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Minyan Aids
Apps can help locate minyans, even rustle up 10 participants.
Shari S. Cohen | Contributing Writer
F
An example
of the Minyan
Now app
or observant Jews who
minyanim worldwide with times
travel, finding a local shul
and contacts. “You type in the zip
for Shacharit or Minchah
code for minyanim for five or 10
services can be a challenge, often
miles of where you are on a busi-
with some time pressure.
ness trip and it’s 75 to 80 percent
“It is much better to pray with a
accurate,” Heber says.
minyan,” says Zev Cohen, an Oak
“There are new minyans all the
Park resident and Yeshiva gradu-
time, and GoDaven is much easi-
ate, who travels often for his real
er than using a written directory
estate company. Finding a min- Ronnie
or a Federation website,” he adds.
Schwartz
yan became a lot easier when
Another app, Minyan Now,
he discovered the Minyan
enables users to create an imme-
Maven smartphone applica-
diate minyan through software
tion last year. “When it came
developed by brothers Ronnie
out, it was revolutionary,”
and Barry Schwartz of New
he says.
Jersey, who own Rusty Brick, a
Locations and times are
web application development
updated regularly, and
firm. “It’s designed for ad hoc
users can find a nearby
minyanim,” Ronnie Schwartz
minyan by typing in
explains. He used it to create a
Rabbi Aaron
their location and the
minyan while vacationing in the
Starr
time, Cohen explains.
Animal Kingdom in Florida over
He has used it in New
winter break, bringing together
York, Baltimore and Detroit
more than enough participants for a min-
and finds it extremely helpful. yan.
Rabbi Yosi Heber of Oak
The Minyan Now app tracks the user’s
Park, president of Oxford
location when logged in and will report
Hill Partners, a marketing
the number of other users within a 10-mile
firm, uses GoDaven.com.
area so that they can communicate. “When
This website provides a
10 people commit, everyone gets a notice.
database of Orthodox
The notification feature can be turned off,”
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To find a minyan: GoDaven.com, Minyan Now (www.
rustybrick.com) or Google Play, and Minyan Maven at
Google Play.
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as well as furniture
he says. Schwartz used it successfully on
the top floor of a mall and says that it is
also popular at sporting events.
According to Schwartz, 14,000 individu-
als have signed up for it and almost 4,000
minyanim have been created.
“We want to leverage technology to
make life easier. It’s dedicated to our moth-
er,” he says. Rusty Brick also offers a “smart
siddur” app, which he says adapts for the
appropriate prayers based on the day and
time it is used. (There is a charge for this.)
Congregation Shaarey Zedek, a
Conservative congregation in Southfield,
is usually able to bring together a minyan
without difficulty, especially because both
men and women are counted. However,
Rabbi Aaron Starr says the congregation
is considering the creation of an app for
individuals to confirm their presence for
a minyan to ensure 10 participants in
advance.
“Our thought is how can we do it better?
We live stream services and initially were
afraid that this might diminish attendance
but actually more people come in than
before,” he says.
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