In the early 20th century, Reform congregations in America were toying with the idea of moving the main weekly service from Friday or Saturday to Sunday. For the few congregations who followed through with the idea these Sunday services did not replace Shabbat. Instead, the prayers typically recited on Shabbat were switched for the weekday language. The reason some synagogues did this was to be like the churches down the street. This way, Jews and Gentiles would pray at the same time, on the same day, and afterwards they could all go out and enjoy bagels and lox together in their Sunday best. The idea caught on in a couple of congregations around the country; eventually, however, Sunday services died out. Still, synagogue education takes place on Sunday for a similar reason—so Jews and their Christian neighbors could spend Sunday afternoon together.
As Jews in America, we are used to bending our customs and traditions to live fully as Americans and as Jews. Sometimes, however, the conflict of “American and Jewish” cannot be avoided. The famous example of this is Sandy Koufax, the pitcher for the Dodgers who sat out a game of the World Series in observance of Yom Kippur. Koufax is just the most famous example, but many of us, if not all of us, have been in the position of choosing between our Jewish obligations and our school/work obligations. There are no statistics to share about what American Jews tend to choose, so you’ll have to examine your own life and your own decisions to see if a trend forms.
With all of that as a preamble, we arrive at the clergy decision to begin Friday night services an hour early this week. Starting t’filot (prayer services) an hour early doesn’t cancel Shabbat, and it doesn’t negate the holiness of the evening. I liken the change of our start time to holding Sunday School instead of Saturday (Shabbat) school: we give ourselves permission to celebrate our Jewishness AND enjoy the larger American culture around us – but maybe only for those events that seem to be once or twice in a generation.
I hope you’ll join us through the change for this one week. We’d love to see you in person! Together we can lift-up all of our regular Shabbat prayers...and add a few special words for the Braves.
Annie Loventhal says
Growing up, I belonged to Chicago Sinai Temple, arguably the largest Classical Jewish synagogue and led by my cousin, the famous Louis L. Mann. It was on Lake Michigan, and we were teased about going to “St. Sinal by the Sea.” We also celebrated Christmas until Dr. Mann decided Jews were being a bit TOO Christian. And GO BRAVES!
Richard Jacobson says
Rabbi,
I’m glad you changed the hours…. of course i am a Braves fan but at least in my Judaism I am able to zig and zag and have my beliefs, held strongly, yet be part of American society.
It might just be a justification but I’m OK with that. You know i have an Orthodox son and there is no bend in his world… its also hard to be part of that world if you are not ‘all in’ so much of it just does not conform with American society. I struggle with that all the time.
lastly, your comments remind me of when i was in SEFTY as a youth, our discussion was: am i a Jewish American or an American Jew… No right answer but for me I’m both and at times one outweighs the other at that time at that moment and i feel very comfortable with that.
Danial Pearl had to decide who he was and and it cost him his life, To me that was his ‘Sandy Kofax’ moment and certainly not on the same level and not life or death here: i hope that i too would have choose to be a Jewish American if faced with that horrible moment… (not sure this make sense as i write this but i do feel like it ties in)
be well and have a good Shabbat and of course ‘Go Braves’
Wendy A Frank says
Interesting history!