Davvenology

Davvenology

Post-Holocaust American Judaism Collections at the University of Colorado Boulder

2013

Stephanie Yuhas, Netanel Miles-Yepez, Deborah Fink, Sue Salinger, David Shneer, Andrew Violet, and Jacob Flaws.

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Davvenology (a term coined by Zalman Schachter-Shalomi for use in Jewish Renewal) refers to the study and practice of davvenen (a Yiddish word, possibly derived from the Latin, divinum, ‘the divine work’), meaning, deeply experienced prayer. As such, davvenen is contrasted with tefillah (Heb.), formal prayer, or prayer as a formality. It is the investigation of how to achieve a deeper experience of prayer. Davvenology is also used inclusively in Jewish Renewal to talk about all aspects of worship and the Jewish liturgical life, from prayer and meditation techniques, to adjuncts of prayer (such as the tallit and tefillin), to the location of prayer and the prayer service in Judaism.

“Davvenen is living the liturgical life in the presence of God. It is transformative of the individual, the group, and the situation.”

- Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Paradigm Shift

“When I speak about davvenen, I am talking about an inner process that goes way beyond ordinary prayer and worship; it is something that encompasses one’s entire spiritual life. My sense is that a person can recognize that one who is davvenen is actually in touch with God.”

- Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, The Gates of Prayer