Orthodox Union to offer virtual prayer leader boot camp amid coronavirus

Smaller and staggered minyanim are intended to be organized amid the pandemic, which leaves the list of qualified Baalei Tefillot quite thin.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
PAINTING by the Polish artist Maurycy Gottlieb c. 1878, titled ‘Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur.’ (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
PAINTING by the Polish artist Maurycy Gottlieb c. 1878, titled ‘Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur.’
(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
In light of the coronavirus pandemic, and the restrictions that will be placed around synagogues during the High Holidays, the Orthodox Union has organized a "Baal Tefillah Boot Camp" to help train an army of more than 100 baalei tefillot (prayer leaders) to lead the holiday minyanim amid the health crisis.
Smaller and staggered minyanim are intended to be organized amid the pandemic, which leaves the list of qualified baalei tefillot quite thin.
For this initiative, to strengthen the ranks, over 36 synagogues from 12 states in addition to Canada and South Africa will participate in the boot camp. Each participant was nominated by their synagogue, and will receive their own seminar schedule, recorded tefillot and will conclude with one-on-one meeting to address individual needs and concerns.
The boot camp itself, will include a seminar series to train Shlichei Tzibur at minyanim organized by a synagogue. The boot camp was created by Orthodox Union Pepa and Rabbi Joseph Karasick's Department of Synagogue Services, seminars will be led by Chazzan Yitzy Spinner of Great Neck Synagogue and project coordinator Rabbi Gedalyah Berger.
"The Baal Tefillah Boot Camp was designed to train those new to taking the amud and those who would like some additional coaching to enhance the davening environment of our community during the most holy days of the year. We are very happy that the program has been well-received by such a large group of synagogues across the nation and world," said Orthodox Union Executive Vice President Rabbi Moshe Hauer. "Through this program, the OU is looking to help fill that gap by responding to this important communal need."
"We have been working with our member synagogues over the last few months to address needs and concerns related to the upcoming High Holidays and one thing that became clear was the need to run more minyanim simultaneously, and we needed more Baalei Tefillah in order to do that," said OU Synagogue & Community Services Director Rabbi Adir Posy. "We created this program with the help of the UJA Federation of New York and the Rabbinical Council of America and are happy to help so many communities."


Related Tags
Orthodox Union