Local Rabbi Projects Winter Arriving Thursday; Urges Community to "Just Take a Jacket, It's Not Complicated"
The forecast, issued during morning services, was described by meteorologists as "more accurate than usual."
Rabbi Menachem Feldstein of Congregation Or Shalom issued his semi-annual weather forecast during Thursday morning services, projecting a cold front arriving no later than the end of the week and urging all congregants to dress accordingly. The forecast was delivered without consulting any meteorological data, which observers say may explain its accuracy.
"Take a jacket," the Rabbi said. "Take two. I don't understand why this is a discussion we keep having every year." He then delivered an eight-minute elaboration on the jacket, covering collar types, pocket utility, and the spiritual implications of being cold when you didn't have to be. The congregation took notes.
The National Weather Service later confirmed a cold front was indeed arriving Thursday. When informed of the Rabbi's earlier forecast, a spokesperson said the agency was "aware of his track record" and would "look into the methodology." The Rabbi was unavailable for comment, as he was already wearing two jackets.