OU PRESENTS “HOW CAN PRAYER BE MADE MORE MEANINGFUL?” MAY 15 IN TEANECK
The Orthodox Union’s Department of Community Services is bringing to Teaneck its highly successful program which has provided opportunities for the Jewish communities in the New York metropolitan area to develop a more meanful experience in personal and communal prayer. That program, “Making Our Tefillot More Meaningful and Personal” will be held at Congregation Bnai Yeshurun on Saturday Night, May 15 beginning at 9:30 p.m. This program is open to both men and women, and is free of charge.
Rabbi Eli Mansour of Congregation Bet Yaakob in Brooklyn and Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser of Congregation Bais Yitzchok in Brooklyn, internationally renowned and highly sought after speakers who addressed 400 participants in past OU tefillot seminars, will be joined by Rabbi Shaul Robinson of the Lincoln Square Synagogue in Manhattan. Together they will present a unique approach to prayer as an opportunity to communicate with God.
The theme of the communal symposium is “Tefillah Bli Kavana Kmo Guf Bli Neshama—Prayer Without Concentration is Like a Body Without a Soul.” Rachael Goldberg, a Stern College student who attended an earlier seminar in the Five Towns, wrote, “It was clear to me that as long as we view prayer as a burdensome, boring, meaningless and rote ritual, we cannot improve our relationship with God. Listening to three insightful presentations on prayer and witnessing the passion and commitment demonstrated by such a strong turnout, I felt renewed, relieved and eager to embrace tefillah as an opportunity.”
Frank Buchweitz, OU National Director of Community Services and Special Projects, who is spearheading the national tefillah initiative, stated “Imagine the transformational power of tefillah and spiritual growth if there were a better comprehension of the multi-dimensional aspects of prayer and our kavanah only focused on the tefillot that we were reciting. We live in an age of instant gratification, and sometimes we expect our tefillot to move at the same hectic pace as our lives. Our children clearly see what is important to us, where and how we devote our time as they are growing up, and seek our approval. This program will certainly have a positive impact upon the general atmosphere of the home and of the shul.”
Participants at the program receive a booklet discussing everything from davening struggles, educating children in tefillot and spirituality, and attending synagogue as a positive choice, to tackling the problem of limiting talking and other distractions in shul. Additionally, through its Tefillah Enrichment Program, the OU provides a variety of opportunities to continue strengthening one’s prayer. For example, weekly emails are offered on enhancing your tefillot, along with shiurim posted on the OU website.
For more information on tefillah materials and program, contact community@ou.org.
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