Rediscovering the Amidah: New Insights Into Judaism's Most Essential Prayer
Overview
The Amidah is the core Jewish prayer, recited in every prayer service. Yet so much of its language and themes remain closed to us – whether we pray it regularly or rarely. In this series, we will explore those words through case study blessings in the center of this prayer. We will ask: How can I interpret the siddur in a grounded and traditional yet creative manner? Are traditional prayer formulas able to express my own values/ideas of prayer? What do you do when you "disagree" with the prayer's content?
Faculty Bio
Rabbi Elie Kaunfer is President and CEO of Hadar. He received semikhah from his longtime teacher, R. Daniel Landes, and is currently completing a book on the weekday Amidah. He received a doctorate in liturgy from the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he was also ordained, and is a graduate of Harvard College.