mentalblog.com comments:
Atlas, please let me know if I got the math right.
First, let me say that it is not at all plausible to put you in the same category with other people in the shul, since that would not be consistent with your unique perception of the world. That means that the 5% who "mutter obscenities under their breadth" = 1 man. (I considered but rejected the 10% "who daven there in thoughts only" as a candidate for this, because that would put the entire membership of those who actually show up at 8 people.)
So as a result, this is must be the make up of your 20-man congregation
(with only 18 actually showing up to daven):
1.4 men - old Russians.
0.6 men - in charge of the Shul.
(perhaps there is one man who is 60% in charge of the shul, while his remaining 40% serve as an old Russian)
1 man - obscenities mutterer.
1.4 men - meshichisten.
12 men - good citizens.
1.6 men - mayo/potato addicts.
(due to his addictive personality, one of them is also a part-time mashichist)
2 men - in thoughts only daveners.
And a follow-up question:
Is the old-Russian part of the man in charge of the shul also unhappy about the way the shul is run?
hey, you changed the numbers!
it was 7%/3%/5%/7%/60%/8%/10%!
you are too fast...
Your math is very astute! Your assumption about 5% in the "obscene" category representing one person is also true, but alas I had a specific gentlemen in mind, not me. I was actually feeding off my conversation with that gentleman on Friday. I bummed that one gentlemen to higher percentage because I think his category deserves a bigger part of the pie, i.e. some people would not admit it openly. The totals I assumed to be 40 people, not counting 10% who daven in thoughts only, 36 actually show up. Not you are also correct that I can’t fit into any category so I said there is only 49% of "Good Citizens". Meaning there is Good Citizen No. 50 (le malla me geder ha teva) but we can't really count him officially as he will make the total 101%. So he is hidden for the time being. But when Moshian comes, who knows…
P.S. If I put my hand of the bible so to speak, I feel close and identify with every single category.
If I put my hand of the Bible, so to speak, I feel close and identify with every single category.
This is never in doubt. That is why we love you.
To bad non of the groups wants to admit me as member :-: Except perhaps the one who comes to the Shule in thoughts only :)
Is it permitted to ask which of the many Boston Chabad Shuls is the one you describe here?
as groucho marx famously said, i don't care to belong to a club that would accept me as a member.
I think it is the breakaway Chabad centre outside of Boston...
for all I know it might be not even in Boston, it might be in a neighborhood near you... :lol:
Snapshot of my Chabad Shule:
20% Chassidim from various backgrounds, currently happy to be a part of a group that has more to offer than most others. They enjoy a maymar chassidus, a chissidishe farbrengen, and like-minded chaveirim. Most don't send their kids to Lubavitcher mosdos.
20% People who joined Chabad (some Baalei Teshuvah, and some FFBs) who feel that they should accept Lubavitch for its maylos – not to deny the problems – but they take the good with the bad & ugly. They send their kids, for the most part, to Lubavitcher mosdos.
20% Chassidim who in a more idealistic time felt that Lubavitch offered them a more meaningful, less repressive and a more intellectual approach to Yiddishket. The majority of them have become progressively more baal-habatish, and more disillusioned by the Chabad “scene” – but they keep coming, and grumbling about the situation. They hope their kids won’t make the same mistake. (As R’ Yoel Kahn once told a representative sample of this group “oib azoi, eihr zent a shvantz – eihr hut nisht dus, un nisht dus.) They’re actually overstated on this list at 20 %, but they wield a lot of power, and control most decision making.
10% Chassidim escaping main-stream Lubavitch, to a community that is more heimish, hoping that they are gaining on the deal.
7% My Heroes: Russians (of a fairly young variety), and friends, who have created a small group. They have some unity, and tend not to be overly concerned with what anyone else is doing. They're there on their own terms, and follow their own rules – decorum be darned. They are shocked if/when one of them is given an Aliya by the oligarchy.
5% Some outwardly visible Lubavich affiliated individuals with more litvishe backgrounds. Some have decided that the Litvaks were right after all, but they currently feel that they’re stuck here now; they also hope their kids won’t make the same mistake. Others lean towards just doing their own thing.
5% Neighborhood generic-chassidicly oriented individuals, that enjoy a nice shiur Chassidus, and a shul where anyone can feel comfortable & invisible.
5% A few regular Lubavitchers from birth. I’m not sure why they ended up here…
5% Guests and relatives of all kinds. Most of the more main-stream Lubavitcher types think the shul is pathetic, and not real a Lubavitcher shul. Most non-Lubavitchers think that the place is nuts, but harmless – sometimes they’re impressed by something (sometimes otherwise). Overall, they usually leave with a better opinion of those crazy Lubavitchers.
3% Elderly yidden with Chabad connections.
There’s no shliach, but there is a paid Mashpia. He gives highly-acclaimed shiurim, and is a well respected Chassidishe yid – but aside from a shiur, he mostly (talks to the wall and) keeps to himself.
This is a tentative description. I may be forced to revise it upon further review...
in other words chavakuk davens in heichel menachem's shul in boro park
I suspected as much, but it's sad to hear it deteriorated so ;(
which is called beis menachem as someone else noted in the comments to his shule
Heichal Menachem was never exactly a sane place, but back in the day (when it was on 14th) it was still better.
For one reason or another, Chabad has generally survived only in it's own (predominantly Russian) mold; kabolas ol in theory with a lot of rebelliousness (I don't have a better word) in reality. Hungarians just can't figure out where to fit in to this nuthouse that doesn't have a gematria to answer all their sfeikos in emuna.
And yes, it's name is Beis Medrash Beis Menachem (the former part being for the benefit of the local geeks)
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