As Services Begin
Hearing Assistance
Tzedakah
Book Donations
Dorshei Shalom

Sanctuary Guidelines
Synagogue Terminology
A Guide to our Shabbat Morning Worship
Bar/Bat Mitzvah: Its Meaning and Customs

 

The name of our congregation, Shaaray Tefila, means "Gates of Prayer." One of our primary purposes is to provide for the spiritual, religious and worship needs of our members and community.

 

On the first Friday of each month our Erev Shabbat service begins at 7:30 pm.  
On all other Fridays, Erev Shabbat services are held at 6:15 pm. 

Throughout the year, sermons, lectures and discussions on timely subjects are led by our Rabbis or pulpit guests. An Oneg Shabbat follows all Erev Shabbat services, providing an opportunity to join fellow congregants in the joy of community and friendship. Periodically we sponsor a special 'sit-down' Oneg with a music program.

On Shabbat mornings, Worship Services are held in the main sanctuary at 10:00 am. Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations take place at these services. A Minyan service is held in the Morse Chapel at 10:15 am each Shabbat morning as well, followed by a breakfast and study session including lively discussion of the week’s Torah portion.

 

Smachot, joyous life-cycle events including baby namings, wedding blessings and aufrufs, special anniversary and birthday blessings are marked during our worship services. We also offer prayers for those in need of healing as well as those who have recovered from illness, injury or escaped danger.

Guests are always welcome to observe the Sabbath and worship with us.

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.

 

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.

 

A Tzedakah box is in the rear of the Sanctuary. Contributions are for Social Action projects.

 

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.

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 will be delighted to meet you and tell you more about our congregation.

 

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:

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 Bnai 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.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

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.

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 Bnai Mitzvah students and of the commitment to Jewish life and learning that they make on Shabbat through this wonderful Jewish tradition.