Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

Even for observant and committed Jews, the liturgy of the daily and Shabbat prayer service can be daunting. For the less educated Jew, merely entering a Synagogue can be most intimidating. Numerous books have been written in an effort to help the Jewish layman understand the prayer service and feel comfortable in Synagogue. In my opinion, this one is the best. Rabbi Donin divides the service into its component parts and explains both the origin and meaning of each. For example, we learn how the Amidah came to be a substitute for the daily sacrifices of the Temple period and therefore, how its structure parallels the various types of sacrifice. But he does more than explain the background and meaning of the prayers. He shows how Jewish prayer, like all of Jewish practice, is a system with rules. For example when the reader or Chazzan chants a blessing (or "bracha"), a response of "amen" by a congregant will impart the saying of the bracha to the congregant. Whether or not one feels bound by the halacha (Jewish law), I think it is very interesting to see how every aspect of the prayer service has a correct way. For the beginner who is unfamiliar with the rituals and practices of the synagogue service, such as when to stand, the rules pertaining to tallit and tefilin, and what to do when given honors or an aliyah, this book explains it. A Jew, completely lost at Shul will feel comfortable after reading this book. Of course it is written from a traditional Orthodox perspective. It describes what happens in a traditional service. But aside from its emphasis on gender separation, a feature of Orthodox Judaism, the Conservative Jew will recognize his or her own service as being largely identical. Reform and Reconstructionist services are substantially different so this book is not for those attending such services. I think this book ought to be in the Judaica collection of every Jew interested in traditional Judaism. It is a good companion to Donin's "To Pray as a Jew." You don't need to be Orthodox to appreciate it.

I gave this book 4 stars mainly on the strength of the translations. Hebrew is not my native language, so although I know what the prayers are talking about in Hebrew, I'd rather pray in the language my heart, soul, and mind speak (English, in case you haven't guessed). And this is where Donin excells. His translations of the prayers are poetic, inspiring, uplifting--simply splendid. This contrasts with the situation of the average siddur, with translations that are pedestrian at best and stupefying at worst.

But I could not give the book a 5th star because it gets so bogged down in legal minutiae that it could give you a migraine--or scare you away from investigating Jewish spirituality. Jews of all branches should be able to use the marvelous translations of the prayers, but the heavy-handed halachic emphasis would probably be scary and/or freaky to someone taking the first steps into Jewish spirituality. If you are Conservative or Reform (not to mention Reconstructionist or nonreligious), just remember to take the stringent approach to halacha with an appropriately sized grain of salt. But buy the book, and use the magnificent translations of the prayers--you will be wishing that Donin had published his own siddur so you could have them with you everywhere.

I was raised in an orthodox household but always had questions about certain ritual affairs and activities that occured in a shul. Not only did this book answer many of my questions, it even went further and discussed the morning prayers. This book should be a MUST read. In fact, I liked it so much, I gave it to my younger brother and his wife (as PART of a larger wedding gift package). I truly recommend it.

While I agree with other reviewers that Rabbi Donin is writing for men, I ignore that and just include myself and my fellow women/Jews. Rabbi Donin may not be qualified to discuss Reform services since he is an Orthodox rabbi, which would account for the omission of the details of liberal services. Other than that, I think he did an admirable job with a huge subject -- the basics of synagogue services, how and why. I find his discussions both sensitive and thorough, although his attention to detail can sometimes detract from the flow of the book.

A very good explanation of the Siddur ... why certain items are included and their historical back drop. A nice discussion also of how the Sephardic tradition differs from the Ashkenazic.

There are many good guides to Jewish prayer. Rabbi Steinsaltz's work, and the book 'Kavvanah' by Seth Kadish, my own personal favorite, are two good examples. This is another excellent guide to Jewish prayer, very detailed in its explanation of the Jewish service and how the person is to act in the synagogue. But this book is more than that .In explaining prayer it also provides a guide to Jewish values and religion.
Anyone who wishes to get a real grasp of the basics of Judaism would do well to read this work. But of course reading is not enough. The real step is then to begin to, or continue to more intensely, practice.

I have to honestly say this is one of the best books that I have picked up recently on Judism. The book is clear, concise, and explains services, prayers, and why services are the way the are. This book explains so much, I wished I had picked this book up a long time ago. I love that this book contains explanation behind all aspects of services, and prayers that are said on a daily basis. I highly recommend picking up this book.