Tefillah
 Students attend tefillah twice each day, in the morning for Shacharit and in the afternoon for Minchah. Tefillah betzibbur provides students with the opportunity to pray daily, with proper kavvanah in a group with their peers and with a minyan. Tefillah with peers gives students the opportunity to fulfill a mitzvah and actualize what they have learned about tefillah. Faculty and students give tefillah related divrei Torah throughout the week. On Fridays, the Headmaster of the Middle School delivers a devar Torah on the parashah and addresses related musar. Each Friday, students also sing special songs for Shabbat. On Rosh Chodesh, there is a special chagigah for the entire school with music, dancing and snacks to help celebrate the chag.
Seventh and eighth graders participate in a formal minyan. Students conduct the entire service and serve as gabba'im, ba'alei tefillah, and ba'alei keri'ah. Every other Wednesday, the seventh and eighth grade girls participate in a separate women's service which gives female students the opportunity to lead, organize and participate in their own service.
In fifth and sixth grades many of the tefillot are recited out loud and in unison. This helps students to become more familiar with the prayers while giving them an opportunity to practice their Hebrew reading. Where applicable, certain tefillot are said with te'amim when reading from the Torah. This encourages students to be meticulous in their reading and familiarizes them with the notes in anticipation of their Bar/Bat Mitzvah. |
