Shalom! Over the last couple of months, our Thursday Morning Minyan attendance has been pretty bare bones. While we used to get minyans regularly, lately it has been a struggle. Summer travel is no doubt to blame, and I expect we’ll make a full recovery. However, this is the perfect time to invite all Etz Hayim members to join us!
Perhaps you’ve been on the fence about coming to Thursday Morning Minyan. Or maybe, you’re just not sure if it’s for you. Heck, maybe you didn’t even know we have a Minyan at 7:00am every Thursday. Or maybe you don’t know why it’s so important, and what a mitzvah you are doing by coming.
So let me give you the reasons:
The Top Three and a Half Reasons to Join Us For Thursday Morning Minyan
Reason 1: Participate in the mitzvah of helping to make a minyan so mourners can say Kaddish. Perhaps you are saying kaddish for a yahrzeit. Or, perhaps you are saying kaddish for a year following the death of a spouse, such as is the case with Phil Rosenthal, an active member of our shul for over 40 years who just lost his wife. Phil is a Thursday Morning Minyan regular, but without more folks coming, we can’t be sure we’ll have a Minyan for him and others to be able to say Kaddish. This Mitzvah goes beyond helping a single member; it’s about creating a community that’s there for each other. It isn’t often you get to do such an important Mitzvah before 8:00am!
Reason 2: Get your spiritual morning workout in. Thursday morning services start at 7:00am and take about 45 ~ 60 minutes. Quite a bit of the service proceeds at your own pace, where you can choose to pray in Hebrew, English or just quietly meditate. When we have a Minyan, we read from the Torah, which gives us a chance to connect to our holiest of traditions. Your spiritual muscles will thank you!
Reason 3: Get more comfortable with our services. While the tunes we use on Thursday are different than those on Friday night or Saturday, many of the prayers are the same. Use Thursday mornings to work on mastering the prayers and their flow. The Torah service on Thursday morning uses the same blessings as Saturday, so it’s the perfect time to practice getting an Aliyah in a smaller setting. Kids of all ages are always welcome, and the shorter service is perfect for letting them get acquainted with a traditional service. And if your little ones want to run around, that’s fine, too. If you’re interested in branching out and leading part of the services, Thursday morning is the perfect stage to make your debut on.
Reason 3 and ½: Bagels! If you’ve got the time, join us after Minyan for bagels and coffee and tea. Take a few minutes to chat with other Thursday Morning Minyaners and get your day off to a great start!
Be a Minyan Maker
A number of members have approached me and mentioned that even though their jobs or commutes keep them from attending Thursday Morning Minyan services regularly, they know how important it can be to reach that critical number of 10 adult Jews. To that end, they’ve requested that if we’re one or two people short of making a minyan, then we should contact them as needed. If you find yourself in this position, and you’re willing to be a Minyan Maker, take a few moments and fill out this form. Thanks in advance for your help!
If you have any questions, no matter how mundane or seemingly silly, contact me at chief.gabbai@etzhayim.net and I’ll be glad to get you answers. Thursday Morning Minyan is a unique experience and one I hope you’ll be able to join us for in the future!