Tears Lost In The Ashes Of Europe
This story took place in a large Modern Orthodox synagogue in Manhattan [whose structure and mechitza remind me of a hockey rink. I am not knocking the shul. I myself davened there for many years. But I can't say that prayers there are characterized by great emotion and feeling. Then again how many shuls exist today where there is great emotion and feeling. Anyway, I love hockey.] It was Yom Kippur night. The shul was filled to capacity and as always people were acting with the highest level of decorum. Suddenly an older man started wailing uncontrollably, he was sobbing, moaning and shaking. Naturally the people were very concerned for his welfare. Someone asked him "Sam, is everything O.K.? What's wrong?"
Sam looked at the questioner and said "You know, in the alter heim in Europe before the the war, if one was in shul on Yom Kippur and WASN'T sobbing people thought something was wrong. Today when someone IS in tears people think something is wrong."
Sam looked at the questioner and said "You know, in the alter heim in Europe before the the war, if one was in shul on Yom Kippur and WASN'T sobbing people thought something was wrong. Today when someone IS in tears people think something is wrong."
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