Customer Reviews

Siddur Sim Shalom : a prayerbook for Shabbat, festivals, and weekdays

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

 

 

"Siddur Sim Shalom" is a traditional Jewish prayerbook, which contains prayers for weekdays, Shabbat, and the festivals. It also contains services for other events such as Birkat HaMazon (Grace after meals). This is the official Siddur of the Conservative movement. The text is nearly the same as that of Orthodox siddurim, but the references to the Temple and animal sacrifices have been changed, so that the text recalls the glory of the ancient Temple service, yet stresses that in our day it is ethical living, following the will of God, and repentance that bring salvation, not animal sacrifice. Its extensive introduction explains what changes exist, and the rationale behind them. In my mind, this may well be the best prayerbook available by any of the Jewish movements. As Rabbi Petuchowski wrote about it "It works for me in a way that no other Siddur does".

Currently the official Siddur of the Conservative Movement, the Siddur Sim Shalom is a very competent prayer book for home and synagogue use. Clearly written in very legible type with very helpful notations for both reader and congregation, it is pleasant if not slightly complicated to use. The prompts and strategically located, English transliterations are most helpful to non or novice Hebrew readers. They also help one to find their place in the service if they arrive late or lose themselves at any point. The foreward and information at the beginning of the Siddur lave something to be desired in the explanation of Jewish prayer and service ritual, though there is an excellent section at the end of the Siddur that is truly enlightening and an exceptional bonus. Still, some of the practice one might encounter in a Conservative shul is neglected by this version and likely can only be found in the Artscroll Siddur, today. Most daily readers of this work will be used to the section jumping nature of its layout, however this will prove a subtle annoyance to those who utilize it less often. Not ideal, but suitable for daily use and festivals, Siddur Sim Shalom exceeds in what it needs to be but falls short of what it could have been.

The first edition of Siddur Sim Shalom provides a one siddur answer to Shabbat, Festival and weekday needs. It also takes care of home ritual needs in a reader friendly manner, and works well for minyans at a shiva house.
I believe that because it doesn't have all of the feminist egalitarian changes, (even though the Conservative Movement's position is for a more egalitarian Siddur), it is far superior to the second edition, in that it keeps the original text of the prayers.
On the downside, it is a fairly heavy book to hold and the prayers sometimes run into each other, making it a little more difficult for the novice to navigate.
Overall it is a great improvement (translation wise) over the Silverman Siddur (although I miss the layout of the prayers in Silverman).
I would recommend this siddur to all.

I have been using this siddur for mincha-maariv and find the type and layout easy to read and follow. The edition used at my synagogue has nice soft off-white paper that softens my voice during the Amidah, and a spine that rolls open in a pleasing way, with no resistance. I don't know if all the printings are the same.
It would be kind of a lot to handle if you had bad arthritis in your wrists or your arms were very weak. I do have a touch of arthritis but not enough to bother me when holding this book.
I wish the 95 "gender-sensitive" edition had the weekday services, as that is what I primarily need, but the 85 is quite suitable. I like it better than the Artscroll Ashkenaz siddur I had been using.

The replacement of the Silverman was long overdue, but the first edition, the 1985 edition, of Siddur Sim Shalom [sometimes derogatorily called "Slim Shalom"] was not quite what everyone hoped it would be. The format is nearly as clunky as an Artscroll sidur, and the language is non-egalitarian. The 2nd edition is a vast improvement in both areas. The primary drawback of the 2nd edition is that it doesn't have the weekday order concentration of the 1st. Since, in our community at least, erev shabes is the primary time when we use sidurim, however, this is a secondary concern. It is a good sidur, which is why I bought it, but I like the newer model a bit better, hence 4 stars, compared to 5 for the current rendition.

The service we received was outstanding. Our siddur arrived promptly, we had excellent communication from the sellers so we knew when to expect it. We were very appreciative of their superb customer service.