Communal Tefillah Symposium
The Orthodox Union’s Department of Community Services in conjunction with Yeshiva University Center for the Jewish Future will present a communal Symposium on “Making Our Tefillot More Meaningful and Personal” featuring Rabbi Moshe Weinberger of Congregation Aish Kodesh, Rabbi Mayer Twersky, Rosh Yeshiva, RIETS, Yeshiva University, and Rabbi Eli Monsour, of the Sephardic Congregation Bet Yaakob.
The symposium will take place, Sunday Morning, December 6, from 9:45am to 11:45am at DRS High School, 700 Ibsen Street in Woodmere. Admission is free to the entire community. This program is part of a National effort to help develop a deeper connection, understanding, and appreciation of our Tefillot. For more information, please contact 212-613-8188
Download the PDF
Supporting Shuls to date:
Congregation Aish Kodesh, Woodmere
Congregation Anshei Chesed, Hewlett
Congregation Bais Tefilah, Woodmere
Congregation Ohr Torah, North Woodmere
Congregation Shaaray Tefila, Lawrence
Congregation Shaare Emunah, Cedarhurst
Kehillas Bais Yehudah Tzvi (Red Shul), Cedarhurst
Young Israel of Hewlett, Hewlett
Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst, Cedarhurst
Young Israel of North Woodmere, North Woodmere
Young Israel of Woodmere, Woodmere
Congregation Anshei Shalom, West Hempstead
Congregation Kneseth Israel, Far Rockaway
Shaar Hashamayim Congregation, Oceanside
The Bach Shul, Long Beach
Young Israel of Far Rockaway, Far Rockaway
Young Israel of Great Neck, Great Neck
Young Israel of Oceanside, Oceanside
Young Israel of Wavecrest and Bayswater, Far Rockaway
Young Israel of West Hempstead, West Hempstead
Supporting Schools to date:
Shulamith of Long Island
Davis Renov Stahler Yeshiva HS for Boys
Hebrew Academy Five Towns Rockaway (HAFTR)
Hebrew Academy of Long Beach (HALB)
Rambam Mesivta
Shalhevet High School
Stella K. Abraham H.S. for Girls
Yeshiva Toras Chaim of South Shore
Sponsored by:
NCSY
Saw You at Sinai
The Jewish Press
5 Towns Jewish Times
Free weekly tefillah tips 
In an effort to better understand the Pre-Mussaf prayers, Rabbi Epstein, Congregation Sons of Israel explains what we are saying exactly and why we say each prayer. You can click "Download tip here" and download the tip in a Word document form.
1. Yekum Purkan
Download tip here
2. Av Harachamim
Dowload tip here
3. Ashrei
Download tip here
4. Yehallu Et Shem Hashem
Download tip here
5. Mizmor LeDovid
Download tip here
6. Kaddish
Download tip here
Take 5 for Tefillah
Do you have 5 minutes? Each Monday and Thursday, Rabbi Ephraim Epstein delivers a new and brief 5 minute audio and video Dvar Torah on Inyanei Tefillah (insights to prayer).
Listen now!
or
Watch Now!
Subscribe
In addition to Rabbi Epstein's material, the Orthodox Union in conjunction with the Shema Yisrael Torah Network have joined to offer you advanced Tefillah tips geared toward Rabbis to use in their own shuls, or for those looking for an advanced level insight into tefillot.
Providing a spiral approach of graduated learning, these are excellent educational resource materials (67 lessons) available on a weekly basis through a paid e-mail subscription ($25).
Order your weekly e-mails
Here you will find archived tefillah-based materials of articles, audio clips and videos.
Archives
The OU's Tefillah Education Initiative: The Answer to Your Prayers
by: Bayla Sheva Brenner
Download the PDF Article
The Meaning and Mode of Prayer
by: Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb
Download the PDF Article
God, Sod and the New York Yankees
by: Rabbi Feldman
Download the PDF Article
Tefillah Enrichment Programs
A comprehensive Tefillah initiative has been developed to help inspire a greater appreciation and participation in tefillah, geared for both Rabbanim as well as membership. The program is designed for a two semester per year curriculum. There are a wide range of options available for participation in the Tefillah initiative:
- Weekly Tefillah tips (one pagers) for e-mail/Shabbat distribution focusing on exploring and understanding the Mussaf of Shabbat. These Tefillah tips will be available beginning with Parshat Bereisheet for eleven consecutive weeks. We will be offering explanatory material on Kabbalat Shabbat beginning in January.
- Take 5 for Tefillah — This online program will allow individuals to listen or download audio files on inyanei tefillah which will complement the written weekly tefillah tips. This will be available on Mondays and Thursdays on OU Radio beginning with Parshat Bereisheet.
- Rabbanim are invited to spend a few minutes every Shabbat Mevarchim emphasizing an aspect of tefillah of their choice. We will be listing participating synagogues in the Shabbat Mevarchim effort on our website during the year.
- Tefillah conferences will be held during the year in several communities as a reinforcement of the Tefillah Initiative. Please contact us if your community would like to host a conference.
- In addition to the outline above, a more intensive and all encompassing approach on the entire body of liturgy is also available:
- Posters — A series of full-color posters for display in your shul lobby will promote messages of decorum and consideration for others during tefillah.
- A Subscription Series — Excellent educational resource material has been available since January through a paid weekly e-mail subscription. There are a total of 67 lessons presented in conjunction with the Shema Yisrael Torah Network, which provides a spiral approach of graduated learning. This user-friendly material may be utilized for personal study, a class on Tefillah, Friday night learning before “Barchu”, etc. The subscription series has been well received by individuals and can also serve Rabbanim as a curriculum for tefillah.
- Maarei Mekomot on Tefillah are geared for Rabbanim based upon the teachings of Rabbi Isaiah Wohlgemuth, providing a compilation of source materials of many of our tefillot.
- An Inspirational Speaker is available for your community focusing on making tefillot more meaningful and personal.
- OU Radio has many wonderful presentations on tefillah by Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, Executive Vice President, Emeritus of the Orthodox Union. Rabbi Weinreb draws upon a number of sources including the commentaries of Rabbanim Hirsch, Munk, and Schwab. He also presents material drawn from Chassidic sources and offers numerous insights. The lectures are designed to inform the public of the meaning of our most common tefillot, and to inspire increased spirituality in our prayers.