JKHA middle school students participate in weekly tefillah classes to add meaning to and enhance their tefillot. The middle school has introduced a new series to the weekly classes called Tefillah Talks. 

Patterned after the popular online TED Talks, Tefillah Talks will attempt to go beyond their regular study of the siddur’s text to explore questions that are essential to the students’ understanding of the tefillah experience. Short videos of community rabbis will spur conversation with students about the tefillah topics they are thinking about. The first Tefillah Talk was by Rabbi Elie Mischel from Synagogue of the Suburban Torah on the topic of “Why We Daven.” The video generated exciting discussions that many students and teachers look forward to continuing and are sure to enhance the tefillot of the students as they develop into life-long daveners.