Drinking at the kiddush/brocha

Jon and Jodi Kaplan, Johannesburg

For a good few weeks, we went to a shul in Sandton. What disturbed us was seeing a group of adults who sit drinking after the kiddush/brocha until they are practically drunk. This all takes place while there is a shiur happening in the shul.

We heard that prominent members of the shul had raised this issue on a regular basis many years ago, but no action was taken. This is an issue in a few other shuls, too.

It is surely inappropriate and unhealthy for a community to be advocating such behaviour. We would hope that the rabbis of these communities make the changes that are required.