Rosh Hashanah Ultimate Involvement Congregational prayer leaders often see their honor as an expression of giving back. I Stacy Gittleman Contributing Writer D uring the Middle Ages, an unknown cantor, humbled at the task of praying on behalf of the entire congregation so that God would inscribe them into the Book of Life, penned the prayer Hineini, meaning "Here I Aim" Before the invention of the printing press, leaders of tefilot, or Jewish worship, carried the weighty responsibility of keeping an entire congregation engaged and focused. Fast forward several centu- ries, and not much has changed. Although the words of the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur liturgy are widely available in printed machzorim (High Holiday prayer books) or even transmitted elec- tronically onto large video screens, it is still the task of the leader to be the shaliach tzibbur (literally trans- lated as "messenger of the commu- nity") in shepherding today's Jews through the most prayer-intensive time on the Jewish calendar in an increasingly secular society. Throughout Metropolitan Detroit, many consider it an honor to volunteer leading services along- side professional clergy as an ulti- mate expression of contributing to the Jewish community. Rachel Jacobson, 28, of Silver Spring, Md., each year returns to her hometown B'nai Israel Synagogue in West Bloomfield to be with family and to lead various parts of services. Inspired from her years in Jerusalem learning from pioneering women leading tefilot in egalitarian con- gregations, she was one of the first female prayer leaders for B'nai Israel during the high holidays. "I never was formally trained to lead:' Jacobson said. "It is some- thing I picked up over the years in school, at Camp Ramah and living in many different Jewish com- munities. It is when I can do my best praying because I am not only responsible for my own davening, but for the congregation before me:' Jacobson credits her singing abil- ity to her school days performing in musicals, though it is not necessary 62 September 10 • 2015 to be able to carry a tune to lead tefilot. But just as in show business, services must go on, even when the prayer leader is sick. "Sometimes I think God does not want me to daven," Jacobson joking- ly said, thinking about leading Rosh Hashanah services while fighting a cold. "It is moments like that when I really must remind myself that I am not up there [on the bimah] to sound pretty. I am an emissary for the congregation's tefilot to deliver them to God. That is what leading prayer is all about:' Stepping Up Last Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Norman Roman of Temple Kol Ami in West Bloomfield found himself not on the bimah but in the hospital. It was then that the congregation showed its strength and proudest moments, according to congregant Diane Siegel Di Vita of Northville, who helps coor- dinate monthly lay-led ser- vices at Kol Ami throughout the year. She said the entire execu- tive board filled Diane Siegel in to lead the Di Vita services and deliver sermons under the facilitation of Cantorial Soloist Tiffany Green. Roman's stepson Chad Rochkind delivered the Yom Kippur sermon. "What happened at Kol Ami last year was very community affirm- ing:' Green said. "It was important for our mem- bership to see fellow members stepping up to the plate at a moment's notice, and showed how they care for Tiffany Green their community through their leadership. Leading prayers shapes and grows our small congregation. It shows that our members care about what happens here:' In an effort to bring to his fellow JN congregants the meaningfulness of the season, Bruce Plisner, an active congregant at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township, designed with Rabbi Mark Miller a one-hour text study for Yom Kippur after- noon that will focus on the central themes of the day: the sounds of the shofar, fasting, repentance and forgiveness. Plisner, 68, of Farmington Hills said that Jews for generations have recited prayers such as the Ashamnu and the Unetana Tokef, but may not know their origin or significance. Through text study and rabbinical and contemporary commentaries, he hopes to enlight- en worshippers by offering them something less passive and more participatory. "During Yom Kippur, we say certain prayers over and over again that few people understand what or why we are saying them:' said Plisner, who said he tries to get to services during the year as much as he can to usher and lead. "We thought it would be meaningful to take a different approach to reading about the prayers through rabbinical interpretation. We will also examine the tradition of fast- ing and, through various texts, will explore who fasts and who is par- doned from fasting:' In synagogues and temples that do not have a cantor, rabbis such as Steven Rubenstein of Congregation Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield rely upon a deep core of capable and willing con- gregants to lead prayers. This year, there will be some A new Torah read- ers joining the . . ranks of volun- Rabbi Steven teers, he said. Rubenstein "Leading tefilot is a big part of our congregation's culture Rubenstein said. "Leading gives people the opportunity to be invested and involved in congrega- tional life. It makes services more enjoyable, not only for the High Holidays, but also throughout the entire year:' ❑ Bruce Plisner practices blowing a shofar to get ready for Tekiah Gedolah on Yom Kippur at Temple Beth El. Rachel Jacobson davening shacharit services in Shenandoah National Park Bob Levine of West Bloomfield, leading a service during Sukkot, is among many lay leaders for services at Beth Ahm.