Re: P.S.

[WINSTON WEILHEIMER <nusach...>]

not true....in a traditional shul, the sheliach tzibur is just another 
member of the congregation (be he a professional chazzan or not) and thus 
faces the Ohmed as does everyone else.  The Reform (first) and then the 
Conservative movements, changed to facing the congregation from membership 
pressure, so they could see the Cantor.

I agree (from experience) that facing the congregation is distracting for 
the sheliach Tzibur.   Not because someone in the congregation is looking AT 
me, but because there are people talking, walking around, and generally not 
doing what they should be (davening).  Someone davening, never distracts me. 
  But having grown up in a shul where the Chazan faced the Ark, I still feel 
as though I am facing backwards.  For the Ameda and whenever I say Kaddish, 
I turn around to face the Ark.  Not to disuade distraction, but because this 
is the way I feel I should face for my own Kevanah.
winston


>From: "Robert Cohen" <rlcm17 (at) hotmail(dot)com>
>Reply-To: jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
>To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
>Subject: Re:  P.S.
>Date: Fri, 11 May 2001 13:20:28
>
>Oh:
>
>>When you are looking at the bima,
>>is it distracting to those reading torah or the sheliach tzibur?  Are they
>>or the kavanah in the room somehow dimished because members of the
>>congregation are looking at them?
>
>
>Answer:  Yes.  That's why--or one of the reasons why, I think--in
>traditional synagogues (including, for many years, in some more traditional
>havurah [egalitarian] minyanim), the shaliach tzibur faces the *ark,* *not*
>the congregation.
>
>--rlc
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