As
Services Begin
We
encourage you to participate in the vocal responses during the
liturgy and to sing along with the music of our worship. Our
congregation's participation enhances the experience of prayer
for all. After the Friday evening service, please join us in
the Davis Auditorium for our Oneg Shabbat.
Please
help us with the following: turn off all cell phones and pagers
while attending services. Families with young children are requested
to be responsible for them throughout the services.
Hearing
Assistance
Temple
Shaaray Tefila's Sanctuary is equipped with a Listening Assistance
System. You can get a headset from an usher or the front desk.
Please return the headset to the front desk at the end of services.
Tzedakah
A
Tzedakah box is in the rear of the Sanctuary. Contributions
are for Social Action projects.
Book
Donations
We
welcome the donation of gently used books to be placed in the
blue barrel in the lobby, for use by the University of the Street
Program. Give those without access to books the wonderful opportunity
to read.
Dorshei
Shalom
We
are pleased you are here to celebrate Shabbat with
us. If you are visiting Shaaray Tefila on Friday evening, please
see one of our Dorshei Shalom greeters during the Oneg
Shabbat. They are wearing carnations and will be delighted
to meet you and tell you more about our congregation.
Sanctuary
Guidelines
Of
the many mitzvot, hidur mitzvah / "the
aesthetic enhancement of ritual," is a commandment that
is often overlooked. At Temple Shaaray Tefila, we encourage
those who worship with us to participate fully in services,
and to conduct themselves in a manner befitting respect for
the Torah, our religious leaders, and our fellow
congregants. In this spirit, we provide the following guidelines
for worship:
Please
help us:
-
Turn
off all cell phones and pagers while attending services
-
Families with young children are requested to be responsible
for them throughout services
-
Out
of respect for the sanctity of our services, please refrain
from conversation
Proper
dress:
The sanctity of Shabbat is enhanced when we wear
clothing that reflects the holiness of the day. In this spirit,
we request that worshippers dress appropriately. It is the
custom of the congregation that men seated on the bimah or
called to the Torah for an allyah should
wear both kippah and tallit. Women are strongly
encouraged to do so as well.
Entering
and leaving the Sanctuary:
Please restrict movement in and out of the Sanctuary during-the
service. We request that you avoid leaving and entering the
Sanctuary when:
The
following are prohibited in the Sanctuary:
To
our young adults and B'nai Mitzvah students: The synagogue is a place of worship. We request your
assistance in creating an environment that helps us create
a positive prayer experience. There should be no talking other
than in a prayer response. Any young adult
not behaving in an acceptable manner may be reseated or asked
to leave at the discretion of the usher.
Synagogue
Terminology
Torah: In its broadest sense the term Torah
refers to all the teachings of Jewish tradition. In its narrowest
sense, it is the handwritten scroll containing the Five Books
of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy).
A part of the Torah is read each week. At one point
in the Jewish year (on Simchat Torah) the
last book is completed and the first is begun again.
Aron
HaKodesh:
As the central focus of any synagogue, the Holy Ark is located
in the front of the Sanctuary. The original Ark of the Covenant
was built by the Israelites to hold the stone tablets that Moses
brought down from Mt. Sinai. In the modernday synagogue, it
is a repository for one or more Torah scrolls. A Ner
Tamid or Eternal Light burns above the Ark, signifying
God's continual presence and the permanence of the Torah.
Hakafah: At a specific moment in the Torah
service, one or more scrolls are removed from the Ark and joyfully
carried around the sanctuary. During the Hakatah, many
congregants will kiss the Torah, either directly or
indirectly by using a prayerbook or tallit. This is
done as a sign of reverence. Afterwards, the Torah
scroll is placed on the Torah stand to be opened and
read. '
Aliyah:
Before the reading of each Torah portion, an honored
guest is called for an Aliyah (literally, a "going
up") to chant or recite special blessings praising God
for the gift of Torah. After the Torah portion
has been completed, the scroll is held high for all to see and
acknowledge. Then the scroll is rolled and "dressed."
Haftarah: This passage is taken from a portion
of the Holy Scripture containing the books of the Prophets or
the Holy Writings. It follows the Torah reading.
Bimah: The raised platform from which the
service is conducted.
Kippah: Some people in the congregation
may be wearing this head covering. It is a practice which developed
in the Middle Ages and indicates respect for God. Many Reform
Jews, male and female, choose to wear one; others do not.
Tallit: A fringed prayer shawl worn at morning
and afternoon services and whenever the Torah is read.
The tzitzit or knotted fringes on the four corners
remind us of all the commandments contained in the Torah.
Temple Shaaray Tefila Welcomes our
Visitors and Guests: A Guide to our Shabbat
Morning Worship
When
you enter Shaaray Tefila, you will be welcomed with the greeting,
Shabbat Shalom, which means both 'Sabbath welcome'
and 'Sabbath peace.' Shabbat is a day of rest, a time
to refocus ourselves spiritually, to distance ourselves from
the stresses of the work week. We welcome you to our Shabbat
worship service. We hope you find peace in our prayers and joy
in our music. Below is an overview of the morning's service:
The
service begins
with songs and prayers. The initial section of the service concludes
with the Reader's Kaddish a special prayer in praise
of God.
Barchu,
Shema and Ve'ahavta
The first major part of the service continues with the Barchu,
a "call to prayer." The prayers that follow emphasize
God's role as Creator and moral guide. The Shema proclaims
the unity and uniqueness of God. The Ve'ahavta speaks
of our love of God, our duty to teach our heritage to our children,
and our obligation to perform righteous deeds. The prayers that
follow speak of God as the Source of Redemption. We are partners
with God in Tikkun Olam the repair of the world.
The
Amidah:
The "standing prayers" are chanted next, reminding
us of the antiquity of our religious heritage, the power and
sanctity of God, the special nature of Shabbat, and
our gratitude for all our blessings. This part of the service
concludes with a few moments of silent meditation and a prayer
for peace.
The
Torah Service:
The central part of our worship. The Torah, or "teaching",
consists of the first five books of the Bible, embodying the
history, teachings and doctrines of Judaism. These scrolls are
inscribed by hand on parchment, in a manner passed down through
centuries. They are the holiest writings of our faith, and their
handling is a reverent ritual. The scroll is removed from the
Ark and carried through the congregation, demonstrating that
God's teachings are accessible to all. It is customary to turn
and face the scroll as it is carried through the Sanctuary.
Each week, a portion of the Torah is read or chanted
by the Rabbi, congregants or Bar/Bat Mitzvah students.
During the reading, adult Jews are given the honor of being
called up for an Aliyah, chanting the blessings before
and after the verses are read. The Rabbi or Bar/Bat Mitzvah
students then may read a portion of the Haftarah, a
selection from the prophetic writings in the Bible, linked by
content or allusion with the weekly Torah portion.
The Torah service concludes as the scroll is returned
to the Ark.
Aleinu
and Mourner's Kaddish:
The morning service proceeds with the Aleinu, as the congregation
bows to God during this prayer, and the Mourners' Kaddish,
when we praise God for life, as we remember loved ones who have
died. The service concludes with a song and words of blessing.
The
Kiddush and Motzi:
These blessings over the wine and challah (Shabbat
bread) are chanted together, giving thanks to God, and symbolizing
our strong sense of community.
Bar/Bat
Mitzvah: Its Meaning and Customs
The
term Bar/Bat Mitzvah (literally, "son/daughter
of the commandments") is a title given to every Jew upon
reaching age 13 to signify that they are now prepared to take
personal responsibility for their own religious actions and
moral behavior through performing the mitzvot (commandments).
It is equivalent to reaching the age of legal majority. No ritual
or service is necessary to establish this status.
Over
the past few centuries, the Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebration
has emerged as a wonderful way for a 13-year-old to demonstrate
this commitment to Judaism. Before the congregation, family
and friends, the young person accepts the privilege of reading
from the Torah (Five Books of Moses) and Haftarah
(Books of the Prophets), and leading worship. In this way, the
congregation says to the 13-year-old: you are now a participating
adult in our religious community. Thus, the Bar/Bat Mitzvah
celebration bears witness to the future and continuity of a
Judaism embodied in a new generation of committed Jews. For
these reasons, the beginning of a young person's transition
from childhood to responsible Jewish adulthood is a time of
celebration.
Religious
studies begin long before this day. At Shaaray Tefila, preparation
began with the study of Hebrew and Jewish customs, holidays
and history. Each Bar/Bat Mitzvah also learns Biblical
chanting as part of their training and is invited to participate
in the Shaaray Mitzvot program. This helps
prepare the young person for the Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebration
and also asks that he/she prepare for the responsibilities of
Jewish adulthood by fulfilling different mitzvot in
the areas of Torah (study), Avodah (worship)
and G'milut Chasadim (acts of loving-kindness).
A
Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebration occurs as part of our regular
Shabbat morning service. The student helps to leads
the congregation in Hebrew and English passages from the siddur
(prayerbook). Each Bar/Bat Mitzvah also reads or chants
from the Torah, the hand-lettered parchment scroll
which contains the Five Books of Moses. The student chooses
a section of the weekly portion and explains it to the congregation,
demonstrating his/her understanding of the text. The blessings
before and after the reading are shared by family and friends.
After the Torah is read, the young Jewish adult reads
a passage taken from one of the prophetic books of the Bible.
This selection is known as the Haftarah (`completion')
and contains either a thematic reference to the Torah
reading or a reference to an event in the Jewish year. Parents
offer prayers of thanks and expressions of joy and pride.
Here
at Temple Shaaray Tefila, we are very proud of our B'nai
Mitzvah students and of the commitment to Jewish life and
learning that they make on Shabbat through this wonderful
Jewish tradition
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