Getting what we need

Towards the end of services at our synagogue in Sharon this past Sabbath morning, an announcement was made that members of the Sharon Police Department were on hand to conduct an emergency drill. The painfully loud alarm was sounded, and a number of synagogue members who had obviously been prepared for the exercise spread out around the sanctuary to provide instructions. At first, we were all told that the building was under lockdown while the cause of the alarm was being investigated. Within less than a minute we were told that we needed to evacuate the building.

Because of my pulmonary problems, which make long walks impossible, I have a mobility scooter that I use to travel to synagogue, one that has been specially rigged to allow its use on the Jewish Sabbath by those with special needs (a highly technical discussion which is best left to experts in Sabbath laws). My scooter was parked just outside the front entrance, leaving me only a very short distance to walk to the sanctuary. But we were directed out a different exit door, and then instructed to walk clear around the building to await further instructions. Fortunately, my older daughter Simmie was with me. I had to stop quite a few times on my way to the meeting spot.

In retrospect, I should have simply stayed put just outside the door, as Simmie tried to convince me to do. But because we had not received any advanced notice of the plans, this possibility did not seem tenable to me. Sometimes I am a bit too obedient for my own good.

In all honesty, I believe that the probability of an event necessitating such an evacuation is extremely low, and may not justify my worrying about special arrangements. Sharon is a small town almost, although not quite, in the middle of nowhere, unlikely a target high on anyone’s list. Still, the emergency drill was sobering and more than a little frightening. If we are really trying to do something more than just go through the motions and pretend we are prepared for any emergency, the needs of those who are less than 100% able-bodied must also be considered. I am not the only person in the community using a mobility scooter or otherwise unable to move quickly.

I am not usually one to make special requests. But as Mick Jagger sang so many years ago,

You can’t always get what you want (x3)

But if you try sometimes you just might find

You get what you need.

I have shared my thoughts with the synagogue leadership. I just hope they never have to worry about putting any of my suggestions into action.

Have a great week!

Love,

Rebecca