Listen to selections from Siddur Eit Ratzon

Meditation Audio: Beginning of the Morning Blessings

Here's a recorded version (in my voice) of the meditation that appears on the First Sample Page. If you'd like to meditate with it, click on "Listen." But first, make sure you're in a relaxed, comfortable position where you won't be disturbed, and keep your eyes closed as you listen. The meditation lasts about five minutes, and is followed by a chant of Psalms 36:8.

Prayer Audio: The End of the Amidah

Here's a recorded version (in my voice) of the prayer that appears on the Third Sample Page. If you'd like to meditate with it, click on "Listen." But first, make sure you're in a relaxed, comfortable position where you won't be disturbed, and keep your eyes closed as you listen. The recording lasts about four minutes.

Davven along with the HP Minyan

Join the Highland Park (NJ) Minyan online for a Shabbat morning prayer service.

            Whether you are sitting in your home, or traveling on the way, you may not have access to a Shabbat morning service.  Or you may be looking for a service that is different from that to which you are accustomed.  In any case, you are welcome to join our Shabbat morning service. 

You may even use this service as a weekday service if you recite the weekday Amidah instead of the Shabbat Amidah and overlook the other discrepancies.  Or if you are reciting Mourners’ Kaddish and don’t have access to a minyan, you may listen to the concluding portion of our service.  

The service follows the text of Siddur Eit Ratzon, and page numbers in Siddur Eit Ratzon are given during the service.  However, you don’t have to have a copy of this siddur to appreciate the service; you can chant the Hebrew along with us no matter which prayerbook you are using. 

The service lasts between 84 and 98 minutes, depending on the choice that you make below. 

Each service includes the morning blessings (Birchot haShachar), an abbreviated P’sukei d’Zimrah (songs of praise), and the morning service (Shacharit) through the Amidah, and concludes with Aleynu, Mourners’ Kaddish and Adon Olam.

When you are ready to begin the service, click on one of the four service options below.

After participating in this service, please click on “Comments” to share your reactions with us. 

Service Options:

There are four options for the Amidah.  If you are confused by them, just choose any option; you can choose a different option the next time.  

• If you prefer to chant the Amidah with the group and not recite the Amidah silently, click on “Chant aloud.”  (94 minutes)*

• If you prefer to chant the beginning of the Amidah with the group and then complete the Amidah silently (instead of hearing the remainder aloud), click on  “Continue silently.”  (90 minutes)*

• If you prefer to recite the Amidah silently beforehand, and then participate in the group recitation of the Amidah, click on “Silent Amidah first.”   (98 minutes)*

• If you prefer to recite the Amidah silently and then conclude the service without participating in the group recitation of the Amidah, click on “Silent Amidah only.” (84 minutes)*

If you choose any of the three silent Amidah options, there will be a period of about 3½  minutes of silence before the service resumes.

*Please note that these files are very large and may take 10-15 minutes to fully load.  You can listen to the beginning of the service right away, but until the file is fully loaded you can't skip ahead or otherwise browse through the service. 

Future Service Options:

Versions of the service that include a longer version of P’sukei d’Zimrah will be posted subsequently; these will include Psalms 19, 34, 91, and 136, and take an additional 15 minutes.

Eventually you will be able to add any of the meditations in the siddur into any of the services; that will add a substantial number of additional options.

About the recording:

The service was recorded by members of the Highland Park Minyan.  Siddur Eit Ratzon, in its various versions, has been used by the Highland Park Minyan, the author's prayer community, since May 2000.

At regular services of the Highland Park Minyan, as in other congregations, each portion of the service has a leader and many portions of the service are said silently.  The service we recorded differs from our regular services in that everything is chanted or recited aloud (except for the Amidah), because silent prayer in the company of other people is quite different from silent prayer in the company of a computer.  Also, different people are leading or reading different prayers, so that variety in the aural presentation partially compensates for the absence of visual involvement by online participants.

Please note that this service is not a rehearsed performance.  A group of us got together and davenned in a way that we hoped would be welcoming to people who were distant from us in space and time.  Some voices are stronger than others and occasionally words are mispronounced and phrases mischanted just as they would be in a regular service.  We hope that you enjoy davenning with us as much as we enjoyed davenning with each other.

Participating in the recording of this service on Sunday evening July 8, 2007 were the following members of the Highland Park Minyan:  Pam Dorman, Miriam Libove-Goldfarb, Jerry Langer, Gustine Matt, Donna Messer, Elana Messer, Stan Messer, Judy Petsonk, Judy Richman, Steve Richman, David Rogoff, and Joe Rosenstein (click on photograph).

Singing the Prayers

These are niggunim (melodies; singular — niggun) used by the Highland Park Minyan for selected prayers in the Siddur.  K  Check back in March 2008 to see if this feature is available.

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