2008 Woodie Awards
Students Organize New Carlebach-style Kabbalat Shabbat Minyan
In an effort to increase ruchniut on campus, a group of students have created a more musical minyan experience
Jonathan Pelzner
Issue date: 10/22/07 Section: Features
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The year spent by many students in Israel is often a time of many new experiences. In particular, an event every student encounters is the lively Kabbalat Shabbat service conducted Friday night. What makes that davening such an inspiring experience are the niggunim composed by the late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, wherein the students, along with their rebbeim, join together in harmonious melody, welcoming the Shabbat Queen in song. While the Friday night davening at Yeshiva College is an experience enjoyed by many, there are students that perceived a lack of that inspirational feeling they had attained while in Israel.
This issue was addressed at the end of the previous academic year when a group of students got together with the intent of capturing the same enthusiasm and vitality they had come to know from their Israel yeshivot.
When asked about the motivation for creating the minyan, Harry Portman (YC '09), one of the original organizers of the YU Carlebach minyan responded, "After spending my first year at YU following two years in Israel at Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh, I found the Kabbalat Shabbat minyanim to be a little dry. I talked to some friends about the idea of recreating the atmosphere of simcha we experienced in our Israeli yeshivot during Kabbalat Shabbat, and our minyan was born."
Bezalel Wasser (YC '09), another founding member and ardent supporter of the Carlebach minyan, added his own beliefs about the hashkafic purpose behind the service. "Reb Shlomo Carlebach brought down countless niggunim that have allowed Jews today to infuse their Shabbat and tefillah with bursting excitement. We have therefore chosen to bring this to YU in order to usher in Shabbat with great love for Hashem."
The test-run of the minyan was the last Shabbat of the previous semester, during the tense period of final examinations. Portman, Wasser and others spread news of their idea to create a new minyan by word of mouth, and over thirty people attended that first minyan in Klein Hall. Portman felt that the timing of the initial minyan was fortunate, since many students sought a spiritual release from the growing pressure of their workloads.
So far this year the minyan has received a modest 20 students in attendance the first week, swelling to 50 at the second, following an extensive wave of advertising around the Wilf campus. Portman hopes that the additional support will ensure that the Carlebach minyan will continue to be offered weekly. He noted one positive aspect of the minyan's attendees have come from the various different backgrounds and morning programs represented within the larger student body. "It is a very good feeling to be amongst a group of peers where everyone is intent on enhancing and enjoying their Kabbalat Shabbat davening," he said.
One concern students may have about attending the minyan is that due to the nature of the davening, services will drag on for too long, causing attendees to miss the beginning of dinner in the cafeteria. In order to prevent this problem from occurring, while at the same time ensuring as much possible time for singing (and dancing), the minyan begins Mincha five minutes before the main Beit Midrash, and lacks the lengthy Dvar Torah before Ma'ariv. Thus far, the timing precaution has only caused the students attending the minyan to get to dinner at the same time or even earlier than those davening in the main beit midrash.
This minyan is a wonderful option for anyone who misses the particular style of davening they became accustomed to in Israel, as well as people who want to try something new. Portman concluded his remarks by saying that the organizers of the Carlebach minyan would like to "welcome and encourage everyone to attend the minyan for an uplifting way to welcome Shabbat together with their peers." The Carlebach Minyan is held every week in Klein Hall (also known as the Muss Beit Midrash), 5 minutes before the scheduled Minha in the Main Beit Midrash.
This issue was addressed at the end of the previous academic year when a group of students got together with the intent of capturing the same enthusiasm and vitality they had come to know from their Israel yeshivot.
When asked about the motivation for creating the minyan, Harry Portman (YC '09), one of the original organizers of the YU Carlebach minyan responded, "After spending my first year at YU following two years in Israel at Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh, I found the Kabbalat Shabbat minyanim to be a little dry. I talked to some friends about the idea of recreating the atmosphere of simcha we experienced in our Israeli yeshivot during Kabbalat Shabbat, and our minyan was born."
Bezalel Wasser (YC '09), another founding member and ardent supporter of the Carlebach minyan, added his own beliefs about the hashkafic purpose behind the service. "Reb Shlomo Carlebach brought down countless niggunim that have allowed Jews today to infuse their Shabbat and tefillah with bursting excitement. We have therefore chosen to bring this to YU in order to usher in Shabbat with great love for Hashem."
The test-run of the minyan was the last Shabbat of the previous semester, during the tense period of final examinations. Portman, Wasser and others spread news of their idea to create a new minyan by word of mouth, and over thirty people attended that first minyan in Klein Hall. Portman felt that the timing of the initial minyan was fortunate, since many students sought a spiritual release from the growing pressure of their workloads.
So far this year the minyan has received a modest 20 students in attendance the first week, swelling to 50 at the second, following an extensive wave of advertising around the Wilf campus. Portman hopes that the additional support will ensure that the Carlebach minyan will continue to be offered weekly. He noted one positive aspect of the minyan's attendees have come from the various different backgrounds and morning programs represented within the larger student body. "It is a very good feeling to be amongst a group of peers where everyone is intent on enhancing and enjoying their Kabbalat Shabbat davening," he said.
One concern students may have about attending the minyan is that due to the nature of the davening, services will drag on for too long, causing attendees to miss the beginning of dinner in the cafeteria. In order to prevent this problem from occurring, while at the same time ensuring as much possible time for singing (and dancing), the minyan begins Mincha five minutes before the main Beit Midrash, and lacks the lengthy Dvar Torah before Ma'ariv. Thus far, the timing precaution has only caused the students attending the minyan to get to dinner at the same time or even earlier than those davening in the main beit midrash.
This minyan is a wonderful option for anyone who misses the particular style of davening they became accustomed to in Israel, as well as people who want to try something new. Portman concluded his remarks by saying that the organizers of the Carlebach minyan would like to "welcome and encourage everyone to attend the minyan for an uplifting way to welcome Shabbat together with their peers." The Carlebach Minyan is held every week in Klein Hall (also known as the Muss Beit Midrash), 5 minutes before the scheduled Minha in the Main Beit Midrash.