FAQ

What denomination does Or Hatzafon identify with?
- Or Hatzafon is an Orthodox synagogue, and is fully committed to Halacha. We believe that Tefillah spaces are meant to be filled with men, women, and children, and that everyone can benefit from attending a meaningful Tefillah B'Tzibbur.

What is the design of the Or Hatzafon mechitza?
-Or Hatzafon's mechitza divides the shul space into two side-by-side spaces. The mechitza is 1.5m tall and the upper 1/3 is a sheer curtain that can be pulled to the side for Divrei Torah and other times when it is helpful to open the curtain without moving the mechitza. The mechitza is designed so that women can see and hear everything in the shul. Every time we have a Tefillah-related event, we will always have a mechitza with a section available for women. We believe that a mechitza is only necessary during Tefillah, not for other types of gatherings.

In what ways can women be "leaders" in shul?
- While our Tefillah is an orthodox tefillah, and is led by men, we encourage women to give Divrei Torah IN the shul, and to carry the Torah through the women's section during Tefillah. Women are welcome to say "Kaddish" in our shul, whether or not there is a man also saying it. Our board includes women, and women are invited to make announcements about shul related events. Women are invited to be speakers and guest speakers, as well. We always strive to find more ways to include women in the shul leadership, and we encourage you to reach out to the board to present your ideas for more inclusionary practice within the parameters of Halacha.

Who reads the Torah? Who gets an Aliyah?
We follow traditional Orthodox guidelines and our Torah readers and the people who get Aliyot are men. The bimah is situated in the middle of the shul, so it's right next to the mechitza, making sure the Torah reading and all goings-on can be heard by all in attendance.

Does Or Hatzafon have minyan every Shabbat?
At this time, Or Hatzafon strives to meet every Friday night and Shabbat mornings, but on occasion we do not. To find out our schedule on any given week, please check our Facebook updates or call or text 053-530-1139 (not on Shabbat, please)

What Nusach do you daven?
The shul's Nusach is Nusach Ashkenaz. That being said, everyone is welcome in the shul, and anyone who davens a different nusach is encouraged to daven their nusach for the silent Amidot. The Shaliach Tzibbur follows Nusach Ashkenaz.

Are there siddurim and chumashim available?
Yes, we have siddurim and chumashim available for Shabbat Tefillah, and machzorim for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, including some with English translations for your convenience. We have recently acquired new weekday and Yom Tov siddurim, including some with English translation. We thank everyone who participated in this project!

I see you have a playroom. Can my children play there while I daven somewhere else?
Our playroom is for the children of the people who come to Or Hatzafon. If you want to send your children to our playroom during Tefillah, please join us for Tefillah, as children in the playroom are the responsibility of their parents or guardians. Please do not send your children to our playroom if you won't be joining our shul for Tefillah.

When you have shiurim, do men sit in the men's section and women in the women's section?
Any time that is not Tefillah, a mechitza is not required. For this reason, when we offer shiurim and learning sessions, we sit together and do not use the mechitza during those times.

You say you have Tefillah with a lot of singing. Does this mean your Tefillah is very long?
We strive to have a song-filled Tefillah that does not take a long time. We aim to have a "no-repetition" Tefillah that is lively and encourages the whole shul to join in singing the Tefillot. We believe that the neshama can more easily create a connection with the Divine when we are immersed in song, so we encourage everyone to find their voices and join in. We aim to make Tefillah meaningful, but never drawn out longer than necessary. We value everyone's times and schedules. The tunes we use come from a wide range of sources, never just one source. We're sure you'll find our Tefillah meaningful - join us and see!

Are you a registered non-profit?
At this time, we are not yet a registered non-profit. We try to keep our shul expenses to a minimum and we appreciate any contributions our supporters make. We will consider opening a non-profit entity when our membership increases enough in number to be able to justify the additional costs of running a non-profit organization. For now, it would be an unfair burden on a small number of people, so we operate in an informal manner.

Why is your shul always asking for "nut-free" foods only?
At Or Hatzafon, we take the responsibility of looking out for one another seriously. Because we have several community members with tree-nut allergies, we ask that everyone help us keep the shul a safe space for them, and only bring foods that do not have nuts in them to shul. We want to be sure our shul is a safe space for everyone, and limiting the foods that are put out at shul to those without any nuts is an easy way to do that and to demonstrate our concern for the well-being of others.

Have another question? We'd be happy to answer! Please reach out to us at OrHatzafonKatzrin@gmail.com