Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on April 15, 2012 by Heligman
It is with excitement that we present the new and improved community davening policy. We hope that these new guidelines will create a more inclusive davening space that will support all members of the community and remain grounded within a halachic framework.
Community Davening–A Halachic Partnership Minyan Policy:
A minyan is defined as 10 women and 10 men. This is a policy that has been implemented by other Partnership Minyanim around the world with great success (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partnership_minyan)
In the past, our policy specified that if we did not reach our goal of 10 men and 10 women before Yishtabach, we would transition into an egalitarian framework with a mechitza. In practice, however, we discovered that this policy can be divisive and that it has put members of our community in the uncomfortable position of having to choose between their practice and davening with the community. This is not acceptable.
Therefore, if we do not reach our goal of ten men and ten women, we will transition into a learner’s service and move into room 5 (moving the mehitza with us). The decision to transition will be made before “Yishtabach” and no later than 7:25 AM by the gabbais.
In order to make this davening a success, we need the support of the whole Pardes community. Pencil it into your calendar–our minyan meets weekly: every Monday at 7:10 AM starting up again April 16th (first day back after break). Please let us know you can make it.
We hope this will be an incredibly powerful and empowering davening experience for us all. Get excited!!!
Best regards and much love from the Gabbai team.
Aliza Berger
Ben Heligman
Jacob Siegel
Laynie Soloman
