To Pray As A Jew: A Guide To The Prayer Book And The Synagogue Service [Paperback]

Hayim H. Donin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 11, 1991

Rabbi Donin offers a detailed guide to Jewish prayer which takes the reader through the entire prescribed course of Jewish liturgy, offering historical background, religious teaching, and practical instruction for each element of the service.Why do Jews pray? What is the role of prayer in their lives as moral and ethical beings? From the simplest details of how to comport oneself on entering a synagogue to the most profound and moving comments on the prayers themselves, Rabbi Donin guides the reader through the entire prescribed course of Jewish liturgy, passage by passage, ritual by ritual, in this handsome and indispensable guide to Jewish prayer, unexcelled for beginners as well as the religiously observant.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Jewish prayer book, or siddur, remains the standard text from which children in Jewish schools learn to read. Yet many adult Jews are unfamiliar with the siddur and are confused by prayer services. Other know the prayer book's Hebrew texts by rote but do not really comprehend them. Writing for both kinds of readers in this classic devotional guide, Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin reviews the basic shape of a Jewish prayer service and then begins his survey of prayers (all of which are quoted here in both Hebrew and English) with the Shemoneh Esrei, the core of every service. One of the most appealing qualities of the book is the author's penchant for reminding readers to be mindful of the practical dimension of prayer life: "Unless prayer is also accompanied by the traits of character and ethical behavior that Judaism demands, prayer is no indication of piety at all. One need only stop to consider that in real life, evil men pray too." --Michael Joseph Gross

From Publishers Weekly

To Pray As a Jew, Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin's companion to his classic work To Be a Jew, will be reissued in September by Basic Books. The book functions as an accessible guide to the prayer book and the synagogue service, covering every detail of Jewish prayer and ritual. Donin answers such specific questions as: What religious objects are kissed before use? What are the 18 blessings of the Shemoneh Esrei? What are the roles of the gabbaim during the service? This definitive guide to the siddur, published just in time for the High Holy Days, will be deeply appreciated by a new generation of readers.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (October 11, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465086330
• ISBN-13: 978-0465086337
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #49,656 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Judaism > Jewish Life

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book has been very helpful ..., March 27, 2002

By 

aston (Homebush, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Pray As A Jew: A Guide To The Prayer Book And The Synagogue Service (Paperback)

Perhaps a bit about me first. I am a non-Jew Chinese Australian who is interested in Jewish spirituality, and I have been to synagogues a few times. I bought this book primarily to help me gain an appreciation of what goes on in the synagogue and to see whether learning about "siddur" will help me in my "journey". The book has not disappointed me. A word of advice, instead of reading this book from start to finish, consider selective reading. I started from chapter 1 and jumped to chapter 11 on the Shema, before I tried to digest the rest of the book.

Recommended for the Jewishly curious.

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reference, March 17, 2003

By 

Gregory Olsen "renaissance man" (San Ramon, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: To Pray As A Jew: A Guide To The Prayer Book And The Synagogue Service (Paperback)

This is book is a classic. The book delivers exactly what is promised - a guide to the siddur. It is by an orthodox rabbi and therefore does not conform necessarily to practices in other liberal movements in Judaism. The translations, as noted by other reviewers, are excellent.

Other reviewers have commented on the minutae that bog down the book. There is not necessarily a way to simplify such a complex subject. I think the organization of the book is practical.

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An essential resource for anyone wanting to learn to pray., November 17, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: To Pray As A Jew: A Guide To The Prayer Book And The Synagogue Service (Paperback)

There are few books as easy to read as "To Pray as a Jew." You will find all the essentials ... from preparing to attend synagogue to what to do when you leave and thereafter. If you desire to learn how to make prayer an effective part of your everyday life, then you MUST read this book. It is a "how to", "when to", "what to", "what else" manual. You will certainly wear this book out!