Nicer davening vs affiliated congregation

amother

Bisque

Tue, Oct 11 2016, 12:24 pm

I have two main choices of where to daven on YK. I am RW orthodox, formerly yeshivish but now JPF, not MO but not UO either.

1. Congregation is one I support and have friends in. My kids have friends who will be in the playroom and would love to go there and play with their friends. I know the rabbi and rebbetzin and highly respect them. The davening is VERY not my style, I had a somewhat hard time following along on RH though I was able to find the place by looking over other people's shoulders. I favor a more chazzanish approach.

2. Congregation is one that I don't know much about because I've been wary of joining them. They have egalitarian services (though I think separate from the regular ones so the YK minyan I'd be going to is probably standard) and sponsored a gay pride event (I'm in favor of live and let live and non-discrimination, but felt that for a shul to sponsor a pride event, well it made me uncomfortable) and while I appreciate and don't mind a mixed crowd I don't know who the baalei tefillah are, I was raised that a G-dfearing baal tefillah is a zchus for the whole congregation. It's possible that the baalei tefillah here are total tzaddikim but I just have no idea. But it will probably be a nicer davening and they have a structured program for the kids. Similar to the davening, I don't really know anything about the people running the kids program, but can't imagine how it could be objectionable. They'll do davening and snacktime and maybe some stories?

There is also an option of going to the program at #2 and then the kids can hang out with their friends at #1 later because the kids program at #2 is more time limited while the playroom at #1 is open as long as the adult shul is going, I think.

I'm torn because I really enjoy a nice chazzan service but feel that maybe it's spiritually preferable to daven with people who share values I definitely look up to. We can always go to the nice shul on a regular shabbos... I haven't been a Shabbos shul-goer in the past but now that I'm pondering the available program I'm starting to entertain the idea. But YK is tonight and tomorrow and I need to decide what to do.