pray and mean it

Build your Jewish Prayer Life

let's talk about jewish prayer

How Pray and Mean It Came To Be

Beginning in the 2006, I started writing a series called Pray and Mean It. These monographs confronted individual paragraphs of prayer. Which ones have clear and inspiring meaning? Which ones are harder? Which ones really bother us? That's where this conversation started. . .

Pray and Mean It Thoughts

My evolving series of Pray and Mean It monographs confront individual paragraphs of prayer. Which ones have clear and inspiring meaning? Which ones are harder? Which ones really bother us?

The button below connects you to these thoughts.

Pray and Mean It Thoughts

Words and Music in Jewish Prayer

I have also created opportunities for you to see and/or hear traditional and new ways to recite our traditional prayers.

I have created many (many) MP3s that can show you how prayers are "supposed to be recited" according to the Ashkenazic tradition in which I trained as a Cantor some 40 years ago. (Not yet installed.)

There are also new melodies that I have written to lift up what I consider to be the most significant elements of individual prayers.

(Also not yet installed.)

And I have now begun to add video recordings of simple recitation of the prayers. In the future, I hope to add subtitles showing you exactly what the prayers that we recite mean -- as the texts go by in "real time."

Here are some recordings of daily prayer. . . (see the button below)

Videos of daily prayer

Who Am I and Why Should You Care What I Think?

I am a Past President of the Cantors Assembly. I served my Columbus, Ohio congregation for almost 40 years prior to retirement in the fall of 2020 -- then moving to Israel. I was part of the first cohort of cantors to explore the connections of song, word, melody, Hasidism and more with the Institute of Jewish Spirituality.

I am a social activist -- and my work helped to lead to the acceptance of women into the cantorate and the Cantors Assembly. I have been an outspoken supporter of women and LGBTQ+ in the Jewish world, and have decades of involvement in broader social justice issues in my community, nationally and internationally.

PRAYER SHOULD LEAD US TO WORK FOR A JUST WORLD.

WORKING FOR JUSTICE CAN BE ENHANCED BY A DEEP PRAYER PRACTICE.

Photo Gallery

Tallit (pictured) and tefillin (not pictured) can be valuable tools in daily morning prayer.

This is my first tallit that uses literal t'chelet -- blue thread.

Lots to talk about!

Some people say "I only feel God when I'm out in nature."

Personally, I am not so nature-dependent -- but NOT to notice beauty in the natural world would be missing out on a lot -- and certainly missing a significant spiritual clue.

Jewish prayer is organized and pre-scripted -- tied especially to particular moments in the day.

Establishing a personal prayer practice that causes you to focus your mind, spirit and body "heavenward" on at least a daily basis brings many rewards.

prayandmeanit.com

pray and mean it

Welcome -- ברוכים הבאים -- BRUCHIM HABAIM

let's talk about jewish prayer

How Pray and Mean It Came To Be

Pray and Mean It Thoughts

Words and Music in Jewish Prayer

Who Am I and Why Should You Care What I Think?

Photo Gallery