A Process with Dignity

Our shul achieved a significant milestone this week with the Town Hall Meeting on the Mechitza Initiative. I was so impressed with the tone and atmosphere during the forum. While there was not one point of view or opinion expressed, everyone was very respectful of each other. There were no personal attacks or criticisms directed to one another. Our shul was able to present a forum to the community that presented a smorgasbord of opinions that were not necessarily aligned in at atmosphere of Derech Eretz and respect. In an era of increased polarization and divisiveness in the Jewish world and in society at large, this is quite uncommon and a credit to our community. Our objective of the evening was to provide a forum for the membership to hear and be heard. I gained a lot of insight from many of the comments and questions that were communicated and will seriously reflect on everything spoken. I also thought it would be helpful to review for everyone to understand the two fundamental values that are guiding this process. The first value is to ensure that our Kehilla can provide a sacred space for Tefila. An important component in ensuring a sanctuary meets the level of sacredness is having a Mechitza that is halachically appropriate. As I mentioned in my remarks, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein the pre-eminent halachic authority from the 20th century writes the purpose of a Mechitza is to minimize frivolity between the genders during prayer. There are other areas of improvement in the realm of reducing frivolity that we must address. I would recommend this process for everyone to engage in soul searching as to what we all can do to reduce frivolity in the Sanctuary during Tefila. The other core value that is driving our process is our commitment to being a warm and inclusive shul. We are an Orthodox Synagogue AND open to all Jews. It is a badge of honor for us to boast a membership that represents the diversity of the Jewish People. It is vital for Etz Chaim to remain the community shul that is open to everyone. It is a false choice for us to be either a shul committed to Halachic observance or a shul that is open and inclusive. Our commitment to both values are guiding the Mechitza committee in all aspects of this process. While I anticipate that the ultimate conclusion of this process is not something that will make 100 percent of people happy, I do sincerely hope that no matter what a person's viewpoint on this complex issue, all will agree that this process was conducted with the utmost integrity. Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch