Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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73 of 73 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Roadmap to Jewish Life, June 13, 2001
If you're Jewish (or ever hope to be!), you NEED a siddur. It took me years to figure that out, and now I'm amazed that I ever went without one.The Artscroll is the single best siddur for general use. It includes daily, Shabbat, and many holiday prayers, as well as the entire book of Psalms, weekday Torah readings, inspirational verses, along with simple instructions in English to guide you in what may be your first steps towards praying as a Jew. While some of the sections (like the Psalms and Torah readings) are exclusively in Hebrew, in general, this is a very accessible book with lucid modern translations. This book makes no apologies for its traditional leanings, but serves them well and proudly. The prayers recall the historic Temple, sacrificial practices, our faith in God, the future messiah and the world to come. Jews from a Conservative background will find much of the material here familiar, but for others, this siddur may offer a first introduction to these ancient values which, for centuries, have been the backbone of Jewish prayer. No matter which Siddur they use in your shul, this beautiful volume is a proud addition to any Jewish home.
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46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The pocket edition of The Complete Artscroll Siddur, August 31, 1999
By A Customer
The complete Artscroll Siddur (Ashkenaz) is a very good basic siddur. It has some good and not so good features I would like to share with others who are considering this siddur.I like the readability and clarity of this siddur. It takes me through the prayers methodically. Intertwined with the basic structure are the wonderful pieces of timeless teachings by the Sages and Rabbis, songs, and other writings that have helped steer the Jewish community over centuries. It has the following basic structure: Morning services; Blessings; Afternoon and evening services; Welcoming of Sabbath and festivals; Evening, morning and afternoon services for Sabbath and festivals; Conclusion of Sabbath; Monthly rites; Yearly festival and memorial rites; Selected Torah readings; Psalms; Insight on various Laws. Like all other Artscroll products, the typesetting in this suddur is beautiful. The Hebrew and Aramaic are very readable. The weekly, monthly, and seasonal additions are offsetted in a shaded background. The service choreography is clearly marked. Important prayer section indicators are bolded. Different type sizes are used to accurately reflect how the letters are represented in the Torah scrolls and other scrolls. The use of Rapheh eliminates the guesswork of if the Shewa is voiced or not to many new readers to Hebrew and Hebredised Aramaic. Key words and letters are indexed in Hebrew in the English page that faces the Hebrew page, so that even those who are not fluent enough on Hebrew can readily follow the prayers. The siddur has rich array of footnotes that give insight on how the prayers were constructed. However, the opinions expressed have a tendancy to be extremely conservative. Though I have seen the Prayer for the Government and the Prayer for the State of Israel in the full-sided editions, my pocket version of do not contain these prayers... so it seems the title of this siddur is just a little misleading. Though I like the structure of Philip Birnbaum's Ha-Siddur Ha-Shalem better, the readability alone makes this siddur worth an investment.
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41 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Traditional Jewish Prayer made understandable for all, July 12, 2000
My late father, of blessed memory, when he was dying, gave my two sons and me one final gift before he died .... he gave us each an Artscroll Siddur. This precious gift makes the Jewish services for daily prayer and Sabbath understandable for all Jews. The translation and commentaries are lucid. The Hebrew is laid out in a manner which makes it easy to follow. The order of the services is set forth clearly. This prayerbook is 100% traditional yet it is made so Jews who are not yet conversant in daily prayer can become so by following this well composed prayerbook. My father's gift has enriched my family. I highly recommend this book.
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