Jan 18, 2011

Will Cholent Get People To Go To Shul?

It is really hard to find a picture of cholent that looks appetizing.
Getting people to come to shul in a non-religious area can be a daunting task for a rabbi. They come up with all sorts of ideas to attract people, such as mixers, singles scenes, kiddush, shnapps, interesting topics for shiurim, speeches on current events and the like.

The rabbi of the shul in the upscale town of Kfar Shmaryahu has found a new way to try to get people into shul. He is holding a "cholent competition".

I don't know how it is going to work - will it be a cookoff? Will they test a different submission each Shabbos for a few consecutive weeks? Will it be one big kiddush with 20 different cholents?

However it works, I would never have expected the residents of Kfar Shmaryahu to chalish over a cholent competition (I would have expected perhaps more of a gourmet dish rather than cholent), so I am curious to see reports how successful this will be. Advance knowledge of a cholent kiddush (even a non-cholent kiddush, but especially a cholent kiddush) works to get the frum crowd into shul, but by the less affiliated crowd I am not so sure...
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5 comments:

  1. MeirJanuary 18, 2011 11:23 AM

    Great idea. I'm just a bit worried over the....smell. Cholents cooked overnight, can give off a great aroma, mostly nice. How will it affect people davening in Shul smelling all thse cholents? And one other thing. If the idea is to encourage people to come, I'm not sure cholent is the way, due to "after effects" of the cholent, maybe not so nice aromas!!!

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  2. BatyaJanuary 18, 2011 12:30 PM

    Meir, I agree. Who can concentrate, trying to doven on an empty stomach with food cooking?

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  3. MoriahJanuary 18, 2011 6:17 PM

    We cook cholent but in the kitchen, which is in a separate building.

    By-the-way, that cholent looks awesome! ;-)

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  4. AnonymousJanuary 19, 2011 2:29 PM

    We did this a few years ago in a congregation of about 50 people. Apparently cholent is one of those foods that guys take pride in, like barbeque or chili.

    It was scheduled like a basketball tournament, with 2 cholents going head-to-head each week, and the winner moving up a level.

    It did keep us in cholent for a whole winter. i think it is effective in getting guys who sometimes might rather stay in bed to show up, but not as a real outreach thing. It presupposes that the person has positive associations with cholent, and not everyone does.

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  5. Rafi G.January 19, 2011 3:11 PM

    I like that type of a contest.. you put it well sayign "it is effective in getting guys who sometimes might rather stay in bed to show up, but not as a real outreach thing. It presupposes that the person has positive associations with cholent, and not everyone does."

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