said...

Why, what's the issue now?

Dowy said...

i just think of hippies as people who are idealistic and happy and anti convention. they did drugs and experimented with alternitive lifestyles because they were looking for something more to life and were fed up with what convention told them to do. there where plenty hippies who gave up drugs when they realised how harmfull they are.

Yitzchak said...

NO! No one is giving me money. Yet anyway. That's what the shtible is for. You people are so used to associating the word "rebbe" with The Rebbe that you forget the literally hundreds of 2-bit rebbelach who make a living by feeding people herring in their smelly, semi-finished living rooms and calling the sewer backup in the basement a mikveh.

Re hippyism: I heard from a real hard core hippy that 99% of all hippies are in it for the drugs and have no hippy philosophy. I heard something similar about lubavitchers and mashke.

Just like a guy said...

Dowy: so what, in your mind, is a modern hippie?

Modeh: there are literally hundreds of these people? Where do their chassidim come from?

Since when are lubavs so into mashke?

Modeh B'Miktsas said...

They don't quite have chasidim as such. It's pretty funny.

Just like a guy said...

So how exactly does it work?

e said...

I know a guy whose family is non-denominationally chassidic. Maybe they hang out with these non-denominational rebbes.

Just like a guy said...

Do they have to change their levush depending on which Rebbe they go to, or do all the non-denominational Rebbes wear the same shtuff?