Tefilah

At Levine Academy we maintain that the education and transmission of Jewish prayer – tefilah – is necessary because:

  • tefilah is one the three primary pillars of Jewish practice and identity (together with Shabbat and Kashrut);
  • tefilah is filled with Jewish values and tenets of faith, which – in the siddur – must be studied in depth; and
  • Jews most often meet as a community in tefilah settings and, therefore, it is imperative that Jews feel comfortable and capable of taking ownership over them.

Moreover, the experience of tefilah is necessary everyday because the purpose of tefilah must be realized daily. The essential core and purpose of tefilah is:

    • the affirmation of sense of self worth, purpose, meaning, and dignity;
    • the acknowledgement and affirmation of the ‘Other,’ that is God, as well as God’s abounding compassion and the magnificence of God’s universe;
    • the acknowledgment of the community, especially the Jewish community, and the interconnectedness of all our lives; and
    • the establishment of communication between 1, 2, and 3 above – communication between the self, community, and God, which is an essential human act of self-healing that is necessary everyday.

Beck lower school and middle school students participate in tefilah Monday through Thursday. Fridays we all come together as a school community for a high spirited, Shabbat celebration and learning with Jewish stories and songs from Kabbalat Shabbat and Shabbat morning. The Early Childhood Center gathers together for tefilah on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

Middle school students are also given the opportunity to grow in their tefilah skills through courses in the Shabbat liturgy and music and chanting the Torah trope. They are also encouraged and given ample opportunity to lead the community in tefilah, as well as read Torah.