T'fillah

hebrew T'fillah

It probably would not surprise you to know that if all a person can do is decode, they cannot confidently and competently pray at "synagogue speed" during a worship service. Rather, a person's decoding skills have to be complemented by intentionally (or unintentionally) learning the prayers by heart. This is why regular t'fillah is so important in synagogue education programs.

Contrary to popular belief, it's not "cheating" for a person to match the prayers in their heads to the print on the page ... for that is the key to fluent and accurate decoding of prayers.

Resources are linked to the photos, videos and any green underlined text.
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VIDEO: The power of Hebrew t'fillah explained in one minute!
(1 min)

VIDEO: T'fillah is learned by doing. This video offers a variety of benefits for scheduling t'fillah each time the educational program is in session. Plus, there are thoughts about using transliteration. (2 min)

BLOG POST: For over a thousand years, Jewish prayer was stored in memory, with no siddurim (prayerbooks) in people's hands. The invention of the printing press was a game changer, perhaps not for the better. Click on the image to download.

WEBINAR: Explore the intersection of prayer, Hebrew education, and t'fillah education in Onward Hebrew programs. (59 min)

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WEBINAR: T'fillah and Prayer Goals. A sharing of t'fillah ideas in the context of Onward Hebrew. (40 min)

MATCH T'FILLAH resources TO S2P GOALS

RESOURCE: Sound-BEFORE-Print (SbP). Besides participating in regular t'fillah, students can intentionally learn to recite prayers by heart by using a very fun strategy called Sound-BEFORE-Print. Click the photo above to download an idea-packed resource. This video explains why and how SbP is so powerful.

WEBSITE: Need prayer-specific ideas for teaching decoding S2P? The JEC's jPRAYER t'fillah curriculum includes mini-lessons to teach/ reinforce decoding of prayers using a S2P approach. The materials also offer teaching strategies that build understanding of prayer meanings. Click the photo to access the website.

WEBSITE: "I'm Gonna Stand Up" is a website with Gold and Silver challenges on the Amidah. Many of the challenges offer sound-to-print strategies (e.g., see the silver challenge for "Ancestors" (Avot V'Imahot) and the gold challenge for the middle blessings of the weekday Amidah. Click the photo to access the website.

Consider the bigger picture

RESOURCE: "In the Words of Education Directors: T'fillah Models." A compilation of ways that education directors approach t'fillah in their Onward Hebrew programs. Click the photo to download.

ARTICLE: "What Can Schools and Synagogues Learn from the Successes of T'fillah Education at Camp?" Helpful how-to ideas from Rabbi Sarah Graff's t'fillah education experiences at Camp Ramah. Click the image to download.

ARTICLE: "Believing, Behaving, Belonging: Tefillah Education in the 21st Century." Rabbi Nicki Greninger's article in the Journal of Jewish Education offers case studies of synagogues that align t'fillah education with the synagogue's focus. Needs an NRJE membership to access the full article. Click the image for the link.