Must we share beliefs in order to pray together? What happens when people bring different theologies, doubts, and spiritual languages into the same room? How much does the intent behind the words we are praying matter—and who gets to decide what those words mean? In this session, we will explore the layered purposes of prayer: personal expression, communal belonging, ritual practice, and spiritual aspiration. Together, we’ll consider how prayer can unite people across lines of belief, identity, and experience—and where its limits lie. Through discussion, text study, and reflection, we’ll examine the possibilities and challenges of creating a prayer space that holds diversity with integrity.

Rabbi Matthew Anisfeld serves on the faculty at Hadar. He studied Torah at Yeshivat Ma’ale Gilboa, the Pardes Kollel, and Yeshivat Hadar, receiving semikha from R. Ethan Tucker and R. Aviva Richman. He also holds a Master’s degree in Jurisprudence from University College London.