Minus the Hebrew, I feel like I have seen this before.
Rise of independent groups influencing Judaism
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| CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – They gather blocks from Harvard Square to greet the Sabbath with communal prayer, their eyes winced closed, hands clapping as they sing in fervent Hebrew. The group worships in the Jewish Orthodox tradition, but it’s not traditional. |
| The group is an “independent minyan,” and dozens of these unaffiliated Jewish worship communities have sprung up in the past decade, mixing elements of the mainstream denominations while answering to none of them. Its prayers in Hebrew, with participation of everyone present, is a hallmark of the movement, and a reaction to mainstream alternatives where such prayer is not available, or limited to a designated soloist. |
| Anna Schachter of Cambridge said the minyan’s dual commitment to traditional worship and egalitarianism was energizing. |
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