Praying
Praying With Tears
Do you have to pray from a prayerbook? Can tears be considered a prayer? We are taught that other lines of communication with God are only sometimes open, but the "gate of tears" is never closed.
Read morePraying In a Synagogue
Communal Prayer
Isn't it better to pray alone, without distractions?
Synagogue
Synagogues were originally for Jewish study and gathering--not necessarily prayer.
Head Coverings
Changing trends in the use or non-use of a head covering in synagogue.
Entering a Synagogue
Tips for the novice shul-goer.
Independent Minyans
Everything old is new again.
Ways to Pray
Service of the Heart
Prayer means learning how to speak with God.
Praying with Tears
Do you have to pray from a prayerbook?
Swaying
The history of body movements in prayer and Torah study.
Repetition and Spontaneity
We repeatedly pray from an established text, and yet our prayers need to come from the heart.
Intention
The role of kavvanah--meaning what you say--in Jewish liturgy.
Central Prayers
Amidah
Moving from praise to petition to thanksgiving, the Amidah inculcates a sense of connection to God.
Preliminary Readings
Introductory blessings and psalms offer spiritual preparation for the morning prayer service.
Hallel: Praising God
Psalms 113-118 incorporate gratitude for God's acts of salvation in the past, and confidence in God's future redemption of Israel.
Barkhu
A formal call to worship.
Ashrei
Psalm 145 has a carefully-crafted internal and external structure.
Prayerbooks
Siddur Contents
Elements of the Shabbat, holiday, and regular weekday morning service.
Choosing a Siddur
Jewish prayerbooks today are easier on the eye--but they challenge the heart and mind.
The Koren Sacks Siddur: A Hebrew/English Prayerbook
Edited by Jonathan Sacks
Siddur Sim Shalom: Prayerbook for Shabbat, Festivals & Weekdays
Edited by Jules Harlow
Mishkan T'Filah: A Reform Siddur
Edited by Rabbi Elyse D. Frishman