Every day there are three services. Shacharit takes approximately 45 minutes, and Mincha and Ma’ariv last 15 minutes each.
Watch the video to learn more about what a Synagogue is and what is included in the prayers.
Every day there are three services. Shacharit takes approximately 45 minutes, and Mincha and Ma’ariv last 15 minutes each.
Men and boys over the age of 13 have a requirement to wear Tefillin during the morning weekday services. Help can be given on this practice at the service, so do not feel under pressure to know how to put them on correctly. You can also view our fantastic video, with a guide to laying Tefillin (putting on Tefillin).
During the winter months, Mincha is followed by Ma’ariv, however during the summer months, they are at separate times of the day.
Thanks to Richard Winetrobe for kindly volunteering to guide our members through the process.
All Jewish men must wear a Kippah (Yarmulka) at all times, particularly when praying. A Tallit is a prayer shawl which is worn by men and boys over the age 13 when praying.
During the year, mourners would traditionally attend a daily service to say Kaddish in the year after the loss of a loved one or on a Yarzeit. A Yarzeit is the anniversary of their Hebrew date of passing. Kaddish can only be recited if there is a Minyan.
Help is always on hand at all of the services if you require any assistance. Please do not hesitate to get in contact with Dayan Kupperman or Rabbi Gilbert if you have any questions!
Everyone is welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen.
There is no more significant and genuine way to ‘stand up and be counted’ than joining a Minyan. The very meaning of the word Minyan is ‘The Total of the Counted’.
Every man in a minyan is counted, every man is essential. A Minyan is a great equaliser. In a minyan consisting of a 13-year-old boy, an elderly patriarch, the finest scholar, the dimmest of minds, a saint, a villain, a king, a pauper, a judge and a convict, each one of them counts exactly the same as all the others – 1 person, no more and no less.
One can always say one’s prayers by oneself, at any time or place, but a prayer of ten men together generates another level of spiritual power. It is not just the tenfold power of ten individuals, but rather a communal prayer, the community being much more than the total of the individuals of which it consists.
The great, Jewish mystic and philosopher Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, known as the Maharal of Prague, reveals the profound mystery behind the power of communal prayer. In G-d’s eyes, says Maharal, sin affects only individuals; a community, even if it consists of less than perfect individuals, remains unaffected by their sins. Therefore even a prayer of a community of rather imperfect individuals is perceived by G-d as a pure and innocent prayer; however, if the very same individuals will pray without congregating together, their individual imperfections will affect the quality of their individual prayers.
The Psalmist says ’G-d stands in the Divine assembly’; this verse implies that assembly is a precondition for the Divine presence. Therefore, some of the most important parts of the prayer, which can be recited only in the Divine presence, such as the repetition of the Amidah, Kedushah and reading from the Torah Scroll can be recited only when praying with a Minyan. Most importantly, under no circumstances can one who prays without a Minyan, recite Kaddish.
10 men is the critical mass required to create a congregation. This number is derived from the Torah story about spies – to be precise, the 10 evil spies who persuaded the People of Israel not to enter the Promised Land. From the fact that the Torah called these 10 men – Haedah Hara’a – the Evil Congregation, we learn that 10 men make a congregation.
While one may find the idea of learning about a Minyan from the story of 10 evil people objectionable, what we really learn from the spies is the tremendous power of 10 like-minded men; the Ten Spies succeeded to sway the opinion of all the Israelite men (the women didn’t buy their story and remained loyal to the Land of Israel) against going to the Promised Land. If a group of 10 men could generate such a strong negative effect, all the more so that a group of 10 men gathered for a communal prayer can generate a powerful positive effect.
The daily minyan of Etz Chaim is our greatest pride. During the recent pandemic, our Minyan was present every day, as long as it was permitted by the law. For some period, we were the only Minyan in town providing all the members of Leeds Jewish Community who wished to pray with a Minyan or to say Kaddish for their beloved, with the opportunity to do so.
Etz Chaim is a vibrant and dynamic Synagogue located in the heart of the Jewish area in the north of Leeds.
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