This morning, I walked into shul and counted a minyan of 20 people. What I also counted—painfully—were five people using their cell phones during davening. Let that sink in. Twenty-five percent of the shul was on their phones while standing before the Ribbono Shel Olam.
This is not a minor issue or a personal chumra. This is a crisis of kavod ha’tefillah.
Every community needs to wake up and start a real, visible campaign against cell phones in shul. Every shul should post clear signs asking people to leave their phones in their cars or turn them off completely before davening. Some shuls already do this. More must follow. Much more.
There is no greater deterrent to proper davening than a cell phone in your pocket. Even if you never take it out, its presence alone fractures concentration. You wonder: Did I get a text? An email? A missed call? Your mind is no longer in Shemoneh Esrei—it’s hovering somewhere between Olam HaZeh and a notification buzz.
And when the phone rings during Shemoneh Esrei? The person panics, fumbles, and turns it off. But the damage is already done.
We’ve all seen it: someone picks up the phone, whispers “nu, nu, nu,” signaling that he can’t talk. But that gesture speaks volumes. It disturbs others. It shatters the atmosphere. And sometimes, people actually answer calls during davening, missing amens, missing Kaddish, rushing through tefillah just to see who’s calling.
The ripple effect isn’t minor. When a phone goes off, the entire shul loses concentration. Until that phone is wrestled out of a pocket and silenced, dozens of people’s tefillos are disrupted—because of one device.
And reading messages during davening? Ask yourself plainly: what kind of honor does that show to tefillah? What message does that send about what we value?
Shul is one of the last places that should be phone-free. If we can’t disconnect from our devices for the few minutes we stand before Hashem, then something is deeply broken.
The solution is simple—and overdue: phones out of shul. Leave them in the car. Turn them off. Make it the norm again that when we daven, we are present—fully, without a screen between us and Hashem.
Signed,
E.D.
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8 Responses
First and foremost, yashar koach to the writer for giving voice to something many feel but rarely express so clearly. The pain here comes from a deep sense of kavod ha’tefillah and genuine concern for the dignity of our batei knesses, and that sincerity is unmistakable.
It’s also important to note that in some communities, steps have already been taken, showing that change is possible when it’s approached thoughtfully and with warmth. Here are some solutions that can help strengthen this effort:
1) A gentle reminder at the entrance
A small, respectful sign near the door asking people to turn off their phones before davening can quietly set expectations without confrontation.
2) Leading by example
When rabbanim, gabbaim, and mispallelim visibly power down or leave phones outside, it naturally establishes the norm and influences others.
3) A designated phone spot
Providing a simple shelf or table near the entrance where phones can be placed during davening offers a dignified, anxiety‑free option to disconnect.
4) A brief verbal reminder
An occasional, gentle announcement before davening—asking everyone to take a moment to turn off their phones—can refocus the tzibbur without singling anyone out.
Taken together, these approaches offer a positive path forward, one that strengthens kavod ha’tefillah while preserving the warmth and unity of the kehilla.
Signs are useless. The Rov and ambassadors throughout the shul need to be leaders and enforce the rules.
Get a phone jammer for shuls
Sorry, there’s a middle compromise position.
If I didn’t have my phone (yes silenced) I’d rush through davening faster, concerned if an important call/text is being missed. Now having my phone, if there’s no phone call coming through I’m able to slow up and even stay in shul even past davening end and learn for a few minutes.
Of course if a call/text comes through during davening if postponable, I text, will call back shortly and if urgent, I’ll step in to the hallway to briefly attend to the call/text.
@long Island yid, sorry you are clearly making a mistake. There should be no compromise for tefillah whatsoever. Just imagine you had an important meeting with your spouse or boss or doctor. You wouldn’t dare have your phone out even for emergencies. The same goes with tefillah. You are supposed to stop, think and daven to Hashem and give time to him too. Not to be reckless and just rush through davening. And besides, a person who rushes doesn’t gain much time anyway.
@E.D While the Letter you Write is Correct, doesn’t help to post these letters on these sites, what you should do is go to Das Torah and talk to them about it and then they can try to take care of the Issue as they see fit!
I unfortunately have been to Federal Court where Frum people were getting either jail time or being let go. At the door my phone was taken away. Inside, me, and anyone else inside the court room was even afraid to cough out loud! The fear that this Spanish sounding federal judge put into the minds of me and anyone else sitting there was remarkable. Kal V’chomer when given the opportunity to talk with the Judge of Judges, King of Kings, Creator of the World! On a lighter note, I dare you to take a call or text when talking with your bank at a loan meeting.
A person needs to know themselves, and be able to do what’s needed for themselves.
In my shul, we have a number of doctors. Some of them are on call, and occasionally have to run out of shul during davening if they get paged – it can be pikuach nefesh.
Recently, I’ve had my phone out while davening for the amud – we start Shacharis at 7:00, and the Vasikin zman has been around 7:20. At the amud, instead of having to turn and squint at the clock that’s at the back of the shul, I put my phone down so I can see exactly what time it is, so we can get to Shemoneh Esrei at the zman.
I agree that if someone feels they’re unable to refrain from looking at their phone during davening, then they absolutely need to leave it outside. Thankfully I haven’t had the urge to check my phone while davening, unless I’m actually using it to daven – that happens sometimes if I’m traveling, and use the siddur app I have. Then, obviously, it’s in my hand! Otherwise, it stays in my pocket, and I check it when davening is done.