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| The Daily Bang Archives: Before the West Side
was won Questions New
Yorkers can Never Answer TV: Bad for Israel? Date to keep in Shape Film: Conjuring Before G-d YU Chooses New Pres Jewish Deep Thoughts Inside Dougies Observant Observations of
OZ Jew Years
Resolutions Hollywood L'atid
Lavoh Meeting the Parents
Scorecard Jewish Featured
Headlines Canceling Simchat
Torah? The UWS "Al Chaits" Isaac Galena Choose you own Dating Adventure Ahava Leibtag Entertainment
Rebbis The Dating
Dictionary Single Gal Wedding
Guide New York Vs. Out of
Town WWF star Chyna,
Frum? Dividing things Jewish and
Goyish The Jewish
80's Datin, the Cheap Way J-escort service "It" Girl Foot-IN-Mouth
Epidemic Jaded
by Zemiroth Purim Special
Report Press Your Luck Upper West Side Story
Guta Neshama Hunting Casting Calls to Conference
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the kosher daily bang presents:
New York's West Side Considers CANCELLING SMICHAT TORAH: Bemoans loss of West End Ave. Rites. a special report from bangitout rabbinic intern, Leah Granoff Security concerns and a strained police force have forced New York City to cancel all street celebrations, including the Emmy nominated party of the year, West End Avenue's Simchat Torah Celebration. In a press conference outside of City Hall last week, Mayor Giuliani announced that as long as 24-hour clean-up efforts from the World Trade Center disaster continue, the City does not have the resources to allow brouhahas to take place. "I regret that typically harmless events such as the Jewish celebration on West End Ave. will have to be cancelled this year," he said, "but the city simply does not have enough of a police force available right now to protect the many Torahs that will be in the streets that night." He urged West Siders to stand together with America in this time of tragedy. Simchat Torah is a Jewish holiday celebrated around the world in which Jews gather to rejoice at the annual cycle of reading the Torah. During the holiday, Jews typically finish reading one cycle of the Torah and immediately being another cycle. For New York's West Side, this celebration is an annual rite in which they celebrate the mating and dating game in a test of social endurance. Like the symbolism associated with the dual beginning and end of the Torah reading, the holiday culminates a year's worth of heavy mixing and crowd mastering outside of shul, along with the opportunity to meet those women and men debuting on the West Side for the first time.
The struggling tenants living on the West Side were stunned by the news. Some worried about the effect that the Mayor's announcement would have on tourism. "It seems pointless to pay all this rent to live here, if I can't host at least 10 people in my apartment for free over the holiday," said one West Sider who wished to remain anonymous. Others, however, were angry at the implied bias by City Hall. "The Jews are always the first to be used as scapegoats," said Moshe Cohen. "This ban on socializing infringes on our civil liberties," he added, warning that he had already contacted renowned defense attorney, Alan Dershowitz, about the issue.
Other more socially conscious West Siders suggested moving the celebration down to the ruins of the World Trade Center, where there already exists a strong police presence. That suggestion was deemed impractical, however, by others who worried about the far walk people would have to incur coming from the West Side. Democratic Mayoral candidates Public Advocate Mark Green and Bronx Borough president Fernando Ferrer voiced their opinions as well. Ferrer said if he were Mayor, he would convene a blue-ribbon panel to look at alternatives to West End Avenue. He suggested that the panel should meet in the Bronx, to give the "other New York" a role in the decision. Candidate Green, however offered a more specific plan of action, noting that he would postpone teacher salary raises to allow money to go towards a permanent auditorium in which New York could hold celebrations. For people seeking comfort or assistance in this time of upheaval, or who wish to make donations, please contact the following organizations: "The Single People's Fund" tfit. please send all comments, questions, feedback to rabbinic intern, Leah Granoff
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The
shock and dismay felt by many West Siders at the cancellation of this
world attracting celebration was wide-reaching. Rabbis as far as down
as 59th street met with Rabbinical delegates at an undisclosed location
on 110th street to put together an emergency action plan. As word of their
discussions leaked to the press, it became clear that they were engaged
in Maklokes, with two distinct sides emerging from the talks. One delegation
advocated forming a coalition with religious institutions in the other
Boroughs to ensure the party would go on, but quickly drew objections
from other delegates when it insisted on the inclusion of Brooklyn and
Staten Island in the coalition. The other delegation suggested postponing
the holiday of Simchat Torah until recommendations could be made for a
replacement celebration that would equally maximize the socializing opportunities
on West End Ave.
Almost
all West Siders, were in agreement that the annually shidduch-making and
shidduch breaking ritual, just like Broadway shows, must go on. Few, however,
seemed certain about how to proceed. When one woman was asked by this
reporter in which shul she now planned to davine, she answered with a
blank stare. "Shul," she finally responded. "I didn't know
that shul was part of the holiday."