Are you interested in taking on a leadership role in our community? Our innovative training program may be for you.
After engaging in a year-long process where we explored questions of who can lead rituals and blessings on behalf of the congregation, we developed a learning and training program for any member, Jews and non-Jews alike, to be able to step into a ritual leadership role in our community. (Click here to read the details of the decision and the goals of the Ritual Leadership Training program.) The training includes one day-long intensive and a follow-up evening session, as well a commitment to ongoing Jewish learning.
Our program will allow you to become a shali’ach/shlichat tzibbur (representative of the community and Jewish people).
Your learning will provide you with the tools needed to lead a communal ritual or prayer with integrity. These include:
- Jewish knowledge related to the ritual action in its full context (eg. knowledge of Torah, of prayer and blessing, of the occasion being celebrated, how to do the ritual and why, etc.)
- Understanding of the words one says (of the blessing or prayer) and affirming the personal integrity of saying those words (while there is a wide range of ways of interpreting them)
- Developing the conscious intention of honouring Torah, honouring the Jewish people, and enabling others to engage in that particular Jewish practice through the ritual action/mitzvah of the shali’ach tzibbur
- Making an abiding commitment to the Jewish people and Jewish life beyond the moment of the ritual
- Seeing oneself as part of the unfolding Jewish story – linked to the past and actively sharing responsibility for the future
Questions?
If you’re interested in learning more about our unique Ritual Leadership training, please email us.
