Thank goodness it’s over.
This was my worst. Fast. Ever.
I am crabby when I’m hungry when I’m not fasting. You have no idea how crabby I’ve been today.
And I just want to say, when your service goes two hours longer than it should, perhaps you want to lighten up on the Cantors’ role, and perhaps the Cantors might want to consider making one syllable sound like one syllable, not ten. Okay, they can go up to two. But no more.
All right. I’m going to stop bitching now. I think my headache is finally gone. And the sugar from the cookies I just ate has kicked in.
I still think it’s worse when you are at home with twin three year olds and you have to feed them. All. Day. Long.
I prefer a constant davening and learning rather than a tw hour break between Musaf and Mincha. I would rather concentrate on the prayers (and the chazon was not too fancy which is also good).
I agree about the drawn out sy la bles (and repeating words).
Check out the “creative” service we had at our shul 2nd day rosh hashanah: innovative melodies, folk songs and explanations as to why they fit into the High Holy Day services; no Ark openings every 30 seconds…
Little old ladies who threaten lawsuits if their seats are 1 inch to the right of their usual position stayed for three hours, rapt and engaged…
Hopefully we can create something like this for YK because it’s hard, especially with young kids, to maintain the proper level of concentration when the feet hurt and the brain turns off…
I’ve been the chazzan at our congregation’s Yom Kippur Musaf service for the last three years, and I try to avoid the draggy-outy style wherever possible.
I’m a member of the “davening” school as opposed to the “opera” school. It’s not supposed to be a performance; it’s davening, dammit. Which is why we avoid professional cantors like the plague.
Meanwhile, our rabbi managed to do the Fastest Ne’ilah Service on Record, yet that didn’t keep him from stopping in the midst of the Amidah repetition to tell the famous Parking Space joke. Amazing.
Hope you have a sweet and healthy 5766.
The purpose of Ne’ilah is for the people to realize the seriousness of the day, the meaning of the prayers, and to be brought to tears. The rabbi at my shul davens Ne’ilah properly and is in tears himself. This causes us to understand the meaning of Yom Kippur.
I’m okay with a professional cantor. The embellishments largely don’t bother me. (And our cantor is not too terribly fanciful.) What bothered me was the choir. Urgle. Busted my concentration nearly every time. If they were included in regular services, I don’t think I’d be a member of this shul.