Why is ths important?
Tefilla is a core staple in the Jewish community setting. Let’s work together to help the next generation raise the bar and have a positive association for their connection with Tefilla and spirituality TODAY.
The place of Tefilla in Judaism is a core value and an inseparable element of any spiritual connection. On a spiritual level, Tefilla represents the opportunity for man to converse with the Almighty, for the finite and infinite to meet regularly in a “Safe space” that allows us to express even our deepest emotions without negative consequence. The meeting place between God and Man. It’s the intimate setting in which we are exposed and empowered simultaneously. Tefilla is one of the most powerful of human experiences.
On a communal level, Tefilla is a staple for any Jewish community in our synagogues, schools, camps and even in many youth group settings. Yom Kippur services, Kaddish and Yartzheits bring many people back to the Jewish community, all with rituals of Tefilla a central part of the experience.
Our schools and informal educational settings in the past 20+ years have been challenged to incorporate Tefilla into the educational curriculum as a positive experience for students. Educators from around the world have been reaching out for help. Here are some of the quotes from educators who recently have posted articles regarding Tefilla for our students:
In a recent survey conducted by Dr. Ezra Kopelowitz of day school administrators in 93 non-Orthodox schools, when asked what professional development opportunity for your teachers would be of greatest interest, “making prayer meaningful” was the number one choice. No other response came close.
“Praying seriously is difficult, and teaching others to pray is even more difficult. Most students do not know how to pray seriously, and many have little desire do to so in the present school model of prayer.” (Community school teacher, Ravsak Yedi’on, 2013)
“I don’t have any answers…I continue to wrestle with the subject of Tefilla…” Mr. Ray Levy, former Head of School, Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School in Minneapolis, MN in a webinar online
The Tefilla Project has a solution for the challenge with engaging our students in Tefilla by creating a system for an entire organization, that will provide the inspiration and tools for the next generation of Jewish people to incorporate Tefilla into their lives in a more significant way. That is our mission.
Tefilla is a core staple in the Jewish community setting. Let’s work together to help the next generation raise the bar and have a positive association for their connection with Tefilla and spirituality TODAY, not wait until they reach the breaking points of Yom Kippur and saying Kaddish to reconnect with their Synagogue. The Tefilla Project empowers educators, administrators and youth leaders to facilitate a Tefilla experience that is positive, effective and engaging. Tefilla is a challenge, but there is a solution.
