How to make people upset

Shuls--synagogues--should have standards.

They should.

Obviously every shul is different, and shuls have different levels of observance. But it would be nice if all shuls abided by a certain standard we could all live with. Too much to ask, I realize. And I'm coming from a certain perspective. I wish shuls in the U.S. followed the South African model--which is different due in part to a much smaller Jewish population. In the Republic, everyone attends orthodox shuls regardless of their own observance levels in the home.

I read a Twitter post about a fundraiser/show at the Vic Theater in Lakeview on Feb. 13 and 14 benefiting Emanuel Congregation, Chicago Montessori, and Kawasaki disease, which I assume has nothing to do with motorcycles. I didn't mention how odd it was for the synagogue to be included with the other two--the non-profits are all so disparate it would seem there should be three separate fundraisers. I did ask the woman who posted, though, whose Twitter page can be accessed here, about a synagogue fundraiser being held on a Friday night, which I considered grossly inappropriate. She replied, rather tersely I thought, that there were other organizations; there was a Saturday night option; and people have their own levels of observance. That's all true. To avoid any appearance of raising money on the holy Sabbath, however, the synagogue should only participate on Feb. 14. Furthermore, regardless of how Reform the synagogue is, does it really want to ignore all aspects of Sabbath observance to the point of raising money on a Friday night? This reminds me of something a former Reform rabbi said about his synagogue. At one time--no way to know if this is still true--his synagogue served shrimp as a snack between Yom Kippur services. Which is worse--food that is the furthest from kosher in a synagogue, or that it was served on a fast day, the holiest day of the year? UGH! (If you don't believe this story, I can give you the name of the rabbi, who is now observant and lives in Rogers Park.)

I'm sure this concern never occurred to most members of Emanuel Congregation. In fact, the synagogue did encourage its members to attend the show on Saturday night to avoid the Sabbath. So good for the synagogue.

Trib columnist Wailin Wong suggests Cyber Sabbath

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/chi-thu-digital-life-resolutionsdec25,0,5645714.column

Or http://tiny.cc/f4zLw

"Take a Cyber Sabbath. Or as one of my friends calls it, a Cyber Shabbat. The concept is simple enough: Take the occasional day to unplug and do something radical like laundry or reading a book. No Facebook, no Twitter, no opening up my Google Reader to see which of my favorite blogs have published new posts in the last 30 minutes.
"Notice I did not include email in this pledge. I'm not superhuman. But maybe next year."

Her email: wawong@tribune.com