One of the leaders of the reform movement is trying to convince the board of halacha that tailgating is the best way to boost attendance at shul. We spoke with Rabbi Heather Freedman-Taylor over the phone after temple this past Shabbat and she was adamant about the lackluster attendance at her once packed shul.
“Nobody comes anymore and I just don’t know why” she spoke about losses to the conservative movement which she called a more “authentic” type of Jewish practice and to fringe movements like Renewal and Pluralistic Hippie Stuff. “Reform Judaism hasn’t been cool since the Haskalah, and I intend to change that.”
Rabbi Heather Freedman-Taylor is the spiritual leader of Temple Emanuel located in the north suburbs of Chicago. The Temple has come under criticism in the past for its progressive ideas, like when Rabbi Heather Freedman-Taylor came out of the closet and said that she had in fact been married to a man that had two Jewish parents, she has since been divorced.
Tailgating is the practice of showing up early for an event and hanging out in the parking lot. Attendees tend to bring beer, barbeques and lawn chairs to the pre-game event. It tends to be rowdy, lewd and lots of fun – but does tailgating fit into the Jewish ideology. The big question is what does tailgating have to do with Tikkun Olam?
“Imagine if we encouraged a pre-davening tailgate?” People would definitely show up according to the Rabbi who has started sharing her idea with other Reform Rabbis. Who have had mixed feelings. One Rabbi from Oregon expressed his distaste with the idea of barbeques “after all this would mean innocent lives would be lost so that they could be enjoyed on the grill and this would be like supporting murderers and in Oregon they don’t support animal murderers. A Rabbi in Ohio said the idea was great except for the likelihood that alcohol would be served and that their temple was officially dry. We wanted to tell the Rabbi that one of the reasons why Saturday attendance at orthodox synagogues was so high was due to the free alcohol served.
Rabbi Heather related to us that her temple has a overwhelming number of football fans and the move may be tailored for her congregants, but that is no reason it couldn’t be tried in other congregations on a trial basis.
Since many of the more left wing members of the Reform Movement are anti meat eating and alcohol consumption, it is doubtful that the resolution to allow tailgating before and after Saturday morning temple will ever be passed.
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{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
You need to add another category on your blog just for this post: CluelessAboutJudaism
If the guitars, organ music and goyshe choirs don’t attract people to the temple she should go ahead with the tailgate party. They have a lot more potential congregents that a real shul since they accept people that aren’t even Jewish.
The got to learn to be flexible about the meat and the alcohol since we’re in the 21st century and we don’t need restrictions. Some shrimps and pork on the barbaque and a keg of beer may work wonders for the temple, while the shuls have hering and scotch.
I’d like to get her on my tailgate. HARD.
Very nice Hesh. Your best in a while!
Hey, if that’s a picture of Rabbi Heather..the heck with a tailgate party;put a on a strip tease to boost Temple attendance. Anyway a BBQ wouldn’t go over well with all those artsy tikkun olam vegetarian folks
if left wing reform people are anti alcohol it’s only because they’re smoking pot instead
This is hilarious!! Way to go, Hesh!! I can actually picture this taking place. Does it make any difference that cooking, etc. are melochos that are not permitted on Shabbos? If they have bbq’s, etc. you’d have to also have music. Should it be live music or recorded music?…which would be more halochikly acceptable according to the movement?
I think they would attract more of a crowd with yoga and sushi instead.
These refoom yoyos tend to reject our culture but have no problem practicing hindu bull sh*t and eating Japanese food.
Phil I think the frummies eat more sushi than the non-orthodox
“came out of the closet and said that she had in fact been married to a man that had two Jewish parents”
Huh?
Hesh,
Yeah I know, still can’t figure that one out. Maybe it’s got something to do with the pickled herring conspiracy. Personally, I use sushi as fishing bait.
Don’t people know about listeria, salmonella and all the other lovely diseases and parasites associated with eating raw fish?
On a serious note…if everyone would take a moment to realize the winds of change. The reform and conservative movements are swiftly fading away , in queens alone in the past 5 years 4 conservative shuls became orthodox. This is largely do to chabad, ncsy, ou. There is a revolution happening people!
Larry the frum missionary movement is thriving muahaha
I’m really liking this idea. The obsessive-compulsive among the males could spend the day indoors mumbling in Hebrew and Yiddish, while everyone else played horseshoes and badminton and discussed kugel recipes.
Phil
No more link to your blogspot on the posts.What gives?
these people just need some good bourbon and herring
Bsamim,
Friggin backtype was recording all my comments. When I did a search for my blog, the comments I posted here showed up on page 1.
Don’t necessarily want my frum opinion showing up on top with my fishing related posts so I switched emails for this blog.
Don’t necessarily want my frum opinion showing up on top with my fishing related posts so I switched emails for this blog.
It is bad for business to look like a bigot.
It’s too bad Reform doesn’t believe in anything.
Heshy – where did you find that old photo of me from 1996? Sorry to hear that it hardly impacted that earlier commenter. I doubt if my current photo would have any effect
Phil you are well aware that fishing folks are relatively right wing.
Fred,
Not really, I’ve met many bigotted fisherman.
Just would like to keep the fishing me separate from the frum me for blogging purposes.
Kiddush at a Reform IS Tailgating, short of alcohol and BBQ. What’s the innovation hhere.
tailgating is a great idea, they do that for sports why not for shuls? only way to go these days…lol
Not only should “Rabbi Heather” encourage tailgating, she could also install a big screen in the sanctuary for football games. Imagine how many converts her temple will have! And they won’t even have to intermarry!
One more advice for “Rabbi Heather,” stay away from the drunken fans!
Orthodox Hate Speech toward other Jews? That’s a new one.
This has both stupidity and an insult to the intelligence.
Quite a lot going for you.