Children in the Sanctuary

From Huffington-

I share these words in response to something disturbing that has taken place in my synagogue’s sanctuary twice over the last month.

In both cases, a child in the sanctuary made child-like sounds, and in both cases, someone asked the child’s parents to take the child out of the sanctuary. In one case, the person said to the parent, “perhaps your child doesn’t belong in synagogue.” Besides my sense of (and agreement with) the parents’ hurt, these words are also the least synagogue-ish I’ve ever heard. This sentiment has no place in our faith communities, and my response is one of outrage that they were said in the first place.

My response to these wrong reactions to the presence of children within holy space is simple and core to who we are called to be as faith communities: Our sanctuaries are not sanctuaries from children. They are sanctuaries for children.

More here-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-menachem-creditor/children-in-the-sanctuary_b_5283826.html?ncid=engmodushpmg00000003