A group of friends from the West Side Minyan and Minyan Rimonim (both of which are part of Congregation Ansche Chesed) founded TeleTefila shortly after Purim, 2020, when it became clear we could no longer meet in person, due to the Covid pandemic. Since then, our merry band has expanded to include friends from Massachusetts to Delaware.
Starting in 2023, both Minyan Rimonim and the West Side Minyan began holding hybrid services, where you can participate in person or on ZOOM. TeleTefila continues to meet online on the other Shabbatot and on Festivals.
The West Side Minyan, Minyan Rimonim, and TeleTefila have significant overlap in membership. They are, however, independent of one another and have some differences in practice. Hopefully, this chart will clarify the differences:
| West Side Minyan | Minyan Rimonim | TeleTefila | |
| Format | Hybrid | Hybrid | Online |
| Masking | Required except when leading davening, leining, or giving a d'var Torah. | Required except when leading davening, leining, or giving a d'var Torah. | You're in your home, do what you like! |
| Baalei T'fila and Baalei K'ria (Davening leaders and Torah readers) | Lay | Lay | Lay |
| Egalitarian | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Siddur | "Slim Shalom" | "Slim Shalom" | Whatever you like |
| Where | 6th floor of Ansche Chesed and Zoom | 6th floor of Ansche Chesed and Zoom | Zoom |
| Counting a minyan | In the room + people visible on Zoom | In the room | People visible on Zoom |
| Time | 9:40 am: Birchot haShachar & P'zukei D'zimra 10:00 am: Shacharit |
9:40 am: Birchot haShachar & P'zukei D'zimra 10:00 am: Shacharit |
9:40 am: Birchot haShachar & P'zukei D'zimra 10:00 am: Shacharit |
| Shabbat and Festivals | Meets on the second Shabbat of each month, and holds Festival services when they fall on the second Shabbat. West Side Minyan also holds High Holy Day services. | Meets on the third Shabbat of each month, and holds Festival services when they fall on the third Shabbat. | Every Shabbat and Festival that does not conflict with WSM or Rimonim. (Usually just one day of Festivals.) TeleTefila observes Havdalah together online and a Kaffeeklatsch on Wednesday evenings.
|
| Shacharit | Heicha Kedusha (only first three blessings said aloud) | Silent, followed by Reader's Repitition | Heicha Kedusha (only first three blessings said aloud) |
| Kadishes | All | All | Some |
| Torah | Triennial. Maftir aliya only on special occasions | Full K'ria with Maftir aliya | Triennial. No Torah scroll; no aliyot. Maftir aliya only on special occasions. Aliya Chatima in English. |
| D'var Torah (DT) | Yes. Sometimes includes a Torah discussion. | Yes | Yes. Sometimes includes a Torah discussion. |
| Haftara | No | Yes | Yes. If the Sephardic Haftarah is significantly shorter, we read that. |
| Musaf | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Governance | Steering Committee | Vaad | Leadership & Staff |
| Coordinators | Davening: Iris Leining: Barbara Sontz DT: Carol |
Davening: Nos Leining: Larry W (odd months); Ellen (even months) DT: Jeremy G |
Leadership & Staff Leining: Gila |
| Website | http://www.westsideminyan.org/index.htm It's outdated but there's a lot of interesting information, particularly under the Resources tab. | http://minyanrimonim.org/ Outdated. | You're already here! |
| Order of service and page numbers | |||
| Guide for davening leaders and Shamashim | WSM guide | Rimonim guide | --- |
If you have questions, drop a note to info@TeleTefila.com . We'd love to hear from you.
These times, for New York, NY, come from HebCal.com and are provided as a convenience. They are updated every sunday evening. We do not observe everything on the HebCal list. See our Calendar below for details. Havdalah: We follow the AppleBank calendar (which has the Haskamah of Rav Applebank) for the correct time to make Havdalah. The Rav's Havdalah calculations — which are reflected in our Calendar — vary from Hebcal by only a couple minutes. Instructions: If you click on the name of the parsha, you'll get the chapter and verse for this week's readings on the HebCal website. You'll also see "Pocket Torah," audio recordings of every Torah verse, according to the notation of A.W. Binder and Lawrence Avery. From HebCal, you can click and get the actual Hebrew and English texts of the readings, curtesy of the Sefaria.org website. |
You are invited to every service and activity on this Calendar!
We're now in the year 5785, the third year of the triennial Torah reading cycle.
| Sat, Jul 5 | TELETEFILA
Shabbat Chukat 10:00 am — Note the starting time! P'sukei D'zimra: Ilana Shacharit: Larry K Torah (Numbers) — Triennial reading:
Haftarah: Judges 11:1-33 · 33 p’sukim -- Gila and Franne (Gila doing the intro) Shacharit begins promptly, 10 minutes after the posted starting time.
TELETEFILA
9:21 pm — Havdalah: led by TBA Havdalah begins promptly, 10 minutes after the posted starting time. Login information for Havdalah can be found at http://www.teletefila.com/login.html#havdalah. [Words for Miriam haN'viah: https://ritualwell.org/ritual/miriam-ha-nviah-1 ] [Deb Kayman chants Havdalah as her father, Harold Kahen, used to.] |
| Wed, Jul 9 7:15 pm |
Kaffeklatsch Join us for our weekly schmoozefest! See http://www.teletefila.com/login.html#kaffee for login info. |
| -- | -- |
| Sat, Aug 2 | TeleTefila Aliya Peticha -- David
LEIL TISHA B'AV 9:00 pm — TeleTefila Evening Service A Blessing of Separation - Iris
Maariv through the Amidah - Miriam H-K Kaddish Shaleim (Omit Titkabal) - Miriam H-K B'racha over flame - Iris
Megillat Eicha (Book of Lamentations) 18 pt Hebrew, 36 point Hebrew:
[David K avail] Kinot - Please download from here - Miriam H-K and Friends TBA Aleinu, Mourner's Kaddish - Miriam H-K Login: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81306058932?pwd=cDYrM1A2WG4vbGVkeFQ3MEIyeC9Hdz09 |
| Sun, Aug 3 | Ansche Chesed Tisha B'Av morning service |
| -- | -- |
| Sat, Aug 9 | MHK Havdalah |
| -- | -- |
| Sun, Aug 17 5:00 pm |
TELETEFILA We're reading One Corpse Too Many by Ellis Peters. Discussion will be led by Jacob. Date: Sun, Aug 17 Learn more: https://www.teletefila.com/bookclub.html |
| -- | -- |
| Sep 13 | DT: David K |
