Judaism And Hebrew Prayer

A scholarly but readable guide to the history of Jewish prayer from biblical times to the modern period.

A collection of essays by prominent Jewish thinkers such as Adin Steinsaltz, Shalom Rosenberg, Elie Wiesel, and Efraim Gottlieb.

A distinguished guide to Jewish prayer 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 Hayim Halevy Donin guides readers of To Pray as a Jew 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, To Pray as a Jew is intended to show the way, to enlighten, and hopefully to inspire.

A beautiful and moving one-of-a-kind collection that draws from a variety of Jewish traditions, through the ages, to commemorate every occasion and every passage in the cycle of life, including: Special prayers for the Sabbath, holidays, and important dates of the Jewish year Prayers to mark celebratory milestones, such as bat mitzva, marriage, pregnancy, and childbirth Prayers for companionship, love, and fertility Prayers for healing, strength, and personal growth Prayers for daily reflection and thanksgiving Prayers for comfort and understanding in times of tragedy and loss On the eve of Yom Kippur in 2002, Aliza Lavie, a university professor, read an interview with an Israeli woman who had lost both her mother and her baby daughter in a terrorist attack. As Lavie stood in the synagogue later that evening, she searched for comfort for the bereaved woman, for a reminder that she was not alone but part of a great tradition of Jewish women who have responded to unbearable loss with strength and fortitude. Unable to find sufficient solace within the traditional prayer book and inspired by the memory of her own grandmother’s steadfast knowledge and faith, Lavie began researching and compiling prayers written for and by Jewish women. A Jewish Woman’s Prayer Book is the result—a beautiful and moving one-of-a-kind collection that draws from a variety of Jewish traditions, through the ages, to commemorate every occasion and every passage in the cycle of life, from the mundane to the extraordinary. This elegant, inspiring volume includes special prayers for the Sabbath and holidays and important dates of the Jewish year; prayers to mark celebratory milestones, such as bat mitzva, marriage, pregnancy, and childbirth; and prayers for comfort and understanding in times of tragedy and loss. Each prayer is presented in Hebrew and in an English translation, along with fascinating commentary on its origins and allusions. Culled from a wide range of sources, both geographically and historically, this collection testifies that women's prayers were—and continue to be—an inspired expression of personal supplication and desire.

A collection of blessings, poems, meditations, and rituals presented in English and Hebrew offers a traditional perspective to weekday, Sabbath, and New Moon festival observances.

Louis Jacobs was Rabbi at New London Synagogue until his death in 2006. In the year of his death he was voted ""Greatest British Jew"" by a poll of Jewish Chronicle Readers conducted to mark the 350th anniversary of the entry of the Jews into England under Oliver Cromwell. His latest books, Jewish Preaching and Judaism and Theology, were both published in 2004.

In this collection of essays, Professor Zahavy explores the origins and early history of prayer in Judaism. He examines the growth of rabbanic liturgy from immediately after the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE until the close of the Talmud of the Land of Israel. Zahavy shows how rabbanic rules for prayer reflect the historical circumstances of the Jews in late antique Israel. He argues, based on close textual analysis, that rabbis had little influence over the governance of synagogues in the first and second centuries.