Congregation Shalom Rav

Worship Services

Congregation Shalom Rav sponsors regular Shabbat services and family Holy Day celebrations, providing varied opportunities for collective worship and drawing from both the Renewal and Reconstructionist traditions. Reconstructionist services are characterized by equal roles for both genders and by the use of translations of the Hebrew prayers which do not employ gender-biased language, as well as alternate versions of some prayers that many contemporary Jews find problematic. Our prayerbook Kol HaNeshamah contains extensive transliteration and notes (as well as interpretative versions of prayers in English) to aid in understanding the prayers both intellectually and spiritually. Reconstructionists tend to conduct more intimate worship services in which everyone is involved and the rabbi if there is one does not dominate (a quote from Exploring Judaism: A Reconstructionist Approach by Rebecca T. Alpert and Jacob J. Staub).

Services and study groups are facilitated by Rabbi Monty Eliasov, who was ordained by Rabbi Gershon Winkler and studied Chassidic prayer styles under the guidance of the founder of the Jewish Renewal movement, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi. Rabbi Monty teaches extensively from the Kabbalah and has created a unique pathway to Jewish tradition called Twelve Tribe Judaism; he is an active teacher and leader in the Austin spiritual community.

Many of our services and celebrations are accompanied by our Musical Directors, Barbara Taft and Abraham Davidson. Their contributions are especially wonderful for High Holiday Services and the many other celebrations and ceremonies that occur throughout the year.

In addition to services for major holy days (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Chanukah, Passover, Lag Bomer, Shavuot), Shalom Rav currently offers three types of Shabbat activities.

Community Shabbat Service

One or two Friday evenings each month (see calendar), the Congregation provides a Shabbat or Holyday evening service that is geared towards the families of our community. A captivating mix of prayers, stories, plays, and songs that best encapsulate the spirit of the whole Congregation, this one-hour service is for all ages from the kindergartners to the elders. Our Musical Directors, Barbara Taft and Abraham Davidson, help make this a delightful service. Held on the second Shabbat of each month, and in some cases on the fourth or fifth Shabbat.

(return to top)

Torah Study Group

We are a small but dedicated group which enjoys the challenging ideas that come out of the study of the Torah. Each person brings their copy of the Chumash (Five Books of Moses or Bible) and Rabbi Monty focuses on one topic in each session. In this type of format, we jump around the text in order to better understand the subject material at hand. The study of Torah is never what it seems and there have been many surprising teachings that have arisen out of our topical study. We encourage questions and discussion on the issues that emerge from the text. This monthly study group is hosted at a member home location and is held on Shabbat morning from 10:30 to 11:30 followed by a small Kiddush.

(return to top)

Psalms Renewal Service

Based on the Jewish Renewal techniques introduced by the Renewal movement, this service was created eight years ago when Rabbi Monty and Heloise Gold teamed up to offer a renewal service in Austin. Heloise's maxim was "go deep" and ever since then we have explored the depths of the Hebrew teachings using different platforms.

We sit in a circle on sit cushions and we encourage chairs with rubber feet for those who have difficulty sitting in that manner. In each service there are a few simple movement dances to bring the body into a worship mode and each service features songs from the Chassidic tradition. We are lucky to have the Tai Chi Studio which has a delightful wooden floor for dancing and movement.

Since the beginning of 2002, this service has highlighted one section of a Psalm each time. The Book of Psalms is the original prayer book of the Jewish people and we can gain so much insight from going deep into a text which does not avoid difficult topics such as death, illness, abandonment, war, the underworld, deception, sin, and evil.

Rabbi Monty reviews all the Hebrew keywords as we proceed with our study. The service is held together by basic elements of the Shabbat morning service such as wearing of a Talit, Baruch She-Amar, the Half Kaddish, the Shma, Amidah, Aleinu and Mourner's Kaddish. The service is now held from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 on one Shabbat morning a month as per our Calendar.

For more information, email Rabbi Monty Eliasov.

(return to top)