MY PEOPLE'S PRAYER BOOK—Traditional Prayers, Modern Commentaries, Vol. 8 Kabbalat Shabbat (Welcoming Shabbat in the Synagogue) Edited by Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman

“The prayer book is our Jewish diary of the centuries, a collection of prayers composed by generations of those who came before us, as they endeavored to express the meaning of their lives and their relationship to God. The prayer book is the essence of the Jewish soul.”

This stunning work, an empowering entryway to the spiritual revival of our times, enables all of us to claim our connection to the heritage of the traditional Jewish prayer book. It helps rejuvenate Jewish worship in today’s world, and makes its power accessible to all.

Vol. 8—Kabbalat Shabbat (Welcoming Shabbat in the Synagogue) features the authentic Hebrew text with a new translation designed to let people know exactly what the prayers say. Introductions tell the reader what to look for in the prayer service, as well as how to truly use the commentaries and to search for—and find—meaning in the prayer book. Framed with beautifully designed Talmud-style pages, commentaries from many of today’s most respected Jewish scholars from all movements of Judaism examine Kabbalat Shabbat from the perspectives of ancient Rabbis and modern theologians, as well as feminist, halakhic, Talmudic, linguistic, biblical, Chasidic, mystical, and historical perspectives.

Commentators:

Marc Brettler Our Biblical Heritage
Elliot N. Dorff Theological Reflections
David Ellenson How the Modern Prayer Book Evolved
Ellen Frankel A Woman’s Voice
Alyssa Gray Our Talmudic Heritage
Joel M. Hoffman What the Prayers Really Say
Lawrence A. Hoffman History of the Liturgy
Reuven Kimelman Kabbalah
Sharon Koren The Context of Kabbalah
Lawrence Kushnerand Nehemia Polen Chasidic and MysticalPerspectives
Daniel Landes The Halakhah of Prayer
Wendy I. Zierler Jewish Feminism

Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, editor of this series, has served for more than three decades as professor of liturgy at Hebrew Union College—Jewish Institute of Religion in New York, and recently became the first holder of the Stephen and Barbara Friedman Chair in Liturgy Worship and Ritual. A world-renowned liturgist, he has combined research in Jewish ritual, worship and spirituality with a passion for the spiritual renewal of contemporary Judaism.

He has written and edited numerous books, including The Way Into Jewish Prayer; The Art of Public Prayer, 2nd Edition: Not for Clergy Only now used nationally by Jews and Christians as a handbook for liturgical planners in church and synagogue; as well as a revision of What Is a Jew?, the best-selling classic that remains the most widely-read introduction to Judaism ever written in any language. He is also the author of Israel—A Spiritual Travel Guide, 2nd edition: A Companion for the Modern Jewish Pilgrim .

Hardcover
240 pages
7 x 10
ISBN 13: 978-1-58023-121-3
ISBN-10: 1-58023-121-7