Thank you for leading us in Shacharit! Our morning service officially begins at 10 am with Psukei D'Zimra which is over by 11 am.
Our time guideline for Shacharit is a maximum of 45 minutes (from 11 am to 11:45 am). You may want to check with the leyning and davening coordinators to see how long the Torah Reading will be, as this may influence how you decide to lead this part of the service. Unlike the other sections of the service, most of this section is required. However, there are a number of choices about HOW to conduct it, such as whether to lead an elaborate congregational tune or quick davening, and whether to lead a full Amida or a Heikhi Kedusha. You may also choose masculine or feminine versions of a number of texts, and you may feminize where traditional texts only are provided. Please encourage the congregation to daven in the gender and manner of their preference, and please let the congregation know from which text you are leading.
A few general pointers:
In most congregations, it is customary for the leader to stand
throughout the section of the service she is leading. At Nishmat Shalom, our
custom is for the leader to stand any time the congregation is standing was
well as for all kaddishes, for the duration of the congregational Amidah, and
for other parts as she chooses.
The last line of a paragraph is customarily chanted aloud regardless
of what other choices you make for that text.
As the leader of Shacharit, you are empowered to decide what tunes to use, and
how you will handle requests for particular tunes from the congregation. If
you are planning a tune that is unfamiliar to the group, you
can announce that at either of the places marked in this outline with an asterisk
(*).
When directing the congregation, you can say for example “We continue
four lines above the diamond,” on page X, to help people follow the service.
Shacharit consists of two major sections: the first section which leads up to and away from the Shema, and the Amidah. It is traditional to keep the flow of davening going in two particular places: the paragraphs leading up to the Shema and the Shema itself, and the paragraphs leading up to the Amidah. (Announcements of page numbers and so on should be made elsewhere; see asterisks below for good places to do them. )
I. SHEMA SECTION:
Opening: Leader of Shacharit begins on p. 42, line 4 (Shokhein
Ad) except on a Festival (First & Second days of Pesach, Shavuot
or Sukkot; 7 & 8th days of Pesach, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.) On
a Festival, begin at the top page 42.
It is customary for the congregation to repeat the Shochein Ad
line after you.
Daven in Hebrew or English remainder of p. 42 to end of Yishtabakh
(middle of p.43).
Khatzi Kaddish: IF THERE IS A MINYAN. Please note that the Kaddish appears on the left hand side of the page. It is customary to stand up at this time.
Barkhu: IF THERE IS A MINYAN. Choose feminine or masculine version of Barkhu.
Yotzeir Or: WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS A MINYAN, continue at
the bottom of p.43 with the blessing “et ha-kol” in either feminine
or masculine. It is customary to sit after the conclusion of this brachah.
Pages 43-A through top 6 lines of page 43-E: Daven, choosing a mix of tunes,
silent reading, and continuous chanting as you decide. We often sing a congregational
version of Eil Adon, which may begin with Eil Adon on p. 43B, or earlier on
p. 43A, four lines above the diamond (Ein K’erkekha).
In general, it is customary to daven out loud all sentences marked in bold and
all sentences marked with a diamond.
*If you will be giving any directions or information about the following pages, such as which page you will be leading from, please do so before line 7 on p. 43 E, Ahava Raba. We customarily sing congregational tunes for Ahava Raba and V’ha-eir Eineinu. Continue from line 7 through the end of the page. The congregation responds “Amen,” and we continue immediately with the the Shema.
Shema: please choose from the options offered in Masculine (pp. 44-45B) or Feminine (pp. 46-47). Please note the other option so that people are aware of it. It is customary to chant the first paragraph aloud in Hebrew, and do the second two paragraphs in some combination of silence, Hebrew, or English.
Emet v’Yatziv: Pages 48C through 48D, two lines from
the bottom: combination of continuous chanting and undertone davening.
If you will be giving any directions or information, such as whether you
will be leading a full repetition of the Amidah or a Heikhi Kedusha, please
do so before the second to last line on page 48D, Tehillot L’Eil
Elyon.
Run-up to the Amida: Continue from Tehillot L’Eil
Elyon through 48E. It is customary not to pronounce the words “Gaal
Yisrael” aloud so there is no break going into the Amida. It is customary
to stand during Tzur Yisrael at the word “kuma.”
II. AMIDA SECTION It is customary for the congregation to stand and face east.
Whenever there is a minyan, conclude with Kaddish Shaleim, p.50C, aloud and together. Exception: if it is Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh, Sukkot (including Chol Ha-Moed), Simchat Torah, Chanukah, Pesach (including Chol Ha-Moed) or Shavuot, Hallel is chanted and Kaddish Shaleim is delayed until after the conclusion of Hallel.
Please note: The text of Hallel is not included in our looseleaf siddur binder; photocopies and copies of Sim Shalom are available in the box. In addition, alternative texts for the Amida may be available in the box as they are produced by the Liturgy Project.
After Shacharit, the Torah service is customarily led by another member of the community.
By decision of the business meeting, the Torah Service Leader generally continues
with the CONCLUDING SECTION of the service (by 1 pm). However, these prayers
may be lead by the Shacharit leader if so requested.
Aleinu (pp. 51-52)
Mourner’s Kaddish IF MINYAN, p54
Concluding song - optional - may be done while folding up tallitot.