Shlichei Tzibur Training Program

This program is made possible by the Center for Small Town Jewish Life, Central Synagogue, Park Avenue Synagogue, Congregation Rodeph Sholom, and the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine, The Aviv Foundation, and the Covenant Foundation.

Program Overview

The Center for Small Town Jewish Life’s Shlichei Tzibur Prayer Leader Training Program is designed to educate and empower lay congregants to lead prayer at various levels in their communities and to support their spiritual formation. Through this cohort-based program, we aim to support communities that seek to embrace lay leadership. Now in its fourth year, we welcome lay leaders from communities nationwide. The program will take place from November 2024 to June 2025, and it’s offered on zoom.

The program is comprised of three main pillars:

Prayer and worship structure:

Song and Davening:

Spirituality:

How the program works:

A pluralistic program:

The program is designed with small progressive communities in mind—those who depend on lay leadership to run the day-to-day aspects of community life, as well as those who, although served by professional clergy, have a strong culture of lay leadership involvement. While the program focuses on a basic and common prayer rubric, it also hopes to address some of the most significant differences between Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Renewal, and non-denominational practices. The tutoring sessions are designed to support differences between worship styles and to provide individuals with the specific help needed based on the prayer style of their own communities.

The role of the home community:

The support of the participant’s home community is vital for the participant to be able to get the most out of the program. The home communities serve as laboratories for cohort members to practice skills and tools within the culture and customs of their communities. We work closely with each participant’s rabbi to ensure that participants get to test their skills during the duration of the program by leading or co-leading services.

Tuition:

The cost of this program is $540, which includes all class instruction, tutoring instruction, and registration for the Maine Conference for Jewish Life in Waterville, Maine. (Travel and lodging are not included. Reasonably priced dorm accommodations are available.) Payment will be requested upon acceptance. Cost should not be a barrier to participation. If you belong to a synagogue, you may approach your rabbi or other leadership about supporting your participation in this program. If cost remains a challenge, please email Liz Soloway Snider at [email protected], and we will work with you.

How to apply:

We can’t wait to learn about you! Click here for the program’s requirements, the schedule, and to apply. Applications open on August 1, 2024. Those accepted into the program will be notified by September 27. Classes begin Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

For information regarding the application process, please contact program coordinator Liz Soloway Snider: [email protected]

For information regarding the curriculum and schedule, please contact program director and senior faculty, Cantor Sheila Nesis: [email protected]

  • What is the Center For Small Town Jewish Life?

Founded in 2015, the Center for Small Town Jewish Life at Colby College cultivates vibrant, socially equitable communities rooted in their own sense of place, nourished by transformational learning, and intertwined with the broader Jewish world. Based at Colby in Waterville, Maine, the Center provides a wide array of programs connecting members of every generation and socioeconomic status throughout Maine and now serves small, rural, and remote Jewish communities in 10 states around the country with resources, connection, and learning.

  • Who is the program intended for?

This program is intended for lay leaders who want to learn prayer leader skills to be able to serve their communities. The ideal candidate has a love for praying in community and is inspired to serve through prayer. Candidates should have an equal interest in learning the practical skills to be able to conduct prayer, as well as an eagerness to embark on meaningful conversations about the spiritual dimension of prayer and their role as leaders. 

  • What prayers should I expect to have learned by the conclusion of this class?

We will cover prayers from the Kabbalat Shabbat, Shabbat Shacharit, Havdalah, and shiva minyan. For your reference, here is the prayer rubric that the class covers for Kabbalat Shabbat and Shacharit. Please note that this is a learning experience and different participants will finish the class with slightly different levels of comfort leading prayer depending on previous prayer and Hebrew knowledge, the time dedicated to practicing between lessons, and familiarity with congregational prayer.

  • I have no experience leading service, but have always wanted to serve in this capacity. Is this program for me?

Yes! The program is structured so that you can build your skills at the right level for you. If you have never led services before, this class will provide foundational tools to begin leading prayer as you continue to refine your craft after the conclusion of this series.   

  • I have previous experience leading prayer. Is this program for me?

Yes! You will be able to go deeper in your understanding of the meaning of prayer and its structure as part of the group classes. Also, if you have already mastered the basic prayers, the tutoring sessions will support you in adding new prayers and melodies to your repertoire. 

  • What is the expected time commitment?

In addition to class attendance (group classes and tutoring sessions) some light reading will be assigned. We encourage you to work independently on the prayers and recordings that your tutor will make available to you. Practice makes perfect! Your ability to step into leading prayer at the conclusion of this course will be greatly impacted by the time that you dedicate to practice between lessons, as well as by finding opportunities to participate in leading prayer in your community.

  • Is attendance at the Summer Conference in Maine in June 2025 required?

We place a high value on the opportunity to be together in person and have seen firsthand how impactful this is. We highly encourage participants to attend the Maine Conference for Jewish Life (June 13-15, 2025 in Waterville, Maine), where, in addition to an excellent slate of presentations and classes, participants in the Shlichei Tzibur program will engage in specialized programming that will give closure to our time together. Registration to the conference is included in the program’s tuition.

Shlichei Tzibur Prayer Leader Training Program at a Glance

Unit 1

8 weeks (4 group classes + 4 tutoring sessions, hevruta style)

Class Topics:

Tutoring. Hevruta style: groups of 2 or 3 participants, grouped by siddur and synagogue.

MenuchaH (Rest)

Two weeks off

No classes or tutoring. A time when students can:

Unit 2

8 weeks (4 group classes + 4 tutoring sessions, hevruta style)

Class Topics:

Tutoring. Hevruta style: groups of 2 or 3 participants, grouped by siddur and synagogue.

MenuchaH (Rest)

Two weeks off

No classes or tutoring. A time when students can:

Unit 3

8 weeks (4 group classes + 4 tutoring sessions, hevruta style)

Class Topics:

Tutoring. Hevruta style: groups of 2 or 3 participants, grouped by siddur and synagogue.

MenuchaH (Rest)

Two weeks off

No classes or tutoring. A time when students can:

Conference

Program Conclusion: Attend the Maine Conference for Jewish Life, June 13-15, 2025

About the Instructor

Cantor Sheila Nesis is Associate Director of Spiritual Music at The Center for Small Town Jewish Life and Cantor in Residence at Etz Chaim Synagogue in Portland, Maine. She is an alumni of the Institute For Jewish Spirituality’s clergy leadership program and member of their Hevraya program. Cantor Nesis seeks to cultivate awakeness through prayer, teaching, and song. Her writings appear in various Jewish publications, including The Times of Israel, Kveller, The Forward, and Ritualwell. Originally from Argentina, she lives in Cumberland Foreside, Maine, with her husband and two children.