What Community Members Feel about Beit Tefilah Israeli...

I am writing to tell you how much we enjoy attending Beit Tefilah.  Yesterday, in spite of the fatigue we felt after a long week, we found ourselves singing Psalms from services in the car all the way home... it was a pleasure and we couldn't stop laughing!

-- Sigal

To go to prayer in spite of the storm and the cold, maybe thanks to (and for the purpose of) hearing the sound of the magical Lecha Dodi spilling out on the concrete staircase, to burst from the music of the piano and the violin, and mainly the crowded voices in the warm room.  It is worth every minute, this lifting of spirit.  They wanted to have a prayer for me; I requested a poem instead.

-- A passage from Elisheva Greenbaum's z''l diary, poet and active member of Beit Tefilah Israeli, who passed away from cancer this year.

Yesterday was amazing...  Growing up I always had a lot of criticism about services in my synagogue and school.  I preferred to pray alone.  In recent years I wanted to pray in a community, but I couldn't find a place I feel comfortable at.  Yesterday I experienced the revolution you have accomplished.  It was such a wholesome experience.  There was the right balance between the individual and community experience.  Thank you,

-- Bar

I don't know about you, but I started my week on a totally different note- and for the better!  And the Havdalah team of volunteers-- Thank you,

-- Na'ama

This Shabbat was our second time, and we greatly enjoyed the gathering-- though we didn't know any of the songes...  It was a special and moving experience, and we know we want to keep on taking part in it.  Congratulations for a great idea, and great work.

-- Boaz and D'vorit

The evening was very intense and exciting, and I was left with a few thoughts.  As I imagined it will be, people are opening up and the group is getting closer.  It's obvious especially when you ask us to share stories from the past week-- at first there was an awkward silence, and now so many people are talking!  It was also so endearing how the kids wanted to make themselves heard!

-- Yedida