Deepening Your Personal Prayer 

An Online Course with Rabbi Guy Austrian 
Four Tuesdays: February 13, 20, 27, March 5 
7:00–8:15 p.m. ET   

How does a religious person learn to pray? Familiarity with the siddur is only the beginning. It’s also vital to cultivate our own spiritual life and prayer life. This four-session class—based on a course for JTS rabbinical and cantorial students entitled “A Personal Relationship with the Siddur”—explores a range of rabbinic, halakhic, mystical, and Hasidic texts that invite participants into that process of spiritual development. We will engage in questions such as: How do I prepare myself to pray? How do I cultivate focus and work with distractions in order to stay connected? What does prayer make happen in the world? How can I pray using my own spontaneous words and emotions? What does it mean to talk to God, or to experience God, through prayer?  

All texts will be presented in the original Hebrew alongside English translations. Basic familiarity with the traditional morning service in Hebrew is helpful but not required.  

Cost: $120 

Rabbi Guy Austrian is an Adjunct Instructor at JTS and rabbi of the Fort Tryon Jewish Center. He was ordained at JTS, where he also earned an MA in Liturgy.