Page 401 - WhyAsInY

Portrait of a (first) MarriaGe
Some members of the congregation treated Rabbi Turetsky as somewhat of a rock star. As I would come to learn, however, as was the case with any temple, at TIC, the rabbi had both fans and detractors. The fans enjoyed his services, his Talmud classes, his sermons, and the attention that he paid to them. Phyllis was a fan. The detractors thought that Rabbi Turetsky took an inordinate interest in the wealthier mem- bers of the temple and in the large coterie of younger women who were drawn to him. At first, I was not a detractor. On balance, I liked him and felt somewhat special because of the interest he showed in us, especially considering the size of the congregation.
Over the years, our attendance gradually increased, first to the point that we started coming to our synagogue more often than we did to Harry’s, even on the High Holidays, and then to the point that we attended virtually every Sabbath service, and many holiday services as well. As Phyllis became active and we increased our donations, we were no longer relegated to the basketball court for the “junior service” when the temple overflowed for Rosh Hashanah.
I confess that, notwithstanding the fact that I often enjoyed the ritu- als and the singing (something which, to the relief of those around me, I’m not willing to do solo) and that I made a point of learning the liturgy and knowing when to stand and when to sit during services, after a while I found that putting on a suit after a long week in the office and spending three and one-half hours at the synagogue on Saturday was not always something that I wanted to do. It was, however, something that was important to Phyllis, who liked to get to shul before the Torah reading started (around 10:00) and then to join in the socializing that was atten- dant to the buffet that was often provided at the end of the services (starting at about 12:45). There she and I could have an audience with the rabbi, who would stand in a corner of the buffet table downing shots of Scotch and showing interest in the congregants who approached him, me included. That ritual would often last until 1:15, much later on Rosh Hashanah. Ultimately, in a reversal of prior practice, Harry and Sylvia would frequently attend our services.
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