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COEJL PROGRAM BANK
View Programs
Sunrise Service
COEJL
info@coejl.org
Source: To Till and To Tend
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Sunrise Service At-a-Glance
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This program uses the regular morning service as a means of helping people to be conscious of the miracle of each day.
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| Audience:
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Ages 11-13
Ages 14-17 (High School)
Ages 18-21 (College)
Family/Community
Seniors
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| Facility:
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Outdoors (Camp)
Outdoors (Park/Wilderness)
Outdoors (Urban/Suburban)
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| Program Type:
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Bible/Text
Game/Hike/Outdoor Activity
Prayer and Liturgy
Social Activity
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| Issues:
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Spiritual Awareness
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| Holiday:
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Shabbat
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Description
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This service can be held anytime in the morning, but if it is done at daybreak, something few of us ever see, the experience is greatly enhanced.
1) Location and provisions
The service should be held in a quiet outdoor setting. Because people will be waking up early, you should bring coffee or hot chocolate, Juice, and doughnuts or bagels for after the service. Everyone will be much happier if you remember these "essentials."
2) Opening
The program can begin with the following famous words traditionally used as part of the High Holiday shofar service:
Uru y?shenim, mishnatchem!.. v?zichru borachem, eylu hashochachim et ha?emet b?havlei hazman.
Awake, you sleepers from your slumber! Remember your Creator, you who forget the eternal truth in the routine of daily life. (Maimonides, Hilchot Teshuva, 3:4)
Although the following two prayers will be repeated later in most services, if they are not, they are also quite appropriate here and will help to get everyone's attention. If they are included later in the service, special attention should be called to them before beginning the relevant portion of the service:
Baruch Atah Ha-Shem, Elokeinu Melech ha'olam, hanotein laya?ef koach.
Blessed are you the Eternal our God and Universal Ruler, Who gives strength to the weary.
Baruch Atah Ha-Shem, Elokeinu Melech ha'olam, hama?avir sheinah me?einai u?t?numah me?afapai.
Blessed are you the Eternal our God and Universal Ruler, who removes sleep from my eyes and slumber from my eyelids.
3) Story
Now that you have awakened the sleepers from their slumber, read the story from Genesis (28:10-22) about a realization that came to the patriarch Jacob upon waking from his dream of seeing a ladder reaching to Heaven. The most relevant lines are verses 16 and 17, when Jacob says "Surely the Eternal is present in this place and I did not know it! ... How awesome is this place! This is none other than the abode of God..." Jacob's realization can apply to any of us, at any place on Earth. Stress that God is present everywhere. If you have chosen the site for the service wisely, the group will see what you mean, and they too will be able to say, "How awesome is this place!" Ask a few people in the group to mention places in nature that they have felt are "awesome."
4) Service
Now begin the service as you normally would, mentioning to the group that the Hebrew for the morning service, Shacharit, means daybreak. Go carefully through the service, asking people to take their time and to read the English when necessary - it is very important that people understand and think about what they are reading - but also try to maintain a flow throughout the service, in order to keep everyone involved.
a. You will be pausing occasionally during the service and asking the group to pay close attention to particular prayers in their siddur (prayer book) or to insert a passage that appears on their handouts.
b. When you reach the prayer that begins "Baruch she?amar..." "Blessed is the One who spoke...... ask the group to pay close attention to the words. If it is appropriate to your practice, have the entire group say this passage together in English.
c. After reading the above prayer, read the first seven lines of Psalm 19, which speaks of the cycle of the day, describing in lines 6 and 7 the power of the sun. If it is not included in your prayer book, refer to the handouts.
d. As you begin the portion of the service preceding the Shema, if it is appropriate to your practice, draw attention to the line that says that God renews the work of creation every day, and ask a few members of the group to give their thoughts on the meaning of this renewal.
e. Before beginning the Amidah, if appropriate, read together the prayer composed by Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav included in the handout. The Amidah is the portion of the service that gives us an opportunity for silent meditation and reflection. Ask everyone to take a moment to think about what being outdoors means to them. After the service, you may want to ask the group to share their reflections.
f. After the Amidah, the group may recite one or more of the "final" prayers found in the handout.
g. To end the service, before saying the Aleinu, ask the group to sing Eili, Eili, or a similar song, in both Hebrew and English.
5) Closing
Once you have finished the service, it is time to eat. Ask the group to pay attention to the words of ha-motzi - it literally thanks God for bringing forth bread from the earth. The sages who wrote this blessing were much more aware than we are today, with store-bought bread, how much human labor is involved in the making of bread. This blessing reminds us that we work in partnership with God.
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Materials Needed
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Siddurim, enough copies of the material included at as an attachment for the entire group; pencil and paper for everyone. It is nice if there is someone who can play an instrument (not a piano) and read music. Something to nosh on for breakfast is also a plus.
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Benchmarks
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This service if done well can help participants find a new connection and deeper meaning in traditional prayers.
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Preparation Time
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This program needs to be well thought out and planed. The amount of time it takes to prepare will depend on the leader's familiarity with Shacharit/the morning prayer service. I would plan at least two hours. One hour alone will be necessary just to gather, prepare and familiarize yourself with the texts.
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Activity Time
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Attached Files
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Comments
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This program added on 2003-04-11.
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Programs placed on the Jewish Environmental Educator's Program Bank are
solely the property of the program submitter. COEJL has no right or
interest in the posted programs and is making no representations or
warranties concerning same. All inquiries concerning programs should be
forwarded directly to the program submitter.
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