Hadar’s High Holiday Leaders Training 2024

Immerse in the soundscape of the Yamim Noraim’s special liturgy, ask questions from a veteran prayer leader, and connect with a like-minded community of practitioners. Each session opens with the notes of an iconic prayer text from the machzor, exploring the musical underpinnings of major services for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur while offering in-the-moment strategies for creating impactful communal experiences.

Explore the challenges and opportunities of prayer leadership. Each session dives into textual sources bringing the wisdom of our sages into the urgency of our own days, enhancing our connection to the powerful liturgy, beautiful melodies, and experiential challenges of the work of serving as vessel for communal prayer. Equal parts text study, processing, and skillbuilding. Bring your questions and voices!

1. Nusach Roadmap
2. Pesukei D'Zimrah for Rosh HaShanah
3. Shacharit for Rosh HaShanah
4. Musaf for Rosh HaShanah
5. Yizkor
6. Kol Nidre
7. Yom Kippur Morning
8. Musaf for Yom Kippur
9. Mincha for Yom Kippur
10. Neilah!
11. Modes & Scales of Nusach Asheknaz in America

Nusach Roadmap (6 videos)

Understand the arc of prayer from an aesthetic, spiritual and energetic point of view. Consider how to bring everyone into the prayer experience. 

Pesukei D'Zimrah for Rosh HaShanah (3 videos)

Warming up the atmosphere for a big day of davening. Learn to move swiftly through a lot of material. 

Shacharit for Rosh HaShanah (17 videos)

While it begins with a lot of familiar material, Rosh HaShanah Shacharit includes many special piyyutim and the iconic shofar calling. 

Musaf for Rosh HaShanah (32 videos)

Divided into four subsections, learn the choreography and liturgy of the epic Rosh HaShanah Musaf service, which includes shofar blasts.  

Yizkor (2 videos)

A memorial service where the leader's role is to stay out of the way, allowing those who have lost loved ones to deeply remember. 

Kol Nidre (29 videos)

Slichot, Avinu Malkeinu, Vidui and other elements that reappear throughout the day are included here, the opening service of Yom Kippur. 

Yom Kippur Morning (3 videos)

Review the Pesukei D'Zimrah and Shacharit services for Yom Kippur, which is very similar to  Rosh HaShanah but includes additional piyyutim. 

Musaf for Yom Kippur (12 videos)

Master the Musaf service for Yom Kippur, which is very similar to Rosh HaShanah but includes the unique and extensive Avodah service. 

Mincha for Yom Kippur (1 video)

If you have led the other High Holiday services, this one is easy. The trick is moving through it quickly. Learn how to get it done. 

Neilah! (11 videos)

The closing of the gates, the final service of Yom Kippur is urgent and powerful. Clock is ticking. Maintain the ruach of this epic day. 

Modes & Scales of Nusach Asheknaz in America (6 videos)

Learning the scales and modes associated with the predominant nusach in America. Fundamentals of music theory as it relates to Jewish prayer.

Yes! Whether you are a davening expert or a newbie to prayer leadership, this program is for anyone who is interested in becoming (more) familiar with the High Holiday liturgy and leading Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur services in any setting.  Included are videos for advanced practitioners (“Davening Artistry”)  as well as for relative beginners (“Ba’al Tfila Basics”). In order to get the most out of these trainings, folks should at least feel comfortable reading the text of the siddur.

In our experience, we've found that our resources are helpful for people from all levels.

If you're a beginner at prayer leading and need to quickly learn the essentials, we've developed a High Holiday Highlights course just for you!

If you're already an experienced prayer leader and you're looking for new ideas to round out your repertoire, then you're ready to jump into the master classes where you'll find detailed studies of every piece of liturgy accompanied by explanations and some additional resources. 

Through learning the nusach in these videos—and, crucially, by trying them in real life!—you can become a High Holiday prayer leader in your community or in the privacy of your home. 

You will learn all of the major liturgy for Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, and be able to lead any of these services at a synagogue or prayer gathering of any size. Through Joey's teachings in this series, you will develop the aesthetic and spiritual sensitivity to both lead and step out of the way, empowering diverse groups of people to lift and transform their prayers into powerful, collective song.

It's $18 per month to become a subscriber to Joey Weisenberg's Classes in Jewish Song and Prayer, which includes access to Hadar's High Holiday Leaders Training. Your subscription of $18 per month will continue after the High Holiday program ends, as many people are excited to stay in our learning community on an ongoing basis, and you are welcome to cancel at any time.

This year for Rosh Hashanah, October 2-6, 2024, gather with family and friends at Pearlstone outside Baltimore for a transformative musical New Year and Shabbat experience, co-led by Hadar’s Rising Song Institute!

Enjoy the changing autumn season with four days of song-filled traditional egalitarian davening, vibrant community, delicious organic kosher food, and ample outdoor farm space for kids and families.

Davening led by Joey Weisenberg, Rabbi Aviva Richman, and Rabbi Elie Kaunfer from Hadar will be complemented by profound divrei Torah and inspiring classes from the Rising Song and Adamah team and our special guest speakers.

Learn more and register here.