Rabbi Sid Schwarz has started impactful organizations, written insightful books, and led many groups of Jews to greater meaning and personal engagement with Judaism. We are so grateful to share this interview full of gems, from Rabbi Sid’s social justice work, to his “davenning out of the box” experience, to what he sees for the Jewish future, all connected to t’fillah.

How can you internalize your prayer and hold it out to the world?

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We return to our Amidah series for what seems like a mini High Holidays: talk (or not) of g?d as father and king, longing for return, repentance, and forgiveness. Ellen, Eliana, and Josh dive deep into the text and talk g?d names, meditation, rowboats, and more. Plus a prayer-song exploder for Eliana’s song “Lead Me Back.”

What are you returning to?

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Thank you!

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This week, we are grateful to share this conversation with Daphna Rosenberg, one of the founders, composers, and leaders of the Nava Tehila prayer community in Jerusalem. Daphna’s journey takes us around the world and home again, with so much wisdom along the way, including a master class in creating and holding safe space for vulnerability through prayer. Daphna and Nava Tehila have transformed how liberal Jewish communities pray over the past 17 years; think of this like behind-the-music, but for t’fillah!

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This week we’re live from Songleader Boot Camp! It was such a treat to interact with folks and feel the energy in the (zoom) room. We’re back in our Amidah series, exploring the challenges and opportunities of petitionary prayer as a whole before jumping into the first of the 13 middle Amidah blessings, on knowledge/understanding/discernment/wisdom. What’s the difference between all these things? Let’s discuss!

This episode is all about asking for help, so to that end:

Please take our short survey to help us improve and grow.

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It's an honor to share our interview with Rabbi Elie Kaunfer, president and CEO of the Hadar Institute. Rabbi Kaunfer is an incredible teacher, author, and liturgist. In fact, we’ve quoted him on the podcast many times- if you’ve ever heard us say “intertext,” we learned that from him! Rabbi Kaunfer shows us how so much of the siddur is made up of quotes from our sacred texts. Looking at those lines in their original context can deepen our understanding of the liturgy itself. He’s currently working on a book applying the intertext model to the whole Amidah, and shares some of those gems in this episode. We hope this “news you can use” sparks new meaning for your t’fillah!

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As the sign says, we’ve got some announcements!

1. We gush about our show notes

2. We give an update about episode timing

3. We drop some names for upcoming interviews (it’s good y’all)

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How to define the Hebrew word Kedushah? Holiness, distinct, set apart and yet connected, the opposite of sand… Ellen, Eliana, and Josh don’t have all the answers, but they do raise many great questions. In this week's episode we’re on to the third blessing in the amidah, the kedushah-ifying of g?d’s name. There’s numerology, there’s Torah, there’s angels, there’s wheels within wheels, there’s holy choreography- so much to explore on this very deep dive. Listen to the end for a mindful musical moment from Ellen.

How can we bring holiness into our every-day?

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What a joy to interview (spi)ritualist, writer, educator, and friend Rishe Groner of the Gene-Sis. A channel of ecstatic & embodied Jewish practice, Rishe lives and breathes prayer- so much so that she has an incredible prayer podcast of her own, Just Pray. We talk about this new project, plus her childhood in a Chabad family in Melbourne Australia, walking in prayer, the keva-kavanah (fixed liturgy-intention) tension, and exploring t’fillah with kids. Plus even more beautiful bits of wisdom. May this blessed back-and-forth activate Divine presence in your day!

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It’s the second blessing of the Amidah, the fourth installment of our Amidah series, and an all-around enlivening episode! By diving deep into G’vurot, Josh, Ellen, and Eliana explore many questions including: What does it mean to be brought back to life? How is g?d the “owner of the powers,” and can they be rented? And how many movie and musical theater references can we make in an hour without really trying? Plus, listen to the end to hear a song of Eliana’s all about gratitude.

What is YOUR superpower?

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Grateful to share another meaningful conversation with Rabbi Steve Sager. If you haven’t gotten a chance, listen back to episode 12 for our first interview. In this continuation, Rabbi Sager reflects on t’fillah through his own life, including his upbringing, his encounter with Mordecai Kaplan, and his path to Rabbinical school. Plus we continue to explore blessings, play and imagination, praying in English, and what it means to listen to the siddur.

What are the moments that make your breath catch in your throat? Where is your wonder?

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