Hebrew Daily Prayer Book - Jonathan Sacks

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to its development are recorded below.

      In addition, we benefited greatly from the views of a very wide cross-section of the community. We were also fortunate to receive numerous detailed submissions, from Rabbis and laymen alike, reflecting the love and enthusiasm with which people view the Singer’s Siddur. To all of them, we offer our grateful thanks.

      I had the honour to chair the main Singer’s Prayer Book Committee, consisting of Rabbis Mordechai Ginsbury and Ephraim Mirvis, Geoffrey Hartnell, Vice President of the United Synagogue, Simon Goulden, Community Services Group Director of the United Synagogue, and Josephine Wayne, who acted as secretary. While this edition was in gestation, we met frequently, resolved the direction in which it would develop, and were closely involved in many of the detailed decisions.

      We would like to express our appreciation to the many talented professionals who applied their skills to the production of this Siddur.

      Rabbi Doniel Golomb produced the Hebrew text and special typographical enhancements.

      The Rev. Michael Binstock gave the benefit of his deep knowledge and experience during many hours of meticulous development work.

      Raphaël Freeman of Jerusalem Typesetting was responsible for the superb design, typesetting and layout and his knowledge, care and expertise can be seen on every page.

      Sorelle Weinstein painstakingly edited the English text with great expertise under tremendous time pressures.

      Ian Metcalfe of Harper Collins gave invaluable help and support throughout, particularly in the technicalities of production and binding.

      Syma Weinberg of the Office of the Chief Rabbi gave constant and pivotal encouragement as the work progressed.

      However, this siddur would not have appeared, without the total dedication of Simon Goulden, who bore the main

      burden of the difficult and demanding work. His absolute and selfless commitment to the project drove it through to completion.

      I also wish to express my thanks to my successors as President of the United Synagogue, Peter Sheldon and Dr. Simon Hochhauser; to its Chief Executive Rabbi Saul Zneimer; and to those who served as Trustees during the period that this edition was being prepared.

      Everard and Mina Goodman offered to become patrons and benefactors at the outset of the work on this new edition. Everard’s constant encouragement and enthusiasm for the Singer’s Prayer Book has been invaluable and inspirational; in addition to which, he has continued throughout to provide many useful, practical suggestions and has been a full partner in the work. To them both I express our sincere thanks.

      The new Hebrew font designed by Nadav Ezra of Fontbit will facilitate the accurate pronunciation of prayers in the Modern Hebrew accent. It features an enlarged kamatz katan (

), which is pronounced “o” as in “box” as opposed to an ordinary kamatz (
) which is pronounced “a” as in “bat”; an enlarged shva na ( : ) which requires voicing as opposed to a silent shva nach ( : ); and a meteg ( | ) which shows where a word should be stressed when not on the last syllable. The arrow marks (
) indicate to the Leader where he may begin to pray aloud in congregational prayer, although this is not binding.

      For all of us engaged in the project, the production of this new edition of the Singer’s Siddur has been a tremendous labour of love. Anglo-Jewry has a long and glorious history, with its own traditions and distinctive approach. Minhag Anglia, the liturgical custom and practice of our community, is our proud heritage. We believe that this new edition of the Authorised Daily Prayer Book will not only restore Anglo-Jewry’s pride in its own liturgy, but will enable future generations with devotion and clarity to approach the Almighty, “Shome’a Tefillah – He who listens to prayer.”

      ELKAN D. LEVY

       Chairman of the

       Singer’s Prayer Book

       Publication Committee

       Ellul 5766 / September 2006

      SCHOLARS’ GROUP

      Dayan Yonason Abraham

       Dayan Ivan Binstock

       Rabbi Raymond Apple

       Rabbi Philip Ginsbury

       Rabbi Doniel Golomb

       Chief Rabbi Cyril Harris (

) Rabbi Geoffrey Shisler The Rev Michael Binstock The Rev Moshe Haschel Elkan Levy

      USERS’ ADVISORY GROUP

      Anthony Angel

       Barry Bloombaum

       Paul Faiman

       Geoffrey Hartnell

       Ivor Katz

       Ashley Leboff

       Rabbi Dovid Lewis

       Alan Mitchell

       Gerald Normie

       Judy Salasnik

       Doreen Samuels

       Josephine Wayne

      DESIGN ADVISORY GROUP

      Joy Conway

       Mark Creeger

       Richard Herman

       Irene Leeman

      RUBRIC REVIEW GROUP

      Rabbi Geoffrey Shisler

       The Rev. Michael Binstock

       Simon Goulden

       Elkan Levy

       The following also gave very considerable assistance:

      Jon Barron

       Rabbi Shmuel Bloom

       Immanuel Burton

       Richard Carr

       Harvey Freeman

       Simon Jackson

       Jonathan Renshaw

       UNDERSTANDING JEWISH PRAYER

      1. INTRODUCTION

      PRAYER IS THE LANGUAGE OF THE SOUL in conversation with GOD. It is the most intimate gesture of the religious life and the most transformative. The very fact that we can pray testifies to the deepest elements of Jewish faith: that the universe did not come into existence accidentally, nor are our lives destined to be bereft of meaning. The universe exists, and we exist, because someone – the One GOD, Author of all – brought us into existence with love. It is this belief more than any other that redeems life from solitude and fate from tragedy.

      In prayer we speak to a presence vaster than the unfathomable universe, yet closer to us than we are to ourselves: the GOD beyond who is also the Voice within. Though language must fail when we try to describe a Being beyond all parameters of speech, language is all we have, and it is enough. For GOD who made the world with creative words, and who revealed His will through holy words, listens to our prayerful words. Language is the bridge joining us to Infinity.

      Judah Halevi, the great eleventh-century poet, said that prayer is to the soul what food is to the body. Without prayer, something within us atrophies and dies. It is possible to have a life without prayer, just as it is possible to have a life without music, or love, or laughter, but it is a diminished thing, missing whole dimensions of experience. We need space within the soul to express our joy in being, our wonder at the universe, our hopes, our fears, our failures, our resolves, bringing our deepest thoughts as an offering to the One who listens,

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