Social Hall of Synagogue

The problem, as I understand it from your letter and from the accompanying communication to the mem bers of the executive committee, is as follows: It is your intention eventually to erect a building in three or four units: a chapel (i.e., a sanctuary), a social hall, and an office and classroom wing. You lack the money to build all of these at once and you have come to the choice of building either the chapel or the social hall. Is there any strong tendency in Jewish law or tradi tion that might guide the community in making its decision? (To Dr. Frank Rosenthal, Huntington Woods, Michigan)

Let me say at the outset that when a liberal, modern rabbi bases an opinion on Jewish law, it does not mean that we should be strictly governed by the law as expressed in the codes, but that we should be guided by it as much as is possible under modern conditions. The reason why Jewish law should be our guide as much as possible is that it is much more than merely law; it is an embodiment and a summary of centuries of Jewish thought and feeling.

Now as to the law on the matter, the Shulchan Aruch, the latest authoritative Jewish code, states that it is highly important to provide educational facilities for children: “We appoint teachers for children in every city” (Yore Deah 245 : 7). Furthermore, a man is to be urged to see that his child is given a religious education (Yore Deah 245 : 1). Yet, important as is this duty of providing education for children, still stronger language is used with regard to providing a synagogue: “The members of a community must bring pressure upon each other to build a synagogue and to buy a Sefer Torah” (Orah Hayyim 150 : 1). In other words, to provide a house of worship is deemed the primary and indispensable duty of a community, to such an extent that every member of the community is in duty bound to agitate with every other in order to achieve that end. Such solemn insistence is not used with regard to any other communal institution. Even as to obtaining a minyan for services, the law does not say that pressure must be brought by members of the community upon each other so that a quorum be present at the services, except for those of the High Holidays (Orah Hayyim 55 : 22). There is, for example, no requirement in the law and the tradition to bring pressure even for a communal cemetery, and certainly not for a communal social hall. That is not even mentioned.

If, in spite of the weight of Jewish tradition and law, the chapel is not built first, then it must be understood that the social hall, which is used for card playing and dancing, cannot possibly be used for worship. This question has come up time and time again in the law. It is essential that the sanctuary should fulfill the meaning of “Mikdash Meat” (the small sanctuary), which is the regular term for the synagogue. Even for occasional worship it is questionable whether a place of amusement may be used for worship. For example, Rabbi Isaac Weiss, of Werba, Hungary, was asked the following question: A man had Yahrzeit and he wanted to hold a minyan in a coffeehouse. The rabbi forbade it (Siach Yitzchok, p. 19). His prohibition is based upon the Talmud, which says (at the bottom of Beracoth 34b in Rashi’s commentary): “A man should not pray in an open public place or in a place of pleasure [Porutz] but in a place of modesty [Z’niut] for only in such a place does there descend upon him the reverence for the King of Kings.” This comment of Rashi is codified as a law in the Shulchan Aruch (Orah Hayyim 90 : 5).

In other words, it is contrary to the basic sentiment of Jewish tradition to hold religious services in a place whose association is one of hilarity; they should be held only in a place whose association is one of reverence. If the group insists upon building this social hall first, and the presumption is that this will be the congregation’s only building for a few years until more money can be raised, then they must also build a small, inexpensive chapel in which the Ark and Torah shall be housed and in which services shall be held.

If, however, as Jewish tradition requires, the house of worship is built first, this sanctuary can be used, if necessary, for meetings held for the benefit of the synagogue, congregational meetings, Sisterhood meetings, et cetera. Even so, these meetings must be conducted with the dignity due the sanctuary.

There is one more consideration which I trust the community will bear in mind. The good name of Jewry (Kiddush Ha’shem) must be the concern of every Jewish group. Which structure will be more conducive to respect on the part of the general community toward the Jewish community? If the only building a congregation will have for a number of years is a dance and card-playing hall, people will tend to consider the Jewish group as being merely a pleasure-hungry clan. If, however, the first building that a Jewish congregation builds is a house of worship, it will tend to fulfill the words of Moses in Deuteronomy 4:6: “This is your wisdom in the eyes of the peoples, who will say, surely this is a wise and an understanding community.