Beth Abraham Orthodox Synagogue

Today's Date

18 Adar II 5784

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The Minyan

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minyanWe daven nusach Sephard. Shachrit begins at 9:00 A.M. on Shabbat. 

Services for Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur begin at 9:00 A.M.

Mincha and ma'ariv times are announced on Shabbat and the Holidays.  

Davening Times

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daveningtimes

Shachrit begins at 9:00 A.M. on Shabbat and the Yom Tovin. Services for Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur begin at 9:00 A.M.

During the summer months, mincha service begins at 7:00 P.M. on Friday evening.

Mincha is at approximately fifteen minutes before local sunset on Shabbat and all holidays. Times are announced on Shabbat and the Holidays. Precise times for ma'ariv are announced each Shabbat and Yom Tov.

Today's Sunrise / Sunset
06:2312:4018:57
Bangor, Maine

Shabbat

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shabbatShabbat at Beth Abraham is a very happy time for members and guests.  We enjoy davening (Nusach Sephard), an open communal Kiddush, intelligent conversation, learning, pleasant walks, and, when time permits, a snooze.  Indeed, even though we have no eruv, many tourists plan their Maine vacations around a Shabbat in Bangor.  There are several hotels within easy walking distance of the shul and each has a staff that is adept at hosting Shomer Shabbat visitors.

Meals are no problem.  For a reasonable fee, travelers who do not wish to bring their own food may enjoy complete meals for Friday night and Saturday lunch.  These complete meals include the main course, desert, challot, grape juice, candles, paper plates, and plastic flatware.  They are delivered to the hotel with a warming tray and a smile.

Mincah on Friday afternoon is approximately fifteen minutes before local sunset.  Candle lighting is usually eighteen minutes before sunset.   During the summer months mincha and candle lighting are fixed by the community at 7:00 P.M.  Year round, mincha is followed immediately by kabbalat Shabbat and ma’ariv.

Throughout the year services begin at 9:00 A.M on Shabbat morning and end around 11:30 A.M.  There is always a sit-down kiddush.   The times  of ma’ariv and havdalah are announced in the morning.

Holiday Services

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holiday_servicesWe welcome family and friends for all of the Holidays.  There are no additional seating charges for members and associate members, including Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.  Davening times will be announced.  Mincha on erev Yom Tov will ordinarily begin fifteen minutes before sunset.   Ma’ariv will begin as announced on both days.   Shachrit will be at 9:00 A.M. for the Yom Tovim and 9:00 A.M. for Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.

Blessings

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blessings

Candlelight Blessing for Shabbos

After lighting the Shabbos Candles:
Shabbos
You are blessed, Lord our G-d, the sovereign of the world, who made us holy with His commandments and commanded us to kindle lights for Shabbos.

Candlelight Blessing for Yom Tov

yomtov
You are blessed, Lord our G-d, the sovereign of the world, who made us holy with His commandments and commanded us to kindle lights for (Shabbos and for) the festival.

Chazzanut

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chazzanutCongregation Beth Abraham is well known for its spirited congregational melodies.

Our Shabbos service begins at sundown Friday night. We daven Nusach Sefard and use both the Art Scroll Siddur and the Koren Siddur.. We begin with “hoddu lashem”the giving of thanks to  Hashem for his many miracles. We then say "yidid nefesh” beloved soul, which is the need for repentance before beginning the Sabbath. We next begin Kabbalos Shabbos which is the actual beginning of the Shabbos service. This is a beautiful series of six psalms praising Hashem, the master of the universe.  It is followed by “ lechal dodi”  a beautiful kabbalistic song welcoming the sabbath queen.

A mystical selection from the Zohar is read next. We then go on to the Maariv service for Shabbos and Festivals, reciting the appropriate Shemoneh Esrei. In Nusach Sefard we then recite Psalm 23 and repeat Borechu followed by Alenu and Yigdal which concludes the Friday night service.

Shabbos morning we begin with Pesukei D'Zimrah which is a long section of again “hoddu”  thanking Hashem. It is followed by a series of Psalms mixed with praises of Hashem, quotes from the prophets, and a selection from Exodus of the splitting of the Red Sea.

A Chazzan then steps to the Bima and sings a series of praises of Hashem and then begins the Shacharis service with Borechu.  That is followed by the preliminary blessings before the Shema, the Shema, the praises of Hashem and then the Shabbos Shemoneh Esrei. We then recite the Song of the Sabbath Day and the Torah is removed from the ark and placed on the Bima after the brief introductory mystical praises.The Parshah of the week is then read followed by a repeat of the last three lines of the Torah reading, Maftir and chanting of  a section of the prophets  The Torah is then returned to the ark, and the rabbi or torah scholar then gives a brief word of insight into the torah reading of the week. Mussaf Shemoneh Esrei for the Sabbath follows. We then sing Ain kelokainu followed by Aleinu. The morning service concludes with the Song of Glory and Adon Olom.

KABBALAT SHABBAT
YEDID NEFESH
LECHU NERANANAH - PSLAM 95 ,PSALM 96 PSALM 97,PSALM 98 PSALM 99
LECHO DODI
VAYECHULU HASHAMAIM
MAGEN AVOT
PSALM
YIGDAL

FRIDAY EVENING MEAL
SHALOM ALEICHEM
AISHES CHAYIL
KIDDUSH
BIRCAT HAMAZON

SHACHRIS FOR SHABBAT AND FESTIVALS
SHOCHEN AD
EIL ADON
TISBERACH
SHEMONEH ESREI
HALLEL
TORAH SERVICE
BLESSING FOR THE NEW MONTH
EL MALE RACAMIM
RETURNING THE TORAH TO THE ARK
MUSAPH
BIRCHAS KOHANIM

ALEINU
ANIM ZEMIROS
ADON OLAM
Z’MIROS FOR THE THIRD MEAL
HAVDOLOH