Shiva Minyan Leader Training

Would you like to become a shiva minyan leader? The congregation and the Bereavement Committee rely on a dedicated corps of volunteers who lead shiva minyans in the homes of bereaved congregants when our clergy are unavailable. A special prayer booklet is used for the brief service, which contains prayers familiar from our weekly services. The booklet, Mishkan T’fila for the House of Mourning, has the same format as our Shabbat prayer book, providing transliterations of all Hebrew text and numerous options for supplementary interpretative readings. The transliterations make the prayer booklet easy to use for shiva leaders, mourners, and visitors.

Congregants who might be interested in becoming leaders, as well as experienced shiva minyan leaders who would like a refresher class, are invited to attend a training/orientation session conducted by Rabbi Perlman on Tuesday, November 28, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., or Thursday, November 30, 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m., at Temple Isaiah. Everyone will be guided through the prayer booklet in order to become comfortable using it. The music and audio notes for leaders can be found here.

Congregants who might be interested in serving the congregation as shiva minyan leaders need only a light reading knowledge of Hebrew, along with a caring heart and the desire to perform a mitzvah. Shiva leaders may be called upon from two to five times a year and are always free to decline. Come to one of the November training/orientation sessions and find out whether this important way to serve the Temple community might be a fulfilling one for you.

Please contact Carol Sacerdote or Bonnie Kelly if you plan to attend the November 28 or 30 session: bereavement@templeisaiah.net or 781-861-7298.

Other training arrangements can be made for those who cannot attend either of the November sessions. An copy of the booklet is available on the desk in the Temple library.