Episode 26: Diary of the Jewish People (with Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD)
Listen Now
Diary of the Jewish People
We are so honored to share this conversation between Eliana, Ellen, and Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD. Rabbi Hoffman, (or “Larry” as good friends like Ellen call him) is one of the foremost liturgists and t’fillah teachers of our day. He has written and edited dozens of books on the subject, including the series “My People’s Prayerbook” which we reference for this podcast constantly! Rabbi Hoffman regales us with tales of his childhood, how camp transformed him and the Jewish world, siddur as identity-marker, and what he sees for the future. Plus before the interview, Eliana shares some thoughts on t’fillah in dark times.
Join our new Facebook group to discuss all things T’fillah and T’fillah education here!
01:50 Zichrono Livracha- May his memory be for a blessing. Traditionally said after invoking someone who has passed away.
04:40 Ramah Sports Academy
05:13 My People’s Prayer Book by Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman
http://www.lawrenceahoffman.com/
https://blog.lawrenceahoffman.com/
05:58 HUC- Hebrew Union College, the Reform movement’s college for Cantorial, Rabbinical, and Educational studies
08:50 Shaliach Tzibbur- Emissary of the Congregation. The Hebrew phrase for “prayer leader.”
08:58 Davening Shacharit
Davening- yiddish word for praying, often refers to a particular style of praying which
includes saying all the words of the liturgy in a meditative way and moving the body
Shacharit- The Morning Service
09:27 Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
09:32 Yizkor: The Memorial Service
13:57 Reconstructionist Judaism
14:44 Mordachai Kaplan– founder of Reconstructionist Judaism
16:09 anti semitism
16:11 Gentleman’s Agreement by Laura Hobson
16:46 Eugene Borowitz
17:05 Talmud
17:37 Seder
18:18 URJ Kutz Camp
The Reform movement camp for leadership development, which closed in 2019.
19:29 Union Prayer Book
20:25 Meri Arian
21:09 Da lifnei mi atah omed- know before whom you stand
From the Talmud Brachot 28b
21:47 shochet and the laws of kosher slaughter
22:23 There are many different ways for people to pray
22:47 CCAR: Central Conference of American Rabbis
The Reform movement’s Rabbinical association
Prayer as an aesthetic experience
23:27 North American Academy of Liturgy
25:49 havdalah – the prayer that ends Shabbat and welcomes the week
26:15 Mitzvah
26:56 The Sovereign Self: Jewish Identity in Post-Modern America by Arnie Eisen and Steven Cohen
28:39 Gates of Understanding: Volume 1
30:45 Prayer as means of identification/ identity formation
The diary of the Jewish people
34:47 Justice justice you shall pursue- Deuteronomy 16:20
40:04 Prayer as an Aesthetic Experience
42:25 Minhag Ami- My people’s prayerbook
Mishkan T’fillah– Reform Prayerbook
42:45 Chassidus
42:50 Halacha: The Laws of Jewish Life
43:40 The Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music- Reform Cantorial School, at HUC
44:21 “I’m a prayerbook myself” story
46:26 Hourglass
48:21 Jewish Lights Publishing
Stuart Matlins founder of Jewish lights
49:02 Tachanun: The Daily Prayer Asking for Forgiveness
51:46 My People’s Passover Haggadah
51:58 Machzor: The High Holiday Prayer Book
54:41 Just because the leaders of the service love it, doesn’t mean everyone else will too
(just because you love it, not everyone else will)
1:00:00 How can we involve people in the Jewish conversation?
1:04:23 So much hope- the future is bright indeed!