IKEA is continuing its assault on the religious sector in
Israel. In the next few days, the company is planning to open a synagogue inside
their furniture store in Netanya. The purpose: To attract more shoppers from the
religious sector. The company's management said in reaction that IKEA has many
religious employees as well as visitors, and it was built to give an answer to
their needs.
I'd be interested in hearing about some other businesses that do this. I don't remember hearing that, for instance, Agriprocessors in Postville has a shul in their workplace. What about the diamond industry? Lots of Jews there. And is this common for businesses in Israel? Does Israeli Wal-mart have this?
Using this logic, we should start setting up synagogues anywhere frum Jews are likely to spend a lot of time. Gas stations, dry cleaners', kosher Chinese restaurants...
All I'm saying is it's a slippery (and stupid) slope. People shouldn't be going to services inside a furniture store.
4 comments:
why not? If the zman tefillah approaches - it's a great marketing gimmick to offer a special section. The Baltimore Orioles addeda special room for minyanim at their baseball games. What's wrong with making life easier for frum yidden to participate and not lose out on certain things?
Shaya,
I don't object to the general idea, I'm just a little uncomfortable with the explicit pandering- "you black hats like shuls, right? Shop here!"
It might also be that I look at prayer (or shopping) differently than you- why not just daven shachris when you feel like it and THEN go buy furniture- why on earth would you want to do both?
Or, in simplest terms- why would you want to spend more time in IKEA than you absolutely have to?
Thanks for the comment.
Actually, I can boast of never having stepped foot in that place - and yes, there's one not too far.
I don't disagree with your idea of just daven and then go shop. But, there have been many times that one is out and about and before you realize it, the zman for mincha is running out. Now, I am not averse to just going to a corner b'yichidus, or even (shhh!) skipping once in a while, but I can understand it like any other marketing ploy. If they want a certain clientel, they find a motivator. I find it more amusing that they think the men are the shoppers - the women don't need the minyan room.
Shaya- makes sense. I'd also add that the idea of a business trying to make one of its stockrooms a shul just sort of seems crass to me. Better to have a real shul somewhere in the neighorbood for those who need that service- I've got a a really disturbing image in my head of an Aron Hakodesh with IKEA blazoned across it. (And of stockboys leading mincha.)
But maybe it's different if it's in Israel. I know here in the states I would definitely be weirded out by it.
Post a Comment