Circle minyan is a chavurah-style minyan with the central goals of joy and authenticity in prayer, engagement in Torah discussion, and creating a warm, caring community.
Our name comes from our custom of sitting in a circle to pray. While we do stand and face east toward Jerusalem for certain prayers, most of the time we simply face each other. In a circle, our sense of intimacy and connection to each other increases. We are reminded that God can be found here, in our human midst.
Responsibility for leading our services is shared among our members. To provide a framework for our davening, we use Siddur Eit Ratzon, a contemporary sidder that offers insightful English readings in addition to the traditional Hebrew prayers. We use both English and Hebrew during our services.
A special part of each service is our Torah discussion time which is led by a different person each month. Typically, the leader begins by presenting his/her thoughts on the week’s parsha (potion). Then the discussion is opened to anyone in the group who would like to speak. Through respectful dialogue with each other, we weave together the processes of teaching and learning Torah.
Circle Minyan meets the 1st Saturday of each month at 10 a.m. in the Youth Library.