Chess Minyan

Chess Minyan

Minyan [From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]

A minyan (Hebrew: מִנְיָן‎‏ lit. to count, number; pl. minyanim) in Judaism refers to the quorum of ten male Jewish adults required for certain religious obligations.

The most common activity requiring a minyan is public prayer. Accordingly, the term minyan in contemporary Judaism has taken on the secondary meaning of referring to a prayer service.

As you can see with the hair styles, this photo is of the BCC from the late 1960's or early 1970's about 40 years ago: the people sitting or immediately standing around the table constituted the BCC Metro League B team of the time. Mike Griffin is on the left, Charlie Mays on the right, the bespeckled man standing in the middle is Harry Slaben. I forget the name of the other gent. Note Harry always wore a suit, not uncommon for the older guys to do that, based on my clothes I would say it was fall or spring, but typically the club was so cold you kept your coat on- excluding summertime. BTW the person to the left having his back turned looking at the wall is Gerome Bono.

10 was the number Harry Slaben needed 40 years ago to say an appropriate goodbye to the passing of a fellow Jewish Boylston Chess Club chessplayer. Harry thought this would be a great goodbye. That day temporarily I became a super reformed Jew (jettisoning the newest of the testaments) and participated in Harry's minyan that said prayers for his buddy, whose name I can't remember.

In 1993 the comedy TV show Northern Exposure in a show entitled "Kaddish for Uncle Manny" explained the importance of a quorum of 10 men participants and the problems of assembling a minyan in the wilds of Alaska.

The Sunday before last the BCF Board met with a minyan + 1 to discuss the state of the flooding of the club. Sitting among the group of directors I was thinking how bright and capable these people are, and that the BCF is in very good hands. I have been in business and education working with leaders and managers for many years but can't think of a better more capable group of people in Boston chess to help guide us. Also we are getting help from many members in addition to contributions.

In spite of the current mess we are in we are going to persevere. I predict OTB chess in Boston will be stronger because of confronting this crisis which makes each of us take inventory and recognize each of us has to invest something, in their own way, to keep chess going. Jason Rihel has to be commended and thanked as he has taken leadership of working thru this fiasco. And when the club dries up we will need some volunteers to put everything back in place.

Please Comment.

Please Help.
Happy Passover and Happy Easter.
Thank You.
Mike Griffin

http://home.comcast.net/~mcnotes/422.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minyan