Amidah in the context of "Religious Jews"

Shacharit [ʃaχaˈʁit] (Hebrew: שַחֲרִית šaḥăriṯ), or Shacharis in Ashkenazi Hebrew, is the morning tefillah (prayer) of Judaism, one of the three daily prayers.

Different traditions identify different primary components of Shacharit. Essentially all agree that pesukei dezimra, the Shema Yisrael and its blessings, and the Amidah are major sections. Some identify the preliminary blessings and readings, as a first, distinct section. Others say that Tachanun is a separate section, as well as the concluding blessings. On certain days, there are additional prayers and services added to shacharit, including Mussaf and a Torah reading.

Maariv or Maʿariv (Hebrew: מַעֲרִיב, [maʔaˈʁiv]), also known as Arvit, or Arbit (Hebrew: עַרְבִית, [ʔaʁˈvit]), is a Jewish prayer service held in the evening or at night. It consists primarily of the evening Shema and Amidah.

The service will often begin with two verses from Psalms, followed by the communal recitation of Barechu. The three paragraphs of the Shema are then said, both preceded and followed by two blessings; sometimes, a fifth blessing is added at the end. The hazzan (cantor) then recites a half-Kaddish. Everyone says the Amidah quietly, and, unlike at the other services, the hazzan does not repeat it. The hazzan recites the full Kaddish, Aleinu is recited, and the mourners' Kaddish ends the service; some groups recite another Psalm before or after Aleinu. Other components occasionally added include the counting of the Omer (between Passover and Shavuot) and, in many communities, Psalm 27 (between the first of Elul and the end of Sukkot).

The history of the Jews in India dates back to antiquity. Judaism was one of the first foreign religions to arrive in the Indian subcontinent in recorded history. Rabbi Eliezer ben Jose of the 2nd-century AD mentions the Jewish people of India (Hebrew: הנדויים, romanized: Hindu'im, lit. 'Hindus') in his work Mishnat Rabbi Eliezer, saying that they are required to ask for rain in the summer months (during their regular rainy season), yet make use of the format found for winter in the Amidah and cite it in the blessing "Hear our Voice" (שמע קולנו השם אלקינו, Sh'ma koleinu HaShem Elokeinu). Desi Jews are a small religious minority who have lived in the region since antiquity. They were able to survive for centuries despite persecution by Portuguese colonizers and non-native antisemitic inquisitions.

The better-established Jewish communities have assimilated many of the local traditions through cultural diffusion. While some Indian Jews have stated that their ancestors arrived during the time of the biblical Kingdom of Judah, others claim descent from the Ten Lost Tribes of the pre-Judaic Israelites who arrived in India earlier. Still some other Indian Jews contend that they descend from the Israelite Tribe of Manasseh, and they are referred to as the Bnei Menashe.

Tachanun (Hebrew: תַחֲנוּן, romanized: Taḥănûn, lit. 'supplication'), also referred to as nefilat apayim (נְפִילַת אַפַּיִם, 'falling [on the] faces'), is a supplicatory and confessional component of Shacharit (שַחֲרִית, 'dawn') and Mincha (מִנְחָה, 'offering'), the morning and afternoon prayer services of Judaism, respectively. The recitation of Tachanun follows the Amidah, the central part of the daily Jewish prayer services. It is also recited at the end of the Selichot service. It is omitted on Shabbat, Jewish holidays, and many other celebratory occasions (e.g., in the presence of a groom in the week following his marriage). Most traditions recite a longer prayer on Mondays and Thursdays.