Daily Minyan

Dear Congregants:
I would like to discuss the daily Minyan with you. Most of you become aware of this service when a parent or spouse is lost and the obligation to say Kaddish becomes an acute awareness. But the obligation to pray is always there and a large number of conservative synagogues support a morning Minyan [Shacharit] and an afternoon Minyan, davening either the afternoon service [Minchah] or the evening service [Ma'ariv] depending on the time of the year.

The Ritual Committee has just set the time for the afternoon or evening service at 6:15 pm. The change from 6 pm to 6:15 is to accommodate more people who must work later than others.

The fact of life is that sooner or later all of us will have the obligation to say Kaddish for a loved one as our loved ones will say Kaddish for us. It is heart breaking to come to synagogue and find that there is not a Minyan, especially in your time of need. Because you will expect to have a Minyan when you need it, I suggest that we all make it a practice of coming to Minyan on some regular basis, even if that is only once a month. Once you start coming you will find that it is perhaps the simplest mitzvah you can do and it is habit forming.

And after the mourning period is over, Kaddish is still said on the anniversary [Yartzeit] of the death of parent, spouse, sibling or child.

I have a simple suggestion, if you want to insure a Minyan, call some friends to come to synagogue with you for a Yartzeit. I find that few refuse and most are honored to be asked.

I hope that you find these commentaries on the Haftorah interesting and educational. AND DON'T FORGET THAT FRIDAY NIGHT IS THE BEGINNING OF SUKKOTH AND SERVICES WILL BE AT 6:30 PM. Saturday services will be at 10 am and Sunday services for the 2nd day will also be at 10 am. Friday October 13th is Hoshannah Rabbah and Saturday the 14th is Shemini Atzeret with yizkor and Sunday is Simchat Torah. Times will be announced later but since all these holidays are on weekends please try to ATTEND.

Henry Ray Wengrow
Ritual Chair
Beth Shalom