Could someone help me. If I've got a community which is willing to come on Shabbat but will only stay for 30 to 45 minutes, making it the only window during which we have a minyan, what are the essentials that must be covered during that window?
Avi

One essential thing to cover is something which will make them enjoy the experience to the point of wanting to come for longer so that all the essentials and the joy of Shabbos davening with a minyan will be covered.

Perhaps they would enjoy hearing a prayer leader articulate and enunciate the Shemoneh Esrei ?

Perhaps a discussion aliyah by aliyah of what is happening in the Torah reading, in between a nicely chanted Torah reading?

Perhaps simply a set of well-organized siddurim with no need to flip many pages, and where it is made clear to everyone at what page the minyan should be on?

To where they are coming and some sense of how they are getting there might help to put relative priority to the customized service appropriate for such a minyan, for example serious Shomer Shabbos congregants would be expected to come early and daven without a minyan, but...

With the expectation that enough of a minyan will be coming later to merit a Torah Layning, and a Mussaf Shemoneh Esrei with Kedusha and repetition, and several opportunities for Kaddish could be arranged assuming that those who might for example be unconcerned with driving to a shul on Shabbos would not be overly concerned with reciting Shema within its time constraints, or mind having missed the opportunity to daven Shachris Shemoneh Esrei with a minyan?

Rob,
Your response is not very clear to me. Are you saying;
Torah Layning,
Mussaf Shemoneh Esrei,
Kedusha and repetition
are the essentials that must be covered during that window?
Avi

Sorry that I wasn't clear... big preface... I have no idea what are the halachic essentials, but from a practical standpoint I recommend that you start davening the preliminary stuff first so that as soon as you achieve your half hour duration minyan that you are ready to utilize that capability for Torah layning and Kedusha, but...

That you try to figure out what keeps them from wanting to be there for a full 2 - 3 hour proper service, and anticipating that the barriers could be:
+ siddur confusion
+ not understanding the prayer leader
+ not being captivated by the content of the parsha as read during layning

And hopefully in not too many weeks they will be interested in staying for longer than the 30 minutes you currently feel constrained to!

I would say that you should be holding right before Yishtabach when they come (They should say quickly Baruch Sheamar, Ashrei, Nishmas and Yishtabach) say Birchas Krias Shema with Shema. Shmone Esrei and then Mussaf (no time really for Laining)

How about a having someone sponsor a Kiddush with cholent, cake, herring, liqueur etc. and have them join it. This way, they'll have the "Davenning" experience and then some food to get them thinking that coming to shul is not just about prayer, but some food too.

I do suggest that you Contact the NCSY and perhaps they'll be able to help you.

Rav Chaim,
Would it be okay to start the Layning after Mussaf? That way it can start while there is still a minyan.

Rob,
The reason they are not coming to minyan is because they are shopping and sipping coffee at Starbucks and visiting in the local bistros....it's "Saturday morning". However, if minyan is "short", they will show up.

Sam,
Food is already part of the program. That gets them in the door, but getting them to stay long enough for a meaningful minyan is the trick. Some will just eat and run.

quote:

Originally posted by Avi d'Israeli:
Rav Chaim,
Would it be okay to start the Layning after Mussaf? That way it can start while there is still a minyan.

I learnt this past Shabbos that in public one doesn't change the order of the Davenning bec. someone who doesn't know the Law will think that this is the regular way to do so.

quote:

Originally posted by Avi d'Israeli:
Sam,
Food is already part of the program. That gets them in the door, but getting them to stay long enough for a meaningful minyan is the trick. Some will just eat and run.

How about someone who has money to donate, to offer them some monetary incentive if they stay?

Quote "Rav Chaim,
Would it be okay to start the Layning after Mussaf? That way it can start while there is still a minyan"

I couldn't find anything yet as a definitive answer. Though in the beginning of Simon 55 it says that if you start with 10 and some walk out you can finish the Inyon with 6, but the implication there is only if they started with the though they would stay for the whole thing and are not allowed to leave. then if some leave, then you're allowed to finish. Here you want to start L'Chatchila with the knowledge they won't stay, that I don't think it's permitting. Maybe I'll look into it more to see if there is a Heter somewhere for it.

I hope its OK for me to jump in with this when its not exactly sticking to the question:
My father does a rather short weekday shacharis because we`ve not been religious for long and its what he does(so far!).I dont know if he covers the essentials for weekday shacharis but he does:Ma Tovu,Hodu,Ashrei,Shema,Amida,Aleinu.Are these the essentials for the weekday shacharis?.......and if they are,I also would like to know what should be added for shabbos?Thanks,David

quote:

I dont know if he covers the essentials for weekday shacharis but he does:Ma Tovu,Hodu,Ashrei,Shema,Amida,Aleinu.Are these the essentials for the weekday shacharis?.......

The Blessings of "Baruch She'amar" and "Yishtabach" are pretty important and don't take long.

Try and extend the Shema by also saying the Blessings before and after it. Actually, for Shacharis it is pretty important that the Amidah comes immediately after (i.e. with no interruption) the Blessing "Ga'al Yisrael", so the Blessings of the Shema ought to be said if possible.

quote:

in public one doesn't change the order of the Davenning bec. someone who doesn't know the Law will think that this is the regular way to do so.

When davening with a yeshiva it very often happens that the chazan's repetition up until Kedusha precedes the congregation's silent recital of Shemoneh Esrei.

If this type of innovation is acceptable, why is it that other changes in the ordering of davening cannot be tolerated for a purpose such as establishing Avi's regular minyan?

quote:

When davening with a yeshiva it very often happens that the chazan's repetition up until Kedusha precedes the congregation's silent recital of Shemoneh Esrei.

I'm afraid I don't understand this. The chazan and the kehilla should start the Shemoneh Esrei togther and the repetition doesn't usually start until there is a Minyan who have completed their silent Shemoneh Esrei. They may also wait for the Rav/Rosh Yeshiva to finish.

It's apparently called Heikhe Kadusha, and I have seen it typically at Mincha.

The signal for when to expect this modified service is a clop sound. Yet a clop sound is also given to indicate a reminder for a secial davening, such as Rosh Chodesh.

Today a single clop was given and it was ambiguous whether it was for Heikhe Kadusha or for Rosh Chodesh, so a voice clarified that it was only the latter.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Sam-,

quote:

The reason they are not coming to minyan is because they are shopping and sipping coffee at Starbucks and visiting in the local bistros....it's "Saturday morning". However, if minyan is "short", they will show up.

Avi
I realize you posted this in December so I don't know if it is still relavent.
Its great that you are geting people to come to Shabat minyan even if it short.
That is a great way to do kiruv, getting people who are shopping in the area to come and daven.

You should just be careful that people don't end up comming only for the purpose of the minyan if they are driving there.
I mean it is ok if they are there anyways for other reasons, but if they end up liking the experience and will come specifically for that it is a problem if they drive there.

Baruch,
Thanks for that point. It has been a bone of contention between me and the local Lubavitch Rav who encourages people to drive 10 miles out of town to his minyan on Shabbat. I still don't understand why he doesn't feel strange being the only frum man in the community and creating circumstances that force unsuspecting Jews to desecrate Shabbat. Many feel that as long as they are driving to the rabbi who wears a black coat on Shabbat they are doing a great mitzvah. In so doing he has created a de facto community standard unwittingly. When some refuse to drive to his program on Shabbat it's as if there is something wrong with them because he has created a standard emulated by the majority of Jews who don't know any better. He had the opportunity to set up shop downtown where most Jews live, but decided to set up 10 miles out because it was "nicer"....but no Jews live there. I'm creating this minyan specifically for people who live downtown so they can just walk to minyan. People who drive to town to shop and get amused will continue to do so and it is my hope there will be a minyan for them.
Avi

Avi,
Yishar Koach on your work.
I am somewhat surprised with what you say about chabad.