Midreshet Shalhevet girls consider tefillah

A train trip to Manhattan by ten Midreshet Shalhevet students with Menahelet Esther Eisenman may have forever changed the way they daven and speak to Hashem. The girls were invited to participate in a Yom Iyun hosted by the OU, designed to educate and inspire teenage girls to learn about tefillah.

The girls heard such speakers as Debbie Stone, Dr. Rona Novick, and Adina Shmidman, who discussed why we daven. They then broke off into groups to discuss such topics as what makes a davening setting special, how to stay focused while praying, and finding meaning in the words.

Finally, the girls spoke with each other, and Mrs. Eisenman, about what they learned and how they bring can bring it back to school with them and implement changes.

“I learned that tefillah can work in more than one way; it can evoke emotion in someone and help find inspiration in that way and it can also be an outlet for one’s emotions,” shared junior Eliana Hirsch. Junior Rivkie Elman said, “One of the best things is that it was not just a bunch of lectures. All of us were given the chance to voice our opinions on what we were discussing.”