The Friday evening service consists of ma'ariv, the Rabbi's D'var Torah and Kabbalat Shabbat.  Please see the Shabbat Newsletter link for the time of the service. Occasionally, our Talmud Torah students participate in the service.We also host a congregational Shabbat dinner once per month where we enjoy welcoming the Shabbat together with dinner and zemirot, following the service.

The Shabbat morning service at AKSE follows the Orthodox davening structure.  Our service begins at 9:00 a.m. with pesukei d'zimrah followed by shacharit and the Torah service. We read the full parsha and haftorah. The Rabbi's sermon follows the haftorah. We continue with musaf and the concluding prayers. Although we are not an egalitarian congregation, (please see the information about our Women's Tefillah Group) we are an equal opportunity singing congregation. Our Hazzan enjoys introducing new melodies to the tefillah, where appropriate, and we all join in. All children are invited to the bimah to join in Adon Olam and kiddush. Services usually conclude by noon - in time to adjourn to the social hall for a lovely kiddush prepared by our Sisterhood. Many congregants choose to sponsor a Shabbat kiddush to share a personal event with their AKSE family. The Shabbat kiddush affords the opportunity to enjoy the sanctity and spirit of the Shabbat together.

Shabbat afternoon Mincha, followed by M' ariv and Havdalah conclude the Shabbat services. Please see the newsletter link for the time.

Mechitzah Minyan

One Shabbat morning per month, we hold a mechitzah minyan in our chapel in addition to the regular Shabbat morning service. The mechitzah minyan service is the same as the regular Shabbat morning service except that the entire chapel is partitioned, separating the men's and women's seating areas. The design of the main sanctuary at AKSE provides both mixed and separate seating areas.

Jr. Congregation meets on Shabbat morning, from September through May, when school is in session and is a service geared to school age children.

Learn to Read Hebrew

Each Saturday morning, Eleanor Weinglass conducts classes in the library (advanced from 9:15-10:30, beginners from 10:30-11:30) which provide an opportunity for adults who have little or no knowledge of Hebrew to learn how to read the prayers and to be able to participate in the Shabbat morning services. In addition to time spent learning to read, there is a discussion of prayer vocabulary and concepts so that participants will have an understanding of the meaning of the prayers. This class is open to AKSE members and to the community.

Learner's Service

The Learners' Service is intended for people who are unfamiliar with the Shabbat service or who just want to expand their knowledge.  The goal of the service is for participants to gain a good understanding of the general structure of the Shabbat service and the origin, meaning and philosophy of key parts of the service.  Over the course of the year, the Torah service as well as the following prayers will be covered: Shema, Amidah, Ashrei, Keil Adon, Kaddish, andAleinu. By understanding the structure of the Shabbat service and learning some of the key prayers in depth, participants will derive a greater knowledge and appreciation of the beauty and meaning of our liturgy.  The learners' service is actually more of class and discussion than a service and is being led by Harriet Ainbinder and Mel Zussman in an informal, non-intimidating atmosphere with seating in a circle.  The service takes place in the centennial room monthly on Shabbat morning from 10:30-11:30. Future dates for services are: February 21, March 21, April 25, May 23, and June 20, 2009.

The Family Shabbat Program 

The Family Shabbat Program, conducted by Gail Weinberg and Eleanor Weinglass, meets on the first Shabbat of each month at 10:15 am. Each monthly program focuses on a different theme and incorporates songs, relevant topics for discussion, and the background and recitation of the Shabbat morning prayers. Themes have included: Rosh Chodesh, Hallel, the Ten Commandments and Holidays.The prayers are led by our school children. In addition to families, many adults without children attend and enjoy our program. Come join us in the Centennial Room for a warm Shabbat experience.