Minyan Makers builds community through service
Community Day School students help reinforce the 'most Jewish act'
Students at Community Day School pray daily; on Wednesdays, however, a small group of learners start the morning at a synagogue off-site. For nearly 10 years, CDS students have headed to Congregation Beth Shalom, and other nearby synagogues, to join local shacharit services.
Calling themselves “Minyan Makers,” the students are at least 13 years old or have had a b’nai mitzvah.
Talia Block, 14, has participated in the program for the past three months.
“It’s a really good experience,” she said.
Along with her classmates, Block helps adult synagogue-goers satisfy Beth Shalom’s attendance requirements for public prayer.
Minyan Makers literally help make the minyan (maintain a 10-person quorum), but there’s an added value, Block explained.
It supports people in the community, and “you get to do more structured tefilot (prayers) than you might normally do,” she said.
“We have davening (prayer) here daily, which is an important part of any spiritual Jewish life, but then the Minyan Makers get the chance to do a more thorough davening with the local community,” Joe Brophy, CDS’ middle school rabbinics teacher and coordinator of middle school Jewish life, said.
Brophy has overseen the Minyan Makers program for about three years. Part of his responsibility, he explained, is being a liaison between stakeholders.
Parents need to transport children. Synagogue-goers need to know the school’s calendar. Participating students must arrive on time, remain engaged throughout services and represent the Jewish day school positively.
Minyan Makers is “an exceptional program,” not just because of what it gives the students but the entire community, Brophy said. “It’s a really beautiful way of building relationships and seeing the continued value of Jewish education and involvement.”
Beth Shalom congregant Ira Frank said the program’s impact is undeniable.
“It gives the students a sense of importance — they’re treated like grownups — and we have to adapt too,” he said.
Wednesday’s service is a bit different from the service on other days: Whereas older adults typically lead davening at morning minyan, on Wednesdays students assume related responsibilities. Sometimes students recite Shema out loud; on other occasions, young learners lead the Amidah or Aleinu.
Having a Wednesday minyan that’s slightly different from other days is a testament to community, Frank said. “That’s what community is. Community isn’t a sterile service with no one there. Community is being around people — that includes everyone.”
Casey Weiss, CDS’ head of school, said the program’s purpose is “literally in the name itself: It’s to help make a minyan, it’s to help ensure there are 10 adults at a shacharit service. Minyan Makers encapsulates what we’re trying to do, which is have our day school be extended into the community.”
Years ago, before aiding Beth Shalom, Minyan Makers helped Tree of Life Congregation’s morning services. Participants made T-shirts bearing the words “Minyan Makers” and “Tree of Life.” Several of the shirts were retrieved from the Tree of Life building following the 2018 shooting.
Brophy said he has the items on display in his CDS classroom as a reminder to both students and parents about the importance of “building community.”
When students travel to a nearby synagogue and help with morning prayers, “they’re doing such an important mitzvah, and it’s also showing our students, many of whom don’t belong to synagogue, what it means to be part of a kehila, a synagogue community,” Weiss said.
Each Wednesday, following services, young participants enjoy an especially sweet aspect of Minyan Makers: breakfast.
Students are given donuts and other pastries, but the real treat is knowing Minyan Makers is “in some ways reinforcing the most Jewish act,” Weiss said. Helping people reach a quorum for public prayer is “literally building community.” PJC
Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.
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