Religious School Prayers
When called for an aliyah, come forward and stand to the Torah reader’s right. Take a corner of your tallit or the Torah tie and touch it to the place in the scroll the Torah reader shows you. Kiss the tallit or Torah tie. Grasp both atzei hayim (Torah handles), roll the scroll closed and recite the blessings (also found on a card on the Torah reading table) as follows.
According to the Bible, God commanded the Jews to wear fringes on the corners of their clothing as a reminder of the Lord’s Commandments. In modern times the fringe is attached to a special four-cornered garment for prayer.
Wrap yourself in the tallit, in the dreams of Israel, our people. Clothe yourself with the mantle of prayer and listen to the heartbeat of centuries. On your shoulder is Sinai and Yavneh, Jerico and Jerusalem. Carry the psalms of David, the songs of Solomon, and the dance of Miriam. Hear the prophets calling out the words which reshape reality. All this, and the future, too, is in your tallit.
Blessed is the Lord, our God. Ruler of the Universe, who hallows us with Mitzvot, and teaches us to wrap ourselves in the fringed Tallit.
Bless THE INFINITE, the blessed One!
Blessed is THE INFINITE, the blessed One, now and forever!
Listen, Israel: The Eternal is our God, THE ETERNAL ONE alone!
Blessed be the name and glory of God’s realm forever!
And you must love THE ONE, your God, with your heart, with every breath, with all you have. Take these words that I command you now to heart. Teach them intently to your children. Speak them when you sit inside your house or walk upon the road, when you lie down and when you rise. And bind them as a sign upon your hand, and keep them visible before your eyes. Inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ, יְיָ אֶחָד
HEAR, O ISRAEL, THE ETERNAL ONE IS OUR GOD, THE ETERNAL ONE
אֶחָד אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ, גָּדוֹל אֲדוֹנֵֽנוּ, קָדוֹשׁ שְׁמוֹ
Our God is One; great and holy is the Eternal One.
גַדְּלוּ לַיְיָ אִתִּי, וּנְרוֹמְמָה שְׁמוֹ יַחְדָּו
O magnify the Eternal One with me, and together let us exalt God’s name.
Wait for the congregation to respond:
You then repeat their response:
Continue with the brachah:
Roll the scroll open, hold the right atz chayim (handle) in your left hand and follow as the aliyah is read. Take a corner of your tallit or the Torah tie and touch it to the place in the scroll the Torah reader shows you. Kiss the tallit or Torah tie. Grasp both atzei hayim (Torah handles), roll the scroll closed and recite the blessing:
BARUCH ATA ADONAI ELOHEYNU
MELECH HA’OLAM
ASHER BACHAR BINEVI’IM TOVIM
VERATZAH VEDIVREIHEM
HANE’EMARIM BE’EMET
BARUCH ATAH ADONAI
HABOCHER BATORAH UVEMOSHEH AVDO
UVEYISRAEL AMO
UVINVIEY HA’EMET VATZEDEK
Praised are you, Lord our God, King of the universe who has appointed devoted prophets, messengers of truth whose teachings He has upheld. Praised are You, Lord who loves the Torah, Moses His servant, Israel His people and prophets of truth and righteousness.
BARUCH ATAH ADONAI
ELOHEYNU MELECH HA’OLAM
TZUR KOL HA’OLAMIM
TZADIK BECHOL HADOROT
HA’EL HANE’EMAN HA’OMER VE’OSEH
HAMEDABER UMEKAYEM
SHEKOL DEVARAV EMET VATZEDEK
AL HATORAH, VE’AL HA’AVODAH
VE’AL HANEVI’IM VE’AL YOM HASHABBAT HAZEH
SHENATATAH LANU ADONAI ELOHEINU
LIKDUSHAH VELIMNUCHAH
LECHAVOD ULETIFARET
AL HAKOL ADONAI ELOHEINU
ANACHNU MODIM LACH
UMEVARCHIM OTACH
YITBARACH SHIMCHAH
BEFI KOL CHAI TAMID LE’OLAM VA’ED
BARUCH ATAH ADONAI
MEKADESH HASHABBAT
Praised are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Rock of all ages, righteous in all generations, steadfast God whose word is deed, whose decree is fulfillment, whose every teaching is truth and righteousness. We thank You and Praise You, Lord our God, for the Torah, for worship, for the prophets, and this Shabbat day which You have given us for holiness and rest, for dignity and splendor. For everything do we thank You and praise You. May Your name be praised continually by every living creature. Praised are You, Lord who sanctifies Shabbat.
Now the whole universe- sky, earth, and all their array – was completed. With the seventh day God ended the work of creation, resting on the seventh day, with all the work completed. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, this day having completed the work of creation.
Praised are You, Lord our God, King of the universe who creates fruit of the vine.
Praised are you, Lord our God, King of the universe whose mitzvot add holiness to our lives, cherishing us through the gift of His holy Shabbat granted lovingly, gladly, a reminder of creation. It is the first among our days of sacred assembly which recall the Exodus from Egypt. Thus You have chosen us, endowing us with holiness, from among all peoples by granting us Your holy Shabbat lovingly and gladly. Praised are You, Lord who hallows Shabbat.