First Congregation Anshe Sfard of Borough Park

Location :

4502 14th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11219, USA
Added by Jopie, at 08 August 2016

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• Jack Snow

  03 July 2017

  Weekdays:
  Speedy and fun Shachris at 5:20 am
  Slower one at 5:45
  Well paced but popular discontent at the 7am shachris
  No other reliable Shachris.
  Consistent Mincha at 1:30 per the Zman
  Then sporadic minchas from an hour before shkia until an hour after. Unreliable.
  First Maariv at shkia, with quite a few following, but no set times.
  All the above minyanim are in the basement.
  
  Shabbos:
  Friday night, there is a Mincha kabbalos Shabbos at candle lighting downstairs, followed by another one shortly thereafter. Both are usually full.
  In the spring and summer there is an early Shabbos minyan about an hour before candle lighting.
  Shacharis 6:30 downstairs
  8:30 downstairs
  9:15 main shul
  Mincha 4:30
  Followed by more at unpredictable times.
  Maariv 50 minutes after shkia, usually 3 minyanim at the same time. The fastest is usually in the lobby.
  
  During the summer months the crowd thins out noticeably at all minyanim, weekday and Shabbos.
  
  The general crowd is a mix of Boro Park old timers, chasidim not in the mood of a Rebbe, and a handful of complete oddities. There is a Rav in name only.
  
  During the week, Davening is usually business like, with the occasional commotion.
  On Shabbos, talking is rampant and equally quieted by the Gabbai.
  Not a conducive environment for proper kavanah.
  At times there may be a full blown argument in the back or front right of the downstairs shachris.
  A lot of the real crazies have been driven out, some with unconventional methods.
  There is a mediocre kiddush after Shacharis.
  
  The benches are hard. The air conditioning works but is seldom set high enough.
  The bathrooms were remodeled recently and are usually clean.
  
  Coffee and chocolate chip cookies are available.
  
  Note that the interior is covered in security cameras and sensors that are monitored religiously from the Vice President's phone.
  
  You daven here if you want to lay low, can't get yourself to daven at a Rebbe, or if you are intrigued by the strange personalities that frequent the place.
  
  I do for all the above reasons.

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• Noah Talansky

  19 September 2016

  Some of the people who come here have no Derech Eretz.

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• Chani Fogiel

  15 August 2016

  Beautiful place

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