PunkTorah’s Jewish Prayer Campaign

By Elissa Strauss May 19, 2010

PunkTorah, creators of the Indie Yeshiva Pocket Siddur, have taken a do-it-yourself approach to daily prayer. The non-profit organization has just launched the website 3xdaily, which aims to explain the traditional three daily prayers (Shacharit, Mincha, Ma’ariv) along with other information related to Jewish prayer.

On the site, PunkTorah explains that they created 3xdaily in order to give unaffiliated and progressive Jews a chance to learn more about and participate in the Jewish daily prayers.

“Most of the time, when we approach Jews who may not be involved in an “orthodox” movement, they have no idea that we are called to pray three times a day. We are invited to keep this connection with G-d open and flowing throughout the day. Much as the wearing of tzitzits reminded our ancestors of the commandments, we can utilize three daily prayers to remind us of the truth behind creation, that we all have a spark of the Creator within us,” the website says.

The site also walks readers through blessings after meals, psalms, the shema, and a few others — and encourages its readers to be creative and “mix, remix, and spin prayers in any way that your heart desires.”

Elissa Strauss has written for the Forward over a number of years. She is a regular contributor to CNN, whose work has been published in a number of publications including The New York Times, Glamour, ELLE, and Longreads.

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