We love you and we love hearing your voice. Unfortunately, ZOOM introduces a problem that did not exist when we davened together in person. On ZOOM, when you sing or speak, it totally drowns out the Baal or Baalah T’filah.

• For most of the service, please mute yourself.
• For times when you are davening along with the Baal or Baalah T’filah, please either mute yourself or turn away from the microphone and speak softly.
• For congregational responses, unmute and sing out! Example: the congregational response to Bar’chu.

Thank you for your cooperation. If you have any questions, please drop us a line.

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
• We ask people to mute themselves during most of the service, with the exception of places where congregational 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

• P'sukei D'zimra starts before our regular Shacharit service, at 9:40 am.
• Daveners for P"D are assigned separately from the Shacharit daveners, by Miriam and Ilana.
• In advance, please discuss with Miriam what you will be doing at P"D.
• There are P"D page numbers here.
• You end P"D right before Shochein Ad, since that's where Shacharit begins. (On the Festivals, Shacharit begins at Ha-Eil B'taatzumot.)

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. (On a weekday Festival, instead of B'rich Sh'mei, you do Adonai Adonai through Be-emet Yishecha.)
• 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 (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

• P'sukei d'Zimra begins at 9:40 am.
• The Baalah or Baal Shacharit begins at Shochein Ad (on Festivals, you begin at Ha-Eil B'taatzumot).
• 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.

QUESTION: For Shabbat Rosh Chodesh Av, some sources list the Haftarah as coming from Jeremiah but others list the usual Rosh Chodesh Haftarah from Isaiah instead. Why is that?

Rabbi Miles B. Cohen answers as follows:

"There are two prevalent traditions with highly respected authorities supporting each.

"According to one tradition, the Shabbat Rosh Hodesh haftarah supercedes (as usual) the expected haftarah for the day.

"According to the second tradition, it does not.

"The Isaiah haftarah for Shabbat Rosh Hodesh comes from the end of Isaiah. These are all chapters of consolation and inappropriate for the weeks before Tish'ah Be'av. (All 7 haftarot of consolation after Tish'ah Be'av come from Isaiah 40 and after.) Therefore, the haftarah from Jeremiah for the second Shabbat before Tish'ah Be'av remains in place.

"The Luah, under the halakhic guidance of Rabbi Joel Roth, follows the second tradition."

QUESTION: So why is TeleTefila choosing the Isaiah reading on July 10, 2021?

Answer: Because that's the Haftarah that Bonnie already knows!

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!

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.

Each week at the beginning of the Torah service, we invite people to share news of recent or upcoming happy occasions. No Hebrew is involved.

If you want to mark a yortsayt with El Malei during the Torah service, download our printouts 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, in English or Hebrew, after the Torah reading. The page numbers can be found here.