Among the many things of which our Adat Shalom community can be proud, synagogue attendance is high on the list. Many of my rabbinic colleagues across all denominations, and some of my non-Jewish clergy friends as well, are flabbergasted to hear that a third or more of our adult members commonly attend a Shabbat service, even when there's no simcha. It's an enviable situation.
Saturday morning services are widely recognized as our community's "prime time." Nevertheless, we seem to also do well respecting the many approaches that people take to their Jewish identity. Numerous Adat Shalomers attend services only rarely, but regularly express their commitment and involvement through our many committees, programs, and volunteer opportunities. How Reconstructionist - You "have to" do something, but choosing that something (or somethings!) is entirely up to you.
Everyone reacts differently to services. Not only is my reaction different from yours, but mine will vary from service to service based on my mood, as well as on the davening. The same goes for children, where innumerable factors determine whether or not a child will enjoy or be moved by a given service. Though at 9:30 we can never know what our kids will get out of that morning's worship, we do know one thing: early and repeated exposure to services gives our children strong attachment to, skills for, and a high comfort level with, prayer.
The half-hour service at the beginning of Torah School is central to achieving many of these goals. Moshe, Rachel, myself, parent volunteers, and service leaders Mary, Gail, and Joanne are all working to "make these services sing." Childrens' prayer experience is more effective when geared to a narrower age group, so we now offer three concurrent services - for grades Gan-2, 3-5, and 6-8, respectively. Though time is limited, we try to make these services authentic and meaningful. (To that end, we need parents' cooperation in arriving a couple minutes early, so that services can begin promptly at 9:45.)
Even with our best efforts, however, these half-hour Torah School services offer only a vague approximation of Adat Shalom's weekly davenin' extravaganza. Children, just as much as adults, are touched by our communal prayer. Whether following along in the Hebrew or reading the English on their own, they learn through the siddur. Even if they can't follow all of it, they are impressed by the level of our D'var Torah / Discussion. They see the high attendance, hear the community's strong singing, feel the kavvanah (intention) - and internalize these as values.
In that spirit, the Torah School Board, the Religious Practices Committee, the Adat Shalom staff, and many others all share the same stated desire: To see more children in Adat Shalom services. We ocassionally bring Torah School classes into the service for the last few minutes; the sixth grade curriculum now includes regular and extended visits to the theater/sanctuary. As ever, our children who attend a Jewish day school, or those older or younger or outside of the Torah School, are encouraged to join us. But the best way to bring our children into services is to, well, bring them into services!
On many Shabbatot throughout the year -not to mention during the summer- Adat Shalom has services but no Torah School. Rather than parents absenting themselves due to lack of "coverage," these are wonderful times to come to services as a family. In some cases, as on February 14 (Presidents' Weekend), the presence of children will be taken into account. At other times, it will be "services as usual." In still other cases, we will deliberately plan a "family service." Whether it's an intimate Second Shabbat, an alternative Fourth, a "regular" First or Third, or even a simcha, please join us. With just a bissel (modicum) of discipline from parents, respect from children, and welcoming from regular service attendees, we'll be well on our way to raising a new generation of Adat Shalom daveners.
| Return to Scroll | Return to Rabbi |