The practice of prayer can easily become rote and mechanical, which is why Jewish mystics urge us to find ever new and renewed ways of connecting to the Holy One.

Bina, BHA's Shabbat kirtan experience, is a melding of Hebrew liturgy with Indian music to create a devotional call and response chant. It is an easy to follow practice, designed to invoke the contemplative spirit at the heart of davvening. It comes as part of an evening with davvening, potluck dinner and learning for adults and children. You can see the full Friday night schedule here.

Instead of racing through all the words of the Shabbat liturgy, we chant just a few verses many times, with intention and focus supported by Cantor Ellen's shruti box and Rabbi Brent's meditative guidance. 

Kirtan is a form of chant developed in India to heighten participation, communal feeling and ecstatic communion with the divine. Kirtan is fully participatory. It breaks down the barrier between “leader” and “listener.” It's improvisational and experimental nature, make it a fun, yet strangely deep game to play — for both adults and children. More information on Hebrew kirtan is available here.