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Deconstructing and Demystifying the Morning Minyan By Glen Gilbert: What is it about the morning minyan that makes it so misunderstood and mysterious for so many? The vast majority of JCCH congregants know it mostly as a quick reference in blast e-mails or the subject of quickly forgotten pleas for attendees during Shabbat service announcements. Its status, it would appear, is usually relegated to that of an afterthought. I know it was for me. All that changed as a function of a discussion I had with Rabbi Glazer over a year ago. He was bemoaning the fact that reaching the requisite attendance for the minyan had “just been missed” that morning. There were nine Jewish adults vs. the minimum ten required to read the Torah, recite Kaddish and engage in the more meaningful parts of the morning (or Shacharit) service. The Rabbi went on to share with me that God or the Shekhinah weeps when a minyan is missed. Feeling sad about the Rabbi’s comments and driven by an unusual burst of desire to do mitzvot, I offered myself up as someone who “in a pinch” could be called upon to run over to the JCCH if it would help complete a morning minyan. I gave the Rabbi my cell phone number and promptly forgot about our conversation. The Rabbi didn’t. A week later, I got a call at 7:15AM asking if I could, in fact, attend that morning’s minyan as they otherwise likely would come up short. This leads me to an important rule that will be found neither in Torah nor Talmud: If you give your cell phone number to a rabbi and say that you will consider attending morning minyan, sooner or later (most likely sooner) that phone will ring. Before you know it, you’ll be hustling off to shul, foggy-minded, pillow-haired and bleary-eyed. You’ll likely be wearing yesterday’s pair of pants (found crumpled on the closet floor), a slightly ripped polo shirt usually reserved for yard work and a pair of unmatched socks (note: trust me, this is perfectly OK and, as I’ve since learned, is haute couture for morning minyan). And so I was careening down the Hutch on this particular Thursday morning (within prescribed speed limits of course), likely taking God’s name in vain as I waited for school buses to engorge their precious cargo so they could move on, banking on two wheels into the JCCH driveway, leaving rubber on Norton Shargel Drive (to the extent that one can do so in a Ford Edge) and screeching to a halt in front of the small sanctuary. It was 7:30. I wasn’t certain what was in store for the rest of my day, but I took pride in knowing that already at this early hour, I had broken the land speed record between 24 White Deer Lane and 130 Union Avenue To be quite clear, I had more than a little trepidation walking into the small sanctuary that day. I envisioned those attending minyan as resembling Talmudic scholars with long flowing white beards, talit the size of bed sheets and speaking mostly in tongues. My impression probably came right out of some 16th century woodcut I had seen during Hebrew School days. My perception couldn’t have been more ill-founded. Those at JCCH minyans represent all ages, both genders, and every conceivable level of Jewish knowledge and experience. They are gracious, upbeat and make one feel thoroughly welcome and at home. For those, like myself, who would like to know more about navigating through the service, the Rabbi, Cantor or one of the “minyanaires” are more-than-happy to help. For others who simply would like to pray or reflect by themselves, their privacy and space are completely respected. The setting is intimate and, frankly, the prayers take on new meaning when one can focus so completely on them. The Rabbi offers brief spiritual “nuggets” along the way (including a d’var torah at the conclusion of the service) which not only are insightful but also can easily be applied to our day-to-day activities. Not unlike morning exercise of the physical kind (resulting in endorphins coursing through our systems), one feels a sense of accomplishment and well-being of a more spiritual kind following these services. The minyan lasts no more than an hour and, in effect, is a highly abbreviated version of the Saturday morning service. That said, minyan provides an easy means of appreciating the structure and significance of what goes on across the foyer during Shabbat. Minyan also serves a most important purpose for those in our community who are “saying Kaddish” out of respect for departed loved ones. They can only do so if a full minyan is present. In this regard, being part of a minyan is a way of “paying forward” for those times that you may want or need to recite Kaddish. Your participation—if only occasionally—helps ensure that we are there for one another as a community. For me, this is one of the most important and gratifying aspects of being a member of the JCCH. It’s worth noting that after minyan there is a light breakfast served. For those not catching a train or otherwise getting on with their day, they can spend a few extra minutes noshing on bagels, cream cheese, coffee and, with luck, any one of a number of leftovers from an event that took place the night or weekend before (the Cantor is particularly adept at unearthing such treasure). The talk is light and upbeat, spanning topics from Israel to sports to the weather. I remember one particularly spirited conversation revolving around the epic, Beowulf (and when, may I ask, was the last time you had a really good Beowulf discussion? Be honest now.) All this said, I hope you will find the time to daven at a morning minyan. I readily acknowledge that life intervenes—as it often does for me—thus preventing attendance. On the other hand, if you’re able to attend even one or two minyans a year (coinciding, perhaps, with a family yartzeit or on vacation days when attendees are especially needed), you will be doing a mitzvah for the JCCH community and, if I may be so bold, enjoying some spiritual nourishment for yourself as you begin your day. Minyan is typically held on Monday and Thursdays at 7AM and on Sundays at 9AM (you may want to double-check the JCCH calendar, particular during major secular and Jewish holidays). During the summer months, we are “combining forces” with KTI, davening at their synagogue in Port Chester on Sundays and back at the JCCH for weekday minyanim. If I’m in our small sanctuary when you are, I promise to be the first to wish you “boker tov” (“good morning”), show you where we are in the prayer book and extend a heartfelt thanks for joining us.
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