The Shabbat Children’s Service at the Oranienburger Strasse Synagogue (January 2009)
Masorti Germany runs a Kindergarten in Berlin with 45 children and is partner of the Oranienburger Strasse Synagogue. To a large degree, the educational activities of the synagogue also serve the children who attend the Kindergarten.
The Children’s Service – Tefillat Yeladim
Tefillat Yeladim at the Shabbat morning service of the synagogue takes place every Saturday morning during the reading of the Torah and takes about 15 minutes. It is preceded by about a 15-minute participation of the children in the adult service. The age of the children is mostly 4-8 but some younger and some older children also take part. The number of children taking part altogether is 10 to 20.
This successful initiative started with a pilot phase, which included both professionals and lay leaders of Masorti Germany.
During an initial phase of about four months, the rabbi was the main leader of Tefillat Yeladim, leaving the adult congregation’s Torah service, which gave a clear signal about the importance of the new project.
Several discussions and feedback rounds were then held with the parents, and the informal feedback from the children was taken very seriously. Adaptations were made. After the initial phase, a certain stability of content, a core of participants and a cohesive group of adult volunteers was in place. At this stage the professional input was reduced to a meeting every few months and to consultation when requested by the volunteers.
Today a core of volunteers is running Tefillat Yeladim.
