Shabbat Commentary: Tweet “Hallelujah!” Text “Amen!”

For Shabbat services this morning, our Rabbi and Cantor turned over their roles to two teens who were part of a large group visiting our synagogue, Congregation Albert in Albuquerque, NM, for a multi-day leadership training event.. The visiting teens, along with Congregation Albert youth are members of the National Federation of Temple Youth – Southwest Region (NFTYSW) One of the teen leaders played the guitar and led songs, while the other exuberantly guided the congregation through the liturgy.

At several points in the service, the NFTYSW members as well as members of the congregation were invited to text or tweet their responses to questions which appeared on a large screen set up on the floor in front of the bima Their immediate tweets and text messages appeared on the screen beneath the questions. Questions included:
What is the soul? (at the beginning of the service)
What makes you say “Hallelujah!” today? (as we sang Psalm 150: 1-6)
Who or what lights up your life? ( as we recited the Yotzer Or prayer)
What are you praying for? (as we began to pray “Adonai, s’fatai tiftach…”)
Who are you praying for in your healing prayer? (as we sang Mi shebeirach)

In his D’var Torah for the Portions Nitzavim-Vayeilech, the prayer leader spoke of Moses nearing the end of his life and not being allowed to enter Canaan. He pointed out that Moses does not choose his own successor.
Rather, Adonai chooses Joshua. The leader asked his fellow NFTYSW members to briefly discuss among themselves the question, “How do the leaders of NFTYSW replace themselves?” After a few minutes of lively discussion, several NFTYSW members and other congregants shared their ideas.

The service came to a dramatic close when a NFTYSW member read from her mobile device a prayer for her brother, a soldier on reserve duty in the Israeli army. Her brother, the Israeli soldier, had just been called up for active duty.

As examples of future Jewish leaders, the NFTYSW teens emphatically convey the message that l’dor vador, from generation to generation, Judaism is in good hands. While there will inevitably be changes in the form and technology of worship as Judaism continues to evolve, Torah values and teachings will endure l’olam va-ed.

Tradition and innovation were wondrously intertwined in this ruach filled NFTYSW Shabbat service. Personally, thanks to the NFTYSW teens, I felt like I was at Jewish camp again. I felt like I was at CAJE once more. I feel energized. I feel hopeful. I feel young!
Shabbat Shalom. L’shana tova.

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Ronni Sims

Ronni has been a Jewish educator since Moses was in preschool (almost!). She has had the pleasure of teaching all age groups in a variety of formal and informal settings, as well as directing a Jewish Teacher Resource Center. While teaching in a Jewish Day School, Ronni coached an award-winning Odyssey of the Mind creative problem solving team.Ronni was an active participant in the former Conference on Alternatives in Jewish Education (CAJE), where she held leadership positions including Network Chair and Conference Co-Chair of CAJE 29 at Hofstra University. She currently teaches Hebrew at the Congregation Albert Religious School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Talmud teaches: “The Torah cannot be learned unless it is learned among friends.” Ronni views blogging on JCast as such a learning opportunity.

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