Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Frumer, holier, better

A new shul is opening, a shteeble, actually, on my very own block, with a black-caftaned Rav presiding, who has been described by those in-the-know as "warm" and "charismatic", euphemisms, respectively, for "disorganized" and "talks too damn much."

The Rav's brave new inovation, the idea, I am told, that will really put the fannys in the seats is this: No English dates on the schedule. Seriously.

Apparently, English dates are the latest front of the war on secularism and the treifa medinah, both powers, which, not incidently, have helped to make us the richest and happiest Jews in history. Poskim, you'll be very glad to hear, have endorsed this shunning of August, September and the other ten temptresses, my insider tells me. Poskim, as usual, have too much time on their hands, time that might be better spent preparing rulings which ameliorate pain and improve lives, instead of this and similar gimcrackery.

UPDATE: As I said in the comments, the Rav still plans to wear his shtrimal. The costumes of the Polish landed gentry, c. 1800, apparently, are still Torah True.