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Two congregations, two opinions as Torahs hit the floor at separate NYC services

JL;DR SUMMARY In a rare and unsettling coincidence, two separate Torah scrolls fell to the floor during services at New York City congregations on the same weekend, prompting different responses based on their communal philosophies. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish LawOrthodox JudaismIntrospectionFastingTzedakahCommunity ResponseRabbi Ethan TuckerRabbi Jeffrey FoxEgalitarian Judaism

Places mentioned

Riverdale, New York, United States
"During Sunday morning services at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, Rabbi Jeffrey Fox had just opened the door to the ark and turned to put his prayerbook down on the lectern when he heard an unthinkable sound: One of the Torah scrolls kept in the cabinet had fallen to the floor."
Brooklyn, New York, United States
"Meanwhile, just the day before, the same thing happened at Altshul, the independent egalitarian minyan that meets at Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn."
Manhattan, New York, United States
"Rabbi Ethan Tucker, Hadars co-founder, talking with rabbis during a seminar at Hadar in Manhattan on March 1, 2017."
Nyack, New York, United States
"Following the incident in Nyack, New York, the rebbe didnt proclaim a special fast, but instructed the congregation to remember the incident during the annual fast held on the 17th day of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, and to give to charity."

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Cairo Item ID 60095
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Retrieved 2025-08-26 18:00:28 UTC
Curated 2025-08-26 19:00:43 UTC