www.reformjudaism.org.uk

On the Eve of Publication - Page 4

Written by Rabbi Professor Jonathan Magonet Friday, 01 February 2008

A Prayer Book in the Making

One Size Doesn’t Fit All

For a couple of years the Steering Committee had been considering the number of possible different editions of the Siddur that might be needed. Top of the list was a large print version for use in synagogues for people with impaired vision. The only snag was that a full-blown edition of over five hundred pages in an A4 size would be a massive weight and quite unusable. In the end we have settled for a practical volume that can be used for the Friday Evening and Shabbat Morning services, and this may serve not only for this purpose, but even be a useful pulpit volume.

At the other end of the scale, we have long wanted a ‘pocket’ version of the prayer book that people could take with them on holiday, or use at conferences, youth camps etc. Thanks to the generous support of the Karen Morris Memorial Trust such a ‘compact edition’ is also being printed and will be given to all students going to university as well as being available for RSY-Netzer and Jeneration.

Early on in the debate about transliteration the suggestion was made of producing a version of at least the Shabbat services without the transliteration for use by children preparing for the Bar- or Bat-mitsvah. Not all congregations felt the need for this so the numbers that might be printed would be very small, and therefore extremely expensive. A possible solution that is still being worked on is to have an electronic version available for those who wanted it which could be printed either as a whole, or page by page as needed.

In addition to all the above, we are currently working on producing a ‘Thanksgiving after Meals’ booklet for use in the home and for special occasions such as weddings, as well as a new edition of the Daily Prayerbook for use particularly at shivas and a new Funeral Book.

Alongside all this direct work on the book itself, a separate committee has been working on the music, collecting melodies for all the existing and new songs and sung texts, but also allowing for the possibility of new compositions.

One of the major pieces of work has been to collect sponsorship for the new Siddur to ensure that further educational work and developments can continue. By finding 36 major sponsors, following the tradition of the ‘lamed-vavniks’, the thirty-six righteous people who sustain the world, and a host of other individuals and communities who have made dedications, this funding has been secured.

The creation of a new Siddur offers an unprecedented opportunity for the renewal of our religious services, as well as for education in the history and understanding of our liturgy. An educational programme is already in development both to help prepare for the use of the new Siddur and to encourage further development in years to come.