Table of Contents

Blessing the Wine 1 Blessing the 2 Blessing the Candles 3 Blessings 4 Barchu 5-6 Sh’ma 7-8 Mi Chamocha 9-10 Chanukah Blessings 11-12 Ma Nishthanah 13-14 V’ahavta Part 1 & 2 16 V’ahavta Part 3 17 V’ahavta (complete) 18 Avot V’imahot 19-20 G’vurot 21-22 Kedushah 23-24 25-26 Yotzer 27-28 Ma’ariv Aravim 29-30 31-32 Blessing Ha Before 34 Blessing Ha Torah After 35 Blessing Before 37 Blessing After Haftarah Part 1 38 Blessing After Haftarah Part 2 39 Blessing After Haftarah Part 3 40 Blessing After Haftarah (complete) 41 Eitz Chayim 42 Ha’tikvah 43-44 Shabbat Blessings

Just as we say thanks with words, a hug, a note or an email, we say thank you for God’s gifts with prayers called Brachot. There are different kind of Brachot – blessings – for the different things we are grateful for, like waking up, eating, or even seeing something beautiful. Saying these blessings makes us stop and appreciate the world around us. We thank God and show that we do not take God’s creations for granted. We are the caretakers of God’s world and we show respect for God by treading God’s world – our earth – with respect. Most Brachot

begin with the same six words:

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There are special Brachot with which we welcome Shabbat. When we say Brachot over the candles, wine, and challah, we are thanking God for creating the Shabbat and allowing us to celebrate. The first blessing we say is over the candles, this blessing helps us usher in Shabbat with brightness and joy. The Kiddush is the blessing we say over the wine, we express our joy as we remember two occasions – when God created the universe and when we were freed from slavery in Egypt. On Shabbat, we also say the blessing for bread – over a specially breaded challah to praise and thank God for giving us food to eat. BLESSING the WINE

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Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

1 BLESSING the CHALLAH

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Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.

BLESSING the CHALLAH

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Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.

2 BLESSING the SHABBAT CANDLES

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Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, who hallows us with mitzvoth, commanding us to kindle the light of Shabbat.

BLESSING the SHABBAT CANDLES

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Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, who hallows us with mitzvoth, commanding us to kindle the light of Shabbat.

3 Blessing for the Wine

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Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

Blessing for the Spices

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of varied spices.

Blessing for the Light

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of the lights of fire.

4 Barchu

The Barchu prayer is a signal – it calls the congregation together, announcing that the main part of the prayer service is about to start. Usually, the leader of the service says the first line of the Barchu while bowing as a sign of respect to God. The congregation then recites the second line of the prayer in response while bowing too. The Barchu is thousands of years old. The Jewish people have said it since the time of the Old Temple. In addition to signaling us into the main prayer service, the Barchu is also part of the blessing said before we read from the Torah.

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BARECHU

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6 Sh’ma

The Sh’ma prayer comes from the Book of Deuteronomy in the Torah. The second line of the Sh’ma is not in the Torah. It was first recited in the ancient Temple in , and later became the response, or follow-up, to the first like of the Sh’ma prayer. The Sh’ma expresses a feeling and a belief so strong it is unlike anything else – and so deeply felt that there are almost no words to describe it. This prayer is our pledge of loyalty to God; when we say it, we are expressing our belief in only one God who created the entire universe. The Sh’ma expresses the very core of our faith. It is such an important and intense prayer that many people recite it with their eyes closed so they can concentrate completely on this pledge. The first line of the Sh’ma declares our belief in one God; the second line praises God’s name.

7 SHEMA

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SHEMA

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8 Mi Chamocha

The prayer Mi Chamocha is from the Book or Exodus in the Torah. Exodus tells the story of our people’s journey from slavery in Egypt to freedom. The Children of Israel sang Mi Chamocha after safely crossing the Sea of Reeds. The Mi Chamoca is read at both the morning and evening service. The who were slaves in Egypt sang Mi Chamocha after observing the miraculous parting of the Sea of Reeds, which allowed them to escape to freedom. They said the Mi Chamocha – meaning, “Who is like You?” – in praise of God and in acknowledgment of God’s unique and awesome power in setting them free.

9 MI CHAMOCHA

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MI CHAMOCHA

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10 Chanukah Blessings

On Chanukah, we light the menorah to remember the miracle that happened when the Maccabees fought and took back the Holy Temple. The Maccabees, after a triumphant victory, cleaned and restored the Temple, but only had one small container of oil to light the menorah. The small amount of oil lasted for eight days, which was considered a miracle, so we now celebrate Chanukah to remember this event and thank God. On the first night of Chanukah, only two candles are placed in the menorah – the Shamash, or “helper” candle, and one other candle. The other candle is placed all the way to the right of the menorah. Each night we add another candle to (adding them right to left), and lighting the newest candle first (left to right). The Shamash candle is always lit first, and is used to light the other candles. During the candle lighting, there are prayers that must be said. On the first night, we say three prayers. Then, on the remaining nights, we only recite two prayers. The first prayer that we say each night is to acknowledge that God is awesome and that we respect God by following the commandments to light the Chanukah menorah. The second prayer that we say each night is to thank God for the miracles and wonderful deeds that God has carried out for our ancestors. The third prayer, which we only say on the first night of Chanukah, is the Shehechiyanu. We say this prayer whenever we are doing something for the first time. This blessing thanks God for granting us life and for bringing us to the present moment.

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12 Ma Nishthanah: The Four Questions

The Four Questions, or Mah Nishtanah, are an important part of the Passover Seder. During the Passover Seder, the Haggadah is read and we retell the story of the Jews as slaves in Egypt walking away to freedom. The Four Questions are the central theme of the Seder. Mah Nishtana translates to “why is this different?” When we read the Four Questions, we notice that each questions asks why this night is different from others concerning different things. Two of the questions remind us of the time our ancestors served as slaves in Egypt. The other two questions remind us to celebrate our freedom. The Four Questions are typically read or recited by the youngest child at the Seder table that is able to ask them.

13 MA NISHTHANAH: The Four Questions

14 V’ahavta

The V’ahavta comes immediately after the Sh’ma in the siddur. Originally, these prayers come from the Book of Deuteronomy in the Torah. In this section of the Torah, Moses talks to the Children of Israel about how they should behave when they enter the land of Canaan. The theme of V’ahavta is our love for God, it tells us to reciprocate God’s love for us. The prayer reminds us to love God by respecting and following God’s commandments. We put a mezuzah – a small box containing the Sh’ma and V’ahavta – on the doorposts of our house. Each time we look at the mezuzah, it reminds us of our love for God and of our respect for God’s commandments.

15 V’AHAVTA Part 1

V’AHAVTA Part 2

16 V’AHAVTA Part 3

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17 Complete V’AHAVTA 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

18 Avot V’imahot

The Avot V’imahot is the first blessing in a very old and very important group of blessings called the . The Amidah is a group of blessings at the heart or center of every prayer service. Amidah means “standing”; we always stand when we say the Amidah, as if we are standing in front of God. The Avot V’imahot asks God to recognize us as descendants of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, Leah and Rachel. It asks God to watch over us, protect us, and bless us, just as God watched over our ancestors. In the Avot V’imahot, we recognize that God is mighty, powerful, and awesome, but also loving and protective. You can see this balance in everyday life, too – your mom might be strict about you doing your homework, but she can also be loving and supportive when she helps you with it and praises you when you do well.

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20 G’vurot

The Amidah is a group of blessings at the heart or center of every prayer service. Remember, the Avot V’imahot is the first of the Amidah. The second blessing of the Amidah is the G’vurot. In this blessing, we praise God’s awesome powers. If you have ever seen a lightning storm, you have witnessed God’s power in nature. And if you have watched the first leaves bloom on your favorite tree after a long, cold winter, you have observed God’s power to give and sustain life. These powers are evidence of God’s greatness – the same greatness that gives us life and the strength to make the world a better place.

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22 Kedushah

The Amidah is a group of blessings at the heart or center of every prayer service. Remember, the Avot V’imahot is the first and the G’vurot is the second Amidah. The Kedushah is the third blessing of the Amidah. The Torah tells us in the Book of Isaiah that winged angels praised God with the words of the Kedushah (kadosh, kadosh, kadosh). We are like angels when we say these words – we rise up on our toes three times and we imagine that we are elevating ourselves in the same way that the angels are elevated in God’s eyes. Kedusha means “holy,” and in this – the central blessing in the Amidah – we express our awe at God’s holiness. When we say these words, we try to focus on being kinder and more patient, more helpful and more thoughtful. In this way, the Kedushah helps us to concentrate on becoming better people.

23 KEDUSHAH

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24 Kiddush

Do you remember that one of the Brachot we say is over the wine, called the Kiddush? Well, we also say the Kiddush on many holidays, including Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, and Pesach. The Kiddush separates these occasions from the everyday and helps us to make them holy. The Kiddush begins with the blessing over the wine, thanking God for creating the fruit of the vine – the grapes from which we make the wine. The Kiddush for Shabbat reminds us that we were chosen by God with love to observe Shabbat and to carry out God’s commandments. The Kiddush helps us remember events in our history that are reasons for joy. The first event we remember is the creation of the world. The second event we remember is the going out from Egypt.

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26 Yotzer

The Yotzer is said every morning immediately before the Sh’ma. This prayer is said every morning to praise God for creating the morning light, for giving us renewed energy, and for bringing us the blessing of another day to do good things. The Yotzer and Ma’ariv Aravim prayers are linked because they remind us that God creates both morning and night, light and darkness. And we praise God for bringing us morning after night after morning…day after day after day.

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28 Ma’ariv Aravim

The Ma’ariv Aravim prayer is said every day as daylight turns to evening. We recite Ma’ariv Aravim immediately before the evening Sh’ma prayer. This prayer praises God for creating the twilight and the darkness – every single day. The Yotzer and Ma’ariv Aravim prayers are linked because they remind us that God creates both morning and night, light and darkness. And we praise God for bringing us morning after night after morning…day after day after day.

29 MA’ARIV ARAVIM

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30 Aleinu

The Aleinu is one of our most ancient prayers and is one of the concluding prayers in the daily prayer service. For the Jewish people, Aleinu is a pledge of loyalty to God. In it, we praise God as the one Creator and Ruler, and we unite in our recognition of our one God. During the prayer, we bend our knees to bow and show our respect and honor for God.

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32 Blessing Ha Torah Before

Have you seen the Torah’s elaborate cover and ornaments? When the Torah reaches the reader’s table after it has been carried through the congregation, the rabbi or Torah reader removes the covering and ornaments, sets the Torah on the table, and unrolls it to that week’s Parshah – Torah portion. Each parshah is divided into sections, or readings. For each section, one or more congregants are called up to the Torah to say two blessings – one before the Torah reader begins to read that sections, and one after the reader has finished. The blessing before the has two parts. The first part is the Barchu, a call to the congregation to praise God. The second part thanks God for choosing us to receive the gift of the Torah.

Blessing Ha Torah After

The blessing we say after the Torah reader has finished reading that section of the Torah praises God for giving us the Torah of truth and eternal life. Although our bodies cannot live forever, by reading the Torah and passing it and its lessons down to our children and then to their children, we keep Torah and we keep our heritage alive forever. The chain of tradition that began when Moses and the Israelites received the Torah almost 3,500 years ago lives on as we hear its words each week.

33 Blessing Ha Torah Before

The leader begins:

The Congregation responds:

The leader repeats the response and continues:

34 Blessing Ha Torah After

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35 Blessing Before Haftarah

The Torah is the first part of the Bible; the Book of Prophets is the second; and the Writings, which includes psalms, poems, and proverbs, is the third. At the conclusion of the Torah reading on Shabbat and on holidays, an honored person reads a section from the Book of Prophets called the Haftarah – which means “conclusion.” The haftarah is often related by theme to that week’s Torah portion or to a holiday season. When you become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah and are called up to the Torah for the first time, you will be the one to chant the haftarah that day! Our tradition teaches that the prophets were learned, righteous people who spread the word of the Torah to the Jewish people. They were the conscience of the Jews. The truths taught by the prophets are told in the haftarah and help us to better understand important ideas or values found in the Torah. We say a blessing before chanting the haftarah. Because the prophets were so important in communicating God’s word, this blessing praises God for the fact that the Israelites had prophets.

Blessing After Haftarah

When people you can count on promise to do something, you usually rely on them because of your relationship and your trust. Our tradition teaches us that the Jewish people have a relationship with God that is also built on trust, and that God watches over us, gives us life, and is merciful to us. We believe in God’s promises. We say four blessings after the haftarah reading. The first three blessings have to do with promises made by God to the Jewish people and our hope that those promises will come true. The fourth and final blessing after the haftarah thanks God for the Torah, the worship service, the prophets, and Shabbat.

36 Blessing Before Haftarah

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37 Blessing After Haftarah Part 1

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38 Blessing After Haftarah Part 2

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39 Blessing After Haftarah Part 3

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40 Complete Blessing After Haftarah

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41 EITZ CHAYIM

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42 Ha’tikvah

Ha’tikvah, which means “The Hope”, is the National Anthem of Israel. Its lyrics are based off a poem written by Naftali Herz Inber in 1878. In its current version, Ha’tikvah incorporates only the first stanza from the original poem. The remaining stanzas focus on the establishment of the sovereign Israeli nation, a hope fulfilled with the founding of the State of Israel.

Ha’tikvah has been sung by Jews in times of horror and joy – and has even been banned. When the State of Israel was established in 1948, Ha’tikvah was unofficially proclaimed the national anthem. It was officially sanctioned as the national anthem by the Knesset in November 2004. Today, Jews throughout the world sing Ha’tikvah at the start of services and events, and through the lyrics and melody, remember our ancestors with tears, and our homeland with joy and hope.

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As long as deep in the heart, 1 The of a Jew yearns, 2 And forward to the East 3 To Zion, an eye looks 4

Our hope will not be lost, 5

The hope of two thousand years, 6

To be a free nation in our land, 7

The land of Zion and Jerusalem. 8

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