Service Times

Shabbat Services 

  • Friday night at 6 PM (except for special events.) 

  • Saturday morning at 9:30 AM


We generally meet only on Shabbat - for the Friday evening Kabbalat Shabbat service where we welcome in the Shabbat, and for the Shabbat morning Shacharit, Torah and Musaf services. Members who desire a weekday service to observe the recitation of kaddish with a minyan (prayer quorum) may ask for a special morning and/or evening weekday service. This is a service performed for the benefit of our members here in the center of Jewish Poconos life.

FRIDAY EVENINGS 6 PM

Friday evening services begin at 6 PM. They conclude around  7 PM, and contain the traditional choral melodies familiar to many.

SHABBAT MORNINGS 9:30 AM

Shabbat mornings are celebrations of the spirit and nourishment to the soul.

Public prayer begins with the early morning blessings, pesukei dezimra, with an uninterrupted Shacharit (morning) service beginning with Nishmat (soul of all living things). The service contains Shochen Ad, Yishtabach, Barchu, the Shema and its blessings, the Amidah, the Torah service and Musaf.
 
The Torah is read weekly. We follow the Jerusalem-based Triennial reading cycle. Those called up for aliyahs both make and are given blessings. A prayer for healing is said during the Torah service. Following the Torah reading we chant the haftarah, reciting a selection from the Prophets. The Rabbi offers pithy remarks both evenings and mornings, a discursive sharing of spirituality usually based on the unifying theme of that week's sedrah (Torah portion).
 
On Festivals, such as Pesach, Shavuoth and Sukkoth, we hold services on Yom Tov only (plus Shabbat), not including the intermediate days. We meet for Tashlich, Selichot, Simchat Torah, Hanukkah and Purim. On most chagim we add the Hallel service and read from a second (and sometimes a third) Torah.
 
In larger urban areas, one often finds bar/bat mitzvahs conducted each week, with the downside for the congregation being that it often loses its central focus of shared community. Our worship community benefits from a shared sense of belonging and togetherness which is quite beautiful. We are like a family that cares for one another where one can expect to form deep attachments and connections of caring.
 
Our services are uplifting and spiritual experiences, drawing upon beautiful melodies.