Shir Tikvah's services reflect both traditional and contemporary forms of Jewish prayer. Lay leaders, men and women, teens and adults lead our communal worship in song. Three different gender inclusive prayer books are utilized in different weeks and services. It is therefore impossible to be lulled into automatic praying and singing when the services come alive in a unique and different way each time the congregation gathers in prayer.

The Friday evening and Saturday morning services are fundamentally the same service that Jews pray daily throughout the world, with a few additions and omissions for the Sabbath. Jewish prayers seldom have titles other than to use the first words of the prayer to identify them. The Rabbis of the Talmud resisted titles in order not to lock multifaceted prayers into one interpretation.

The Erev Shabbat Service
(Click here for Shabbat Morning Service)

A Nigun is a wordless melody originating with Hasidic Jews who remind us that words can get in the way of our spiritual connectedness. Our services usually begin with a nigun as a way to center ourselves individually and as a community.

Lecha Dodi is a Sabbath poem that was written in 1540 by Rabbi Solomon Halevi Alkabetz in Safed Israel. It is a joyful song with more than one ornate melody. The poem announces that Shabbat is God's own gift to us; she is the Bride, the Queen and a source of joy and blessings.

Chatsi Kaddish literally means "half Kaddish," but is referred to in English as the Reader's Kaddish. This very old prayer is mostly in Aramaic, which was the language of the Jews in Babylonia and Palestine from 1000 BCE until the fifth century BCE. The Chatsi Kaddish is not to be confused with the Mourner's Kaddish, which is longer and serves a different purpose later in the services. The Chatsi Kaddish marks the end of a section of prayers. In this case it signifies the end of the prayers that welcome the Sabbath.

The Barchu is a call to prayer that affirms God's oneness and readies us for the Sh'ma, which is the core of the service. The Rabbis of the Talmud teach that "the one who prays with the congregation will have their prayer answered." Tradition says that a minimum of 10 must gather to pray. We bow and bend our knees when we respond Baruch ata Adonai, a gesture that indicates respect for our sovereign deity.

Ahavat Olam is a prayer expressing God's eternal love for the Jewish people and the Jewish people's devotion to God. It was written when the Temple stood in Jerusalem and was added to the Temple service by the rabbis of the Great Assembly. In the evening we say Ahavat Olam which means "eternal love" and in the morning, the prayer changes to Ahavah Rabbah, which means "great love." One interpretation of this word change is to compare God's relationship with the Jews to a marriage— considering the love in the "morning" of the relationship, a "great love" which evolves into the love in the "evening" of a relationship, an eternal love.

The Sh'ma is Judaism's most fundamental declaration of God's sovereignty f rom Deuteronomy 6:4. Hear O Israel: Adonai is our God, Adonai is One. We often say this prayer with our eyes covered or closed in order to block distractions and center ourselves. It is prayed standing as a sign of respect. The second declaration, Blessed is the glorious Name! Your majesty is forever! is a later insertion by the Rabbis of the Talmud in order to emphasize the prayer's power.

V'ahavta is a continuation of the Torah reading following the Sh'ma, from the sixth chapter of Deuteronomy, and is chanted in a Torah trope cantillation. Sometimes at Shir Tikvah, we sing an English translation, put to music by Debbie Friedman (not recorded).

Mi Chamocha is sometimes called Miriam's Song or the Song of the Sea. It is a celebration of the crossing of the Red Sea and resonates through all generations as a celebration of God's care and redemptive power in our individual and collective lives.

V'Shamru and Yismechu. These songs are added to the prayer service on the Sabbath only and celebrate the gift of Shabbat. Both are sung with vigorous voices, often accompanied by finger snapping, clapping and foot tapping, which represent our delight in the Sabbath.

The T'fillah which means "the prayer" is a central prayer in the service where the one praying communicates directly with God. The blessings are quite ancient going back to the days of the second Temple. The following prayers are included in the T'fillah:

• Adonai Sefatai is a prayer that our T'fillah might be sincere.
• Avot v'Imahot is not a direct petition for blessings but a reminder to God and ourselves of the blessings and good deeds of our ancestors, with the implied hope that Adonai will continue to bless and shield each generation.
• Gevurot roughly translated, means "mighty deeds". This calls God a source of blessing, supporter of the fallen, author of freedom, and our hope in death as in life. In the context of many persecutions and disasters, this prayer has no doubt provided comfort through every Jewish generation.
• Shalom Rav, Yihiu L'Ratzon and Oseh Shalom are invitations to draw inward, to pray individually for lasting peace and pray that we may perform good deeds that contribute to that peace. Yihiu L'Ratzon and Oseh Shalom combined are a prayer written by Mar ben Rabina in the fourth century C.E., and are sometimes referred to as Mar's Prayer.

The Kiddush was probably said in Jewish homes before it was brought to the synagogue. In the days of the Babylonian exile, travelers were often housed in the synagogue and all who attended the service shared the wine, which was a luxury. In modern times when people work outside of their homes for very long days, those who are unable to make a Sabbath meal before services have an opportunity to sanctify the Sabbath in community.

The Aleinu, literally "it is upon us" challenges us to accept the unique responsibilities that fall upon us as Jews. It claims that the Jewish people have a unique fate in the world. The Reform version of this prayer also emphasizes the unity of humanity and God's greatness, which is manifest throughout the world.

Mi Sheberach is a supplemental prayer for healing which we often sing with this modern melody by Debbie Friedman. We individually include the names of loved ones who are ill as we pray as a congregation for their healing of body and soul.

Shalom Aleichem is a mystical song introduced by the kabbalists of the 16th century, based on a parable about angels entering the synagogue on the Sabbath eve. Shalom Aleichem is often sung in Jewish homes at the Shabbat dinner table before the meal is served.

Adon Olam is a recitation of Jewish faith written by Maimonides in his commentary to the Mishnah. It was never formalized as a creed but is often referred to as such. No Jewish creed has ever been agreed upon, although many have been debated.

Ein Keloheinu An easy song to teach children and adults without need of prayer books, this song has gone through rearrangements dating back to the Middle Ages. In its current arrangement, the first letters of the first three lines spell AMEN, appropriate for a concluding song.

• The Shabbat Morning Service