Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Paying to Pray
As you should know by now, I work for a Jewish Organization at a very prestigious university. I’m going on my fifth year here and there are still moments that really shock my shit. Considering that I’m not Jewish (in fact I’m Born Again – eep!), it’s always been weird to me that Synagogues charge their members money in order to attend services for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. As has been told to me numerous times, this is just the way it’s done in the Jewish world and no one should be shocked by that fact.
Wellity, this year our ticket prices for the “High Holiday” services have gone up to $72 each. This is a 100% increase from last year. I was told by my boss to stick to this number and no matter what anger gets thrown at me for it, simply “tell them that our costs have increased, thus making the price what it is.” I’ve been so brave and heartless so far and have sent many people out of the building fuming that it costs close to $400 for a family of five to attend our services.
A couple of minutes ago, a twentysomething girl came in and asked for four tickets. I told her that the price was $72 per ticket and her face fell right on to my desk. This was our conversation:
Angry Girl: “What do you mean the price is $72 per ticket?!?”
Joe: “I know it’s a lot more than last year.”
Angry Girl: “A LOT more? It’s like 50% more!”
Joe: “They actually doubled. Last year it was $36 and this year it’s $72.”
Angry Girl: “I understand that. I can do the math.”
Joe: “Look, I’m not trying to be rude to you, but I was told by my boss that I need to be unwavering in charging $72 per ticket.”
Angry Girl: “I can’t afford that. My sisters and I come to your services because they’re affordable and convenient. We don’t have the money to go to any other synagogues in the area.”
Joe: “I’m really very sorry. I don’t know what I can do.”
“Angry girl” turns into “Sad Girl” and begins to cry at my desk.
Sad Girl: (sobbing) “I just don’t know what I’m going to tell my family. We can’t celebrate Rosh Hashana this year because we don’t have enough money.”
Joe: “Oh man. I…well…”
Sad Girl: (tears flowing down her face) “This is just terrible. This is just TERRIBLE! What am I going to do?!?”
Joe: “Ah geez. Ok…listen. How much can you pay per ticket?”
Sad Girl: (through choked sobs) “I can…pay…$36 per ticket.”
Joe: “Ok, then don’t tell anyone I did this, but give me what you have and I’ll give you the tickets.”
She stopped crying and barely gave me a “thank you”. I handed over the tickets and she walked out of the building. Part of me was irritated that she didn’t make a big deal out of saying “thank you”, but part of me totally understood the stress she felt over not being able to worship appropriately.
Every year I wonder why it is that the Jewish people pay so much money to attend holiday services. Sure, I get that the overhead costs can be phenomenally high, but at the same time, isn’t it kind of “wrong” to tell someone that they have to take money out of their life savings in order to enter a synagogue on two of the biggest holidays of the year? In the Christian religion, you can go to Easter and Christmas services for free. Sure, you’ll be asked for a “tithe offering” (donation), but you aren’t forced to pay. I wonder what God thinks of all of this?
Most people grumble when I tell them that our tickets are $72, but they pay anyway. But for young people like the girl above, how can I possibly tell her that she has to give me every dollar she has or she must find somewhere else to attend services? My heart can’t possibly stand it.
In the perfect world, there would be no such thing as money and religion. But then again, we surely don’t live in a perfect world, do we?
As you should know by now, I work for a Jewish Organization at a very prestigious university. I’m going on my fifth year here and there are still moments that really shock my shit. Considering that I’m not Jewish (in fact I’m Born Again – eep!), it’s always been weird to me that Synagogues charge their members money in order to attend services for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. As has been told to me numerous times, this is just the way it’s done in the Jewish world and no one should be shocked by that fact.
Wellity, this year our ticket prices for the “High Holiday” services have gone up to $72 each. This is a 100% increase from last year. I was told by my boss to stick to this number and no matter what anger gets thrown at me for it, simply “tell them that our costs have increased, thus making the price what it is.” I’ve been so brave and heartless so far and have sent many people out of the building fuming that it costs close to $400 for a family of five to attend our services.
A couple of minutes ago, a twentysomething girl came in and asked for four tickets. I told her that the price was $72 per ticket and her face fell right on to my desk. This was our conversation:
Angry Girl: “What do you mean the price is $72 per ticket?!?”
Joe: “I know it’s a lot more than last year.”
Angry Girl: “A LOT more? It’s like 50% more!”
Joe: “They actually doubled. Last year it was $36 and this year it’s $72.”
Angry Girl: “I understand that. I can do the math.”
Joe: “Look, I’m not trying to be rude to you, but I was told by my boss that I need to be unwavering in charging $72 per ticket.”
Angry Girl: “I can’t afford that. My sisters and I come to your services because they’re affordable and convenient. We don’t have the money to go to any other synagogues in the area.”
Joe: “I’m really very sorry. I don’t know what I can do.”
“Angry girl” turns into “Sad Girl” and begins to cry at my desk.
Sad Girl: (sobbing) “I just don’t know what I’m going to tell my family. We can’t celebrate Rosh Hashana this year because we don’t have enough money.”
Joe: “Oh man. I…well…”
Sad Girl: (tears flowing down her face) “This is just terrible. This is just TERRIBLE! What am I going to do?!?”
Joe: “Ah geez. Ok…listen. How much can you pay per ticket?”
Sad Girl: (through choked sobs) “I can…pay…$36 per ticket.”
Joe: “Ok, then don’t tell anyone I did this, but give me what you have and I’ll give you the tickets.”
She stopped crying and barely gave me a “thank you”. I handed over the tickets and she walked out of the building. Part of me was irritated that she didn’t make a big deal out of saying “thank you”, but part of me totally understood the stress she felt over not being able to worship appropriately.
Every year I wonder why it is that the Jewish people pay so much money to attend holiday services. Sure, I get that the overhead costs can be phenomenally high, but at the same time, isn’t it kind of “wrong” to tell someone that they have to take money out of their life savings in order to enter a synagogue on two of the biggest holidays of the year? In the Christian religion, you can go to Easter and Christmas services for free. Sure, you’ll be asked for a “tithe offering” (donation), but you aren’t forced to pay. I wonder what God thinks of all of this?
Most people grumble when I tell them that our tickets are $72, but they pay anyway. But for young people like the girl above, how can I possibly tell her that she has to give me every dollar she has or she must find somewhere else to attend services? My heart can’t possibly stand it.
In the perfect world, there would be no such thing as money and religion. But then again, we surely don’t live in a perfect world, do we?
