Our Shabbat Morning Service is held each week, beginning at 10:30 am and lasting until about 11:45. In those seventy-five minutes, we read from Torah and from the Prophets, and pray the morning service from Mishkan T'filah, the prayerbook of the Reform Movement. As with all services at Temple, music and spirit are our touchstones.

How can a full worship service be held in such a brief period of time? At Temple, we take seriously the Rabbinic principle, "Better a little with feeling (kavvanah) than much without." By "hitting the highlights" of the preliminary prayers, we are able to devote our attention to the main rubrics of the service (the Sh'ma and its Blessings, and the Amidah). Similarly, we read and discuss a brief selection from the weekly portion, our goal being to draw out relevance for our own lives.

The service is preceded by Torah study, beginning at 9:30 am. Here, we have a chance to really dig into some aspect of the weekly portion. Rabbi Bach often prepares studies rooted in Chasidic Torah commentary or in the Aggadic Midrashim. Coffee and bagels are served, and the discussion is always lively and animated.