Dorshei Derekh
Encyclopedia
Dorshei Derekh is a Jewish prayer group ("minyan
") at Germantown Jewish Centre in the Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia. Its name is Hebrew for "Seekers of a Way." The minyan is an affiliate of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
.
Its participatory, lay-led services, largely in Hebrew and including Torah
discussions involving personal reflections, were part of a national trend of havurot and minyan
im as alternatives to formal synagogue
services.
The minyan grew and attracted new residents to the West Mt. Airy neighborhood. Within a few years, the minyan had up to 100 participants and divided into several minyanim, one of which was more traditional and one more flexible.
After various changes and reorganizations, these two descendants of the Germantown Minyan formed minyanim that continue today.
The more traditional group, dubbed the “206 Minyan” after the room in which it davvened
(prayed), changed rooms and re-named itself Minyan Masorti.
The other group, more open to liturgical creativity, met biweekly. Some new members allied themselves with that minyan, and the combined group began meeting in the fall of 1986, settling on the name Dorshei Derekh. This choice was clearly influenced by the Jerusalem congregation Mevakshei Derekh, a Reconstructionist
-influenced community that was then independent (more recently affiliated with the Progressive/Reform
movement).
Perhaps the greatest change from the 1970s or early 1980s has been the re-imagination of the Germantown Jewish Centre as a “multi-minyan” congregation. Dorshei Derekh is no longer viewed as “those other people” but as a key part of the congregation. Many Germantown Jewish Centre committee chairs, officers, and board members have come from Dorshei Derekh, including two recent congregational presidents, Helen Feinberg and Rachel Falkove. In addition, minyan members are involved in education and social action projects with the wider congregation.
The minyan itself has constituted a caring community, providing meals and other support for members with illness and at times of loss or of births. This support is based on community connection, not only on who is a close personal friend. The minyan has always attempted to welcome newcomers, but the transient situations of many in our community have made that challenging. The minyan has encouraged people to acquire new liturgical and leadership skills.
There have always been considerable numbers of people in the minyan with substantial Jewish knowledge, enriching the community. While many of these are Reconstructionist rabbis and rabbinical students, there are also very knowledgeable lay people. This has made it possible for many to take part in leading the group and in adding to the ideas in discussions.
Germantown Minyan members were part of a network of East Coast havurot that met several times a year from the early 1970s until 1981 at Weiss’ Farm in New Jersey and later at Fellowship Farm near Philadelphia. These networks formed a basis for the National Havurah Committee, and numerous Dorshei Derekh members have participated in NHC events and leadership. The minyan has organized its own in-town and out-of-town retreats a number of times, most recently in the fall of 2006.
a) Rotating leadership. The minyan coordinator (a chairperson) rotates every six months and with the past coordinator and coordinator-elect forms a three-person mazkirut (secretariat) for decisions that cannot wait. In general, the minyan coordinator position is filled alternately by women and men.
b) Participatory decision-making is maintained through quarterly minyan meetings, though attendance is not usually large.
Shabbat
morning and festival services involve a number of key minhagim. The minyan arranges its space in a circle or semicircle, which emphasizes community rather than a leader.
Services include a good deal of Hebrew, with English readings or interpretations sometimes added by a leader. Pesukei d’zimra (introductory psalms
) with much singing are often emphasized. The Amidah
includes the matriarchs, and some participants phrase blessings in alternative or feminine Hebrew.
The Torah reading is done on a triennial cycle
, typically with three (rather than seven) aliyot
. A key part of the Torah service is the misheberakh blessings, as people volunteer for aliyot to mark events in their lives and receive recognition from the community: birthdays, new jobs, new academic ventures, arriving and departing for Israel
, departing for college, a yahrzeit, a new apartment or home. These combined Hebrew and English individual prayers are a way the minyan shares news and support.
While officially retaining it as an option, Dorshei Derekh generally omits the haftarah
(prophetic reading) except for a few times a year. (The monthly women’s haftarah project in the 1990s was an exception.) Its omission allows for a longer Torah discussion, which follows a d’var Torah. The minyan avoids centralized leadership in these discussions by having each speaker call on the next person. For 20 years, speakers alternated between men and women to assure gender equality, until this practice was suspended as an experiment in the summer of 2006. (If there were more women present than men, a step originated to advance women’s participation might actually limit it.)
The Musaf service at Dorshei Derekh is an additional reading, poem, or story rather than another service.
The service concludes with introductions, announcements, and a member-provided kiddush
. Occasionally a longer lunch and discussion follow services.
The minyan originally used the Conservative
Silverman
siddur
with unwritten modifications, but after the Reconstructionist siddur Kol Haneshamah (edited by a minyan member, David Teutsch) was published in 1994, it was adopted by the minyan “as an experiment.”
Minyan
A minyan in Judaism refers to the quorum of ten Jewish adults required for certain religious obligations. According to many non-Orthodox streams of Judaism adult females count in the minyan....
") at Germantown Jewish Centre in the Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia. Its name is Hebrew for "Seekers of a Way." The minyan is an affiliate of the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
Jewish Reconstructionist Federation founded in 1955, is the synagogue arm of Reconstructionist Judaism, serving more than 100 congregations and havurot spread across North America. It is located at 101 Greenwood Ave., Suite 430 in Jenkintown, PA....
and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism is the primary organization of synagogues practicing Conservative Judaism in North America...
.
Early history
The genesis of Dorshei Derekh goes back to the Germantown Minyan, started in 1974 by Rachel Falkove, Michael Masch, and others. Shortly after its first meeting it moved to Germantown Jewish Centre.Its participatory, lay-led services, largely in Hebrew and including Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
discussions involving personal reflections, were part of a national trend of havurot and minyan
Minyan
A minyan in Judaism refers to the quorum of ten Jewish adults required for certain religious obligations. According to many non-Orthodox streams of Judaism adult females count in the minyan....
im as alternatives to formal synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
services.
The minyan grew and attracted new residents to the West Mt. Airy neighborhood. Within a few years, the minyan had up to 100 participants and divided into several minyanim, one of which was more traditional and one more flexible.
After various changes and reorganizations, these two descendants of the Germantown Minyan formed minyanim that continue today.
The more traditional group, dubbed the “206 Minyan” after the room in which it davvened
Jewish services
Jewish prayer are the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book....
(prayed), changed rooms and re-named itself Minyan Masorti.
The other group, more open to liturgical creativity, met biweekly. Some new members allied themselves with that minyan, and the combined group began meeting in the fall of 1986, settling on the name Dorshei Derekh. This choice was clearly influenced by the Jerusalem congregation Mevakshei Derekh, a Reconstructionist
Reconstructionist Judaism
Reconstructionist Judaism is a modern American-based Jewish movement based on the ideas of Mordecai Kaplan . The movement views Judaism as a progressively evolving civilization. It originated as a branch of Conservative Judaism, before it splintered...
-influenced community that was then independent (more recently affiliated with the Progressive/Reform
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
movement).
The Minyan Evolves
The minyan went through a number of key decisions. One controversial issue in the mid-1990s was defining the role of non-Jewish family members and guests at services. A more involved decision was to formally affiliate with the Reconstructionist movement. This entailed defining minyan membership, establishing a formal decision-making process for controversial decisions, providing outside facilitators, and conducting discussions with Germantown Jewish Centre. After a lengthy process, the minyan joined the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation in 1999.Perhaps the greatest change from the 1970s or early 1980s has been the re-imagination of the Germantown Jewish Centre as a “multi-minyan” congregation. Dorshei Derekh is no longer viewed as “those other people” but as a key part of the congregation. Many Germantown Jewish Centre committee chairs, officers, and board members have come from Dorshei Derekh, including two recent congregational presidents, Helen Feinberg and Rachel Falkove. In addition, minyan members are involved in education and social action projects with the wider congregation.
The minyan itself has constituted a caring community, providing meals and other support for members with illness and at times of loss or of births. This support is based on community connection, not only on who is a close personal friend. The minyan has always attempted to welcome newcomers, but the transient situations of many in our community have made that challenging. The minyan has encouraged people to acquire new liturgical and leadership skills.
There have always been considerable numbers of people in the minyan with substantial Jewish knowledge, enriching the community. While many of these are Reconstructionist rabbis and rabbinical students, there are also very knowledgeable lay people. This has made it possible for many to take part in leading the group and in adding to the ideas in discussions.
Germantown Minyan members were part of a network of East Coast havurot that met several times a year from the early 1970s until 1981 at Weiss’ Farm in New Jersey and later at Fellowship Farm near Philadelphia. These networks formed a basis for the National Havurah Committee, and numerous Dorshei Derekh members have participated in NHC events and leadership. The minyan has organized its own in-town and out-of-town retreats a number of times, most recently in the fall of 2006.
Customs and Practice
Some practices inherited from the Germantown Minyan, or created in the early years, have influenced the minyan over two decades. Other minhagim (customs) grew over the decades. A few that are noteworthy include:a) Rotating leadership. The minyan coordinator (a chairperson) rotates every six months and with the past coordinator and coordinator-elect forms a three-person mazkirut (secretariat) for decisions that cannot wait. In general, the minyan coordinator position is filled alternately by women and men.
b) Participatory decision-making is maintained through quarterly minyan meetings, though attendance is not usually large.
Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
morning and festival services involve a number of key minhagim. The minyan arranges its space in a circle or semicircle, which emphasizes community rather than a leader.
Services include a good deal of Hebrew, with English readings or interpretations sometimes added by a leader. Pesukei d’zimra (introductory psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
) with much singing are often emphasized. The Amidah
Amidah
The Amidah , also called the Shmoneh Esreh , is the central prayer of the Jewish liturgy. This prayer, among others, is found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book...
includes the matriarchs, and some participants phrase blessings in alternative or feminine Hebrew.
The Torah reading is done on a triennial cycle
Triennial cycle
The Triennial cycle of Torah reading may refer to the historical practice in ancient Israel by which the entire Torah was read in serial fashion over a three year period, or to the practice adopted by many Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist and Renewal congregations starting in the 19th and...
, typically with three (rather than seven) aliyot
Aliyah (Torah)
An aliyah is the calling of a member of a Jewish congregation to the bimah for a segment of reading from the Torah. The person who receives the aliyah goes up to the bimah before the reading and recites a blessing. After the reading, the recipient then recites another concluding blessing...
. A key part of the Torah service is the misheberakh blessings, as people volunteer for aliyot to mark events in their lives and receive recognition from the community: birthdays, new jobs, new academic ventures, arriving and departing for Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, departing for college, a yahrzeit, a new apartment or home. These combined Hebrew and English individual prayers are a way the minyan shares news and support.
While officially retaining it as an option, Dorshei Derekh generally omits the haftarah
Haftarah
The haftarah or haftoroh is a series of selections from the books of Nevi'im of the Hebrew Bible that is publicly read in synagogue as part of Jewish religious practice...
(prophetic reading) except for a few times a year. (The monthly women’s haftarah project in the 1990s was an exception.) Its omission allows for a longer Torah discussion, which follows a d’var Torah. The minyan avoids centralized leadership in these discussions by having each speaker call on the next person. For 20 years, speakers alternated between men and women to assure gender equality, until this practice was suspended as an experiment in the summer of 2006. (If there were more women present than men, a step originated to advance women’s participation might actually limit it.)
The Musaf service at Dorshei Derekh is an additional reading, poem, or story rather than another service.
The service concludes with introductions, announcements, and a member-provided kiddush
Kiddush
Kiddush , literally, "sanctification," is a blessing recited over wine or grape juice to sanctify the Shabbat and Jewish holidays.-Significance:...
. Occasionally a longer lunch and discussion follow services.
The minyan originally used the Conservative
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
Silverman
Morris Silverman
Morris Silverman was an eminent Conservative rabbi as well as a writer.Silverman was born in Newburgh, New York on November 19, 1894...
siddur
Siddur
A siddur is a Jewish prayer book, containing a set order of daily prayers. This article discusses how some of these prayers evolved, and how the siddur, as it is known today has developed...
with unwritten modifications, but after the Reconstructionist siddur Kol Haneshamah (edited by a minyan member, David Teutsch) was published in 1994, it was adopted by the minyan “as an experiment.”