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Davening Guidelines

Guidelines for Shabbat/Yom Tov PD Services

 

  1. It is essential that the PD davener is at Shul in good time, or it delays the start of the service.

  2. Care is needed if using an ArtScroll, as it contains several passages that we do not say. It is easier to use a Chief Rabbi's Siddur or a Centenary Singers.

  3. The davener must fully adhere to our Minhag and that of the United Synagogue.

  4. On festivals, whether on Shabbos or weekday (but not on Shabbos Chol Hamoed), the davener of PD stops slightly before the place for a normal Shabbos.

  5. The davener needs to have a sufficiently loud voice (to be able to lead the service effectively).

  6. The davening must be at a reasonable pace, neither too fast nor too slow.

  7. Either Ashkenazi or Sephardi pronunciation is acceptable, provided that in either case it is accurate and consistent throughout.

  8. To maintain standards, the Rabbi, or the Wardens may decline permission to daven on some occasions. This decision may, however, be reversed at a future date.

  9. We would be pleased to encourage potential daveners to participate in courses run by or recommended by the Rabbi and/or the Wardens.

  10. Those davening on Shabbat or Yom Tov are expected to be religiously observant as befitting a Service leader.

  11. Please be dressed appropriately. On a Shabbat or Yom Tov morning when davening, a suit and tie should be worn. Only in exceptionally hot weather should jackets be removed.

  12. Once you have confirmed availability for any particular Service it is expected that you will honour that commitment. Please give the Wardens as much notice as possible of any change or if you are no longer available

  13. you have any questions regarding the content of services, as described above, please do not hesitate to contact the Wardens.

Guidelines for Shabbat/Yom Tov Shacharit and Mussaf Services

 

  1. Where possible, there will be separate community daveners for shacharit and mussaf.

  2. For the purposes of davening, the Shabbat service is divided up as follows: shacharit - shochen ad up to and including chatzi kaddish after maftir has been read and before hagbah and gelilah; mussaf - yakum parkan to adon olam. However, please note that when there is not a bar mitzvah, the leyener will often recite chatzi kaddish after maftir.

  3. The prayers for the Royal Family and State of Israel are read by the Rabbi and are followed by the Rabbi’s reading of the prayers for the sick and the weekly memorial prayer.

  4. On some Yomim Tovim we have yizkor, which may be led by the davener or Rabbi.

  5. In the repetition of the amidah and the kedusha, no words should be repeated by the davener, apart from:

  6. i) Words may be repeated in the piyutim (liturgical inserts) within kedusha or elsewhere in the amidah e.g. mimkomcha on Shabbat mornings, or tefilat tal on Pesach

  7. However, the intended meaning of the original words should not be distorted, and the words should be recited exactly in the order printed in the siddur.

  8. Please contact the wardens should you require further guidance

  9. ii) Where a choir accompanies the chazan, the choir (but not the chazan) may repeat words.

  10. No words should be repeated in hallel, aside from those verses which are repeated in the siddur.

  11. The modim prayer within the amidah repetition should be recited aloud by the davener.

  12. Anim zemiot is recited by a young boy after aleinu. Shir shel yom is recited by the chazan immediately after Anim Zemirot, with no break for mourner's kaddish. Mourner's kaddish is recited after shir shel yom.

  13. On a bat mitzvah, the chazan sings some lines from eishet chayil as the father leads the girl into shul for her dvar torah which takes place before adon olam. Any tune is permissible. Following the Rabbi's address, the chazan leads the community in singing siman tov u'mazel tov.

  14. On a bar mitzvah, the chazan sings shema beni after the Rabbi's sermon, immediately before chatzi kaddish before mussaf

  15. The davener must fully adhere to our minhag and that of the United Synagogue.

  16. Please contact the wardens should you require further guidance.

  17. The davener must have a pleasant and sufficiently loud voice to be able to lead the service effectively, and be able to sing in tune.

  18. The davener must have knowledge of nusach.

  19. We expect the usual Shabbat/Yom Tov nusach. If there is to be any material deviation from the standard tunes then this must be notified in advance to the wardens whose decision, after guidance from the Rabbi, will be given in advance.

  20. The congregation will wish to join in as much as possible, to create a ruach for the service.

  21. Please contact the wardens should you require further guidance.

  22. The davening must be at a reasonable and consistent pace. The Shabbat and most Yom Tovim services must end at midday, or earlier as directed by the wardens, for example if there is a learning Shabbat.

  23. Ashkenazi or sephardi pronunciation is acceptable, provided that it is accurate and consistent.

  24. To maintain standards, the Rabbi, or the wardens may decline permission to daven on some occasions. This decision may, however, be reversed at a future date.

  25. We encourage potential daveners to participate in courses run by or recommended by the Rabbi and/or the wardens.

  26. Those davening on Shabbat or Yom Tov are expected to be religiously observant as befitting a service leader.

  27. Please dress appropriately. On a Shabbat or Yom Tov morning, a suit and tie should be worn. Only in exceptionally hot weather should jackets be removed.

  28. Once you have confirmed availability it is expected that you will honour your commitment. Please give the wardens as much notice as possible of any change or if you are no longer available.

  29. Should you have any questions regarding the content of services, as described above, please do not hesitate to contact the wardens.

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