I rate Ira: That’s how we knew him this loyal member of my congregation for decades. Loyal yes but always complaining always whining about something that was not right with the shul. It became a playful game between us. After every Shabbos davening I would ask Irate Ira how things went today and on cue he would respond with his litany: the singing was off key or one couldn’t hear the chazzan or too many children making noise or loud chatter out in the lobby or I forgot to give mazel tov on so-and-so’s engagement or the siddurim are old they’re coming apart. Complaints were his lifeblood as natural to him as breathing.
The High Holidays were manna from Heaven for Ira a gift basket of potential mistakes and oversights. Hundreds of things could go wrong and for Ira they all did: The bathrooms were overcrowded; davening took too long; too much talking in shul; air-conditioning was too strong; air-conditioning was too weak; the acoustics need fixing; they should’ve given Eisenberg an aliyah; why does Goldberg get all those honors.
After one Rosh Hashanah in keeping with our traditional ritual I asked Ira how things went and I braced myself for the usual torrent. But Ira just smiled and said “Rabbi it was great. Everything was perfect.”
“ Ira ” I said “you gotta be kidding. No problems this year no critiques? Are you okay?”
