Responding to Feedback - Page 5
Written by Rabbi Professor Jonathan Magonet
| Article Index |
|---|
| Responding to Feedback |
| Informed Choice |
| So, What's New? |
| A New Layout |
| Feedback and Responses |
| Traditional and Progressive |
| The Siddue as a Whole |
| What Remains to be Done |
| All Pages |
Feedback and Responses
On the whole the latest draft has been received very positively. A number of mistakes were spotted very quickly, particularly typos, but also occasions when insertions for special occasions made it difficult to find where to continue the service. For example the passage in the Amidah for Chanukkah made it difficult to see how the regular blessing continued. This insertion has now been moved to a special section for the festivals.
But one of the unexpected problems of the new layout was the sheer density of materials on some of the pages. In order to distinguish the guidelines for the service from other materials, a number of ‘boxes’ had been introduced. By removing these and moving all of the notes to the bottom of the page a greater sense of ‘space’ has been created. I was reminded by an artist that reading through the pages of a book should be like walking through a landscape! We are currently looking at the use of small ‘icons’ to make it easier to see where the service continues after a break.
The transliteration remains the most often cited issue. Some simply disapprove on principle, though others have become encouraged (or resigned to its inclusion) when learning that the Orthodox Art Scroll Siddur has provided fully transliterated editions. The problem of Hebrew literacy is not confined to Reform Judaism! Some have found it helpful to improve their reading skills and check their pronunciation. Nevertheless there remains a major concern that the existence of transliteration might discourage children from mastering the Hebrew they need for bar- or bat-mitzvah, though presumably they will still have to learn to read their Torah portion. Obviously the question of Hebrew literacy for adults and children remains something the movement needs to address. While the Shabbat services and some home sections, like the Thanksgiving after Meals, are transliterated, the daily services and other sections, like the Psalm Anthology and ‘Sayings of the Fathers’ are not, which may encourage people to move beyond transliteration so as to take fullest use of them.
