About Darkhei Noam

Darkhei Noam is a large and vibrant community that meets weekly on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. We are currently one of the largest partnership minyanim in the world, committed to creating a tefillah atmosphere that is halakhic, spiritual and inclusive - providing opportunities for women to lead many of its portions and participate fully in the Torah service. In addition to services every Friday night, Shabbat morning, and holiday morning, we offer a range of youth services, educational programs, and other community initiatives.

History and Vision

Darkhei Noam was founded in March 2002 by four individuals who were inspired by Drisha’s high holiday minyan and encouraged by the publication in the Edah Journal of Mendel Shapiro’s halakhic analysis of mixed Torah reading. From its inception, the vision for Darkhei Noam has been the creation of a minyan and community centered around inclusivity and meaningful prayer. As such, women take on active roles in the ritual life of the minyan within the bounds of halakha. Darkhei Noam strives to provide a place where all who come to pray are active participants; where the voices of davening come not just from the leaders of tefillah, but from both sides of the mechitza as well; where public space is shared by men and women; and where the intrinsic value of each individual is recognized. 

Several founders of Jerusalem’s Shira Chadasha minyan gave guidance and advice to Darkhei Noam in its early stages. Initially, Darkhei Noam met on a monthly basis at Rodeph Shalom, which provided not only a space to daven but also moral support to the fledgling Darkhei Noam community. As the community grew and began meeting more frequently, Darkhei Noam met at the Heschel Lower School, when it was located on West 89th Street

For the past several years Darkhei Noam's home is at the Manhattan Country School on West 85th Street which provides a larger space for davening and room for childcare and youth programming.

Darkhei Noam strives to provide a warm, welcoming atmosphere as well as a meaningful, inspiring, participatory prayer experience filled with communal singing as well as space for personal prayer. In order to help achieve these goals, we ask that adults refrain from talking during services and help maintain an ambiance conducive to spirited and serious prayer.

Leadership

Since its foundation, Darkhei Noam has been a lay-led minyan – the community supplies the leadership from within and helps to set the direction of the minyan. Members of the Darkhei Noam community are invited and encouraged to participate in and contribute towards all aspects of the running of the minyan, from leading davening or leining to coordinating youth programs to giving a text study to planning special events.

Darkhei Noam is led by two co-chairs, an executive committee, and an active, hands-on board. The board represents the diversity of its community with board members from various age groups and from a variety of religious and professional backgrounds.

In 2006, Rabbi Daniel Sperber joined the Darkhei Noam community in an official capacity as halakhic adviser. Rabbi Sperber is Milan Roven Professor of Talmudic Research emeritus at Bar Ilan University and the former rabbi of congregation Menachem Zion in the Old City of Jerusalem. He received the Israel Prize in 1992, is the author of “Minhagei Yisrael" on the character and evolution of Jewish customs, and dozens of other works, and has done extensive research and writing on the topic of women’s roles within the bounds of halakha. In his capacity as Darkhei Noam’s halakhic adviser, the co-chairs, board, and gabbaim turn to Rabbi Sperber for halakhic guidance. Rabbi Sperber gives extended text studies and shiurim, davens with the Darkhei Noam community, and makes himself available to the community on both a formal and informal basis on his many visits to New York.