Why Pray in Community?
Why is there a mitzvah to pray with a minyan? How does praying in community benefit (or detract) from my prayer experience? Why are so many of the Jewish prayers in plural – for others and not just for ourselves? Why can we say certain prayers only in a minyan? We will take a closer look at the prayers and parts of the prayer service that we can only say in a minyan – such as Kaddish, the repetition of the Amidah, Kedushah, the Priestly blessing, the Torah service, and Haftarah – through the lens of ancient, medieval, and modern thinkers, as a way of exploring the meaning of tefillah in our personal lives and in our communities. All are welcome to join the course, no matter how you practice (or do not practice) prayer in your life.