Chicago Sinai Union Prayer Book, Volume I
Editor’s Introduction
Throughout the history of Reform Judaism in the United States, there has never has there been a prayer book which has been more beloved than the Union Prayer book, Newly Revised, which was originally published in 1940 by the Central Conference of American Rabbis. The Union Prayer book, Newly Revised, was the successor to two -earlier editions, the primary source for which was Dr. David -Einhorn's Olath Tamid. Two of Dr. Einhorn's sons-in-law, Dr. Kaufmann Kohler and Dr. Emil G. Hirsch, served as rabbis of -Chicago Sinai Congregation.
The Union Prayer book expressed the classical ideals of Reform Judaism eloquently and poetically. This prayer book was intended for those who wished to worship primarily in the English language, and particularly in the American environment. Its language was both timeless and inspirational. Embodied in the text were the Principles of the American Reform movement including: religious liberalism, humanitarianism, rational faith, and a profound commitment to social justice. At the same time, this prayer book remained firmly rooted in Jewish tradition. The essential Hebrew prayers and blessings, from the traditional Siddur, were reflected in the text of the Union Prayer book.
Although this prayer book served the needs of virtually all Reform Congregations for nearly two generations, in 1973 it was officially replaced by the Gates of Prayer, a new and significantly more traditional prayer book. Not all Reform congregations embraced the new prayer book, some preferring instead the dignity and beauty of the Union Prayer book. Chicago Sinai Congregation has continued to worship from the Union Prayer book up to the present time (1999).
Nevertheless, we recognized that in several significant ways, the Union
Prayer book was in need of major revision. Published in 1940, the Union
Prayer book appeared before the two great epochal events of modern Jewish
history had shaped the consciousness of world Jewry, namely the Holocaust
and the establishment of the State of Israel. Any contemporary Jewish prayer
book needed to deal with these two watershed events. In addition, the great
social changes of the second half of the twentieth century which affected
Jews, and all people, could not have been anticipated by the Union Prayer
book. The heightened awareness brought about by the women's movement, the
concern for the inclusion of gays and lesbians, the strong trend towards
intermarriage, the civil rights movement, and advances in racial equality:
all have had an undeniable impact on Reform Judaism. Also, the Union
Prayer book’s use of Elizabethan English, which was common to most
English-speaking
congregations in the past, seemed arcane, and no longer appropriate.
For all these reasons, and several others, it was decided that the time had come to create a new prayer book, still rooted in classical Reform Judaism, still faithful to the eloquence of the Union Prayer book. After four years of intense preparation, involving both rabbis and many dedicated lay people, we offer this prayer book. For those who have grown up with the Union Prayer book, there will be much that is familiar and also quite a bit that is new. We have striven to preserve the grace and poetry of the Union Prayer book, by building upon the past, not replacing it. Also, we have added a new element which we believe will enhance the worship experience, namely the extensive transliteration of most of the Hebrew prayers, using the contemporary Hebrew pronunciation, thereby enabling those who do not read Hebrew to participate in liturgical elements that previously have been mostly inaccessible to them. There is a full section intended for home and private devotion, including ceremonies for the holidays and for significant events in a person's life.
Although the language is both gender-neutral and contemporary, there are a few exceptions which should be noted. Recognizing the deep affection and the sense of continuity which the previous wording of the Shema reflects, we offer two options for its recitation: “Hear, 0 Israel, the Eternal is our God; The Eternal God is One," and "Hear, 0 Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One." The worshiper is left to decide which version to recite. The beloved twenty-third Psalm ("The Lord is my Shepherd...... ) has been preserved in its cherished wording. Finally, the Kaddish prayer, known by heart to so many Jews, is transliterated both into contemporary Hebrew as well as in the Ashkenazic version.
In offering the Union Prayer book Sinai Edition, we hope that, like its predecessors, this book will offer inspiration to a new generation of worshipers. We hope that many will discover within its pages a fresh approach to the ideals of Reform Judaism and added awareness of the beauty and the importance of our faith for those embarking upon the twenty-first century. We feel blessed to have participated in the development of this prayer book and pray that many will cherish it in expressing the presence of God in their lives.
Rabbi Michael P. Sternfield
Worship at Sinai: An Historical Perspective
This new Prayer Book, with its preservation of the best and most beloved of the historic Reform liturgical tradition, reinterpreted in light of the spiritual concerns and commitments of our own time, is the latest link in 138 years of creative development of worship at Chicago Sinai Congregation.
As in so many aspects of its philosophy and observance, Sinai's worship services have always reflected its distinctive liberal religious vision. The history of liturgical practice at our Temple has been a continuous process of both experimentation and evolving traditions, and yet there has been a consistent, transcendent theme. Each of our rabbis, and every generation of our members, have sought to create a worship experience thoroughly grounded in Jewish tradition, while also expressing and reflecting the cultural setting, aesthetic standards and social perspectives of contemporary American life. Moreover, there has also been a characteristic commitment to balancing the liturgical dimension of worship with the equally important component of the rabbi's prophetic role as teacher and preacher of the ethical and moral ideals of Reform Judaism.
When Chicago Sinai Congregation was founded in 1861, our pioneering leaders adopted one of the earliest American Jewish Prayer Books, published by New York's Temple Emanu-El. This volume was moderate in its degree of liturgical reform and includes much of the traditional Hebrew text with original English translations and a selection of German readings and hymns.
In 187 1, the distinguished scholar Kaufmann Kohler became Sinai', third rabbi. It was Dr. Kohler who transformed the Temple'., worship in two major ways: the introduction of the Sunday Service as the primary worship of the week, and the adoption of the radically liberal Prayer Book edited by Rabbi David Einhorn, the spiritual mentor of the "Classical" wing of the Reform Movement. The "Einhorn Prayer Book," also known by its Hebrew title, Olath Tamid ("a Perpetual Offering"), established the distinctive patterns of Sinai's worship services: a predominantly English Service featuring readings that paraphrased rather than literally translated the original Hebrew texts, and reflected the progressive spiritual and social ideals of American Reform Judaism. The Weekday Morning Service of the Einhorn Prayer Book became Sinai's major liturgy. Its simplified structure provided a setting for an increased role for choral and congregational singing, as well as the framework for a central focus on the rabbi's sermon.
Under the leadership of Rabbi Emil G. Hirsch, who led the congregation from 1880 - 1921, the Sinai Service underwent further transformation, as the sermons of the famed orator became the centerpiece of Temple worship. While favoring an abbreviated liturgy that basically provided a prelude and postlude to his preaching, Dr. Hirsch nevertheless remained a devotee of "The Einhorn," and in 1891 published a new revision with a contemporary English translation. It is significant that Sinai continued to use the Einhorn Prayer Book until 1945. Virtually the entire Reform Movement adopted the new Union Prayer Book in 1892, a synthesis of the broad spectrum of individual congregational manuals - both traditionalist and liberal - that were then being used throughout the country. Dr. Hirsch's contemporaneous revision of Sinai's "radical" liturgy was a symbolic declaration of the Congregation's continuing distinctive commitment to the Classical Reform position.
During the succeeding 40 year leadership of Rabbi Louis L. Mann, from 1922 - 1962, Sinai's weekly worship tended to employ brief pamphlets featuring the major Hebrew responses, accompanied by Contemporary readings and hymns, with the sermon continuing to occupy the central focus of the Service. However, by the time the Congregation dedicated the Temple in Hyde Park in 1950, the Union Prayer Book, with its successive revisions reflecting the influence of the Einhorn text, was finally adopted for Holy Days and occasional weekly use.
The major changes in modem Jewish life following the Holocaust, the rebirth of the State of Israel, and the shifting cultural transitions of the 1960's, were reflected in the series of creative liturgical pamphlets used at Sinai through the next decade. This trend dominated the broader Reform Movement as well, which was embracing both a return to more traditional Jewish worship styles as well as a more contemporary, informal approach to prayer. In 1975 the Congregation joined the rest of the Movement in adopting the ,,Gates of Prayer: The New Union Prayer Book" for regular weekly use, while retaining the Union Prayer Book for High Holy Day worship. However, in the 1980's, as we attempted to reaffirm our commitment to Sinai's historic Classical Reform tradition, the Union Prayer Book, encompassing the Einhorn heritage, again assumed its place as the standard liturgy for our Temple's weekly and holy day Services. This return to the beloved beauty and majesty of the ""Union Prayer book’s" language, in turn reaffirmed a conscious commitment to achieving a greater balance between liturgy and preaching, with an appreciation for the essential place of both elements in an authentic Reform Jewish worship experience.
In recent years, while Sinai has remained one of the few congregations in America still using the Union Prayer Book, we have nevertheless struggled with many of the challenges posed by its very traditional, if familiar and well loved language. The elegant formality of its cadences has, for some, seemed anachronistic. An even greater issue of concern has been our growing sensitivity to the problems posed by the predominantly mate imagery and terminology of references to both God and the human community.
We have sought to join all contemporary religious communities in embracing a more inclusive and gender-neutral use of language in our prayer. It has been this concern that has most influenced the decision to prepare this new revision of the Union Prayer Book. It seeks to retain the best of Sinai's distinctive worship traditions, enhancing them with a greater response to the concerns and perspectives of our contemporary culture. In striving for this balance of continuity and change, this effort is clearly grounded in the great historical legacy of Sinai's past, while seeking to inspire us as Reform Jews in facing the spiritual challenges of the future.
As we join together in reaffirming our faith and love of God, our devotion to our Jewish tradition, our sense of community with one another, and our commitment to working for justice and peace in the world, may this new guide to our worship at Sinai Temple empower and sustain us on our way!
Rabbi Howard A. Berman