Note: italicized words throughout this web site can be looked up in the glossary.
Shaharit
We begin promptly at 8am on weekdays and 9am on Sundays. We do not wait for a particular number of women to arrive.
- Birkot HaShahar
- The daily service begins with Birkot HaShahar, which the kahal says silently.
- Pesukei DeZimra
- The hazanit begins with Mizmor Shir and proceeds through Pesukei DeZimra.
She concludes with Yishtabah.
- Shema and its blessings
- The blessings of the Shema directly follow Yishtabah, as Bar'khu is not said.
- Shemoneh 'Esreh
- The kahal recites the Shemoneh 'Esreh silently while the hazanit stands quietly.
The hazanit then recites her private Shemoneh 'Esreh aloud. Since it is a private Shemoneh 'Esreh and not a repetition, the kahal need not stand.
There is no Kedushah, Modim DeRabbanan or Birkat Kohanim.
- Tahanun
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- Torah Reading (on Mondays, Thursdays and Rashei Hodhesh)
- The hazanit removes the Torah from the 'aron, carries it through the kahal and returns it to its place.
The appropriate t'fillot are sung.
Surrounding the bimah stand the gabba'it, the assistant gabba'it and the ba'alat qorei'.
The gabba'it summons the first olah to the bimah by her Hebrew name, which includes a parent's name. The olah can choose her mother's name, her father's name or both. For aliot, we do not distinguish between Cohen/Levi/Yisrael descent.
The aliyah:
- The ba'alat qorei' points to the correct place in the Torah scroll. Using the Torah belt, the olah kisses the place in the scroll, rolls up the Torah and holds the 'atzei hayim. She then says either the berakhah "Asher bahar banu" or the verse "Lamdeini huqekha." If she chooses to say the berakhah then she should have omitted it in Birkot HaShahar. If she chooses to say the verse, the kahal should not respond "Amen." The olah follows the ba'alat qorei's reading in the Torah scroll. After each aliyah, the gabba'it summons the next olah and makes a mishebeirakh for the previous olah. In between the second and third aliyot, she also makes a mishebeirakh for sick people.
Hagbah and Gelilah
- The gabba'it recites the concluding prayers of Torah reading. The hazanit carries the Torah through the kahal, the appropriate t'fillot are said, and she returns the Torah to the 'aron.
Conclusion of Shaharit
Spring 1998 Schedule
Glossary of Terms
Columbia University's Women's T'fillah collects tzdakah for the
Ohel Foundation.