Morristown Jewish Center

Tefilah (Prayer)

MJCBY Main Sanctuary

We are a warm, welcoming, egalitarian congregation. Our services include lots of singing and we encourage participation — within our beautiful main sanctuary as well as our smaller Wilner Chapel. All are welcome!

What to Expect

AccessibilityYou can learn about our current accessibility resources here.

Kippah & Tallit (Headcovering & Prayer Shawl) — On Shabbat and holiday mornings, it is expected that all Jewish adults (13 and older) who identify as male will wear a kippah and tallit; it is optional for other Jewish adults. We also ask all who identify as male to wear a kippah while in the sanctuary and females are also encouraged to wear headcoverings. If you don't have a kippah or tallit, we have plenty of extras.

Siddur (Prayerbook) — On Shabbat and festivals, we use Siddur Sim Shalom. On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we use Mahzor Lev Shalem.

Chumash (Pentateuch) — During the Torah service, we use the Etz Hayim chumash, which contains the Torah and selections from the Haftarah (Prophetic books).

Phones, Cameras and Electronic Devices — As we often like to say, "A cell phone isn't necessary to connect with God," so please silence your phone and put it away. If you need to use your device, please step outside. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

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Shabbat & Festivals

Our weekly Friday night service usually begins at 6:15pm and we serve a Shabbat dinner immediately following the service.

Our weekly Shabbat morning service begins at 9:30am and we serve a kiddush lunch.

Services on the mornings of Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are held at 9:30am. We also hold an evening service for Simchat Torah starting shortly after sundown. Please consult the calendar.

Services for Purim are in the evening, shortly after sundown, and also in the morning when Purim occurs on Saturday night. Please consult the calendar.

Services for Tisha B’Av are in the evening shortly after sundown. Please consult the calendar.

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Youth & Family Services

Our Youth & Family Services are each intended to provide meaningful and engaging experiences at age appropriate levels.

Shalom Yeladim (SY), K, 1st, & 2nd Grades

Friday Night: While all are welcome, our special T.G.I.S. Thank G-d It's Shabbat) services are particularly geared towards preschool, kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade students and their families on Friday evenings. These services are intended to be engaging in age-appropriate ways for the younger children.

3rd – 7th Grades

While all are welcome, our special Junior Congregation Saturday morning services are particularly geared towards pre-B'nai Mitzvah school age children including those who are working towards reading Hebrew and those who are already reading Hebrew. These services are a mixture of English and Hebrew and are led in a way so as to be meaningful and engaging for children learning the prayers and the service. Junior Congregation services are designed to be educational services providing opportunity for pre-B'nai Mitzvah students to learn and progress forward on their Judaic journeys towards becoming ready to be counted as B'nai Mitzvah.

8th — 12th Grades

On select Shabbats, the Minyonaires offers special opportunities for post-B'nai Mitzvah students to take active roles in helping lead the regular congregational Shabbat services.

For more information about any of these services, please send an email to Miriam Loew, our Director of Education and Lifelong Learning.

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Lifecycle Events

We celebrate simchas (joyous events) together, from baby namings and brit milah (ritual circumcision) to B’nai Mitzvah, Aufrufs (the custom of the wedding couple being called up to the Torah on the Shabbat before the wedding), and marriages. We come together to aid those who are in need, From counseling to comforting, from our Gemilut Chasadim (Loving Kindness) committee to funerals and Shiva minyans. MJCBY is a family — we try to provide the level of assistance that each particular family wants or needs.

Most of the assistance with life cycle events is managed by our clergy with assistance from our office. However, our Gemilut Chasadim committee is lay-led, providing assistance ranging from cooked meals to transportation to those who need it. Contact the office and let us know if you need assistance, or ask for the name and contact information of the society's current chair.

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B'nai Mitzvah Resources

We have prepared a B'nai Mitzvah Guide [coming soon] that helps families navigate the year of preparation leading up to their simcha (blessed event).

Friday Night & Shabbat Morning Prayers

Cantor Shana chants the Friday Night and Shabbat Morning prayers:

  1. Listen to Friday Night Kiddush — Part 1
  2. Listen to Friday Night Kiddush — Part 2
  3. Listen to Friday Night Kiddush — Part 3
  4. Listen to Friday Night Kiddush — Part 4
  5. Listen to the Shema
  6. Listen to the V'ahavta - Part 1
  7. Listen to the V'ahavta — Part 1
  8. Listen to the V'ahavta — Part 2
  9. Listen to the V'ahavta — Part 3
  10. Listen to the V'ahavta — Part 4
  11. Listen to the V'ahavta — Part 5
  12. Listen to Sheera Khadasha
  13. Listen to Tsur Yisrael
  14. Listen to the Avot
  15. Listen to the Gevurot
  16. Listen to the N’Kadeish
  17. Listen to Az B'kol
  18. Listen to MimKomKha
  19. Listen to V’eineinu / Yimlokh
  20. Listen to Ledor Vador

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