Will you agree to have services in your home?

amother

Mon, Jun 06 2011, 8:13 pm

I don't know where to post this, but DH came home with an idea that we should host mincha and maariv for shavuos and possibly several shabbosim during the summer. As a background, there're good number of families where we live but men will have to walk 30min one way to get to shul. The idea is to find some place closer they can daaven so that families can sit down for dinner at a reasonable time. It's not that our house is the biggest but we happen to be more conveniently located than other friends.

So DH thinks we can have as many as 25-30 men and boys. Our living room is too small to accomodate them comfortably, they can stand up but definitely no place to sit down even with folding chairs. Do you think it's appropriate to open up the door connecting to the dining room and use the space? I'm a bit reluctant as we have guests staying for dinner so that means I can't set the table till the service is over. Also I'd be a bit self conscious if there are bunch of men in our living room.

DH's suggestion makes sense and I know people will appreciate, but I just don't know how the logistics would work. Is there someone here who hosts services in her house? Any advice?

Chocoholic

Mon, Jun 06 2011, 8:19 pm

If the people are respectful, I think it's a beautiful thing!! I would love to have a minyan in my home, it adds some special kedusha.... Is it just stam davening and running home or are you also going to have a kiddush?

I would not do this if I'd lived in New Square, otherwise, go ahead!

be good

Mon, Jun 06 2011, 9:39 pm

why dont you do it on a trial basis, and see how it goes. I would open the connecting door and have the table cloth on, and have the dishes and cutlery all counted out waiting to be set, if that will speed things up for you after maariv. don't be self conscious! you are doing a great thing!

I know a family that does this. they have a lot of space in their living room/dinng room, but they also have like 50 people come, so it might be the same people/space ratio.

Fox

Tue, Jun 07 2011, 9:51 am

Go ahead and try it out! My guess is that the convenience of having your DH home earlier will make up for any aggravation. You might also have the gabbaim ask the participants to put away chairs, siddurim, etc., before leaving. Do this from the very first time, and it will become a habit, and you won't be left with such a big clean-up.

irrationalrose

Tue, Jun 07 2011, 3:00 pm

fox wrote:

You might also have the gabbaim ask the participants to put away chairs, siddurim, etc., before leaving.

Don't even considering agreeing unless you have a commitment from someone to help with setup and cleanup.

Do you have kids that live at home? If so, think twice before agreeing. It is very annoying to have to try to keep your younger kids quiet while the men are davening and it is very annoying for the older kids and guests to have to stay in whatever part of the house they happen to be in when the minyan starts (depending on the layout of your house).

if you are ever running late you will have an audience of 30 men as you run around trying to finish up any last minute things.

the men will not leave promptly after davening is over. they will congregate in your house to shmooz. this means that your second day yom tov meal will not start at 9:30 PM, it will start at 10:30 PM.

in nice weather it is not so bad, in rainy/snowy weather you will have 30 additional pairs of muddy shoes tracking all manner of garbage through your front door, not to mention 30 wet coats piled up who knows where.

Do you have a sefer torah? if not, who has one and who will be responsible for bringing it to the minyan?

Do you have a bathroom on the first floor? If not, are you going to be comfortable with people walking upstairs to use the bathroom?

chanchy123

Thu, Jun 09 2011, 3:42 am

Isramom8 wrote:

Is it legal as far as zoning? In our city it would be a problem.

Really? What about when there is an avel? What do they do then? I would think that if it were a perminent thing it would be a prblem but just for a couple of months every year?

My grandmother's old appartment complex had a mincha maariv minyan every day - maybe in the lobby I'm not sure.

Isramom8

Thu, Jun 09 2011, 7:50 am

In certain places the neighbors don't object so they won't tattle. Where we live there is no way a bet knesset could function in a building not appropriated for one. A minyan during shiva isn't the same thing. We can't even hold Tefillot Shabbat in DH's kollel. Unauthorized ganim get reported too, and shut down.