The Direction for Prayer in the Amidah

Shalom u'vracha,

All over the world, one should aim to pray the Amidah towards Jerusalem, as it is written, "And they shall pray to You towards their land." In the center of the country - the Dan region and surrounding area, one should pray towards the east - the direction where the sun rises. In areas east of Jerusalem, such as Jericho and the like, one should pray towards the west, where the sun sets.

In the north of the country, one should pray towards the south, while in the south of the country, one should pray towards the north. I once heard a wonderful method to determine where south and east are, etc. One can look at the rooftops of houses where solar water heaters are installed; they are always directed towards the south [where there is maximum sunlight]. By knowing where south is, you can then figure out the other directions yourself. There are also special prayer guides [published by Beit Tefillah - Miller] that include a kind of compass on the cover to indicate the direction for prayer anywhere in the world to ensure we pray towards Jerusalem.

Success and blessings - Menashe Yisrael