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Title: To Pray As a Jew: A Guide to the Prayer Book and the Synagogue Service by Hayim Halevy Donin ISBN: 0-465-08633-0 Publisher: Basic Books Pub. Date: September, 1991 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $18.50 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.09 (11 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Excellent guide to Jewish prayer
Comment: In my opinion, "To pray as a Jew" is not for everyone. It is written by an Orthodox rabbi, and it does not say things many modern-minded people would like to hear. That is why I think that those interested in learning (about) Jewish prayers should start with somewhat "theoretical" writings on the subject of prayer and "mitsvot" in general by Y. Leibowitz. Once they understand that a prayer with a fixed text at a fixed hour is the only serious way to pray, they they may move to R'Donin's book, which is an extremely helpful practical guide to synagogue and Jewish prayer, written in a very warm and welcoming manner.
Rating: 2
Summary: A Book so Thorough it Forgets Nothing But its Readers
Comment: "To Pray as a Jew" is one of those books it is hard to escape. It is used as a textbook in many Jewish classrooms; it is recommended by many Rabbis. There is no question that the book is thorough, accurate, and detailed. The main problem is it doesn't seem to know who its audience is.
The minutiae are so extreme that it even gives advice on what to do if you take someone's customary seat in the synagogue (it advises you apologize and ask if they want the seat; it insists that the person in question will rarely actually ask for it back). If you have never darkened the door of a synagogue, the incredibly long and detailed descriptions of how and why to pray could make your head spin. If, on the other hand, you are someone who has gone to a synagogue before, and wants to know WHY certain practices are done, or who wants an explanation of some of the more unusual rituals, the attention to practices such a proper dress and step-by-step diagrams on how to bow may evoke giggles rather than enlightenment.
The biggest error, however, is that it completely ignores the existence of the Reform movement. Many of the practices in Reform synagogues are substantially different from those mentioned in this book. Nevertheless, if Rabbi Donin truly wants to help a Jew be comfortable in "any synagogue in the world," as he purports to want to do, it is a major oversight to not at least mention that Reform synagogues exist, and that the practices are very different.
I have used this book occasionally as a reference, but I do not recommend that anyone read it straight through.
Rating: 5
Summary: wonderful, educational
Comment: A wonderful book that helps one understand the classic Jewish prayers and their role in the Sabbath and high holy days as well as at home. An important book for any Jewish household. A great companion for every Jew.
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Title: To Be a Jew: A Guide to Jewish Observance in Contemporary Life by Hayim Halevy Donin, Norman Lamm ISBN: 0465086322 Publisher: Basic Books Pub. Date: October, 1991 List Price(USD): $19.00 |
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Title: Everyman's Talmud: The Major Teachings of the Rabbinic Sages by Abraham Cohen, Jacob Neusner ISBN: 0805210326 Publisher: Schocken Books Pub. Date: February, 1995 List Price(USD): $18.00 |
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Title: The Complete Artscroll Siddur by Nosson Scherman, Meir Zlotowitz ISBN: 089906650X Publisher: Mesorah Pubns Ltd Pub. Date: June, 1989 List Price(USD): $27.99 |
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Title: Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People and Its History by Joseph Telushkin ISBN: 0688085067 Publisher: William Morrow Pub. Date: September, 2001 List Price(USD): $35.00 |
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Title: Choosing a Jewish Life: A Handbook for People Converting to Judaism and for Their Family and Friends by Anita Diamant ISBN: 0805210954 Publisher: Schocken Books Pub. Date: March, 1998 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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