5777 ~ ע ל ש לש ה ד ב ר ים ה עו ל ם עו מ ד ע ל ה תו ר ה ו ע ל ה ע בו ד ה ו ע ל ג מ יל ות ח ס ד ים:

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1 BAR/BAT MITZVAH HANDBOOK 5777 ~ ע ל ש לש ה ד ב ר ים ה עו ל ם עו מ ד ע ל ה תו ר ה ו ע ל ה ע בו ד ה ו ע ל ג מ יל ות ח ס ד ים: The world stands on three things: on Torah, on worship and on deeds of loving kindness. Pirkei Avot 1:2

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3 Tov! Mazal מזל טוב! The Park Avenue Synagogue community shares your joy as you prepare for your upcoming simcha! Meaningful preparation for becoming Bar/Bat Mitzvah and for the ceremony is a learning experience for both the child and his or her family. Over the next two years there will be many learning opportunities, informative meetings, and memorable moments, which will lead you and your child through this uniquely Jewish milestone. As much as children learn in Congregational School, day school and synagogue services, parents are always their children s primary teachers. When you, as Jewish parents, make the synagogue a part of your life, you teach your children to make the synagogue a part of their lives, not only as they grow up, but for the rest of their lives. Our Sages teach that an invisible angel stands beside each blade of grass and whispers, Grow! (Genesis Rabbah 10:6) How much more so each human soul! The Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony celebrates a young person s growth and transition from one stage of life to another. We recognize, as did our ancestors, the importance of marking our life cycles with meaningful ceremonies. We see the ceremony both as a milestone, acknowledging hard work and dedication as your children enter Jewish adulthood, and as a gateway to lifelong learning and involvement in the Jewish people. Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove Rabbi Neil Zuckerman Rabbi Ethan Witkovsky Cantor Azi Schwartz Cantor Shira Lissek Cantor Rachel Brook Rabbi Charlie Savenor Beryl Chernov Liz Offenbach Sara Davidson Eliana Light Jennifer Stern Granowitz Joshua Jacobs Marga Hirsch

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5 TABLE OF CONTENTS The Synagogue Perspective... 1 Becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah at Park Avenue Synagogue... 1 The Ceremony... 1 Attending Services... 1 Assignment of Aliyot and Rehearsal... 2 Morning Minyan... 2 Respect for Shabbat... 2 Shabbat Reception... 2 The Educational Perspective... 3 Enrollment Requirement... 3 Bnei Mitzvah Preparation: Congregational School Students... 3 Bnei Mitzvah Preparation: Day School Students... 3 Bnei Mitzvah Preparation: Individual... 4 Mitzvah Project... 5 Commitment to Jewish Learning... 6 Educational Opportunities for Parents... 6 The Administrative Perspective... 7 Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tutorial Fee... 7 Sharing a Service... 7 Photography and Video... 7 Invitations... 8 Synagogue Bulletin... 8 Bar/Bat Mitzvah Sponsorship Opportunities... 9 Shabbat Morning Kiddush... 9 Flower Arrangements on the Bimah... 9 Monday or Thursday Morning Breakfast... 9 Music Sponsorship... 9 Throwing Candy... 9 Trope Class Dates Time Line and Checklist Contact Information Bar/Bat Mitzvah Terminology... 13

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7 THE SYNAGOGUE PERSPECTIVE Becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah at Park Avenue Synagogue Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies at Park Avenue Synagogue take place on Shabbat morning, a festival morning, Rosh Hodesh morning, or Shabbat afternoon. In addition, the Bar/Bat Mitzvah participates in the Friday evening service the same Shabbat, coming up for candlelighting and leading Kiddush from the bimah. The family also attends morning minyan on the Monday or Thursday morning before the Shabbat, when the Bar/Bat Mitzvah has an opportunity to wear tallit and tefillin and to be welcomed into the adult Jewish community. Shabbat Morning/ Shabbat Afternoon Students prepare to chant the maftir aliyah from the Torah, chant the Haftarah (weekly reading from the Prophets), lead prayers, and give a short Dvar Torah, a teaching and reflection on the Torah reading or haftarah. For learners who wish to read additional aliyot from the Torah, the decision involves a variety of factors, including their Hebrew reading and chanting abilities, work ethic, and how much time is left before the ceremony. There is no expectation for students to read extra Torah. However, if the tutor and parents agree, materials for the extra aliyah will be provided to the student. If parents would like to schedule extra lessons to learn the material, they can coordinate that with their tutor at the family s expense. In addition, if other members of the family would like to read Torah, please let Cantor Brook know at least five months in advance. Attending services prior to the Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony Families in our Congregational School attend many PAS Shabbat services and programs. A mandatory part of our Vav program is the weekly Shabbat Experience Program. We encourage our day school learners to join these experiences as well. We also encourage all families to come to Friday night services, holiday services, and services on Shabbatot without Congregational School. 1

8 Assignment of Aliyot & Rehearsal About four months before the ceremony, Cantor Brook will contact you to set up a short meeting to go over all the logistics of the day, including timing of services, family participation, sponsorship, and biographical information. You will also discuss the honors available to your family, including aliyot, raising and/or dressing the Torah, and ark openings. Those assigned to aliyot and raising or dressing the Torah should familiarize themselves with the ritual by watching the instructional videos at the PAS website (Visit pasyn.org, click on Lifelong Learning and then on Bnei Mitzvah@PAS; then click on Torah Study at the left of the page.) After the four-month meeting, the assistants in the clergy offices will contact you to schedule Dvar Torah and Cantor meetings, as well as the final rehearsal, which takes place at 5:00 pm the Tuesday before the ceremony. At the rehearsal, all arrangements and logistics will be confirmed, and the children will run through the entire service on the bimah. Before or after the rehearsal is also a good time to take pictures in the sanctuary. (See page 8.) Morning Minyan On the Monday or Thursday morning immediately before the Bar/Bat Mitzvah Shabbat, you and your child are expected to attend our daily morning minyan. Your child will have the opportunity to put on tallit and tefillin and will be called to the Torah for an aliyah. Cantor Brook will discuss the details with you at your four-month meeting. Respect for Shabbat In order to honor the spirit of Shabbat, we encourage families to have their reception at the synagogue. If you hold your reception somewhere else, you may not have buses wait in front of the synagogue either on 87th Street or on Madison Avenue. This is a strict rule for security reasons as well as to respect Shabbat. The use of electronic devices, including but not limited to cell phones, is prohibited on the synagogue premises. Cameras may be used in the room of your private reception, but nowhere else in the synagogue building. Shabbat Bar/Bat Mitzvah Reception As indicated above, we recommend that Bar/Bat Mitzvah receptions be held at Park Avenue Synagogue. If this is not possible, we strongly urge you to serve a kosher meal to your guests. If kosher catering is not feasible, pareve or dairy meals should be served. These choices are in keeping with our goal of upholding the traditional spirit of the occasion. In addition to food, there are other policies that apply to receptions in the synagogue. Music is permitted at the reception, but the tenor of the reception should be in accordance with the spirit of Shabbat. DJs, sign-in boards, writing, candle lighting, and the use of money or electronic devices by attendees or entertainers are not appropriate for Shabbat afternoon. Please direct any further questions to Rabbi Zuckerman or Cantor Brook. 2

9 THE EDUCATIONAL PERSPECTIVE Only students who are enrolled in and regularly attend either the Congregational School or a Jewish day school are eligible to celebrate their Bar or Bat Mitzvah at Park Avenue Synagogue. The Bar or Bat Mitzvah is a milestone on a journey of Jewish learning. In addition to continuing to learn at Congregational School or in day school, we provide a variety of quality learning experiences to make the most out of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah year. Bnei Mitzvah Preparation ~ Congregational School Students VAV year 6th Grade Congregational School classes and Shabbat services Bnei Mitzvah Family Education Programs (four during the year) Book club sessions with Rabbi Cosgrove Additional programming includes NYC field trips and Shabbat dinners. Hebrew Tutoring Hebrew tutoring continues to take place in 6th grade until the children s first trope class. As children will be reading many new Hebrew texts for their Bar or Bat Mitzvah, commitment to Hebrew tutoring is critical for success. ZAYIN year 7th Grade Congregational School classes Family Education trips and programs, including to the Museum of Jewish Heritage Bnei Mitzvah Preparation ~ Day School Students 6th Grade Bnei Mitzvah Family Education Programs (four during the year) Book club sessions with Rabbi Cosgrove 7th Grade Family Education Trips and Programs, including to the Museum of Jewish Heritage Please direct any further questions to Jennifer Stern Granowitz in the Congregational School. 3

10 Bnei Mitzvah Preparation ~ Individual The Learning Process The process begins with a meeting with Rabbi Zuckerman. In this meeting, you will talk about the meaning of becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, discuss the process, and ask any questions you may have. Official preparation begins with a trope (cantillation) class, one year in advance. The class is six sessions, and meets from 5:00-6:00 pm on Mondays or Thursdays. This is an important opportunity for students to bond with their month cohort, begin learning tunes and blessings, and start the year off strong. Please see page 10 for the trope class schedule by month, and mark those dates on your calendar. The week of the last trope class, Cantor Brook will contact you to schedule one-on-one tutoring with one of our Bnei Mitzvah tutors. The tutor will meet with your child for half an hour, once a week, at the synagogue. This tutoring cannot take place during Congregational School hours, as we want to make sure learners continue to have a complete Jewish learning experience. The Bnei Mitzvah fee covers a weekly half hour lesson with the tutor, up to 40 lessons. Any additional lessons will be at the family s expense. If you need to reschedule a lesson, please alert the tutor more than 24 hours in advance. Lessons canceled less than 24 hours in advance will not be made up. After students are assigned to a one-on-one tutor, they will meet with Cantor Brook to do a check-in, and learn more about their service, prayers, and ritual dress. There will be one bimah lesson with Cantor Azi Schwartz to check in roughly 2 months before the ceremony. He will also have the final bimah lesson with the learner and parents the week of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah. In between will be a few sanctuary rehearsals with the cantors. Meetings with the cantors will be coordinated with their assistant, who will contact you after trope class and after the four-month meeting with Cantor Brook. Dvar Torah Students will all receive translations of their Torah reading and Haftarah in their materials. In addition, Cantor Brook will provide commentary and other materials after the four-month parent meeting. Students should look at these materials and fill out the study sheet provided on the website. Each student will meet with Rabbi Zuckerman or Rabbi Witkovsky for 2-3 sessions to work on the Dvar Torah. There will also be a final, family meeting with Rabbi Cosgrove in the weeks leading up to the ceremony. 4

11 Mitzvah Project The Rabbinic Sages teach: The world stands on three things: on Torah, on worship and on deeds of loving kindness. Pirkei Avot 1:2 These are the foundations we wish to provide our students throughout their Park Avenue Synagogue experience and their Bar/Bat Mitzvah year. Students will study Torah, continue their Jewish learning in Congregational School or day school, and learn to chant Torah and Haftarah. They will engage in worship, leading prayers for the whole congregation. And they will perform acts of loving kindness. Each student is required to do a mitzvah project. This can take many forms volunteering for an organization, collecting money for a cause, or creating a program to help a need in our community. Whatever the project, it should be close to each student s heart. A good mitzvah project engages the interest of a student while providing the priceless feeling of making a difference. Below are some resources to help you find a suitable project. You will begin discussing your Mitzvah project in your meeting with Rabbi Zuckerman before the year begins, and check back in with the rabbis during the Dvar Torah writing process. If you have any questions, please be in touch with Rabbi Zuckerman, who is happy to provide guidance and support. UJA Federation: Give a Mitzvah Do a Mitzvah The Give a Mitzvah Do a Mitzvah program enables bnei mitzvah students to create their own unique mitzvah project that connects their interests and hobbies to UJA-Federation of New York s work around the world. Alongside a UJA-Federation mitzvah coordinator, participants brainstorm individual projects and then contribute their time, energy, and a portion (or all) of their gifts to this special mitzvah project. For more information, Visit ujafedny.org or contact Nicole Fleishman at fleishmann@ujafedny.org. Park Avenue Synagogue Food Pantry The Food Pantry is a 30-year-old program at PAS, coordinated and run entirely by teens. Volunteers meet every Wednesday year-round to prepare food packages, and on Friday afternoons, to distribute packages to hundreds of local families in need. For more information, contact Hallie Chandler, Director of Youth Programming and Engagement at hchandler@pasyn.org. 5

12 Commitment to Jewish Learning The Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony is not an end in itself. It is part of a process of lifelong learning and Jewish education that we hope will be a part of your child s life through high school and into adulthood. Park Avenue Synagogue prides itself on the excellence of the educational opportunities that it provides to our congregation. Our partnership with families in maintaining and furthering these educational standards becomes even more essential and important as your child grows older and extra-curricular activities multiply and beckon. The only way that we can continue to provide a high-quality education is with the cooperation and commitment of parents in ensuring that each learner attends classes regularly. To that end, it is the Synagogue s policy that all learners complete at least the Zayin year (7th grade) of Congregational School (or day school) regardless of the date of their ceremonies and that they maintain a satisfactory attendance record. If their ceremony takes place in 8th grade, we strongly encourage that they attend the Rabbi Judah Nadich High School Program (or day school) in 8th grade as well. We feel that a strong Jewish education leading up to the Bar/Bat Mitzvah prepares learners for the highest level of success. No Bar/Bat Mitzvah tutoring may take place during the hours when the learner is expected to be in the Congregational School. Looking beyond the Bar/Bat Mitzvah year, it is our expectation that in acknowledgement of the fact that a Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony is a religious milestone in one s life, but NOT the culmination of one s Jewish learning, you will encourage your child to engage in the synagogue s high school learning and programs. The Rabbi Judah Nadich High School offers a variety of classes on Wednesday evenings, as well as hesed projects, travel opportunities and other programs. The intellectual maturation that occurs during the high school years allows learners to tackle Jewish issues and concepts at a level that will carry them into college and beyond. In addition, attending the high school is the best way to maintain relationships with PAS friends and stay connected to the synagogue community. Educational Opportunities for Parents The period of a child s Bar/Bat Mitzvah training is a wonderful time for parents to increase their own Jewish education. We urge you to take advantage of the wealth of educational offerings at the synagogue, including daytime and evening classes in Bible, theology, Hebrew, synagogue skills, and numerous other topics. Parents may also wish to join the Havurah service when it meets on Shabbat morning and participate in the Torah discussion. Consult the synagogue website, the current PAS Program Catalog or the current month s PAS Bulletin to find out what is available. Visit the synagogue s Edmund de Rothschild Library to find books on all aspects of Jewish learning and literature. The librarian will be happy to assist you in finding material that matches your current interests. 6

13 THE ADMINISTRATIVE PERSPECTIVE Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tutorial Fee You are responsible for a mandatory Bar/Bat Mitzvah fee, which covers the costs of the trope class, tutoring, family programs, administration of the Bnei Mitzvah program and materials for your child s simcha. Any additional tutoring that goes beyond regular preparation arrangements will be coordinated by Park Avenue Synagogue, but will require additional fees. Note that you will be billed for the Bar/Bat Mitzvah fee in the year preceding your child s Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Sharing a Service As we have more and more students celebrating their Bnei Mitzvah together, we are finding that sharing the Shabbat gives Bnei Mitzvah a meaningful opportunity to live by the values that they are learning in the synagogue. In preparing for the day, they respect and encourage each other, frequently practicing humility and sensitivity beyond their years. When the Shabbat arrives, they share in the excitement, nervousness and joy of the day. It is enriching for students to develop these relationships. We are thrilled to watch them become young Jewish adults who are caring as well as knowledgeable. We encourage families to coordinate and plan the ceremony and Kiddush together. The clergy and Executive Director are happy to help facilitate this planning. We also recommend that the families meet in the months leading up to the Bar/Bat Mitzvah and have Shabbat dinner together to help foster this sense of community. Photography and Video Sessions with your professional photographer can be coordinated with the assistant to the cantors. Suggested times include after your child s weekday morning minyan, or before or after the rehearsal in the sanctuary. During your photo session, you will be aided in unlocking the Ark and taking out the Torah scroll so that you can have pictures of your child reading from the Torah. This will take about 15 minutes, after which you can take time on your own in the sanctuary to finish taking pictures with your family. Please do not move reading tables, microphones or other recording equipment in the sanctuary. During Shabbat, photography is permitted in private receptions, but not in the sanctuary or any public spaces, including the hallways. At the Monday or Thursday morning service, photography and videography are permitted, so long as it is without flash and otherwise unobtrusive. 7

14 Park Avenue Synagogue provides live-streaming of Shabbat services. Family and friends can watch in HD from afar at pasyn.org/webcast. In addition, a few weeks after your ceremony, you will be sent a link to download the service to keep and to share. Invitations When designing your invitation, please feel free to consult the clergy or the Director of the Library about the correct spelling of Hebrew names and phrases. All Shabbat morning services begin at 9:45 am. Shabbat late minha services may begin at 4:45 or 5:00 pm, depending on the season and when Shabbat ends that day. Please contact Cantor Brook with any timing inquiries. Synagogue Bulletin We will publish a photo of your child in the PAS Bulletin during the month of your child s Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Please a digital photo (jpeg) to the Director of Publications, Marga Hirsch. The deadline for each month s Bulletin is approximately six weeks before the publication date; for example, December 15 for the February Bulletin. The Director of Publications will send you a reminder one to two weeks before your deadline. Contact information for the Director of Publications is on page 13. You do not have to send a studio shot, but it is desirable for the file be high-resolution, at least 1 MB. The child s face should take up most of the image. The picture will be cropped to a head shot, so it doesn t matter what the child is wearing. A plain, neutral background is helpful but not essential. If you a photo on a phone, please specify that the file should be large or original size. 8

15 Bar/Bat Mitzvah Sponsorship Opportunities Shabbat Morning Kiddush We encourage all Bnei Mitzvah parents to sponsor the congregational Kiddush following services. Everyone who attends services is invited to this Kiddush, and it is a mitzvah to extend hospitality in this way. Beyond sponsoring the basic congregational Kiddush, the following Kiddush options are also available: 1. Embellish the congregational Kiddush. This means supplementing the usual Kiddush menu, allowing for additional selections of food. 2. Expand the congregational Kiddush by ordering additional quantities of food. To sponsor or expand the weekly congregational Kiddush, contact the Office and Events Coordinator. Cantor Brook will share more information about sponsorship as your simcha approaches. Flower Arrangements on the Bimah Park Avenue Synagogue has fresh flower arrangements on the bimah for all Shabbat services. Sponsoring these flowers offers families celebrating a simcha the opportunity to help cover the cost of these flowers. Monday or Thursday Morning Minyan Breakfast Normally there is no food served on Monday and Thursday mornings following the morning minyan. In the event that a Bar or Bat Mitzvah family wishes to sponsor breakfast, Park Avenue Synagogue provides bagels and cream cheese (minyan breakfast) or bagels, cream cheese and lox (embellished minyan breakfast). Music Sponsorship Park Avenue Synagogue provides a meaningful musical experience at all Shabbat services. The music sponsorship offers families celebrating a simcha the opportunity to help underwrite a portion of these musical enhancements to our service. 9

16 Trope Class Dates Below, find your student s Bnei Mitzvah month and the corresponding Trope class dates. Please make arrangements now so your child will be able to attend all six sessions. All sessions meet from 5:00-6:00 pm. Location will be provided with a reminder a few weeks before the first class. September Cohort Thursdays September 15, 22, 29; October 16, 13, and 20 October Cohort Mondays October 31; November 7, 14, 21, 28; December 5 November/December Cohort Thursdays October 27; November 3, 10, 17; December 1, 8 January Cohort Mondays December 12; January 2, 9, 23, 30; February 6 February Cohort Thursdays December 15; January 5, 12, 19, 26; February 2 March Cohort Mondays February 13, 27; March 6, 13; April 3, 24 April Cohort Thursdays February 9, 16; March 2, 9, 16; April 6 May Cohort Mondays May 1, 8, 15, 22; June 5, 12 June Cohort Thursdays April 20, 27; May 4, 11, 25; June 8 10

17 TIME LINE and CHECKLIST Time in advance 1 year ahead 7-12 months ahead 4 months ahead Fill in your due date Task Pay Bar/Bat Mitzvah tutorial fee. Decide on additional optional fees and confirm/arrange with synagogue. Have preliminary meeting with Rabbi Zuckerman. Start formal training with the Trope Tutoring Sessions 6 weeks before one-on-one tutoring begins. Schedule one-on-one lessons for Bnei Mitzvah training. Be sure to exchange contact info with tutor. Have initial meeting with Cantor Brook. Have logistical meeting with Cantor Brook. Schedule rehearsals with the cantors. Schedule sessions with rabbis to prepare the Dvar Torah. Read through Torah and Haftarah portions and commentary. 6 weeks ahead 2 months ahead 1-2 weeks ahead Week of photograph to the PAS Bulletin editor. Have rehearsals with the cantors. Finalize plans for sponsorship with Office Manager. Meet with Rabbi Cosgrove (with final draft of Dvar Torah). Rehearsal 5:00 pm the Tuesday before Participate in weekday morning minyan. 11

18 Contact Information Clergy Rabbi Cosgrove: , x120 or Rabbi Zuckerman: , x124 or Rabbi Witkovsky: , x123 or Cantor Schwartz: , x125 or Cantor Lissek: , x126 or Cantor Brook: , x134 or Rabbi Cosgrove s Assistant, Gilda Fier: , x120 or gfier@pasyn.org Rabbi Witkovsky and Rabbi Zuckerman s Assistant, Rachel Kemp: , x143 or rkemp@pasyn.org Cantors Assistant, Phyllis Spiro: x115, or pspiro@pasyn.org Congregational School Director, Jennifer Stern Granowitz: , x132 or jgranowitz@pasyn.org Assistant Director, Joshua Jacobs: , x184 or jjacobs@pasyn.org Director of Operations, Rena Aranov: , x131 or raranov@pasyn.org Executive Director Beryl Chernov: , x106 or bchernov@pasyn.org Office and Events Coordinator Sara Davidson: , x105 or sdavidson@pasyn.org Bulletin Editor/Director of Publications Marga Hirsch: , x127 or mhirsch@pasyn.org Tutor Name Phone 12

19 Bar/Bat Mitzvah Terminology 1 Aliyah (plural, aliyot), literally going up. The ascent to the bimah to be honored with a reading from the Torah scroll and to say the blessings over the Torah scroll. Amidah: literally, the standing prayer. The amidah constitutes the main body of Jewish liturgy; it is also known as ha-tefillah or the shemoneh esrei. The weekday amidah includes 19 blessings; the Shabbat amidah includes 9 blessings. Bar/Bat Mitzvah ceremony: a religious service during which a child celebrates attaining the age of commandments (mitzvot) Bikur holim: visiting the sick Bimah: this word refers either to the raised pulpit or to the desk from which prayers are led. Birkat ha-mazon: the Hebrew blessings that are recited after the meal Brakhah: (plural, brakhot) blessing Hesed: loving kindness Humash: (from hamesh, five): the Torah or Pentateuch (Five Books of Moses), or a book containing the text of the Torah. Dvar Torah: literally, a word or item of Torah. Characterizes a short comment or interpretation of any text or religious topic. Gelilah: rolling and tying of the Torah scroll. Haftarah: literally, completion. A selection from the Prophets for a particular Shabbat or holiday that complements a theme or topic in the Torah reading. Hagbah: lifting the Torah. Halakhah: literally, the going or the way. Traditional Jewish law. Havdalah: literally, separation, distinction. The ceremony that ends Shabbat. Kavannah: sacred intention, concentration, the goal of Jewish prayer and worship. Ketuvim: the third section of the Hebrew bible (TaNaKH). Includes Psalms, Proverbs, Job, and the 5 megillot, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther. Kiddush: literally, sanctification of the day over a cup of wine. It also refers to the reception held following a service, at which time kiddush is recited. Ma ariv: the evening prayer service. 1 Adapted from Salkin, Jeffery K., Putting God on the Guest List. (Woodstock, VT: Jewish Lights Publishing, 1996). 13

20 Maftir: the last aliyah on a Shabbat or holiday morning. The person honored with the maftir aliyah also chants the haftarah. Midrash: literally, the searching out. A post-biblical, rabbinic interpretation of a Biblical verse. Minha: the afternoon prayer service. Mishnah: the classic post-biblical code of Jewish law, compiled in Israel circa 200 C.E. by Rabbi Judah Ha-nasi. Mitzvah (plural, mitzvot): literally, commandment. An obligation of Jewish life. The word has also come to mean a good deed. Musaf: the additional prayer service on Shabbat and holiday mornings. Recalls the ancient sacrificial rites of the Temple and repeats some themes covered earlier in the liturgy. Parashah: the Torah portion of the week. Also sometimes referred to as the sidra. Pirkei Avot: literally, the chapters of the fathers. The ethical maxims of the Mishnah, quoted in the names of the early Rabbis. Shaharit: the morning prayer service. Talmud: literally, learning. Commentaries and discussions of the Mishnah, compiled circa CE. TaNaKH: acronym for Torah, Nevi im (the Prophets), and Ketuvim (the later writings) that compose the Hebrew Bible. Tefillin: black leather boxes containing excerpts from the Torah, attached with straps to the arm and head. Tefillin are worn at weekday morning services. Tikkun: a book to aid the reader in preparing to read from the Torah. Each page has parallel columns with the punctuated Torah text next to the unpunctuated text as it appears in the Torah scroll. Tikkun Olam: repairing the world. Torah: literally, teaching or direction. Narrowly, the first section of the Hebrew Bible, the Five Books of Moses that is read from a scroll; broadly, all Jewish sacred literature. Trope (cantillation, ta amei ha-mikra): symbols that represent a configuration of notes that indicate how each word in the Torah or Haftarah is to be chanted. Tzedakah: the mitzvah of sacred giving 14