Students Pray For New Friday Tefillah Leader

By Solomon Langer ‘25 
Students are forced to suffer through a regrettable change to the school-wide Friday tefillah. Language Arts teacher Mr. Langer has been trying to fill the shoes of the great Judaics teacher Mr. Richman, yet has brought nothing but awkwardness and discomfort to our Friday mornings. 

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Starting our Friday mornings with 215 kids crammed into about 13 chairs and two sets of open bleachers in the gym used to be such a joy. Mr. Richman led with his guitar in one hand and his hat in the other, and our spirits soared. We sang majestic songs that many of us have heard at camp a hundred times, introducing students and their thoughts on the Parsha. His great passion for teaching amazingly complex dances was his greatest gift. Friday tefillah used to be so lovely. 
Unfortunately, with Mr. Richman’s absence came Mr. Langer. Giving credit where credit is due, Mr. Langer does try, yet his guitar playing and singing disrupt the peace of our pre-Shabbat Friday mornings. The introductions are bland and sound like mumbling compared to Mr. Richman's previous glorious voice. There are no more camp songs or special dances, so we students are forced to sit there in dismay, waiting for wise words about the Parsha from Dr. Apter or Rabbi Nevins, or simply staring at the ceiling, praying for Mr. Richman to make his glorious return. 
Most students at GOA prefer to be still and silent during tefillah, but now we find ourselves having to talk just to drown out Mr. Langer’s drivel. As a teacher, he used to be loved by most students for his strict grading style and never-ending stream of assignments. However, he is now shunned in the hallways.
The reason Mr. Langer was chosen to lead tefillah while Mr. Richman cannot is an obvious one: he plays guitar and sings without any fear of judgment. (That’s probably not true; I’m sure he’s terrified. At least, I hope he is). 
Mr. Langer’s Friday tefillah is like that hoodie you got at a bar mitzvah, wore for a week straight and then immediately got sick of and haven’t worn since. GOA students continue to wait anxiously for Mr. Richman’s return and a joyful start to our Shabbats once again.
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