A few years ago my friend took me to Shira Hadasha in Yerushalaim. I found that my main objection to Egal is not so much in the theory, but it the practice--it...takes...so...long. Egal (as in other branches of Judaism) just has a more experiential view of religious ritual than traditional Frum shuls do.
Does anyone know of an Ortho-Egal shul that has hot kiddush, 1 1/2 hour Shabbes Shachris, and strict rules about nusach from the ummud (none of this aspirated neo-Israeli pronunciation garbage)? If so I am very curious ;)
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
13 years ago
6 comments:
rumor has it that since shirah-hadasha got so full of tourists there is a similar (re: women participating) minyan meeting once a month in bak'a without all the singing. they call it just plain "hadashah." ;-)
btw, only an orthodox person could call a minyan with a mehitzah and in which only men can create a minyan or say barkhu "egal."
It isnt surprising that the service would take so long given that the attendees dont HAVE to be there. They WANT to be there. Thats what bothers me most. Voluntarily waking up on a Saturday to go to minyan that isnt going to count you or doesnt "need" you just taunts the rest of us who dont really want to be there.
Jacob, I'm sorry to hear you have such a negative attitude toward davening. I go to devening because I want to. If you don't believe me, ask Shmuli.
Miriam, you're right. But seriously, Conservative Judaism is already egalitarian, so what is gained by the term Egal? Egal, as a distinction, must refer to something other than standard Conservative Judaism. Thus it must refer to something which is not strictly egalitarian. So goes it with the word game...
Reform minyans are also Egal, right?
zev,
1- as you probably noticed, "egal" is just a shortened form of "egalitarian" used by those In The Know. what is gained by the term "egal" is time (and I.T.K. points), not a change in meaning.
2a- sam is right, not all conservative minyanim are fully egalitarian.
2b- you are right, thought, that people who identfy as "egal" simpliciter (usually, "trad-egal") and not "egalitarian conservative" are often trying to disassociate from the maintream consevative movement. but's it's usually not for reasons of gender-equity. rahter, more often it's abt things like not driving on shabbat, using the traditional nusach, or not being so homophobic (depends on the crowd...)
three cheers for identity politics!
shabbat shalom
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