Today a man [he looked like a tamid chochom but who knows] heard me speaking English in shul [before davening] and rebuked me in complete seriousness, saying that a shul is a holy place and therefore it is forbidden to speak a foreign language. Someone heard this and was infuriated. He said that this man is a member of the ערב רב [!!]. How are we going to be mekarev people if we don't speak to them in their language??!
It seems to me that we needn't be extreme: We are not compelled to say that it is forbidden to speak English in shul but we are also not obligated to say that someone who makes such a claim is a member of the ערב רב [or "an Egyptain" as he was also called].
Emotions were high and I didn't get involved .... But I DO THINK that people should chill. And this was after a day of celebrating the simcha of Purim.
