Teaching Tefillah

First Grade Learning about Hashem’s Wonders Adon Olam Asher Yatzar

Second Grade God longs for the prayer of the righteous. (Yevamos 64a) ) (Yevamos 64a) ) Birkas Hashachar

Third Grade Mankind, East and West, Christian and Muslim, accepted the Jewish conviction that there is only one G-d. Today it is polytheism that is so difficult to understand, that is so unthinkable. T.R. Grover, The Ancient World Shema

Fourth Grade “If we were forced to choose just one, there would be no way to deny that Judaism is the most important intellectual development in human history.” David Gelernter, Yale University Professor Baruch She’amar

Fifth Grade A life of seclusion, devoted only to meditation and prayer, is not Judaism. Samson Raphael Hirsch, Nineteen Letters Oz Yashir Yishtabach

Sixth Grade Birkas Krias Shema

Seventh Grade Prayer is meaningless unless it is subversive, unless it seeks to overthrow and to ruin the pyramids of callousness, hatred, opportunism and falsehood. The liturgical movement must become a revolutionary movement, seeking to overthrow the forces that continue to destroy the promise, the hope, the vision. Abraham Joshua Heschel, On Prayer Aleinu

Eighth Grade Words are the shell, meditation the kernel. Words are the body of the prayer, and meditation its spirit. Hovos HaLevavos Shemonei Esreh

Ninth Grade There is a famous story in which the Kaiser asks Bismarck, “Can you prove the existence of God?” Bismarck replies, “The Jews, your majesty. The Jews.” Shabbos Teffilos

Tenth Grade A poor man's prayer breaks through all barriers and storms its way into the presence of the Almighty. Zohar Bereshis Davening for others

Eleventh & Twelfth Grade Small minds discuss people. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people. Average minds discuss events. Great minds discuss ideas. Unknown Deeper Meforshim