At the 2019 FJMC International Convention held in Toronto, a new initiative entitled “Tefilat HaNeshama” /”Prayer of the Soul” was introduced. Through group training sessions and experiential religious services we discovered a new way, using mindfulness, meditation, silence and chanting to enhance our prayer practices. Several dozen men and women attended these sessions and services and were “certified as trained” to share their experiences back home.
All of us are looking for ways to enrich our spiritual lives. Some that find standard religious services fill that need. However, at times we need more than a standard religious service to nourish our soul. Rabbi Daniel Liben developed a mindfulness-based prayer service which, “Tefilat HaNeshama” / “Prayer of the Soul” to encourage congregants to develop Jewish prayer as a spiritual practice, supported by parallel practices including meditation and chanting.
FJMC is in a unique position to share this service with your Jewish Men’s Club, Brotherhood and/or Synagogue along with the program materials, tools, audio files and training to enhance your spiritual offerings and to provide the leadership to implement this initiative. As we enter a new era, FJMC hopes that by adding a new dimension to the prayer experience, we will at the same time, strengthen the sense of community in our synagogues and ultimately lead to a more robust Conservative / Masorti Movement. Like a meditation session or a yoga class, morning davening can be a spiritual practice, one that helps us to develop wholeness, healing and compassion in our lives.
Is the experience of prayer meaningful for you or are you “bored to tears so not going anymore”? Does your community offer a place where prayer is participatory, vital, engaging, passionate? If not, why not? If not now, when?
The Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs (FJMC) wants to help bring a meaningful “Tefilat HaNeshama” / “Prayer of the Soul” program to every Jewish Men’s Club and Brotherhood in Florida. FJMC has a robust nationwide network of Regional Consultants that can help you plan and implement a “Tefilat HaNeshama” / “Prayer of the Soul” program that will actually give your members a reason to want to come to shul on Shabbat morning. For more information on how you can bring a “Tefilat HaNeshama” / “Prayer of the Soul” program to your Men’s Club or Brotherhood, including a detailed implementation guide, visit https://fjmc.org/mindfulness-service and /or email mindfulness@fjmc.org.
This message is brought to you Florida Region of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs (FJMC). We are part of a confederation of over 200 Jewish Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods representing over 20,000 members across the United States, Canada, Latin America, and beyond. Learn more about how your Jewish Men’s Club or Brotherhood can affiliate with the FJMC at: https://www.fjmc.org/content/affiliating-fjmc.
Florida Region of FJMC serves the needs of Jewish Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods throughout the State of Florida. Get to know more about the FJMC Florida Region and our growing network of dynamic Jewish Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods at www.floridaregionfjmc.org and please visit and LIKE our Florida Region FJMC Facebook Group at www.facebook.com/FloridaRegionFJMC.
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