New Features of our Shabbat Services

We appreciate the feedback you gave us at the Shabbat Services Town Hall in December, as well as the e-mails you sent before and after.  Your feedback has initiated an ongoing process of experimentation. If you missed it in shul, here are several things that have happened recently:
 
Prayer-focused Interactive D’var Torah January 13 - Rabbi Franklin led an interactive study of the Amidah, comparing the similarities and differences between the Amidah in Ma’ariv, Shaharit, and Minhah, that deepened our understanding of these prayers and their purpose.

Shabbat Shirah January 27 - We had a service full of song, in honor of reading the Song of the Sea in the Torah! Cantor Mayer crafted a Musaf service that was led by teens from Hazamir, and included three melodies written for the Song of the Sea. He made recordings available before Shabbat in e-mail and on our Facebook page - you can still find them here . In addition, Rabbis Franklin and Zerin both spoke about the text of the Song of the Sea. 

Iyyun Tefillah Lunch and Learn on February 10 - Rabbi Zerin led the community in a conversation about the Kedushah d’Yotzeir, exploring the ways in which the angels described in this passage can serve as models for our own individual and communal experiences of prayer. Want to learn more? Click here for the source sheet and guiding questions.
 
Creating intimate prayer spaces January 13, 27, and February 10 - We have been trying new ways of creating more intimate prayer spaces, including holding services in the Bohnen Vestry, and standing close together for Musaf, which has infused our prayer with energy, spirituality, and community.
 
Members Leading Services:
12/16 Marin Warshay, Daniel Mayer, Sam Bloch, Jeremy Satlow 
12/23 Arnie Moses, Judy Greenblatt
1/6 Sam Bloch, Jeremy Satlow 
1/13 Neil Brafman
1/20 Joel Gluck
1/27 Judy Kaye, Francesca Binder, Charlotte Bromberg, Anna Gertsacov, Eli Landry, Daniel Mayer, Jonah Mayer, Isaiah Suchman
2/3 Toby Marwil, Amy Olson

Guest Speakers:
We have enjoyed hearing from more voices in our community! Nirva LaFortune, who serves as City Councilwoman for Ward 3, the ward in which the Temple is located, delivered a moving D’var Torah about the importance of reaching out to our neighbors in response to racist leaflets that were distributed in Providence and Pawtucket on February 10.

Next Shabbat, February 24, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse will speak after Kiddush at 12:30 PM.

Torah and Haftarah readers since December:
Dena Cochrane, Karen Drucker Stern, Sadie Gaffin, Jessica  Nassau, Leo Eberman, Jonah Mayer, Howie Bromberg, Lev Poplow, Ron Suffrin, Pam Kaitin, Steven Jablow, Rachel Levy, Hillary Guttin, Bob Pelcovits, Larry Katz, Lisa Greenberg, Amy Olson, Steve Stein, Steve Blazer, Dianne Newman, Toby Marwil, Iris Bahar, Gabe Mernoff 
 
Advertising D’var Torah Topics - January 27, February 3 and 10 - Rabbi Franklin and Rabbi Zerin have been announcing the topics of their Divrei Torah in the weekly Kol HaShabbat e-mail and on our Facebook page (please “Like” us  here to see updates like these and more!)

Topics have included:
February 3 - Rabbi Franklin's "Don't Call Them 'Polish Death Camps'"
February 10 - Rabbi  Zerin's "Iyyun Tefillah: Angels, Humans and Prayer in
                                                     Kedushah d'Yotzeir"
February 17 - Rabbi Zerin's “Does God Really Need a House? Why God Asked
                                                    Us to Build a Mishkan, and What It Can Teach Us
                                                    About Prayer Today”

Let us know what you think about the things we’ve tried, and please continue to send us your suggestions. Together, we can make our prayer community stronger than ever!