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My People's Prayer Book, Vol. 5: Birkhot Hashachar
This momentous, critically-acclaimed series is truly a people's prayer book, one that provides a diverse and exciting commentary to the traditional liturgy. It will help modern men and women find new wisdom and guidance in Jewish prayer, and bring the liturgy into their lives. It also has received significant attention in the Christian world.The major sections of the prayer book each are covered in separate volumes in this series. My People's Prayer Book provides in each volume:
-- The traditional Hebrew text.
-- A modern translation (designed to let people know exactly what the prayers actually say).
-- Commentators from all perspectives of the Jewish world, some of today's most respected Jewish scholars and teachers, who cover the prayer book's connections to the Bible, history, traditional law, kabbalistic wisdom, feminism, modern developments, and much more.
This stunning work, an important expression of the spiritual revival of our times, enables all worshipers to claim their connection to the heritage of the traditional Jewish prayer book. It rejuvenates Jewish worship in today's world, and makes its power accessible to all.
-- The traditional Hebrew text.
-- A modern translation (designed to let people know exactly what the prayers actually say).
-- Commentators from all perspectives of the Jewish world, some of today's most respected Jewish scholars and teachers, who cover the prayer book's connections to the Bible, history, traditional law, kabbalistic wisdom, feminism, modern developments, and much more.
This stunning work, an important expression of the spiritual revival of our times, enables all worshipers to claim their connection to the heritage of the traditional Jewish prayer book. It rejuvenates Jewish worship in today's world, and makes its power accessible to all.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published September 26, 2001
8 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Lawrence A. Hoffman
72 books16 followersDr. Lawrence A. Hoffman was ordained as a rabbi in 1969, received his Ph.D. in 1973, and has taught since then at the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion, in New York. From 1984 to 1987, he directed its School of Sacred Music as well. In 2003, he was named the first Barbara and Stephen Friedman Professor of Liturgy, Worship and Ritual. He teaches classes in liturgy, ritual, spirituality, theology and synagogue leadership. For almost forty years, he has combined research, teaching, and a passion for the spiritual renewal of North American Judaism.
Rabbi Hoffman has written or edited over forty books, including My People's Prayer Book (Jewish Lights Publishing), a ten-volume edition of the Siddur with modern commentaries, which was named a National Jewish Book Award winner for 2007. His Rethinking Synagogues: A New Vocabulary for Congregational Life (Jewish Lights Publishing) and his Art of Public Prayer (Skylight Paths) are widely used by churches and synagogues as guides to organizational visioning and liturgical renewal. In 2011, he received a second National Jewish Book Award for co-authoring Sacred Strategies: Transforming Synagogues from Functional to Visionary (Alban Institute).
His articles, both popular and scholarly, have appeared in eight languages and four continents, and include contributions to such encyclopedias as The Macmillan Encyclopedia of Religion, The Oxford Dictionary of Religion, The Encyclopedia of Judaism and The Encyclopedia of Religion in America. He syndicates a regular column which appears, among other places, in The Jewish Week and The Jewish Times; and writes a blog entitled "Life and a Little Liturgy."
For many years, Rabbi Hoffman served as visiting professor of the University of Notre Dame, and has lectured at such places as the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, the University of Southern California, and the Yale Divinity School.
In 1990, Dr. Hoffman was selected by the United States Navy as a member of a three-person design team, charged with developing a continuing education course on worship for chaplains. He is a past-president of the North American Academy of Liturgy, the professional and academic organization for liturgists, and in January 2004, received that organization's annual Berakhah Award, for outstanding lifetime contributions to his field.
In 1994, he co-founded "Synagogue 2000," a trans-denominational project to envision the ideal synagogue "as moral and spiritual center" for the 21st century. As Synagogue 3000, it has launched Next Dor, a national initiative to engage the next generation through a relational approach featuring strong communities with transformed synagogues at their center.
He founded and is Academic Coordinator of the Tisch Fellowship Program.
Rabbi Hoffman has written or edited over forty books, including My People's Prayer Book (Jewish Lights Publishing), a ten-volume edition of the Siddur with modern commentaries, which was named a National Jewish Book Award winner for 2007. His Rethinking Synagogues: A New Vocabulary for Congregational Life (Jewish Lights Publishing) and his Art of Public Prayer (Skylight Paths) are widely used by churches and synagogues as guides to organizational visioning and liturgical renewal. In 2011, he received a second National Jewish Book Award for co-authoring Sacred Strategies: Transforming Synagogues from Functional to Visionary (Alban Institute).
His articles, both popular and scholarly, have appeared in eight languages and four continents, and include contributions to such encyclopedias as The Macmillan Encyclopedia of Religion, The Oxford Dictionary of Religion, The Encyclopedia of Judaism and The Encyclopedia of Religion in America. He syndicates a regular column which appears, among other places, in The Jewish Week and The Jewish Times; and writes a blog entitled "Life and a Little Liturgy."
For many years, Rabbi Hoffman served as visiting professor of the University of Notre Dame, and has lectured at such places as the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, the University of Southern California, and the Yale Divinity School.
In 1990, Dr. Hoffman was selected by the United States Navy as a member of a three-person design team, charged with developing a continuing education course on worship for chaplains. He is a past-president of the North American Academy of Liturgy, the professional and academic organization for liturgists, and in January 2004, received that organization's annual Berakhah Award, for outstanding lifetime contributions to his field.
In 1994, he co-founded "Synagogue 2000," a trans-denominational project to envision the ideal synagogue "as moral and spiritual center" for the 21st century. As Synagogue 3000, it has launched Next Dor, a national initiative to engage the next generation through a relational approach featuring strong communities with transformed synagogues at their center.
He founded and is Academic Coordinator of the Tisch Fellowship Program.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 5, 2013
The fifth volume of the My People's Prayer Book series provides a welcome introduction to the birkhot hashachar. The series is clearly targeted toward a non-Orthodox Jewish audience, but takes an approach that is refreshingly appreciative of the tradition and halakhah of the morning liturgy.
Most of the morning blessings, prayers and readings, from Modeh Ani to the Mourner's Kaddish that precedes the P'sukei D'zimrah, are presented and discussed. Each section is accompanied by commentary on biblical sources, theological and translation issues, differences in modern (and primarily non-Orthodox) liturgies, and historical development.
There are two opening essays that focus specifically on the shelo asani goy, shelo asani aved, and shelo asani isha blessings. Both are informative and interesting, and pleasantly surprising given that these three blessings have been reconfigured in all the non-Orthodox liturgies. But while these two essays do present some interesting information on the role of women in the participation in and development of the Jewish liturgy, the "A Woman's Voice" pieces in every commentary section are a bit less impressive. These pieces (by the only female contributor to this volume) feel a bit tacked-on. This volume would probably have benefited had such issues been included as an integral part of the other commentary rather than sitting on its own where their inclusion feels a bit like tokenism and a sop to political correctness.
Similarly, the sections on chasidism feel a bit weak, focusing primarily on the mystical and kabbalistic elements without any discussion of the halakhic or practical rigor that informs and helps to discipline these elements. As such, these sections veer a little too closely to spiritualism on the cheap.
Overall, though, this is a fine volume that would be worthwhile for anyone looking to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the morning blessings and the opening of the shacharis service.
Most of the morning blessings, prayers and readings, from Modeh Ani to the Mourner's Kaddish that precedes the P'sukei D'zimrah, are presented and discussed. Each section is accompanied by commentary on biblical sources, theological and translation issues, differences in modern (and primarily non-Orthodox) liturgies, and historical development.
There are two opening essays that focus specifically on the shelo asani goy, shelo asani aved, and shelo asani isha blessings. Both are informative and interesting, and pleasantly surprising given that these three blessings have been reconfigured in all the non-Orthodox liturgies. But while these two essays do present some interesting information on the role of women in the participation in and development of the Jewish liturgy, the "A Woman's Voice" pieces in every commentary section are a bit less impressive. These pieces (by the only female contributor to this volume) feel a bit tacked-on. This volume would probably have benefited had such issues been included as an integral part of the other commentary rather than sitting on its own where their inclusion feels a bit like tokenism and a sop to political correctness.
Similarly, the sections on chasidism feel a bit weak, focusing primarily on the mystical and kabbalistic elements without any discussion of the halakhic or practical rigor that informs and helps to discipline these elements. As such, these sections veer a little too closely to spiritualism on the cheap.
Overall, though, this is a fine volume that would be worthwhile for anyone looking to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the morning blessings and the opening of the shacharis service.
Displaying 1 of 1 review