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Transliteration

Written by Rabbi Professor Jonathan Magonet Wednesday, 01 June 2005

A Prayer Book in the Making

Part of the challenge of producing the new Prayerbook is coming to terms with unexpected issues. In the course of producing these ‘diaries’ we have had to examine a number of familiar ones and we continue to try to resolve them as best we can. But there is one issue that is new to this edition and it has evoked any number of divergent views. It is the question of whether or not to include transliteration of the Hebrew passages within the book, and if so, to what extent?

Those who know the American scene are aware that the Reform and Reconstructionist movements have long since made provision for transliteration on the page, and individual Conservative and even Orthodox prayerbooks have also done so. The argument for this is simply one of inclusivity. People who come to the synagogue may have very little in the way of Jewish education, let alone fluency in reading Hebrew. Thus they feel excluded when the service is largely conducted in Hebrew and this robs them of the incentive to become more involved. By providing transliteration they can read or sing along with the community so that one more barrier is removed.

In the UK, at least in the past, we have not gone that route and tended instead to use the English translation as the ‘way in’ for people to participate. At least they could join in with the parts read in English. But in recent decades, both UK progressive movements have considerably increased the Hebrew component of the services. This is to some extent a reaction against the old canards about the movements being assimilationist, but also a wish to improve knowledge of Hebrew as a basic Jewish ‘skill’. Sadly this often stops with the ability to read fluently, if not always accurately, without understanding what is being read. Synagogues have also provided limited transliteration possibilities, usually as separate sheets containing the Kaddish, so as to help mourners, or the blessings for the Torah and Haftarah. Nevertheless, without a degree of practice, these unfamiliar phrases are not read very well, and tend to highlight the reader’s lack of Hebrew (or Aramaic) rather than substitute for it.