26 | MARCH 9 • 2023
OUR COMMUNITY
C
ongregation Shaarey
Zedek in Southfield
has a new program
for kids of all ages and the
whole family: Drama &
Davening.
Drama & Davening blends
the traditional prayers of
Shabbat in Hebrew with
fun, dramatized versions of
the weekly Torah portion,
as well as icebreaker games
and an opportunity to lead
the congregation in the
final prayer of Adon Olam
on the bimah in the main
sanctuary. The program is
run by Ari Reis,
CSZ’s director of
Youth and Family
Learning, and
Annie Klinger,
CSZ’s youth
adviser.
The program
begins with an
opening prayer
to sing along
to, usually
something like
Shalom Rav, to
get everyone in
the mood.
Drama & Davening then
gets into “Make up your
own Midrash,” a “finish
your sentence” game where
participants sit around and
build their own story about,
ideally, the Torah. The game
is guided by Reis and Klinger
who are strategically placed
in between the kids so they
can add words to make it
into a Midrash.
“It becomes kind of a
fun exercise in free-flow
thinking,” Reis said.
The group also does a
circle walk, where all the
kids start walking around in
a circle and a leader calls out
someone or something they
need to act like.
“For example, we acted out
the 10 Plagues. So, we have
you walk through and you’d
cover your eyes and pretend
to be in the dark,” Reis
explained.
The program then gets
into basic introductory
prayers like Barechu, Ma
Tovu and Shema, and then
into the Torah service.
During the Torah service,
scripts are brought out for
the dramatized portion. Reis
always has a script of the
play for the week, but on
some occasions, like when
the kids are skewing young,
paper bag dramatics are
brought out instead.
“You get a bag full of
props and, if we’re talking
about the plagues, I would
come out and have different
props that look like plagues,
and the kids have to make a
play about these particular
plagues. If it’s really good,
potentially, it’s going to
make its way onto the main
bimah,” Reis said.
By that time, ending
prayers begin and there’s
often time for one more
game, such as an imagination
station where participants
use their creativity to
imagine themselves walking
through the Sea of Reeds
or any number of different
scenarios.
Then the kids head down
to the sanctuary and help
lead the final prayer of Adon
Olam. Finally, the group sits
together for kiddush and free
lunch after services.
“It’s a great program,” Reis
said. “We’re really hopeful
it’s going to continue to grow
because it’s very popular.”
Drama & Davening began
in October and takes place
one Shabbat a month. CSZ’s
Rabbi Aaron Starr and
Rabbi Yoni Dahlen are both
involved in the program as
well.
Reis is hoping to expand
it further next year by
hiring more professionals.
Rabbi Yoni is interested in
hiring people from theater
companies to come and
actually teach the acting, and
they’re applying for a grant
to allow them to do that.
Reis believes the program’s
interactivity and its way of
blending tefillah, theater
and impromptu, informal
learning is what sets it apart.
“It feeds the creative
energy we need in Judaism,”
he said.
“Kids are excited to come
to shul, put on a costume
and pretend to have a staff
like Moses or that there’s
frogs raining down on them,
and just play around, have
some fun and then associate
that with learning, Torah,
Judaism and community.
“The more fun and
inviting we can make shul,
the more people will come.”
Congregation Shaarey Zedek’s
new program blends tefillah,
theater and learning.
Drama &
Davening
Ari Reis
Annie
Klinger
DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER
Can include multiple images & any design!