Chabad describes prayer app as ‘spiritual Iron Dome’

“Give Prayer a Chance”, a new initiative by Chabad House Johannesburg, is described by its director, Rabbi David Masinter, as a spiritual Iron Dome for the Jewish community.

To make prayer more accessible to all, the programme has launched an app and a website where people can interact with a new more user-friendly siddur and lessons that suit any particular interest in prayer such as biblical stories or different insights as to why people pray.

The free, user-friendly Hebrew and English siddur app, called the “Give Prayer a Chance Siddur” is designed to make prayer more accessible and meaningful. The app uses the new Weiss edition siddur that applies to all shuls, including Chabad.

The app includes blended translation-explanations of the entire siddur, clear instructions on different prayers, the backgrounds of certain customs, prayer insights, and summaries of different prayers throughout the digital siddur.

“We believe that prayer changes the creed in heaven,” said Masinter, who is also the founder and director of the Miracle Drive’s annual charity campaign. “When King David was fighting his battles, he told his generals, ‘You fight, I’ll pray.’ That will be the mystical weapon that the Jews have.”

“Prayer is much more than just reciting words. It’s our solution, our Iron Dome. It’s a profound opportunity to connect with G-d, to reflect on our lives, and present our requests in the belief that G-d will answer,” he said.

“The programme seeks to motivate individuals to pray more frequently, and to feel a deeper connection to Hashem. It underscores the Torah’s teachings that prayer is effective, that G-d listens and responds to our prayers, and that through prayer, we can invoke blessings and alter decrees,” Masinter said.

“Recognising that the traditional siddur can be overwhelming, this new app aims to simplify the experience and encourage more people to engage in regular prayer.”

“The siddur is bursting with explanation and inspiration, and transforms mere participation into connection and communication,” he said. “We’re on a mission to distribute a siddur to as many people as possible, particularly to those who cannot afford one or who are removed from their community as well as high school and university students.”