Customer Reviews

The Complete Artscroll Siddur (Artscroll Mesorah)

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

If you're Jewish (or ever hope to be!), you NEED a siddur. It took me years to figure that out, and now I'm amazed that I ever went without one.

The Artscroll is the single best siddur for general use. It includes daily, Shabbat, and many holiday prayers, as well as the entire book of Psalms, weekday Torah readings, inspirational verses, along with simple instructions in English to guide you in what may be your first steps towards praying as a Jew. While some of the sections (like the Psalms and Torah readings) are exclusively in Hebrew, in general, this is a very accessible book with lucid modern translations.

This book makes no apologies for its traditional leanings, but serves them well and proudly. The prayers recall the historic Temple, sacrificial practices, our faith in God, the future messiah and the world to come. Jews from a Conservative background will find much of the material here familiar, but for others, this siddur may offer a first introduction to these ancient values which, for centuries, have been the backbone of Jewish prayer.

No matter which Siddur they use in your shul, this beautiful volume is a proud addition to any Jewish home.

The complete Artscroll Siddur (Ashkenaz) is a very good basic siddur. It has some good and not so good features I would like to share with others who are considering this siddur.

I like the readability and clarity of this siddur. It takes me through the prayers methodically. Intertwined with the basic structure are the wonderful pieces of timeless teachings by the Sages and Rabbis, songs, and other writings that have helped steer the Jewish community over centuries. It has the following basic structure: Morning services; Blessings; Afternoon and evening services; Welcoming of Sabbath and festivals; Evening, morning and afternoon services for Sabbath and festivals; Conclusion of Sabbath; Monthly rites; Yearly festival and memorial rites; Selected Torah readings; Psalms; Insight on various Laws.

Like all other Artscroll products, the typesetting in this suddur is beautiful. The Hebrew and Aramaic are very readable. The weekly, monthly, and seasonal additions are offsetted in a shaded background. The service choreography is clearly marked. Important prayer section indicators are bolded. Different type sizes are used to accurately reflect how the letters are represented in the Torah scrolls and other scrolls. The use of Rapheh eliminates the guesswork of if the Shewa is voiced or not to many new readers to Hebrew and Hebredised Aramaic. Key words and letters are indexed in Hebrew in the English page that faces the Hebrew page, so that even those who are not fluent enough on Hebrew can readily follow the prayers. The siddur has rich array of footnotes that give insight on how the prayers were constructed. However, the opinions expressed have a tendancy to be extremely conservative. Though I have seen the Prayer for the Government and the Prayer for the State of Israel in the full-sided editions, my pocket version of do not contain these prayers... so it seems the title of this siddur is just a little misleading. Though I like the structure of Philip Birnbaum's Ha-Siddur Ha-Shalem better, the readability alone makes this siddur worth an investment.

My late father, of blessed memory, when he was dying, gave my two sons and me one final gift before he died .... he gave us each an Artscroll Siddur. This precious gift makes the Jewish services for daily prayer and Sabbath understandable for all Jews. The translation and commentaries are lucid. The Hebrew is laid out in a manner which makes it easy to follow. The order of the services is set forth clearly. This prayerbook is 100% traditional yet it is made so Jews who are not yet conversant in daily prayer can become so by following this well composed prayerbook. My father's gift has enriched my family. I highly recommend this book.

I give it 5 stars for being "complete" (i.e., The idea of having services for every holiday and every day of the week in one volume is wonderful). Ultimately, however, I give it 2 stars because: This paperback edition is totally useless to me. If you need reading glasses and are thinking of ordering The COMPLETE ARTSCROLL SIDDUR (paperback edition), make sure to visit your eye doctor and get those bifocals before this book arrives! The description of this ARTSCROLL edition uses words like "clear"...and "crisp type..."... but it is only clear and crisp if you can read miniature words or you have young eyes that haven't gone through "the change" yet!

This is a great way to learn how to daven. Before buying this siddur, I knew nothing about praying as an observant Jew. After using this book - with its detailed instructions and explanations, perfect for the newly observant - for six months I am totally comfortable with davening, knowledgable about prayer and its basis in Torah, and I feel so much more complete in my observance. The siddur has an English translation which allows those with no or poor Hebrew to pray all prayers with understanding.

The Complete Artscroll Siddur is a book no Jewish home should be without. It is much more than just another bi-lingual siddur. This volume, with its carefully chosen instructions, takes the reader by the hand through each of the weekday, Shabbos and Holiday prayer services and offers the uninitiated (and even those who are familiar with davening)a friendly guide through each service.

The insightful commentary provides depth and meaning and answers many questions about the how, what and why of Jewish prayer. This siddur is much more than a book of prayers. It gives great insight into what it means to be a Jew. What is it that Jews believe? What do Jews strive for in their lives? What do Jews value? What is the Torah, and what does G-d expect of his chosen people? All these questions are answered in clear terms that even the most religiously distant Jew can appreciate.

I have often given this siddur as a gift to someone "searching" their roots rather than a Chumash (5 Books of Moses), because this volume brings the reader right to the core beliefs and values of Judaism. Souces are given throughout the siddur, providing the reader the option of delving deeper by going to the original texts. This is an invaluable tool for furthering ones studies.

This siddur, contrary to one other reviewer, is not lacking in any way as a result of its not incorporating a prayer for the "welfare of the state" (a feature commonly found in Reform, Conservative and Israeli texts).

Like most others published by Mesorah Publications, this volume is superb. I highly recomend them to all who wish to learn from an authentic source of Torah that is both user friendly and affordable.

The Artscroll Siddur (prayer book) is a fantastic version of most of the Jewish prayers. It has sections on weekdays, Shabbat, and the holidays. Also included are weekly Torah readings, laws of prayer, and the entire book of Psalms. The Artscroll Siddur is written in fully vocalized Hebrew (with cantillation notes where they are used) with English translation on facing pages, and a detailed commentary in English. With clear printing and explanations for people who have only begun to use the Siddur, this is the best Siddur I have seen. Comes in pocket edition or hardcover.

Aside from the annoyance of having all transliterations in ashkenazic pronunciation ("shabbat" -> "shabbos," etc.), this is a spectacular siddur, full of information that can help those who don't know all the traditional laws and customs of Jewish prayer learn. I love the "laws" section in the back, and really appreciate the instructions throughout on when to stand, bow, etc. If it had a little more commentary, it could almost replace my rabbi!

My understanding is that the sephard versions still have the ashkenaz-style transliteration, but are organized a little differently to fit sephardic services better.

But be careful when ordering, because there are a lot of editions, and amazon doesn't always describe them accurately. Probably the best for everyday use is the pocket-size hard cover, because it's small but durable. But here are the ISBNs of the various editions of the Complete Artscroll Siddur:

0-89906-650-X = full-size hardcover ashkenaz

0-89906-654-2 = pocket-size hardcover ashkenaz
0-89906-655-0 = pocket-size paperback ashkenaz
0-89906-657-7 = full-size hardcover sephard
0-89906-658-5 = pocket-size hardcover sephard
0-89906-659-3 = pocket-size paperback sephard

Note also that Amazon doesn't always send out the correct version. I ordered a pocket-size paperback ashkenaz edition, for example, and received the full-size hardcover ashkenaz. But amazon will take it back and replace it for free if they make a mistake, which is one more reason I keep buying stuff here.

The Complete Art Scroll Siddur has become the standard against which all other Jewish prayer books are compared. In a few years it will completely supplant the Birenbaum prayerbook as the primary one stocked in Orthodox synagogues. The Art Scroll siddur contains not just the daily prayers, in Hebrew and English, in a complete and logical order, but it also provides footnotes to Biblical references, ancient commentaries, and instructions. A must have siddur for any home or synagogue.

I bought the pocket version of this several years ago. I just got to the bifocal age (43), so I'm getting the full-size edition! :o) Being a librarian and linguist, I can appreciate the handsome, easy-to-read Hebrew and English fonts, good paper quality, and excellent arrangement of the written material. Using the siddur every day is a great way to get one's "rega shel Ivrit," to find or be given a pearl of wisdom in which one can ponder life's many meanings during moments here and there during the busy work day. Reading the siddur helps to increase one's Hebrew language proficiency. Another fine volume from Artscroll.

Shaloha.