Weird siren, 7:15pm Sunday

What's with the siren? It sounds like the old school fire siren where I grew up but I've never heard it before (although this the first time I've had my windows open in eons). Nothing on NYT or Gothamist...

It is back.. it stopped for a few minutes. Now it stopped again! Very weird.

No idea -- I thought it was a tornado siren, but the Natl Weather Service has no warnings. Oh, and there it goes again, although this one's not as loud/close by as the ones earlier.

It's to tell the jews that sunset is coming and get home quick. You should see the traffic on Bedford Ave in Williamsburg when that horn goes off.

Parade Rest: You can't be serious? Wouldn't we all have heard this before?

He's not kidding, that's what it is. I usually hear it on Fridays, but I confess that I don't notice it all the time and I'm only a couple of blocks away from the temple.

first time i've heard it today as well..

Usually they are on Fridays but considering this is Passover I assume they do it more. And there are two sirens the first is to let you know to get home and the next one is usually about 15-20 minutes later to signify sundown.

I wonder what made it audible today? Is there a new siren? Very interesting.

Emily said:

I wonder what made it audible today? Is there a new siren? Very interesting.

Low cloud cover.

NYJ writes in: "The sirens are to alert the Jews that it is almost sundown. On Fridays the first alert is for candle lighting and the 2nd time is to alert 5 or 10 minutes for the Sabbath to start. It happened on Sunday because it is the beginning of the 2nd portion of the holy days of Passover."

 

We live at the high point of the area and routinely hear the sirens from Williamsburgh and Boro Park....we love it....have been hearing them for years. And yes, last night began the "last days" of Pesach....the first two and the last two days of the holiday are "yom tovs," which require candle-lighting and no use of electricity etc....

That's so weird.

ParadeRest said:

Low cloud cover.

Yes, depending on the weather condition, sometime sounds travel further. It amazes me when I hear the fog horns from the East River on some nights.

Boygabriel said:

That's so weird.

Nah, it makes perfect sense. Since sundown is at a different time every day, having one way for everyone to know when they should be home and starting their religious oblgations means there's no debate.

homeowner said:

Nah, it makes perfect sense. Since sundown is at a different time every day, having one way for everyone to know when they should be home and starting their religious oblgations means there's no debate.

And it sounds like you couldn't even replace it with a smartphone app with rising/setting times, because presumably by the time of the first siren you're supposed to be turning off the power and the machines...

I can see the making of a scifi novel here: Skynet becomes self-aware and malevolent on Pesach Sunday night, and the only post-apocalyptic survivors are the ultra-orthodox, young children, and small bands of hand-held refuseniks such as myself.

DoctorJ, before you enjoy your post-apocalyptic fantasy overly much, please read or reread "On the Beach".

It won't be all that much fun, being one of the few survivors.

homeowner said:

Nah, it makes perfect sense. Since sundown is at a different time every day, having one way for everyone to know when they should be home and starting their religious oblgations means there's no debate.

I understand the "logic" of it.

I assume what you heard Was a Shofar --- a RAM!

Tekiah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

booklaw said:

DoctorJ, before you enjoy your post-apocalyptic fantasy overly much, please read or reread "On the Beach".

It won't be all that much fun, being one of the few survivors.

To tell you the truth, I wasn't thinking of writing a romantic comedy around this theme of starving infants, orthodox jews, and nerdy smartphone avoiders.