Comments on: I hate it when shuls place the siddurim up front

By: Mamzer talmid chochom

Mamzer talmid chochom — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:01:29 +0000

My rabbi said that if someone misses barchu (at shacharis) his makom kavua is no longer his for that service on the grounds that he didn’t show that day.

By: Moshe

Moshe — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:22:59 +0000

heh
The one who does that in our shul is named Avrumy. Though it’s more of a “move your chair” than “move from my chair”

By: Avrumy

Avrumy — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:57:24 +0000

Makom kavuah is fine if the “owner” comes more or less on time. After that, it should be up for grabs. I left a shul years ago when during laining someone came in and told me I was in his seat and I should move to another.

By: yonasan

yonasan — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:34:14 +0000

actually i know quite a few gerim and BT’s who didn’t have the late problem at the start but with time they became like FFB’s (i.e talking during davvening etc) and so consequently come late as well.

By: Yerachmiel Lopin

Yerachmiel Lopin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:03:24 +0000

1. gerim dont have the late problem. A conservative shul in a small town was surprised to have a minyan ten minutes before start. Turns out it was all the non-Jewish invitees to a bar mitzvah.

2. Architectural issue. How to design a shul so the front rows are not empty? I hear that this is a running problem for extra credit on which no one has ever collected.s

By: lawschooldrunk

lawschooldrunk — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:51:38 +0000

Why?

By: thanbo

thanbo — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:16:18 +0000

In my parents’ shul, if you want a makom kavua you have to have paid for the seat, and then extra for a “Reserved” plaque, and then it’s only reserved up to 45 minutes after the start of davening. After that, if you’re not there, you have to find someplace else.

In my shul, there aren’t that many people who really have a makom kavua, but those of us who do, understand that if we come in late, and someone’s sitting there, it’s not really a reserved seat, and find someplace else.

I suppose, if a visitor came at 8:30 (start of davening), and you came in at 8:45, you might be somewhat upset that your seat is taken, but well, it’s not really reserved.

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:34:26 +0000

In my shul, the siddurim are outside the room where we daven. There are also some inside, but the large shelves with siddurim and chumashim are outside each entrance (men, women, other).

By: Moshe

Moshe — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:58:13 +0000

Mark is right, but so is uppermidwest. If it’s not obvious that the seat is reserved, don’t be an ass and make someone new feel unwelcome. On the other hand, if you’re the new guy, pay attention to your surroundings. Though when it’s screwing around between friends, anything goes.

My shul had siddurim on the side. Fortunately the rabbi and gabbayim got sick of people walking back and forth next to bima, it’s in the middle, to get a siddur and had them moved to the entrance.