A choice for Practicality

[debka_notion]

Am skipping the Orthodox minyan's dawn minyan tomorrow (well, Tuesday morning) because it's too much bother to daven, then come back and repeat shema with tallit and tfillin. If I could find an isolated spot, I'd be tempted to just go with egal ritualgear and all, but that would Not be nice. And I need the sleep. But I did go to mincha-maariv today: and was not the only woman who stayed for maariv- there was one other. But I couldn't hear any of the other women respond to anything. ANyone know if there's a reason why they don't respond audibly to say, kaddish? Or Amen to anything? As it is, it feels like this weird cultural silencing, and it weirds me out.

Comments

[fleurdelis28.livejournal.com]

I remember noticing a similar silence three or four years ago...I was inclined to assume it was a cultural thing, and mentioned it to a panminyanic egal/BOO-goer (now at JTS cantorial) who responded that good heavens there's no taboo on women being audible, or she would never attend BOO! Which doesn't change the oddness of the atmosphere in that regard -- but it was reassuring to know it wasn't any sort of policy.

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

Yeah- I have the reassurances of three or four women who are BOO regulars that they do respond audibly. But the women I see there on the rare occasions that I go- well, I see them, I don't hear them. Maybe I'll just have to arrange to go with someone else who is a bit more audible a few times until I stop feeling sort of funny for being able to hear myself at a regular level.