The Authorised Daily Prayer Book (formally The Authorised Daily Prayer Book of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Empire, commonly known as Singer's Prayer Book or Singer's Siddur) was an English translation of the Hebrew siddur created by Rabbi Simeon Singer. [1] [2] First published in 1890, [1] [2] it has gone through many editions, and is still used in many British Orthodox synagogues and homes. [2]
Singer's goal was "to unite accuracy and even literalness with due regard to English idiom, and to the simplicity of style and diction which befits the language of prayer". [3] The siddur became popular not only due to the quality of its translation, and its relatively compact size, but also because the Montefiore family paid for its production, allowing it to be sold for one shilling. [3] The Hebrew text was that of Seligman Baer's classic Avodat Yisrael, to which Singer provided an "authorised" version of the liturgy capable of standardising and stabilising the synagogue service and helping to create an "established" Judaism in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, particularly for the United Synagogue (the so-called "Minhag Anglia".) In 1915 the Bloch Publishing Company published an American version, The Standard Prayer Book, which was widely used until the introduction of Philip Birnbaum's Ha-Siddur Ha-Shalem in 1949.
The siddur was expanded in 1917 under Chief Rabbi Joseph Hertz; 1934 saw a "continuous" version, minimizing the need for cross-reference, and which also incorporated additional material. The 1962 Second Edition, under Chief Rabbi Israel Brodie, was completely re-typeset; also the translation was amended where it had become unclear or archaic, and further additional material had been introduced. The Centenary Edition of 1990 saw an extensively revised translation by Rabbi Eli Cashdan, and also included a series of explanatory notes by Chief Rabbi Lord Jakobovits. [3] In 2006, Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks penned a new translation, with commentary, instructions, laws & rubrics; this Fourth Edition was designed by Raphaël Freeman and formed the basis for the Koren Sacks Siddur published 2009. [4]
The latest edition of the Authorised Daily Prayer Book - aka the New Singer's Siddur was published in June 2023, by the current Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Yitzchak Mirvis KBE. This new siddur includes additional essays and an introduction by the Chief Rabbi on how to learn responsibility through prayer. Dayan Ivan Binstock of St John’s Wood Synagogue and the London Beth Din has produced a guide to the Jewish year and prayer incorporating the customs of the United Synagogue. Going month by month, Dayan Binstock clearly sets the rhythms and practices of daily prayer with helpful charts.
A siddur is a Jewish prayer book containing a set order of daily prayers. The word siddur comes from the Hebrew root ס־ד־ר, meaning 'order.'
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Aleinu or Aleinu leshabei'ach, meaning "it is upon us" or "it is our obligation or duty" to "praise God," is a Jewish prayer found in the siddur, the classical Jewish prayerbook. It is recited in most communities at the end of each of the three daily Jewish services and in the middle of the Rosh Hashanah mussaf. It is also recited in many communities following Kiddush levana and after a circumcision is performed. It is second only to the Kaddish as the most frequently recited prayer in current synagogue liturgy.
ArtScroll is an imprint of translations, books and commentaries from an Orthodox Jewish perspective published by Mesorah Publications, Ltd., a publishing company based in Rahway, New Jersey. Rabbi Nosson Scherman is the general editor.
Samson Raphael Hirsch was a German Orthodox rabbi best known as the intellectual founder of the Torah im Derech Eretz school of contemporary Orthodox Judaism. Occasionally termed neo-Orthodoxy, his philosophy, together with that of Azriel Hildesheimer, has had a considerable influence on the development of Orthodox Judaism.
The machzor is the prayer book which is used by Jews on the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Many Jews also make use of specialized machzorim on the three pilgrimage festivals of Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot. The machzor is a specialized form of the siddur, which is generally intended for use in weekday and Shabbat services.
Jonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks was an English Orthodox rabbi, philosopher, theologian, and author. Sacks served as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth from 1991 to 2013. As the spiritual head of the United Synagogue, the largest synagogue body in the United Kingdom, he was the Chief Rabbi of those Orthodox synagogues but was not recognized as the religious authority for the Haredi Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations or for the progressive movements such as Masorti, Reform, and Liberal Judaism. As Chief Rabbi, he formally carried the title of Av Beit Din (head) of the London Beth Din. At the time of his death, he was the Emeritus Chief Rabbi.
Simeon Singer (1846–1906) was an English Rabbi, preacher, lecturer and public worker. He is best known for his English translation of the Authorised Daily Prayer Book, informally known as the "Singer's Siddur".
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Yedid Nefesh is the title of a piyyut and zemer. It is usually sung on Shabbat.
Philip Birnbaum was an American religious author and translator. He is best known for his work Ha-Siddur ha-Shalem, a translation and annotation of the Siddur first published in 1949.
Akdamut, or Akdamus or Akdamut Milin, or Akdomus Milin, is a prominent piyyut written in Aramaic recited annually on the Jewish holiday of Shavuot by Ashkenazi Jews. It was penned by Rabbi Meir bar Yitzchak of Orléans, who was a cantor in Worms, Germany,. Akdamut consists of praise for God, His Torah, and His people.
Siddur Sim Shalom refers to any siddur in a family of siddurim, Jewish prayerbooks, and related commentaries, published by the Rabbinical Assembly and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
Koren Publishers Jerusalem is an Israeli publisher of Jewish religious texts. It was established in 1961 by Eliyahu Koren, with the aim of publishing the first Hebrew Bible designed, edited, printed, and bound by Jews in nearly 500 years. It produced The Koren Bible in 1962, The Koren Siddur in 1981, and the Koren Sacks Siddur in 2009, in addition to numerous editions of these books and other religious texts in Hebrew, English, and other languages.
Eliyahu Koren was a master typographer and graphic artist. After studying in Nuremberg, he immigrated to Mandatory Palestine in 1933. He served as head of the graphics department of Keren Kayemet, the Jewish National Fund, from 1936 to 1957. He founded Koren Publishers Jerusalem in 1961, which published the Koren Bible in 1962. He published the Koren Siddur in 1981, and various religious texts until his death.
Mishkan T'filah—A Reform Siddur is a prayer book prepared for Reform Jewish congregations around the world by the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR). Mishkan T'filah is Hebrew for "Dwelling Place for Prayer" and the book serves as a successor to Gates of Prayer, the New Union Prayer Book (GOP), which was released in 1975. In 2015, CCAR released the complementary Mishkan HaNefesh machzor for the High Holy Days. CCAR also produces a host of print and electronic materials to supplement the Mishkan T'filah book.
The Koren Siddur refers to a family of siddurim published by Koren Publishers Jerusalem beginning in 1981.
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