Inspiring a Love of Tefillah
The mission of Sager Solomon Schechter Day School’s Tefillah Program is to engage students in meaningful prayer experiences that inspire a love of Tefillah and instill a sense of its importance for the Jewish people.
Tefillah is called Avodat HaLev, the Service of the Heart, because in the end, it is the heart that matters most. At Sager Solomon Schechter Day School, making our Tefillah program the best it can be is something that we take very seriously. We are excited about the new initiatives we have developed to move our Tefillah program forward. They are described below.
At Sager Solomon Schechter Day School, all students Tefillah with their entire grade every day. Our primary goal is to provide a consistent, quality Tefillah experience under the leadership of a dedicated Tefillah Educator who is part of a larger K-8 Tefillah Team. This format is also designed to further engage students and to help students recognize the importance of Tefillah in their lives.
Each day in Tefillah has a different focus. We understand that all students need diversity -- not only to keep things interesting and sustain their engagement, but also to increase the opportunities for them to connect to the material in meaningful ways. This notion guides us in all areas of student education, including Tefillah. In addition, since Tefillah is an immensely broad discipline that involves both learning and practicing, a diverse schedule will help ensure that all aspects of Tefillah receive attention.
With this in mind, we have introduced a schedule of “consistent diversity,” where each day of the week is different, yet each week of the year is the same. Below is the focus for each day:
Mondays and Thursdays: Tefillah and the Torah service
Tuesdays: “Alef to Tav,” an opportunity for students to recite and become grounded in the entire service straight through from beginning to end.
Wednesdays: Iyyun Tefillah – with a focus on meaning, understanding, and making personal connections to Tefillah.
Fridays: students will be together by sha’ar (K-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8) for Likrat Shabbat, an unbelievably fun and musical Kabbalat Shabbat experience.
During the 2013-2014 school year, Solomon Schechter received a generous grant for the purpose of enchancing our Tefillah Program. This grant has already helped us provide excellent professional development for all of our Tefillah educators. During the 2014-2015 school year, we are focusing on improving our Tefillah spaces through major construction projects and the installation of extensive audio and video equipment. We know that aesthetic improvements alone are not the key to a successful Tefillah Program, however we believe that they will help enhance our students experience.