[Avodah] Tikkun Leil Shavuous and Reform

[Yitzchok Levine]

While writing about the history of the Jewish community of 
Charleston, SC, I came across the following. It is from

The Charleston Organ Case by Allan Tarshish, Publications of the 
American Jewish Historical Society, 54, 1965. This article is 
available at no cost at 
<http://www.ajhs.org/reference/adaje.cfm>http://www.ajhs.org/reference/adaje.cfm 
. The quotes below are from this article.

Beginning in 1825 there were efforts on the part of some to introduce 
reforms in the davening at Kahal Kodesh Beis Elokim (KKBE). This 
synagogue was founded in 1749, and, like all synagogues founded in 
America during colonial times, followed the Spanish/Portuguese 
Sephardic ritual.

Beginning in 1841 an organ was used as part of Shabbos and Yom Tov 
services. When the membership voted to have an organ, the more 
traditional minded members of KKBE left and formed their own 
synagogue, Shearith Israel.

Of course, the organ was not the end of the changes that the reformers wanted.

"Emboldened by their control of the congregation and Board, the 
Reform group began to make and suggest a number of other changes such 
as the modification of the Maimonidean creed and various traditional 
prayers and hymns, to the extent that the more moderate Reformers 
within Beth Elokim, although satisfied with the organ, became alarmed 
that things might go too far."

One of the things that the "moderate Reformers" strenuously objected 
to was the attempt to eliminate the saying of Tikkun Leil Shavuous!

"Surely enough, on May 7, 1842, the Reformers, in the words of the 
Traditionalists, wanted "to abolish the long established and time 
honored service on the Festival of Weeks called Tecun [Tikkun], which 
caused great excitement, and was considered too great an innovation, 
even to command a majority of their own party."

I know of many Orthodox shuls that today do not have a public reading 
of Tikkun Leil Shavuous. Is it not a historical irony that we who 
would not even think of having an organ in our shuls are not at all 
disturbed by the elimination of Tikkun Leil Shavuous?

YL



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.aishdas.org/pipermail/avodah-aishdas.org/attachments/20090519/1b012e8b/attachment-0001.htm>