1. Arrive at 9:00 a.m. in order to prepare and coordinate with your ushering partners. Ushering requires preparation and presence of mind throughout the entire service. Ushering also requires speaking up to encourage respect and consideration for the building and the service.
Guests will ask about the location of the bathrooms, where to put gifts, where to get a hearing aid, and much more. Most important, you will need to redirect groups who are making noise in the hallway; you will pick up fallen kippot, put out additional tallitot and keep people from early noshing in the halls and the social hall. You need to coordinate with the oneg crew regarding early noshing and the timing of the food presentation.
For smooth operations, designate one usher to hand out books and another to hand out programs and song sheets. One or two ushers should monitor the hallway for noise, direct teens, point to coat rooms and restrooms; the other usher(s) should monitor the sanctuary, seat guests, and open/close the doors as guests come and go.
2. Your "usher" tag is in the cabinet below the bookshelves. You will likely need a pencil or pen for the Honors Sheet. You will find a pencil, extra kippot, lace kippot for women, extra tallitot, and clips in the cabinets below the bookshelves.
Please do not put your coffee, food, etc. out on the shelves while ushering.
3. Make sure to bring 3 or 4 tallitot to the bimah prior to 9:30 a.m.
4. Obtain the Honors Sheet from the lectern (or the rabbi). Check the Honors to see which have NOT been assigned.
It is beneficial to check with clergy to make certain that all previously requested Honors have been listed on the sheet, prior to inviting guests to take an Honor! Sometimes the b'nai mitzvah family may approach you with their list to show you which Honors their family and friends have been assigned. Simply cross check with the master sheet, to be certain all Honors are listed on the Honors Sheet.
5. Verify with clergy and check the shelf under the prayer books to distribute any song sheets, programs or personalized
kippot to be
used.
6. Offer any available Honors to congregants as they arrive. Take your time and try to recruit new faces. English readings may be offered to non-Jewish members and guests. You have until 10:30 a.m. to complete the Honors
Sheet and discretely hand it to an officiary on the
bimah.
7. Under the Honors Sheet, you will find the "Conventions for
Aliyot." Please offer this to any member or guest who accepts an
aliyah.
Please read the "Conventions for Aliyot" because you will receive "how to" questions.
8. Invite all attendees to wear kippot. Offer chumashim (blue prayer book) and
siddurim (red prayer book) to all guests, along with song sheets and/or programs. It is best to offer sets of books to twosomes or families, rather than a set of books for
individuals. Kindly remind members to bring their books.
9. Point out the location of the restrooms, the childcare classroom (#2), the social hall for
the oneg, and the Quiet Room for very young children. Call attention to our literature table.
10. Encourage seating in the middle/center and front right and left. Direct movement toward
the center to open seating, as necessary. During services, you may discretely alert any officiaries when participants need to share books,
song sheets or make more seats available, etc. so that announcements may be made as necessary or appropriate.
11. Attendees in wheelchairs cannot remain in aisles. Help family members needing accommodation down
the aisle to the front and remove the chair to make space.
Note: If you are alerted to the fact that the designated handicapped parking has been taken by cars who are not entitled to this space, it is our job to alert the officiaries so an announcement can be made to move cars.
12. Two sound engineers handle roving microphones during Torah discussion and visitor introduction; ushers do this only in the unlikely event that no sound engineers are present.
Check in with the sound person before services. He or she is responsible for assuring that battery operated equipment, such as microphones and hearing devices, are in working order. Make certain hearing assistance devices are available. They are in the sound room's black metal cabinet.
13. During standing prayer times, or when the arc is open, guests may quietly move into the sanctuary to stand by the back walls, to the right, until the congregation is seated.
They may then be seated.
14. Monitor B'nai Mitzvah adolescent guests: have them take a siddur and
chumash; show them
the seating area.
It is preferred to scatter teenagers in small groups, especially having them up front on the right side. They can sit outside or in the anteroom near the office. Inform them that their friend will be up on the bimah at 11:00 a.m. Do not allow teenagers to congregate and eat in the hallway or social hall prior to the close of services.
15. One usher should remain outside and inside the entrance door to the sanctuary in order to maintain decorum at all times.
Minimize "groaning" of the door by using the other door and securing the "groaning" door. Place a "reserved for usher" sign from the black cabinet on chairs so that one usher may sit and still be on duty.
16. As guests exit, help them to return the siddurim, chumashim, kippot, tallitot onto the cabinet shelves.
The janitors will pick up books left in the sanctuary.
17. Please give feedback to your monthly Captain regarding your ushering responsibilities and needs!
August, 2004