Jewish Scenes: Phone Call in Shul

In shul, you want to focus on your phone. (Photo: Times of Israel, by somebody who wasn't thinking about praying to Gd)

Scene 2
INT - SHUL - DAY
After a full conversation with his children right outside of  the entrance to the shul, at full volume, Sam is back at Minyin. Sam naturally talks in a loud voice, just to hear himself. Max, another ninety-year-old is sitting there and doesn't notice this whole thing happened. He's the only one who is still praying with Kavanah (meditative intent of prayer). The Chazin is still leading services and people are praying.

Sam: I didn't distract anybody.

Member 5: This is distracting.

Member 1: You answered your phone in the middle of Minyin.

Sam: No I didn't.

Member 2: You answered the phone in the middle of Minyin and said ‘I am in the middle of Minyin.’ Then you started your conversation in the middle of Minyin. 

Member 1: I think you said, 'I can't talk. I'm at Minyin.' Then you went on and started yelling. Then you shouted, 'I don't want to disturb the prayers.'

Member 4: Then you shushed me for Davening.
 
Member 1: That was disruptive.

Member 5: When you first got to shul you hit me with your Tallis. While you were throwing it on, you whacked me with the tassels. That distracted me.

Sam: I went to the hall to not disrupt.

Member 1: In the hall you got louder. You shouted, 'At least here I can talk at a normal level.'

Member 4: Sam. Your normal level is whatever we can hear while we're trying to Daven.

Member 3: You told your son, 'I can't stand those guys in the Minyin. I had to leave because they're Davening is bothering me. I can't hear you in there.'

Member 1: You stood right there.
Member 1 points to a foot outside the door.
You were right there.

Member 3: The door was open.

Chazin: He talked and said he can't talk. And nobody said 'Amen' to my Brachas. Then he said, 'I'm outside the shul now.'

The Chazin gives up and storms out of the Minyin. Now there is no leader.

Sam: What's with him?!

Scene 1
INT - SHUL - DAY   (FLASHBACK to FIVE MINUTES EARLIER)
A sign on the wall reads, 'Please put your phone on silent.' Around twelve men are Davening (praying) at low volume. Middle of Minyin (prayers in a quorum) Sam's phone rings. Sam, a ninety-year-old, answers the phone. And this all happened while I was trying to pray. Which is why you see me in the background saying nothing, just looking on in shock.
You hear Sam talking in the background, naturally loud so he can hear himself, and then you hear him shush people.  Sam, shaking his head, angrily walks into the hall. Stands a foot outside the shul.

Sam (Out of Scene from the hall - loud): They're so loud in there.

Member 1: Did he just get mad at us for Davening?

Member 2 (innocently): We were interrupting his call.

Member 3: Sam comes to shul because it's a good place to take calls.

You hear Sam talking louder. Yelling. Even when there is silence, you intermittently hear Sam from the hall throughout the conversation.
The Chazin is trying to lead and nobody is listening. He continues to try to lead, showing frustration. I am trying to Daven, as well as two of the other members of the Minyin who have not got involved in the conversation yet, who are now also getting frustrated.

Member 1: He's getting louder. It can't be. And he hasn't moved. He is right at the door. That's not the hall.

Member 3: It's the hall. Just kind of in the shul too. Why is he talking so loud?

Member 2: He thinks the people on the other side of the phone don’t hear him.

Member 4: So he has to talk louder to make sure. Let's say the other person lives in Kansas. How will they hear him from New York?!

Member 3: It’s like he feels that since they’re really far, he has to yell.

Member 2: Exactly. They're not going to hear you in a different state if you don't project.

There is silence for a moment and everybody continues Davening. Then you hear Sam start yelling again.

Member 2: I think they might be organizing a family Simcha.

Chazin (turns to other members of Minyin): Is anybody listening to me?

Member 3: I think it's a grandkid.

Member 1: I think he's still mad at us for Davening.

Chazin: Can somebody please say 'Amen.'

Scene 3
INT - SOCIAL HALL - DAY
After Minyin the men are eating breakfast together and philosophizing. This whole episode turns into a conversation about why older people talk louder.

Member 3: Older members talk louder in shul during the silent prayer.

Member 5: Silence is relative to age.

Member 1: Max is loud during Davening because he thinks he's on the phone. They think they're on the phone all the time. That's why they're always talking loud.

There is head nodding of agreement.

Kibbitzer Conclusion
When people say 'I can't talk,' they are talking. There was a very long conversation about that during services. That was the conclusion.
The problem is most people don't understand that you don't go to shul to Daven.
And the Minyin is still trying to figure out why the older members of the congregation get so loud on the phone. Member 3 hypothesized that the rotary phones didn't have as good of reception.