Dear Dr. Berger:
I would like to offer the argument that it is more important that female students be offered a basic course in Tefila B’Tzibbur, communal prayer, than male students. Why? Because it is only through a basic course in Tefila B’Tzibbur that female students will begin to feel that they are not observers only while in synagogue but that they are active participants as well.
Although in mainstream Orthodoxy, women do not serve as Shluchei Tzibbur, precentors, for any part of their prayer service; do not serve as Ba’Allei Kriya, Torah readers or Haftorah readers, nor are they accorded aliyot, women must recognize that they are participating in those activities equally with men. Let us not forget that only one man at a time serves as Shaliach Tzibbur or Ba’Al Korei and that most men present will not be offered an aliya. Despite not filling any of those roles, the men present still view themselves as fully participating in the service. So should women who are present. That women are not counted towards reaching the minimum number required for a minyan should not lessen women’s views of their participation. Once ten men are present, the men who join after are no more participants than the women present.
How do we change the attitude female students have as to their role in synagogue? Tefila education. Several months ago, I completed a series of ten half-hour on-line classes on Participating In Tefila B’Tzibbur. The ten lessons covered the following subjects: Defining Jewish Prayer-I presented seven forms of Jewish Prayer, Individual Vs. Communal Prayer, The Obligation To Recite 100 Brachos Each Day, The Emergence Of The Synagogue, The Purpose Of Kriyas Ha’Torah, The Origin Of Reading The Haftorah, The Origin Of Reciting Kaddish During The Prayer Service, The Origin Of Reciting The Mourners’ Kaddish, The Role Of The Shaliach Tzibbur and Why The Shaliach Tzibbur Must Wear A Talis. I invite you to listen to the recordings of the classes and to download the accompanying source sheets here: [
beureihatefila.com].
Once you understand what Tefila B’Tzibbur represents-and it is not so that Kaddish and Kedushah can be recited-and once you understand what Kriyas Ha’Torah represents-and Limmud Torah is only a corollary of the main purpose, it is hard to argue that women are not participating equally with men in those activities.
I am available to provide guidance to any educators who want to introduce a course on Tefila B’Tzibbur for female students and certainly for those who want to present a similar class to male students.
Abe Katz
Founding Director
The Beurei Hatefila Institute
www.beureihatefila.com
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/2016 07:46AM by mlb.
