"Prayer can be electric and alive. Prayer can touch the soul, burst forth a creative celebration of the spirit and open deep wells of gratitude, longing and praise.
Prayer can connect us to our Living Source and to each other, enfolding us in love and praise, wonder and gratitude, awe and thankfulness.
Communal prayer can activate the body, touch the heart, engage the mind and nourish genuine spiritual growth and insight.
Jewish prayer in its essence is soul dialogue and calls us into relationship within and beyond.
We intuitively know when group prayer is working: Through the power of ancient words and melodies we venture into realms of deep emotion and find longing, sorrow, hope, wholeness, connection and peace.
When guided by skilled leaders of prayer and ritual, our complacency is challenged, we break through outworn assumptions about God and ourselves, and emerge refreshed and inspired to meet the challenges our lives offer."
This living-learning experience enables participants from all Jewish environments to gain:
Deep understanding, experience and skill with the evolution, practice and meaning of Jewish prayer.
Grounding in liturgical sources and the inner structure of services, with special emphasis on Shabbat.
Advanced skills in the inspiring use of personal presence.
Practice and experience in creating prayerful environments, working with group energetics, and balancing structure with spontaneity.
Special exercises will hone your skills, as you learn to:
Use your whole self — voice, body, gesture — and increase your comfort with an expanded range of leadership styles.
Maximize the effectiveness of your communication and remain centered in the most challenging situations.
Shape your phrasing to blend kavvanot seamlessly into the flow of t'fillah and share personal stories to add an intimate dimension to your teaching.
Smoothly segue from the spoken word into song or prayer, or from one prayer to another.
Choose a melody for the mood you wish to create and use instruments with subtlety and grace.
Incorporate dance or movement into prayer — in both havurah-style and congregational settings.
Craft and deliver a truly dynamic d'var Torah; use bibliodrama and other interactive styles of teaching.
Brush up your traditional skills in special labs for Torah-leynen and nusah ha-t'fillah.
This program is designed for both the experienced leader and those emerging into leadership.
Participants include rabbis, cantors, rabbinic pastors, rabbinic, cantorial and rabbinic pastor students, lay congregational and havurah leaders — from across the denominational spectrum of Jewish life!
