Communities With Women Led Torah and/or Megillah Reading

There are many different women’s tefillah groups around the world, with significant variations in practice. The most variable area concerns the blessings women recite before and after their aliyot. Many women’s tefillah groups frame the Torah service as Limmud Torah (Torah Learning), which means that there is no set halakhic formula for the blessings. As the Torah service is often the centerpiece of the service, we are trying to demystify it and have chosen to share some of those variations here. This is not a comprehensive “how-to” guide, or discussion of all of the different practices of a women’s tefillah group. If you are starting a new women’s tefillah practice, please consult your local posek or poseket about how to decide which variation to use.