In the packed room of the basement of the Second Presbyterian Church on W. 96th Street, the walls are adorned with brightly colored construction paper leaves. Various other playschool items have been pushed to the sides to make room for the congregation. Some prayer books are lodged between the backboard and rim of a children's indoor basketball hoop.

This may not seem an ideal location for religious worship, but on alternating Saturday mornings it serves as the home of Hadar, a neighborhood Jewish faith organization that works to bring [traditional] but open prayer and worship to a growing number of followers.

"[We're] attempting to fill a niche," said Josh Greenfield, a third year doctorate student in economics and one of the organizers of Hadar. "It's a place that follows the tradition but is egalitarian."

Hadar began in April 2001 with a relatively small group that met in an apartment on 110th Street. The group's members were looking for a way to celebrate their faith and retain those traditions that made the time-honored Jewish prayer service beautiful, hence the group's name "Hadar," Hebrew for "beautify."

"[There's] religious worship you can do, or you can do it in the most beautiful fashion possible," Greenfield said.

Over the past two years, Hadar, which never publicizes itself and survives completely on donations and grant money, has moved all over the Upper West Side--from the Kraft Center to the Jewish Theological Seminary--to its present home at 96th Street, which it is rapidly outgrowing.

For many, Hadar's appeal lies in its ability to meld the traditions of the service with newer, more equality-minded ideas.

"Hadar appeals to a large spectrum," Greenfield said.

Hadar services are conducted in Hebrew and follow the pattern of a traditional service. However, rather than a rabbi, members of the Hadar community lead the service, and they do so from the center of the room instead of in front of the congregation. This lack of hierarchy emphasizes the importance of the prayer community, with those leading the service acting as representatives of the greater group.

"We hope for services that are beautiful and inspiring," Greenfield said.

For organizers, the rapid growth of Hadar has been pleasing, showing that many were looking for a similar kind of religious fulfillment, but also problematic. With an explosion in the number of members, it was very difficult to maintain a sense of community, as the congregation can reach over 400 people at High Holiday services.

"The social scene is rather intimidating, especially since it has grown so much in numbers, but everyone is really friendly," said Rachel Forster, CC '02.

Organizers have tried to improve inter-community relations through social time and lunches after services. The group also held a retreat last summer in the Berkshires, which they are hoping to repeat.

Hadar's main goal is to create a welcoming atmosphere for all. Recognizing that traditional prayer in Hebrew can be intimidating, the group also holds Beit Midrash, or Jewish religious classes, every Thursday at the Jewish Community Center on 76th Street.

This year, the classes have centered on prayer--more specifically the practical difficulties of finding one's way around the various prayer books and developing a greater understanding of the material.

"All classes are different," and cover a "wide variety," said Michael Rosenberg, a second year rabbinical student at JTS and one of the education organizers for Hadar.

"I'm Jewish and I don't really know a lot," said John Ripp, a resident in General Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital and a first-time Hadar attendee. "I have a desire to learn a little bit more about practicing."

As the number of members of Hadar continues to grow, the organizers are hoping to move to a larger, air-conditioned facility for the summer months. The success of Hadar has created several spin-off organizations, both in the city and in Washington, D.C., which Greenfield sees as further proof of "a critical mass of people" who are searching for a more fulfilling way to practice their faith.

"Our goal is to inspire," Greenfield said. "Prayer should be uplifting."