22 | MARCH 16 • 2023 

OUR COMMUNITY

I

n mid-2019, Volunteer Ritual 
Chair Marc Sussman and 
Congregation B’nai Moshe 
leadership got together to reju-
venate and create an alternative 
Shabbat morning experience, 
something different 
from the usual. 
Several ideas were 
brainstormed about 
what people would 
be interested in. 
What they ended 
up formulating 
was a Shabbat 
Experience unique to the con-
gregation in more ways than 
one. 
The first part is sort of a ser-
vice, but it’s big on spirituality, 
mindfulness and gratefulness.
When in prayer, the group 
might hum or sing a line not 
ordinarily from the usual prayer 
service. There’s a lot of call-and- 
response singing involved. The 
participants pay attention to the 
world around them. It’s medi-
tative. 
“There’s closing the eyes and 
stretching out the words and 
sensing our breathing in and 
out, that’s what we do with half 
a dozen or so different passages,
” 
Sussman said. “We talk about 
the soul, the spirit, breath and 
wind, and how those concepts 
are intertwined. We’ll sing a line 
from Ashrei. We’ll talk about 
thankfulness, the things that 
make us grateful or happy that 
occurred during the past week. 
It’s highly spiritual.
”

There’s a certain amount of 
variety, session after session, of 
the things they do — often guid-
ed by the desires of the group. 
“
An important part of daven-
ing for anybody is this element 
of connection you have to have; 
otherwise, it’s just saying words,
” 
Sussman said. “We try to make it 
as meaningful as possible.
” 
B’nai Moshe Executive 
Director Steve Fine said, “The 
first part is sort of like yoga 
without the stretching.
” 
Most of all, in a world filled 
with responsibilities and pres-
sures, the B’nai Moshe Shabbat 
Experience seeks to renew one’s 
soul.
“That’s our biggest goal,
” 
Sussman stated. “Instead of peo-
ple just saying they went to shul, 
we want them to say, ‘I went to 
this Shabbat Experience, and I 
feel refreshed and renewed.
’”
The second part 
of the Shabbat 
Experience is an 
interactive dis-
cussion session 
almost always 
about some 
aspect of prayer, 
often focused on 
learning about 
the prayers people 
have been saying 
for years that they maybe have 
never given any deep thought to. 
Sussman leads this part, and he 
says he’s learned a tremendous 
amount in the process.
“It’s a discussion of, ‘What do 

you think of this prayer? Does 
this touch you? Does it uplift 
you? Did you like or dislike say-
ing these words? Do you think 
you can or can’t say these words 
honestly?’ That’s what we get 
into in our jolly little group.
”
Sussman says the congrega-
tion encourages anyone to try 
the experience — members 
and non-members, friends and 
acquaintances — and to come as 
you are. 
“It’s a pretty good variety of 
prayer experience and medita-
tive experience,
” Sussman said. 
“I’ve never been one for doing 
that, closing your eyes and expe-
riencing the world 
around you. But I 
really like it. It’s a 
nice opportunity 
for me to just take 
it easy.
”
The group first 
met in February 
2020. After meet-
ing in person a 
few times, they 
stopped for sever-
al months due to the pandemic, 
then started up on Zoom before 
returning to meet face-to-face 
around November 2021.
The experience takes place 
every three to four weeks in 

the chapel at B’nai Moshe. Both 
parts typically last around 45 
minutes each. 
One of the major forces 
behind the experience is Hannah 
Fine, who originally led the first 
part. When she accepted a job 
out of town, her 
parents Steve and 
Elyse took it over. 
“We have referred 
to the experience as 
the best-kept secret 
at B’nai Moshe,
” 
Steve Fine said. “It’s 
different. It’s not like sitting in a 
sanctuary, but that’s one of the 
beauties of it.
” 
More than anything, B’nai 
Moshe views it as a chance to 
experience Shabbat in a different 
way. 
“Somebody once said that, in 
this program, we learn prayers 
both holy and wholly. That’s a 
really good way to express it,
” 
Fine said. “We wanted to try 
another way to reach people. 
If you find that the sanctuary 
service is not for you, give this a 
try.
” 

Learn more and find dates for the B’nai 

Moshe Shabbat Experience at www.

bnaimoshe.org and www.facebook.

com/BnaiMoshe. 

Congregation B’nai Moshe’s 
Shabbat Experience is a unique 
alternative to the usual.

B’nai Moshe’s 
Best Kept Secret

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

Hannah 
Fine

Marc 
Sussman

Elyse and 
Steve Fine 

