It's a funny thing about us.
We have a one, maybe two, day participation span.
Sefardim started s'lihot on the 2nd of Elul.
The place was almost Standing Room Only, a precursor to Rosh HaShana.
The second day of s'lihot there were fewer people.
Lately we've had to "skip around" certain prayers - those in Aramaic and all the occurrences of ויעבור and all times when the sofar is blown.
Translation: Even though the start time is later - it's now close to 5:45 from the first day's 5:35 start time - we don't have a minyan until we are well into the s'lihot.
We recite what we can, and when we finally get a minyan we have to go back and recite the skipped prayers.
It used to be that the joke was about "three-day Jews," those folks who show up in a synagogue on the two days of Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippor. Now for many - and I'm referring to "observant," sometimes known as "orthodox," congregations - it's two and a half days . . . maybe. The difference in attendance - never mind participation - between Rosh HaShana's first day and the second is sad.
Even Yom Kippor suffers. Pretty good turnout for Kol Nidre (when it's done at the proper time), but the "crowd" for korbanote the next morning is often "disappointing."
Maybe it's the interminable bidding; selling honors, especially to people rarely seen in the synagogue, is an unfortunate, albeit necessary, evil that helps empty out a building.
This is nothing new.
Years ago a Chabad rabbi in Sarasota arranged with the City to place a hanukiah on City land - it shared space with a decorated tree.
On the first night of Hanukah we had a good turnout.
The second night, there were maybe 4 or 5 present.
The third night, only one person showed, and that person was not the rabbi.
In truth, the small turnout may partly be attributed to the non-"orthodox" community which criticized, in the general media, the idea that some Jews had the NERVE to put up a hanukiah on City property. Never mind that the property was shared with a decorated tree and that these same Jews were paying the City to put up, maintain, take down, and store "seasonal" decorations; THAT was OK.
The same holds true for Pesach and Sukot; Shavuot, being only one day, is not a problem.
Pesach's first night usually is "thin." People are home with family and friends at the seder. The first morning the turnout is pretty good, but after that it's all down hill.
Sukot - likewise.
Everyone is willing to attempt to sit in the sukah the first night; fewer the second night, and during the intermediate days, חול המועד, the sukah often in occupied only by the ushpizin and bugs.
Getting up for s'lihot appeals to some folks, but for this scrivener, I'd rather sleep in (until 5 or 5:30).
But there's a minyan to be made and I consider it part of my "dues" to be a member.
