Finding a Synagogue is as Hard as Finding a Nanny

Adi is getting older (20 months on July 7th) and she’s developing an attention span and she’s starting to be able to sit through things.

It’s time to find asynagogue.

The only problem is I can’t find one. I know. I must be a lunatic. I live in Manhattan and there’s a a synagogue about every three blocks, right?

Right.

But I can’t find one that I like. I’ve been researching on every one. Visiting every website. Reading every review. I figured I’d pick three that I would want to visit and then pick one. I’m searching for a synagogue the same way I’m searching for ananny.

I haven’t found a nanny, either.

So what’s my problem? Why do none of these synagogues excite me? I don’t know. So I’m turning to my onlinemishpachafor help.

Do you go to aConservative,Reform, or unaffiliated but kinda liberal synagogue?

Does it have children’sShabbatservices? And aHebrew school? And a lot of children who attend?

Does therabbispeak his mind in sermons (or is he pussy whipped by a ritual committee)?

Is your synagogue active insocial justiceand
tikkun olam
projects?

Are the people friendly and welcoming?

Do they party hard onPurim?

Is it in Manhattan and along either the A train, the 1 train, or has parking?

If you answered all of these questions positively, I want to check out your synagogue. Please leave a comment below.

P.S. if you have a nanny recommendation send those too! I want aHebrew speakingone.

Rachel’s daughter keeps kosher, but sheeats pork. Read about ithere.

Rachel Figueroa-Levin

Rachel Figueroa-Levin grew up in a formerly interfaith family (her father converted from Catholicism to Judaism when she was 19) on Staten Island. Rachel blogs for, edits, and manages a hyperlocal Inwood NYC website, runs a successful soap-making micro business, is the co-founder and marketing director of Urban Babywearing, and is a parenting and technology writer for her personal blog as well as others. She was famous for about 10 minutes once for creating the (gone viral) @elbloombito twitter parody account. Rachel lives with her husband, daughter, and a small menagerie of critters in Inwood, the up-and-coming neighborhood at the tippy top of Manhattan. You can follow Rachel on her blog atSoapAndTrouble.com.