USCJ Review - Fall 2003
Getting Physical with Prayer
"Kadosh, kadosh, kadosh. Adonai tzeva'ot. M'lo khol ha-aretz k'vodo." Holy, holy, holy Adonai tzeva'ot. The whole world is filled with God's glory.
During the Summer of 2001, I participated in the week-long IMUN leadership immersion program at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires. As an active member of Congregation Kol Shofar in Tiburon, California (just north of San Francisco), I have always enjoyed singing and longed to learn more about the meaning and context of the synagogue service. Our IMUN class drew lay leadership from all over North America and even Sweden, and afforded us a rich opportunity to learn a variety of davening styles and practices both from wonderful rabbis and from our rich mix of participants.
We davened a lot-much more than I was used to. Amidst the heat and humidity, it was sometimes hard for me to stay focused and connected, to feel that elusive and much-sought-after quality that people refer to as kavanah. But one practice from my own synagogue that I brought to IMUN and which consistently re-energized and connected me, was the unique, physical way in which I recite the kadosh prayer. Other IMUN participants took notice of this, and by the end of the week, our esteemed leader Rabbi Blumenthal asked me to talk about it with the group. Feeling a bit the "whacky Californian," I explained the origins of my practice and showed them more explicitly how I do it.
The practice came from a rabbinical student from the renewal movement, David Zazlow, who served as a scholar-in-residence and Family Camp instructor at Kol Shofar. He has developed what he refers to as "prayerobics"- integrating distinct physical movements into the act of traditional prayers as a way of feeling God's presence in our bodies. Back in the early-mid 1990's, Zazlow taught our congregation some "prayerobics," and the piece that stuck with us over the years was the kadosh. Our rabbi, Lavey Derby, has practiced it fairly consistently, so those who like it do not feel alone.
Well, I loved it from the very beginning and have been practicing it ever since. Here's how it goes. On the first kadosh, I raise my heels slightly and my arms are stretched above my head in a loose round arc, as if to embrace the world. On the second kadosh, my heels rise a bit more, arms reach out again to form a wider circle. By the third kadosh, my heels lift and stretch as far as they will go, and the embrace is as large as it can get. During Adonai tzeva'ot, my upper body twists gently first to the left and then all the way to the right, arms staying outstretched in the embrace and moving with the body. Heels stay on the ground. During M'lo khol ha-aretz first my left and then my right arm consecutively reaches out in an arc-stretch as if to draw in each side of the world to my heart. Finally, for the last word of the prayer, k'vodo, my arms and hands come together in front of my chest and are gradually lowered together, hands in loose fists, in front of my body, until the arms are full extended by my sides and the fists released.
The effect of this simple "prayerobic" is multi-fold. On a physical level, my body feels the awakening of the gentle stretch and release, a very pleasant and satisfying sensation. These motions are different than others we do in prayer, and they release tension in the body. Yet, they do not require so much space as to interfere with neighboring daveners. On a symbolic level, the movements parallel the meaning of the prayer, reaching up and out to God, acknowledging in their form the vastness and awesome quality of divinity, embracing the ineffable, and then bringing that divinity close to the heart through simple yet elegant gestures. On a spiritual level, the combination of the movement, the singing, and the symbolism together makes for a rich and unique moment of prayer, something I look forward to every time.
Our synagogue has a "neshama minyan" that incorporates more prayerobics, meditation, and other approaches into the traditional services than other, more conventional minyanim at our shul. Nevertheless, this version of the kadosh can (and is) used at the synagogue with any service, any time, from Shaharit to Musaf, from a shivah service to a holiday. It appeals to restless kids and open-minded adults equally.
If you ever visit our congregation, you may notice some of us praying the kadosh this way. I imagine some other congregations, Conservative and otherwise, do this as well, though I have not run into it yet. The important thing is that prayer doesn't need to stay strictly cerebral. The traditional service already incorporates shuckeling, standing and sitting, and bowing the head or bending the knee. But, as the Hasidim discovered and practiced with their spirited swaying and dancing, expressing positive ruah is a blessing. Feeling God physically though the practice of symbolic movements can be a healthy and joyous aspect of Jewish prayer and Jewish living. So I encourage all who can, to try incorporating a bit of prayerobics into your davening routine. What I just described above is just one example. Your friends, your ritual committee, and/or your rabbi may be interested in creating something with you. It can also be practiced at home, with a daily S'hma or Friday night Shabbat dinner.
Enjoy, and may the spirit move you!
Judy Berger is a Past President of Congregation Kol Shofar in Tiburon, California. She lives in nearby Mill Valley and is the mother of two sons, ages 21 and 16. If you develop a prayerobic, she invites you to email her a description at judyberger@attbi.com.
