I’ve been tough on my Modern Orthodox (MO) community in several recent columns. Although I stand by what I wrote, I also understand that communities, like people, are not one dimensional; they’re complex, nuanced, and multifaceted, with strengths and weaknesses. So despite some serious personal disappointments, this column will concentrate on some aspects of my community that fill me with pride or touch me in some deep way. Importantly, those aspects are not necessarily purely MO. Indeed, sometimes the pride I take is partially because, as discussed below, the MO community participates in some worthwhile matters with other Jewish communities, thus tightening both inter- and intra-community ties.

This idea hit me hard about two weeks ago when my spinal stenosis took a turn for the worse and made walking quite difficult. As Shabbat approached, I realized that I wouldn’t be able to walk to shul, even using my cane. And it wasn’t a Shabbat when I could simply sleep in. Rather, it was Parshat Zachor, the Shabbat immediately preceding Purim, with a special Torah reading. “Zachor et aher asah lecha Amalek” — remember how Amalek attacked a famished and weary Jewish people on their journey after leaving Egypt (Deuteronomy 25:17). And so God enjoins us, “Timche et zeycher Amalek” — blot out their memory…. Do not forget! (Id. 25:19). This injunction is interpreted as a positive commandment, a mitzvah, telling us to listen to this Torah reading on this particular Shabbat.

So I had to be in shul. (And before you ascribe to me an undeserving degree of piety, I’ll confess that my synagogue also had a special kiddush that Shabbat — a Kiddush Royale — that I didn’t want to miss.) What to do?

If you’re from Bergen County, as many of my readers are, you might........

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