Davening Audio Files

We have prepared audio files that review the Shabbat morning davening, including nusah (melody/tune) as well as detailed instructions for service leaders. We hope the audio files will be valuable both to those who have led before and would like to review, as well as to those who are learning to lead for the first time.

The contents of the audio files have been uploaded to our website as MP3s. Please feel free to download them for your personal use. Contact us with any questions. Reviewing these files alone is only one part of the process of learning to lead, so while we encourage those interested to make use of them, we are also happy to help facilitate learning in a one-on-one setting.

Shabbat services at Hadar begin with Mizmor Shir Hanukkat haBayit l'David (the first psalm of P'sukei d'Zimra). Since other communities begin services with Birchot haShahar, we have included this part of the service in our files. Our practice is to have one person lead the first part of davening (from P'sukei d'Zimra through Shaharit and the beginning of the Torah service), while another person leads the end of the Torah service (from right after the haftarah is recited) through the end of Musaf. (The final file reviews the special nusah and text for Musaf when Rosh Hodesh falls on Shabbat.)

We welcome your feedback on these files. If you are having trouble downloading the MP3 files, try right-clicking on each one and selecting "Save Target (or link) As."
 

File: 

Birchot haShahar

P'sukei d'Zimra

Shochein Ad until the Amidah

Shaharit Amidah

Kaddish Shaleim (after repetition of the Amidah)

Torah service

Musaf for Shabbat

Musaf for Shabbat Rosh Hodesh

Egalitarianism in Halakhah

Egalitarianism in halakhah encompasses a wide range of topics. We studied three principal topics at Kehilat Hadar's Shavuot retreat in 2002 and 2004:

• Women's obligation in prayer
• Women as shelichot tzibbur (prayer leaders) and as Torah readers
• Women counting in a minyan

Sources are in the original with accompanying English translations.

Links to other useful resources on prayer in an egalitarian setting are included below.

Among the principal teshuvot (responsa) concerning egalitarianism are those written by Rabbi David Golinkin and Rabbi Steve Wald. It is worth studying these in the original Hebrew, as the English versions available are actually only summaries.

Not all of these teshuvot are in accordance with Hadar's current practice, but all are useful resources.

Teshuvot by Rabbi Golinkin:

Women in minyan and as prayer leaders

• http://www.responsafortoday.com/vol6/1_4.pdf (starts on page 2)
• http://www.responsafortoday.com/engsums/6_5.htm (English summary)

Women as Torah readers (and taking aliyot)

• http://www.responsafortoday.com/vol3/2.pdf
• http://www.responsafortoday.com/engsums/3_2.htm (English summary)

Women saying mourner's kaddish

• http://www.responsafortoday.com/vol3/6.pdf
• http://www.responsafortoday.com/engsums/3_6.htm (English summary)

Several short booklets based in part on Rabbi Golinkin's writings are available through the Schechter Institute in Israel. Here are links to the first two pamphlets available on-line:

• Mechitza (separation) in the synagogue
• Aliyot for women
•  

Halakhic Status of B'not Kohein and B'not Leivi for Aliyot

•  http://www.responsafortoday.com/vol3/3.pdf
•  http://www.responsafortoday.com/engsums/3_3.htm (English summary of the above)
•  http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/teshuvot/docs/19861990/roth_daughtersaliyot.pdf
•  http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/teshuvot/docs/19861990/bergman_daughtersaliyot.pdf

Birkat Kohanim (Nesiat Kapayim) by women

• http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/teshuvot/docs/19912000/bramnick_kogen.pdf
• http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/teshuvot/docs/19912000/rabinowitz_wome...
• http://www.responsafortoday.com/vol3/1.pdf
• http://www.responsafortoday.com/engsums/3_1.htm (English summary)

Contact Rabbi Golinkin at golinkin@schechter.org.il.

An excellent resource about women reading Torah in the context of an Orthodox service is R' Mendel Shapiro's article in the Edah Journal: http://www.edah.org/backend/JournalArticle/1_2_shapiro.pdf

Additional topics:

Women and Tefillin:

• http://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/cjmag/97fa/womtef.html
  

  Mechitza

• http://www.responsafortoday.com/vol2/1.pdf
• http://www.responsafortoday.com/engsums/2_1.htm (English summary)

   

Kehilat Hadar CD:Pri Eitz Hadar

Pri Etz Hadar is a collection of 19 eclectic melodies introduced at Kehilat Hadar over several years, including VeYe'etayu, Ashrei, Sim Shalom, Mah Ashiv, and other Hadar favorites.  The CD, first released in 2004, features the voices of 20 Hadar participants, and was produced under the direction of Rabbi Julia Andelman, one of our High Holiday shelichei tzibbur (prayer leaders) from past years.

One of Kehilat Hadar's core principles is that regular communal prayer can and should be an inspiring experience.  We believe that song is a key component to building a prayer community.  This CD is part of a long-term project of expanding our community's repertoire through regular song-teaching sessions encompassing Shabbat, Holiday, and High Holiday melodies.  Pri Etz Hadar is meant as a celebration of where we have come as a community of prayer, and as a teaching tool both within Kehilat Hadar and for other communities who wish to enhance their musical repertoire of Jewish prayer.  

Pri Etz Hadar is now available for purchase as a digital download.

Meeting in a Church Building

Kehilat Hadar is constrained by needing to find a space that can fit all of the people who come to Shabbat morning davening - there are not a lot of available spaces in our neighborhood. Generally, churches are available on Saturday morning synagogues affiliated with the Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform movements, in addition to Kehilat Hadar, have all at times met in church buildings.

There are a variety of halakhic sources you can consult about this issue - the following are responsa by Israeli Orthodox rabbis, and written relatively recently:

Yechaveh Da'at v.4 # 45
Tsits Eliezer v. 14 #91
Aseh Lekha Rav v. 1 #59 and v. 4 #53

An on-line responsum about entering churches and mosques from the Masorti Movement in Israel can be found at http://www.responsafortoday.com/vol6/2_1.pdf.   It is written in Hebrew, and cites some of the responsa above, as well as other rabbinic and halakhic sources on this topic.

For the most part, the possible prohibition on going into a church comes from the Talmud's concern about idolatry (avodah zarah). However, for the past several centuries, most authorities have not considered Christianity to be idolatry - you can find this in the writings of the Meiri, for example, a famous rabbi and halakhic authority in 14th century Provence. Here's a link to some of what he wrote:
http://www.chiefrabbi.org/dd/sources/source38.html
(quoted in an article at http://www.chiefrabbi.org/dd/views.html)

Many modern halakhic authorities have the same perspective. There is also an interesting document written by a commission of French rabbis about Jewish views of Christianity posted on-line at http://www.bc.edu/research/cjl/meta-elements/texts/cjrelations/resources/documents/jewish/France1973.htm that, in section 2, gives a variety of traditional sources indicating that even from the time of Tosafot (early Talmudic commentators) the rabbis have not considered Christianity to be idolatry.

Finally, Rav Soloveitchik, the pre-eminent 20th century American Orthodox rabbi, once said that, although in general one should not go into a church, it would be permissible to go to an auditorium or other area in the church building if you could go in through a door that was not used for going into the church's sanctuary. When Kehilat Hadar meets at the Second Presbyterian Church, we meet in a basement room that is not used for church services, and the door we use to go in is not generally used by people coming in to the church sanctuary for services (there are several doors on that side of the building, and for services the church opens the middle ones up - we use the one all the way on the left).

Meeting in a church building is not ideal, but there are not a lot of free spaces for us to use, so we view this as a temporary solution until we can find something better. For some people, there is a comfort issue with meeting in such a space regardless of what the halakhic sources say, and we certainly understand that.

Amud Cover - Artist's Statement

by Lisa Glass

The Amud is a table for leading services and reading Torah. The Amud cover is made of raw silk in keeping with the feel of the traditional tallis covering. The texture allows for a loud banging sound that is important at various times in a service. Hadar is a community where people of various backgrounds are all made to feel welcome. To visually represent this value, I chose multiple color applique to represent our different perspectives, reminiscent of the gay pride flag, which symbolizes diversity and inclusiveness.

Halacha is of paramount importance at Hadar. I had one halachic question when creating the Amud cover: Is it acceptable to sew silk fabric with cotton thread or would this violate shatnez? Shatnez is the prohibition of mixing wool and linen in clothing (Lev. 19:19 and Deut. 22:11). It does not apply to other fibers and it only applies to things that are worn as clothes.

I had many technical questions making this: How much larger than the table should the cover be? How should I finish the inside so it looks ok when the front flaps are raised? Is there a way that I can machine-stitch the applique or should I do it by hand? The measurements didn't turn out as I expected them to- what the heck do I do now?!

Answers to the technical questions were provided by my grandparents, Norman Davis and Shirley Broh Davis, whose partnership began in the 60's running a decorating shop. Creating this cover gave me the opportunity to ask questions and received many pearls of wisdom. "I was reading Reader's Digest- that's the poor man's medical journal- and they recommended fabric glue," I was told one day, and taught about invisible thread on another. "That's one of the great things about getting old, is that you get to pass these wonderful things on," my grandfather summarized. In one conversation I shared that I was stressed because there was something I really wanted and I didn't know if it would happen or not. My grandfather replied: "If it happens, that's great; if it doesn't happen, that's great. Good news is hard to find; people manufacture bad news in search of good news." I was asked if my grandfather often says such things, and I wondered if I give him enough opportunities to do so. Asking questions unlocks great things. My grandmother, in turn, asked if I were eating well and told me that if she were nearby she would come and cook for me.

The Amud cover is a gift from Shai Held, who had these words to say, "The Amud Cover is dedicated in memory of my father, Moshe Held z"l, for whom teaching Tanakh was both a vocation and a life's love, and of my dear friend Willy Iancu, z"l, who cared for me after my father's death as if I were his own son. From each of them I learned about the meaning of Torah and of kindness, and I dedicate this as a small token of vast love and admiration."

The Amud was created by Josh Greenfield's grandfather, Joseph Greenfield, who passed away last month and whose sheloshim is coming up this Wednesday. Josh wrote of his grandfather: "Creating and giving away all these items gave him the greatest pleasure - no sooner had he decided you were in need of something than he rushed to his garage workshop to sketch it and begin working on it." It is a wonderful tribute to the memory of Shai and Josh'es loved ones that the creation of the cover created memories with two people who are so beloved to me. I share Grandpa Joe's joy in creating and thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity.

Kehilat Hadar Dedicates a Second Sefer Torah

Kehilat Hadar purchased a second sefer Torah in the summer of 2007 from the community at the Avenue Z Jewish Center in Brooklyn.  

In the fall of 2008, a team of artists from the Kehilat Hadar community (Daniel Braunfeld, Heather Stoltz, Michal Richardson, and Michal Shinnar) designed and created a cover for this Torah that reflects the values and vision of our community. The following is the artists' statement.

Artists' Statement

In designing a new cover, we asked ourselves: How can we, the Kehilat Hadar community, represent the vibrancy, spirituality, and philosophical ideals of our community within the confines of the fabric that will cover our new sefer Torah? The Torah cover design team has designed an image that attempts to mirror the community Kehilat Hadar is and continuously strives to become.

The central image on the Torah cover is two intertwining trees, each adorned with both budding and ripe fruit. The linked branches serve as a poignant reminder that our Judaism is a communal experience, filled with connections to others. As a community grows, it is essential to honor and nourish its many facets. The two trees on the Torah cover reflect the the wooden pillars, known in Hebrew as "atzei hayim," or "trees of life," that hold the Torah scroll together. Just as the atzei hayim support the Torah scroll and the intertwining trees on the Torah cover support one another, so Kehilat Hadar participants provide support for each other.

The two trees bear pomegranates and etrogim. Rashi explains that the etrog is the only fruit which remains on the tree from one season to the next. Therefore, an etrog tree has well-ripened fruit from years past, co-existing with newly budding fruit from the current year. We look at this as a metaphor for an ideal community. We all bring to the community our ripened fruit, the experiences and ideas we have developed in the past, our patterns and rhythms which define us. The challenge is to be open to new ideas and experiences without rejecting the ripened fruit of our past. A pomegranate, according to midrashic literature, has 613 seeds corresponding to the 613 mitzvot; it is a fruit eaten on Rosh Hashanah to infuse our new beginnings with a commitment to mitzvot.