A cute idea, applying MLB’s time tightening changes (dare I call them “reforms”?) to services.
It was with a similar goal, but in a more sober spirit, that Mordecai Kaplan omitted the repetition of the Amidah in the 1930s/40s.
Moving for inspiration from MLB to music (but with tongue still firmly in cheek), I suggest saving time and retaining attention by chanting the Torah and Haftarah portions in parallel instead of in sequence. My inspiration is “dueling banjos.”
How will it work? We add a second reader’s stand. Between aliyot--during the lulls when the leyning pauses for people to rise to and descend from the bimah, the word in the scroll with which to begin chanting is identified with the yad, tzitzit are pressed to that point to be kissed, etc.--someone at the second stand chants several verses of the Haftarah portion, then pause for the person with the next Aliyah to say the bracha.
Tightly interleaving the chanting of two scriptural texts not only makes for a more concise service; it also emphasizes the intertextuality of the Torah service, in which the Haftarah portion was originally chosen as a comment on some aspect of the Torah portion.
For those who haven’t seen it, here’s the dueling banjos scene from the movie Deliverance:
Your article about speeding up services was cute, but the suggestion to take only two steps back instead of three before the Amidah had me laughing outloud. ... I'm still laughing.
A cute idea, applying MLB’s time tightening changes (dare I call them “reforms”?) to services.
It was with a similar goal, but in a more sober spirit, that Mordecai Kaplan omitted the repetition of the Amidah in the 1930s/40s.
Moving for inspiration from MLB to music (but with tongue still firmly in cheek), I suggest saving time and retaining attention by chanting the Torah and Haftarah portions in parallel instead of in sequence. My inspiration is “dueling banjos.”
How will it work? We add a second reader’s stand. Between aliyot--during the lulls when the leyning pauses for people to rise to and descend from the bimah, the word in the scroll with which to begin chanting is identified with the yad, tzitzit are pressed to that point to be kissed, etc.--someone at the second stand chants several verses of the Haftarah portion, then pause for the person with the next Aliyah to say the bracha.
Tightly interleaving the chanting of two scriptural texts not only makes for a more concise service; it also emphasizes the intertextuality of the Torah service, in which the Haftarah portion was originally chosen as a comment on some aspect of the Torah portion.
For those who haven’t seen it, here’s the dueling banjos scene from the movie Deliverance:
https://youtu.be/myhnAZFR1po
Excellent! Love the baseball analogy. Sometimes the best satire, as humorous as it is, should be taken seriously!! 🤔
In response to these changes, sefaradic congregations have vowed to make their prayers even longer.
Your article about speeding up services was cute, but the suggestion to take only two steps back instead of three before the Amidah had me laughing outloud. ... I'm still laughing.
Thanks
Umm, I'm guessing inter-league (read: interfaith) games are off the table? And, of course, soft pretzels with spicy mustard wouldn't hurt.