JEWISH PRAYER SERVICES
Another topic for satire among the Orthodox Jews is the talking that goes on during synagogue services. The Sabbath morning prayer service is long; in many congregations, it lasts for three hours or more. Most Orthodox Jews would not think of skipping this prayer service, but when they become bored, they talk. The problem is a long-standing one in Jewish life; there are warnings against speaking during prayers in the medieval cedes of Jewish law. Still, one Orthodox synagogue in Brooklyn mailed out the following questionnaire to its members: “Please check off your own areas of interest so that we can seat you during services with people who have shared interests. Do you prefer to sit near people who: talk about the stock market? share neighborhood gossip? talk about sports? sit quietly and actually pray?” From Jewish Humor: What the Best Jewish Jokes Say about the Jews, by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
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