Religion/Education

Jewish Ritual and Holiday How-tos

Are you still confused about how to wrap Tefillin? Do you love the Havdalah service, but want to learn the blessings so you can sing along? USY leadership is here to help you!

Rel/ed VP Resources

Do you have a service outline or Tefillah roles form to share? Email Amy Dorsch at dorsch@uscj.org to share it!

A MUST for every rel/ed VP- A Guide to Tefillah and the daily service

This packet includes:

The structure of the prayer service
Guidelines for the Torah Service
Tips for the Shatz (prayer leader)
Hebrew pronunciation
Customs and rituals of Tefillah…and much more

Learnin’ Your Laynin’? Download the new Pocket Torah app to view your Aliyah with both trope and in Tikun mode, as well as listen to the correct word pronunciation and trope sounds.

List of helpful websites to use when learning to layn Torah or preparing your Torah reading- compiled by 2012 rel/ed IGB member, Nomi Small
Tefillah Assignment Sheet- use this to fill in assignments for convention Tefillot
Service outline- includes special additions for Holy Days
Guide for Gabba’im- use this to figure out the choreography for the Torah Service- Written by 2011 Rel/ed IGB member/Seaboard Regional President, Jordan Brandt
S’fatai Tiftach- guide for prayer basics- a must for every rel/ed vp!
Shacharit Service Outline
Tefillah Sign Up Sheet
Winner! Tefillah assignment cards- Place these cards in name badges to assign individual Tefillot to people. This will increase participation and encourage more USYers to lead (courtesy of CRUSY Region)
Tefillin Instructions
Tefillah Assignment Stickers for Name Badges
USY’s “Bringing it Home” program with explanation- How to bring Shabbat and Kashrut into your home if it may be new for you. *Created by Michael Knopf, 2001 USY International Rel/ed VP. *See the Holiday section below for a Guide to Keeping Shabbat in a non-shomer Shabbat environment.
Songbook for Jewish Youth- for songs that are not in the B’kol Echad

NEW a-ME-dah

A project of 2013 Rel/ed IGB member, Gila Fridkis

The Amidah is the core of the Jewish prayer service, recited three times daily. It consists of 19 blessings that can have personal meaning and significance for the individual. Do you feel connected at all to this prayer? Or do you find yourself sitting quietly while others around you seem to be “into it?” The a-ME-dah project goal is to help USYers find meaning wiht the individual brachot of the Amidah. Keep checking for updates as Gila’s project grows. Here’s the first video.

JewTube

Each link leads you to an instructional Youtube video on different Jewish customs and rituals. You can watch the video and follow along at your own pace and learn the “how-tos” of living Jewishly.

2011 Videos (starring Max Bartell and friends)

Pesach
Havdalah - learn how to do Havdalah and share this really special ritual with your family members. Click here to listen to the iDaven recording.

2010 Videos (starring Alex Krule):

Sukkot
Tallit
Tefillin - This video features both Alex Krule and Elan Sykes (CHUSY)
Chanukah

Holiday Guides

Created by a number of different USY Religion/Education Vice Presidents, these holiday guides not only gives you all the information you need to know to celebrate certain holidays, but also may provide new facts and rituals you may not have known/observed before.

Blessings for Channukah
Channukah Candle Lighting with Music- courtesy of the old USY program bank
*New* Oh, 5773- an original SHanah Tova song and video by Sarah Gans, Hanefesh Rel/ed VP 2012-13
*New* Prescribed by the Tribe Fast Facts Shavuot Edition- Courtesy of METNY USY. Scroll down for previous issues of Prescribed by the Tribe!
Prescribed by the Tribe Fast Facts for Pesach (METNY)
Prescribed by the Tribe (METNY) May-Sivan
*New* Pesach Holiday Rap courtesy of Hanegev USY!
*New* Pesach Holiday parody recorded by Trey Kaley members (New City Jewish Center) and METNY USYers Meir Berkman, Josh Becker, Ami Kurland and Noah Singer (special guest feature Saul Lurie)
*New* Purim Holiday Guide- compiled by Jonas Actor, SWUSY Region
Prescribed by the Tribe (METNY) Purim
*New* Prescribed by the Tribe (METNY) Fast Facts Pesach Edition
Prescribed by the Tribe (METNY) March
Prescribed by the Tribe (METNY) February
Prescribed by the Tribe - (METNY) January
Prescribed by the Tribe- December and January (Tevet)
Fast Facts on Rosh Hashanah- compiled by Jonas Actor, SWUSY Religion/Education/Culture VP 2011-12
Fast Facts on Yom Kippur- compiled by Jonas Actor, SWUSY Religion/Education/Culture VP
Sukkot Holiday Guide- how to’s, laws and customs, some fun stuff such as jokes and comics! Courtesy of Liora Zhrekber, SWUSY Religion/Education/Culture committee
Pesach Holiday Guide- created by Jordan Brandt, Seaboard Regional President 2011-12, Rel/ed IGB 2011
Channukah Holiday Guide- created by SWUSY REC VP 2011-12, Jonas Actor
Guide to Jewish Fast Days- created by Jordan Brandt, Seaboard Regional President 2011-12, Rel/ed IGB 2011 (does not include Tisha B’av or Yom Kippur)
Keeping Shabbat in a Non-Shomer Shabbat Community- great ideas for USYers who are trying to keep Shabbat for the first time

iDaven

For another Jewish resource to help you sharpen your knowledge of popular z’mirot and Ruach songs, check out the iDaven page to hear the recording collaboration.