Disney Sing-Along Songs Shacharit

Prayer through Disney Songs

Prepared by Emily Mostow (Rel/Ed VP ‘09-’10, CRUSY)

Program Overview

CATEGORIES
Prayer/Tefila, Religion/Education

TIME
60-90 minutes

AUDIENCE
USY

SHABBAT-FRIENDLY?
No

SPACE NEEDED
Big Room

KEYWORDS
Disney, Sing, Sing Along, Music, Tefillah

Goals

  1. To gain a deeper understanding of prayer through Disney songs

Materials Needed

  1. Siddurim and Prayer Service Outline
  2. Laptop, speakers, and display screen for the singalong songs

Attachments

Instructions

  1. You can obtain the videos for the service on YouTube, or download them using
    http://keepvid.com. In the latter case, you just find the URL of the YouTube video you
    would like to use and copy and paste it, then click download and click to download the
    high quality version. I searched for YouTube videos that were sing along. I compiled all
    the clips and explanations in iMovie, but it could also be done in Powerpoint.
  2. Read: “Welcome to Disney Minyan, the most magical minyan on earth! We will learn
    more about the meanings of our prayers by comparing them to Disney songs with similar
    meanings.”
  3. Birkat Hashachar
    1. Read: “We will start with Birkot Hashachar. This prayer is about acknowledging a whole list of things G-d does that affect us every single day. Some might call them, ‘The Bare Necessities!'”
    2. Pray: Birkot Hashachar on Page 10. Afterwards, have the USYers sit down
    3. Play This Song: “The Bare Necessities Sing Along Walt Disney”
  4. Baruch She’amar
    1. Read: “In Baruch She’amar, we praise G-d for creating the universe. We praise
      the world and all the creatures in it, much like Pocahontas does in her song,
      ‘Colors of the Wind.'”
    2. Pray: Baruch Sheamar on Page 54. Afterwards, have the USYers sit down
    3. Play: “Colors of the Wind Sing Along Walt Disney”
  5. Az Yashir
    1. Read:Az Yashir is the song we sang after crossing the Red Sea. By singing it
      every morning, we commemorate the miracle Hashem did for us by splitting the
      sea and bringing us to freedom. One little mermaid envies our freedom from the
      sea in her song ‘Part of Your World.'”
    2. Pray: Az Yashir on Page 92. Afterwards, have the USYers sit down
    3. Play: “Part of Your World Sing Along Walt Disney.”
  6. Ahava Raba
    1. Read:Ahava Raba compares our relationship with Hashem to that of a parent
      and child. We ask for help to see the path of Torah and feel it in our hearts. The
      parent in the next song expresses a similar sentiment as Ahava Raba; that is,
      ‘You’ll Be in My Heart.'”
    2. Pray: Ahava Raba on Page 98
    3. Play: “You’ll Be In My Heart Sing Along Walt Disney”
  7. Amidah 
    1. Pray: Amidah on Page 106-120. As people are finishing, do the niggun to the
      tune of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Afterwards, have the USYers sit down
    2. Read:Magen Avraham, the first opening prayer to the Amidah, praises G-d for
      protecting the generations of the past, present, and future. Mechayeh Hametim,
      the second one, praises G-d as the master of life and death and deliverance.
      One wise lion called these ideas the ‘Circle of Life.'”
    3. Play: “Circle of Life Sing Along Walt Disney”
    4. Read: “We will now look at one of the 19 prayers of the Amidah. Shema Koleinu
      is the prayer for G-d to hear our prayers. Cinderella inspires us to have faith that
      our dreams will come true in her song.”
    5. Play: “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes Sing Along Walt Disney”
  8. Aleinu
    1. Read:Ahava Raba had compared G-d to a father; Aleinu presents G-d as a
      King. The first paragraph is about our own loyalty as Jews to our King. The
      second paragraph expresses hope that everyone in the world will stop sinning
      and acknowledge G-d as King, too. Maybe Hashem feels kind of like Simba in his
      song, ‘Just Can’t Wait to Be King.'”
    2. Pray: Aleinu on Page 160. Afterwards, have the USYers sit down
    3. Play: “Just Can’t Wait to be King Sing Along Walt Disney”
  9. Adon Olam (Time Permitting)
  10. Read: “I hope you all had a magical Disney Minyan!”