Shabbat morning TeleTefila services generally begin at 10:00 am, but please check the Calendar to be sure. Davening begins promptly, 10 minutes after the posted starting time. You can find a chart with the page numbers for four different siddurim at http://www.teletefila.com/login.html#order. Information on preparing for TeleTefila Shabbat services can be found at http://www.teletefila.com/login.html#preparing. We look forward to your davening with us!

1. Please have a siddur (prayerbook) handy. You can use any siddur you own, but please mark the major divisions in advance with a bookmark or Post-It^®. We do not announce page numbes during services. Below is a table of the major landmarks in some of the most popular siddurim.

If you don't own a siddur, you can download the Shabbat Morning Service from Siddur Lev Shalem at the Rabbinical Assembly website. Note: The RA has updated the Shabbat service PDF to include Shabbat Rosh Chosesh. Look for "Siddur Lev Shalem: Shabbat Morning (with additions for Shabbat Rosh Hodesh)."

2. Several things we do in the service may be missing from your siddur or hard to find. You can now download all of them in a single PDF file.

3. You'll want to have a Chumash, Tikkun, Tanach, or Bible. Alternatively, you can print this week's readings by following the instructions here.

4. Virtual Kiddush: Please bring some food so that, after the services, we can watch you eat.

If you need help, please drop a note to info@teletefila.com. Email will not be answered during services.

Since we began in March 2020, we've established a service that packs the maximum amount of content into the minimum length of time. Here's how we do it:

In general

• Shabbat morning services are called for 10:00 am. We start 10 minutes after that.
• We deem ourselves as a minyan when we can see 10 adult Jews on screen. Once we've established that we have a minyan, we do not count again.
• We do not repeat either Amida; we do heicha kedusha (saying only Avot, G'vurot, and the Kedusha aloud). If we do not have a minyan, the Baalah or Baal Tefila may choose to say Avot and G'vurot out loud.
• We say Kaddish only 3 times:
  • Kaddish Shaleim: after the Shacharit Amida (or Hallel)
  • Kaddish Shaleim: after the Musaf Amida
  • Kaddish Yatom (Mourner's Kaddish) at the end of the service
• Since we do not have a sefer Torah, we do not do aliyot or Torah blessings during the Torah Service
• As of this writing, we ask people to mute themselves during most of the service, with the exception of places where congregation reponses are expected. Examples include: Bar'chu, Kedusha, and Hallel.
• We do not announce page numbers. That's what the chart above is for. Please keep in mind that the majority of people attending use a different suddur than you're using.
  • Exception: We sometimes announce page numbers when there are unusual elements in the service (e.g., the chagim).
  • Exception: In the Torah Service, we announce page numbers for the Hertz Pentateuch and for Etz Hayim.
• On an ordinary Shabbat, we try to finish Mourner's Kaddish by 12:00 noon.

Preliminary

• We do not say Birchot haShachar.
• The Baalah or Baal Shacharit says or sings Psalm 150, which we call Pasuk d'Zimrah. If we almost have a minyan, you may add a meditation, niggun, or Psalm.

Sh'ma uVirchoteiha (the Sh'ma section)

• If we don't have a minyan, skip Bar'chu and go to Yotzeir (which immediatelty follows it)
• Do all of the Sh'ma section

Shacharit Amida

• You do the Amida heicha kedusha.
• When you finish saying your own Amida and others are still standing, you may do a niggun, a kavanah, or sing Oseh Shalom quietly.
• When Nos or Iris decide it's time to move on, they'll announce Kaddish Shalem. Give people a minute to find it, then lead Kaddish Shalem.

Torah Service

• The Baalah or Baal Shacharit will usually be asked to do B'rich Sh'mei, which is the end of your duties.
• Nos and Iris serve as shamashim, leading the Torah service. They rarely correct the readers.
• We have neither sefer Torah nor aron, so we do none of the ceremony associated with taking out the Torah.
• We read Torah according to the Triennial cycle (5780–5781 is the second year of the cycle).
• We do not call up people for aliyot. We do not say the usual Torah blessings.
• We say laasok b'divrei Torah before the first reading.
• The Torah readers read or chant from a chumash.
• If there is a special Maftir, we read it immediately after the last Torah reading.
• We read the full Haftarah, with the blessings.
• We generally have a D'var Torah ("DT") or d'rash after the Haftarah.
• We do none of the things associated with putting away a sefer Torah.

Musaf

• On Shabbat M'var'chim haChodesh, the Baalah or Baal Musaf announces the new month.
• No Chatzi Kaddish
• We give people a few moments to find the Musaf Amida.
• You do the Musaf Amida heicha kedusha.
• When you finish saying your own Amida and others are still standing, you may do a niggun, a kavanah, or sing Oseh Shalom quietly.
• When Nos or Iris decide it's time to move on, they'll announce Kaddish Shalem. Give people a minute to find it, then lead Kaddish Shalem.

Conclusion

• You skip Ein Keloheinu, and go right to Aleinu
• Someone else recites a Psalm or two
• You lead Mourner's Kaddish
• Gila and Nos make announcements
• Usually, you will lead Adon Olam

Kiddush -- You're invited! We take a 10 minute break to gather some lunch, then we make Kiddush (often just borei p'ri hagafen) and Motzi, followed by a leisurely schmooze.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY — Shacharit

• No Birchot haShachar
• P'sukei d'Zimra consists of only Psalm 150
• Do the entire Sh'ma section
• Amida is done heicha kedusha

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY — Musaf

• On Shabbat M'var'chim haChodesh, you announce the new month
• Musaf Amida is done heicha kedusha
• You lead the conclusion of the service.

Havdalah is at a different time each week. Please check the Calendar for this week's time.

[N.B.: When the time for Havdalah is after 9:00 pm (roughly, January through July), we open the ZOOM at 9:00 for schmoozing, even though it is still Shabbat. The schmooze continues after Havdalah, which is great for those who don't ZOOM on Shabbat.]

On Wednesday evenings, we begin with Maariv and then enjoy a leisurly Kaffeeklatsch schmooze. For those who don't ZOOM on Shabbat, here's your chance to daven with friends!

Please scroll down to learn more about our Maariv service.

Maariv

Maariv is called for 7:15 pm, and davening begins promptly at 7:25 pm. It's always a good idea to check our Calendar to see if there is some exception. The service is short (20–30 minutes). For Maariv, we deem ourselves a minyan when we have 10 adult Jews participating, whether by audio or video.  If necessary, we use the “Prayer in place of Mourner’s Kaddish when a Minyan is not Present” from Siddur Lev Shalem.

We don’t announce page numbers because participants use whatever siddur (prayerbook) they own. If you don't have a siddur with the weekday evening service, you can download either "Siddur Lev Shalem: Weekday Evening and Havdalah" or "Siddur Sim Shalom: Evening Services for Weekdays" from the Rabbinical Assembly website.

If you're leading Maariv . . .

1. Start at V'hu rachum
2. Continue with Bar'chu, if we have a minyan
3. Maariv aravim and Ahavat olam
4. If no minyan, say Eil Melech ne-eman
5. Sh'ma, V'ahavta. Continue through Hashkiveinu (. . . shomeir amo Yisra-eil laad).
6. You may continue or skip ahead to . . .
7. Chatzi Kaddish, if we have a minyan
8. SILENT Amidah. But first announce any special insertions for the day.
9. If we have a minyan: Kaddish Shalem
10. Aleinu
11. If we have mourners and a minyan: Mourner's Kaddish
12. If we have mourners and do NOT have a minyan: Prayer in Place of Mourner's Kaddish (from Siddur Lev Shalem)

During the month of Elul, we include Psalm 27 in Maariv. Here are the page numbers for that Psalm:

During S'firat haOmer (second night of Passover to Shavuot), we count the Omer at 8:35 pm.

[A note about the times: One can say Maariv as early as Plag haMincha, and our 7:15 pm starting time is always later than that. One counts Omer after Tzeit haKochavim. During S'firat haOmer in 5781, 8:35 pm is always later than Tzeit haKochavim.]

What follows is NOT meant to tell you what to do in your own home. That's your decision. Instead, this describes the basis for the times TeleTefila is using for candle lighting.

Thursday, Dec 10, 2020

• It's a weekday, so the earliest time to light is sh'kia (sunset), which today is 4:28 pm in Zip 10025 (location of TeleTefila World Headquarters).
• If lighting at sh'kia, you should have big enough candles to last 30 minutes past tzeit hakochavim.
• Today, tzeit hakochavim is at 5:00 pm, which some authorities consider the best time to light.
• There are many keniencies which allow lighting later and even much later.
• TeleTefila will begin at 7:30 pm for singing and schmoozing.
• We'll light at 8:30 pm.

Saturday, Dec 12, 2020 — After Shabbat

• Shabbat ends at 5:15 pm [R' Applebank]
• We make Havdalah
• We light Chanuka candles and sing songs
• No doubt followed by schmoozing

Wednesday, Dec 16, 2020

• It's a weekday, so the earliest time to light is sh'kia (sunset), which today is 4:30 pm in Zip 10025 (location of TeleTefila World Headquarters).
• If lighting at sh'kia, you should have big enough candles to last 30 minutes past tzeit hakochavim.
• Today, tzeit hakochavim is at 5:01 pm, which some authorities consider the best time to light.
• There are many keniencies which allow lighting later and even much later.
• TeleTefila will have our regular Maariv at 7:15 pm.
• Before Aleinu, we'll light the candles and sing Haneirot Halalu.
• After Mourner's Kaddish, we'll sing songs and schmooze.

Sources Consulted

• Halachipedia — an exhausting summary of the halachot of candle lighting times (hat-tip to Jonathan A)
• Chabad: when to light, Shabbat rules, and zmanim (halachic times) — At TeleTefila, we love these guys. Their explanations are understandable by informed laypeople and they point out where Chabad traditions differ from others.
• Luah Hashanah 5781 — It's not that we always follow Rabbi Miles Cohen, but if you don't have a copy of his luah, you're just not rocking Conservative Judaism.
• Bond of Life (Rabbi Jules Harlow, ed., 1975) — A slim volume for use at a house of mourning, beautifully designed by Betty Binns. We use it here at TeleTefila World Headquarters for Maariv.

Sources Not Consulted

We usually have three picnics during the summer; one each in June, July, and August. Please go to the Calendar to check dates and times.

Just like when we met in person, you can sponsor Kiddush to mark a birthday, anniversary, or yortsayt (yahrtzeit), etc. The only difference is that we just look at the food you brought, but we don’t help you eat it. You’ll get to say Kiddush and Motzi and say a few words about the special occasion.

If you don’t ZOOM on Shabbat, we’ll try to accommodate you at Maariv or Kaffeeklaatsch. Just drop a note to info@TeleTefila.com .

If you want to mark a yortsayt with El Malei during the Torah service, download the text from here: http://www.teletefila.com/files/el-male-from-Bond-of-Life.pdf . Or you can ask a member of the TeleTefila chevra to recite it on your behalf.

Birkat haGomeil is a prayer of gratitude, recited after overcoming a life-threatening illness or surviving a dangerous event. If that applies to you, you can recite the prayer after the Torah reading.