THE JOY OF USHERING

USHERING GUIDLINES

Ed Stutsky

h. 301-926-1838

http://home.comcast.net/~usher

1) The Commitment
Any combination of three services distributed between Saturday mornings (9-12) or Saturday evenings (Havdalah times vary) for about one and a half hours. Occasionally, there is a Sunday morning bar mitzvah available.

2) The Mission
To assist in providing proper decorum in creating a warm atmosphere in which the congregation and guests can enjoy a spiritual experience. To attend to the special needs of the B’nai Shalom of Olney family during the various life cycle events celebrated and / or observed during services.

3) The Job

a) Arrive early (Plan on being the first congregant)

i) Experienced ushers should arrive at least 10 minutes before services.

ii) First-time ushers should arrange a time to meet with me. This can be on the phone or I can explain the duties after services on a day prior to when your duty occurs. Think of it as a Kiddush Konversation, we’ll have some cookies and talk.

b) Be able to assist with locating the following:

(1) Rest rooms

(2) Coatroom

(3) Tallit & Kippot

(4) Large print books

(5) Hearing assistance equipment

4) Assure all males have head coverings (keep a few spares in your pocket)

5) If the crowd is large and the extended portion of the sanctuary is in use, handout books to rear seats. Help replace them on the bookshelves afterwards.

6) If rowdy kids (or I suppose adults too)

a) Establish a presence.

b) If you observe any of the following, respectfully ask them to take it outside or discontinue

i) Cell phone use (or any gadget, iPod, electronic game, etc.)

ii) Photography

iii) Writing

iv) Handling of money

v) Disrespectful speech (this includes excessive talking even at a whisper)

vi) If you run into difficulty, quietly come get me or another regular usher, we’ll help.

7) Block entry to the sanctuary during the following times. This does not imply that ushers must close the door, but should you find it necessary, see Closing the Doors below.

Never block exit from the sanctuary. We don’t know why someone may need to exit.

a) Amidah

b) D’var Torah

c) Service for taking out/returning Torah

d) Whenever the Torah is being read (not the blessings between readings)

e) When the Haftorah is being read (including the blessings before and after)

f) Rabbi’s sermon

g) Generally, any time the Ark is open and/or the Congregation is standing

8) When people have to wait outside, quietly greet those standing closest to you with a warm Shabbat shalom or boker tov. Then tell them that the wait will be brief and that we appreciate their patience. The people beyond the immediate group will figure this out on their own. If the crowd mills, we should greet those who migrate closer.

9) If the extended portion of the sanctuary is in use and the front is full or very near capacity, encourage the use of the “center doors”. Don’t use the words “rear doors”; they are center doors because they provide easy access to the center isles.

10) Closing (and opening) the Doors
Our doors are noisy; therefore they are best left open unless they are allowing noise into the sanctuary. When closing the doors, we should always do it by holding the latch in the open position easing the door closed and releasing the latching mechanism very slowly. The mechanism cannot be locked in the open position; it is against the fire code. Temporary measures are okay – we’re working on how that can be accomplished without looking tacky.

When the doors are closed, the usher should be the person to open them in the same quiet manner that we close them.

a) Main Sanctuary Door

i) The left half of the door (viewed from the inside) should remain closed most of the time. The only exception is right before the service breaks for Kiddush. Open it as wide as possible, as quietly as possible, right after Motzi (blessing over the challah).

ii) Close the right half of the door only when noise from the lobby is a problem. The shape of our lobby causes unacceptable sound levels to resonate into the sanctuary even if the words are not discernable.

b) Doors to the Religious School (In the hall just beyond the coatroom)

i) Close these doors at the beginning of Junior Congregation.

ii) Open them at the conclusion of Junior Congregation.

c) Extended Sanctuary Doors

i) Open both doors at the start of services.

ii) If enough people are attempting to enter during portions of the service when they should not, close one side and block the other by standing in the doorway holding your hand on the frame of the closed half.

11) The Scheduling Process
You are obligated to contact me to schedule your dates. If you have not done so about six months before your simcha, you are late!

The best way to reach me is by email. The list of available dates are posted on my usher web page (see above) and will be up to date as of the last time I have read my email from my home computer. As I schedule people I’ll pull those dates off the website and send a reply to your email.

If you don’t have email, call me. We have multiple voice mailboxes at my home number; leave a message in the box for Ed, it picks up after six rings. We don’t answer the phone in under certain circumstances, please understand. The most common reason we don’t answer the phone is because the caller-id unit cannot identify you – you are likely on a cell phone! Leave a message, I’ll call right back.

12) Some stuff to consider for your own simcha.
If you are planning to have guests who are not familiar with proper decorum in a synagogue, clue them in ahead of time. If you need help, I recommend the book, To Pray as a Jew by Rabbi Hayim Donin, Chapter 2. Especially pages 59-61, but the chapter is best read in context.

If you are planning on having a large group of unsupervised children in attendance, please let me know in advance. Even better, try to have some of your adult guests sit near them.

If you are planning to provide transportation (i.e. a bus) for these unsupervised children, you must contact me ahead of time to arrange arrival time and parking.

If you have any special needs guests you should also let me know about them and I will do my best to accommodate their needs.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can my wife cover my ushering requirements?

Yes. You can arrange to have any adult cover your assignment and still receive full credit.

Can I usher at a Friday night service?

No. Sorry, but BSO does not provide ushers for the Friday night service.

I usher over the High Holidays. Can I get credit for that?

No. The High Holiday ushering is very competitive. Every year hundreds are turned away. It would not be fair to allow double dipping. You can still usher on the High Holidays, but you must complete your three assignments.

What do I do when I first arrive?

Start by looking around to acclimate yourself. With any luck I’ve already had an opportunity to talk with you in person so you should know what to do. Reread what I’ve written above.

If there is a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, introduce yourself to the families. Ask if there are any special needs. Look into the Social Hall; if there are tables stacked up against the movable walls, you know that the kitchen crew is going to need you to hold people in the lobby while the walls and tables are moved and everything gets setup.

Look for me, sometimes I’m late, I will usually be there well before the crowd and I (or someone from the Men’s Club) will always check on you. Very often we’ll have someone to assist you.

If the Rabbi or Cantor has any special requests, they will seek you out; you do not usually have to go find them, but you should make an opportunity before services to greet them. If you are on time, which means 10-15 minutes before services, you can usually catch them on their way in to the sanctuary.

What should I do if a male enters without a head covering?

Approach him cautiously (we have no metal detectors) and hand him a yarmulke and explain that the synagogue requires all males to cover their heads. We have yet to have any ushers harmed by males with previously uncovered heads.

What should I do if someone tries to leave when I am supposed to keep people out?

Let them go. There’s nothing we can do to punish the infidels.

What if I can’t make it at the last minute?

It is incumbent upon you to find a replacement. Call me, but this call is made at your own peril. Last minute cancellations are the bane of the Rosh Shamesh’s existence.

What happens if I just don’t show up?

Blood, frogs, lice, wild beasts, plague, boils hail, locusts, darkness and you are putting your first born in jeopardy. It will cost you $50 and create chaos for someone else’s event.

What should I wear?

Comfortable shoes. This is a standing job. Otherwise, dress as you would for services.

Do I have to check in with someone when I leave?

No, it not required. But you are now officially a candidate member of the BSO Usher Society. If you are not already a member of the Men’s Club, you get an honorary membership for the rest of the day regardless of your gender.

What if I really like this job?

Appointments can be made for counseling.

We have a group of regular ushers. We would love to add you to the rotation. This job is important to our synagogue community. Hopefully one of them was able to assist you. If not, that is just because we need more dedicated individuals. Also, please let me know if you can spare an hour over the High Holidays.