Entering the High Holy Days: A Complete Guide to the History, Prayers and Themes [Paperback]

Rabbi Reuven Hammer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2005

This title is a National Jewish Book Award Winner. The High Holy Days - Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur - are for many Jews the highlight of the Jewish year. The liturgy for the Days of Awe are the longest and most complex of the year, leaving a large number of attendees without a complete understanding of the occasion's significance. "Entering The High Holy Days" provides historical background and interpretation of the ideas, practices, and liturgy and lends them contemporary relevance to today's Jews.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Hammer's superb explanation of all aspects of the High Holy Days is one of the best resources available..." -- JewishGrowth.org, July 3, 2005

From the Publisher

A National Jewish Book Award Winner

The classic guide to the most important days of the Jewish year.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: The Jewish Publication Society (July 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0827608217
• ISBN-13: 978-0827608214
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #905,070 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't go to shul without it!, October 3, 2006

By 

Colleen McMahon ""Omnivorous Reader"" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Entering the High Holy Days: A Complete Guide to the History, Prayers and Themes (Paperback)

Whether you are a Jew-from-birth who wants to deepen your experience of the High Holy Days or a convert going through the Days of Awe for the first time, or a interested bystander who wants to know more of what the holiest days of the year are all about, Reuven Hammer's Entering the High Holy Days is an excellent resource.

The author covers the history and development of the rituals and services of Rosh Hashannah, Yom Kippur and the days between (known as the Days of Awe) as well as customs such as the foods eaten (or not eaten, in the case of Yom Kippur), taschlich, and kaporot. Particularly useful is the indepth guide to the services themselves. Although I was attending my first High Holy Day services at a Reform synagogue, whose siddur doesn't include everything that the Conservative, Orthodox and REconstructionist services do (and thus doesn't include everything mentioned in this book), I still learned a lot and could recognize the steps and overall sections and structures of the services. The background information on the various Torah readings and Haftorah readings added more depth to those portions of the services. Best of all, however, is the knowledge that allows one to act in preparation for the holiest holidays of the year and to enter them feeling more prepared and more knowledgeable than ever before. Whether your first experience or your 50th, you will get something from this book. Highly recommended.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A useful guide written with a contemporary audience firmly in mind, December 9, 2005

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Entering the High Holy Days: A Complete Guide to the History, Prayers and Themes (Paperback)

Now in a new paperback edition, Entering The High Holy Days: A Complete Guide To The History, Prayers, And Themes is a classic guide to Jewish religious holidays. Written by Reuven Hammer, head of the Rabbinical Court of the Masorti Movement, Entering The High Holy Days has earned the National Jewish Book Award for its scholarly yet straightforward presentation of the liturgy, necessary preparations, ceremonies, historical background and more as connected to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur especially. A useful guide written with a contemporary audience firmly in mind.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Overview, September 12, 2009

By 

N. Danger "VmpSlar" (Huntington Beach, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Entering the High Holy Days: A Complete Guide to the History, Prayers and Themes (Paperback)

As a Jew-by-Choice, I wanted to understand the origin of the High Holy Days and become familiar with the meaning of the prayers/psalms that are recited on these significant days. This book, while by no means an in-depth study, fulfilled that purpose. The sources are well cited, although they tend to be redundant. Overall, I was pleased with the book and would recommend it to anyone seeking to better understand the background of the most significant days of the Jewish calendar.