Pray Tell: A Hadassah Guide to Jewish Prayer (Paperback)

by Jules Harlow (Author), Tamara Cohen (Author), Rochelle Furstenberg (Author), Daniel Gordis (Author), Leora Tanenbaum (Author), Claudia R. Chernov (Editor), Carol Diament (Editor), the Women's Zionist Organization of America Hadassah (Corporate Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A complete guide to Jewish prayer, including traditional and contemporary perspectives. What is the purpose of prayer in Judaism? Is there only one correct way to pray? What sort of modern changes are being made to the established liturgy? Is it okay to make these changes? These are just some of the issues explored in this intriguing guide to traditional Jewish prayer. Enriched with insight and wisdom from a broad variety of viewpoints--Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, New Age, and feminist--Jewish weekday and Shabbat prayers are contrasted with new and inspiring ideas and practices. Engaging commentaries offer fresh and modern slants on what it means to pray as a Jew, and how women and men might actually pray. Pray Tell provides the nuts and bolts for understanding the prayer service, giving a solid foundation to the contemporary liturgy. Take it to services, use it with a study group, or read it by yourself; your appreciation and experience of Jewish prayer will be enhanced.

About the Author
Rabbi Jules Harlow, a memeber of the executive staff of the Rabbinical Assembly for thirty-five years, is an editor and translator of liturgy and modern Hebrew literature. He is the literary editor of Etz Hayim, the Torah commentary, which was awarded first prize in non-fiction by the National Jewish Book Council in 2002.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing (February 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580231632
• ISBN-13: 978-1580231633
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #794,224 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative, lively, provocative resource book, March 25, 2003

By A Customer

This resource book is divided into two sections. Part I is a step-by-step explanation of all the major traditional prayers (Shema, Amidah, Torah service, etc.) written by Rabbi Jules Harlow, who edited the Conservative movement's definitive siddur (prayer book). This section is very useful if you're new to the siddur or have never felt comfortable in synagogue because you don't understand what is going on. Everything is explained very clearly and I recommend this section to anyone who wants to feel more involved in synagogue prayers.

Part II deals with contemporary and philosophical issues such as feminist re-writing of prayers and new rituals, Orthodox women's prayers, Israeli poetry as prayer, and prayer as a response to evil and suffering. Some of these issues are very controversial--since to traditionalists, the words of the prayers should not be altered--and this section of the book is very lively and provocative.

One of the best features of PRAY TELL is the running commentaries on the margins of the page that touch on things said within the main text--just like in the Talmud. It's impossible to get bored when you're reading because even if you disagree with the main text, there is an alternate point of view in the margins (written by great rabbis like Abraham Joshua Heschel as well as contemporary feminist authorities like Alice Shalvi and Marcia Falk). The back-and-forth dialogue makes for very lively reading. There are also lots of fascinating tidbits of information--like why we recite certain psalms during the morning service, why Aleinu has been so controversial, how religious Yiddish-speaking women created their own private prayers, etc.

One of the biggest strengths of this book is that it gives you the tools to both understand the traditional prayers and play around them (if you want to). Although I personally don't feel comfortable changing the words of the liturgy, I am glad to know that there is actually a long history of making alterations and creating new prayers.