Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote: Now, I love it! If you ever go to a service you will see the men are stoic and very focused on prayer and the women are more diverse... some are very focused and others are chatting quietly. Have you ever sought to ask why men and women sit separately? The answer is simple- when you are in synagogue you are supposed to be focused on G-d and prayer and that's it. It's not some sort of convoluted gender inequality crap.
First off, I have been to O synagogues where men chatted. I have also known women frustrated at the chatter on their side of the Mehitzah. And I see every shabbat people focused on prayer at our C shul. If you can't manage to focus with people of the opposite gender visible, feel free to wear your tallis over your head so you can't see people. But if you think gender equality is crap, or that gender inequality is not a problem in Judaism, then Conservative Judaism may not be for you.
I have heard the cultish claim before and I have especially been warned that it can come on strong after bar mitzvah age. We as a family are comfortable and confident in who we are and I can assure you I will never wear a wig and give up my spare ribs and cheeseburgers. Perhaps my kids will and that is wonderful by me... I will feel proud that I gave them a strong foundation in Judaism so that they could choose their own way. I think the key here is "choice," which is a very Liberal and inclusive thought.
Cultish not about making you give up cheeseburgers (CJ also encourages giving up cheese burgers). Its about the focus on the personality of the late Rebbe. Note this is a problem that non-Chabad Orthodox Jews have noted about Chabad.
Of course I think lack of gender equality is a problem- I just don't see it at our Chabad. I wish I could ask my grandmothers how it felt to sit separately from their fathers growing up, since both were children of Orthodox Russian immigrants. One continued to be observant and the other was a founding member of a reform shul. Both ran circles around their husbands (my grandfathers) and I cannot imagine either of them tolerating gender inequality of any sort (my point being, what some see as inequality others see as tradition). I also don't see it as a problem in the torah so I don't like the egalitarian prayer books. If it wasn't there thousands of years ago, it shouldn't be there now. Who are we to change the supposed spoken words of G-d? To the poster who is worried about her child in the service, we have a children's service but it's up to the parent if you want to send your kids. They are welcomed at both the main service and the child-focused service.
I've learned a bit about Menachem Schneerson and I find him to be an incredible and generous person. He was truly an ambassador of Tikkun Olam. When the Chabad Center in Mumbai was attacked and the family gruesomely murdered by terrorists who wanted to kill Jews, what did Chabad say to do? Not to riot, or to kill back. They said to spread the light not darkness. Do a good deed in your community, wherever you may be. This is The Rebbe's legacy.
To the CJ poster- I admire your dedication to kashrut and you sound like a devoted and proud Jew. I am not at all judging those who do things a different way or see Judaism differently than we do. This just works very well for our family and I truly hope our kids will incorporate more observancy in their lives. If they do, I'll feel that we did the right thing in bringing them to Chabad.
As for our experience at the CJ, it was a hard nut to crack in terms of getting involved. Many of the families had kids in Jewish Day School so it felt like everyone knew everyone else. We attended services and volunteered for a few events. DS even joined the Jewish Cub Scout group affiliated with the synagogue. We just never fit in and never felt part of the shul. We genuinely did try for 3 years. Felt similar to my RJ upbringing. Just didn't fit.
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