Commonseychel, to buy an apartment in Century Village you have to be no younger than 55 ( unless your spouse is over 55) and the average age of the residents is probably in the high 70s. Many snow birds are still in Florida and it would be virtually impossible on a Shabbos to socially distance 1500 to 1600 mispallim. Again, we are talking about a shul where everybody is in the most vulnerable category living in a community of 30,000 senior citizens.
Setting up a breakaway is not so simple and, despite what Abba says, it’s not cheap. You can’t have it on the Century Village property and whatever property you rent has to be close by and within the eruv. The expenses have to be spread out among fewer people. Besides, they would have to hire a lawyer to form a legal entity to be responsible for the lease because a landlord has to have someone legally and financially responsible. When you start talking money , watch how soon the rogue minyan dissipates. Aldo, if you’ve davened either nusach Ashkenaz or Sfard ( the YI has a Sfard minyan concurrent with the main minyan ) for 70 years, are you really going to feel comfortable switching to Nusach Ari and Chabad minhagim?
There is another important issue. In a a shul the size and age like Century Village, unfortunately illness, hospitalization and RL, death, is alot more common. Early in its history, when it was a lot smaller, the shul relied upon members who were retired rabbonim. However, as membership grew and with it, the need, it became unfair to the retired rabbonim so the shul hired a rav. So, what happens when the rogue minyan has a member in the hospital, confined at home or loses someone to illness, who do they call? Who supplies a shiva minyan, the chevrah kadisha? The shul they will no longer be supporting.
What I’m saying is that it’s not as simple as people are making it out to be.
BTW, small Friday night minyanim have always been allowed in pre Corona times because if you’re 82 and using a walker, it was too physically draining to walk a mile round trip to shul for a relatively short davening.
Menu