In efforts to increase adult Jewish education, the Orthodox Union, in conjunction with the Boca Raton Synagogue, will feature Rabbi Paysach Krohn as Scholar-In-Residence at a communal presentation on Saturday, February 20, Shabbat Parshat Terumah. The program is co-sponsored by Sue and Dan Kaskel.
Rabbi Krohn is known throughout the Jewish world for his books and lectures. He has lectured in cities around the world, from Jerusalem to Johannesburg, from Montreal to Miami, in Europe, and in South America. He has a series of more than 80 tapes on topics ranging from parenting, marriage, character development, and Torah education. He is also a fifth-generation mohel.
“Our relationship with the OU is very valuable and its one of the key partnerships for our synagogue. By hosting this event together with the OU, we hope to inspire our members to become better people, and to follow the ideals of Torah, which demands of us to be good, decent and moral human beings,” declared Rabbi Barak Bar-Chaim, assistant rabbi, Boca Raton Synagogue.
Rabbi Krohn will deliver the morning sermon, “Honesty – the Truth of the Matter.” He will also speak at the Seudah Shlishit, the Third Meal of Shabbat, at 6:10 p.m. on “Mentschlichkeit – Where Have Manners Gone?” In these sessions Rabbi Krohn will focus on Torah values when it comes to dealing with others in an honest and refined fashion.
The OU will also bring its national Tefillah (Prayer) Initiative to the community when Rabbi Krohn will speak on “The Secrets to Powerful Prayer – Making Our Tefillot Personal and Meaningful,” during the Rabbi’s Class prior to the Shabbat Mincha service at 5:40 p.m. “We would like to launch the OU’s Tefillah Initiative at the synagogue. We realize that prayers can become ritualistic, devoid of any meaning, therefore we want to work on this and we are passionate about the idea,”said Rabbi Bar-Chaim.
The OU Tefillah Initiative utilizes a wide-ranging compendium of resources – written, online, emailed, and onsite – which are dedicated to enhancing knowledge of Jewish prayer and to making it more meaningful. The online programs can be found at www.oucommunity.org; those who wish to subscribe to weekly emails can also do so there.
Frank Buchweitz, National Director of Community Services and Special Projects, who is spearheading the national Tefillah initiative, declared, “At the heart of all relationships is the ability to communicate, and the relationship between man and God is a most important relationship to cultivate. Relationships containing honest and heartfelt communication are positive as well as meaningful. The Tefillah Initiative of the Orthodox Union has as one of its many goals a desire to strengthen an individual’s personal communication with God through meaningful prayers. Understanding what we say and how we say our tefillot are most essential for proper communication. Developing a greater understanding of prayer leads to a more significant personal dialogue and relationship with our Creator.”
For further information on the program, contact the Boca Raton Synagogue at 561-394-0394. For information on the Tefillah Initiative, contact Frank Buchweitz at frank@ou.org, or 212-613-8188.