This story is sickening. No wonder young people are turned off by this fake type of Judaism.

last article on holiday seat sales the talkbacks went off the deep end with hateful comments toward the chareidis for selling the closest seat to the chassidic rabbi for 50 grand. now we see the real pimps are conservative but i guess nobody feels threatened by them so people just dont care....

Great. Give the antisemites more reasons to believe that jews are greedy. It's disgusting and inconsiderate.

Hiring out to wear a mask looking like the owner of the seat and sit through the services for him. PS: the most popular Israeli Jewish newspaper not publishing candlelighting times on Yom Shishi in its on-line counterpart is a disservice to Jewish readers and a disgrace to Israel. Even ha-Aretz publishes candlelighting times on Yom Shishi. Paqid Yirmeyahu Israeli Orthodox Jew Advancing Logic as Halakhic Authority Welcoming Jews & non-Jews www.netzarim.co.il

I'm waiting to see all the "anti -reform jews" comments against charging so much for a seat. Or does it only bother you if the chareidim do it. If it bothered you then it should bother you now. Personally neither bother me. For those of you with selective short term memory please follow the link below. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3445554,00.html

Well here i am . You say it by yourself [ not you personally ] that they are'nt Jewish . So that's not my business . Secondly , it's not in my country . Third , this Rabbi says it , he did'nt mean seriously that someone would be interested , but that it was done to attract some interest towards his synagogue . As far that is known to me , the Great Synagogue in Yeroushalaim is not charidi , or am i wrong ?

must be made out of pure gold and any scratch or damage can cost thousands of dollars. If not for this $1.8 milliion, where would they take the money for the upkeep of this temple? YNet please post the meshugene that has nothign better to do with his money.

#3 Its not just the haredeem. Sadly the conservative seats are selling at a far greater price. How much for a reform seat. Can you get a box or nose bleeder seats. Really such a spectacle. This is not supported by Torah. It might be worth it to build a synagogue every year.

If people want to pay $1.8m to the shul that they love, then that is their choice.

Yes I am here, Sagi the Haredi basher. This is the ugly face of religion, with a black suit and beard or without. The priests in the temple were corrupt, the temple precincts were polluted with money changers and prostitutes. Nothing has changed. nothing is new under the sun.

jew/religion haters, and they count for nothing in these 'our' not 'their' topics They really suit 'their' role of the second son of the Hagaddah...with the addition of the words boring,repetitive and predictable.

And it's all wrapped up and disguised as 'gaining the attention of Jews who are disconnected from their faith' It should not cost any money AT ALL for people to go to synagogue and sit in the front row. No wonder people are becoming disconnected, who wants to be associated with a load of money grabbers schnorrers.

...we don't auction off seats for $1.8 million. Nor do we turn anyone away from services, including high holy day services, for ability to pay. This is as much a publicity stunt as it is a fundraising ploy.

...from another report of this article. It points out that beyond the seat auction, the rabbi has done significant outreach and made innovative changes (not inconsistent with Torah) to the services. "The changes have brought in dozens of new members, including Claudia Dobkin, who was raised in an Orthodox Jewish home, but had not belonged to a synagogue in many years." So for all the talk that the liberal movements lead to assimilation, there are several cases where people have come back to Judaism after walking away from Orthodoxy.

That 1.8 million might look a bit steep, but considering that the wind insurance for those 2 seats will be through the roof, it's really not that outrageous. If people can donate millions to universities to get their names on a building, why the heck not sell a few seats in a synagogue? Unlike some other people who sold penances and forgiveness in the past, the rabbi isn't peddling or implying any heavenly rewards. He's only offering the opportunity to make a donation to a good cause and ok, let's admit it, for somebody to get a nice tax break. My only question is this: What will the rabbi do, if the winning bid is from somebody other than a Jew? That could be disastrous. I'm going to eBay and check out the conditions.

I had barely skimmed the surface of the ebay listings, when I came across this copy of a 1939 "deed" for a seat in a synagogue in Haifa. Obviously, the practice is not new. http://cgi.ebay.com/PURCHASE-OF-SEAT-IN-THE-SYNAGOGUE-1939-PALESTINE-HAIFA_W0QQitemZ250137995918QQihZ015QQcategoryZ1449QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

not only do you get to talk to the rabbi during services but you actually get reserved parking so that you can drive on yom kippur. conservative judaism - ain't it great?

Tell me what is better , to stay at home yom kippour , or to attend a service , even if you have to come with your car ? This question a French liberal rabbi asked me many years ago . If they stay at home , not only Yom kippour , but every Shabbat , then they will loose all contact to Judaism he said to me . Now what's the best for you ? Not everyone can live near a synagogue , or find a place where to stay on yom Kippour . Beside this , they can come to the synagogue with their car before Kol nidre , stay there the whole night and pray , and return home after tefilat Ne'ila with their car . Is there something wrong with this ?

you are it by yourself , don't need to have a mask , your whole personality [ ? ] is one mask named paqid

Every where the best places are sold at high prices , be it theatre , opera or sport stadium . The same in a synagogue , where it's a honor to sit in the front row , or near the Rabbi . I'm not saying that all those people sitting there deserve this honor , but they are ready to pay and to be considered well .

we are offended that you say that we gentiles, who believe that j*sus is the messiah, are not jewish. that's rather misogentilic. but then again, we're gentiles.

If you think that jesus is the messias , you are NOT JEWISH . You can't be Jewish and believe in jesus . Now you use the term gentiles , some days ago goy . Do you know how you want to be named ? I'm a secular Jew , 100 % JEWISH , that is possible . To be a Jew is not necessary being religious , you belong to a people .

when did the conservatives start celebrating Jewish holidays? its a little early to start selling seats for Christmas isn't it? the last paragraph puts a smile on my face here in New York reform/conservative synagogues are dying out day by day lets hope this perversion of Judaism dies out quickly

to stay home worst than sinning is making others sin making accommodation/promoting driving on Shabbat/ Yom Kippur is making other sin, better they stay and home and do nothing this is absolute perversion of Judaism call any local Chabad house, they will make accommodations for you

your an idiot, a Jew is defined by the Torah, which says anyone born to JEWISH woman is a Jew it doesn't matter what you believe if a Jew is dumb enough to believe in Jesus, thats his problem, he's still a Jew

First of all , i'm not sure that Mike was born to a Jewish mother . Regarding Halacha . Do you remember Aaron Lustiger , the bishop of Paris who died recently . He was Jewish by Halachah , indeed . But did you see much "jewishness" in him , when he was saying his mass at the notre dame cathedral in Paris ? i , exept his face , not . Don't you know that the law of return does not admit people who converted to another religion ? and that's against halacha , but 100 % right . If for you a catholic born to a Jewish mother is Jewish , you are in good company , two idiots together [ sorry , i use your vocabulary ]